Carving Patterns For Pumpkins

Jack o'lanterns have been a part of Halloween celebrations for centuries, and each year on October 31, doorsteps and windows across the United States are still illuminated with glowing carved pumpkins. Pumpkin carving designs can range from simple to intricate and from silly to spooky, and even historical. Check out the 24 awesome patterns at the link below and learn how to carve your pumpkin for some haunting Halloween fun.

http://www.history.com/topics/halloween/interactives/pumpkin-carving-patterns

History of Halloween

Fizzle or Razzle Dazzle?

Whether you’re married with children or a single parent with a partner, I betcha the last thing on your mind at the end of a long day is having sex, right?  Is it possible to take your love life from fizzled to hot-hot-hot when you live a hectic lifestyle?

Maybe “hectic” doesn’t quite fit the bill when you roll into one day an alarm clock that beats the sunrise, rushing breakfast while getting the kids up & ready for school, lunches need making, school bags aren't packed, the bus is met or you’re the chauffeur, clean/tidy the house, throw in a load of wash, pick up groceries, run other errands and maybe work a full time job, tend to an infant /toddler or both, shuffle them to sports, other extracurricular activities and appointments, check homework, help them study, ready them for bed then ... do it all over again.  Phew!

Let’s not forget the spit ups, throw ups, constant poopy diapers, skinned knees, sibling tirades, temper tantrums and everything else in between that makes you feel like someone got the story of Cinderella all wrong and you feel obligated to rewrite it.  Parenting is no picnic in the beginning … the middle … and worse yet … the end when you’re dealing with raging hormones and independent thinking.

So how do you get the razzle dazzle back in your love life?  Do you feel like a born-again virgin cause it’s been too darn long?

Don’t lose your humor, my friend, and know that you are not alone.  It’s life.  It gets in the way.  When you feel overworked and overextended, stress ain’t exactly an aphrodisiac.  We have a tendency to do it to ourselves because we’re wired to think we have to be the do all-be all partner and mother.  Guess what?  You don’t though.  Stop.  Breathe and remember there was only the two of you before that precious bundle of joy entered the picture.  Putting a task off for another day won’t end the world.  Sex after kids is possible.  

 Sex is important and should be a priority, not an afterthought in any relationship.  Both partners need to be committed to each other to keep the passion alive.  Seize the moment when you can, whether you’re jumping each other’s bones in the kitchen or living room when the baby is down for a nap, or the kids are at the neighbors playing.  You were a team before the kiddies arrived, make it work.  Schedule “we” time or a date night.

Rev it up a bit and make the first move.  Your mate could be just as tired as you yet, showing a little sexy and slipping into lacy lingerie instead of a tattered tee, might do the trick.  Set the stage with candles, invite him to join you for a bubble bath or share in a shower together.  Sometimes we forget to reconnect.  Reach out and touch each other, make eye contact, hold hands and snuggle close whether you’re washing dishes, cooking near the stove or brushing your teeth side-by-side.

Break the monotony and get away, if even for just a day.  Play hooky and spend the day together, take a long drive to someplace you use to enjoy while dating, get away over night if possible or even take a long walk down a beautiful pathway.  Don’t sink into a sexless existence because you feel you need to do everything right and do it now.  That old adage, “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today,” does not apply to moms.   

A Mother's Plea

Having faith makes life worth living and believing in something passionately will make it happen are words we try to embrace and carry with us daily.  We so want to believe in the truism of those words because without hope, we have nothing.  If a child is stricken with cancer, the dare to hope can be fleeting when a family faces astronomical medical bills, never-ending appointments and treatments, countless hours on the road traveling back and forth to the hospital, separation from loved ones, sleepless nights and little family time just to name a few.

Did you know that according to U.S. Cancer statistics conducted in 2007 there were more than 80 million children between the ages of 1-19 diagnosed with some form of cancer?  Lord only knows what the number is almost 5 years later.  Of course, we aren’t aware of those families unless we know of someone personally.   Most of them still today are enduring the pain, heartache and strife associated with this life-threatening diagnosis.  We can’t help and support them all, I know.

I, however, was touched by the story of such a family and would like to showcase their journey and ask, if you can, give something, however small, to help them during this most difficult journey.  You can click here to read about Lynzie and a mother's private battle to keep her daughter alive at http://www.allaboutlynzie.com.

Escaping Snack Attacks

Do you eat between meals or snack after 7 p.m. because “you just gotta munch” during your favorite t.v. program?  I do, but it took me a while to realize it wasn’t when I was munching that was killing my hour glass figure, but what I was shoving into my mouth.

Healthy snacking will actually help you lose weight and control those nasty cravings.  And no, there’s no need to feel minutely guilty about it either, that is, as long as you stay away from those vending machines filled with candy and salty treats.  Baby carrots will go a long way not only because they contain a fiber that fills you up, they’re nutritional punch is mega.  A cupful alone offers your daily supply of vitamin A. 

Try not to fill yourself up with drinks that can be more harmful than good like fruit juices and soda.  The sugar alone is disastrous.  Try a low-sodium vegetable juice.  One to two glasses a day will drop an average 4 pounds in a 12 week period.  Water is a steadfast filler-upper along with a cold glass of milk.  You can even switch it up with a little dark chocolate syrup for an added treat.

We all crave sweets and trying to resist them will only leave you feeling deprived.  The key again is dark chocolate, less than an ounce and savoring it slowly.  A little will truly go a long way.

If you’re the type of muncher who loves chips, stick to a 1-ounce portion of the baked variety.  You’ll still get the crunch you’re looking for and reduce the sodium going into your system drastically.   Better yet, almonds offer the same crunch and protein as well as pistachio nuts … and they taste awesome too.

And lastly, if the vending machine tempts the heck out of you, select a Peppermint Patty that generally packs only about 140 calories, Fig Newtons that offer a few grams of fiber or Sun Chips with a source of whole grain and fiber.

Laughter Is Magic

When a new day dawns bright, we are generally greeted with local and world news that is depressing and sometimes leaves us with a sense of hopelessness.   Have you felt lately like life just lacks that luster and excitement it once did?

We reap what we sow from the choices we make and how we view the world, or at least, our own little portion of it.  I’ve learned through my own experiences that there is an awesome power within each and every one of us that responds to how you feel.  We don’t realize that what we place our attention on can become permanent in our lives.  When we dwell on the negative, it creates even more in our words, feelings and actions.  Quite simply, our thoughts have no power over us unless we give them control.

Changing our own “little world” can happen over night by first loving and surrounding ourselves with thoughts and things that create happiness.  That old adage, “Laughter soothes the soul and is the best medicine of life,” is so very true.  There are many benefits and positive effects of laughter.  It immediately creates joy, binds people together and increases intimacy.  Did you know that a hardy belly laugh will relieve tension and stress and leave your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes?  How about it increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, improving your resistance to disease?  I bet you didn’t know it triggers endorphins, you know, those feel-good chemicals that can even temporarily relieve pain.  Laughter also protects your heart as it increases blood flow.

Yep, laughter is great therapy and one heck of an antidote.  Best of all, it’s free.  Surround yourself with people who bring laughter in your life.  In most instances, it’s okay to look at the world through rose-colored glasses instead of a negative disposition.  And to kick start those endorphins; here are a couple of links that are sure to leave you giggling, if not belly laughing.  P.S. I’m not responsible, if you pee in your pants.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUZuV0xce3A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIMFL9wRaJE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P6UU6m3cqk&feature=related