Welcome to the October 6, 2008, edition of the Carnival of Family Life! I am honored to have been asked to be the host for this week’s Carnival. I was impressed with the quality and variety of the posted articles on a wide range of topics including education, family meals, crafts and activities the whole family can enjoy, family finance, parenting tips, family health and wellness, family spirituality, and family travel.


As you read through these excellent articles, you will find helpful tips and ideas which will definitely benefit your family life. Remember that a strong family life is essential to your health and well being.


Education

Laureen presents Geography in the School of the World posted at Life Without School. Editor's note: These are lessons about geography that your children will always remember.

Donald Latumahina presents 7 Essential Tips for Developing Skills posted at Life Optimizer, saying, "These tips will help you develop your skills and make your career more fulfilling."


Family Cooking & Recipes

Kelly from Almost Frugal presents Food and Stress: Cooking as a Working Mom posted at Almost Frugal Food. Editor's note: The author presents some great meal management tips for working moms.

SeaBirdChronicles presents Pumpkin bread in muffin form posted at SeaBird Chronicles, saying, "Pumpkin bread in muffin form!"


Family Crafts and Activities

Jocelyn presents Summer '08 Memoirs posted at A Pondering Heart. Editor's note: You'll enjoy these summer photos.

Stephanie presents The Annual Toy Clean Out posted at Stop the Ride!, reminding us that : "Cleaning out the toys is a worthwhile task."

Jen presents Get Spooked This Halloween (A Bit Like Secret Santa) posted at Jen's Genuine Life. "Secretly deliver Halloween treats to and 'spook' your neighbors, starting a fun chain reaction that will end up all over town!" writes Jen.

Katey Magill presents Wedding Tea Party posted at Having Fun at Home, describing "an inexpensive, unique and creative idea for a wedding."

Stephanie presents Make Personalized Glasses posted at Stop the Ride! Editor's note: This is a great crafts idea that your kids will enjoy.


Family Finance

The Smarter Wallet presents Freshman Fund: Save For College With A 529 Plan Registry posted at The Smarter Wallet, discussing a "novel savings tool" that you can use to save for your child's college education.

Silicon Valley Blogger presents How Stressed Are You? Rating The Most Stressful Financial Events posted at The Digerati Life, emphasizing "how financial stresses affect the family."

Michael presents Consumer Debt Worst Offenders: Banks, Advertisers, and Advisors posted at Michael Emilio, saying, "There’s never been a time like the one we’re in right now when families have such a financial burden hanging over their heads."

Raymond presents Where Is The Safest Place To Save Or Invest Your Money? posted at Money Blue Book. Editor's note: The author provides a list of safe places to invest your money for today's economic climate.

Alex Blackwell presents The Price of Fueling Our Lives: 15 Abundantly Free Ideas posted at The BridgeMaker, saying, "Even though our lifestyle is changing, it’s good to know our approach to life doesn’t have to change. Yes, the cost of gas is just plain stupid right now. But, we can continue to move forward and find ways to live the life we want."

Super Saver presents A Birthday Party for Our Daughter posted at My Wealth Builder. Editor's note: The extra money involved in having a party at a children's center is worth the savings in time, stress, and cleanup, and most important of all, everyone will have a great time, even the parents.


Family Health and Wellness

Aparna presents Common cold is so very common in winter posted at Beauty and Personality Grooming. Editor's note: These tips should keep you healthy and help you prevent colds.

Helene Zemel presents Silver Amalgam Dental Fillings - Are They a Risk to your Health? posted at Health Plans Plus. "The use of mercury in amalgam dental fillings has come under some controversy," Helene reports. Read about the "pros and cons of amalgam 'silver' fillings vs. composite fillings, including cost differences. The United States Food and Drug Admnistration is, like agencies in other countries, considering labeling restrictions on amalgam fillings."

Matthew presents HIV Management posted at Fast Medical Information, explaining that "HIV management is very important for anyone with the virus. With proper precautions, there is no reason people suffering from HIV can not live a long life."

Alvaro Fernandez presents Allstate: Can we improve Driver Safety using Posit Science InSight? posted at SharpBrains: Your Window into the Brain Fitness Revolution, discussing "where brain health meets driving safety."

Amy Vernon presents The trouble with greens posted at ice cream is not for breakfast.
"We're going to let our four-year-old start choosing his greens at the supermarket," Amy says. "Here's hoping that works." She'll keep readers updated.


Family Humor

Laura Scarborough presents spit bath posted at Adventures in Juggling, Faced with the prospect of mom washing his face," Laura's son takes matters into his own, er, hands.

Jenna684 presents A Pumpkin Patch, a Corn Silo, and a Sliced Finger posted at Beautifying The World One Clippie at a Time. Editor's note: Visiting a pumpkin patch can provide some great family time, but be careful about playing on old farm equipment.


Family Relationships and Self-Improvement

Vanessa presents A home of our Very own. And the start of a Journey posted at Our way to Happily Ever After . . ., saying, "I'll be using this blog to keep track of our life and journey to Happily Ever After...."

luvmy4sons presents The Great Communicator posted at Do You Weary Like I Do? Editor's note: Some reflections on the need for communication.

Charles H. Green presents The Guts of Trust posted at Trust Matters, describing what he has learned over the years"about being trusted and trusting."

Terence Gillespie presents Why I Live With My In-Laws! posted at Your Optimal Blog. "I can’t claim credit for the idea that my father and mother-in-law move in with us. Or that we move my mom from her nursing home into my office," Terence writes. "My wife saw the mounting nursing home bills, knew a baby was coming, and swung into action. By the time she was finished laying it all out, one night after work, she had a way to upgrade all of our lives. She was proposing we live like a family. A multi-generational family. It was outrageous!"


Family Spirituality/Belief/Worship

Minister Mamie L. Pack presents It's Football Time posted at The Life I Now Live. Editor's note: You will enjoy reading this inspirational post.

Shaun Connell presents Life Purpose 101 posted at Personal Development, opining that "the crux of a happy family is happy individual members." Shaun argues that happiness is achieved when each family member understands "their life purpose, and how they can achieve it."


Family Travel

Hilary Green presents How To Choose a Family Car posted at Cars for Girls, saying, Choosing the right vehicle for your new family or growing brood doesn’t need to be difficult if you have a good idea of what you want and a check-list to get you started off in the right direction.

Bridget Smith presents Don’t Forget Your Shoes! posted at Family Adventure Guidebooks. "This inaugural post for the Family Adventure Guidebooks blog reminds readers that, for parenting and traveling, flexibility and a sense of humor are always required," according to Bridget.

Sheila Scarborough presents Travel budget squished? How to find the best hotel deals posted at Family Travel Guide, offering "some of my best tips for saving on the checkout bill."


Parenting Tips and Advice

Suzanne presents mean mama confessions posted at adventures in daily living. Author's note: These are some good habits to teach your children.

Abel Cheng presents Parenting A Teenager: Tips On Personalizing Your Approach posted at Parent Wonder, reminding us that when dealing with teens, "remember who your child is at his core and use that information to find a way to communicate with him."

Kevin presents Long Distance/Virtual Parenting posted at More4kids, saying, "Thanks to technology it is also possible for the parent that is away to send email messages, instant message and even do a video conference online."

Thank you all for participating in the Carnival this week!

Submit a blog article for the October 13, 2008, Edition of the Carnival, hosted at On the Horizon, by clicking here!

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