Silicone bracelets are all the rage these days. Many stores offer them will all sorts of statements printed on them. They are also the new darlings of the fundraising efforts for many big non-profit organizations. Now you can get your very own, custom silicone bracelet and stand out from the crowd. Here are a few ideas on how to use your very own silicone bracelets. Make a Statement You are no longer limited to the slogans and statements that some of the silicone bracelet makers come up with. Instead come up with something that reflects your views and personality and create a custom silicone bracelet that's perfect for you. Party Favors Custom silicone bracelets make a great party favor for birthday parties, weddings, baby showers, and family reunions. Your guests will have a keepsake to remind them of the party for years to come. For birthdays, print or deboss the special person's name and birth date on the bracelet. Or as a birthday party favor, using something like "Joe's 1st Birthday" works perfectly as well. You can also use these custom bracelets as a party favor for weddings. Simply include the bride and groom's first names and the date of the big event. Personalized Gift Do you have a little girl in the family? Custom silicone bracelets make the perfect gift for her. What girl wouldn't love to own a "Daddy's Little Princess" bracelet with her name on it? Show mom your appreciation with a personalized "World's Best Mom - Jane" bracelet. Use your imagination and you will come up with a personalized gift that will wow its receiver. Fundraising You don't have to be a big non-profit organization to benefit from using a custom bracelet for your fundraising efforts. Are you raising money to replace the playground equipment in your local park? Whatever the cause close to your heart, custom silicone bracelets are an easy and inexpensive way to raise money for your favorite charity. Business Promotion Silicone bracelets are an inexpensive promotional item for your business. Just print your business name on there and if you can a fun slogan as well. Send the bracelets out with customer orders. Hand them out at fairs, trade shows, or anytime someone approaches you about your business. Before you know it, your bracelets and your company name will be all over town.

New Year's Eve is the traditional time to make resolutions for the upcoming year. Most resolutions are about something we really, really want. Even if you are not the type who makes New Year's resolutions, notice that somewhere, quietly, in the back of your mind, you are probably making one anyway. The problem with resolutions, though, is that most people never keep theirs. And it's no surprise why. Most of us resolve for big things -- lose weight, get into a relationship, improve a relationship, get a better job, improve business, get healthy, save money, etc. These are not easy things, and cannot be accomplished simply because we resolve to accomplish them. It's not that big things can't be accomplished. It's just that it takes something, and often lots of something, to move us in the direction of accomplishing something big. This New Year's Eve, try something different. I'm not guaranteeing this will work for everyone, but it may be an interesting and useful experiment. It has to be easier than resolving to do some huge thing you will probably give up a few days or weeks after the start of the year. Instead of resolving to achieve, become, or get something, resolve to add a positive state of being to your life. For example, resolve to add the state of joy for the year 2003. Or resolve to add the state of laughter for 2003. Or, resolve to add the state of pleasure, or creativity, or aliveness, or surrender, or compassion, or love. This way your focus will not be on striving for a goal. It will be on asking yourself what needs to be adjusted, or shifted, in order to create the state you've resolved to add. You may find this much easier than other resolutions you have made. It is easier to answer the question, "What will help me feel happy or creative right now?" instead of answering the question, "What will help me lose weight right now?" The first question definitely has an answer with fairly easy, immediate actions that you are likely to be willing to take. The second question also has an answer with fairly easy steps, but you are not as likely to be willing to take them. How will this get you to what you really want to achieve, become, or get in the New Year? When you dwell in a positive state, such as joy, laughter, pleasure, creativity, aliveness, surrender, peace, compassion, love -- even some of the time -- much more is possible in your life than would be possible otherwise. The thing you originally wanted to make as your New Year's resolution may just come about as a result of a new positive state you create. The thing you want may happen effortlessly. Happy New Year! May you make 2003 a wonderful year! Your Relationship Coach, Rinatta Paries www.WhatItTakes.com (c) Rinatta Paries. Do you know how to attract your ideal mate? Do you know how to build a fulfilling relationship, or how to reinvent yours to meet your needs? Relationship Coach Rinatta Paries can teach you the skills and techniques to attract and sustain long-term, healthy partnerships. Visit www.WhatItTakes.com where you'll find quizzes, classes, advice and a free weekly ezine. Become a "true love magnet(tm)!"

Have you ever wondered why you feel an instant attraction to certain people? These intense reactions are pre-determined by a powerful astrological principle commonly known as horoscopes. The daily horoscopes not only list the Zodiac signs for each month but also each signs� distinctive personality type. The fact is that conflict in a relationship often arises when two incompatible personality types are in disagreement. The Zodiac sign�s listed in your daily horoscopes can be used as a guide to understanding the innate qualities and personality traits of your partner. And that�s not all�the twelve Zodiac signs listed in the horoscopes are actually divided into four separate categories know as Elements. These four natural elements; Fire, Air, Earth and Water houses at least three of the twelve Zodiac signs. Now the first element Fire, houses the signs Sagittarius, Aries and Leo. The individual personality traits are action-oriented and vibrant. What does this mean for you? Well, look to add different levels of spontaneity to your relationship. Air, the second element houses the signs Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. With inquisitive and innovative personality traits�open and honest discussions about relationship issues are satisfying. Best of all their curious nature are a welcome addition to spicing up any relationship. The fertile element Earth houses the signs Virgo, Caprico and Taurus. The personality traits are task-oriented and savvy. Gentle nurturing will relax the tendency of Earth to hold back feelings in a relationship. A cooling mist, Water the final element houses the signs Pisces, Cancer and Scorpio. Water has a keen understanding of people�s needs and a patient temperament. Even better is the high level of confidence and satisfaction manifested in its relationships. There you have it�the four elements that houses� the twelve signs of your daily horoscopes. Discover the personality traits of your partner by exploring your horoscopes�embrace them. Use them to add intense passion to your relationship. You�ll be glad you did! Copyright 2005 � James Hall

"Don't Be So Quick To 'Blame Others'....You May Be Next" copyright 2001-02 John Evans Blaming others doesn't always make sense. In fact some of the "blames" are really quite stupid. Take these for instance: 1. Someone buys a cup of coffee in a restaurant. Same person spills the coffiee in their lap, and is bued. Is the restaurant to blame because the coffee was "too hot?" Ridiculous! 2. Or, a man robs a store, and happens to be wearing 'X-Brand' tennis shoes. Is the tennis shoe maker to blame for the robbery? Ridiculous! 3. If one person advertising in an ezine decides to SPAM someone, is the ezine to blame? Ridiculous! SOME ARE JUST TOO DARN QUICK TO PUT THE BLAME ON OTHERS!.... Have you ever forgotten that you subscribed to an ezine? Do you use the very same email address for all of your subscriptions in order to better keep track of them? We use JUST ONE email address for subscriptions. Sure makes it easier to unsubscribe when I know which email address I used when I asked for the subscription. To help us keep track of ezines we get, and the ads we send out, I made a simple advertising form. On it are these headings:Circulation, Publishing Day, MY Ad Code, My Ad #, Their Adcode, Date Placed, and Date Ad Ends. Plus info on how many lines, number of characters, how often, and any other instructions. The reason I bring all of this up is that every once in a while I read about someone being "blamed" for sending SPAM, when they aren't even guilty. And the person doing the yelling may not even realize that THEY are the one that's wrong. Like I said above, sometimes people forget they subscribed. Most ezines keep real good track of their subscribers, by keeping copies of the original request. They also may have a very easy way to unsubscribe, usually a clickable link that you only have to Click On, then click Send. Very simple, and very quick to do. And takes a lot less time to do then writing out a SPAM email. So, if in doubt, don't be so quick to blame others, because someone just might (falsely?) blame you next! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ copyright 2001-02 John Evans http://www.dailybiz.com/warriors.htm You can make money with the Secret Site. You can use this article but please leave it intact. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

You know the feeling. As you place a meticulously wrapped gift on a table filled with other presents, you can't help but second-guess your choice. "Will they really like it? Did I spend enough on it? I wonder what's inside that one..." The reason we give gifts--whether for weddings, birthdays, retirements, or holidays--is beside the point. The best gifts are those that let the recipient know you had no one else in mind when you chose it. By following a few simple guidelines, you can avoid any second-guessing yourself the next time you shop for a special occasion. Who are you shopping for? Consider the recipients' ages, the hobbies they enjoy and their profession when thinking about gifts. If you're buying a gift for a close friend or relative you have the advantage of knowing his or her interests and hobbies. Depending on the occasion, this may be the perfect opportunity to recognize a significant personal accomplishment he or she has recently achieved. If you are shopping for someone outside your circle of close family and friends anything too personal should be avoided. Clothing and jewelry, for example, are items for which most people have very particular tastes. In cases like this, a safe bet is to "shop by occasion" for items that have been established as appropriate for specific events. What is the occasion? Shopping by occasion can help you locate a great gift in a short amount of time. As an example, let's say you are invited to join in the celebration of a coworker's 15th wedding anniversary. You are friendly with this person at work and have met his or her spouse a few times in a social setting. Some quick research on the Web might lead you to a short list of today's most popular anniversary gifts, including: * Clocks * Picture frames * Crystal items * Ice buckets * Serving trays * Toasting flutes Any of these items would make great gifts by themselves. However, there is one additional step that can transform a great gift into a one-of-a-kind gesture. Is personalization needed? When your search leads you to items like those listed above, the opportunity for personalization is always available. Crystal and glass can be etched, metals can be engraved--these days even wood can be directly engraved with precision detail. You've decided on a stunning set of crystal toasting flutes for your coworker's celebration, and have opted to personalize the gift. This leads to another important topic. The Name Game If you're not sure what verbiage to use when personalizing a gift such as toasting flutes, you're not alone. Here are the basics: Initials: This can mean a first name initial, a last name initial, or first and last name initials of equal size. Stay away from using punctuation (periods) and suffixes (Jr., Sr., III, IV, MD, PhD, etc.). Monograms: Traditional monograms are created with the last name initial centered and larger than the other characters around it. The "other characters" are either the first and middle initials of an individual or the first initials of a husband and wife. For an individual named Theodore James Newton IV, a traditional monogram would read as TNJ. If Theodore James Newton IV is married to a woman named Dori-Anne, their monogram would read as DNJ. Most often, the woman's first name appears first (although there is no rule keeping the man's name from appearing first). Other traditional layouts include a diamond monogram, a panel monogram, and the circle monogram, all of which are artistic in nature. Messages: The golden rule when writing an engraved message: when in doubt, keep it simple. For example, "Happy 15th Anniversary" may seem unimaginative but it stands the test of time. Another engraving taboo is "signing" the message as if it were a letter (i.e., "Love, Mom & Dad"). Save that sentiment for the gift card that will accompany the item being personalized. For birthdays and anniversaries, be sure to use the year the gift is being presented and not the year the event took place. The End Result Taking all this into consideration, the crystal toasting flutes for your coworker might read something like this: Happy 15th Anniversary Anthony and Kim 3/11/06 The end result will be a gift that couldn't possibly be for anyone else and won't leave you second-guessing your selection. After giving such a good gift you should be prepared for invitations to more events hosted by the happy couple!

Next time when you go out camping, try to play with archery. It is fun-filled activity and can give you great way for entertainment and sense of accomplishment. Read further to find intructions on how to prepare the target, making arrows and archery techniques. The Target - A target can be made of a burlap sack, or oil cloth, about five feet square. Stuff this with hay or straw. It may be flattened by a few quilting stitches put right through with a long packing needle. On this the target is painted. In scoring, the centre is 9, the next circle 7, the next 5, the next 3 and the last circle 1. The shortest match range for the target is forty yards. Making Arrows - Arrows are divided into three parts: the head, sometimes called the pile, the shaft and the feathers. For target, practice a wire nail driven into the end of the pile with the head of the nail filed off and pointed, makes an excellent head. The shaft is generally made of hickory, ash, elm or pine, and its length is dependent upon that of the bow. For a five-foot bow, make the length two feet and the width and thickness about one-half inch. Feathering is the next operation. Turkey and goose feathers are generally used. Strip off the broader side of the vane of three feathers and glue them to the shaft one inch and a quarter from the notch, spacing them equally from each other. One feather should be placed at right angles to the notch. This is known as the cock feather and should always point away from the bow when the arrow is shot. Archery - The archery rules for the five essential points are these: 1. Standing: In taking position to draw the bow, the heels must be seven to eight inches apart, feet firm on the ground, yet easy and springy, not rigid. 2. Nocking: This is manipulating the bow string. Hold the string with two fingers and the arrow between the first and second fingers. Grip firmly, but not so as to give awkwardness to any finger. 3. Drawing: In drawing stand with the left shoulder toward the target, tuing the head only from the neck and looking over the left shoulder. Then raise the bow with the left hand, keeping the upper end inclined one or two degrees from the body. With the right hand draw the arrow to chin-level and below the ear. 4. Holding: Steady the aim a moment and keep the point of aim directly in view, looking along the whole length of the arrow. 5. Loosing: In letting the arrow go, do not jerk, but loose smoothly, and be certain your bow arm does not move when loosing. To get a clean, sharp loose is more than half way to hitting the target. Happy camping!

Dessert In The Desert Helaine Iris � 2004 �As we grow as unique persons, we lea to respect the uniqueness of others�. Robert H. Schuller Last week, on my vacation I was having dinner with a group of special friends. These friends are affectionately known by many as "the grannies off the grid". The grannies are three conscious, artistic, elder women who live on a beautiful piece of land in the Arizona desert. They live in sustainable, solar homes, which for the most part they built themselves. These women are an inspirational model of a future community that benefits many people. On this particular evening, I was engaged in a conversation with one of these delightful, wise women about my identity as a coach and a businesswoman. With her 70 some odd year perspective she told me she had let go of the need for an "identity". She preferred to think of herself as a part of All That Is, as undefined. Immediately, wanting to emulate her wisdom, I began to try on the idea of "letting go of my identity" for something that seemed "bigger" and more "evolved" to me. Part way into my wayward fantasy, I realized, she had reached the fourth stage of Steve Bhaerman's Four Stages Of Knowing. It was clear she belonged there and despite my wanting to be like her, I didn't. The Four Stages Of Knowing is a simple model for understanding human development. I originally heard about it by comedian Swami Beyondananda (Steve Bhaerman's) on a metaphysical radio show. Originally meant to entertain, the Four Stages actually represent a profound view of the normal and healthy stages of human evolution. Here are the four stages: See which stage you find yourself in. 1. You don't know. This is the stage when you're a baby or a child. You're fresh and new to the world and you really don't know. It's pure innocence. 2. You don't know you don't know. This is adolescence; (and for some, well into the twenties!) that bittersweet time when we think we know it all. When nobody can tell us what to do. We're bigger than God; we're invincible and think we've got it all figured out. 3. You know you don't know. This is adulthood; your thirties, forties and fifties. When you've been seasoned enough by life and you begin to get humble; when you're comfortable admitting your limitations and actually begin to see the gift in them. You start to relax here and can enjoy the grand mystery of life. 4. You know "I don't know" is ALL you need to know. This the final stage when life gets peaceful. When the undefined-ness of each moment carries you to exactly where you need and want to be. It's the realization that emptiness is the space of all creation. It's the end of confusion. It's surrender. That night at dinner in I found something incredibly reassuring about knowing you're where you belong in the evolutionary scheme of things. I was about to tie myself into a pretzel thinking I should be something I'm not. When I realized that, I felt a huge wave of relief. I experienced the perfection and beauty of each delicious stage along the path including the one I'm in. The awareness was like dessert in the desert. I shared my excitement with them about still wanting to identify myself. I expressed my passion about making my mark on the world. Sitting around the table, in the warm glow of their wise, nurturing attention they listened to me and I felt precious and loved for exactly who I am. Just as it should be. It's YOUR life...imagine the possibilities!

Do you have problems remembering names or are you really lucky and never forget a face ... or a name? If like many of us you go to network meetings or social events where you will be meeting a large number of people, how do you remember all those names? Get Ready The first step is to prepare yourself mentally. Make a conscious decision to remember all the names of the people you are about to meet. Listen When you're about to be introduced to someone, listen carefully and CONCENTRATE! How often does it go in one ear and out the other because we're not really listening or our thoughts are elsewhere? Repeat If you miss it, ask them to repeat it. When you first hear someone's name, repeat it straight away, "Good to meet you John" and try to use it three times during your conversation, "So, tell me John ..." and when you leave, "Thank-you, John, it was good to meet you ... If you realise you've forgotten their name by the time you come to end the conversation - politely ask them again? This will help reinforce their name in your mind. If it's an unusual name ask how it's spelled. Association The easiest way to remember someone's name is by association. * Do they remind you of anyone? A friend, relative, work colleague, actor or well-known person, living or dead? * Do they have the same first name as someone you know? Does their first name or suame create an image in your mind? * What type of person do they look like - a lawyer, an accountant, a typical ...salesman, teacher ... (what's typical to you will be different from someone else, use your association)? * Does their name link directly to an occupation in which case the image is easier to form - Baker, Gardner, Porter etc. Create a picture Now create an image with as many of the elements as possible - the person who they remind you of, a location, the image of their suame and the person you know with the same first name. Make it as visual, colourful, bizarre and as detailed as possible. For example Michael White - reminds you of an accountant, visualise him with a massive 'white' calculator, pouring over a pile of papers and account books, surrounded by large, colourful numbers. David Brooks reminds you of Woody Allen and has the same name as your Uncle David - visualise your Uncle David in 'Manhattan' dancing around in a 'brook' that meanders between the buildings. Another obvious association is between someone's name and a physical feature or trait. The shape of their face, a distinguishing part such as eyes, ears, chin, nose, hair colour etc. Alan Blackbu has big black sidebus (does that translate?). So emphasis the image - see your friend Alan (also called Alan) with big black sidebus or a large 'allen' key with great big Black sidebus. The first thing you think of is the strongest association - use this, it will make it easier to recall later. Practice This might sound like a very long-winded and lengthy approach but the brain is amazingly fast, efficient and brilliant at recognising images. The more you practice, the faster you will get at making associations and the easier it will become. The brain works more effectively with images and the more bizarre they are the more likely you are to recall the information. Try not to link the image to their clothing or something they are wearing such as jewellery, especially if you are likely to meet them again. They are highly unlikely to be wearing the same thing when/if you next meet them. If you're with a group of people for a whole day, linking to clothing can work while you get to know them better. It helps to keep recalling their names throughout the day and using their name when in conversation with them. OK, my examples may not do it for you but hopefully you get the idea. If you get introduced to more than one person at a time, for instance in a group, take your time, scan each face and find the association. The more you do it the faster you'll become and the easier the associations will be to find. Review Another important key to remembering names and faces is to review them regularly. When you're at a meeting or social event, you can briefly scan the faces in the room and recall the names. The more often you do this, the more likely you are to remember them. When you get home, recall their face. If you have their business card, recall their face linked to their card and if possible do the same the following day and a week later to get it into longer-term memory. The more often you associate the face with the name, the more likely you are to remember them the next time you meet them. You know how good it feels when someone actually remembers your name and people are always flattered when you do. Use these ideas and with a little practice you need never forget a name again. Copyright 2006: Clare Evans

How To Explode Your Subscriber List FREE! Well, you have your autoresponder or list service set up. Your Ezine is jampacked with great information, and lots of bonuses. Now, Who do you send it to? Do NOT "rent a list"! Do NOT "harvest addresses" from sites! Do NOT "SPAM" in any way shape or form! I cannot stress this point enough!!!!!! A person who "spams" is killing their business, before it gets off the ground. "Spamming" is not professional, is not appreciated and is very rude. It can also get you into very serious trouble with your ISP. With that said, there are other ethical methods for bringing in subscribers. To start: In your search engine, type in "ezine announcement lists". All of the web sites found here will let you announce your ezine FREE. You may have to register with some sites, but it is well worth your time for the exposure it gives you. You could spend days just listing your ezine on these sites. Do as many as you possibly can. Do more than your competitors. By listing your ezine- you have now put your ezines name in front of anyone and everyone looking for ezines or looking to purchase ad space in ezines. Be sure to list your prices as well. For more FREE exposure, go back to your search engine and type in "free classifieds". Write a short, attention grabbing ad describing your ezine and offering something free for a subscription to your ezine. This could be an article you've written yourself. Spend another day or two placing FREE ads all over the net and watch your list start to grow. BUT, By far the GREATEST way to pull in subscribers for your ezine, is to write your own articles and submit them to other ezines and ezine announcement lists. In retu for using your article, ezine owners will allow you to add a 4 to 5 line resource box at the end. Subscribe to a few ezines and check out the resource boxes at the end of the articles. This will give you an idea of how to write your own. Once people read your article, they will see your resource box. Not only will submitting articles bring in subscribers for your ezine, it will also put your name out there as one of the "experts". So, as you can see- you can pull in subscribers fast, and FREE! You may spend more time doing FREE promotion, but if you are on a tight budget and determined to succeed- this is a good place to start. Of course, once you start seeing an income, you should move up to purchasing leads. Sorry Folks, thats another article:) See You At The Top, Vicki Ballard

First of all don't jump to conclusions... I don't have ADD, I just like to do many things. I always have. I believe boredom is a choice, actually I don't just believe it, I know it. The world is full of endless possibilities, in fact maybe too many. That, in the past had been a problem of mine. Too many things I wanted to try, and not enough time to try them. Now I have managed, with the help of hired hands, to bring life into balance, get more done, and drum roll please...even make more money. Just a few decades ago, the idea of having personal assistants was only for the very wealthy, these days you would be a fool not to find a good one. One idea can change your whole life, but as Emerson said, "There are voices which we hear in solitude, but they grow faint and inaudible as we enter into the world." Most people are making themselves too busy, so they cannot hear the ideas being whispered to them. Allowing others to do things for you helps everyone. There are intelligent people all over the world, waiting to help you at prices that make it foolish not to hire them. If you contact me, I can give you the names of a few that have done wonders for me. Freeing myself of work that others can perform as well or better than I, permits me to have time in meditation. Don't think for a second that meditation only belongs in the realm of Easte religion. My introduction came because of hearing numerous times the same idea being presented by top business executives. I may not be the sharpest knife in the kitchen, but I have leaed that when I hear the same subject popping up repeatedly, I check it out. Many people complain that meditation is difficult, because they cannot still their mind, for me the problem was I felt I just didn't have time to do nothing. Oh, was I wrong there. Meditation has proven not to be a time waster, but a time saver. A book could be written on the positive effects of meditation, actually according to Amazon, 9019 have been written, so I will just add one benefit. Meditation allows your mind to be receptive of ideas, ideas which you can hire others from all over the world to help implement very economically, which allows you more free time to relax, be with family, enjoy life and come up with more ideas. Nice little circle, isn't it. For more information on how to implement such thinking see the bio box below.

Old-fashioned rhyming Christmas poems, like the ones you see below, are making a comeback. These rhyming Christmas poems provide a pleasant feeling of nostalgia, as we reminisce about a time when Christmas was different--simpler, not so commercial, less focused on material things and more on matters of the heart. Even though it's hard to find a rhyming poem in card stores, and rhyme is out of fashion with contemporary poets and poetry critics, people still love them. On the Inteet, hundreds of thousands of people searched on the term "Christmas poem" in the month of December alone, in 2004. That doesn't include searches on Christmas poetry, Christmas rhyme, Christmas verse and Christmas greeting. Here are some Christmas verses for your cards and e-cards: The Gift of Knowing You The Christmas season fills our hearts with joy; Bright, happy days bring special kinds of pleasure. We're wrapped in the excitement of it all, The sights, the sounds, the smells, the tastes we treasure. Yet when we have some quiet time to think About our finest blessings all year through, We focus on our family and our friends, And appreciate the gift of knowing you! ## Rhyming poems are harder to write than free verse or prose poems (which mode poets favor), so they are fewer in number and harder to find. Here's another Christmas card poem, written especially for folks who spend Christmas in sunny, warm areas, such as Florida and Southe Califoia: A Sunny Christmas Every year at Christmas time There's not a sign of snow. Instead we spend our yuletide days In the sun's warm cheery glow. We have the best of Christmas things, The lights, the gifts, the bells, (And "snowbirds" who arrive en masse To fill our beach hotels.) The glorious weather fits right in With our happy Christmas mood, And we can also walk and run Without having to be snowshoed. So don't feel bad for your (location) friends Who have no snow or ice. We think our sunny Christmas here Is a holiday paradise! ## Start using rhyming poems to make all your greeting cards and occasions extra special. Greeting card poems provide a simple, easy way to make a good impression. Copyright 2005 by Joanna Fuchs

Give the Gift of Reading Before I had children, I assumed that if you read to your kids, they would grow up to be avid readers. How wrong I was! There are a number of things you can do to bestow the gift of reading on the children in your life, but you may have to be downright sneaky about it, sometimes. 1. Talk to children. Sounds simple enough, doesn't it? I was stunned to lea, from the teachers at my son's daycare, that many parents don't talk to their children - or certainly not as much as I talked to my son. I've never understood why people had kids if they didn't want to talk to them. 2. If you are a parent, grandparent, sibling, or babysitter of an infant, put books in the crib. (Hardback books with sharp coers are best reserved for toddlers; cloth-bound books, squishy books, books with rounded coers are all fine.) Familiarity breeds interest. 3. Read. While I'd encourage you to read aloud, it doesn't have to be a children's storybook. Very young children are leaing - dare I say "absorbing" - language skills from their surroundings. You set a good example by reading, yourself; you expose children to new vocabulary by reading aloud, regardless of what you read. My mom used to hold me in her lap and read her college psychology textbook out loud. I was being read to; she was getting her studying done. Talk about multitasking! 4. On index cards, write (using broad-tipped, colorful markers) the names of common household objects: chair, table, television, floor, ceiling, rug, sofa, etc. and tape these index cards to the objects they represent. Point to them and say the words aloud at every opportunity. 5. With older children, talk about different kinds of literature and try to disce their interests. Not all kids enjoy reading fairy tales, though it's assumed that they do, up to a certain age. It just isn't true. And throw those gender-based stereotypes right out the window. A little girl may like to read about car racers and cowboys, and a little boy may like to read about fairytale princesses being rescued from fire-breathing dragons. It doesn't matter a bit, so long as they're reading. Give the Gift of Writing Children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, younger siblings, or the kid next door might appreciate a customized storybook from you! It's easy to print out your stories and staple the pages together to make a book. Consider adding some of the following personal touches: - A decorated cover made of heavy cardstock, using scrapbooking embellishments, photographs, hand-drawn illustrations, and colorful hand-written title. - Space at the top of each chapter or each page in which you encourage the young reader to become your "illustrator." If you are giving this as a gift, consider including a box of crayons or markers. - Personalize the book by using the child's name for the protagonist or charming side-kick (never the villain!) If you are a poet, consider writing a special or silly poem for each young member of the family. One Christmas, I wrote limericks for each of my relatives and used them as stocking stuffers. What a hit that was, as they read them and traded them, and laughed over them! For older children, a blank book or joual, given together with a letter from their favorite writer (you!), some old family photos, or a joual entry of your own, may be just the thing to encourage them to take up a lifelong habit of writing.