Monday, August 1, 2011

Someone to Watch Over You - 10 Facts About Guardian Angels

Guardian angels are something that many people believe in. Performing a simple web search returns many results about experiences people had with guardian angels. Still, many misconceptions remain valid. What are guardian angels? Do they look like humans or are they something entirely paranormal? Do all people have a guardian angel?

Here are the top 10 intriguing facts related to the belief in guardian angels and the manner in which they affect our lives.

Fact 1: Guardian Angels and the Church
The church has never defined the existence of guardian angels and has never clearly stated its viewpoint on the issue. Simultaneously, guardian angels are described in the Bible and several texts are dedicated to them. Both Old Testament and New Testament verses deal with the topic.

Fact 2: The Origins
The ancient Greeks were the first to believe in the existence of guardian angels. These were often mentioned in the works of philosophers and writers like Plato.

Fact 3: Mystics and Guardian Angels
Some Christian mystics have written about their constant interaction with their guardian angels. Some of these people claim that the interaction with spiritual beings continued over periods as long as several years. Italian writer and mystic Maria Valtorta is one of these people. In fact, she wrote a book that was directly dictated by her guardian angel – Azariah.

Fact 4: Guardian Angels in Other Religions
Islam confirms the existence of guardian angels, as well. Yet, the angels have no influence over human choice, their responsibility is to keep track of good and bad deeds. Two angels accompany each person – one sitting on the left and another on the right shoulder. The aim of one is to record good deeds and the other takes mention of evil doing.

Fact 5: Coincidences?
According to people, the manner in which guardian angels act resembles coincidences. A guardian angel could force a person to forget a cell phone, for example. Going back home to get the cell phone, the person will be saved from a danger that could have occurred if a traditional routine was followed.

Fact 6: When are Guardian Angels Appointed?
Guardian angels are appointed to protect a person during childhood. They are responsible for protecting that person throughout life.

Fact 7: Celebration
The day on which guardian angels are honored is October 2.

Fact 8: The Appearance of Guardian Angels
Guardian angels come in many forms and shapes. Some people describe them as youthful and confident individuals. Moses saw a guardian angel in the form of a burning bush while Jacob’s guardian angels were climbing a stair to heaven.

Fact 9: Media
Guardian angels are so popular in society that they have been used as the main theme for movies and sitcoms. Touched by an Angel is probably the most famous TV series that present a team of guardian angels appointed to protect individuals from harm.

Fact 10: Are Angels Really Among Us?
Performing a web search returns many eyewitness stories on the activity of angels. The problem today is that people remain skeptical of such supernatural phenomena. Many would be unable to recognize a guardian angel among us.



Jamie Highland writes about various family and baby topics. For more info or to check out the Angel Baby Shower Theme or some baby shower gifts, visit My Baby Shower Favors. If you want more articles, visit our site and click on the Contact Us link.

Baby Safety - Precautions to Keep Your Baby Safe

All young parents know how important baby safety is. In fact, protecting their child from harm becomes a top responsibility. Often, the home is one of the most underestimated sources of danger.

You can take several steps to child-proof your home and to minimize the dangers your child faces while having sleep or playing around.

Safety During Baby Sleep
To diminish the chance of suffocation during sleep, make sure that the baby is sleeping on its back. Select a hard mattress.

Take pillows and plush toys out of your baby’s bed. The mattress and the bed need to be a perfect fit. Otherwise, the baby could stick fingers or a limb in the hollow space.

Prevention of Burns and Trauma
Believe it or not, some items that look perfectly safe to you can jeopardize the health and life of your baby. When you are playing with your baby or standing nearby, refrain from holding a cup of hot coffee or tea.

Make sure that all liquids that your baby drinks have appropriate temperature, since something you consider warm could cause burns to baby skin.

Keep pans and other cooking containers out of the child’s reach. Make sure that the handles are not turned outward, since the child could grab the hot pan from the oven.

The same applies to ironing clothes. Never leave the hot iron unsupervised.

To make sure your baby is safe, have all unstable and edgy furniture child-proofed. Push items like the TV as close to the wall as possible and even try to get them fastened.

As children make their first walking attempts, they will use furniture to pull themselves upward. An unstable piece could tumble over the baby, causing trauma and pain. Some babies crawl on shelves, cupboards and bedside tables. Cupboard doors and those of the bedside tables need to be securely closed.

Preventing Baby Poisoning
Detergents, medicines and even common beauty products can lead to baby poisoning. Make sure that all of them are securely placed out of the baby’s rich.

Use locking mechanisms on all cupboards that contain such harmful chemicals, pesticides and medical supplies. Never throw out old detergents or bottles that contain poisonous substances in the trash bin. Use plastic bags to pack those and to directly dispose of them.

If you use any appliances like heaters and gas ovens, it might be a good idea to get carbon monoxide detectors. Carbon monoxide is a very poisonous gas that has no color or smell.

Paints containing lead are also dangerous to babies. Walls painted with such substances can easily peel off. Repaint your house to make sure your child is safe. For best results use latex paints, which are water-soluble or organic paints.

Baby Bathing Safety
If you take the proper safety measures, you can save your child from drowning or swallowing water while you are bathing it.

Baby bath seats create a sense of security in parents and they may become distracted. However, these seats are not 100 percent certain. The only way to make sure that the baby will not slip out of the seat is to remain alert all the time.

Most of the baby safety precautions are rather intuitive and easy to implement. Make sure that you minimize all dangers stemming from your home, in order to give your baby happy and careless first years of life and exploration.



Jamie Highland writes about various family and baby topics. For more info or to check out the baby shower theme or some baby shower gifts, visit My Baby Shower Favors. If you want more articles, visit our site and click on the Contact Us link.

Five Must Have Items for Outdoor Parties in the Spring

Spring parties are truly enjoyable and special. What could be better than throwing a party in your garden and feeling the cool breeze and warm spring weather?

To have a successful outdoor party, you will need certain equipment. Everything used in the garden needs to be durable and comfortable at the same time. You will have to pay extra attention to party items, especially if you are expecting families with children.

Having an amazing party demands certain items. These are the top five you will need to get.

Comfortable Chairs
Chairs designed for outdoor usage differ from the ones created for your home. These are usually made of plastic or durable natural materials.

When selecting chairs for outdoor parties, you will have to take both durability and comfort in mind. Some of these chairs come with detachable pillows that can be easily removed and washed.

Rattan furniture is especially fashionable and suitable for garden spring parties. This type of chairs is ecologically friendly and you can make use of them if you insist on having a green home.

Umbrellas
If the party is held during the day, you will certainly need patio umbrellas to protect guests from the intense sun.

Position several umbrellas in the garden or use table umbrellas to shield the tables and chairs from the sun.

Umbrellas will add to the atmosphere of the party through the selection of appropriate colors and designs. This is one of the must items that you cannot go without, in case you are planning to have outdoor parties.

Tableware
Themed tableware will also be needed, particularly if you plan to host larger gatherings of friends and relatives.

One option for such parties is plastic tableware. It is durable and can come in various shapes and decorative patterns. Plastic plates are very suitable if children are coming to the party.

Make sure that you get at least one large set. Serving in different types of tableware will ruin the style of the party. You can also get child-themed tableware if you are inviting families over. This way, you will have one set for adults and a jollier set for the children.

Inflatable Amusement Equipment
Once again, take in consideration the needs of children.

Inflatable amusement equipment will help keep children occupied and entertained. The problem with parties is that children have short attention span and they get bored too fast.

To prevent that from happening and to give adults a chance to enjoy the party, have an inflatable castle or another type of inflatable party equipment. Children can spend hours enjoying such, giving their parents a chance to socialize and have fun.

Portable Sandboxes
A portable sandbox is another party item that you need to get for the children that will be coming to the party.

Portable mini-sandboxes can be purchased from many stores and are very space-efficient. You can store them in your backyard and take them out when the guests arrive. A sandbox is something fun for children to enjoy while their parents sip on cocktails.

The comfort and safety of your guests should be your main concerns. Get items that will let people have a good time without experiencing problems related to intense heat, cold weather or other atmospheric influences.




Jamie Highland writes about various family and baby topics. For more info or to check out butterfly baby shower theme items or some baby shower gifts, visit My Baby Shower Favors. If you want more articles, visit our site and click on the Contact Us link.

The Best Vegetables to Feed your Toddlers

During the first year, your baby will start discovering food alternatives to milk.

Toddlers can be fed vegetables, the most appropriate of which are spinach, peas, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, asparagus and celery. These vegetables are easy to digest and you should start introducing them to the child’s diet at the age of 1 to 2.

At the end of the first year, the toddler should start eating vegetables cut in small cubes rather than purees. Naturally, you can give your baby purees but you need to begin making this transition.

Each vegetable must be prepared and served in a specific way, to make it easy for the toddler to eat and digest.

Refrain from giving your toddler complete peas. The child can choke on those or could experience difficulty digesting. Use a fork to mash the boiled peas. The same procedure can be used for the preparation of nearly any other type of boiled vegetable meal.

In the first year, you are likely to give your toddler vegetables that are easy to digest. These include boiled or stewed potatoes, carrots, peas and spinach.

When your child becomes 1-year old, you can start introducing vegetables that are more difficult to digest. These include cabbage, cauliflower and turnip. Boil these vegetables. Replace the water at least two times during the boiling process in order to make the taste of such vegetables softer.

Keep in mind that some toddlers love vegetables while others would never put purees and boiled vegetables in their mouth. Wait and introduce vegetables gradually. Refrain from forcing your toddler to eat vegetables that are difficult to digest, if the child frowns upon them.

Corn is a vegetable that you should give to your toddler after the age of 2. Young children might experience difficulties chewing corn and could swallow the complete grains.

Children that have good digestions will also enjoy peeled tomatoes, lettuce and green beans cut into very small pieces. All vegetables should be washed impeccably.

When getting started with vegetables, give your toddler just a small amount. You can use lemon juice or a little bit of salt to improve the taste of purees and mashed vegetables. If the child seems to like the particular vegetable, you can increase the amount.

Apart from boiled and mashed vegetables, you can give your toddler fresh vegetable juices. Make sure that your toddler’s digestive system responds well to the fresh juice. This is much healthier than boiled vegetables since all the vitamins and useful nutrients are preserved. Thermal processing can destroy many important microelements and vitamins.

Some children dislike intensely mashed vegetables and fresh vegetable juices. If your toddler refuses to eat those, you can try preparing vegetable soups or cream soup. The most suitable vegetables for soup preparation include peas, peeled tomatoes, onions, spinach, corn and celery. You can also use several vegetables to make soups.

If the toddler suffers from abdominal swelling or constipation, the intake of raw vegetables should be limited. Stop feeding vegetables to a toddler experiencing a digestive infection or chronic abdominal pains. In such instances, you will have to introduce a special diet.

Never feed your child canned vegetables. These are usually marinated or conserved using chemical substances. Buy only fresh vegetables and cook them yourself to make sure that your toddler stays healthy.




Jamie Highland writes about various family and baby topics, including baby showers. For more info or to check out the Peas in a Pod Baby Shower Theme or some baby shower gifts, visit My Baby Shower Favors. If you want more articles, visit our site and click on the Contact Us link.

Western Theme Baby Shower Decorating Ideas

Who says that the shower theme needs to be all about hearts, teddy bears and lollipops? You can try funnier, unconventional ideas for a baby shower, like a western theme. The theme is very generous and there are a lot of decorating ideas you can pick from. Of course, the western theme is all about cowboys, horses, saloons, country music and a whole lot of fun.

First of all, the invitations need to go with the theme. Order some rustic looking ones, printed on thick paper. Fold the invitations to look like an old letter and put them in some antique envelopes.

You can start by decorating the room where the baby shower will take place and make it look like a real saloon. Bring a small piano and a piano player, install a rustic bar, and add to the place a lot of decorations like blow up cactuses and plush horses. A cake shaped like a cowboy boot will be a nice touch. For the centerpiece, instead of a diaper cake, you should create a something that reminds more of Wild West, for example, sheriff’s star made of baby towels and baby diapers. A very sweet touch would be to prepare for all the guests sheriff’s stars with the baby name on them as favors. Complete the decorations with bouquets of wild flowers and daisies, to be consistent with the western theme you picked.

Set the mood with some country western music and possibly a swing dancing contest, if your guests are willing to indulge in this activity. You don’t really need any music if you don’t want it, but it can be a nice touch.

As for food, it also needs to be western, so think about some delicious dishes you can make on the barbecue. Steaks, hamburgers or ribs, with all sorts of salads, will certainly make your guests and the mom-to-be feel like they were transported directly to a farm from the west. Keep it simple with the dessert too: some apple pies, lemon pies and pecan pies will do the job perfectly. If the weather is nice, like in the springtime, you can even eat outside and enjoy the weather.

You can find and order western theme baby shower decorations on the Internet, or you can make a lot of them yourself – small cowboy paper hats, cowboy boots and others. A nice teddy bear dressed as a sheriff or cowboy is always a nice touch. If the weather is good, you can simply move the party outside. It will be even more fun, since the people will have enough space to dance. You can even organize a karaoke show with country songs for your guests: they will certainly have a lot of fun with all that.

Other games you can organize during a western theme shower baby are ones involving a lasso. A rope and something to catch is basically all you need to entertain your guests. You can also find some horseshoes and involve the guests in throwing them at a marked point.




Jamie Highland writes about events and parties, like weddings and baby showers. To find out more about great themes for a baby shower or to shop for rocking horse baby shower theme supplies or some baby shower favors, visit My Baby Shower Favors.

5 Ways to Let Your Baby Feel that They Are Loved

The most important thing you must do for your baby is letting her know that she is loved. Babies are blooming when they are surrounded by a nice, relaxing, loving environment. Even small babies communicate with their parents, through gestures, sounds, touches, smells and facial expressions. Even if your baby is very little, it doesn’t mean you can’t show them just how much you love them.

A good way to show her you love her is to take her in your arms and to hold her as close to your body as possible. Small babies enjoy a lot of close contact with their parents. This type of body contact helps them relax and it even ease small pains, like cramps or toothaches, when the first teeth start showing. When your little one is agitated and in a bad mood, take them in your arms and let them feel the warmth of your body and your heartbeats. This will show the baby that the mommy and daddy are there for them all the time, loving and taking care of them.

Singing to the baby is another way to show to your child how much you love them. Even if you are not the best singer, the sound of your voice will make your baby happy and calm. Small babies react very well to the sound of their parents’ voice.

Reading and talking to them as much as possible will also show the baby how much you love them. Talking to babies from a very early age is very important for their emotional and intellectual development. Babies learn to relate and to trust other if you speak to them from the moment that they were born. Also, if you talk a lot to your baby, they will learn the meaning of the words you are using and they will start speaking very early. You can start reading to babies very early in life. Your little prince or princess will live to hear the sound of your voice reading to them in the evenings, even if they are only five or six months old. The babies might not understand everything at that age, but they certainly pick up your voice, tone, and intonation. Creating an evening routine will help your baby to relax and to go to sleep happy.

You can show you baby you love him or her by spending as much time as possible around them. If you already started to work, try to relax once you get home and to enjoy the time you have left. Even if it’s only a few hours, try to make the most out of it. Play with all of the baby’s favorite toys, sing some songs, and give the baby a nice bath. Don’t let the stress and the problems from the job to have a bad impact on the time you are spending with your little one.

A very important way to show your child you love them is to teach them to be sociable and independent. You can only succeed in this very important task if you allow other family members, like grandparents, uncles, aunts and others to spend some time with your little one. Most parents are afraid to do that especially with small babies, but it’s very important to let her be independent.



Jamie Highland writes about events and parties, like weddings and baby showers. To find out more about great themes for a baby shower or to shop for love heart theme supplies or some baby shower favors, visit My Baby Shower Favors.

Why Sending Someone Flowers Is a Nice Gesture

Sending someone flowers is a sign that you think about that person. Sending flowers can have a lot of meanings. It can mean that you are happy for someone at a special occasion, like a wedding, a birthday or an anniversary. Flowers can send another message: that you want to be there for someone special who is having a hard time. You send flowers for a person who’s in the hospital, for example. You can show your appreciation with flowers. If a friend of yours helps you through some difficult times, you will send him flowers and a thank you note afterwards. You can ask for forgiveness with a beautiful flowers bouquet. And let’s not forget one of the most important messages flowers transmit: your love towards another person.

Sending flowers to someone is always a nice gesture. You show people they are important to you and you think about them. Flowers are beautiful and delicate, they make everyone happy and they can bright any gloomy day. Sending flowers to a special someone who’s far away it’s a thoughtful way to show to that person your feelings, your support, love or appreciation.

When you pick flowers to send them to someone, do it thinking about the one that will get them. If you want to say to a beautiful lady that you love her, the best way to do it is a huge red rose bouquet. If you want to lighten a friend’s bad day, pick some colorful, happy flowers. A wild flowers bouquet or some tulips are the perfect choices for such situations.

When sending someone flowers for someone’s birthday, it’s a nice gesture to make a bouquet containing as many flowers as the number of years that the person is celebrating. You need to be careful with one thing, however. If the number of years is even, you should add an extra flower to the bouquet. Bouquets made of pairs of flowers are considered to bring bad luck. For example, if a person is turning 32, bring them a bouquet made of 32 red roses and a single white rose.

When sending flowers to someone, don’t consider only bouquets. A very nice gesture is to send flowers that are actually alive, in pots. For example, you can send a pot with colorful lilies or tulips. Once the flowers pass, the bulbs remain, and the person who got the pot can put the bulbs in the garden. This way, instead of enjoying your flowers for a couple of days, the person who receives them will have them for years, in their garden.

You simply can’t go wrong with flowers – everyone enjoys receiving them. Sending flowers is always a nice gesture, because they are the perfect recipients for our feelings. It’s so much easier to let people know what you felt through flowers than through words. And most of the time, flowers do a much better job than words. Not only is a picture is worth a thousand words – we can say the exact same thing about flowers.




Jamie Highland writes about events and parties, like weddings and baby showers. To find out more about great themes for a baby shower or to shop for flower baby shower theme supplies or some baby shower favors, visit My Baby Shower Favors.