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Pam Johnson ⁽²⁶⁸⁾ United States

How To Create A Chores List That Gets Results

Posted Wednesday, August 05, 2009 (112 days 5 hours ago.) Viewed 66 times.

Living with my daughter and her family, a lot of the child rearing naturally falls to me. One big problem we're constantly battling is how to get the girls to do their chores without hours of nagging and upset on both the parents' and children's part. What we've begun doing is a "chores list", where everything is written down and the girls know exactly what each chore will win them. We chose to give them time on the Wii, television or the computer. You can give them a sliding allowance or whatever best fits your family needs.

The first thing we did was gather together the adults and discuss the plan of action. How to keep track of the chores the children get done fairly, what to give as the reward, what to do if a child cheats on the tally.

Of course, these all depend on your family dynamic and what you are expecting to teach the child, but be sure to keep the chores age appropriate. Expecting a two year old to do a perfect job is only going to lead to disappointment on both sides. You know what your child is capable of. Set the expectations to the child's abilities.

Next we sat down with the children and discussed the idea of a chores list with them. We included their input when making a list of chores and what they would be worth. In our case, time earned varies from 5 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the chores. Its important that the kids help make out the list, helping to decide what the chores should be and how much each chore is worth. That way they feel like they have a voice in how the home is run.

Because mornings can be a frantic horror show if the child can't find something, we've added chores like being sure their coats, book-bags and shoes are properly put away. We've also made a few mandatory chores, like do homework, straighten their room, take out the days garbage and make sure the animals have enough food and water high priority. These get high return for the kids and are the only mandatory daily chores.

The kids asked for extra curricular chores as well, in case they want more time to do the things they enjoy, so we added things like unloading the dishwasher, folding the laundry for a few extra minutes and some other things the kids offered up. We also agreed to give 15 minutes for every half hour of reading.

Its a good idea to set a time limit to the chores and check often, reminding them to stay on task. To many warnings, though, must result in a penalty where they loose minutes.

Once the list is made, display it where they can refer to it. Because the chores have various points, we decided to use a dry erase board in the kitchen and add a check to the child's name for each completed task.

Remember, when you are creating a chores list, don't overload them and distribute the chores appropriately. Choose three or four mandatory chores that they have to accomplish every day. Let the rest be their choice, and praise them often.

Positive re-enforcement is key. And so is consistency.

Children are much more likely to do what is expected of them if they have a voice in the rules. Don't under estimate them.

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How To Clean A Clothes Iron

Posted Wednesday, August 05, 2009 (112 days 10 hours ago.) Viewed 186 times.

A dirty clothes iron can damage your cloths so it is important to keep your iron clean.

Of course, you can go ahead and buy one of the iron cleaners available on the market, but there are ways to avoid that extra expense. Here are a few ideas to use, using what you might already have on hand.

To begin, the water reservoir should be cleaned regularly. To do this, simply heat the iron, then pour in a mix of water and white vinegar. Allow the iron to steam while ironing over a scrap rag. Drain this out and repeat the process one or two times more until the mineral spots are gone. When done, fill with clear water and iron over the rag to clear any remaining trace of vinegar.

If you prefer, you can simply fill the reservoir one-fourth full with white vinegar and using the steam feature, run the iron over a rag. As above, repeat this until all mineral spots are gone, then fill with clear water and iron over the rag until the reservoir is empty.

Running your iron over an old newspaper on its hottest setting will usually clean off most of the dirt and grime clinging to your iron's faceplate. If not, you can wipe it off with a soft cloth and a spray of an all-purpose cleaner like 409.

If you want to avoid chemical cleaners, wipe the iron with a soft cloth dampened in white vinegar. Once the faceplate is cleaned to your satisfaction, wipe off the cleaner with a water dampened cloth.

Burnt starch on an iron is a simple fix. Using the dry iron setting (no steam) set to hottest temperature, iron firmly over a wet terrycloth rag or towel until the starch transfers to the cloth. You can also iron over a plain brown paper bag (with no print) which has been sprinkled with salt. The salt will clean the faceplate without scratching or damaging it. Once the faceplate is clean, wipe it with a damp cloth to remove any stray salt crystals.

To clean off oily residue, wipe the cooled iron face with a soft cloth and ammonia. Once the residue is cleaned away rinse off the ammonia.

Occasionally you might accidentally melt plastic or fabrics on your iron. This is not something to panic over. The plastic can be removed without damaging your faceplate. To do this, turn off your iron and allow it to cool. Run the cooled iron over a plain brown paper bag with no advertising print on it. This should clean off most of the melted material. If there is still some clinging to your faceplate, using a wooden skewer (like you would use to make kabobs) gently pry away the material. You can remove any dark staining caused by the melted material with a bit of vinegar and water

Finally clean out the steam vents on the faceplate. Be sure to unplug the iron for this. Let it cool down, then using a cotton tipped swab, gently wipe out the dirt and grime.

Keeping your iron clean and well maintained is important for the life of both your iron and your cloths, and it only takes a bit of time

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How To Apply Your Make-Up

Posted Tuesday, August 04, 2009 (113 days 4 hours ago.) Viewed 32 times.

Things you need

cleansers
moisturizers
foundation
concealer
powder
blush
eye shadow
eye liner
mascara
lip liner
lip stick/gloss

Make-up can either be a blessing or a curse depending on how it is applied. To heavy a hand can leave you looking like you have applied war paint. Or worse, if not properly blended, can leave you looking as if you are wearing a mask. Neither case is good.

It is important to choose the proper colors in both foundation and power. You can find the shade closest to your skin tones by testing them on the inside of your wrist. Choose a color that blends into your personal skin tones. Your looking for a clean look, not a pasty one.

Apply make-up to a clean surface. In other words, don't skip the cleansing routine that works for you. And moisturize. Keep your skin healthy.

To begin, dot your forehead, both cheeks, your nose and your chin with the foundation and blend upward. You will also want to completely cover the exposed skin of your neck. No one wants their make-up to cut off prematurely. An obvious break line in skin and make-up is a big no-no.

Once you are happy with the foundation apply your blush. Again, only a shade or two above your skin tone. Your going for a muted not clownish look. Apply with a light hand and be sure to blend the blush into your skin so its not two big spots of color but rather a slight glow.

Apply your shadow to suit the time of day or occasion. You want a muted soft look for the day, or for the work place. Save your glittery sparkle for the evening and entertaining. You can also go with a more flamboyant look at night, but control yourself for daytime.

Liner takes a steady hand. You can get a better application by resting your pinkie on your cheek as you draw your line. Finish off your look with a lengthening lash color.

Seal the look by smoothing on your powder, blending upwards. Always upward.

For those of you who use a three powder re-grime, begin with the foundation/tint, dusting it over your face with a twirling movement. Apply the glow/bronzing in the same way, following with the finish.

Outline your lips with a thin line of lip liner. Choose a color one shade darker than the shade of lipstick. Once your lines are drawn, fill in the lips with your color. You can brighten the color with a clear gloss if you like. Blot, and add your fragrance.

Applying make-up doesn't have to be a stresser if you use common sense and follow these simple steps

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City and real estate guide - Austin, Texas

Posted Tuesday, August 04, 2009 (113 days 5 hours ago.) Viewed 122 times.

Austin is known as the "Live Music Capital Of the World". It holds more live music events than any other city in the US, including the "South By South West Festival" and its local 6th Street weekend.

Austin is home to major business districts, educational facilities and entertainment, making the city attractive to the single up and comers, young families and even our senior citizens.

Austin's many parks are perfect for long walks, picnicking with the family. And for pet owners the freedom of dog parks where you can spend a quiet few hours with your family pet. Trails have been marked off for bikers and runners. The many lakes allow for long hours spent boating and fishing in the nearly year round warm climate.

For a quieter more educational day, Austin offers a variety of museums and zoos. Amusement parks and fitness facilities offer a more active way to spend some quality time with your family.

Driving through scenic Austin, it's hard to believe you are in the middle of a thriving, growing city. The city is designed around rolling hills and valleys among mini-groves of trees that hide the sprawling quality of most cities and giving Austin more of a home town feel.

Topographically, Austin is broken into two regions, offering flat plains for those who prefer that setting and the rolling hills and lakes on the other side. A bit of something for everyone.

The east side of Austin is the current real estate "hot spot". But be aware, prices are rising due to this interest by home owners and real estate developers intent on cashing in on the growth of the area. However, if you are looking for Victorian style homes, the East side is the place to look.

The major tech companies are located on the north side. This area of Austin has a more suburban feel that might appeal to those with children. This area of the city offers large houses in master-planned communities as well as apartment complexes.

South Austin housing is comprised of small and large houses in planned communities and apartment complexes, duplexes and condos. The cost of rent and buying is lower than the rest of Austin on the south, allowing home-owners and apartment dwellers to get more for the money

On the west side of Austin, the housing is a nice mix of large, custom-built houses, apartments, duplexes and condos.

Urbanites in search of apartments, duplexes and condos, for you downtown Austin has recently been growing quickly and could be is just the ticket for you. This area puts you in the hub of the action, offering the 6th street music, bars, pubs and restaurants in a vast world of cultures, ethnic and art-centric shopping and theater

Families and professionals who want to be close, but not in the heart of the action, Central Austin offers you the close proximity you want. College students might also want to look in this area, as it is close to the University of Texas at Austin campus

All in all, Austin is a great place to settle. It offers something for everyone combined with a climate that doesn't stop.

Happy house-hunting.

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