(Libraries) Decorating for the Holiday Season

October 28th, 2009 admin Posted in education |

By Gail Logan

Christmas is an extremely busy time of year. By the time you get you shopping done, gifts wrapped and your cookies and cakes baked, it’s likely you don’t have the energy left to put into extravagant decorating. Although less than energetic, you still want your home decorated for Christmas. After all, Christmas is just not the same without lights and decorations.

Decorating your home for Christmas doesn’t have to be stressful. There are many things you can do and items you can use to dress up your home for this wonderful season. One suggestion when decorating your home for Christmas is using ribbon. If you have a decorating theme for Christmas, regarding color, choose ribbon to correspond with your theme. You can tie ribbons to all sorts of items in your home such as chair backs, wreathes, basket handles, stair railings and even doorknobs. Ribbons and bows are very festive. A good idea is to choose ribbon which can be easily untied and retied. This way you can reuse the ribbon another Christmas season.

Using holiday tableware is nice when decorating your home for Christmas. Search your home for anything Christmas, plates, bowls, mugs, glasses, any piece of tableware that has a Christmas theme. Make sure to use these items each and every meal, every day throughout the Christmas season. Another good idea is to buy a few pieces each year. In time you’ll have enough tableware to serve the entire community.

Lighting is important when decorating your home for Christmas. During the month of December turn off your lights. Make use of your candles in every room of your home. Place candles on the dining table, on the coffee and end tables in the living room and perhaps place a nice scented pillar candle in the bathroom. Don’t just put them there for decorations but also make sure to light them each night. If you have a fireplace, make sure to light it and enjoy it. A fireplace creates a cozy atmosphere which is nice when guests are visiting.

Decorating your home for Christmas should always include a Christmas tree. After decorating the tree with your homemade ornaments and strung popcorn, use the leftover branches to make arrangements for your home. Put the greens in a basket or bowl, add pinecones, bows and ornaments. Use the branches to make swags to hang over doors throughout your home. Take the evergreen sprigs and place them around your home, on windows, on a bookcase shelf or on a ledge. Evergreen branches and sprigs certainly reflect Christmas. Not only do they look nice but they spread a lovely aroma throughout the home.

Christmas is a time for celebrating. It’s a time to pull out all the stops. Snow is always nice for Christmas. When decorating your home for Christmas, why not use snow, artificial snow to add a sparkle to your home. Sprinkle it on the dining table, the hutch or the fireplace. Use ornaments which reflect light and hang them around your home, from doors or even indoor trees and plants. This will definitely look dazzling at night as the candle light flickers off the ornaments. Decorating your home for Christmas shouldn’t be a dreadful task but a delightful experience. One thing to remember when decorating your home for Christmas is not to over-think your plan. Keep it simple because simplicity is elegant and beautiful.

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Is there such a thing as a broken heart?

By Dr. Jennifer Lagrotte, DMFT,

Most view women as the more emotional ones of the species. It is said by some that it is why women have been able to avoid the more serious health problems associated with holding in one’s emotions. While it seems that it is not really accepted by society for men to show much in the way of how they feel, because that would show weakness where a man is supposed to be the strong one who can handle just about anything that comes his way. At the same time, it seems to be accepted that women are more emotional and showing or expressing these feelings is something that women do.

As it is more acceptable, or alright, for women to express their emotions and to let it all out, it has been thought for many years that it could very well be the reason why women are less prone to heart problems or other stress-related health issues. These days, it is perhaps not as true as women are taking on more responsibilities and becoming just as or more involved in the workplace. However, it is not the general stresses that this article is focused on. Whether it was a hundred years ago or yesterday, it is possible that women have a more difficult time in letting go of a relationship than men. There could be many reasons for this, the most of which being that it is more in the woman’s nature to bond with a man on a deeper level. This is, of course, simply speculation, but it is something that many have considered as a probable reason. This is not to say the woman is weaker or simply more emotional, it is something that is rooted in one’s instinct from years of evolution. Whether it was the woman or the man to break off the relationship, the woman could have a difficult time with the breakup because, depending on how involved the relationship was or how long it had existed; there could be some very deep feelings that have been affected.

Broken hearts are not easy for anyone, but for women it can be more difficult to avoid because they are more in tune with their emotional side than men are. There is such a thing as a broken heart; in fact the medical reference to it is ’stress cardiomyopathy’. This condition is where the person has become so distressed over the loss of a loved one in a breakup or tragedy where the heart muscle is temporarily weakened. Getting over a relationship is something that can take some time. Contacting an online counselor or online therapy could be a nice way to help ease the process as well. Online therapy could be a comfort for those who simply need to confide in someone and get something off their chest. Online counseling can also help a woman to realize why it could be good that the relationship came to an end. Once the healing starts, she can start to move forward in her life, feel better about her self and start looking forward to her unknown, but exciting, future.

Dr. Jennifer Lagrotte, DMFT is the owner of CompleteCounselingSolutions.com which offers a variety of
href=”http://www.completecounselingsolutions.com/sessions.php”>online counseling services. If you would like to know more about Jennifer or any of our online therapists, visit our website.

Year-End Celebration Marks Successful First Generation Project

By Marcus

The First Generation Project, which helps sustain first-generation college students and prospective students in their efforts to reach their academic goals, marked its second year of successful outreach and academic support with a celebration at the Student Residence and Conference Centre on March 31.

More than 60 students and college staff came together to congratulate each other for working through another academic year that otherwise might have been insurmountable for students with little support at home. President Ann Buller was the keynote speaker at the mixer.

A First Generation student is defined as one whose parent(s) did not complete college, university or an apprenticeship program in Canada. There are more than 1,500 self-identified First Generation students on Centennial’s database.

“By self identifying, they have told us they are looking for a mentor and academic support as they negotiate through an unfamiliar institution, an experience their parents likely never had themselves,” says Project Manager Esther Broomfield, a member of the college’s Student Life Enhancement Division. “Many times they’re just looking for referrals to services we offer. Guiding them is an important retention function to keep them in college.”

The project, funded by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, provides inclusive programming, positive social relationships and information that are fundamental to students achieving success at college and in the community. “Lunch and Learn” sessions on campus allow students to get some pointers on such disparate topics as personal finance, exam preparation, stress management and sexual health, to help them cope with the responsibilities of being an independent college learner.

In addition to assisting Centennial’s own students, project mentors also visit local high schools once a week to reach out to first-generation students there who also may be struggling to stay in school. Sessions at lunchtime or after school bring together younger students with first-generation college education students who know first-hand the challenges of being motivated to get good grades.

Centennial’s First Generation Project is designed to inspire youth between the ages of 12 to 24 years to maximize their potential through academic success and access to post-secondary education. By all accounts, the project has been well received and is making a difference. Unfortunately, the government has not committed to funding the work taking place at a number of Ontario colleges and universities beyond the initial three-year time frame.

Marcus has made us realize with this article that not all students parents get proper education which their parents lacked, and helps them in continuing education in Canada and so when their children get a proper education; it brings joy in their family.

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