Now, tonight, and everyday, tell your spouse you love them!

It is so easy to forget simple things like expressing love and appreciation for your spouse. Regularly tell your spouse you love them, without expecting a reply. Then spend time together building your relationship giving them ample opportunity to recognize and express their love for you.

It is so easy to forget simple things like expressing love and appreciation for your spouse. We readily fall into routines in life and these expressions are often left out of those routines usually because they are akward and sometimes uncomfortable. It is particularly hard for men to express these feelings, especially when provoked. By provoked I mean when a wife says "I love you" to her husband, the husband feels mandated to say I love you back which can be difficult because it feels forced and no man likes to be forced into anything. Even though the husband feels love, he feels reluctant to express it because it is not his expression, but now a reply to her expression. Even more difficult is if the wife is having a bad day and needs to be told she is loved and appreciated. The worst thing she can do is say to her husband, "I just need to know you love me".

Having said all that, the title of this article states, tell them everyday. Both husbands and wives need to feel comfortable expressing love and appreciation but it needs to be unscripted. Express your love in random ways without any expectation of a comparable reply. In fact, let them know you expect no reply, by saying it in passing or some other way so they feel little obligation to reply immediately. It will stay with them and they will get back to you when the opportunity is right.

By doing it this way, your spouse knows you love them, but also does not feel they are being manipulated. The expression of love will be more significant and remain with your spouse longer as they remember this expression without expectation and as they think about how they will return they favor.

So the next step it to make ample opportunities later for them to return the favor. To do this, spouses logically need to be around each other. Make it a point to spend more time doing something together. Have fun, never be critical, and if all else fails, look deep into their eyes longingly. Also remember to be patient, for every person is different. Some people find it easy to express their feelings, and for others it is a near impossibility. Just remember that as you express your love in a non controlling way, and give your spouse ample opportunity to express their lovePsychology Articles, you will grow closer together and both of you will be happier together.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Hoopes is the scientist behind the bath and body workshop where you can learn how beauty products work. Follow the link to learn more about their most recent venture, the bath & body store, Sweetly You.

How to pick the right File Cabinet

You can find file cabinets in varying styles, sizes and of course – degrees of quality. Besides their obvious utility as an organizational tool, file cabinets can be used for many types of storage and can be attractive in many settings – almost any room in your home.

The most popular types of file cabinets are metal and wood; wood is by far the more attractive of the two. Wood file cabinets are very durable and attractive and can be a great addition to your office or your home.

Common styles of solid wood file cabinets include Traditional, Mission and Contemporary, with many sizes available including:

* Letter sized file cabinets, which are typically designed to hold only 8.5” x 11” paper, but can also used for 8.5” x 11” legal size files as well;
* Legal size file cabinets, which can usually hold both 8.5” x 14” and 8.5” x 11” paper;
* Lateral file cabinets, which will have either 2 or 3 drawers and generally hold 8.5 x 11” and 8.5” x 14” paper;
* Personal file cabinets, which tend to be smaller and hold only 8.5 x 11” letter files.

By moving the metal brackets inside, letter and legal file cabinets can be used interchangeably (in most cases).

A file cabinet may have anywhere between two and five drawers. Consider how much storage you need when you are looking at file cabinets and trying to decide on the number of drawers you will need. Remember that there are a plethora of possible uses for a file cabinet, including as an end table with built in storage, a nightstand, coffee table and more – all offering the additional utility of storage.

You can use even a 2 drawer cabinet to place items above desk height by positioning it on your desk, which gives you a 30" platform. You can also create a large work surface by lining up several file cabinets in a row. You can achieve the same effect by using a lateral file cabinet – which eliminates the seams created by lining up several vertical files cabinets.

A 3-drawer file cabinet offers another solution for both storage as well as a surface to put plants, statuettes or other lighter items. These stand about three and a half feet high.4 drawer file cabinets, at a height of about 55" provide even more storage, or you can opt for 5-drawer file cabinets for a very large amount of storage; but only very light items should be placed on top of such a high cabinet.

SAFETY FIRST!
Remember that any piece of furniture can be dangerous if it is carrying a lot of weight. Tipping can be a hazard, especially with heavily loaded drawers. There are some steps you can take to minimize this risk.

* Fill the bottom drawers first and work your way up.
* Never open more than one drawer at a time.
* Attach your file cabinets to the wall – this can prevent them from tipping.
* Always place the heaviest items in the bottom drawer; this will act as a sort of anchor to prevent the cabinet from tipping over.
* Unless you r file cabinet is securely anchored by being bolted to the walls, never put anything on top of your file cabinet (and even if you have done soFree Articles, this is not recommended) that children or pets will be likely to climb up on top to get to – this can have tragic results.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Leon is the owner of a furniture store that carries wood and oak office furniture including file cabinets, bookcases and desks. They offer the largest selection of American made bedroom, living room and dining room furniture. Whether you're looking for solid oak file cabinets or a dining room sets you'll find everything for your home.

Essential Planning For Your School Fundraising Success

There are so many aspects and angles to putting on a great and profitable school fundraising program that it can make your head swim. Fortunately, there are many resources you can go to so that you don't have to re-invent the wheel just because you are new to the fundraising scene. Here are a few things that will help you get started on your school fundraising plans.

Copyright (c) 2008 AIM Fundraising

Every year I talk with people who have had their school fundraising program literally dropped in their lap. Many times these people have taken on the job because there was no one else to step up. In every case, their main concern is that they want to do a better job with next year's school fundraising than was done this year. Imagine the pressure of picking a product or running the sale in such a way that the school actually makes less than they did last year. Now that is what I call pressure!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

With all the things to consider in planning your next school fundraising event, don't feel like you have to come up with all the answers yourself. Check out one of these links to find some great ideas that will help make your next school fundraising program the best that it can be.


To make your life a bit easier here is a simple guide to ensuring that your school fundraising events achieve their goals and operate smoothly. Namely, that they are both profitable and trouble free.

1. Setting a Goal

The very first thing that you must do is determine how much money you need to raise. Take into account all expenses that you expect to incur. However, determining how much you need to raise can be quite a job. It also helps your cause to have specific instead of "general" goals.

Running a school fundraising campaign with the intended goal to "raise as much as we can" is very hard to communicate to parents of your students and will likely not get a lot of support. If you find that you really don't have anything pressing that you need to raise money for, it is better to give the parents a break and simply choose to not do a fundraiser.

2. Determine Your Timeline.

When conducting a fundraiser you must set a timeline. It is wise to consult a professional fundraiser if you are planning to do any type of product sale. They can help you determine a timeline that will allow you plenty of time to conduct your fundraising activities. They can even help you plan events around your calendar so that the Fall Carnival won't interfere with your product sale, and your product sale won't interrupt your Book Day's and so forth.

3. What is Your Target Audience?

Determine who you will be targeting in your fundraising. Ask yourself is you want to make your school fundraiser a product sale or a family type of event fundraiser like an auction or carnival. Or, do you need to try to raise more money by doing a product sale like cookie dough or Christmas wrap. Each one of these type fundraisers have it's own application in different schools. There are some schools that do a spaghetti dinner and make ten's of thousands on them, while others will barely break even.

4. Incentives.

I have found that the prizes that are given in a particular school fundraising program has more to do with it's success than any other single factor. A school could almost sell five dollar bills for ten dollars and do very well if you motivate the students and parents correctly.

One misconception about prize incentives is that many believe that the bigger the prize the better the sale. If one of the prizes for the top seller is an item that is the latest craze that year, then you will have a better sale. Do not fall into that trap.

The power of school fundraising is in the size of the group, not in who sells $1,000 worth of "stuff." Think about it, would you rather have 2 students sell over $1,000 and 25% participation in your sale? Or would you make much more profit if you had 40% participation and no one sells more than $80.00?

When you think about it, the prize that gets the most kids to sell $80 is much more important than the big prize that gets 2 kids to sell $1,000! And what is really sad about that is most professional fundraiser don't get that let alone the average PTA Fundraising Chairperson!

5. Promotion

How will you promote your fundraiser? One of the best ways to promote your fundraising campaign is by throwing out lots of reminders. When it is time for the school fundraiser, be sure to send a letter or an e-mail to parents long before the sale starts. Send another informational letter home with your sales brochure. Parents can be busy people and sometimes things slip their mind.

Though this guide is geared toward school or groups in the education system these are the basic steps involved in any form of fundraising. Use these steps to plan your events. If you spend some time in planning and making sure that you are sticking to the planArticle Search, you'll find that your school fundraiser will go as planned.

How to Ceramic Tile a Floor

This article provides tips and advice on how to tile a ceramic floor from preperation of the floor surfuce through to grouting the newly laid tiles.

A new ceramic tiled floor can really improve the look of your home. Ceramic tiles are very practicle, hard wearing and attractive. Following the information below will help you acheive a quality ceramic tile floor in no time at all.

Step #1: Prepare the Floor

Depending on whether the floor you are tiling was previously tiled or carpeted, it will first need to be prepared for tiles to be laid. If there was carpet on the floor it will need to be removed along with any backing or glue. In addition, the surface will need to be made perfectly smooth and preferably dust-free. Keep in mind that the wood floor on which the tiles will lay needs to be as flat as possible. Otherwise, the tiles will not lay straight and water may puddle, which is unsightly and can be dangerous.

It is possible for ceramic tiles to be laid on top of other tiles, but only where the lower layer is in good condition with no cracks. Otherwise, the lower layer of tile will affect the new layer. This is why it is not recommended.

Any fasteners need to be flush with the floor and there should be no lumps, bumps or nails to compromise the integrity of the tiles. The preparation of the floor and the material used to prepare the surface for the tiles to be laid depends on the current condition of the floor. Therefore, you should research your options carefully, perhaps taking advice from the DIY shop.

Step #2: Prep Doors and Other Obstacles

Inevitably, you will have a few obstacles in your way when tiling a floor. Where a door opens into the room, whether it be a walkway door or a floor-level cupboard, you will need to trim the door bottom in order to make sure it can open smoothly and without hitting on your new tiles once they are installed.

Step #3: Get Your Trowel and Mix the Thinset

Follow the manufacturer's instructions for mixing the thinset. Just keep in mind that you should only mix as much thinset as you can use in two hours. You will also need to make sure the notch size of the trowel is the same depth as the tiles, as this gives good adhesion and also allows any air to escape after the tile is laid.

Step #4: Find the Center

You need to begin tiling from the center of the room. In order to find the centre, locate the midpoint of each wall and snap chalk lines. If this tile line bisects a unit, such as the bath or a vanity, then make sure the tile has at least 2 inches width. Otherwise, it may snap when cutting or laying and it will have a generally untidy appearance. Move the centre tile where necessary to obtain this fit. It is important, of course, to work all this out before the application of adhesive!

Step #5: Lay the Tiles

When laying your tiles, be sure to press them down ith a slight twist of the wrist. You should also use spacers in order to give a good, tidy, even fit. It is important to avoid 'lippage', where the edge of one tile is higher than the one next to it. Even pressure when laying the tiles helps with this.

You can use either a wet saw or a tile cutter to trim the tiles to size and lay them around the edges. Smaller cuts, such as those needed for going around pipework, can be made with hand cutters and a file.

Step #6: Finishing It Off

The tiles can set overnight, then scrape any residue of thinset from the tile surface or joints. Apply grout from the center of the room to the outside, pushing it in first in line with the joint, then diagonal to them. After grouting, let the tiles dry for at least 30 minutes and don't be too aggressive in wiping up the mess. Otherwise, it might pull out of the joints.

If you'd like to attempt this job yourself rather than hiring someone to do it for youBusiness Management Articles, you may feel more confident after taking a course in tiling - and you will also learn more advanced techniques that can help you do an even more exciting design.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Able Skills provide a wide range of tiling courses

Spirited Single Moms

Although raising a child alone may not be ideal, it is an increasing reality. Some experts speculate that single moms now head half of all family homes. With the divorce rate around 50%, and more women making the choice to be single moms, they need positive role models, sound information and encouragement to make their home a stronghold of love to launch children into a lifetime of purpose and meaning. Successful Single Moms (SSM) have seven secrets for success:

1. Love is a Practice: SSM say I love you a lot, not only with words, but with actions and honesty. SSM show how to love life and do not traffic in self-pity. They honor their own dreams and those of the child. If the child wants to be a pilot, they get books from the library about planes, make paper planes and encourage the child's enthusiasm. Being a SSM is contagious.

2. Spirited Single Moms Grow Along with Their Children: They work hard on breaking destructive patterns from childhood. For example, if she grew up in a family of abuse, the SSM realizes she may be attracted to the wrong sort of friends and relationships, so she refuses to allow destructive people to become important in the lives of her children. Even if she struggles everyday with challenges, she learns to make positive life-affirming choices. If she has on-going problems with depression or anxiety she seeks help.

3. Spirited Single Moms Know the Difference between Pretenders & Partners: There are many men who are excellent and entertaining dates, but they are not marriage material. If possible, it is wise to wait to introduce the children to a date until Mom thinks he may be around for a while and has reason to believe he will treat her children with care. A good way to find out about potential for the future is by learning about the date's family history. If there has been abuse, cruelty, dishonesty, trouble with the law, etc, then these patterns are likely to repeat. SSM base their decisions on what is REAL about a potential mate and never marry "potential". Also, adults should both pledge that they will never marry someone that does not love the children, treating them with respect.

4. Spirited Single Moms Celebrate Life: Laughter is prosperity during hardship. Mother Theresa once said, “Our best protection is a joyful heart". Show your child how to celebrate. Children learn most from who we are and what we do, not what we say. Celebrate things considered "everyday," such as the first day of fall, a puppy, even new crayons. Celebrate one another on a daily basis by saying "gratefuls," things you are grateful for and "appreciations," things you appreciate about one another.

5. Spirited Single Moms Model Giving: It is a privilege and a joy to spend our lives giving love. SSM model this behavior by doing things like, surprising a teacher with cookies, making a card for an elderly neighbor, or taking time to complement a super employee at WAL-MART.

6. Spirited Single Moms Refrain from Bad-mouthing the Ex: They make every attempt to co-parent with the child's other parent, since the child's self esteem is founded on feeling loved. Pity parties are held in private, since children need to feel safe and cannot handle their parent's Big emotions. Tell your child, "I am so glad you were born" to help them feel important. Feeling positive reduces anxiety and children are better able to learn and explore. When you say an ex is "bad" it is like telling the young child that a part of him/her is bad also.

7. Spirited Single Moms are not Alone: Successful single Moms get help from family, friends and the community. Dr. Linda had a Co-Mom, Pamela Smith. They took turns caring for the children. Recently one of the Smith children, Melissa named one of her twin boys, Miles in honor of her "second" Mom. SSM do not allow toxic people into the lives of the children. They choose friends and dates as wisely as they wish their children to do.

Author, Dr. Linda Miles, is deeply committed to helping individuals and couples achieve rewarding relationships. She is an expert with a Doctorate in Counseling Psychology, and has worked in the mental health field for over thirty years. She has been interviewed extensively on radio, TV, and in newspapers and magazines. Find more relationship ideas and relaxation techniques on her web site and in the award-winning book she co-authored, The New Marriage: Transcending the Happily-Ever-After Myth, and numerous CD's, that Train Your Brain. http://www.drlindamiles.com

Contact the Author
Dr. Linda Miles
Personal Relationships
drlinda@drlindamiles.com
More Details about moms here.