Lunch Box Tool.

It’s a brand new year! Full of potential, just waiting to happen!

What would you like to see happen in 2010? What do you wish for?

Some people make New Year’s resolutions — promises to themselves that they will make some changes in their lives. Do you have anything in your life that you’ve decided to do differently this year? Maybe be a little more active? get a little better at expressing your feelings kindly? learn a new skill?

Maybe you have some wishes for your family and friends, too. Here’s an idea: you could put your wishes on your online wish list (if you don’t have one yet, just sign up — it’s free!) and send your friends and family an email (with their password) to let them know to check it out! Imagine their faces when they see your list look something like this:

• I wish for good health for Grampa
• I wish for lots of friends for Billy in his new neighbourhood
• I wish for success for Celia when she tries out for the skating championship
• I wish for lots of happiness for Uncle Bob and Aunt Karen.
• I wish for lots of customers for Mom in her new business.
• I wish for lots of relaxing vacation time for Dad.

And what about the rest of the world? Do you have any wishes for the whole planet?

How about world peace?

Or all the nations of the world really and truly doing something about climate change? Something that works. Right away, starting right now.

Or what about all the governments in the world really working to get rid of poverty, help everybody have a decent living, and not let any children ever go hungry?

I’m sure you have lots of ideas about what would make the world, your life, and the life of your family and friends, better in the coming year.

So why not share what you wish for with the rest of us folks at YourWishList.ca? Just get your parents’ permission to share your thoughts in the Comments below, so you can tell us all what your wishes are for 2010!

It’s coming up to that gift-giving time of year for many people. Whether you celebrate a religious Christmas, a secular Santa Day, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, the Winter Solstice, or some other winter holiday, giving gifts is often a part of the tradition of the season.

So what kinds of gifts will you help your kids give this year?

Winter City by Cooper Nielsen, age 8; mug by KidsDidItDesigns

Why not let them create their own, by decorating Zazzle T-shirts, mugs, tote bags, mousepads and more with their own words and drawings? Here’s what you and your child will need to do:

1. Draw or paint a beautiful picture.
2. Scan it at a high resolution (at least 200 ppi if it will be reproduced at the same size, or more pixels per inch if it will need to be enlarged).
3. Go to the Zazzle Canada website (or one of the other Zazzle sites if you’re not in Canada).
4. Click on the Create link.
5. Choose the product you want to decorate: T-shirts (including organic cotton!), tote bags (also including organic cotton!), mugs, mousepads, — even skateboards and shoes! You can also make greeting cards, posters or other paper products.
6. Upload your scanned picture.
7. Add any text you want, to personalize the gift even more.
8. Add to Cart.

Then just go through checkout… or start creating another awesome gift!

Please note: shipping can be a little high, so you might consider one of the following ways to save:

1. Volume discount: if you order several items that can be shipped together, you can get a volume discount, calculated automatically at checkout.
2. If you order before December 10th 2009, you can take advantage of the Free Holiday Shipping promotion. Just enter the coupon code CAWINTERSHIP on orders over $45.

Zazzle in other countries:

• main Zazzle site (U.S.A.)
• Zazzle UK
• Zazzle Australia
• Zazzle New Zealand
• Zazzle Germany
• Zazzle Spain
• Zazzle Brazil
• Zazzle Portugal
• Zazzle France

Author: Aaron Black

Its that time of year again, and someone special in your life is getting a year older. How are you going to celebrate it? A special present, a birthday party, dinner, or some other way, its all up to you.

The main thing is to celebrate their special day. Getting older is fun when you are younger and a bit of a pain when you are older, but no matter how you feel about birthdays, we all like to feel special.

There is no better time to show someone how much you think of them than surprising them on their birthday. The perfect birthday would be a tribute to them from beginning to end.

So, you could start the day off with breakfast in bed. You can make it even more special by selecting foods you know are their favorite menu items.

Then you will want to get ready for the party, (you know the one you have been planning for weeks). Parties can be a bit tricky; here are some tips for you to help ensure the day goes smoothly.

Its Party Time!

Planning a birthday party can be very fun and you can let your creativity flow. The first step to any party is choosing a theme. Of coarse different ages will require different themes. We will just use a party for your teenage daughter as an example.

If you wanted to through her a Hollywood party, you could make invitations that are actually VIP passes to the birthday celebration. It can even be a costume party where the guests have to dress up as someone from Hollywood.

A good idea when making the invitations is to put them on a necklace and make it look like a real VIP passes; you could cut them in the shapes of stars and laminate them for the desired effect.

Then your child could pass them out to all the VIP guests she wants to attend her special day. You could have a red carpet down for your Hollywood guests to make their grand entrances on.

Decorate the inside with stars, pass out a few cameras to the paparazzi and before you know it you have a successful Hollywood party! That is just one theme, you are sure to find a theme that will suit your birthday buddy. Be creative, have fun with it and your party is sure to be a success.

The Present

The most important thing about celebrating any birthday is the thought you put in to the day. However, a thoughtful present doesn’t hurt either. Finding the right present will depend on the person you are buying it for and their likes or dislikes.

Be creative and extra touches like themed wrapping paper, bows, a nice card, balloons etc. A small sign of appreciation will seem like a very big deal to the birthday boy or girl.

It is the thought that counts, and if you make a big deal about someones birthday, chances are they will return the favor.

But that is not the reason to do it, the best reason to make someone feel special on their birthday is because you want to show them just how much they mean to you.

About the Author:

Aaron Black is a universal copywriter. Read more at:
www.birthday.scriptechnique.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – How To Give Someone The Perfect Birthday

For Netscape 4.x users (is anyone still using that?) I’ve had to make all the styles invisible to you, because there are just too many things it can’t handle. The site will look drab but at least it’s functional this way.

For older versions of Internet Explorer, I’ve encoded some special instructions given only to those versions, to override the formatting they can’t handle.

These adjustments should help those of you who are still using any of those outdated browsers. However, there are still some ways in which they can’t be accommodated, so I still strongly recommend you upgrade to a more standards-compliant and capable browser. Firefox is my personal favourite, but if you’re an Internet Explorer fan you should be fine with the latest version.

Do let me know if you’re having any technical difficulties with the site. Otherwise… just enjoy!

Go to the Sign Up page with your child and help set up the account by setting a special “viewers’ password” for perhaps the “coolest” feature of the site:

This password, kept secret from your child, will take your family and friends to a version of your child’s wishlist that has a special feature not seen on your child’s version: gift givers can “flag” what item they have or intend to purchase. This way, grandparents, in-laws and favourite aunts all know what has already been reserved so there is no double-gifting or anyone wondering what to buy for your child.

Democratic Sudbury schools

Established in 1967, Sudbury Valley School in Massachusetts is the original school upon which a number of alternative schools in North America have modeled themselves. Being founded on the principles of freedom and respect, it is democratically run by both students and teachers. Freedom also means that students of all ages determine what they will do, as well as when, how, and where they will do it.

"The fundamental premises of the school are simple: that all people are curious by nature; that the most efficient, long-lasting, and profound learning takes place when started and pursued by the learner; that all people are creative if they are allowed to develop their unique talents; that age-mixing among students promotes growth in all members of the group; and that freedom is essential to the development of personal responsibility."

If you know of a Sudbury-Valley-style school in Canada, please let us know. Thanks!