Create Your Family Vision
Something that weâ??ve been doing since way before kids and continue to do so since our little treasure came along 4½ years ago is to create a Family Vision, or a Family Mission for the year.
The beauty of this is, it works whether youâ??re part of a family unit, a single parent, in a partnership with no kids and even just for yourself!
Most parents want their family to be kind, patient, selfless, thoughtful, fun, grateful, share, play nice, respectful, honest, balanced, community oriented, disciplined….and thatâ??s just the start of the list. Iâ??m sure you can add a few more!
However, in order to spend less time getting frustrated and snippy with your kids/partner, increase your family unity and therefore decrease your stress, everyone in your family needs to be on the same page as far as values and “rules” are concerned. A fun and effective way of doing this is for you all to create your Family/Team vision for the up and coming year. Hereâ??s how you can do it.
Gather together old magazine, comics, leaflets – anything with really bright pictures and words on. Youâ??ll also need a large piece of paper – I always use a flipchart sheet – some glue and scissors
Gather everyone together and ask this question: What do we want this year to look like for us as a family/team?
You might want to change some of the wording, depending on how old your children are. But essentially, youâ??re looking for everyoneâ??s input into a few rules and values which would make everyoneâ??s lives easier and happier over the coming months
Once people have started thinking bout what theyâ??d like to see, they each cut and tear out pictures, or words from the magazines which represent a value, or a rule, or a principle, or something to live up to. Last year the pictures my little girl chose were all Disney pictures, or ice creams, but thatâ??s fine. She joined in and we could still use some of what sheâ??d chosen!
Once youâ??ve got all the pictures and words, everyone starts to stick them on the large sheet and discuss why theyâ??ve specifically chosen them. Its great to have some music on in the background and it really gets you into the heads and hearts of your family members
Then, from everything youâ??ve got, try and pick out between 5 and 10 values/rules/principles you all want to live by over the coming year
Once youâ??ve decided, ask this question: How would we know we were all walking our talk with this value/principle/rule? What would we be doing? This helps bring each one to life for everyone, especially the younger members
Make a commitment together that as a family/partnership, youâ??re going to stick to these values as a way of loving and living together. You could even ask one of the children to make a poster with the values written up, and put it up in the kitchen. Spending time together and working out what a successful happy family looks like to you is fun and it cuts right down on the niggles and stresses you may have had previously, because everyone has contributed to it and everyone has agreed to it.
Then simply enjoy how it knits you all together even more tightly over this next year!
DIY Home Solar Energy – Save Money While Saving the Earth
Everyone is interested in cutting energy costs these days. A DIY home solar energy system is the perfect way to accomplish this objective. By supplementing the power you receive from your electric company, with free electricity you create yourself, you can make a huge dent in your utility bill each month.
In addition to saving money, home solar energy also saves our environment. The fossil fuels we have all been relying on for so long for our power and fuel, are not only diminishing rapidly, they are leaving behind a carbon footprint that has had a devastating impact on your world. We can each do our part to reverse this trend by using alternative energy sources.
As China and India continue to increase their use of fossil fuels the problem has only worsened. It is time for us to turn the tide and lead the world to cleaner, more affordable energy alternatives. Much of the oil we are currently using comes from the Mideast. It is time to free ourselves from our dependence on this unreliable and unstable source.
A DIY home solar energy system is an alternative energy source that is a viable option for the majority of homeowners. Anyone can build a solar panel using plans available on the internet. Search under solar panel plans and you will quickly find eBooks that you can download, videos that will take you through the process step by step, and more.
Constructing your own home solar energy system is relatively inexpensive, especially when compared to commercially built and installed solar panels. You can build your own photovoltaic solar cells and string them together into a solar panel that is every bit as good as a commercially constructed one for a fraction of the cost.
A DIY solar panel will only cost you in the neighborhood of $200. By contrast, manufactured solar energy systems for a home can cost more than $20,000. You may think that it couldn’t possibly be something you could do yourself, but it is, as no special building skills are needed and no special parts are required. Your local home improvement store carries everything you need.
You can begin your foray into DIY home solar energy slowly by building a single panel which will generate enough electricity to run many of your household appliances. When you begin to become proficient at building the panels you can build more and add them to what you have already created which will of course enhance your ability to generate electricity free of charge.
It is possible, and not even difficult to accomplish, to generate enough electricity with home solar panels to eliminate your utility bill entirely. It is even possible to create an excess of power that you can then sell back to your power company for a profit. Free energy, can you imagine that? You should, it’s completely doable.
Aetna Family Health Insurance Plans and Providers
Affordable and flexible healthcare are those certain factors in a health insurance plan that must be weighted as a need. What this means is that every individual, family, and group should be able to get a healthcare plan that adheres to their wants and needs in the most efficient manner possible. Also in saying this, every person looking for a health care plan should also be able to gain one that is the most cost effective and concise plan that is physically possible. There is no point getting people to sign up for services that they don’t understand because they won’t use these services and will then become disgruntled when they find out how expensive their premiums and monthly payments. Aetna family health insurance plans are not only flexible but they also offer tremendous value. In being able to tailor each plan to each family gives Aetna a significant competitive advantage. Not only will you be getting the services that you will only use, but you are also getting them at the most competitive rate possible.
This is possible because competitors in the healthcare industry also act as driving forces to bring the price down on Aetna family health insurance plans. The providers that are associated with these plans have also been specifically targeted to ensure that the best professionals are taking care of these people to ensure reputation and quality management. When first determining the type of healthcare plan you want to implement for your family you are going to want to make sure that you have the services that you need to function as a family while being completely covered. There is nothing worse than finding out that your child’s last dental visit cost and arm and a leg because the cost of your premium was not large enough.
There have been too many instances where families have thought that they were covered; yet in all actuality they were only partially covered. This will never be the case with Aetna family health insurance because our customer service representatives are doing everything in their power to ensure that your plan make sense that you have the right amount of coverage for you family while staying within your budget. We know that times are tough right now, that is why we will only offer you plans that have the right amount of coverage yet give your family what they need to feel safe and secure.
Different plans and providers are going to be individually different for each family, that is why we make sure we take the time to ensure that we get each one right. Our mission is to ensure your coverage and safety while at the same time fitting those needs within a budget that you can manage. Aetna family health insurance plans are the right blend of coverage and cost, which make for superior plans and extremely happy families. There is nothing better than knowing that your family is being taken care of, especially when they are being taken care of by Aetna family health insurance.
Diy Home Electrical Repair Tips
If you’ve been having issues with a faulty lighting fixture or electric wall outlet, it may be time for you to take this problem as an opportunity to put on your do-it-yourself hat and take action. You’d be surprised to know that many home electricity problems can be easily resolved with a little bit of research and an equal amount of elbow grease!
Safety is obviously the primary focus when working on electrical problems in your home, even if the problem seems trivial. Any situation that involves working with live wires is a serious matter and one that should not be taken lightly. This includes repairing or replacing outlets, installing a new ceiling fan or updating your current lighting fixtures.
Larger electrical projects such as installing a home theatre system is something that would typically be handled by a licensed electrician, but replacing a broken fuse in your toaster oven is the perfect opportunity for the DIY homeowner. T
TIP 1: Safety – Always unplug whatever you are repairing and if that isn’t an option, turn the power off completely at the main circuit panel.
TIP 2: Parts – Always be sure you are using the correct type of wiring and connectors. A great example of this, and common mistake amongst homeowners, is buying indoor wiring for a project that is outdoors and vice versa. This type of mistake can be extremely hazardous by making your electrical lines and outlets susceptible to moisture and other damage. Finding a cheap electrical fix is great, but you should never compromise the type and integrity of the electrical parts that are needed for your DIY project.
TIP3: Help – Always ask for experienced help If you are unsure whether or not you have the right parts or equipment. Consult with a friend or family member who may know a qualified electrician. This referral could save you the grief of fires and electrical shock as the result of poorly wired outlets and appliances.
Don’t always trust what you read online! Do your research to find products and solutions which fit your budget and ability. This research can include asking at your local hardware shop for advice if you are in doubt about anything.
Hopefully these short DIY home electrical repair tips will help you on basic electrical repair jobs around the house. Whether you’re replacing a doorbell, rewiring an antique lamp or installing a new outlet always be safe, not sorry!
