· Electrical Outlets – You can buy inexpensive covers to keep little fingers out of your outlets, or simply put a piece of furniture in front of them.

· Cords – Be they electrical cords or cords for blinds or draperies, they are a risk. Cords from blinds or draperies are a choking hazard, and electrical cords can cause a shock, or can cause baby to pull something heavy (such as the lamp at the other end of that cord) down on top of them

· Rickety furniture – Be certain that you don’t have unstable furniture around. When your baby begins pulling up, he could pull the furniture right down on top of him. Sometimes it’s necessary to attach furniture, such as top heavy bookcases to the wall.

· Plants – Some houseplants are poisonous, so be certain to keep plants out of baby’s reach.

· Radiators – If you live in an older home with radiators, you will need to put barriers in front of them or radiator covers over them during winter months.

· Fireplace – Be certain your fireplace is equipped with a grill or glass doors to protect your child’s little fingers.

· Stairs – Install baby gates to keep your little one from tumbling down the stairs.

· Cabinet doors and drawers – Install childproof latches so that your baby is unable to open drawers and doors, particularly those where you store sharp objects or cleaning supplies.

· Railings – Be certain that any railings in your home, such as those on your stairs, have no more than a five inch gap between any vertical posts. You’d be amazed at how easily a baby’s head can get stuck.

All of these are important steps to readying your home for those days when baby starts crawling around. But, probably the most important thing you can do is to learn to keep your everyday things put away. Items that adults use regularly, like scissors, pins, coins, buttons and letter openers can all be very hazardous to a baby. It’s going to take some getting used to, but with some preparation, you can organize your life so that your everyday activities don’t put your baby at risk.

Whether you like the rustic look or just want to live in a house built from natural materials, a log home may be appealing to you. But are they a good investment? Are they a smart choice?

The short answer is yes. In fact, log homes have some benefits stick-built homes lack. Let’s take a look.

1. They generally are made to a higher standard with superior craftsmanship and custom touches. Because of this, log homes regularly appraise higher than comparably sized conventional homes. Basically this means that, square foot for square foot, they have a higher resale value.

2. Log homes are sturdy, stand up well to the elements, and generally speaking last a long time. There are many stories of these houses surviving the worst Mother Nature has thrown at them, including the big 2005 hurricanes, Katrina and Rita. This shouldn’t be surprising. Unlike walls in traditional homes, which are just frames covered with insulation and drywall, log homes are solid wood. There are still-standing, still-occupied log homes in Europe dating back more than 800 years.

3. The notion that log homes are warm and cozy isn’t just fanciful thinking. Compared to a cold piece of drywall, wood is warm to the touch. Logs also have something called thermal mass going for them; all that dense, solid wood is energy efficient, keeping temperatures inside the home comfortable year around.

4. If your log home is built and sealed properly, it will be very energy efficient. This means you spend less money on heating and cooling throughout the year. Many log home manufacturers create kits designed to be 15-20% more efficient than a conventional home.

5. Log homes are usually more quiet than stick-built homes. Remember that thermal mass we talked about? Well, aside from being energy efficient, it’s sound efficient. Those dense logs have sound-deadening effects. That means you can block out everything from outside noises to your kid’s basement drum solos. No need for ear plugs, thank you.

6. One last benefit, is that it’s easy to maintain log homes and keep them free of mold, mildew, and insect infestations. In traditional homes, there are sealed wall cavities where everything from mold, termites, and rats can get in and thrive. Log homes don’t have those dank hollows. To inspect for problems, all you have to do is take a walk around your home and check out the condition of the logs. This makes it easy to catch problems earlier and get them taken care of before they become costly situations.

Generally speaking, the pros far outweigh the cons when it comes to choosing a log home. Whether it’s for your primary residence, a vacation rental, or a place to retire down the road, a log home can keep you and your family warm and comfortable for years to come.

1) Move More

Sedentary people burn about one-third less calories per day. By simply taking every opportunity to move can make quite a dramatic difference to the amount of calories you burn in one day. Small movements will add up over time to lots of calories. The trick is to keep moving throughout your day. Write the word ‘move’ on post-it notes and put them in places you’ll notice them when you’re sitting still. Then, take every opportunity to move – here’s some ideas for burning extra calories:

Tap your feet
Swing your legs
Stand up and stretch
Move your head from side to side
Change position
Wriggle and fidget
Pace up and down
Use the restroom upstairs
Park in the furthest corner of the parking lot
Stand up when you’re on the phone and step from side to side
Clench and release your muscles

2) Eat Little and Often

Evidence suggests that eating small meals every 2-4 hours will keep your metabolism burning faster than larger, less frequent meals. When you eat small amounts often your body is constantly working to digest and absorb food which requires energy.

3) Eat Fat

If you want feel good and keep the fat off you need to first put it in. Fat not only tastes good our bodies need it to work efficiently. By consuming several servings of ‘healthy’ fats every day you will actually increase your calorie burning potential. Try incorporating fats like Flaxseed oil, hempseed oil, olive oil, avocados, salmon, albacore tuna, nuts and seeds into your diet daily.

4) Drink Cold Water

Evidence shows that your body might expend more calories trying to raise cold water to the temperature of your body then hot beverages. And overall being well hydrated will help your body’s metabolic processes burn quicker.

5) Exercise With Weights

Training with weights boosts your metabolism in a number of ways. By lifting weights you will build muscle tissue. And muscle tissue is metabolically active, so it requires calories even when at rest and so it helps to increase fat-burning enzymes in your body.

6) Spice up

Eating hot spices might speed up your metabolism. Just half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day can help boost metabolism and keep blood sugar levels in check. Can’t stand the thought of cinnamon in your morning cup of coffee? Spice up with cayenne, crushed red pepper or wasabi.

7) Eat More Protein

Protein requires a more complex chemical breakdown by your body in order to be digested and used as fuel. For example, 100 calories of protein may take up to 30 calories to process. Protein also takes longer to digest and helps to stabilize blood sugar for longer periods of time and this can help you to not overeat later in the day. Eat a portion of protein at every meal and as part of your snacks and you will increase the total number of calories you burn each day.

Brighten things up.
Unfortunately, your mom was right: reading in dim light can wreak havoc on your eyes. Buy your child a good reading light, or make sure that homework is done in plenty of natural light.

Give them space.
Place a pillow about eight feet away from the TV, and tell your child they have to watch it from that distance. Sitting too close to a television leads to the same focus problems that your child can develop from using computers and video games.

Take breaks.
Experts agree that kids’ increased computer use can cause focus problems, particularly the ability to refocus on objects far away. Take note of how much time they spend in front of the computer, and make sure they take a ten-minute break every hour.

Buy shades.
Your child may not need glasses, but it’s a good idea to buy them sunglasses. UV exposure can lead to macular degeneration or the early development of cataracts.

Don’t skip eye exams.
Children should be screened by an eye doctor or pediatrician between 6 and 12 months, 3 and 3 ½ years, at 5, and then annually after that.

It’s not too late for adults to start practicing these techniques, also. Make them a family habit, and you could slow the loss of your vision as you age. It’s important to set a good example for your children, too.

Red Envelope, Ever After, Love is a Rose, Personalization Mall, Things Remembered, Limoges Jewelry, Patagonia Gifts, Generous Gems and JC Penny have beautiful, elegant jewelry. Sterling silver birthstone pendants, rings, engraved pendants in gold, diamond and other precious stones are very popular.

Warm Sentiments, Harry and David, Design-it-Yourself Gift Baskets, Wine Country Gift Baskets, Gourmet Gift Baskets, Adorable Gift Baskets, Nostalgia Basket, Book Baskets, Green Mountain, Vermont, Hershey and Ghirardelli have a unbelievable collection of beautifully designed, delicious-looking gift baskets that include chocolates, coffees, wines, cookies, cheesecakes, pizza, dried fruits, teas, spa products and books. As we all know, the best way to a person’s heart is through their stomach.

Companies like Connection Channel and Bears in Chairs offer personalized toy gifts like teddy bears. Other unique gifts like personalized chess sets made up of white onyx and black marble with mom’s name engraved on the board are uniquely different. Chosen carefully, with lots of love, your gift to mom will certainly bring joy and show how much you love her. Remember: the heartfelt gifts are the ones that will be most appreciated. This means that you should put some thought into the gifts that you buy for Mom. She will appraicate a well thought-out gift.