Kids toys: How to be a savvy shopper

When Liverpool, N.S, parent Jane Stevenson picked out Webkinz toys for her daughters, 8 and 10, last year, little did she realize how smitten they'd be with their new playthings.

Says an exasperated Stevenson, "Webkinz are little stuffed toys that come with a code you enter at the Webkinz website. For a year, you have a virtual pet. You play games and buy things on the website. My daughters want on the computer all the time. It's a really addictive thing. I hate toys like that."

It's that time of year once again, when parents try to figure out the best toys for their kids. Somewhere between the anxious pleas of children and the incessant advertising on television are a few places to find the real scoop on toys that are safe and have great play value.
Tried and tested

The Canadian Toy Testing Council offers one of the most comprehensive lists of good toys for kids. Between 400 and 600 toys are tested each year by 1,000 children on an ongoing basis. The testers range in age from infants to teens.

Says the council's executive director Leigh Poirier, "We have six families test a toy for eight weeks. An evaluator then fills out a report [and] takes it to a meeting, where a final evaluation is then made. Each testing family looks at design, function and safety, of course. As well, we look at the amount of battery power a toy uses up, how easy it is to assemble, as well as the play value and durability of a toy."
Safety

If the CTTC has concerns about safety, it sends the toy to the Safety Product Bureau at Health Canada. Safety is a huge concern to parents, and for good reason. Within the past few days, for example, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled 4.4 million Polly Pocket magnetic play sets because three children swallowed small magnets that fell off the toys.

In Canada, places to check out product safety recalls include the Health Canada site and CBC.ca's Consumer Life recalls section .
Toy libraries

Another way to research toys for children is to take advantage of toy lending libraries. While most do not have the latest toys because of funding issues, they do offer items with good play value.

Kim Dixon, child youth and parent co-ordinator at the Greenwood Military Family Resource Centre in Greenwood, N.S., says, "You don't find toys like Bob The Builder and Fairytopia at our toy lending library. We're getting away from buying the brand name toys, because they go out of style too quickly. Instead, we have educational bins with a toy, video, craft idea and story all applicable to the theme of the bin, which could be anything from pirate to transportation. Parents come in and borrow the bin."

Nicky Logins, program manager with the toy lending library at Sooke Family Resource Centre outside Victoria, B.C., explains the toy library gives parents a chance to borrow certain toys before buying them.

"We have music and movement toys, games that challenge children," she says. "We also have Brio train sets that are very expensive, but are fun forever — those kinds of basic toys. Simple is valuable."
Try something new

Even if a child seems taken with certain toys, Poirier recommends taking chances with new ones. "It's good to introduce your children to new play patterns and different types of toys. Sometimes people say their children don't like arts and crafts, but when they try out a different toy on their child, they're surprised how much their children enjoy the activity."

As well, parents need to figure out their expectations for a toy. They may want a child to get exercise or learn a new skill like reading or math as they play, but they need to remember that toys are toys first and foremost. Says Logins, "Play is child's work, but the learning part comes with the fun. If it isn't fun there is no learning taking place."

In Stevenson's case, Webkinz offers just a bit too much play value — but at least some of it has practical value as well.

"The good thing about the website is that it's safe," she says. "As well, because they're buying and selling things, they're dealing with numbers and math. They're also reading. There is some good, it's just they do it all day."

Play Piano As Fast As Possible

One of the rules of practicing we all hear over and over is "Be sure to practice slowly." (I"m guilty of this too!) Often the result of this is a feeling of inhibition, which leads to tedium. Picture yourself filled with excitement and yearning in setting out to learn a new piece. Suddenly a voice from the darkness whispers: "Don"t touch those keys! Sit erect, play slowly, stay strictly in time, watch that fingering..." and your smile is gone. I"m beginning to feel a cramp just talking about it.

The fact is, a certain amount of slow practice and attention to small scale detail is absolutely necessary. But there is something lacking in the approach so many of us have taken; we set out to make music, and end up playing what amounts to no more than a series of sterile exercises.

How can we overcome this problem?

First of all, it"s important to remember that music comes to life through shading, dynamics, differences in touch, the shapes of its phrases, the rhythmic vitality that is so much a part of the right tempo. These qualities are all missing in a slow, rigid "practice" version of a piece. They are just as essential as correct fingering, and they don"t come across without careful work.

So, perhaps we should change that rule from "Be sure to practice slowly" to "Practice as fast as possible." But Wait! This requires some further discussion. The slow part of practice helps teach the fingers where to go, and makes it mush easier to learn the work. But in order to learn how to create music, how to make the piece sing—we must practice it at a tempo that will help reveal musical relationships and subtleties of form.

Pianists must have the opportunity to experiment with touch and phrasing while practicing, and there is little chance of boredom when so many exciting elements are introduced to the practice session.

In my E-book, I"ve included many basic exercises with background music to assist you in acquiring this level of keyboard performance. In other words, you will be practicing with other instrumentalists. You will hear the drums, bass and an unobtrusive piano accompaniment that provides a harmonic blanket for YOU to practice your course material!

Ideally, then, both ways of practicing should be used!

First, we should practice slowly enough to learn the notes and fingerings. Then, we should "practice as fast as possible"; that is, as fast as we can without losing control of the basics we learned in slow practice.

Here" how this would work. Take a short part of the piece; you might choose a four- or eight-measure phrase. Practice it slowly. When you feel comfortable with the music, increase the tempo. Don"t wait until you"ve practiced the entire work slowly. In this way, at each sitting you"ll get to learn a little section, bring it up to tempo, and feel into what is needed to bring it to life.

At the next sitting, work on the next four or eight measure. When you have that section brought up to tempo, combine it with the first section. Now, you will begin to understand how the phrases relate to each other. You can introduce the idea of dynamic shading and decide which lines to bring out at a given moment. In fact, you will be making real, exciting music—even before you"ve learned the whole piece!

As you go on in this way, you will probably change your mind about how to play the work as new sections are added. This is part of the process of discovery and experimentation. Concert artists are always re-interpreting, because they think about these elements all the time.

So play as slowly as you need to; but as fast as you are able!

I wish you the best of success.

Ron Worthy
http://www.mrronsmusic.com/playpiano.htm

The Best Acne Cures – What Will Clear My Skin For Good?

Acne is a uncomfortable and embarrassing skin condition that affects over eighty percent of people from their teens to their thirties, and yet, despite its prevalence, it remains a problem without a cure. This might be extremely disheartening news for the many people who suffer from it, but while medical science cannot yet fix the problem as they can a broken leg, medical advances in recent times have led to the formulation of many efficacious products that produce all the effects of what will hopefully one day be the best acne cures. And the best acne cures vary from person to person.


Acne is caused by the overproduction of the skin of oil called sebum, and the best acne cures would offer some foolproof way to regulate this. Unfortunately, the problem is not yet well enough understood to cure acne once and for all, but there are a range of topical and oral tools that can make management of the condition as effective as a cure. Sometimes age can be acne’s natural cure, but for those who prefer to take a more proactive stance there are many products that can affect results similar to a cure.

One of the most effective oral treatments yet developed for acne is a medication that can be taken at home, simulating for many the effect of the best cures. Accutane must be prescribed first by a doctor, and though it must sometimes be taken for six months before a real improvement can be seen in the skin, the long-term results have been as positive as any cure. Accutane is a strong drug that can have harsh side effects, but it has cleared the skin completely of many acne sufferers. Your doctor will usually prescribe milder medications before trying Accutane, but for many sufferers for whom nothing else has worked, it can bring all the results of an acne cure.

For those suffering with milder forms of acne, there are many other products that can act as natural acne cures. Dietary supplements, such as folic acid, echinacea and zinc can have drastic effects upon the skin, without introducing harsh and alien chemical substances into the body. A healthy diet and a good cleansing routine are also extremely important, as these are the basic tools for healthy skin, that will give your body the tools it needs to fight acne effectively.

So, what are the best acne cures? They are around, but they vary from person to person according to the severity of the acne they suffer.




About Author :

Find out more about Acne at Peter’s website http://www.acne-all-gone.com/as well as Acne cures and adult acne, acne skin care products, the best acne treatments and more.

Creative Costume Ideas for Kids in Halloween

(ARA) - Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I love the outdoor decorations and I enjoy seeing the creative and clever costumes our neighbors dream up for their children -- everything from superheroes and pop divas to cartoon and fairy tale characters, animals and even insects. One thing I’ve noticed is you don’t have to be a magician or an artist to make an imaginative costume, even at the last minute. Here are some ideas that are sure to put a smile on your child’s face!

These are some supplies you will need to get started:

* Scissors; needle and thread; ruler or tape measure; pins; newspapers for pattern-making; cardboard for construction; colored markers; fabric paint; stickers; construction paper for ears and noses; glitter for space creatures, princesses, fairies; pipe cleaners for whiskers; yarn for hair, and feather boas.

* Felt -- it’s colorful, inexpensive, and doesn’t unravel. Netting, tulle and fake fur also come in handy and little girls’ just love to play dress-up with these.

* Assorted items from around the house such as plastic funnels, buckets, paper towel rolls, gallon milk containers, paper plates, aluminum foil and bubble wrap.

* Glues to avoid sewing including white craft or fabric glue, hot-melt glues used with a gun, fusible webbing when the adhesive is activated with the heat of an iron, a roll of basting tape, a temporary two-sided tape and spray adhesives.

Having assembled your supplies, now you’re ready for some creative costume fun:

* Start by dressing your child in a leotard and tights, a sweat suit, or a T-shirt, turtleneck and jeans. These become the base to build on and are ideal for creating insect and animal costumes like a bumblebee, lion or alligator. Black is a perfect color for pirates, devils, witches, magicians, vampires, mummies, and skeletons. Use reflective white tape for skeleton bones and wrap white gauze or felt strips around the entire body. A spider is easy to make using all black. You’ll need several pairs of black gloves and long black socks. Stuff the socks and gloves with fiberfill and attach one glove to each sock; attach each spider leg to the base costume. Add a black baseball cap with black pipe-cleaner antenna glued to it.

* A plain white sheet is the perfect base for ghosts, angels, saltshakers, toga-clad Romans and pandas.

* A box with large arm and head holes cut out is versatile. Square shapes work well for dice, a gift package, a hedgehog, porcupine, TV or Jack-in-the-box; rectangular boxes are perfect for longer-shaped costumes like a pencil/crayon, a tree, a domino, a thermometer, a carton of milk accompanied by a box of cereal or cookies, to make two costumes, a favorite candy bar, or a rocket.

* Old-fashioned cardboard is good for many costumes. Cut out a front and back and attach both sides over the shoulders with strong cording or Venetian blind tape and decorate. You can design a playing card like the king and queen of hearts, a chocolate chip cookie using a beige-felt circular cutout with chocolate-brown chips, a magazine or newspaper called “The Halloween Daily Planet” with amusing headlines on the front and back.

Masks and other accents add the finishing touches:

* Make sure they have smooth edges and generous eye and nose holes for safety.

* Face paints and theater-style make-up will come off easily if you coat your child’s face first with a thin under-layer of cold cream. Test for sensitivity and color fastness on a small patch of skin. Lightly powder the finished face to set it. Colored or glittery washout hair sprays are always fun.

* Add-ons can be hats, scarves, veils, wigs and hairpieces; jewelry like large gold-toned curtain rings can be used as earrings; fake eyeglasses, and false eyelashes.

* Props to buy: Stick-on noses, theatrical warts, scars, fangs, eyeballs, quirky ears, long nails, fake beards and mustaches. Voice-altering masks are devilish too! For safety, buy glow-in-the-dark face and costume accents or a reflective strip to run down the back of a costume or on the arms.

The best thing about Halloween costumes is that after the merriment, your make-believe fantasy figure is transformed back into a little angel!

For more costume ideas, log on to www.lillianvernonproducts.com or call (800) 901-8758.

Courtesy of ARA Content