Herez your cuppa - Swiss Mocha

Swiss Mocha Coffee Mix

1/2 cup instant coffee
1 cup sugar
1 cup instant dry milk powder
1/4 cup powdered coffee creamer
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup vanilla flavored instant pudding mix (optional, but very good)

Measure all of the ingredients into a clean, dry bowl. Use a fork to combine everything evenly. If you are ambitious, you can powder everything in a blender. I don't always do this because I am lazy. You do get really impressive results from it though, and it is easier to do than one would expect. Transfer the mixture to an air tight container.

To Prepare: Measure 3 or 4 tablespoons into a coffee cup. Fill it up with hot water (about 3/4 cup) and stir to dissolve.

This is a very sweet and chocolaty coffee. It is almost as good as hot chocolate for curling up with on a cold winter night. If you decide to make it a bed time snack, then you might want to use decaffeinated instant coffee, instead of regular. The vanilla pudding mix makes your homemade mix dissolve better in water. It also gives a pleasant vanilla flavor to the coffee that marries perfectly with the rich chocolate.

Perceived Value

Plain and simple: people tend to want what they cannot have! When things are hard to obtain, they seem more valuable! One example is collector's items. The more rare something is, the more people think it is worth. It's called "perceived value."

It really starts on the inside. If you value yourself, it will show, and others will value you more, too. If you value yourself, you will be focused on your own goals and activities - and less focused every waking minute on some guy. A lot of girls I know spend enormous amounts of time in thinking about a guy in their life, and not in adding value to their own lives by learning and growing. If you spend all your time reading women's magazines, watching TV, or gabbing with the girls, you're on a fast track to becoming one boring, boring person.

It's not about being self-absorbed or selfish - it's really about self-respect. The greatest gift you have is YOU. What you do with this gift will affect not only you, but literally thousands of people. Whether you believe it or not, you are important. People know you and are aware of you - your presence is known. Your image is out there. You are somebody - right now.

Da Veggie Code!

Are you excited about the new Da Vinci Code movie? You’re not alone. More than 40 million people read the thrilling novel, which revolves around the hidden messages in Leonardo da Vinci’s art. Da Vinci’s paintings and inventions are world-famous, and he is widely considered a genius and the ultimate “Renaissance man.” Although people everywhere enjoy his art, humans aren’t the only ones who love Leonardo—animals are big da Vinci fans too. Why? Because da Vinci was an outspoken vegetarian. He once proclaimed, "Time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look upon the murder of men.”
Numerous other brilliant and compassionate people throughout history have refused to eat animals. From mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras to peace activist Mahatma Gandhi and from Albert Einstein to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, history is full of great thinkers who decided to extend their circle of compassion to animals by leaving them off their plates.
Watch PETA’s fun “Famous Historical Vegetarians” e-card starring the beloved Nugget, and send it to all your friends.

Related links:
www.bluecrosshyd.org
www.petaindia.com
www.peopleforanimals.org

Disciplining your toddler.

No doubt about it, toddlers are a handful! At times, it will seem like they can be in two places at the same time, and be headed for trouble in a third one yet. Many a parent can recite nerve-racking stories of toddlers perched on top of the bookcase, or of a fall that resulted in an mergency room visit. Setting limits and maintaining some kind of control are difficult tasks with toddlers because they are so independent, yet have so few skills to communicate and solve problems. The key to disciplining your toddler includes love, under-standing, and quick thinking!

Understanding toddlers:

• Toddlers are limited in their ability to communicate. Like babies, they still like to be held, talked to, and comforted, however, toddlers can say a few words, which can mean many things. “Cup!” may mean “Hand me my cup,” “I want more milk,” A toddler, with this limited capac-ity to communicate, is therefore very hard to understand.
• Sometimes, toddlers do things that drive parents crazy. They reach out and grab things(like eyeglasses). They are rather clumsy and awkward with gestures; a loving pat often turns into an accidental whack. A spoonful of peas may wind up on the floor rather than in the mouth.
• Toddlers are also very possessive. “No,” and “Mine,” are favorite words and they are quite willing to hit or bite to get (or keep) a favorite toy. In fact, toddlers may spend as much time carrying around and protecting toys as they do playing with them.
• They have very little skill at pacing themselves and can be happy one minute and cranky the next. Much of this behavior depends on the new skills they are developing. The same toddler who screams for an unreachable cookie may lead or drag you to the jar and point at another time. Learning to do things in a socially accept-able way is a big step for a toddler.
  

How can parents help?

• One of the most important things a parent can do is to establish a safe environment. “Toddler-proof” your home by locking up dangerous chemicals and medicines, covering electri-cal outlets, and storing breakable objects up high, especially if your toddler is a climber! You also may want to take a close look at toys and how your toddler uses them. A safe place to play and appropriate toys to play with will save you from saying “No” and make your job as parent much easier.
• Establish a routine. Toddlers need naps and rea-sonable bedtimes. Small stomachs need nutritious snacks and meals frequently. Growing bodies need time to run, jump, and play every day. Riding around all day in a car seat, sleeping in a stroller, and eating fast food is OK once in a while, but if it’s happening often you may want to rethink your schedule. Taking care of basic needs can go a long way in preventing a cranky, whiny child.
• Distract. This works especially well with very young children. When a child is doing something unac-ceptable, try to call attention to another activity—perhaps playing with another toy or reading a book together. The goal is to temporarily distract the child from the current problem. For example, if a child wants to play with breakable knickknacks at a friend’s home, perhaps you can distract him or her with a stuffed toy. Since young children’s attention spans are so short, distraction is often effective.
• Redirect. If your toddler is throwing blocks, hammering on tables, or drawing on books, remove the materials while saying something like “Blocks are for building, not throwing.” At the same time substitute another appropriate toy for the material you just took away and say “If you want to throw something, throw the bean bag into the basket.” By redirecting the activity into a more acceptable situation, you let children know you accept them and their play, and ou channel a problem activity into a more acceptable activity.
• Ignore. The goal in this strategy is to have the child stop the undesir-able behavior by not paying attention to it. This can be effective in some situations with older toddlers. Withhold all attention, praise, and support. Without the desired attention, children even-tually quit whatever they’re doing. This takes patience.
• Set a good example. Toddlers love to imitate their parents. If you want your toddler to treat the dog kindly or have good eating habits, be sure to demonstrate how to do it. Re-member also to talk about what you do. Even though toddlers may not fully understand everything you say, they will begin to understand that there are reasons for doing things a certain way.
• Help your toddler understand “sharing” As was mentioned earlier, sharing is not something that toddlers do very well. They usually find it difficult to share because they don’t really understand what ownership means. They may think sharing a toy is the same as giving it away. It is very common for a toddler to give someone a toy, but expect it to be given right back. Older brothers and sisters sometimes have trouble understanding this. Sometimes it helps to explain that your toddler is just “showing” her brother the toy. If your toddler does share, give praise, but respect the need to protect treasures.
• Is it ever OK to spank?Toddlers often respond well to physical action when you need to discipline them. Touching themon the arm, taking them by the hand, picking them up, holding, or restraining them are all goodways to get their attention. Spanking will also get their attention, but doesn’t do a very good job of teaching them how to behave. In fact, it generally distresses children so much that they can’t pay attention to your explanations or directions. It’s hard to reason with a screaming,crying child. Some parents who frequently slap a toddler’s hand are dismayed to find their toddler slapping back. Or worse yet, slapping and hitting others. Spanking and slapping canquickly get out-of-hand for both parents and children. Most reported cases of abuse involveloving, well-meaning parents who just lost control. Studies show that children who experienceor witness a great deal of spanking, slapping, or hitting are much more likely to becomephysically aggressive themselves.

Toddler needs guidance if you understand the reasons for his or her behavior and know your options.

Walk of Life...

Walking at a moderate pace for 30-60 minutes burns stored fat and can build muscle to speed up your metabolism. Walking an hour a day is also associated with cutting your risk of heart disease, breast cancer, colon cancer, diabetes and stroke. Isn't it time to work 1-hour walks into your busy lifestyle? Read on...

Walking Schedule - How to Walk for Weight Control

Long Day: Warm up 5-10 minutes at easy pace. Stretch. Walk at target pace for 60 minutes. Slow to easy pace for 5 minutes. Finish with gentle stretching.

Long Easy Day: Warm up 5-10 minutes at easy pace. Stretch. Walk at target pace for 30 minutes. Slow to easy pace for additional 30 - 90 minutes. Finish with gentle stretching.

Day Off: When walking for weight loss, you should take no more than 1 to 2 days off a week.
Alternate these days to fit your personal weekly schedule.

Example: Day : Workout - Time at Target HR
Sun.: Long Day - 60 min.
Mon.: Day Off - 0 min.
Tue.: Short Day - 30 min.
Wed.: Short Day - 30 min.
Thu.: Long Day - 60 min.
Fri.: Short Day - 30 min.
Sat.: Long Easy Day 30 min.

Feeling Worn Out: If your walking workout leaves you feeling sore or worn out the next day, take a day off. If this happens each day that you walk, check your heart rate to be sure you are not overdoing it, and drop back to 50% or less of your target heart rate and cut back on the number of long days in preference for short days.

Get going and starting losing...for good!

I love you Dad

My daddy is the center of my small world,
the focus of my affections,
the star that lit my life, shining bright.
Shining still in my heart.

The years have led me here,
weathered with maturity and responsibilities,
and I see more clearly now.
The hardships, burdens of love,
and all the small sacrifices he made for me,
for our family.

He created stability, a place to call home.
All the photographs I browse through
of a child long forgotten, scarcely remembered
smiling, so happy and so loved.
The mere thought of becoming that role model
is enough to send me cowering, afraid...
looking for guidance.
Turning to my father and my more for support,
advice, wise counsel, and for approval.

Grown up, I see differently now...
A new perspective of a man I have always known.
My heart is full, my emotions overpowering
just in the certainty of that bond.
He's been there for me through all the conflicts
helping me over the rough, ragged stones
of growing up.

My respect for him is unending,
faith is unbound, and love is unquestioning.
Even in the midst of all my imperfections, he is lenient,
ignoring the pitfalls, the downfalls, the shortcomings,
he just accepted me as I was, as I am.

The sheer purity of it leaves me awe-struck
and it lifts me up, it holds my head a little higher,
it keeps me in balance,
harmonizing with the world around me
beautifully, like an inspired masterpiece from the soul
of an honest man.

I am honored to know him, to love him, to be of him.
He's my hero, and I am his daughter, his little girl.

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Happy Fathers Day Nanna, I love you, today and always...
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