Gift ideas when the in-laws are moving away

When the in-laws are moving away, you need to find an appropriate gift. The gift you choose depends on your relationship with the in-laws. It also depends on whether this is a retirement move or if they are still part of the working force. If they are moving to Florida or to a retirement community, things are probably something they don’t want or need.

For your spouse, this may be quite a sad time, especially if they are a close family. You need to find just the right gift to say we will miss you and we wish you the best.

If your in-laws are the grandparents of your children and are going to miss them, a thoughtful gift would be a small album of pictures of special times they have shared together. You might also give them a digital frame that can play a slideshow for them. Another option is a collage of important events for their new walls or a scrapbook is you enjoy that.

If your in-laws have a computer, you may want to download Skype for them so that they will be able to spend some face to face time with the grand kids. Showing them how this works may be necessary and even writing down the directions for them, depending on how tech savvy they are.

When it comes to buying a gift for someone who is moving, you need to keep in mind whether or not they are downsizing. If they are having a tag sale or selling a lot of their possessions you don’t want to be giving them things. This is the time to think about gift certificates.

Start by doing a google search of the area that they are moving to. Check out some of the local stores. You can give them a gift certificate to the local supermarket, bakery, or movie theater. These will help them to get adjusted to their new town. Look for reviews of some local restaurants and get a few gift cards to some local ones or if they are the chain restaurant type check which ones are nearby where they are moving. Print them out a map so that they know where they are located and help them feel at home faster.

Consider signing them up for something like the fruit of the month which they can enjoy for 3, 6 or 12 months. If they are museum people check for a local museum which they will enjoy and either get them tickets are sign them up as a member.

Check and see if there is an Entertainment Book for the area they are moving to. This will get them big discounts at lots of local businesses. They may need to get familiar with a variety of new businesses and services.

No matter what you decide on, your in-laws are moving and whether this is a sad time or makes you want to do a happy dance, you will want the gift that you give help them transition into their new home.

Teaching your young children to be money smart

The best way to teach young children to be money-smart is to allow them to have money to spend and save.  No matter how young your children are, you can place a value on things that they want. Teaching them to save for the things that they want, is one of the most useful lessons you will ever give them.

An allowance is one way to begin the lesson. Children need to understand that money is not freely given except as a birthday or Christmas/Hanukkah present. If they want money at other times of the year, then they need to learn the concept of payment for services rendered.

The first step in this concept is teaching the value of each coin. Then apply this to some items they will want to purchase. Explaining that it takes four quarters to purchase a candy bar or three quarters for a small bag of potato chips will teach them to think of money as a means to an end.

The next part of the lesson is assigning tasks and setting a money value on them. Even the smallest child can understand that if they pick up their toys they will receive a quarter and with that quarter they can purchase a large gumball in a machine.

With small children, you have to be prepared to give instant gratification since they are not ready to understand the value of patiently saving to achieve a goal. It is easiest if you know what it is they want and have it handy so that after they have earned their money you will be able to provide them with their desired purchase.

A savings account is one of the most important things that you can give to your children once they are old enough to understand the value of saving. Once they reach the age of five or so, they are able to have a set allowance for the week and understand that for larger items, it may take more than the amount that they earn in one week. By this age, they are ready to know about paper money. Taking your child with you to the grocery store and using cash money to pay is an important lesson.

A visit to the local bank to open a saving account is also a valuable lesson. A good time to do this might be after a birthday when they have received a cash or check gift. A passbook may almost be a thing of the past but for children, it helps them to watch their money grow.

It is never too early to teach your children to be smart about credit as well. You might want to let them purchase something that they want with a loan from you. You can help them to make payments and if you want to be realistic you can charge interest. You can even give them an old expired credit card so that they understand what you are doing with yours when you use it.

In the world we live in today, it is important that even the youngest children learn the value of money. You can teach your children to be money-smart, they will thank you for it later.

Health concerns unique to women

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus is a book by John Gray that defines the psychological differences between men and women. The differences are not confined to psychology, they are also physiological. As a result, there are many health issues that are unique to women.

In young women, there are nutritional issues that are unique to women. While it is not unheard of for a man to have a low level of iron, in women, it is much more common with a full 11 percent of menstruating women from the teen years through the mid-fifties having below normal levels of iron in their blood.

Many things make this a serious deficiency beyond just the tired and pale look that is considered to be the primary symptom. Iron helps to transmit oxygen to the vital organs. Starving the organs is never a good idea. Eating foods that are rich in iron is important and if necessary taking an iron supplement.

Pregnancy is the most unique health issue that women face. While men can sympathize they can never fully understand or feel all the physical changes and dangers that come with pregnancy. There are health issues that can occur during pregnancy that can jeopardize the health of both the mother and the fetus.

Gestational diabetes is one of these conditions which is brought on by pregnancy and will not necessarily be a permanent condition. During pregnancy gestational diabetes can cause very serious issues to both the mother and the baby. It is very important that all women receive pre-natal care so that any serious issues can be addressed as quickly as possible.

PMS is a variety of symptoms that are brought on by menstruation. It can be bloating, headaches, cramps, and irritability. This is something that affects some women more than others and can be debilitating. Talk to a doctor about the latest treatments available. While many men find this a joking matter, most women don't.

Another issue that is growing in importance along with the aging population is menopause. At some point in every woman’s life, she is going to stop menstruating. This lowering of hormones brings on a variety of symptoms that vary in strength and length. Some women are incapacitated by the hot flashes and other symptoms while some women are asymptomatic.

I

f however, you are one of the suffering women, this is a very serious, life-altering health issue. There are traditional ways to treat the symptoms of menopause as well as alternative therapies. Every woman is different and what works for one woman may not work for another which is one of the things that makes this such a large issue for many women.

These are just a few of the health concerns unique to women. Men and women are very different and while men may suffer from the results of the unique health issues of women, they can never truly experience them.

Sources:

The Doctor Will See You Now

The American Diabetes Association

Things you may not know about Parkinson's Disease

My husband was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2012. Since his diagnosis, we have been waging war against the disease. Everyone is familiar with the tremors that are the most well-known symptom of Parkinson's Disease but 25 percent of people do not get the tremors, my husband is one of them. 

Parkinson's can be caused by genetics but it can also be caused by exposure. Just because no one in your family has ever had it doesn't mean that you are safe. My husband was exposed at work to a toxic chemical. It has been shown to cause Parkinson. He is quite obviously one of those people.

While tremors may be one of the most common symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease, there are several other indicators that may manifest themselves. Knowing what to look for can help with an early diagnosis and the onset of treatment.

Things to look for:

If you notice that you or someone that you love walks without swinging their arms, this can be a symptom of Parkinson's.

Another common symptom is shuffling. If someone has always shuffled, don't worry, but if it is new, it might be worth checking out. Our son who is a nurse first noticed this in my husband. I didn’t associate it with a disease, I just thought it was a sign of aging.

Loss of smell. My husband did have this and we in no way ever would have thought of Parkinson's.

A change in response time. For example, if a car is stopped in front of the person and they don’t respond to that by stopping. Sort of a continual oops moment.

A loss of depth perception, again this may be most evident when driving. It can be difficult to park and also to stay within the lines on the road.

Cognitive issues. In my husband’s case, he is a machinist and he had to use math every day. He started having trouble adding numbers.

These are just a few of the changes you might see that may be symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease. Having one or even all of these doesn’t mean that it is Parkinson’s Disease but what it does mean is that a visit to a neurologist is probably indicated.

We chose to begin treatment with a naturopath because in this case of exposure Parkinson’s we felt that detoxing might be the best way to start and perhaps by getting the toxins out of his system we might be better able to control the progression of the disease. It has proven to be a good decision.