Great Books to Read to Your Children

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There are a number of books that transcend the time and are such great stories that they can be read generation after generation and still have meaning. It is important to expose children to this type of literature. Not only does this create bonding time between child and parent, but it also reinforces the importance of reading.

The first book I can recommend is The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster.  This story is about Milo who can't find anything to do at home.  He is taken to another land and has a grand adventure.  Children and adults a like will enjoy the word play this book offers. You will meet the which who is not a witch and the whether man who ironicaly is interested in the weather. This is a must read for every family.

C.S. Lewis wrote the epic adventure called The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe is part of a larger series of books called The Chronicals Of Narnia. Some people may be put off by the books Christian values, but this is really not too in your face. Though you can find the Christian themes to a child this is a epic tale about children and their adventure with mythic creatures and an evil witch. This book is a classic and children love to use their imagination to follow children their own age through this great land. The characters are lovable and easy to enjoy.

A Wrinkle in Time is written by Madeleine L&rsquo and is part of a series of books that are well worth reading. This story revolves around a character named Meg.  Meg is very easy to relate to as a teenager who is low in self-esteem and doesn't quite fit in. Meg goes through this book trying to save her father and ultimate succeeds in spite of herself. This book is easy to understand even though it is very heavy in the subject of science. The characters are greatly enjoyable and a great introduction into the sci fi niche for children who may be more into this type of story.

This is just three of many books that are well worth reading. You could also consider reading The Golden Compass, Ramona the pest, and Little House on the Prairie as these are all great books to read also. Think back to the books you loved as a child, odds are your children or the children in your life will also enjoy the same books.

How To Grasp More Of What You Read

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Regardless of whether you are a high school or college student who is having to read things for school, an employee who is having to read things for work, or just someone who is reading a book to gain a bit of knowledge or enjoy a bit of relaxation, one fact remains the same: It is nice to actually grasp and remember the things that you have read. And while some people are certainly more gifted than others when it comes to "recall," there are still some specific (and easy!) things anyone can do in order to increase the amount that they are able to grasp and recall from anything they read.

There are a lot of people who are in the habit of "reading aloud" inside their own head, and they fail to realize this until they start thinking about it; because your brain moves much faster than your eyes, it can be natural for your brain to try to slow things down by saying each word aloud in your head, but this slows down your reading and ends up making your brain so bored that it starts thinking about other things! Instead of “reading aloud” in your head, you need to practice digesting the words automatically – reading them without ever “hearing” them said.

Another great way for you to increase what you are able to grasp from your reading is by moving your finger (or a book marker) along the page, beneath the line you are reading; this helps to speed up the pace at which your eyes are moving across the page by keeping them focused on a specific point, and as you start to speed up your eyes to a point where they are moving as quickly as your brain, your brain will remain more engaged and will grasp more of what you read.

And as is the case with just about anything in life, you will become better with this the more you practice; keep reading consistently and actively, and over time you will find that you are grasping and recalling much more of whatever it is you happen to be reading.

Tips For Sleeping On A Plane

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Anyone who has spent any significant amount of time traveling knows how important it is to be able to get some sleep on a plane. After all, you do not want to arrive at your destination feeling wiped out - regardless of whether you are flying for business or for pleasure. It's not always easy to sleep on a plane, but it can become much easier if you follow these three simple tips.

Carry-on light: Too many people think they are making their life easier by traveling with a huge carry-on - one that barely fits under the seat in front of them. By bringing a smaller bag instead, however (or by making sure that you will be able to fit your carry-on into the overhead compartment - you will have a lot more room underneath the seat in front of you. You will be able to get much better sleep if the space under the chair in front of you is open, as this will enable you to stretch out your legs.

Bring the right pillow: If you want to sleep on the plane, the headrests that are on the airplane chairs will probably not be comfortable enough to accommoadate you. You will be much better off bringing an airplane pillow of your own, as these pillows are specifically designed to help you sleep on a plane! One great option is the HoMedics Ortho Therapy Neck Support Pillow, which will go a long way in keeping you comfortable as you try to sleep on the plane.

Cover your eyes: Usually, if you walk up the aisle of a plane while it is flying, you will see a number of people who have covered their faces with sweatshirts or blankets. As funny as some of these people might look, they are also getting much better sleep than just about anyone else on the plane! If you pick up a Dream Essentials Sweet Dreams Contoured Sleep Mask, you will be able to block out the light and sleep "like a dream," without having to cover your face with a sweatshirt or a blanket!

When you follow these tips, sleeping on the plane will become much easier than it ever was before - even if it is no match for sleeping in your own bed!

How Do I Know The Right Size House For Me?

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Anyone shopping for a new home can easily become overwhelmed or even discouraged by all the different choices. It might seem like so much goes into such a decision as 'Which house to buy,' but there are a few major ways you can narrow down the choices; first of all, figure out whether you plan to live in the house for a long time or a short time; figure out whether you plan to have kids in the house; figure out whether you will eventually look to add onto the house; once you have answered these questions, you can narrow down your choices even further by looking at a few specific items.

Some people skimp when it comes to bedrooms, but honestly, you should decide how many bedrooms you need even before you begin looking; and keep in mind, it never hurts to over-project how many bedrooms you need, and it can certainly hurt to under-project! If you are a young couple with no kids, or if you are single, and you do not plan on staying in the house permanently, one or two bedrooms should be all you need. If, on the other hand, you already have kids, or are planning to have kids, make sure you plan accordingly! It is far better to pay the extra money for a house with a couple extra bedrooms than to find yourself spending money down the road to add bedrooms on!

If you have ever had the misfortune of living in a house with too few bathrooms and too many people, you surely know how important bathrooms are! If you decide that you need three full baths, do not compromise and settle for a house with one or two full baths. If you are a family of five or six - or plan to be a family of five or six - think about what getting ready for the day will be like if everyone is sharing one full bathroom!

Finally, consider what size yard you want; again, this comes largely down to children, as a large yard can be a maintenance headache. The headache of a large yard will be more than worth it if your kids are out there enjoying it.

There are a lot of choices and a lot of elements that go into these choices when you are looking at houses; but before you worry about location, square feet, and even price, decide how many bedrooms you need, how many bathrooms you need, and what kind of yard you need the house to have.

Tips For Playing Capture The Flag

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If you are looking for a game that you can play this summer with your family, or that you can play if you have a group of friends over who are wanting to do something fun and different, one game that is always a great idea is capture the flag!

A yard that is large enough for the game, and that can be divided roughly in half, will be the first two things you will need for a game of capture the flag; of course, if you do not have a yard that will work for this, you can also go to a nearby park that will work, as it will be important for you to have a fair amount of space in which you can play the game, and for you to also be able to discern one side from the other.

In order to get started with your game of capture the flag, you will need to set up two teams that each have an even number of players, giving each team a rag, shirt, or towel - making sure each of the two "flags" are the same size and color; once the teams have been divided and each team has been given their flag, the teams should take turns hiding their flag on their side of the yard in a place where they think the other team will not find it (and make sure you have a rule that states how much of the flag must be showing - usually a couple inches - or it may never be found!).

You can start the game after each team has hidden their flag, with the goal being to find the other team's flag and move it back to your own side - without getting tagged by the other team! Everyone has their own unique rules for this part of the game, and nothing is "right" or "wrong" as long as everyone playing knows the rules, but the main components should be that if a player gets tagged, they are frozen until a member of their team unfreezes them, and the game does not end until one team finds the other team's flag and gets it back onto their side!

Performing Regular Maintenance On Your Car

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Your car can be a wonderful part of your life if it is working well, but it can be a headache when it is not working well! While people often complain about the costs of fixing their car, they also often overlook the regular maintenance they should be doing on their car. When you take care of your car as you go along, instead of waiting for something to go wrong, you will save a lot of money and prevent a lot of headaches!

One thing you can do to easily take care of your car is to regularly check the oil levels in the car, instead of simply waiting to change the oil every 3,000 miles. Of course, it is still important for you to change the oil every 3,000 miles, but your car will present you with fewer problems when you make sure it has the proper amount of oil.

Taking care of your fuel lines is also important; you can do this by adding fuel injector cleaner to your gas tank every once in a while when you add gas.

Another important thing to do is to know what your car sounds like when it is running well, and to pay attention so you will know when something is off. Problems with your car will be far less expensive to fix if you catch them early on, which is why it is so important to listen. And in addition to listening, you should start to pick up tidbits of information as to how you can check things in your engine on your own. Even if you know nothing about cars, you can still keep an eye on your engine and make sure it is running correctly!

Finally, make sure you watch for loose parts on your car, or for anything that is threatening to fall off. If your bumper is sagging or your tires are losing air, it will cost a lot less to fix the problem when it is still minor, instead of waiting until it gets worse!

When you start to do regular maintenance on your car, you will find that the car presents you with fewer problems, and that it is far more enjoyable to have!

Taking A Look At The Movie "Casablanca"

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With the vast number of choices out there for movies to watch, it can sometimes be difficult to figure out what you and your spouse should watch on your next movie night; when this becomes a difficult choice to make, the best approach is often to fall back on a classic. And when it comes to classic American movies, there are few that can come close to the esteem in which the film Casablanca is held; the movie was released in 1942, sixty-nine years ago, and it is still a wonderful movie to sit down with!

Casablanca - which is considered by many to be the finest screenplay ever written - was not expected to meet the success it did while in production; the film was written by the Epstein twins (Julius and Philip), and it starred Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman (each of whom were huge Hollywood stars at the time), but the studio nevertheless imagined the movie would simply be a nice addition to their lineup from the year. As it turned out, however, Casablanca became an immediate success, winning three Academy Awards (including Best Picture!) and drawing much larger audiences than were expected.

The focus of the movie is an American expatriate played by Bogart, who is living in (and running a saloon in) the French-controlled, African city of Casablanca - a city that was teeming with Europeans at the time who were fleeing the devastation of World War II in Europe, trying to leave from Casablanca for the safety of America. What starts out as a simple premise quickly becomes a thick, finely-designed love story of the highest order - a love story that contains all the tragedy of war, all the agony of betrayal, and all the mystery of unrevealed secrets - which leaves the viewer feeling satisfied in a way few movies can achieve!

Casablanca is a reminder of what movies can be, and even after all these years, it is a great movie to sit down with on a weekend night, sharing it with someone you love!