Whats Prettier Than Freckles?

An elderly woman and her young grandson, whose face was sprinkled with bright freckles, spent the day at the zoo.  Lots of children were waiting in line to get their cheeks painted by a local artist who was decorating them with tiger paws.

Youve got so many freckles, theres no place to paint! a girl in the line said to the little fellow.

Embarrassed, the boy dropped his head.  His grandmother knelt down next to him.  I love your freckles.  When I was a little girl I always wanted freckles, she said, while tracing her finger across his cheek.  Freckles are beautiful.

The boy looked up.  Really?

Of course, said the grandmother.  Why, just name me one thing thats prettier than freckles.

The boy thought for a moment, peered intensely into his grandmas face, and softly whispered, Wrinkles.

Celebrate Grandparents Day on September 13!

Is Smaller Cheaper?

Weve become conditioned to believing that purchasing larger portions of food, bigger packages of paper towels, or giant containers of laundry soap is a good way to save money, and sometimes it is.

But in some cases, smaller portions or quantities can be cheaper, and the way to ascertain this is by checking the shelf label for the products price-per-ounce or price-per-sheet or price-per-count, and so on.

For example, a 12-pack of paper towels may actually cost more per sheet than a six-pack or three-pack.  A box of 50 tea bags could be priced higher per count than a box of 20.  And those pre-packaged apples might prove to be less than a bargain, depending on the price per ounce compared to unpackaged apples.

If your supermarket doesnt provide this information on their shelf labels, ask the manager to start sooner rather than later!  In the meantime, take along your calculator and do your own pricing.  Just take the cost of the item say, a 16-ounce jar of peanut butter for $3.29 divide $3.29 by 16, and your cost per ounce is about 20 cents.  If the 28-ounce jar of that same peanut butter is $6.29, it will cost you 22 cents per ounce.  Clearly, the smaller jar is the better buy.

It makes sense and saves dollars to read shelf labels or do your own calculation.  Spend a little time and youll save money every time you shop.

Whether You
Labor Or Labour

In the U.S. its Labor Day; in Canada its Labour Day; and in both countries its Monday, September 7.  Its a day to honor the contributions made by workers to the strength and prosperity of our country, a good-bye to summer, and a day to enjoy with family and friends.

Go Green Pay Electronically

Want to go green?  Heres an easy way to be kind to the environment:  receive and pay your bills electronically.  According to the Federal Reserve, nearly 50 percent of the checks written in the United States are written by consumers to businesses.  American businesses mail about 26 billion bills and statements per year, and consumers mail 9 billion payments per year in paper form.  All that paper mailing consumes 755 million pounds of paper, nine million trees, and 512 million gallons of gasoline.

On a household scale, heres how paying electronically pans out.  Stuart Williams, of CheckFree/Fiserv and a member of the PayItGreen Alliance, says that the average U.S. household receives 19 bills and statements each month, and makes seven payments with checks each month.  If just 20 percent of American households switched to electronic statements and payments, it would save 150 million pounds of paper and avoid producing 3.9 billion pounds of greenhouse gases.

So why arent people switching over?  Williams says its mostly because people are entrenched in their habits.  But by breaking away from routine and switching over to electronic statements, each year the average American household would

        Save 6.6 pounds of paper.

        Save .08 trees.

        Prevent 63 gallons of wastewater from entering the environment.

        Save the 4.5 gallons of gasoline needed to transport bills, statements, and payments via mail service.

        Prevent 171 pounds of greenhouse gases from being produced, which is equivalent to:  1) Preserving 24 square feet of forest from deforestation; 2) Not consuming 8.8 gallons of gasoline; 3) Planting two tree seedlings and allowing them to grow for 10 years; and 4) Not driving 169 miles.

How To Achieve Success

The person determined to achieve maximum success learns the principle that progress is made one step at a time.  A house is built one brick at a time.  Football games are won one play at a time.  A department store grows bigger one customer at a time.  Every big accomplishment is a series of little accomplishments.  David Schwartz

You May Be Too Techy If

1.      Youve never sat through an entire movie without having at least one device on your body beep or buzz.

2.      You turn up your speakers when leaving the room so you can hear if a new email arrives.

3.      On vacation, youre reading a computer manual and turning the pages faster than everyone else whos reading John Grisham novels.

4.      Youd rather get more dots per inch than miles per gallon.

5.      All of your friends have an @ in their name.

6.      You rotate your screen savers more frequently than your automobile tires.

7.      You have a functioning home copier machine, but every toaster you own turns bread into charcoal.

8.      Off the top of your head, you can think of 19 keystroke symbols that are far more clever than :-).

9.      You start introducing yourself as Jim at net dot com.

10. You spend half of the airplane trip with your laptop on your lap...and your child in the overhead compartment.

How To Protect Your
Asthmatic Child At School

If your child has asthma and is headed back to school, youll want to ensure that he or she is allowed to carry an inhaler when necessary.  Despite the fact that most states have passed laws allowing students to self-administer their asthma drugs, some schools are strictly interpreting the laws and requiring students to obtain permission from school nurses or school officials before being given access to their medication and inhalers.

Whats a parents best plan of action? The American Lung Association says communication between the school and the parents is essential to make sure that your child is safe.  Parents need to ask the school about laws and local policy in place allowing students to carry and self-administer asthma medications.  The ALA also recommends that all students have an Asthma Action Plan, a written directive detailing personal information about the childs asthma such as symptoms, medication, and physical activity limitations and specific instructions of what to do if medication doesnt immediately improve the situation.  All teachers, coaches, the school nurse, and the office should have an updated action plan for your child.  For more information, go to www.lungusa.org.

Stressed Out?
Take These Steps

Our work lives are often filled with what can seem like unbearable amounts of stress.  And while some of those stresses are unavoidable, theres a lot you can do to start to whittle those high levels of stress down to something that feels at least manageable.  Here are a few suggestions:

Know when to say No.  That means you have to first understand your own limits.  Then set limits on others so they dont encroach on your time by pressuring you to take on tasks or responsibilities that will throw you out of balance.

If possible, avoid people who consistently stress you out.  If your boss is the culprit, you might not be able to do this.  And you cant steer clear of everyone who inadvertently or occasionally causes you anxiety.  But you can avoid people who have a history of leaving you feeling stressed after youve tried to change the situation and they havent responded.

Dont expose yourself to unnecessary environmental stressors.  For instance, if you read the news on the Internet during your break, but it leaves you feeling tense, stop reading the news on your break.  Do something that relaxes you instead:  Go for a short walk, knit, meditate, work a puzzle.

Learn to manage your time.  Letting projects go until the deadline is upon you will undoubtedly cause you stress.  Work at a steady pace and dont procrastinate.  Procrastination can affect the quality of your work and leave you feeling anxious and strained for prolonged periods.

Going Nuts
For Almonds

Shelling out for a bag of almonds might not be a bad idea if you need to lower your cholesterol.  Almonds are recognized as a cholesterol-lowering food; studies also show that they can reduce the risk of heart disease.

One ounce of almonds about 25 nuts contains 164 calories and 1.10 grams of saturated fat.  That same ounce is also a good source of protein, potassium, vitamin E, and magnesium, and has no cholesterol.  So, go nuts!

Shattering Window Myths

There are a number of outdated beliefs about storms and window safety that the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) would like to set straight.  For instance, Open the windows during a storm to relieve the pressure that could build up and cause more damage.  If youve never heard this advice before, dont pay any attention to it now.  If you or someone you know believes it, read on for the IBHSs expert recommendations:

1.      Do NOT open windows during a storm.  This doesnt relieve pressure it just lets damaging wind and rain into your home.

2.      Tape does NOT protect your windows from flying debris.  It might keep more of the glass together when impacted, but will not keep it in place.

3.      Window film does NOT provide much protection from the impact of debris.  It does, however, hold glass shards together when the window breaks.  Also, some thicker structural film has passed the small missile test, which applies to things like gravel and similarly sized objects.

September IsHigh Holy Days

The Jewish High Holy Days are observed during the 10-day period between the first day (Rosh Hashanah) and the 10^th day (Yom Kippur) of Tishri, the seventh month of the Jewish calendar.  This year Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown September 18, and Yom Kippur begins at sundown September 27.

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the most important of all Jewish holidays.  Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is the symbolic anniversary of the creation of the world; the words Rosh Hashanah literally mean Head of the Year.  In addition to being the anniversary of the past creation of the world, Jewish tradition sees everyone as being created anew at this time every year.  Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the most solemn day of the Jewish year and a day of fasting, reflection and prayers.  At the end of Yom Kippur, those who have repented for their sins are granted a good and happy New Year.