Top Ten Writing Mistakes Made By New Childrens Writers

Okay. So I'm not David Letterman. But I doubt if he'd know much about the top 10 mistakes made by new children's writers anyway. I, on the other hand, read from 10 to 20 manuscripts for children every week (I'm not bragging - I'm just an instructor with the Institute of Children's Literature). While many of the stories I read are destined for publication, I find that 10 common mistakes crop up again and again in the other manuscripts I edit each week.

I'll start with number 10 (just like Letterman) and work my way up to the number one writing mistake made by new children's writers (and, just so you know - I've been guilty of making some of these mistakes myself, so don't beat yourself up if you realize you're guilty of some of these, too):

10) No Clear POV Character ? Children tend to relate to the POV character in a story. This is the person they will root for. Make it clear right from the start whose story is being told. Even if you have two main characters (twins, for example), you need to pick just one of these kids to be your POV character. And, it should go without saying, when writing for children, make sure your POV character IS a kid - even if Grandma has a big part in your story.

9) Multiple Points of View ? Unlike stories for adults, stories for children are generally told from only one POV. It isn't difficult to maintain a single point of view once you get the hang of it. Just remember - if you are "showing" everything from your main character's point of view, then he or she has to be present for everything that happens. I see stories all the time where the POV character suddenly leaves the room. Yikes! If your POV character wasn't there to see or hear what went on, then we can't see or hear it either.

8) Telling instead of Showing ? Read a good story and chances are there is a lot of action and dialogue (showing) with minimal stretches of straight narrative (telling). Too much narrative and the story sounds like a summary. Readers don't want a summary. They want scenes with action and dialogue that make them feel they are actually experiencing what is going on. So "show" as much as possible of your story through action and dialogue.

7) Overuse of Adjectives, Adverbs, and Other Unnecessary Words ? Do you really need to say someone "whispered quietly" Or "shouted loudly" Or, my favorite - she "nodded her head"? What else could she nod? Or, she "shrugged her shoulders" - she certainly wouldn't shrug her foot!

6) Dialogue That is Not Punctuated Properly ? Get a grammar book to learn how to punctuate dialogue properly. But, most importantly, remember to change paragraphs each time the speaker changes. I read manuscripts all the time where three or four characters are speaking, yet the paragraph never changes. Just imagine how confusing that is to the reader!

5) Long Timeframes ? I know Harry Potter takes place over several years. But, the story also takes place through several books. Most children's writers start out writing stories for children's magazines or they want to write picture books for very young children. Either way, the timeframe in these stories should be rather short - a couple of hours or a day or two. If your story takes place over a couple of weeks or (gulp!) a couple of years, then you need to shorten the timeframe.

4) No Narrative "Hook" for the Reader ? I know what you're asking - "What is a narrative hook?" Well, that's simple. It's just an opening sentence or two that "hooks" the reader and makes him or her want to continue reading to find out what happens.

3) Dialogue That Doesn't Sound Real ? Listen to any child or teenager and you'll find out that much of what kids and teens say (at least to each other) tends to sound like a series of grunts. So don't have the child or teen in your story use words like "shall," or never use contractions. If you do, the dialogue will sound too formal and your work will not have a child's or teen's voice.

2) Adults Who Step In to Save the Day for the Child ? I know what you're thinking. Parents and other well-meaning adults DO step in all the time to save the day for kids. So why can't they do it in stories for children? The answer to that is - because children don't want to read stories like that. Stories for children have strong children (or children who eventually become strong throughout the course of the story) as characters. This empowers the children who read these stories. They figure, if the POV character can solve his own problems then maybe they can too.

Now. Drum roll here.

The number one mistake new writers make in their stories for children is

1) No real conflict - There's no story problem. Your POV character needs to face some big problem right at the start of the story. Then, he or she needs to struggle and struggle with this problem as he/she tries to solve it. That is, things need to keep getting worse and worse until finally the POV character is able to solve the problem (or at least resolve it) and change or grow somehow in the process. Without a story problem you have what editors like to call "an incident," and editors don't publish incidents. They publish stories.

So that's my list of top 10 mistakes new children's writers make. Use this article as a checklist when you're writing for children. Avoid these mistakes and you'll be well on your way to publication.

See you in print!

Suzanne Lieurance is a freelance writer and she teaches children's writing for the Institute of Children's Literature. Lieurance also owns the Three Angels Gourmet Co. which produces a unique line of "heavenly gourmet mixes" for sale at http://www.threeangelsgourmet.com and through gift shops, Christian bookstores, gourmet food stores, and gift basket companies across the country. For daily food tips and other food information, visit the Three Angels Gourmet Co. blog at http://www.threeangelsgourmet.blogspot.com

For information about children's writing, visit Lieurance's writing website at http://www.suzannelieurance.com

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina ? Is It A Family Or Golfers Vacation Destination?

Before finding the answer to this dilemma, let's take an overview of Hilton Head and its surrounding area.

Conveniently located along the south Atlantic coast, Hilton Head Island combines breathtaking natural beauty, world-class golf, award-winning dining, and quality shopping on a barrier island just 12 miles long and 5 miles wide.

With over 12 miles of sandy beaches overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, water lovers will find that Hilton Head Island is a coastal paradise.

The unique blend of unspoiled natural beauty and environmentally sensitive design is complemented by world-class resorts, amenities and activities. This makes Hilton Head Island, South Carolina a vacation destination like no other. That's why Hilton Head Island is widely considered to be one of the finest resort communities in the United States, welcoming millions of visitors from across the country and around the globe each year.

What if a family is visiting the island? What can they do to really enjoy their vacation? The variety of activities and family fun is unique, but browsing through the short list of sample activities below will give you an idea about the friendliness and family fun you can have in Hilton Head Island:

? Close dolphin encounters, bird watching and ocean ecology awareness

? Family Golf, Miniature Golf & Tennis

? Family Biking - with miles of bike paths available, many of which take you through nature preserves, this is truly an enjoyable way to experience the natural splendor of the island

? Guided Kayak Tours & Kayak Fishing

? Kayak Birthday Parties ? something different

? Discovery Days ? activities centered on interpretive beach walks, kayaking through the marshes, and plenty of great games and activities

? Eco-Adventures - older children enjoy learning the basics of sea kayaking while developing an understanding of our connection to the natural world through hands-on study of coastal ecology.

? Adventure Island - teens take a boat ride to a secluded tropical island that they'll have all to themselves. Here they will kayak in the pristine waters, engage in teambuilding activities, explore the island for Indian artifacts, and learn about coastal ecology through hands-on exploration.

? Teen Tours ? teens are exploring the coastal marshlands of Hilton Head Island, where they'll have fun paddling kayaks, throwing cast nets, or even learning kayak rescue skills.

? Teen Expedition Camping - Camping on a pristine deserted island

? Wave Runners ? experience the thrill of riding the waves within Calibogue Sound.

? Wakeboard/Water-ski School ? novices and veterans can enjoy that water sport here.

? Parasailing - get an eagle's eye view of Hilton Head Island and the surrounding areas. View up to 20 miles in all directions.

Hilton Head Island offers this and so much more...

Sounds like fun? I think so...

What about the golfers then, what can they do?

As you may know, Hilton Head Island is home to the PGA Heritage Classic Golf Championship and the Celebrity Golf Tournament. With an average yearly temperature of 70 degrees, Hilton Head Island visitors are sure to enjoy year round golf on any of the 24 golf courses located on Hilton Head Island and another 40 golf courses just over the bridge.

Our golf courses were designed by the game's greatest? Nicklaus, Fazio, Player, Jones & Dye.

So is Hilton Head Island better suited for golfers or for family vacationing?

Let me first tell you a little about the accommodation and dining options on Hilton Head Island.

There are a large number of hotels to choose from on Hilton Head Island. In general, prices range from $50 per night for basic accommodations to $300 per night for some of the luxurious hotels.

Long and short term rentals alike are readily available. You can come for the weekend or stay a few weeks. Most vacation rentals on Hilton Head Island include the standard amenities such as washer and dryer, cable television and swimming pools. Many luxury rental properties feature Jacuzzis, indoor pools, ocean views, private beach access, tennis courts and golf facilities.

Villas and condos, homes and timeshares are all available in varying price ranges. Vacation rentals can range from $500 per week for a one bedroom villa up to over $10,000 per week for an oceanfront mansion.

What a wonderful setting for a private wedding reception on the beach.

Over 250 restaurants run the gamut of casual to elegant dining options on the island. Fresh seafood abounds. From five star formal restaurants to fast food and everything in between, every taste and budget is catered to on the island.

So the answer to the dilemma is pretty obvious.

Whether you are a golfer searching for a world-class golf destination, a family on vacation seeking relaxation on the miles of clean sandy beaches or just want to enjoy the gentle sway of palm trees in unspoiled nature, a stay on Hilton Head Island is sure to please the most discerning of vacationers.

Whether you just want to relax in the sun or try your hand at scuba diving, water-skiing or dolphin watching there is something for everyone on beautiful Hilton Head Island.

Josh Szatmari is a Web Developer, Web Marketing and Promotion, Search Engine Optimization Specialist. Mr. Szatmari is the developer and marketer of numerous vacation related websites. http://www.hiltonheadrentals.com

CEROMANCY: The Fine Art of Candle Reading

Lately, I have been asked a lot of questions in the Psychic Realm chatroom about "ceromancy". That is the fine art of reading a situation by studying the way a candle burns. Are the flames leaping high? Is the wax sizzling and crackling and popping? What does it mean when the flame goes out?

Many people in the Realm over the last year have become avid candle-burners and realized quite instinctively that the way a candle is behaving is often a mirror of the situation as it presently exists and its outcome. It is, after all, one of the world's most ancient forms of divination. The leaping and reaching candle flames are seen to represent the souls of the individuals involved in the situation being read. For instance, one member, the other day asked me what it meant when the wax from the candle she was burning for love melted into the shape of a heart. Anyone who is used to reading wax drippings knows that is extremely good news and probably means the other person is thinking of you.

Another phenomenon that I am constantly asked about is what I call "accelerated magic." This is when a candle, that usually lasts about four hours, starts smoking and seems to burn down very rapidly ?like in about fifteen minutes. This is usually good news and means that your prayer or request will probably be answered quite rapidly. If the candle was being burned for protection of some kind, it means that there was more than likely some kind of invasion or attack that the spirits decided to take care of as fast as possible.

In general, when you first light the candle, if the candle starts smoking quite heavily right away that is a very good sign. It means that negative energy is being removed from the situation. If the smoke is white, it means your prayers will be answered right away. If it is black, your prayer will probably be answered, but it is possible there will be obstacles in a way. You have to use your gut instinct if the flame doesn't smoke at all. Sometimes that can mean there are no obstacles and other times, it means that the matter is long over. A clear, strong flame that burns steadily is a good sign that the candle is sending out a great deal of power and energy to manifest what you want. If it is small and more ball shaped than teardrop shaped, it is less likely that your prayer will be answered. A weak or low flame means you are facing some "heavy" opposition.

Staring at a flame is a great way of telling you if your magic is working. It never ceases to amaze me how a flame will seem to grow higher or grope for more air the more you meditate upon it. You can also do some divination by looking straight into the heart of the flame - the blue center that is surrounded by the orange halo. A healthy flame has a bright red core, surrounded by a blue halo and then a yellow colour. A blazing red center tells you that spirits are getting to the heart of the matter. A red center that is dim or just a pinpoint reveals a situation that may not be motivated by the heart. If the wick of the candle starts building a little bulb at its tip, chances are that you have opposition or a third party working against you. If there is a lot of blue in the flame, I take that as a sign that angels and spirits are protecting you from a possibly unhappy outcome.

Jumping, leaping and steadily rising flames are an excellent indication that spirits are fighting the obstacles that are in your way. This can be quite fascinating to watch, especially if the flame is really jumping and you are burning a candle that is intended to fight another's will. If the flame is really protesting, so is the person and sometimes this is your cue to put the candle out. If the candle makes sizzling, hissing or popping sounds, this is also a sign that some kind of spiritual warfare is taking place. If it scares you or doesn't feel right put the candle out. However if it feels like obstacles are being destroyed or eliminated then enjoy the show.

If you are burning a love candle and a second flame develops from an ash then I consider that to be a bad sign. It means you have a rival. If you are burning two candles that are supposed to represent two different individuals, it is not a great omen if one of the candles burns away to the bottom much faster than the other does. That is often a sign that your timing is off in the relationship or it is not meant to be.

If the candle smoke wafts towards you it means that your prayer is more than likely to be answered. If it wafts away from you, then it means that you will need a great deal of perseverance in order to have your prayer answered. According to author Reverend Ray T. Marlborough If the smoke blows to your left "you are getting too emotionally involved with the situation and are in danger of subconsciously sabotaging your own prayer so that it will not be answered. If it blows to the right you will need to use your head rather than your emotions to pursue the situation."

The way a candle unfolds or deconstructs as it melts can be very significant. It is wonderful when the candle seems to collapse outward or unfold like a flower. I consider that to be a sign that your wish will be granted. It represents possibilities and paths opening for you. A candle that is too lopsided in one direction or another, universally means that you are dealing with a situation that is way out of balance. If the flame is buried by the wax, to me that is often a sign that the wish will not be granted.

Reading wax drippings is a totally intuitive matter. It is similar to reading tea leaves. Some shapes are obvious, like the heart, which obviously represents love. Wax drippings may form in shapes that mean something very personal to you - a totem animal for example. A good general reference book to buy that tells you the meaning of a lot of shapes, common symbols and animals is Talismans and Amulets by Felicitas H. Nelson.

Perhaps one thing to remember when you purchase a candle is that you cannot read the drippings of a candle that is made of paraffin or that is marketed as "dripless". Go for a candle made of messy natural wax or beeswax, as they are the ones that tend to reveal the most astral information.

Samantha Steven's articles have been published in many high-standing newspapers and she has published several books. If you wish to buy Samantha's books about metaphysics click here http://www.insomniacpress.com/author.php?id=110 You can meet Samantha Stevens at http://www.psychicrealm.com where she works as a professional psychic. You can also read more of her articles at http://www.newagenotebook.com

3 Tips For Getting Through The Voicemail Screen

How many times have you heard that you gotta get past the gatekeeper and get to the decision-maker to make the sale? Countless books and sales trainers have talked about this for years. Much of this advice was written for a world without voicemail.

Today's flatter organization has fewer administrative assistants for management, which means fewer live gatekeepers to screen our phone calls. The delegation of authority has also resulted in decision-makers being found at lower levels in the business than ever before. More and more decision- makers now use voicemail as their primary or even exclusive gatekeeping and screening tool.

Today I am going to discuss a few sales tips for getting through to your target in the world of voicemail hell. The first rule as always in sales is to be prepared, so you should have ready two or three major pains and visions that your product solves or enables. Make sure you have prepared at least one strong pain that your prospect is likely to identify with (pain elimination is a stronger motivator for most people than vision creation).

TIP#1 - Call At Weird Hours

People who screen their calls normally during the 8am to 6pm business hours will often pickup the phone if a call comes in at 6am or 8:30pm and they are working at their desk. With some of the insane hours people work these days, this can be very effective. They will pickup the phone generally thinking that the only person who would call at 8:30pm at night is their spouse or a friend. Who could possibly know that they are at the office at that sick hour? Try calling anytime after 6pm, and up until 8pm or 9pm when you really need to reach this person. If they are that important to the business, and that hard to reach, chances are that they work very late, very early, or both.

Getting the direct extension number of a Director or VP in a medium to large size company can seem like an impossible task. Some top people will have a direct extension that the receptionists won't give out. Instead, the best you get is a general department extension like 555-2000 (where there actually is a gatekeeper). Other times you get only the gatekeeper's voicemail (now you are really stuck in voicemail hell).

TIP #2 - The Wrong Extension Trick

Call another extension at the company randomly, say 555-2198 and ask for your target. You more than likely will get a person who is not experienced in taking outside phone calls. When the receiver of your call says you got the wrong extension, tell them that you have been getting passed around to the wrong extensions, the wrong people, the wrong voicemails, and that you are really frustrated - sound really distraught. Tell them you must return this call, but that you lost the direct number or that it was garbled on your voicemail. Ask them if they can tell you the direct number to dial so that you don't get passed around by receptionists into the wrong voicemails anymore. The key here is to sound distraught. You want them to feel a little sorry for you, so that they will want to help you. People like to help others in need. Armed with the direct extension number for your decision-maker, see Tip #1.

TIP #3 - Prepare A Commercial

You may decide that the best use of your time is to leave a message. If you want any chance of getting your call returned, you better make it good. My favorite approach is to tell a brief story to get the prospect's attention before they have a chance to realize that this is a voicemail from a salesperson and hit delete. Your story should contain a customer who had pain that your product solved. Start your story by saying "Hi Greg, Shamus Brown here. You know, XYZ company was experiencing an extreme... [fill in the blank with a strong business pain here]" Do not identify yourself as a salesperson or identify your company at the beginning of the commercial. Make the pain sound real bad - talk about the serious consequences of it. Then finish your commercial by saying "Greg, to find out how my company, ABC company, helped XYZ company eliminate this problem, give me a call at (530) 265-4099."

To leave or not to leave a message depends a lot on the nature of what you are selling and the prospect base that you are selling to. If you are selling to a small group of companies, then I would not leave a message until after being very persistent with the first two approaches. If you have a high number of potential prospects to call on, you could use the commercial approach on everyone. Be flexible and persist and you'll eventually make contact.

On a final note, the best way to get to a decision-maker is to get introduced to the person. Partnering with another company that already has an existing relationship with the prospect is very effective for leveraging in at a higher level. Selling someone else below first takes more time, but is often the way that business is done in the real world. These tips above will come in handy when you are at a loss for how to get a referral introduction.

? 1999-2004 Shamus Brown, All Rights Reserved.

Shamus Brown is a Professional Sales Coach and former high-tech sales pro who began his career selling for IBM. Shamus has written more than 50 articles on selling and is the creator of the popular Persuasive Selling Skills CD Audio Program. You can read more of Shamus Brown's sales tips at http://Sales-Tips.industrialEGO.com/ and you can learn more about his persuasive sales skills training at http://www.Persuasive-Sales-Skills.com/

Publicity Tips from the Pros

If you want to know the best way to approach the media, get advice directly from the source: the editors, producers and journalists who choose the stories that get publicity. Here are some of the best tips I've gotten from media representatives about getting your story in the news.

Be familiar with the show or publication. Your pitch should be about how your story will work for them. Don't do a general pitch ("A story about dog training.") but suggest the segment the story would be right for, or what makes it right for them.

Don't take "no" personally. It may be that they have just done a similar story, or they can't fit it in, or it just isn't right for them. If you speak with someone, ask if they can suggest another show or publication where the story might work.

If at first you don't succeed, pitch again. But wait at least a month or two, and come back with a different angle (not exactly the same idea that got turned down).

Many now prefer e-mail pitches to fax. E-mail can be reviewed quickly, and can be easily forwarded to several others in the newsroom. Faxes often pile up unread, but e-mail gets looked at.

Keep your e-mail short and to the point. DON'T send any attachments, as they will be deleted unopened (if they get through at all), but you can include a link to your web site or online media kit.

Online media kits are an effective way for the media to get more information about you. When you send a press release (by mail, fax or e-mail) include a link to your online media kit. The online media kit can include your bio, photos, articles written by or about you, the topics you can comment on, a list of suggested questions (with or without the answers), product fact sheets, and anything else that explains more about you, your products and services, and your topics.

When you e-mail, make your subject line enticing. Using "Hi!" or something else that looks like spam will get it deleted without being read. Start with QUERY: or PITCH: then give a short, punchy headline.

One national TV show producer said that you didn't need to send tape with your initial (mail) pitch, but another said if you mailed a pitch with no video you wouldn't be considered. In either case, you will need a video of other TV appearances before you get on a national show, so be on the safe side and send it.

Local media are always looking for local experts to interview on a variety of topics. Send them your bio and credentials and they will keep you on file for the next time they need an expert in your field. Even better, send one or more Rolodex(tm) cards with your topics and contact information.

If your story isn't right for them at this time, they may save your press release and contact you in the future. Don't be surprised if you get a phone call weeks or months after you sent your pitch.

Journalists are busy people, and they get hundreds or thousands of press releases and pitches every week. Make your story interesting and make it easy for them to work with you, and you will have an edge.

Copyright Cathy Stucker. Learn more about how you can attract customers and make yourself famous with free publicity at http://www.IdeaLady.com/pr.htm.

Back to School

It is hard to believe that summer is coming to a close, but the fall and school season is fast approaching. Our son will be beginning his first year of preschool this year and we are both excited and nervous. How nice it has been to not be on a schedule and to be able to lounge around in our pajamas, yet at the same time I am looking forward to having some time on my hands to tackle those projects that have been looming before me all summer long.

I remember the hectic mornings of my youth with three children in our parent???s house. I remember the constant fight over the bathroom, the rushed breakfast, our poor mom driving us to school every single day, and the frantic sense of urgency that we all had to get to where we need to be. I hope that with a few of these organizational tips that you can avoid those hectic mornings and be able to really sit down and enjoy that cup of coffee before your hurried day begins. Here are a few of my ideas for staying organized during a more stressful part of your day.

Plan Ahead

Much of the stress in our lives can be avoided if we can plan ahead and this is the case with returning to school. Usually the teachers send home with your children a list for what will be needed for the next school year and it is important to get all of the required items as well as several back-ups for later during the year. Take advantage of all of those back to school sales with the huge bins of notebooks, loose leaf paper, and pencils and stock up. Designate a spot in your home, which is accessible to the children, for storing all of your back up supplies. Be sure to check your local dollar store as well for the pricier items that your child will need in order to get started for the year. You will be very grateful when the spring rolls around and you do not have to make another trip to the store and pay higher prices for the same items later in the year.

Next, label, label, label. Everything will need to have your child???s name on it and you will be glad that you labeled your child???s items when another child accidentally brings them home with them. You can write your child???s name in permanent marker on belongings such as backpacks, lunch boxes, gym shoes, and other fabric items. For notebooks, pencil totes, and books it might be a good investment to purchase a self-stamping rubber stamp with their information on it or purchase address labels. A good place that I have found to get these is http://www.checksunlimited.com and they offer a wide selection in different styles and fonts.

Be sure not to miss the child???s Back to School night and introduce yourself to their teacher. Be involved in any capacity that you can whether it is room mother, volunteer teacher, or just to help on those field trips. Not only will your child be grateful, but you can establish a relationship with the teacher and open the doors of communication. Remember that if you do not have a wonderful first impression of the teacher to reserve this information when you are around your child. Your negativity can rub off on them and immediately start the year off on the wrong foot.

Clothes Wars & Other Battles

Around the age of two or three you will start to see your child developing their own opinions on what looks good and what does not. Maybe looking like a ???fashion don???t??? isn???t of any concern to them, but it might be a concern to you on your child???s picture day. It can be a true battle of wills, but there are ways to help your child choose their own clothing with your help.

Invest in a five compartment sweater organizer and use the top one for Monday, the second one for Tuesday, and so on. On Sunday evening have your child help you plan the clothing for the week. Preset everything down to underwear, socks, barrettes, whatever you can do to help make their morning easier.

For younger kids, preset their combs, brushes, toothbrush, towel, and toothpaste so that they can quickly get ready in the morning without you getting everything out for them.

Be sure to have purses, briefcases, coats, and backpacks waiting at the door ready to go for you so that you don???t have to rush around getting everything together in the morning. You will be grateful when you don???t have to spend twenty minutes looking for that one paper or your keys when you are already rushed to get to where you need to go.

Meals

Much can be said about meal planning not only for your hectic morning, but also lunch preparation can be particularly cumbersome when you are trying to get your children to school on time. The supermarkets offer a variety of food that is both unhealthy and pricey, catering to the harried parent who doesn???t think that they have time to be creative. You will waste a lot of your money by buying these convenience and individually sized items.

Instead of buying these, look for foods that are nutritious and which will offer your child the nutrients they need for energy to get through their school day. Buy large packages of crackers, cheese, milk or juice, carrots, celery, and other healthy foods and start by dividing these large packages into small lunch-size portions in baggies. Keep these baggies in a Rubbermaid container and then just grab them and drop them in the lunch boxes in the morning.

Save your used yogurt containers and refill these with the boxed pudding or Jello that you can make large batches of for a fraction of the cost or refill them with yogurt from larger and less expensive containers. Instead of purchasing juice boxes or individual milks, fill a thermos with the drink of your choice. For younger children you can dilute the juice so that they are not getting too many empty calories. Be fun and creative with lunches and a little note to your child (or your husband for that matter) will really make their day and remind them of how special they are to you. By preparing these meals the night before, you will save yourself some time in the morning.

With that being said, don???t forget to offer your child a healthy breakfast in the morning. It is proven that children perform better on tests and have less health problems later in their life if their day is started with a healthy breakfast. Have a variety of foods on hand such as fruits, whole grain cereals, whole grain bagels, and other healthy foods on hand that your child can prepare for themselves.

For the more motivated mother, you could even prepare large batches of French toast, waffles, or pancakes and then freeze them in individual portions for your child to zap in the microwave in the morning. I like to do this on Saturday mornings when I have more time on my hands to really prepare a nice morning brunch and just make tons of extras for those days during the week when I have less time.

Preset your table with silverware, bowls, and plates the night before. Place cereal and other breakfast items on the table where they are accessible to your child to help prepare their breakfast in the morning. Also make sure that your dishwasher is empty the night before so that you can immediately move breakfast dishes to the dishwasher avoiding a sink full of dishes to come home to after your busy morning.

Papers, Papers, and More Papers

The beauty of your children???s craft projects from school will wear off if you are saving every single picture and drawing that they have done. Save yourself the loads of clutter by allowing your child to help you pick their most favorite projects for saving. Invest in a couple of inexpensive frames for their bedroom and reframe these periodically with their beautiful artwork or choose one picture for the refrigerator or front of one of your cupboards for saving. By allowing your child to help you choose, they learn the importance of weeding out paperwork.

It is also smart to create an area in your file cabinet or a plastic file crate for your child???s papers and report cards. Have them help you with labeling the folders or decorating them with stickers that they have chosen. This will give them a sense of ownership of their work and also teach them the importance of filing their own papers.

As a parent, your child will be bringing home lots of papers that require your reading or signature. Designate a spot in your home for an inbox and outbox for these papers. Label them clearly for your child and instruct them to unload their papers into the inbox. It also helps if you can create a box for them for their own room where they can put their own homework in that they need to do for the evening.

For papers such as emergency contact sheets, permission slips, and immunization records which come up frequently during the school year for field trips and sports, it is a good idea to invest in photocopying these documents and keeping them in a file for yourself so that you don???t have to constantly be signing and writing the same things over and over again.

When you get papers on bake sales, field trips, and other school events, be sure to immediately transfer these dates onto a calendar. If you have more than one child???s events to attend, assign each child and family member a color for their events. It will make it easier to see that it is Susie???s concert that you need to attend and not Billy???s. Buy a calendar that has plenty of room in it for all of your information and by immediately putting this on your calendar in a neat and organized way, you will have less chance of missing those important events. Consult your calendar first thing in the morning so that you know exactly what you need to do for the day.

A+ Work

Don???t forget to set aside some time in the evening for your child to work on their homework. By setting aside time in the evening you will not have to be trying to complete homework pages first thing in the morning. Take the time to check your child???s work and discuss their homework with them. If you have no idea what they are doing, bluff your way through it or run over to the internet and see if you can figure it out. Trust me, our parent???s did it- we just really believed them.

Now you truly can enjoy that cup of coffee, your morning paper, and your smooth morning.

Amy Allen Clark is a stay-at-home mother of a two year old son. She is founder and creator of http://www.momadvice.com Her web site is geared towards mothers who are seeking advice on staying organized, living on a budget, and for those seeking work-at-home employment. Please visit her site to sign up for her free monthly newsletter filled with more great tips to help simplify your life.

Oral Chelation ? Is It Better Than Intravenous Chelation?

Intravenous Chelation was the most common practice until a few years back; however, with the introduction of oral chelation it became the preferred choice of most patients and doctors. There were a number of contributing factors to this shift of choice, the prime aspect being the cost factor. Though intravenous chelation would not cost you a fortune, still the cost will be way above the price of Oral Chelation. This initiated the use of oral chelation among the customers who were using intravenous chelation. Once they started using it on a regular basis the other benefits of oral chelation became more evident.

Mercury Chelation

One of the major advantages of Oral chelation is its capability to chelate Mercury from the body. EDTA (Ethylene Diamine Tetra Acetic acid) injected in intravenous chelation cannot bond with Mercury but the organic substances used in oral chelation agents bonds successfully with mercury and eliminate them from the body.

Oral Chelation ? a painless process

Oral chelation involves nothing but taking 1-2 spoon full of doses of medicine. Most of these are based on some tasty ingredient like honey or jelly and are extremely delicious. Intravenous chelation involved painful process with risk of infection and vascular incision. In addition, intravenous chelation would often lead to other side effects like pain, fever, fall of blood pressure etc.

Availability

Most of the drugs used for oral chelation are not prescription drug and are easily available to most of the people.

Side Effects

Oral Chelation is mostly free from side effects and there is hardly any problem with using these chelating agents. However, if you encounter any minor problems like headache, fatigue or muscle pain it is advisable to increase your water intake. 8-10 glasses of water everyday would help the medicine to work more effectively without any of these occasional side effects.

Preventive Benefits

Oral chelation therapy is a safe and convenient method of preventing and curing heavy metal toxicity. The chelating agents helps in lowering blood cholesterol, prevent blood clots and reduces heart attacks.

Oral chelation agents like PCA-rx (available at Oral Chelation Therapy) can also work as a preventive medicine for people with family history of heart disease, stressful lifestyle and or unhygienic dietary person.

The only situation in which intravenous chelation might score over oral chelation is when the patient is under severe conditions. Oral chelation generally takes a few months to work, so if the patient is in immediate need for medicines intravenous chelation may be a better option than oral chelation.

This article is written by Ray Smith, a marketing expert with years of experience in different industries and specialized knowledge on branding and Internet marketing. Chelation