If you love to go camping, you need to make sure you have the best tent that money can buy. You may want to skimp when you buy family camping tents, but I can tell you from experience that this is not the way to go. When there is nothing between your family, the weather and the great outdoors, you want the very best and you should settle for nothing less. You may have to spend more, but the extra cost is well worth it. It only takes one bad camping trip to convince your family that they don’t ever want to go again.

There are many types of family camping tents, but don’t get the cheapest one you can find like I did. We went camping on a weekend that was supposed to be clear and sunny. As it turned out, it was cold and damp, and we couldn’t just pack up and leave, as my husband had an obligation he had to fulfill. Had we picked better family camping tents, we would have been a lot happier. Instead we were constantly wet and damp, and all of our clothes and equipment got wet. We ended up in a hotel, which was not part of the plan.

Good family camping tents will keep out the water. There are exceptions, as you can’t stop a river that might be coming at you, but they should keep out the worst of the storms that may arise. You want family camping tents that are totally waterproof and ones that have secure lines and stakes so that strong winds won’t tear them up from the ground if no one is inside. They should have plenty of room for everyone in your family. You should make sure there is enough room to stretch and stand up straight or everyone is going to be miserable.

The size of family camping tents that you might want to buy will depend on who many people you have in your family, and will also depend on where you plan to go camping. If you think you want to do some winter camping, you will need special family camping tents for that. Just remember that this is one time when the more you spend, more comfortable you will be. If you like to go camping, you don’t want to do anything to turn your family off from the activity.

As the daughter of the queen of self help books, I am, then, the princess of pop psychology.  I have read as many if not more self help books as my mom.  Back in the day, we had therapy but we either didn’t have money for it or we didn’t want to deal with the stigma that small town mentalities would inevitably put on one who had to visit the “nuthouse” or get their head “shrunk”.  The next best thing, for first my mom and then, by proxy, for me, was to read the latest self help books.

The first one I recall in relation to my brilliant and avid reader mother was Gail Sheehy’s PASSAGES, a brilliant survey of all of the stages of life and the instrumental changes each person at each stage undergoes.  The last one I remember my mother sharing with me was one of the many self help books I needed, unfortunately, despite my weekly therapy sessions was THE COURAGE TO HEAL.  A fat ass book of a size sufficient to using it as a doorstop and it’s accompanying workbook.

In between the self help books Mom would pass on to me or I would snatch up as soon as she finished reading them, were at least 1,500 of books on love, sexuality, spirituality, religion and the paranormal.  There was the life saving book by Melody Beatty called CODEPENDENT NO MORE; the brilliant compilations by Thomas Moore, such as SOUL MATES and CARE of the SOUL: A GUIDE to CULTIVATING DEPTH and SACREDNESS in EVERYDAY LIFE and Diane Ackerman, with her books A NATURAL HISTORY of the SENSES and A NATURAL HISTORY of LOVE; Shakti Gawain’s LIVING IN THE LIGHT: A GUIDE to PERSONAL and PLANETARY TRANSFORMATION; James Redfield’s THE CELESTINE PROPHECY and THE TENTH INSIGHT; David Viscott’s HOW to LIVE with ANOTHER PERSON; and the stunning imperative read, NECESSARY LOSSES, by Judith Viorst.

There are hundreds more self help books I could list here, but you will have to find for yourself the ones that appeal to and work best for you and your situation.  According to one psychologist, it is better to use self help books in moderation and to do so in conjunction with therapeutic treatment.  And since today we can thank the self help master above for head shrinkers and guardians of nutbags, that we can do.

My family has planned a beach trip every year for the past 30 years. We always end up getting adjoining hotel rooms so that we can walk back and forth and have more room. Now that our family has grown up, some have married and have children, we simply have outgrown the concept of getting adjoining rooms. We need something much larger. So, my mother and I decided that we should probably start to look for some beach house rentals and cut the costs by having everyone contribute. I immediately turned to the internet, as I always do, searching for beach house rentals in the town that we always vacation in. while my intentions were good, finding a house to rent was much easier said than done. Instead, I found lots of advertisements for real estate agencies in the areas. I didn’t want to go through an agent, I wanted to make my own plans.

I ended up having a few places that offered beach house rentals mail me some information, but I wasn’t very impressed. After a few weeks, I finally gave in and called a real estate company in the town and asked for them to mail me information on beach house rentals and anything that would be helpful. Several days later, I received a package in the mail that contained lots of catalogs, brochures, flyers and information on all of the rentals that they dealt with. I was overwhelmed, but confident that we’d find something in the pile that I was trying to organize.

Most of the beach house rentals were much more expensive than the hotel rooms that we had outgrown, but since there would be several families staying there, that cut the costs into thirds. Our first mission was to find a house that had enough of bedrooms so that everyone had privacy and didn’t have to feel so cramped. We knew that we’d save money on food because all of the beach house rentals had kitchens. We could easily cook a majority of the meals and not have to worry about where we were going to be eating breakfast or dinner on any given day.

We quickly learned that with beach house rentals, you are responsible for your own cleaning. There is no housekeeping that comes in daily to make your beds and sweep the sand out of the house. You’re on your own for that. We finally found a wonderful beach house that we reserved for our normal vacation week. It turned out to be absolutely perfect and we’ll end up returning in the future.

Having a baby is one of the most amazing experiences any couple can have.  When you have twins everything including the joy has just increased two-fold. You’ll want everyone you know to share in your good news.  Birth announcement for twins can be great fun. You have two new bundles of joy so it’s fun to incorporate that into the announcements. There are several inventive ways to do this that will make the event an even more memorable one.

One idea is to visit a printing shop and look through the birth announcements for twins that they have. Many of these will probably feature images of two things on the front of them. That might be two baby booties, two small ducks or you can even request the addition of images of your twins.  Inside you’ll have them print up the information about the baby’s birth including their names, their birthday and their weights. These birth announcements for twins are affordable and you can send them out to anyone you think might want to share in your special arrival.

Many people decide to step outside of the traditional box when it comes to birth announcements for twins. They design their own. If you are creative this is a great way to express your own joy regarding the event.  You might use a picture of the entire family or you might dress the twins up in fun outfits. A popular choice in this regard is renting a two peas in a pod outfit and taking pictures. Not only will this make a great keepsake for the people receiving the announcement you’ll also be able to take the image you use and display it in your home.

If you are only sending out a few birth announcements for twins to select family members you might want to consider something a bit more extravagant. There are several companies that can create a really unique and unusual way for you to announce the arrival of your twins. They specialize in birth announcements for twins and triplets that most people aren’t accustomed to seeing.

One way is to have a mock newspaper page printed up. This will be dated the same day the twins were born and it will feature all kinds of information regarding their delivery, their futures and even some fun facts about mom and dad. A nice image of the twins can be displayed and the people you give this too will treasure it always.

Another very fun and relatively new idea for birth announcements for twins is to have candy bar wrappers printed that announce the event. These resemble real candy bar wrappers but instead of the ingredients in the candy bar you’ll find the details about the twins listed. Although the recipients might decide to dine on the candy bar they’ll keep the wrapper as a reminder of the day the twins burst onto the family scene.

One of the most challenging issues that parents of autistic children face is the child’s inability to control his behavior. This challenge is not easily overcome because many autistic individuals have major communication deficits that prevent them from communicating why they are having a tantrum or why they are engaging in aggressive actions. A behavior chart is useful in helping caretakers determine the reason for the child’s tantrums and aggressions.

When I worked as an autism therapist, I used a behavior chart known as an ABC outline. This is an extremely valuable tool for determining the causes of behavior and it may be used to determine possible interventions that can be used to redirect the negative actions like tantrums and aggression.

ABC stands for antecedent, behavior and consequence. This behavior chart simply collects data on these three aspects of the child’s target behavior. Once the child demonstrated unwanted actions like tantrums and aggression, the therapist or caregiver collects objective information about the event. After a number of instances, the data on the behavior chart is evaluated and a course of action is determined by the autistic child’s treatment team.

The ABC behavior chart first section involves the antecedent to the child’s behavior. The antecedent is simply what happens immediately before the behavior occurs. This does not involve any subjective interpretation of the behavior. For example, instead of writing, “The child was hungry,” the data collector would write, “The child was waiting for dinner.” This is all that the antecedent involves. The child was waiting for his meal.

The next data that is collected on the behavior chart is the behavior. It is important to remember that this needs to be an action. What did the child do? For example, instead of writing, “The child became angry,” the data collector would write, “The child threw his silverware and cried and screamed.” The action is the behavior and it describes exactly what happened, not the data collector’s interpretation of the child’s emotions.

The final part of the behavior chart includes the consequence of the child’s behavior. The consequence is what happens immediately after the behavior. It is essential to keep this section objective as well. Sometimes a child will engage in a negative behavior in order to get a certain response. For example, a child is in a classroom and his teacher is talking with his parents. He throws books all over the floor and his mother and teacher run over and say, “What’s wrong?”

In the last example, the behavior chart would clue the treatment team in on the child’s negative behavior because it provides clues to the cause. The child wanted attention and the consequence was that he got the teacher’s and the mother’s undivided attention. But, the behavior chart has to be consistent. The attention seeking behavior has to be demonstrated a number of times before any conclusions are made.

A behavior chart is a valuable tool for helping a treatment team to determine which interventions to use when dealing with difficult behavior. The behavior chart may also be used for normal children who have trouble controlling their behavior as well. The chart usually takes weeks or even months to clue caretakers in on the causes of negative behavior, but it is often worth the wait.

Have you ever been to Sam’s Club or maybe Costco on occasion? These are prime places where many of us go to buy in bulk. This is somewhat of a new concept. I have to admit it’s rather handy to pick up large quantities of things, as opposed to heading out every week for the typical products. If this is a new concept to you, then I have to tell you - you’re missing out. Not just on particular products, but on saving money. When you buy in bulk, you save some serious dough and valuable time in the process.

I recall back in the 90s when I first spotted a Sam’s store. What in the world was this? As I stepped in I thought it was some sort of supplier for stores like Wal-Mart or Target. Well needless to say, I was wrong. This was indeed a place where anyone could go and buy in bulk. Now, I have to admit, there are specific products that I prefer to buy in bulk. Come on, who wants to run to the local grocery store every week for toilet paper and paper towels? It’s so much easier to buy a gargantuan pack of these babies at the local Costco. One thing that you should know about if you’ve never ventured out to these superstores before is the membership. You do in fact need to get a membership card and yes there is a reasonable annual fee involved. I suggest to anyone who has even considered buying in bulk, to check out the store and what it has to offer before dismissing the concept altogether.

When you buy in bulk at Sam’s or Costco, you are not limited to tissues and fruit drinks. These stores are basically like supermarkets on steroids. That’s why so many people love them. You can step inside and purchase a huge box of breakfast bars or maybe a large quantity of cheese if you desire. Most food items are easily found in these bulk stores. I was in awe of the 2 gallon tub of gummy worms I once found in Sam’s. Ah, it’s always those little things.

Anyway, if you do not buy in bulk yet, you may want to consider it, even if it’s only for the minor household items. The Internet is also a great place to search if you want to buy in bulk from home. Virtually anything your heart desires can be found in cyberspace. You can find it all from bulk coffee beans to bulk chocolates. The possibilities are endless. Save some cash today and buy in bulk.

Everyone in my family looks forward to the summer months for the same reason.  It means taking time off for our annual vacation. We love to load up the car and head out to a national park or a public campground for a week of hiking, fishing and sleeping under the stars. But since my boys are still young, they’re not exactly careful with our equipment, if you know what I mean. It’s not unusual for several essential items to get damaged or lost on one of our trips. That’s why I shop for discount camping gear whenever possible.

The emergence of online stores has really made it easy for me to find discount camping gear. The popularity of wholesale sporting goods websites means that I can buy name brand equipment for a fraction of the price that I would pay at a regular retail outlet. Even when I factor in the cost of shipping, I come out way ahead on all of the discount camping gear purchases I make over the Internet. That means my family will have more money left over for our vacations, which is the most important part anyway.

What kind of discount camping gear do I typically buy online? Anything and everything that my family needs! For example, we always seem to be replacing our supply of lanterns and flashlights. These kinds of products have a tendency to break pretty easily, especially when kids are handling them.  It’s nice to be able to save money on items that I’m buying all the time.

I can also find great deals on longer lasting items such as tents, sleeping bags and cots. Anyone who has ever camped out before will tell you that if you can’t sleep comfortably, it will ruin your entire experience. So I really pay attention to the products I purchase in this category and make sure that I stick with well known brands such as Coleman. After all, there’s no sense in buying discount camping gear if the products don’t perform up to expectations.

Cookouts are another favorite part of our trips, so I also make sure that I buy the best cooking accessories that I can find. Online stores that sell discount camping gear often offer an entire lineup of excellent cooking products such as stoves, burners, mess kits, pots and pans, and food packaging containers. These items help make mealtimes come off without a hitch, which isn’t necessarily a given for my crew. Then, once I have well rested and well fed kids, I know the rest of the day will go much more smoothly.

If you need to purchase new equipment or replace old items before you head to the great outdoors for your next expedition, I recommend that you shop for discount camping gear online. You might be surprised at all of the high quality items you can find at amazing prices!

We live is a world filled with stress and deadlines.  It seems that the more we evolve with technology and ways to produce things more quickly, the more stress increases.  This is an enigma.  You would think that worries and workloads would decrease with our consistent advancement.  Anxiety and depression seem worse now than they ever were.  I guess it’s possible that in the past, people simply didn’t mention it.  Well they certainly make an issue of it these days.  In fact, if you’ve ever spent an afternoon in front of the TV, I’m sure you’ve witnessed some sort of ad for a medicine, which helps alleviate anxiety and depression.

More and more humans are admitting to their problems in this modern world of solutions.  Whether it be sleep related or fear of public places, scientists are always coming up with new ways to fix it.  Anxiety and depression are certainly at the top of this long list.  When I ponder the notion of depression, I think of someone who has recently lost a loved one or someone who is handicapped is such a way that prevents them from living a normal life.  Well this is definitely a misconception.  Many people are weighed down by the burden of anxiety and depression for other reasons.  Some of which are not even known.  You may wonder if it concerns the food we eat.  For some reason or another, people seem to have problems with staying content.

A topic that concerns me, is teenagers.  Anxiety and depression seems to be striking them more than anyone these days.  Granted, being a teen is rough in some aspects and incredibly easy in others.  While some teens may argue that it’s horrible, I was a teen myself not long ago.  We all know what it’s like, but I can never recall being depressed.  This makes me wonder what has changed in the last ten years.  Depression should not be a part of childhood.  In fact, anxiety and depression should be much less prevalent than it is altogether.

If you punch in the word, depression, on the Internet, you will come up with an abundance of drugs and programs, which offer relief.  While we clearly live in a society that focuses on the negative more that the positive, it’s a good thing we have treatments for anxiety and depression.  If these have afflicted you in some way, you can always find a solution at your fingertips with the Internet.

Star Wars: Fact of fiction? Your answer depends on your perspective. From a purely logical point of view, Star Wars is totally fictional. It is a futuristic sci-fi excursion into a universe of fantasty and illusion. However, from an emotional and even spiritual viewpoint, Star wars are all too real.  The original 1977 movie introduced us to The Force: “…an energy field that surrounds us, penetrates us and binds the galaxy together” explains the old Obi Wan Kenobi to the young Luke Sky Walker. George Lucas drew some of his inspiration for The Force and its meaning from the work of Joseph Campbell and his book The Power of Myth.

For both the Eastern sage and the modern metaphysician, The Force is a perfect example of the realness embedded in Star Wars. It is not God, otherwise George Lucas would have used that word. Instead, Lucas chose a more universally accepted phrase, one that could potentially be embraced by all religious followers.  The technology in the Star Wars Universe is superfluous to the power of The Force. Lucas makes this point abundantly clear.  If you strip away the technology, you are left with a story spiritual story. It is a hero’s quest. It is the quest of Annakin Skywalker doing battle with himself. Searching for the light inside the dark.

This is a battle we all go through and so from this perception Star Wars is not to be seen as fiction. Star Wars is about a universal battle in awareness.  To the degree that you are unaware of this battle in yourself, is likely the degree you will see Star Wars as unreal, pure fiction.

Do you believe in The Force? Even if you do not understand it, or call it by another name, is there a part of you that “uses the Force?” If there is not, then you will view all of Star Wars as fiction, the storyline plus the inner lives of the characters.  If you do believe in the Force, even in some mysterious or cosmic way, you will be able to understand it’s truthfulness.  Star Wars is about “us” not “them.” It is about every man woman and child and their destiny to rise up against darkness and find their true nature and understand their relationship to The Force.

So next time you watch a Star Wars movie, forget the Hollywood aspects of it, forget that it is just for fun, and see if you can put your attention on yourself. Be Annakin. Be Luke. Be Yoda. You will be surprised how real these movies become.  I believe it is there realness not their fantasy qualities that made them strike a chord with the world back in 1977. What is your point of view? Star wars: Fact or fiction?

You can sit here with me all day as I go through what I must do, and you will notice that there is one thing I don’t like to do. The phone rings a lot, but I don’t like to pick it up. For them most part, there really is no reason for me to answer the telephone. Ninety percent of the calls I get are either a wrong number or they are someone I just don’t care to talk to at that moment. It’s been driving me mad, though the phone company says there is nothing they can do about the wrong numbers.

I will answer the telephone if my husband, family or friends call, but for the most part they don’t call during the day. By the time the day is through, I have fifteen worthless messages on my answering machine. You would think that after calling the same number for a while and not getting anyone to answer the telephone, someone might get the hint that perhaps they have the wrong number. I know if I were calling a number that long and hadn’t gotten a response, I would imagine the number is wrong or no longer relevant.

I do answer the telephone no matter who it is if it rings after nine at night. I will pick up even if I don’t know who the number might belong to. I learned a long time ago that if someone is calling at night, there is a very good reason for it. Though we always like to think of friends and family as being safe and well, we know that this isn’t going to be that way forever. Things happen. If I answer the telephone at one in the morning, I am pretty much sure that something is wrong and the call needs my immediate attention. Thankfully, this doesn’t happen very often.

If you don’t like to answer the telephone like me, you don’t have to! I know some people feel guilty and answer even if they are swamped and don’t want to talk to anyone. Answering machines are great for moments like this. If I stopped to answer the telephone every time it rang I would never get anything done. If it is an emergency of some sort, I know the person will talk to my answering machine.  Then I would know that I have to pick up or return the call as soon as possible.