Player Profile: Chip Jett

November 30, 2008 by freddymcdonald70

Chip Jett is a professional player of high standing in the Poker playing community. Chip’s 2005 live Poker Tournament winnings have exceeded $1,500,000. During that same year, his wife Karina Jett who is also a professional Poker player, made the same final table as did Chip at the Old Billings Gate Market Open Event in London.

Born in Scottsdale, Arizona on September 22, 1974, Chip now resides in Las Vegas with his wife and daughter.

He has finished in the money five times in the World Series of Poker Tournaments but has not as yet won any bracelets. Chip has additionally made the final tables twice and finished in the money five times in World Poker Tour Tournaments but has not as yet gained any titles. In March 2003, his second place finish in the World Poker Tour (WPT) Partypoker.com Million II Cruise was behind Top Dog Howard Lederer, who has won this Tournament twice.

In still another World Series of Poker Tournament, Chip again made the final table but lost to the “Silver Fox” from Australia, Mel Judah.

In 2005, Chip Jett finished third in the $5,000 Seven Card Stud Tourney.

Chip (he has been called by that nickname since birth) began his career and the learning process of Poker as a dealer in a Native American casino.

Playing Poker in his spare time, Chip’s skills were soon earning more money than his wages as a dealer. He then realized that he could improve his income considerably as a full time professional player and embarked on what has proven to be a very successful career.

In fact, “Card Player” Magazine, recognizing Jett’s standing in his field, has publicized a number of articles authored by him. Additionally, he has been featured in such well known publications as “Sports Illustrated”, “Men’s Journal” and “Biker Digest”.

Chip originally formed the foundation of his skills by attending a Poker school and took to the game so naturally that he was teaching at that same school as well as working in a casino within three months.

Chip Jett is a high profile competitor. In addition to the many articles written about him, he was rated as the Best All Around Poker Player in the 2001 L.A. Biker Classis, he received the Champion of the Year Award in 2003 and has won First Place in the Grand Slam of Poker, the World Poker Finals and the World Poker Open.

Jett placed first in the Fourth Annual World Poker Open No Limit Hold’em, Mixed Games at Los Angeles Poker Classic and 2003 No Limit Hold’em Tropicana Poker Championship. He placed third at the World Poker Challenge in the Omaha Hi-Low and Pot Limit Hold’em, Second in the Special Poker Events at the Bellagio, and made two final tables at the World Series of Poker.

Phillies Ticket at Face Value

November 30, 2008 by freddymcdonald70

On opening day for the Philadelphia Phillies, my wife and I were anxious to attend but we did not have tickets.

The night before the game, we decided to arrive at the ballpark early with a cooler full of tailgating food and drink, and try to find a scalper that would give us a deal on some good seats.

Much to our surprise, there was not a scalper in sight. Very strange for the city of Philadelphia. Like twilight zone strange.

I said to my wife, why don’t I just try the ticket office? Maybe they have some standing room only tickets.

She told me it was a waste of my time because the game was sold out, which it was.

I said what have we got to lose? So I went to the ticket window to see if I could get some Phillies tickets at face value.

And sure enough I did. I didn’t even have to settle for standing room only. We got two tickets in the outfield and got to watch the Phillies lose in the cold and rain.

I was just happy that I was able to get my Phillies tickets at face value and not have to pay a ridiculous amount of money to a scalper.

Photo Challenge Treasure Hunt in Sussex – a Teambuilding Corporate Event

November 30, 2008 by freddymcdonald70

If you are looking for a team building corporate event and also a wonderful venue for this event, then photo challenge treasure hunt in Sussex is the best option. Treasure hunt is a popular teambuilding activity. It is not only a source of extreme fun but also a skill building inspiration. Photo Challenge Treasure Hunt in Sussex is a wonderful team building exercise that offers ultimate scope to explore and rediscover famous places of Sussex and its surroundings.

The importance of team building events is growing rapidly in the corporate arena. Chillisauce offers a wide array of corporate team building events in different locations of United Kingdom – Photo Challenge Treasure Hunt in Sussex is one of them. This famous team building corporate event helps to increase individual efficiency level. Thinking on these lines, corporate houses are giving more importance to this type of corporate events to break the monotony of work pressure.

<b>Hunting like Holmes</b>

Team building corporate event like photo challenge treasure hunt in Sussex offers enough scope of brainstorming with Sherlock Holmes and funny activities. During this challenging event, pictures of some popular locations in Sussex are provided to each team. Moreover, the players get cryptic clues and digital cameras to take photographs of all the given locations.

Corporate teams will spend the entire day in wandering to every possible locations and comparing the sites with the given photographs. In this event, each team has to take photographs, which should be similar to the given photographs. The winning team will be declared based on the perfect match of the photographs within the given time limit. Extra points are given for applying creativity, originality or humor in the photography. Overall, photo challenge treasure hunt in Sussex is a challenging team building corporate event, which improves team spirit and provides real fun at work.

<b>Advantage of Photo Challenge Treasure Hunt in Sussex</b>

Thanks to innovative corporate event ideas, which offers remarkable photo challenge treasure hunt in Sussex. This corporate event shows the importance of working together to achieve a goal. In photo challenge treasure hunt you will find all team members are applying their skills to decode the array of cryptic clues. Though pay packages, incentives and other financial benefits matters in corporate arena but this type of corporate team building event dramatically help in generating goal oriented efficient team work.

Ping Pong Game — Simple And Fun To Play

November 30, 2008 by freddymcdonald70

Ping pong, otherwise known as table tennis, is a popular indoor sport enjoyed by many around the world in facilities ranging from recreation clubs to school common rooms etc. Ping pong is very similar to tennis in that players on opposite sides of the ping pong table hit the ball back and forth over a net. But similarities end there as ping pong is played on a table surface rather than a hard court, thus the name “table tennis.” To enjoy a game of ping pong, you need a ping pong ball, a net, ping pong table, and paddles.

Rules of Ping Pong

In a ping pong game the first player to reach 21 points is declared the winner. However, upon one player reaching 21 points with the opponent trailing less than 2 points, the game must continue until one player takes a definite 2 point lead over the opponent, at which point that player is declared the winner.

To start a point the server serves the ball with the paddle to the opponent’s side of the ping pong table. If the server fails to serve the ball into play, either by serving the ball into the net or serving it out, the point goes to the opponent. Once the ball is in play either player can score points. The players must hit the ball back to the opponents’ side of the table. If one player fails to return the ball to the opponent’s side either by netting the ball or hitting it out, the point then goes to the opponent.

To start a point with a serve, the server throws the ping pong ball up at least 6 inches and as it comes down the server hits the ball with the paddle. Before crossing over the net the served ball must hit the server’s part of the table first before bouncing a second time on the opponent’s side. After the serve the ball remains in play as long as it clears the net and bounces once on the opponent’s side of the table with each stroke. The point ends either when a player hits the ball into the net, or when the ball goes out without bouncing at all on the opponent’s side of the table, at which time the opponent earns a point.

Ping pong games can be played as a single as well as a doubles game. In a doubles game, an additional rule is that the ball must be served diagonally across to the opposite court. If the server fails to serve to the diagonal area on the opposite side then the opponent gets the point.

As you can see the rules of the ping pong game is nice and simple enough so that anyone new to ping-pong can easily enjoy a game of ping-pong without much trouble and confusion.

Pink Sheets – Investments Or Gambling On Sure Things?

November 30, 2008 by freddymcdonald70

Pink Sheets and Wall Street have long since appealed to gamblers and investors. Wall Street’s version of the unwanted stocks has become big business. Investors are looking to what is commonly referred to as the “pink sheets” which list the stocks which are too small and often too much trouble for the boys on the Street to notice.

Enter into the picture a man by the name of Coulson. Cromwell Coulson bought the stock quotation service, Pink Sheets in the late nineties and since then, he has been quoted a few times as referring to the Pink Sheets as the “Las Vegas of Wall Street.” And here’s why. Companies which are relatively small with little trading action being realized have virtually no appeal to the New York Stock Exchange.

The Pink Sheets lists not only the smaller companies but also the foreign stocks. The stocks aren’t listed on the exchange and are certainly considered very volatile stocks.

Day trading quickly became known as the investor’s way to gamble years ago. Now, with the growing popularity of the Pink Sheets, investors can really go double or nothing with stocks which are more than just a little risky to the investor who needs some excitement when they are building their investment portfolios.

What investors need to realize when choosing to jump on board with Cromwell Coulson, CEO of Pink Sheets LLC, is that not only are the stocks listed on the Pink Sheets listed there for a reason but there is a very real and legitimate reason that these stocks aren’t on the more notable exchanges. Either they couldn’t make it while on the big exchanges or they weren’t there to begin with.

As one might expect, Pink Sheet stocks offer investors, for the most part, mediocre financial information on the company. Further, bleak financials of the companies listed on the Pink Sheets are often camouflaged or extremely difficult to find.

What’s more, day traders who love to jump in and out of their chosen stocks and tend to love volatile stocks will be less likely to trade on the Pink Sheets with much success if they “play the market” on these stocks as they would the stocks on the NYSE, for example.

Day traders will find the pendulum swinging both ways on stocks found on the Pink Sheets. They’ll be drawn to them because huge profits can be earned. They will definitely need to do their homework and recognize the fact that if a stock is listed on the Pink Sheets—that fact alone shows a warning will be ever-present. And traders will be very aware of the fact that because of the difference in bid and ask prices of these over-the-counter stocks, dumping the stock on short notice may be a problem, if even possible.

Still, Coulson seems to have a growing over the counter business in these stocks which no one else wants. Companies such as Delta Air Lines and Volkswagen found their homes in the OTC neighborhood. And with Coulson’s determination to see more stocks on his sheets of pink, his stocks, no matter how volatile, may begin to be considered a pretty good gamble.

Pittsburgh Steelers Football Season Preview

November 30, 2008 by freddymcdonald70

Long time coach Bill Cowher retired, offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt left for Arizona , and defensive leader Joey Porter was cut. Former Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin will be under a microscope as he becomes only the 16th coach in the 74 year history of the Steelers, and just the third coach to hold the position since 1969. Last season, the Steelers had a rough time, considering that they are only two years removed from a Super Bowl Championship.

That being said, the Steelers have great talent on the team. Charlie Batch had a great year in 2006. In the season opener against Miami , Batch threw three touchdown passes and no interceptions. Even though Charlie Batch played well in relief as quarterback, the role belongs to Big Ben Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger threw for 18 touch downs last season but he also tossed it to other teams for a total 23 times. That being said, Roethlisberger fully has the capability of getting back to his Super Bowl form and he will need to that for the Steelers to have a competitive 2007 season. But Roethlisberger has quite a bit to prove in 2007. Roethlisberger not afraid to throw deep when he breaks the pocket or to head for a touchdown run when he is near the goal line. A more confident Roethlisberger will make fewer mistakes, and if the Steelers play from behind less often and the quarterback won’t have his preseason or playing time interrupted by health issues.
Also relying on Roethlisberger is tight end Heath Miller. Miller’s production actually lowered from his rookie year and this was largely due to Roethlisberger below average play but Miller will have to make himself a target this year to help out his quarterback.

And the Steelers also have running back Willie Parker who had a great year last season. Even with Big Ben struggling at times and defenses keying in on Parker, he was still able to run right past them. Parker scored 16 touchdowns in 16 games and racked up over 1700 total yards from scrimmage.

In the wide receiver position there is Hines Ward who suffered from injuries last year and as a result, his production suffered. Ward suffered from knee and hamstring troubles last season, and saw his touchdown total fall from 11 in 2005 to only six last season. As back up, there is Santonio Holmes. Thankfully, Holmes seemed to find a cure to his plaguing ‘fumble-itis’ late last season and the team is counting on him to be their number two wide receiver.

Jeff Reed missed seven field-goal attempts last season and saw his overall point total drop from 117 in 2005 to 101 in 2006. Reed should be another candidate for a bounce back season with the reinvigorated offense. The big key, though, will be stability on the offensive line. The left side should be solid with tackle Marvel Smith and standout Alan Faneca holding things down. Faneca has stated that this will be his last year in Pittsburgh , and this season he should play very well. With the retirement of Jeff Hartings a hole is left to be filled at center, though, and the right side of the line is much less formidable. Against some teams like Baltimore and New England , the Steelers will suffer some breakdowns in protection.

Despite having good linebackers, good down linemen, and a decent secondary, the Steelers had a surprisingly inconsistent defense last season. The talent on this defensive team are more than capable of becoming a very solid defensive unit and Tomlin is a very good defensive coach.

Now, the Steelers are in a very difficult division this coming season, but this could be a team that makes a big jump this year.  Pittsburgh Steelers tickets are sure to go fast this season it is suggested that you buy your Steelers tickets from a ticket broker to get yourself some premium seats.

Plan your Camping Gear Ahead for a Safe Trip

November 30, 2008 by freddymcdonald70

If you are planning to spend some time trekking and camping out in the wilderness, there will be some additional camping gear that you will need to take along with you. If your time away is going to be an extended hike through the great outdoors for several days and you plan on sleeping outdoors, there may be other additional items that you may want to consider adding to your backpack. Instead of rushing out and buying your camping gear at the last minute, plan your camping trip ahead and only purchase the camping gear that you will need. This will give you time to shop around for the best quality at the best price.

The amount of camping gear that you will need to take will depend on several factors
1. The length of time you will be away. If it is a short time such as a few days or over night then you will only need a small amount of food and clothing. Cooking can be kept to a minimum. For longer periods away you will have to take more food and better cooking equipment.
2. The time of year is an important consideration. If it is in the summer months then light clothing is all that is required. If it is in the cooler months then you will require heavier, warmer clothing and better rain wear. Remember to always take good quality rainwear regardless of the weather forecast.
3. Are you camping out in the wilderness or are you staying in hikers cabins. This will determine whether you need to carry a suitable tent.
Always remember to share your camping gear between your hiking partners to balance the load.

The most important piece of camping gear that you will need is your backpack. This needs to be large enough to carry everything that you will need for your time away. Do not buy the cheapest backpack but look for the best one that will sit on your back comfortably. Make sure that it is light enough.  Most camping store owners will show you how to adjust the backpack to balance the weight correctly. Another tip is to always use a waterproof pack liner. I have yet to find a pack that will not leak from consistent rain.

Take plenty of Food and Water

Never make the mistake of loading all of your food for your trek straight out of your pantry into your backpack, such as tinned items or food in a jar. The best food to take is dehydrated meals. Although these meals may not look too appetizing, they will sustain you and they can be a fraction of the weight. Also make sure you take plenty of water. This is important because you need to stay hydrated during your walk and when you camp there may not be any good quality drinking water.

Never take away large quantities of basic items such as sugar or salt. If you work out what quantity you need for each meal and then double it you will be surprised how little you need. Make sure that all of your camping gear is in water proof containers or plastic bags.

The most important thing is not to pack any unnecessary or heavy items of camping gear that you probably will not use, especially on a short trek away. For those weekend stays away in the wilderness, if you do find something that you left at home, then it doesn’t matter. It is only for a day or two and you can not take everything.

Play The Game Safely With The Right Baseball Catching Equipment

November 30, 2008 by freddymcdonald70

Take me out to the old ball game has been the theme song for America’s favorite past time for decades.  We’re talking of course about baseball!  Although many sports need a lot of room or equipment, an informal baseball game is relatively easy to organize with a little effort and some basic baseball and catching equipment.  Other sports may actually be more popular in certain areas of the country than baseball but it’s this all American game that is tied into our culture through years of play

It’s a game that needs little in the way of equipment and many a kid has whiled away the summer playing baseball with the local neighbors using little more than a solid stick, some flattened paper boxes for bases and a ball.  Of course, with the growth of the sport, (and the involvement of adults) the number of injuries also have increased, and sometimes dramatically.  Even the most informal baseball game needs some basic equipment to be able to play and more importantly play safely.

Two of the most important pieces of equipment that should be considered absolutely necessary for safety are batting helmets and catchers protection.  Batting helmets protect the batter from accidental beaning from an errant pitch.  Although it doesn’t happen often, a wild pitch can happen and cause serious damage.

The same type of scenario can also injure the catcher.  Baseball catching equipment should always be available for both teams catchers.  Catcher equipment at a minimum should include a full helmet, face guard, chest protection and for the guys an   impact resistant protective safety cup for the privates. Knee and shin pads should also be considered and though important, if it’s a choice due to limited finances, start at the top of this list and work down.

A final piece of equipment that I consider to be absolutely essential is a mouth piece for teeth protection.  All it takes is 1 ball to cause thousands of dollars in dental damage.  The pain and cost just aren’t worth going without this little piece of plastic that costs around 5 bucks.  I wouldn’t necessarily expect a mouth protector to be worn by everyone at all times, but would definitely insist it’s use when batting, by the catcher and probably the pitcher.

In the end, the right equipment can go a long way to making the great memories of childhood.

Parenting – It can be fun

November 28, 2008 by freddymcdonald70

Like so many of us, in my early stages of parenthood I took a very traditional, mainstream approach to caring for my first-born.  I’m thrilled to say that today I’ve grown.  For the betterment and health of my children, I examined new ways of doing things.  By listening, not only to my heart, but to my babies, and opening my mind to those around me willing to share their wisdom and experiences, I believe I’ve created a bond with my children that will last a lifetime.

Because of this, I hope to share some of my misconceptions and solutions with others, in hope of enlightening them to truly examine their parenting options and methods, and ask themselves if they believe they are as close to their little one’s as they believe they should be.  I am here to tell you that raising a baby can truly be a beautiful experience.

My son right now is sleeping. He is sick, poor little man. It’s just a cold, nothing too serious, but my heart aches to make it better, to bend over backward to provide him some relief.  My old instincts with my daughter were; run to the store; buy medicine, and give her dose after dose to make the symptoms better.  It’s not good for little ones to have the sniffles, right?

I was 22 when my daughter was born; I thought I knew it all.  I had read the books, performed research online, taken Lamaze classes for childbirth, and completed both a “new parents” class and a breastfeeding class.  I was totally prepared to have my daughter; or so I thought.

Things were tough with her.  I knew I wanted to breastfeed, but she had a hard time latching on. The “class” I took did me little to no good.  All the “strategies” I was taught, I had forgotten.   The methods that worked with the baby doll in class were in no way effective with a moving, screaming newborn.  The Lactation consultant at the hospital said, “you’re fine, doing it fine, just keep it up, you’ll get it.”  So, I trusted this person knew what she was talking about.  And I listened.  I didn’t seek more help; I didn’t even realize more help was actually available.

She could not latch.  It got to the point where I was hysterical.  I was crying, basically praying to God that He not let my baby wake up, because feeding her had become such a traumatic experience.  It was truly a sad situation; one that I will never forget.

Well, I know now, the reason behind the difficulties was simple.  Not only was I uncomfortable, I was scared.  Breastfeeding was foreign to me.  I had not seen it done, I personally was not breastfed, nor was my husband at the time.  Having the baby there freaked me out, and having her sucking on me was almost worse.

I did know that breast milk was best, so I bought an electric Breast Pump.  I then started pumping every two hours, in order to feed her the “best food” through a bottle. Though I had no idea how MUCH to pump, so I got more milk than my baby could ever drink.  To give you an idea of approximately how much I pumped, after Aubrey was fed breast milk the entire first year of her life, I was still able to ship over 50 pounds of breast milk to Mothers Milk Bank in Austin Texas. (http://www.mmbaustin.org/) The Mother’s Milk Bank is a great facility.  Their mission: “The Mothers’ Milk Bank at Austin is a non-profit organization whose mission is to accept, pasteurize and dispense donor human milk by physician prescription primarily to premature and ill infants.” (Provided by http://www.mmbaustin.org)

Other things I just “knew” before I had her, included babies should be laid down as much as possible, they need to become independent.  Babies need to sleep on their own from the beginning and at 6 months they need to “learn” to fall asleep themselves.

Aubrey was as a baby, I am ashamed to say, Furberized (Dr. Furber’s method of parenting and getting kids to sleep is letting them Cry It Out).  She was laid on the floor or placed in a swing or car seat a lot.  She wasn’t connected to me at all.  There were times I felt more like her nanny than her mother.  Part of the reason for all of this was my now ex-husband’s belief that Aubrey needed a schedule and structure, and she needed to be in her own bed; the fact that I had read all of those books contributed to the confusion as well.  I wanted to be the best parent ever, so I thought reading the books was the way to make that happen.

Frankly, I never once listened to my body, my heart or her cries.  Don’t get me wrong, I was not abusive, but we did let her cry, especially after 6 months when we Furberized her to get her to learn how to sleep.  I did not listen to the chemical changes in my body when my daughter cried; I did not learn her cues, and we struggled on a day-to-day basis. (“When your baby cries there is an actual chemical reaction in your body, prolactin the ‘mothering hormone’ is releised and your body physically gets ready to breastfeed.” Statement provided by: http://www.consciouschoice.com/1999/cc1210/parenting1210.html)

Then through a series of events that are not relevant, Aubrey’s father and I divorced.  I started easing up a bit; I did still believe what all the books said, but I also started thinking maybe I should listen to what Aubrey was trying to say, and my heart as well.

Four years later, at 26, after being a mother for several years, I got pregnant with my son.  I had always wanted to be a Mother, but I struggled with the idea of keeping my son.  I was opposed to an abortion; but I was not working at the time, and I had a 4-year-old daughter to support.  I did more thinking and crying in the first couple months of that pregnancy than I think I have in my entire life.

Unfortunately, within a week of knowing I was pregnant, Zachary’s father decided that he did not want to be a part of Zachary’s life, and signed away his rights to him.  So it was all up to me.  It was not easy, but in the end I decided to listen to my heart, trust myself and my faith in God, and know that God would never give me more than I could handle.  I decided to keep him.  It was one of the most frightening and difficult decisions I have ever made not because I did not want or love Zachary, but because I wanted the absolute best for Zachary!

With that decision behind me, then came the thoughts of how I would parent him.  I knew that there had to be better methods than those I used with my daughter.  She had been so detached from me.  Again, I turned to my heart, listened, and tried to trust myself.  Over time, I’ve gradually learned that trusting my own judgment is a major accomplishment.

I was determined to breastfeed.  Come hell or high water, I would breastfeed.  So I started looking for help before my son was born, joining my local La Leche League (http://www.lalecheleague.org/) “The La Leche League International mission is: To help mothers worldwide to breastfeed through mother-to-mother support, encouragement, information, and education and to promote a better understanding of breastfeeding as an important element in the healthy development of the baby and mother.” The League has wonderful support groups, and great leaders, that really CARE about your breastfeeding success!!

I wrote up a plan, and on that plan I pledged that Zachary was not to have any bottles at all after birth, and I stuck to it.  Again, breastfeeding wasn’t easy.  Zachary had a hard time latching.  I had a lot of extra milk and over active let down. We struggled hard in those first few days and weeks.

However, despite the difficulties, instead of crying and hoping my son would never wake up, I spent many nights just staring at the wonder of him. I would stroke his hair and breathe his new baby smell, soaking in every detail of who he was.  I am sitting here crying as I think of this time; what an amazing experience that was.

After we left the hospital the fun began.  And this time it really was fun. Though many in my family and those around me felt that Zachary was more work than Aubrey, for me, it was far less.

I held Zachary all the time

Did you know that it’s physically impossible to hold a baby too much? I nursed him on demand, and did not let him cry.  If he cried, it was with in the loving wrap of my arms. Everyone told me I would spoil him, but even science says: “Attachment studies have spoiled the spoiling theory. Researchers Drs. Bell and Ainsworth at John Hopkins University studied two sets of parents and their children. Group A were attachment-parented babies. These babies were securely attached, the products of responsive parenting. Group B babies were parented in a more restrained way, with a set schedule and given a less intuitive and nurturing response to their cues. All these babies were tracked for at least a year. Which group do you think eventually turned out to be the most independent? Group A, the securely attached babies.  Researchers who have studied the affects of parenting styles on children’s later outcome have concluded, to put it simply, that the spoiling theory is utter nonsense.”

Not only does science support my new way of parenting, so did my heart.  And, it ended up being FAR less work than the way I had tried to parent before.  I utilized new tools, that I had no knowledge of after my first pregnancy, like baby carriers. Traditional things like swings and bouncers did not work for Zachary; he wanted to be with me.  So I took to slinging him daily, constantly just about, and it was far more effective as other tools we tried.

Think about it, what’s the ONE thing they tell new parents, that babies like best, learn from best and want around most? You and your face.  Babies learn from the face and actually like looking at it better than anything else in the world.  Why do you think a baby can see best within 6-8 inches of their face?  That’s the traditional distance between their nursing face and your face!  They like to look at you and love the natural sway of your body.

Attachment parenting is not something I knew about before I had my son or my daughter. My finding the phrase for it was by pure accident, though I am so glad I did.  It so helps to know other mom’s like me, and know I am not alone.

For me attachment parenting is not about following a set of rules, although there are “guidelines” that reinforce the theory of “attachment parenting”.  Attachment parenting can include things like Emotional Responsiveness, Breastfeeding, Baby wearing, Shared Sleep, Avoiding Prolonged Separation, Positive Discipline and maintaining a balance in your family life.

If for one reason or another sharing sleep, for example, is not for you, rest assured that would not at all imply that you’re not an attached parent or that you’re “bad” in some way.  All aspects of attachment parenting are not for everyone.  Being an attached parent is more or less just a general term, for loving and becoming in-tune to, and more responsive with your own baby.

All parents love their children, but many don’t “know” their children.  One cry sounds like every other; one gesture is just like the rest.  An attached parent is much more likely to know and understand their baby’s wants and needs and do something about them.  Knowing the difference between a cry of hunger from a cry from fear would be a good example.

Babies don’t do things to manipulate us; they do things because that’s all they can do, to get the response they need from the people that love them.  Until birth, all they’ve known is being in a warm, cozy place where they were never hungry or hurt.  Now, all of a sudden they are thrust into the world of lights, loud noises, hunger, experiencing pain and feeling cold!  How scary it must be for them.  Attachment Parenting is about realizing that, and allowing ourselves to be nurturing.

In closing, be true to yourself, your marriage (or relationship), and to your baby and/or children. Trust that in the end no matter what kind of parent you are, your children are blessed to have you in their lives. There are many different ways to parent, I hope that you will open your mind to the different possibilities out there, look “outside” the mainstream line of things, and more to the natural side of things.

Six Ticks For Organic Gardening

November 28, 2008 by freddymcdonald70

Organic gardening is the way of growing vegetables and fruits with the use of things only found in nature.

Why would one want to indulge in organic gardening?

1.One can easily make compost from garden and kitchen waste. Though this is a bit more time-consuming than buying prepared chemical pesticides and fertilizers, it certainly helps to put garbage to good use and so saves the environment.

2. Organic farming does not use chemicals that may have an adverse affect on your health. This is especially important when growing vegetables. Chemical companies tell us that the chemicals we use are safe if used according to direction, but research shows that even tiny amounts of poisons absorbed through the skin can cause such things as cancer, especially in children.

On the average, a child ingests four to five times more cancer-causing pesticides from foods than an adult. This can lead to various diseases later on in the child’s life. With organic gardening, these incidents are lessened.

Remember, pesticides contain toxins that have only one purpose – to kill living things.

3. Less harm to the environment. Poisons are often washed into our waterways, causing death to the native fish and polluting their habitat.

4.Organic farming practices help prevent the loss of topsoil through erosion.
The Soil Conservation Service says that an estimated 30 – 32 billion tons of soil erodes from United States farmlands every year.

4. Cost savings. One does not need to buy costly chemical fertilizers and pesticides with organic gardening. Many organic recipes for the control of pest and disease come straight from the kitchen cupboard. Sometimes other plants can be grown as companions to the main crop. An example of this is the marigold, which helps to repel aphids from vegetables.

Mixing 1 tablespoon of liquid dishwashing soap and 1 cup of cooking oil can make a cheap garden pest spray. Put 3 tablespoons of this mixture in 1 quart of water and spray on plants.

5.A simple mulch of pine needles will help to suppress the growth of weeds as well as keeping the moisture in.

6. Organic gardening practices help to keep the environment safe for future generations.