9 Things to Know to Controlling your Temper – How to Deal with Toddlers

Today's Guest Blog post is from David Zielinski a children's book author.  I recently wrote a children's book on a camping trip called Calms Campers Camping in Cabins during a recent camping trip.  This is more difficult than it looks.  You not only need to write the book but illustrate and format the book too.  Good luck to you on your new book David!  Here is to a fruitful career of book writing!  This post comes in handy for me right now!  I believe my little girl is HIGHLY ACTIVE.  From in the womb, to walking at 10 months, to trying to walk up stairs at 13 months.  Thanks for the list David! 


Taking care of toddlers is like an all – day work out. It can be very tiring and exhausting at the end of the day. And often times, these kids will push your ‘temper’ button. As much as you wanted to stay calm, it seems that they are pushing you to the limit. Don’t worry, you are not alone in that predicament. A lot of parents are still looking for ways on how they can control their temper and how they should deal with ‘highly – active’ toddlers.
Here is a quick list of what you can do. 


1. Count or leave the room for a couple of minutes.


If your toddler did something which triggered your button, control your impulse. Do not throw things, don’t hit your kid, and try your best not to show that you are furious. I suggest that you count from 1 – 10, think happy thoughts, or if possible, leave the area for a minute or two.
If we are furious, we do things which we might regret afterwards. And most of the time, these things can get pretty messy. We don’t want our kids to witness that, do we? So the best thing to do is to get a glass of water and be calm.  


2. Do not yell. 

Yelling will not do any good. You will just scare your kids but they will not understand their mistakes. Perhaps, they won’t do the same things that triggered you to yell. But the logic behind it, they would never really grasp. And that’s not what we want. We want them to know why we got upset. Talk to your kids calmly. Aside from that, make sure that you are at the same level. So if it is necessary to kneel, do so. Explain the consequences of his actions. Make him aware that you are upset, but don’t yell. Plus, make sure that you talk to your kid in private. If you are in a party, make sure that you excuse yourself from the table before you ‘punish’ your toddler.


3. Think ahead and plan.  

On your free time, you might want to list down your concerns about your kids. For example, you usually have a hard time bringing him to malls. Perhaps, he’s always throwing tantrums when around other kids. Think of the best ways on how you can handle it. At least you would be prepared in case of another set of ‘grumpiness’.


4. Get help. 

For those parents who can’t control their temper and have the tendency to physically abuse their kids, it is necessary that you get help. I mean, you wouldn’t want to jeopardize your kids just because you can’t manage your anger, right?
Plus, the tips below might help you on how you can handle your toddler.


5. Establish rules and stick to it. 

If you want to discipline your toddler, you must have set of rules. If he needs to take a nap after lunch, make him do it. Don’t listen to his excuses or he’d figure out that he can control you.


6. Make a kid – friendly home. 

Toddlers are naturally curious. They would want to try out a lot of things. Allow them to do that. If they want to pour their own drinks, assist them. It would help if you assemble a space in your home for his recreation. Say, place a small table beside your couch and fill it with coloring books and building blocks.  
7. Don’t force your kids to behave instantly.


Forcing isn’t a good idea. If you want to teach your toddler good manners, it will take time. Just be consistent in training him.  


8. Compliment as necessary. 

If your toddler did something good, compliment him. But don’t overdo it. Too much praises may not have a good effect on your kid as well.


9. Avoid negative remarks. 

Even if you are so upset, make sure that you will not give negative remarks or names. Some parents would call their kids a ‘headache’, a brat, or even a monster kid. Believe me, they can understand that and the consequences might come out few years after.
I hope the tips above will be able to help you.  If you think this is a great read, share this to your friends as well.


David Zielinski is a creative writer who just published his first Childrens picture book  about the Misadventures of Fink the Mink, a story picture book series written to teach children better playground etiquette and social skills.



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20 Things to Know to Stick With a Workout

Image From Get Fit Daily

Starting a new workout can be difficult.  Staying with a workout can be even more challenging.  Many challenges can occur along the way.  Preparing for these issues ahead of time can set you up for success.  These 50 easy tips are from people who know how beneficial these tips can be.  Many people start to exercise but quickly lose momentum.  Don’t give up!  Learn to stick with your workout and start to see results. 

1.  Stop Comparing Yourself To Others

Take care of your body.  You do not know the amount of time and sacrifice that others have done to get the body they have.  Other may have a great metabolism. 

2.  Be Realistic

See that person that you shouldn’t be comparing yourself too? Try to remember that their body didn’t begin to look that way over night. It took time, effort, and dedication. I will admit I was a little disheartened when, after my first run, my muffin top didn’t disappear and a gap couldn’t be found between my thighs but the satisfaction that I had finished something did make me feel good.

3. Eliminate Excuses

You don’t need a gym. You need shoes and a sidewalk. You don’t need to save for that fancy, all-in-one piece of exercise equipment on the infomercial. What you do need is to understand is that you can do this without much help from anything you see advertised on television. Today is the day, no more putting it off until tomorrow.

4.  Stop Searching for Shortcuts

Don’t waste time you could be spending going for a walk or weight training on researching which pill will make you drop the most water weight. This is a quick fix that will not last. The only thing that lasts is the time you put into yourself, minus the gimmicks and diet ad slogans.

5. Accept Your Lifestyle Change

It’s a marathon, not a sprint. When you begin working out it is important to remember this is not a short term contract with your body. You will not work out as hard as you can for a month and spend the rest of your life filling your permanently perfect body with cake like I had hoped. Working out and taking care of your body is a lifestyle change. You need to accept this. It doesn’t have to be every day and it doesn’t have to completely consume your life but it does have to have a permanent place in your schedule.

6.  Find Something You Enjoy

You need to try different things and explore forms of exercise. If you find something you really enjoy keep it up. If exercising gets boring that is okay, and it does not mean you have to stop working out. What it does mean is you can start trying different things again. Remember that you don’t have to commit yourself to one form of exercise, variety is good and will keep you interested.

7. Listen To Advice But Don’t Always Take It

You may find, as I did, when you start trying to get into the habit of working out that everybody as advice, tips, and some generally unnecessary comments they want to contribute. Ignore the comments, snide remarks, and sidelong glances that seem to say “Why start now?” You are vulnerable enough and don’t need others getting in your way. Listen to the advice of others who have been in your shoes before and try some of their suggestions. You are in a process of seeing what fits your body and schedule.  

8. Stay Motivated

After each workout I had a real sense of self satisfaction and pride like I had done something that was good for me, and this made me feel good. I made it a point to focus on this positive feeling for a few minutes before moving on with my cool down, on days when the will to workout wasn’t really with me I could recall how good it feels to do something.  I also leave myself post-its with motivational quotes throughout my house. If you do this remember to put new quotes in different places once a week or so, otherwise you become accustomed to them, and eventually start ignoring them.

9. Create A Habit

Make a point at the beginning of each week to schedule exercise into your days. This one was particularly difficult for me. I seemed to think if I was just too busy to schedule in a workout. This set me back tremendously.  Starting the habit is the hardest part. 

10. Educate Yourself

I would recommend signing yourself up for an instructional class at the local gym if you decide weights are your thing. If equipment is involved you need to understand the proper and safe way each machine.
Did you know there are proper and improper ways to run? Understanding proper form when exercising can lead to more efficient workouts and less pain afterwards. I know shin splints and pulled muscles seem like a great excuse to not continue working out but trust me, its not worth it, so read up!

11. Start Slow

Exercise can be a bit of a shock to us couch potatoes. Do not ever put yourself in a potentially unhealthy situation. Scheduling a physical with your doctor may be a good idea if you’ve been out of the exercise game for a while. They can assess your health and let you know of any concerns they have.   That appointment is not allowed to be your excuse for putting exercise off; go schedule it. 

12. Missing A Day Is Ok

You will be surprised how much you begin to enjoy working out, you may even start to look forward to the activity. This is a wonderful feeling that I am aware of firsthand. Unfortunately I am also aware of how unnecessarily bad you can feel if you miss a workout.

Missing a day here and there is ok but it is unrealistic to think nothing in your schedule will ever fluctuate again, and you can keep all of your appointments. Maybe a meeting runs long , you have a cold, or your family is in town. Whatever the situation may be it is ok to miss a day or two. What is not okay is if you make a habit of this. Get back on the ball as soon as you can, don’t let a few unexpected events throw you off your path to being healthier!

13. Ask Yourself “How do you feel?” Not “What Number on The Scale Am I?”

Weighing yourself can be a great way to track your progress but also has the potential to make you feel awful about the hard work you are putting in. You may feel badly about yourself. Friends will console you and encourage you but none of it will really help.
 You will want to punch every person that tries to tell you muscle weighs more than fat and you should just get over it because you’re doing a great job. The truth is you ARE doing a great job, muscle DOES weigh more than fat, and until you accept that your life and how you feel about yourself is not defined by a number you probably won’t be very satisfied.
Everybody hits a plateau with fitness, several actually. The true test of your dedication is whether you choose to hang on or whether you give up. Stop weighing yourself so often. Focus on how you feel, how your clothes fit, and how your body looks. Your muscles are more defined and your tummy is flattening, and you may even need to go shopping for smaller jeans. You are sculpting your body to match the wonderful person you know you are on the inside.  Don’t let that number define you.

14. Set Small Goals

Every time I began working out I would decide I want to lose X amount of lbs, be a certain dress size, and looks this particular way in the mirror. If you are doing this stop it right now. This is unrealistic and so damaging to the overall process of getting healthy.
Set a small goal to achieve in the meantime. Try to lose 2 lbs or train your body to run an entire mile without stopping. These small victories will see you through to your overall goal.

15. Know All The Benefits

You want to look hot and gain some confidence, exercise will certainly do that. These goals are not achieved overnight, unfortunately. To sustain the transition time before there are visible differences in your body it can be helpful to know about other benefits exercise is bringing to your life.
For example you may notice a difference in your mood, maybe you are feeling a little happier . You can thank the endorphins released by your workouts for that smile on your face. You may also notice you may sleep more restfully, and have more energy throughout the day. These are also things you can thank your workout for. Not to mention health conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and hypertension that you are now actively fighting against. Every step you take, weight you lift, rock wall you climb, or lap you swim counts not only towards visible aspects of health but the invisible as well.

17. Get Comfortable With Yourself Now

By now you are tired of hearing that your body won’t change after one or two workout but you really need to hear it and believe me when I say it won’t. This makes it that much more important that you start working on getting comfortable with yourself. 
Understand that this is a process for your body. Getting discouraged and quitting is easy if your mindset is that within a month you will have achieved the body you have always wanted. Work on being comfortable in your own skin through this entire process to avoid disappointment and quitting. This will also make you appreciate any changes you see that much more.

18. Get Others Involved

Hello? Discouraged, party of one? Let’s face it, working out alone can be lonely and boring. Finding a workout buddy can not only keep you motivated but it can give you someone to share your triumphs with as well as complaints. Just don’t forget you are their support as well. Having somebody to workout with will hold you more accountable as well.
Cheating is easy when you only have yourself to answer to but involving a friend, family member, or partner leaves you accountable to somebody else. Working out with friend can also can help distract you from the more boring or difficult parts of the workout and allow for a little bonding time.

19. Reward Yourself

Do not reward yourself with food, unless it’s a carrot or a plate of steamed broccoli. Rewarding yourself with unhealthy goodness is counterproductive to the cause that is your future hot body.
Instead try rewarding yourself with a new pair of jeans after you’ve achieved your first goal. Maybe you could try putting a dollar in a jar for every workout you successfully complete. After three months take the jar and treat yourself to something nice. Before long maybe you’ll find what you want to reward yourself with is a new pair of cleats or hand weights.

20. Remember This Isn’t Just For You

We’re all somebody’s mother, father, daughter, son, sister, brother, or friend. Remember you are not the only ones you need to stay healthy for. Other people love us, enjoy our company, and depend on us. Remembering this can be a great motivator for some as it was for me. Staying healthy helps ensure you’ll be around to share in special moments with loved ones. You will have the energy to experience different activities together.  

To read all 50 tips view 50 Things to Know To Live a Stick With a Workout eBook.  A great gift for a stressed out friend!  Also a great book for people who need a little help to relax. I ENCOURAGE YOU to borrow the book for free from the Kindle Lending Library for Amazon Prime Members.  If you would like to share these tips please email me at lbrennec@gmail.com.  







About Lisa Rusczyk
Lisa is the creator of the blog Charlie The Cavalier.  She is also the Creator and Author of the 50 Things to Know Books.  Send Lisa Rusczyk an email at lbrennec@gmail.com.  

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Fruit Skewers For a Birthday


I love healthy fruit.  I took wood coffee stirrers and put them into pieces of fruit.  Our guests loved them.  Every time I went inside I took one or two out with me. And do you don't have to chop the food very small so this is faster than fruit salad.

 I had some left over watermelon so I made some large pieces of watermelon on a stick.  I just put the sticks in long ways.  












About Lisa Rusczyk
Lisa is the creator of the blog Charlie-The-Cavalier and His Friends, Family, and Home.  She is also the author of 50 Things to Know Before Having a Baby..  Send Lisa Rusczyk and email at lbrennec@gmail.com.  

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How Do You Organize Your Catan Pieces?




My husband, friends, and I love playing Settlers of Catan!  After buying may sets we decided to combine many of the pieces to fit in a couple boxes.  This way we can carry this small box to our favorite coffee shop with no problem.  

How do you organize your Settlers of Catan and expansion pack pieces? 


About Lisa Rusczyk
Lisa is the creator of the blog Charlie The Cavalier.  She is also the Creator and Author of the 50 Things to Know Books.  Send Lisa Rusczyk an email at lbrennec@gmail.com.  

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50 Things to Know to Live a Stress Free Life




Introduction

When you live a life full of stress you will find it could be hard to experience true happiness. You might find yourself undergoing health problems and many other things all due to stress in your life. Due to some circumstances in my life I suffered with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and struggled with stress daily. Stress can affect many different parts of your life.  I don’t claim to be an expert in this area but now I no longer suffer with this disorder and now I would like to share with 50 tips that helped me to overcome PTSD and stress.



1.  Learn How to Forgive Yourself for Mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes in their life. When you hang onto those mistakes you not only hurt yourself but you might even be hurting the others in your life by hanging onto those mistakes. 

Simply let go of those failures and mistakes and say out loud, right now “I forgive myself!”

2.  Don’t Hold Onto Grudges

You need to not only forgive yourself but learn how to let go of the things that people have done towards you that might have hurt you. Other people make mistakes just like you do and holding onto those offenses only hurts you and them. 

3.  Do Not Obese Over What You Cannot Control In Life

Things happen in life that we have no control over. Stop trying to fix everything that happens and just let go of it. Know that you cannot fix everything in life. Just remember, sometimes things happen for a reason and even though you might not understand as to why it happened.  The event happened so stop obsessing and let things fall into place as they should. 

4. Try to Clear Your Mind and Take Breaks

There are times in life when we have so much going on and sometimes it might just seem as if everything happens at once. One day I was working and my boss just kept piling up work one task after another. I got overwhelmed with all of the assignments and started thinking, there’s no way I can do this.

What I did was I took a break, walked outside and just cleared my mind. I started thinking positive and guess what? I was able to complete everything that he gave me in that same day.  When you step away from the situation your mind can refocus. 
Another way to take breaks is to drink a cup of tea when you are stressed.  Just the action of leave the current situation for a couple minutes may clear you mind enough to focus in to the situation. 

5.  Stop Focusing On Several Things At Once

Start trying to focus on just one thing at a time and set up goals to help you with getting thru the day. Focusing on many things can cause you to get stressed out and not even complete the job.

This may mean you have to stop checking your email, texting, or viewing facebook.  Create a to-do list of each task.  Check off each item as you finish the goal.  As you check off each item you will begin to realize that you can complete all the tasks you are given. 

6.  Don’t Analyze So Much

When you start to analyze over every detail you will find yourself falling behind on work because you are too busy focusing on those details. Just stop trying to analyze and get to work. 

For example if you are writing something, first get all your thoughts down.  Then try to edit.  If you are worried about editing while you write you may write nothing at all. 

7.  Visualize Happiness

Picture yourself having a successful and happy day. In the morning wake up and say positive affirmations about the day and at the same time visualize having a day without any stress and have faith that you won’t have any stress.
What does a happy day in your life include? How can you put those concepts into your every day schedule? 

8.  Smile a Lot More

If you find yourself having a hard time with being able to smile in life then here’s your excuse to sit down and watch a good movie. Everyone needs to laugh until they cry. Turn on some music that will make you smile.  Call a friend to have a chat. 
Another trick to smile is to put a pen or pencil across your mouth.  You will begin to smile instantly.  When you smile the world starts to smile back at you.   

9.  Do Not Judge Other People

Judging other people can even cause you to become blindsided with the wrong way of thinking about the other person. You don’t how that person can help you in life so stop judging.  Try to help those people who may need your guidance. 

10.  Sometimes you’ve Just Got To Say No

We all would love to be like superman or superwoman but it’s just not possible. Saying yes to so many things can cause you to get worn down and exhausted. Just say no and move on.  By saying “No” you are saying yes to other things in your life.  For example, more time with your family. 

11.  Meditate

Take time out for meditation. You only have to have around 15 or 20 minutes a day on meditation. This is something that you should do daily and not just sometimes. Skipping it just once can cause you to possibly have problems throughout the day.

12.  Get At Least 8 Hours of Sleep

If you don’t get enough sleep the night before then you will find yourself getting easily tired and stressed out the next day. It’s important to always get plenty of rest so that way you will feel energized again.  For you this may to take naps during the day. 

13.  Have a Coffee or Tea Break

A tea or coffee break can be a wonderful way to calm yourself down and relax. Drink tea can help you stay calm. When you have tea time, try and clear your mind and mediate in that break so that way you can go back truly refreshed.

If you do not want to have caffeine, you can try naturally decaffeinated green tea.  Try many different teas to see what works best for you. 

14.  Clean and Organize

Living in a house that is dirty can add stress in your life that you could easily prevent. Take a day to go around and just clean your home and clean your work area. A house that is dirty can also be bad for your health. Throw out old things that you no longer need. 
When your workspace is organized, you are more efficient.  You will be able to find things more easily, and get work done more quickly.  Having an clean workspace will make you more productive every day. 

15.  Things Do Not Always Need To Be Perfect

Stop trying to make everything perfect.  Know at times things will not be perfect. Plan things out but know that mistakes might happen along the way. Don’t panic when those mistakes happen. Breathe in and out and know that everything will be fine.

16.  Hang Out With Friends and Family That Make You Feel Good

Hang out with family and friends that make you feel good. Avoid hanging out with friends and family that might cause you to get stressed out. Don’t feel guilty when you cannot hang out with the other people that might make you stressed. You can talk to the your friends and family about your current situation.  Hearing about other people’s lives may make you realize that your current situation is not that bad. 

17.  Wear Bright Clothes

Dark clothes can sometimes make you feel depressed so avoid wearing dark clothes and wear clothes that are bright and can reduce your stress levels. If you don’t have any fun clothes then you’ve just earned the right to go out and do some serious shopping.
If you’re a girl wear a little makeup.  Make sure your clothes are not wrinkly.  Comb your hair too. 

18.  Turn On The Lights

Dark rooms can cause depression, stress and many other things. Turn on the lights in your house, open up the shades and step outside and enjoy the warmth. You might be surprised as to how light can greatly influence your mood. You can purchase special lights to help with depression.  Sitting in front of these lights an hour a day may increase your mood. 

19.  Eat Healthy

Having a bad diet is not only unhealthy for you but that bad diet can also cause stress in your life. A bad diet can make you not get enough sleep and it can be hard on your system overall. Start having vegetables and fruit that are good for you to reduce stress in your life. You can also have some occasional chocolate to lift your spirits. 

20.  Have Candles Nearby

Using candles during meditation and when you are relaxing can really help influence your mood. Candles can reduce your stress and make you feel so much better. Have a candle of a smell that you love and light it up whenever you start to feel stress coming on. Make sure these candles are watched carefully because if they catch something on fire they may cause more stress in your life.  

To read all 50 tips view 50 Things to Know To Live a Stress Free Life eBook.  A great gift for a stressed out friend!  Also a great book for people who need a little help to relax. I ENCOURAGE YOU to borrow the book for free from the Kindle Lending Library for Amazon Prime Members.  If you would like to share these tips please email me at lbrennec@gmail.com.  







About Lisa Rusczyk
Lisa is the creator of the blog Charlie-The-Cavalier and His Friends, Family, and Home.  She is also the author of 50 Things to Know Before Having a Baby..  Send Lisa Rusczyk and email at lbrennec@gmail.com.  

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