Donations to charities is way down this year and in our area the Toys For Tots program is behind 5,000 presents with even more families signed up for help this year. No one wants to see children without gifts for Christmas and it always hurt me that my child didn’t have expensive presents like others that I knew, but I made the holiday as happy as I could and got as much as possible for him and so long as he was happy then I was happy.

Families are really hurting this year and many are even making handmade gifts like way back when. People aren’t out there spending wildly and are looking for good discounts before they do let go of those dollars. Many people have been laid off and fired and so many businesses have closed down it’s really getting very serious and scary. On the news last night they even told about a burglary from the Toys For Tots warehouse.

I have often wondered about the desperation some people feel that will push them to steal from churches and other charities. Home invasions are getting awful people think they can just go in and take whatever they please and don’t care who they hurt and it’s getting worse. With the economy the way it is now I worry even more about how high the crime rate will rise. I am grateful for everything I have and feel horrible for those that are suffering right now.

Even though I don’t have much, I have more than many and I don’t like to feel guilty because I’m safe and so many are homeless and doing without.

Parenting to me is the biggest responsibility in the world. We bring these new little lives into the world and we’re responsible for keeping them safe and teaching them morals and values. It’s amazing watching these little humans grow and learn and evolve. We want so much for them and we do our best to provide the best way we can.

“Do as I say not as I do” was always something I heard from grownups when I was young. We tend to follow easier when we see someone setting a good example instead of just talking about doing something good. If our children see us doing something and we tell them it’s okay for us, but not for them what kind of message do you think they are receiving?

I know many of us find it easier just to talk the talk than to actually do the walk. I don’t think I would be a very good parent in today’s world because when I look around and see all that is happening with our youth it scars me to death, I would probably want to keep them home and locked away till they were grown (joke). I worry about our grandchildren and the trials they will be facing as they grow up.

I have yet to meet anyone that is a perfect parent, we all make mistakes and learn as we go and that’s okay. Recently I read some blogs and posts that were horrified by one young Mother’s way of handling her child’s potty training. I really don’t think she realized that people were going to be shocked by her announcing that she spanked him to teach him to potty.

Our Grandson was 4 years old before he was actually going all the time on his own. The little girls went a lot earlier and when they come to visit I know they make their parents go to the potty with them at least 8 times each. I never saw any child love to potty as much as those two, they either have really bad bladders or they just love the attention they get.

These parents never raise their hand to these 2 little girls, but they do get time out in the corner. I would never try to interfere in the way someone tries to raise their children unless they were beating them to death of course. Children are not our property to do with as we please and exploit they are our responsibility and there are many people out there that don’t understand the difference.

I certainly wasn’t a perfect parent and my son wasn’t a perfect son, but we did our best and we survived those years. He’s not a horrible grownup, he’s actually pretty cool and now he’s a Father he is starting to realize what parenting is all about and how much responsibility is involved. I am trying to learn how to be a good grandparent now.

I received a sample of Dermalastyl-B last week and have been using it as directed twice a day and since it’s concentrated I only need a small amount. I can really feel the difference in how smooth it makes my face feel and I’m hoping it will last a month because that’s when I’m guaranteed to see the big difference. I need to use it the full month, but I’m happy with it after only a week. If it reduces my present wrinkles and prevents more then I’ll be quite happy.

I would love to have a more youthful appearance like the photo above. I know I’ll never look like that of course so I don’t expect a miracle and I certainly don’t want shots or surgery. At my age I do need some help though and this product blends into my skin very quick and makes it feel stronger and smoother and works well under foundation. My skin feels like it has more elasticity and I’m quite pleased. This is very affordable at 89 dollars for a 2 month supply and a money back guarantee.

DermaLastyl contains Tropoelastin which you can read about on the website listed above and it’s getting rave reviews because it has over 600 amino acids and it’s stronger than the other anti-aging products on the market because no other product contains this ingredient and it helps increase collagen. There has been much research by Dr. Burt Ensley and the military is interested because of the tissue regeneration and scarless healing aspect.

Studies show that depression is more common in the winter months. The weather is usually dreary more often than not. Even on clear days, the sun doesn’t shine very long. Lack of sunshine is a major cause of depressed moods.

Christmas is the most depressing time of year for a large number people. It may be the lack of family or loved ones to spend the holidays with, or it could be the financial strain the season brings with it.

Often people think of the excitement and anticipation they remember from their childhood. The eagerness experienced in waiting for Santa Clause, and wondering what we would get, made Christmas such an exciting time.

As we grow older, those wonderful feelings may lessen to the point of being almost nonexistent, leaving us with a sense of disappointment; A feeling of being let down.

What ever brings on these depressed feelings, it’s important to remember they’re just passing feelings for the most part. Continuing on with your daily live is often all the cure we need. You should however, discuss it with your doctor if these depressed feelings last more than a couple weeks, or if they interfere with your daily life.

It seems that younger people are having heart attacks and developing illnesses that seemed to be reserved for older people. Recently a young friend of ours 37 had a heart attack and had a stint put in because the artery was totally closed, now he needs two more. He says he feels much better and can breath easier now, but doesn’t plan to quit smoking or drinking which of course is his choice.

Using tobacco and alcohol will raise your blood pressure. Some people choose to quit, but if you choose not to at least try to limit the consumption. Stress plays a huge factor in high blood pressure and unfortunately everyone is stressed at some point in their lives. If you deal with a high amount of stress, consider relaxation techniques.

An unhealthy diet or lack of physical activity or exercise can also put you at risk for high blood pressure. They tell us to exercise at least thirty minutes a day even if you have to space the time out. Eating less salt and more vegetables and fruits can help lower our blood pressure as well. You should always talk with your doctor if you have concerns.

Some medical conditions can lead to high blood pressure. Kidney disease can result in high blood pressure as well as cause it. Sleeping disorders that interrupt your breathing during sleep will also raise your blood pressure. Some medications and drugs can also raise your blood pressure be careful of nasal decongestants, oral contraceptives, steroids, some cold medicines and even certain types of anti-depressants.

Do you keep tabs on your blood pressure? There is a top and bottom number for your blood pressure reading. The top number is your systolic pressure. Systolic pressure is the force of blood in your arteries as your heart is beating. The bottom number is your diastolic pressure. Diastolic pressure is the force of blood in your arteries as your heart relaxes between each beat.

There are four different categories your blood pressure reading can fall under and  the first is a normal blood pressure reading which is what we prefer. Normal blood pressure is when your systolic pressure is below 120 and your diastolic pressure is below 80. This would read 120/80. You can keep this blood pressure number by maintaining a healthy lifestyle which more people are trying to do.

While we may be able to control most of the factors that raise our blood pressure there are some we can’t. For instance your race; African Americans are more prone to high blood pressure, people over fifty-five are at a higher risk, and family history can play a role in our blood pressure as well. While you can’t control these factors we can try to decrease the risk.

Some of us may need to take medication to keep our blood pressure under control. If we watch our diet, exercise, and lifestyle habits over time this could be very beneficial. It’s not always easy to live healthy, but if we intend to live a longer life then these are things we need to try and change and take control of. Speak with your doctor if you have concerns.

Thanksgiving was great and I took the week off, but now it’s time to get back to work until Christmas of course. It’s good to take time off and rejuvenate your mind and body because sometimes we are under stress without even knowing it.

We have most of our Christmas shopping done so that is one less thing to be stressed over and tomorrow I plan to decorate my tree and put up a few decorations to get in the festive mood, but nothing dramatic and just on the inside.

We didn’t do any Black Friday shopping although we saw some pretty good deals. I didn’t feel like fighting any crowds and from watching the news we saw people had set up tents on Thanksgiving day so they would be first in line the next morning, now that’s sad.

I need to shut this down because we’re going out for dinner and I need to take a shower and get ready so tomorrow will be my official return I just felt like updating my blog since the last post was Wednesday and I don’t want my friends to think anything is wrong.

With Thanksgiving 2 days away I really need to get off this computer and start cleaning. I usually do my everyday pick up and straightening, but I need to dust the 50 million picture frames because no matter how many times everyone has looked at the pictures for some unknown reason to me they all have to rehandle everything. I think they just look for dust so I can feel bad.

With 2 dogs and the way they shed I’m forever behind on vacuuming everything. They have dogs themselves so that one they understand if they see a stray dog hair, but I try to keep up with that one except my office and they shouldn’t be in here anyways because this is my private domain and if it doesn’t bother me then it shouldn’t bother them. Except today it looks like I have an orange carpet instead of green because of Sadie.

Our turkey is still frozen even after 3 days in the fridge so I guess tomorrow we will have to put it in the chest with water for awhile just to make sure it will be ready for the oven on Thursday. The family wont be over til 4 o’clock so we should have plenty of time for last minute things. The kids usually go to the other side of the family early, but always save room for Dad’s dinner because they’re use to the way he cooks.

Our house is small so it gets crowded at that time with 6 adults and 4 kids plus 2 dogs. I’m happy to see them come, but I’m happier when they all leave because after screaming kids I’m ready to relax. They of course know to bring their own bowls if they wont to take leftovers home because we got tired of chasing our bowls down after holidays. We usually have a small ham, but I think it’s just going to be turkey this year.

I’d like to wish everyone a safe and Happy Thanksgiving holiday.

With Christmas coming I like to check out the toys from different companies so I visited the Mega Brands website for some ideas because they show all the different brand names and what’s available and where you can order online and offline. They also give the product description and benefits for each toy.

I’d love to get the little CAT workbench for Ethan, but he’ll only be 4 months old at Christmas so I guess I’ll have to settle for something useful like a highchair for now and worry about the toys later when he can appreciate them. When Nate was small we got him a workbench and of course he had so much fun helping his Daddy.

We have 5 grandkids in our life right now, and the 2 little girls have so many toys they don’t know what to do with so we need other choices with them. Nate always likes educational toys, but I always throw in a mickey mouse figurine every now and then because he likes Mickey and the Disney characters and he likes to collect things.

I’m sure your kids will give you a long list like my Son always did, but he was always happy with whatever Santa was able to bring him. So if you’d like to get a few ideas and prices then check out Mega Brands yourself and make it less stressful this year by ordering online and find those bargains. I know your all very excited about Black Friday shopping, but that’s one day I stay at home.

One of the more interesting aspects of the Law of Attraction is found in its teachings. Fundamentally, it teaches people how to think. Not what to think. Learning how to think, helps focus the mind. Many people discover that focusing the mind, helps improve their life.

Because our thought process is constantly working, the Law of Attraction is constantly working as well. Many of our thoughts are at the unconscious level, so we’re not always aware of what type of energy those thoughts may be creating. Your unconscious is literal and produces negative energy the same as it does positive energy. It doesn’t know the difference. Your unconscious mind doesn’t understand “I don’t want”.

The book and DVD, “The Secret”, is a good introduction to the Law of Attraction, but that’s all it is. It focuses on acquiring material possessions. And there’s nothing wrong with that. According to the Law of Attraction, if you want something enough and you truly believe it’s possible for you to have it, you’ll probably get it. But the same is true for negative thoughts.

It’s not wrong to be well fed, well clothed, drive a nice car and live in a nice home. If you create a feeling of self that’s capable and worthy, you’ll attract what you want. You can take care of yourself as well as others. The main points of the Law of Attraction is finding happiness in your daily life. Making the world a better place for everyone. Finding self-fulfillment through the power of the mind.

If you spend a lot of time thinking on the things you don’t want or fear, and you believe it’s possible for you to experience them, it’s just as likely they’ll come your way. You can’t avoid unpleasant things by hoping they don’t happen. Your unconscious is literal and produces negative energy the same as it does positive energy. It really doesn’t know the difference so concentrate on what you do want, not what you don’t want.

Are you focusing on what you want? Or don’t want? Do you have thoughts or beliefs that are contrary to what you want? If you truly want something, but feel you don’t really deserve it, those thoughts will be translated into energy, and the Universe will “feel” that you don’t deserve it.

Becoming aware of what you’re spending your energy on, enables you to change it. Allowing you to focus all your thoughts on the things you really want. To truly achieve the positive benefits of the Law of Attraction, you have to become aware of what you’re focusing your attention on.

There are many people that see the Law of Attraction as a deeply religious experience. Connecting them to others and to a higher power.The numbers are just as large that consider the Law of Attraction spiritual but not religious. Religious or just spiritual, the results are the same: Improving life for yourself and others through the power of thought.