Just another day

When we are kids we love our Birthday, mostly because of the gifts, of course. When we grow up we calm down and lower our expectations. Our birthday seems to be just another day.

I turn 40 today and I have no butterflies in my stomach. I honestly don't really care if people call me and say birthday wishes. I love them even if they don't. 

I guess I get older or maybe – old? I prefer to say I get wiser and wiser each year. “Wiser Birthday to Me!”

p.s. You may want to drop by my VK Group for some treats)))

The fun and crazy CowParade

I like public art events especially if they are fun ones. People make outdoor sculptures and constructions; they sing songs or even bring the whole orchestra to the city park. But one event seems following me no matter where I go.

It is the famous CowParade.

CowParade is the largest and most successful public art event in the world. It all started in 1999 and its events have been staged in over 50 cities worldwide. The cows are represented in various forms and are painted by local artists from the amateur and unknown to the professional and famous.

Last year San Paolo was hosting the amazing CowParade. Would you join?

Play a winter detective

Is your lovely child curious? Does he love quizzes and riddles? Then play a winter detective! It is very easy.

Where to go

You have unlimited options where to go – woods or a city park, a lake or a back yard. Whatever location you choose make sure it's safe for both of you to play there. There may be dangerous objects covered with snow, so please be extremely cautious when taking your kid there.

What to take

Every decent detective has a case with necessary tools. You should definitely take with you as many tools as you have or want to use: a magnifying glass, a sketch-book and a pencil, a camera, a dictating machine, several Ziploc bags, and pincers. Wet wipes could be helpful as well.

What to do

If you discover any footprints on the snow, you can follow in the tracks of this “somebody”, and identify the animal or bird if you are lucky. In case if you don't meet this “somebody” you tracked, just take a picture or draw the footprints to figure them out at home. 

In case you have a dictating machine (almost any cell phone has one built in as well) try to record the birds chirping, snow crunching or sounds of an icebound river. These sounds of nature are the most precious educative materials.

If it's snowing try to catch as many snowflakes as possible. Scrutinize them, draw them, take pictures and play riddles. You won't see a pair of the same snowflakes. They all different!

What to do with all this

Back at home pamper yourself with a warm lemon tea or a glass of hot chocolate. Then investigate all the pieces of evidence you collected. Make up a movie or a slide-show and enjoy your winter-time fun time!

Winter quest to warm up

We all know (and play sometimes) the usual winter-time games like snowballs, skiing or making snowmen. But what else you can do with your child during the cold and snowy winter days? Here is an unusual idea.

Winter quest

The quest game is suitable for kids of 2 years and up. You can personalize the quest as you know your child and his preferences.

First, you make up a plan on a piece of paper. Think of how many “stations” you will have and where exactly they will be. Try to set up the stations in different places so you will need to run back and forth from one station to another. This will keep your child warm and active.

Second, think of quiz questions or tasks your child should complete at the stations. Make them educational so your kids can learn something new as well. Relate to the information already known to your child when making up quizzes. Try not to make the tasks too hard, so they could be completed easily and for a short time. This will keep your child's brain warm and active.

Third, get a “treasure item” your kid will be searching for. It could be a small toy, or a book, or something your child would love to have. Try not to make it an expensive surprise one unless it is a winter birthday quest.

Forth, take pictures, record a video and make a home movie of your winter outdoor activities with your child. Watch it and laugh while sipping a warm tea with lemon and honey, and share you love and hugs with your loved family!

Just play the game

Winter cold weather won't bother you as long as you know how to play its game. The rules are extremely simple. Here they are.

• Let your child be as active as possible. Let him run, jump, throw the snowballs, or roll down the slopes. When the baby moves his whole body gets enriched with oxygen. This especially healthy in winter time when we warm our houses by using the artificial heating.
• Try not to use sled too much. The best way to use it is letting your just made snowman take a ride. When the child sits still without moving, his feet get cold that may result in catching flu.
• Have fun together! Don't you want yourself to play snowballs or make the army of snowmen and snow-women? Don't you miss the fun of building the snow fortresses? Do all this together with your lovely child and this surely make your relationship strong and healthy. Besides, both of you will remember these days spent together by playing fun winter games as the brightest and the happiest moments of your life! 

It’s not bad weather but wrong clothing

It is definitely cold outside sometimes. Sometimes it is even freezing out there. If you think the cold weather is not good enough for you to go outside, you probably don't have right clothing for this. Would you rather stay at home and get bored than put the nice warm coat on and have snowballs fun?

Fresh winter air is extremely healthy for a child as long as it’s not severe frost. To stay warm and active while playing outdoors keep in mind a couple of things.

• Children's jacket should be warm but lightweight. It should not be tight or too large, but have enough space to let your child easily move in it. The best choice would be the jacket made of waterproof fabric.
• Take a spare pare of mittens with you. This will keep your children's hands dry and warm even if they built the whole army of snowmen.
• Check if your child's neck warm, and better do this every 15-20 minutes. The hands and cheeks can be cold but only cold neck means your baby feels cold.
• Make sure you are actively moving. For some ideas what to do with your child outdoors during winter time stay with us!

Is winter time cold for babies?

It seems quite difficult to go outside with small children when the winter colds come. It looks like nothing to do outdoors as the playground is covered with ice and snow. But believe me, it’s not that bad… as long as you set up your activities right.

My eldest girl was born on New Year’s Eve and we managed not to get cold while being outside during wintertime. There are several rules I came up with and I will share these simple rules with you. Stay with us!

Creative Pillows: icon collection

No house can be imagined without pillows. This decorative element can add a splash of coziness to the most dull room or even become a house centerpiece, especially if a pillow is of unique design. Today you can satisfy your eagerness with all possible shapes of sofa cushions and pillows. They come in a wide range of colors to impress your imagination. They are lovable, huggable and highly admirable.

You probably have a few sofa pillows as well. Some people have hundreds of them laying around their house and considered to be collectibles. And some other people create these pillow collections to be sold to pillow addicts. Cat or dog looking pillows for pet lovers, Yoda pillow for Star Wars fans, and the most popular at the present time computer icons collection for some computer geeks are for sale at the pillow market.

This icon collection is really something worthy at least to look if not to buy. The comfy pillows are made of soft fleece and are designed as an oversized popular icon of softwares and commonly liked websites. Are you on Facebook? How often do you Google? Have you checked your Gmail? Do you tweet? Would you like to subscribe to RSS? Have you already switched to Google Chrome? Do you prefer android platform?

If you said “yes” to at least one question, you should get a pillow with your favorite icon right away. They can nicely elevate your mood and light up your working place. You can take them to bed or simply hug while chatting with your friends. You can put them at your car backseat or make a present to your boss or your buddy.

There is even more than simply computer icons used. Some creative pillows have words on them like “subscribe”, “follow”, “like +1”. Sounds familiar? Yes, you've seen these words millions of times on the Internet. And you can have fun using these pillows by substituting the real words with the pillow words during your conversations. If you like this fun idea, check on the chat pillows that have with most popular chat abbreviations on them, including but not limited to LOL, TTYL, BRB, O RLY?, YA RLY, ILY and OMG. You don’t know what this mean? You should go on-line then and start chatting!

The chat pillows are also available in a mini-size version. You can tie them to your purse or a backpack and have them always ready to be used in fun chatting. Or you can play with them with your friends or kids as these pillow-babes are extremely cute and soft. And of course, you can become a pillow collector and start getting the funniest pieces from all around the world!

Chopsticks - a waste to be wasted

Every real sushi lover uses chopsticks. Most of the time chopsticks are disposable and we just throw them away after use. But only recently we realized of the tremendous negative effect of chopstick wasting on the environment. Only China trashes over 60 billion chopstick pairs yearly. Add another hundred billion chopsticks to this number that are thrown away in the rest of the world, and you’ll get a scary picture.

A lot of restaurants switch to reusable chopsticks, but it is still quite debatable as it is not completely sanitary safe to reuse the wooden chopsticks. Some people take their own chopsticks to the restaurants trying to do at least a little bit to diminish this negative impact on the nature. But we still get tons of these wooden sticks with sushi delivered to our houses. 

If you are a green person, you can help out the environment with reuse of your wooden chopsticks. Here are some ideas for you what to do with used chopsticks. 

The most common reuse includes Hair Sticks, Gardening Stakes (both to support seedlings and to write plants names on them), Knitting Needles, and Skewer Food. You can reuse chopsticks as kindling for fires, as Pet Toys, as a baton for music or even drumsticks. You can make puppets or use chopsticks to stir almost anything - from tea and coffee (and extract that tea bag) to small containers of paint.

Chopsticks can also be used for some not typical purpose like using it as a back scratcher, as a help stick to retrieve lost items from under large appliance or furniture (washer, dryer, TV set, fridge, etc.), using the end of a chopstick to maneuver a cloth around inside a dirty baby jar, bottle, or vase to clean it, and as a necessary tool to remove stuck toast out of the toaster (be sure to unplug the toaster first).

And of course the best possible reuse of chopsticks is craft projects. You can paint and glue them onto a wooden picture frame or cut chopsticks in pieces and tie them together as a necklace or a bracelet. If you have enough of chopsticks make a placemat or even a table cloth. If you are a good craftsman, cut them into different sizes and build a miniature log cabin. And if you are really good and have saved up to 7,382 used chopsticks, you can be like Shuhei Ogawara and use them to build a life-size canoe.

Whatever inspires you, please make sure you really reuse chopsticks and not buying them simply to try out a project. Only this will be considered as a green behavior as it will lower the chopstick production.

Vintage tie: collectors pry

People often get into collecting of things. In fact, it usually starts in their early childhood when the precious “treasure box” appears under a bed or in a closet. Stones, stamps, postcards, matchboxes, pins and even empty coke cans can be considered as treasure by children…and by some adults.

When children grow up, some of them keep collecting of things into their “treasure box”. At this point this behavior can be called bizarre. What can be found in these adult “treasure boxes”? Usually, it’s pretty much the same stuff they collected in childhood. But there are some interesting, adult items…like vintage neckties, for example.

There are neckties freaks. They live everywhere. Seriously, check on your neighbor as he might be one of them. These necktie addicts know every single flea market in the area; dig through all garage sales in the region and in the nearest towns. When they come visiting you, their first question is if you have an attic. If you do, please let them search through it! They may find a relict and you will have a room cleaned up.

These vintage ties were produced in mid-20th century. Some of the most desirable ties are those from the 1944-1952 years. It was a time when bold patterns first appeared as a flamboyant reflection of the times. Among these are vibrant hand-painted rayon ties, ties with companies’ logos, and bright advertising ties. Some of the vintage ties are designed as a tribute to “pop culture” and have actors’ images, fictional and cartoon characters, or musicians printed on them.

Vintage neckties can be quite pricy, if you aren’t lucky to get them at thrift shops or some yard sale. Vintage neckties can command prices up to several hundred dollars at online auction markets. Neckties like a vintage Las Vegas logo tie from casinos that were torn down can cost you about $70-100; Disney Scrooge McDuck tie can go up to $75-90, and rare ties like original Salvador Dali designs are garnering up to $800. Though modern ties are considered to be of the best quality if made of silk with rolled edges, it is the vintage ties of rayon or acetate with saturated colors, bold prints and unusual patterns that command the highest prices in the collectible market.

Vintage necktie collectors scrutinize every single item they find as it may turn out to be just a lame copy of some original tie. They pry at the ties searching for some proof of authenticity. Sometimes it is a signature of a designer (like all Dali ties have it), or a specific fabric that was used only during 1940-1950s.

Necktie collectors naturally tend to join and even create social networks. They discuss everything that is related to vintage ties; give each other hint where to find rare ties or who to talk to. They even exchange their vintage neckties and create amazing collections. Don’t miss it when you get a chance to see one!

Zorbing in heaven

Zorbing is getting extremely popular today. Now it even reached the “Heaven”.

The “Heaven” is called a place in Western Caucasus area. It is high in the mountains where a splendid Lago-Naki Plateau, which is a part of the Caucasian Biosphere Reserve, spans an area of more than 700 square kilometers. The plateau is located at an altitude of 2200 meters above sea level and is hidden right next to the famous Fisht, Oshten and Pshekha-Su mountains. Lago-Naki is an incredible collection of breathtaking views. Fascinating landscapes, endless sky and crisp mountain air amaze you. You start thinking you are one step away from heaven.

Of course everyone falls in love with such a beauty once they see it. Apparently so did some zorbing-lovers as not for so long ago they brought their zorbs to “Heaven”. Alpine meadows of Lago-Naki seemed to be a perfect cover for zorbing; and striking views turned out to be the greatest surroundings for this activity.

When you see a huge white sparkling sphere with a human-like someone inside, the first thing that comes to your mind is UFO. Illuminated by the sun rays the sphere which is running down the Lago-Naki slopes really makes you think about something extraterrestrial… or something heavenly beautiful.

Zorbing is quite an extreme activity. Zorbing high in the mountains is definitely an extreme one and it suits only some well-fitted, healthy people. Lago-Naki altitude can make your breath short if you are not used to it due to the low atmospheric pressure. Besides this, Lago-Naki highlands are called an “all-weather” place as the weather can change from sunny and quiet to windy and rainy with thunderstorms of even snow within an hour. This means that you can start zorbing with some sun and end up with some hail. Brr…

But zorbers have no tears and they never give up on their hobby, so the weather can’t really scare them. If you go to Lago-Naki you can see zorbers having fun in “Heaven” almost every day. They really look heavenly happy when they come down the slope. Who knows what they see there in heaven… Maybe they find their path to happiness!

Baby bathing: to love and laugh.

Most babies love bathing. At first, it reminds them those tender nine months in their mommy’s tummy, later it gives them calmness and relaxation, and finally it amuses them as it’s just a great fun to play with water!

Do you have a big adult tub or a whirlpool? Do you use a small baby tub or even a basin? Do you prefer to wash your baby with a shower? Whatever bathtub you chose, you can turn your baby bathing into a fun educational gameplay.

Do you think you always need numerous toys for bathing your little one to keep him busy while you wash his head? Of course, not! You can use your imagination and offer your lovely baby to play…with water. Yes, you definitely have some of it on hand.

Here are some games with water for your baby. Please note that all of them are suitable for babies who can sit by themselves, usually of age 6+ months. The games will help your child to study the water physics. What do we know about water? It is transparent, liquid, tasteless and odorless, and the light objects can float, while the heavy ones drown.

“Gurgle-gurgle!” This is the simplest game as all you need for it is to pour water into a bathtub which already has water in it. Pouring water makes a gurgling sound when it hits the water in the tub. Draw baby’s attention to what is happening. Tell him that you can pour the water and demonstrate how to do it. Help your child to do it by himself. You can also use a plastic glass or a long-handled cup. Make an experiment of how the gurgling sound increases when you lift a glass higher and higher. When you pour water say “Gurgle-gurgle”. This will help your baby develop his talking skills.

“Plop-plop!” This game is usually babies’ most favorite. Dropping things into the water or simply clapping it makes an extremely pleasant plopping sound. Kids are usually thrilled by it, so why not to please them? Try dropping both light and heavy objects and explain your child why it is different. For babies just say it and for older kids add some useful and more specific information about the material of the item you are dropping. If you let your baby simply hit the water with his palms it will be good for his motoric skills development and therefore for his brain.

“Drowns or floats?” This game is very educational and it develops your baby’s logic skills. The aim of the game is to guess and then to check if an object will float or will drown in the water. At first, especially with small babies you simply demonstrate that some things stay floating on the water while the others drown. Tell your little baby that light items stay on the surface and heavy ones go to the bottom. The older kids should first try to guess if whatever you have in your hands will float and only after their answer to check if they are right.

Play with water, study the physics and enjoy the precious time you spend with your lovely baby. Although make sure that your kid is having a good time during a game. Please don’t put any pressure and don’t force him to play. Better to do it some other day than to make him hate these games and bathing. But how to find out if your baby likes it? If he laughs he loves the game!

iPad smart cover: slim and chic

When Apple launched its iPad 2 early last year, the world gasped with surprise for the device new slim and chic look. It was 33% thinner than the original iPad and seemed extremely hot. But losing some weight and dropping millimeters off is a dress-up issue being on a table. Old bulky protective cases didn’t fit the newcomer.

Apple was smart enough to launch the new gadget all dressed-up…and involved in relationships. “The Smart Cover and iPad 2 were made for each other,” says Apple official website, and it sounds like an equivocal statement of “one great idea on top of another” taking you right to the buying angle of Apple marketing program. The Smart Cover and iPad 2 are known as “A magnetic attraction” and “An on-again, off-again relationship” happily married couple.

The Smart Cover designed the way it naturally fits iPad 2 as is of the exact same size, perfectly aligned with iPad 2’s frame and has a cleverly designed thin, metal magnetic anchor hidden in its hinge. More than that, the cover is a flexible but sturdy protective sheet with three ribs on it allowing the cover to fold. Inward cover side is a soft microfiber cloth that supposedly cleans your iPad 2 screen when it is closed.

Apple Smart Cover for iPad 2 is smart indeed. Being foldable it transforms into a nice FaceTime and video stand for convenient video-calling or movie watching. The Cover turns into the keyboard pad staying in place and having just the right angle for typing. When you open the Smart Cover, your iPad 2 instantly wakes up. When you close it, your device goes to snooze. No buttons pressed, it is just the Smart Cover that does this all.

Smart Covers come in ten various colors from conservative black and silver to vibrant lime and orange. Five colors are for the Smart Cover made of polyurethane, “which is used to make spacesuits,” as Steve Jobs noted. The rest of the color covers are crafted from high-quality, naturally treated material that gets its color from a rich aniline dye. A piece of “a spacesuit” costs $39, while the leather ones make you numb for $69. Quite pricy, aren’t they?

When you see this slim, slick and chic Smart Cover you want to buy it. When you know what it can do, you get your money ready to purchase it, and when you discover Smart Cover’s not-so-smart price, you hesitate. But do not hold back in doubt if you feel this sleek looking device is right for you. The enjoyment of possessing a smartly covered precious gadget will do much more for you than saving some money.

Caution: baby slings are in vogue

You probably often see those baby-carrying-parents walking down the streets proudly with their precious newborns literally attached to them. Millions of modern parents choose baby slings today and say “no” to strollers. Baby slings are becoming not just a mania, but a fashion fetish.

No doubt, these baby carriers are extremely convenient. They free your hands, while transporting that lovable bundle of yours and they do the best for your “attachment parenting” philosophy, providing the most comfort for your baby-to-parent relationships. They are practical, necessary, and…too pretty not to use them.

There is a whole variety of slings, including the most popular kinds like baby wraps, pouch slings, ring slings and mai tais, some of these are silky, the others are made of organic materials like bamboo or hemp. They come in all colors and prints possible – from natural pale to bright and vibrant. There are slings of simple plain design and the most fashionable, embellished with Swarovski crystals. Some of them are handmade and others are manufactured.

Baby sling can be considered as an accessory. Many moms have them in dozens of colors to match their outfits, shoes and purses. When a baby is no longer small enough to be carried in a sling, some practical mothers use a baby wrap sling as a scarf or a pareo. Some moms being addicted to sling fashion get a doll sling for their toddler daughter while carrying a new-born in a sling. In this case mother and daughter have almost identical slings made of the same fabric.

Sling fashion spreads all over the world and many celebrities show up with their babies carried in slings. Julia Roberts, Gwen Stefani, Kate Hudson, Angelina Jolie, Madonna and many others are proud sling parents. Their fans even spot stars' sling choices and hunt for the same one at the sling market. To mention some of the slings can be quite pricey and cost about $200 or even more.

Baby sling rage hit dads too. Some contemporary fathers use baby wraps when carrying their babies. They choose nice masculine colors of slings to add some hint of seriousness to the parenting attitude. Famous dads like Brad Pitt or Liev Schreiber are often seen with their little ones carried in slings.

What scares is those sling addicts wearing slings just as an accessory and…without any baby in it. For more realistic look they sometimes put a doll instead of a baby and appear in some public places confusing everyone around. This is a sling mania indeed.

Today baby slings are in vogue for sure. We'll see if this new fad will last or it is just a caprice in taking up this fashion and it will drop next year. As for now – let's join the sling team!

Baby bath tea bags: homemade with love

It is good when a baby loves bathing. Most of them do, but sometimes it seems they hate it. Just a guess, it might be a skin irritation that bothers them.

Baby skin is so soft and sensitive that it is often prone to redness and inflammation associated with diaper rash, sunburn, eczema or allergens. Using soap or wash gel can make the irritation even worse. In fact, newborns don't need soap at all. Water is enough, and herbal water is even better.

Bath tea bags are very handy and easy-to-use. All you need is just to hang a bag on the tap while the hot water is running through it filling the bath. Or you can simply drop a bath tea bag in to a bathtub and let it soak for a few minutes. Herbal extracts warmed in hot water dissolves in it turning the tap water into a healing remedy for you little angel. The herbs can take an inflammation and redness away and make your baby feel much better.

Lavender and oatmeal are known to be the natural cleansers. Calendula petals, bur marigold and chamomile blossoms have a soothing effect being anti-inflammatory agents. Rose petals are also can be used as skin calming remedy for irritated baby skin. It is good to add sun dried sea salt to the bathtub. It softens the tap water and enriches it with sea minerals that are needed for newborns.

Bath tea bags are sold at various stores and pharmacies. But what if there's none around or you need it right away? You can make baby bath tea bags at home. All you need is just a cup of your favorite herbals and a piece of cheesecloth, organza or muslin. Make drawstring bags out of a square or round piece of fabric – you can sew the seams as well if you want. Put some petals and blossoms in the center of cheesecloth and tie your bag tightly shut so the loose herbs won't float out into the bath water. After use the contents of your bath tea bag can be emptied, the bag itself rinsed out then washed to be refilled and reused.

You can sew the baby bath tea bags using a nice-looking organza or muslin as well. Use a contrast color of drawstrings to make a bag of interesting design. Handmade bath tea bags are very elegant and sweet, and can also work as a nice gift for your neighbor's baby-shower party. 

Using handmade baby bath tea bags can quickly take all skin redness and irritation away, and your baby will be grateful for such a nice spa-like bathing. You both will enjoy this bath time!

Just a winter-time thought…

We often wish what we don't have and not fully enjoy all the wonders we already possess. This time I am talking about winter with its snow, ice and cold weather.

When it was really burning last summer with heat's temperature hitting 50+ in Celsius (over 120 in Fahrenheit) we all wanted winter, just cool down. The last two weeks with freezing -25 degrees C (-13 F) made us mad frozen “angry birds” wishing the summer to happen immediately.

It's a little bit warmer now. It feels incredibly good and spring-like. But we are still facing another week of severe frosts to come soon. At least that's what they are saying… Let us stay warm!

Are neckties real or surreal?

In this real world there are numerous things that seem not real and even surreal. Buildings of a peculiar design, strange cars and bikes, weird looking clothing and shoes, even odd electronic devices can be seen almost everywhere and especially in large cities. Neckties are not an exception. There is a whole industry producing neckties of all possible colors and width, plaid or plain, dotted and spotted, with and without images and sayings on them.

There are also some quite eccentric products among the neckties. You can’t find them in the department stores or large malls. They are even not easily discovered in the Internet. To get them you may need to search all local flea markets and dig through many small garage sales. People don’t easily unveil these ties as they may realize of their value. Some of these ties are very original and probably don’t exist anywhere else. These ties are vintage limited edition totally inimitable Salvador Dali ties.

Salvador Dali who was a prominent Spanish Catalan surrealist painter born in Figueres. He was best known for his totally striking and bizarre images in his surrealist work. Dali was an extremely imaginative and talented. Among his expansive artistic repertoire there are numerous outrageous films and sculptures, photography and lithographs, designs for theatre sets and costumes, and a variety of other extraordinary works, including over 40 designs of neckties.

It is hard to find all originals by the famous surrealist artist Salvador Dali. Now it is quite difficult to come across the genuine Dali ties. And they would probably cost you a fortune. The originals have Dali’s signature at the bottom right of the tie’s tip that proves their authenticity.

Ties like this were produced shortly after World War II when manufacturers hired street artists to create imaginative designs. These designs were intended to be used in mass production of ties to a now prosperous public. Approximately 43 designs were produced in a variety of colors. Each tie is an unique masterpiece of incredible color combination and vibrancy. 

There are a few contemporary Dali ties out currently on the market, mostly on the Internet auctions. But none of them can compare to the deliciousness and elegant beauty of the originals. 

If you eager for some surrealistic accessory, try finding modern ties that are a tribute to Dali’s most famous paintings like “The Persistence of Memory” (Salvador Dali’s most famous work, featuring the “melting clocks”) or “The Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory” (another Dali’s variation of “melting clocks”.

Our life sometimes seems being an illusion filled of crazy and unrealistic things and ideas. We may even be uncertain of their existence. But please, don't doubt and be sure that surreal ties are real when you see them!

Sushi helps moms with early childhood development

If you’re a mom who has a child from newborn to age of eight, you probably heard something about the early childhood development, or you are most likely practicing it with your child. Do you know that the experiences a child obtains in his early childhood are critical to his emotional and intellectual development? During these early years, 75% of brain growth is completed.

Of course, each mother would want to see her children smart, intelligent and very healthy. And for those mothers who are sushi lovers this task can be not hard at all.

How can sushi help moms with this brain-development program? The best exercise to develop child's brain is to play the various games with his fingers and palms. Picking small items up, touching different textures, massaging the palms with something hard and rolling things between the hands – all this stimulates a kid's brain. So, basically all a sushi-lover-mom needs to do is to prepare the family favorite sushi with her children at home!

Here are some “fun sushi games” for raising your brainy child…

Washing rice. Put some rice in a large bowl and cover it with water. Ask your child to wash the rice thoroughly. For this offer your kid to grab some rice, squeeze it between the palms and rub it until the rice is clean. It is a great sushi-rice massage for your little one!

Sorting sushi fillings. If you are making several types of sushi, you probably have various fillings in front of you. Put some of the ingredients on one large plate and give your little sushi-maker several smaller plates. Ask your kid to sort each filling to a separate plate. Picking up small pieces of cheese, avocado, shrimp or cucumber will tickle your child's brain!

Rolling sushi. When everything is ready to make a sushi roll, offer your precious one to make it first together with you and then by himself. He would be delighted with this idea! Help him make a roll with a bamboo mat and bring to his attention how great it is to be able to make such a complicated task. It will make him proud of himself and will raise his self-consciousness. This game provides a palm massage, trains hand muscles and develops the child's coordination as he needs to use both hands simultaneously. Rock-n-roll, sushi-lovers!

Chopsticks fun. Chopsticks can be a great training machine for everyone, and especially for a child. Being able to eat sushi with chopsticks is a great skill. But more than the fact of being able to eat sushi the way it is supposed to, chopsticks are incredible for developing your coordination. Playing with chopsticks, trying to find a delicate balance trains your ability to hold chopsticks in your relaxed hand and use them, and will give a boost to your child's brain development!

And by the way, if you play these “fun sushi games” together with your child, it will keep your mind sharp as well. Have fun and some sushi!

Cat Museums: art or we heart?

There is a variety of museums all over the world: art museums, musical museums, museums of theater and circus, water museums and museums of silver, and even the weird museums like Medieval Torture Instruments Museum! And of course there are museums that hold unique, hilarious and incredibly cute cat collections of all kinds.

What are these Cat Museums in fact? Has the cat art become so popular that such museums naturally pop out in almost every part of the world? Or maybe cat-lovers are invading the Earth and are going crazy? Or is there even more fantastic thought that maybe CATS are invading the planet and make everyone fall in love with them? Whatever the answer is, cat-lovers should definitely check if there’s a Cat Museum in their own town or a place they are going to visit. 

The famous KattenKabinet in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, features not only great paintings of cats and cat sculptures, but several live cats living on the premises as well. The Moscow Cat Museum in Russia is a cozy place with lots of different cat images and statues hosted by a real Siberian Cat. The Kuching Cat Museum is located in the “cat city” – Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, and it holds over two thousand artifacts about cats from all over the world. The Cat Butt Museum in Irving, Texas, the USA, has an unusual collection devoted to cats’ butts as the museum artists consider this to be “the most vulnerable and important part of a cat”.

The most amazing fact about Cat Museums is that almost all of them are found by great cat-lovers. It seems that the artists’ affection for their beloved puffy cats inspires them to create really genuine masterpieces. The wealthy businessmen have passion for their purring little or not so little cats that brings establishment of Cat Museums into life. And the rest of the world’s fondness for their soft, tender, sweet and whiskered friend gives thousands of Cat Museum visitors all over the planet.

Cat Museums are real fun to go for both adults and children, as long as you are fond of cats. It can be quite educational to see a variety of cats painted by different artists of different ages. It can turn into a big surprise to find out that Japanese cats speak Japanese, and that American cats say “meow”, while Korean ones announce “meeah”. Some of these museums will even let you bring your own cat to enjoy the glorious art.

And for sure you will not leave any Cat Museum without a souvenir. Cat Art is definitely getting more and more serious. There’s a whole industry producing artistic cat-related goods: postcards and pens, T-shirts and bags, puzzles and coloring books, not to mention the home décor items – statues and sculptures of cats of several inches to several meters high. All these items are usually available for purchase at Cat Museums.

So, what are Cat Museums: art or we heart? Oh, it is definitely “we heart the cat art”!

Get inspiration from souvenirs international exchange.

I love traveling. Every time I had an opportunity to see a new place there were no reasons to stay at home. I simply packed a bag, took a camera and just jumped on a train or a bus. These were the easy-going days with the new views to discover, new people to meet, and new inspiration to get from the new everything.  

How splendid it is to find a small authentic café and pamper yourself with a fantastic taste of local cuisine! How breathtaking it is to search local flea markets or dig through some garage sales for a vintage souvenir! And how inspiring it is to look through the pictures taken out there and scrutinize the souvenirs brought from all those incredible places! Souvenirs inspiration usually turned out into scrap-booking pages, painted canvas or sewn picture travel bags.

This is what I used to do. Since now I am a mother of a wonderful little girl it all changed to a non-travel lifestyle, but no matter what I found ways to keep collecting incredible souvenirs brought from various places of the world. Friends-who-still-travel help a lot by adding some little precious things to my souvenirs and cards collection, but this is not enough. What really turned out to be extremely useful is international Internet service of souvenirs, cards and collectibles exchange like Intpostage.com or some others. It is simple, quick and quite handy. You just register and get a genuine collectible item delivered right to the door. 

I like this intriguing expectation of a parcel from somewhere or even nowhere as I never know what I get and from which country. I already received some nice things from quite unusual places, and these souvenirs added up some value to my collection.

I believe the international services of cards and collectibles exchange by post like Intpostage.com can as well build some good relationships with people of different ages, origin yet of the same habits like collecting interesting things. As service is a multilingual it definitely eases the communication process.

Who knows, maybe these services can help us keeping post mailings for a hundred of years even in this high-tech era.  We’ll see.