Monday 30 November 2009

Family Hobbies: How to Play Together & Create a Lifetime Bond at the Same Time
By: Kristie McDonald

One of the best ways to strengthen family love is through friendship. And, one of the best ways to build friendship is through good old-fashioned play.

Now, of course, this may require some cozy conversation over the dinner table to remember what good old-fashioned fun was really like. But well worth the effort, according to a recent study that showed a strong correlation between love and play.

Families who bonded through shared recreational activities rated their family relationship satisfaction significantly higher than families who did not make the time to keep their feelings of being "best friends" alive. Furthermore, the study also revealed that this bond of friendship helped families weather both everyday stresses as well as unexpected life changing events with greater resiliency and less conflict.

How to Turn Your Family -- Even Fighting Brothers & Sisters -- into Best Friends

Looking back, I now realize that one of the smartest things my husband ever did was getting our children and myself involved in his hobbies. Fortunately, this occurred after he converted his love of drag racing into a safer expression of the sport - RC (radio-controlled nitro racing).

So now instead of squabbling over how much he's spending on his hobby, I'm behind him 100 percent because "racing" is no longer something he goes off and does by himself. We do it together as a family!

We. Race. We take excursions and explore new places with our radio-controlled toys. There's nothing like crunching through the leaves and fallen pine needles on a trail you newly discovered.

And although RC may not fit the bill for every family, it's a great example of how to reframe the experience of a solo sport that otherwise would commonly cause resentment in a family relationship.

3 Top Tips to Reframing the Solo Sport Experience to Keep Your Family Relationship Growing Strong

1. Make it a "no scoreboard zone." -- I'm sure there are myriad permutations and computations that a family could come up with so they could pursue a hobby or sport together. And it doesn't matter whether you're good at it or not. The objective of playing together is to just have fun.

2. Create an evening where you make a game out of talking to your spouse about some of your favorite childhood activities. Take turns describing how excited you felt every time you had a chance to play. Now see if you can come up with a family version that expresses similar qualities. If nothing strikes you, let loose and play "let's pretend" and make up an activity of your own.

3. Create an exciting atmosphere.

RC is our thing because I enjoy watching the excitement on the faces of both my husband and my children. It's endearing to see "the child" in the person you love. And most importantly, RC let's me get closer to them. Being inside the same world together creates a camaraderie that isn't possible when you just go out to the movies.

Spending time with family is important. We often get so wrapped up in the importance of money or other things in life that we sometimes forget about the most important little things.

How many times can we as adults remember when our parents or perhaps relatives were too busy to spend time with us?

We always remember those times during our childhood. Perhaps it made you sad from time to time.

What can we do about it?

We can make sure we don't make the same mistake with our own families. Follow my advice and you will create a memorable lifetime bond with your spouse and your children.


Author:
Kristie McDonald created a lifetime bond with her husband and her children. Now, she provides radio-controlled cars, trucks and helicopters to couples and families who want to end solo sport resentment with an exciting, trendy activity that will take you back to your childhood days. Go to: Nitro-Toyz.com/familytime.html to learn more about the sport of RC and get Kristie's latest FREE report, Making "Fun Time" with Radio Contro

Article Source: http://greatarticlesformoms.com

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Monday 26 October 2009



10 healthy snack choices you should reach for every week


By: Bizymoms.com Management
Quite often, people have incorrect views when it comes to healthy snacks or being on a healthy diet. Eating healthy does not mean that you are depriving yourself of food, it is being aware of what is good and bad for you, and taking precautions to avoid diseases and other health hazards, and living healthy and eating healthy.

In the past, snack foods has come under rap as it is associated with food that people go on a ‘binge’, as it is commonly termed. But research has revealed that eating four to five healthy snacks a day to the usual diet of three main meals per day, cuts cholesterol level by 8% and reduces the risk of heart disease by 16%.

Healthy snacking also helps prevent over-eating and also keeps the metabolism at work and thereby burning unwanted calories. It helps fight fatigue and keeps the blood sugar at a normal level.

The following healthy snack choices have been gathered for your benefit. It is important in selecting foods that contain the adequate nutrients and energy required for the body.·

Whole grain snacks are rich in fiber, and selecting low fat whole-grain crackers and whole grain crisp breads will give the required energy.

A 200 calorie Bagel contains the 11% of the recommended iron.

A Bran Muffin has three grams of fiber and 1.8 mg of iron, which is 10% of your daily intake.· Fruits –

Banana rich in potassium (11%) also contains 35% of daily intake of Vitamin B6.

Cantaloupe rich in vitamin C, gives you the required amounts of vitamin C required for the body. Fruits and vegetables will provide vitamins, minerals and other nutrients which are essentials for healthy living.·

Nuts and seeds are high in protein and calories. Eating in small quantities is advised.

Nuts are rich in fiber, phyto-nutrients and anti-toxidants.·

Raw vegetables, such as celery, carrots, green beans and cucumbers with a low fat dip are excellent healthy snacks.·

Fresh fruit juices and smoothies, unsweetened are a must with your daily breakfast.·

Yoghurt is a versatile food and a healthy snack. It also can be used as a dip, mixed with vegetables as a dressing. It is rich in potassium, protein and calcium. ·

Popcorn contains 93 calories and less than 1.5 grams of fat. It also contains Vitamin E, Vitamin B, Magnesium and Fiber.·

Greens and Salads are a must for the day. Farm fresh salads are a good substitute to your mid-day meal.·

Daily cereal and low fat milk, at the start of the day, will give you the required calcium and nutrients to keep you going.·

Toasted bread, with chicken, tuna and fish is not only a tasty snack but will also help you get your proteins and calcium requirement.

It is important that you know your limits and nutritional values of your snacks. Keeping in mind that snack calories too count in your total requirements of calories for the day is vital, for healthy living and life-style.
BizyMoms is bringing their visitors quality information on many topics of high interest to the mom community. Visit BizyMoms' Expert Corner today for help and advice from skilled professionals. BizyMoms is proud to partner with Diet and Weight Loss Expert Jonny Bowden.
Article Source: http://greatarticlesformoms.com
This article can be printed in it’s entirety as long the author's bio box is intact and all links are live and clickable.
 
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