families

One of the hardest things I have ever had happen in my life was creating a blended family. The simple act of marriage; for love, caring and hope as most anyone would believe, became a treacherous yet rewarding adventure. A lot of times a blended family is putting two fractured families together and seeing what happens. As they pave new ground and create paths that only newer books are written about.

Blended families are common and divorces are common in this time; however, the support for those of us that have questions about the rejection of the kids, the ex's, and what has moved on emotionally and what has not, is not common.

We fall into patterns that each individual family establishes, and look at and learn each other's way of doing business. Buying groceries, favorite dishes, exchanging of children, ex's who are OK, those who are not, manipulations that work in one family and are nothing but obvious to the other family, and hurt feelings that do not know how to express their vulnerabilities and problems, love and ease.

There seems to come a feeling of intensive care, like what is seen in hospitals, when people are only allowed to visit for short periods of time, until the family can gain some solid ground. What they mean to themselves, how they fit into their own lives, growing and establishing new patterns and habits, favorite places and foods, exchanging of children's, everyone finding their space and coexisting, and if there is a culture difference, appreciating that as well.

One of the key factors in blended families is to not allow what angry ex's speak to be spoken in the home. I never once took away from any ex, and the old theory that a person can only fight with themselves for so long, still remains true. There also seems to be an element of competition that exists between families that were and are not anymore, or wanting to prove that one or the other is "making it," whatever that means.

Let that go. It doesn't matter. Truly one success is everyone's. Everyone is actually one extended family and jealousies really run their course. It isn't jealousy I find, it is feeling threatened and vulnerable. In love and in dismay, and in learning on a very deep curve of emotions you never felt before. The whole process is an emotional hit of love and lacks of understandings, that feel as though someone threw you off a building without a safety net.

You have time on your side. Time heals. Time answers every question. Time is the best teacher. Time builds history and friendships, trust and love, understanding and simply getting use to what is new and leaving behind all else that doesn't matter. The masks of who we all were before we got to now. The now becomes our history and time gives us the eyes to build a future.

No one has to be better than anyone's Mom or Dad. Sister or Brother. It is just people who are trying to find success, and their coming together. Yet in the brutality of the beginnings this is hard to see, as you learn of all the neurosis of others. And yet that is what is normal to them, whomever them is. Life is just life and challenges are just challenges. If our intentions speak to us to try and give our best, then we have a foundation to work from. If you fight it and fight it and try to hurt each other, all you will get is two families who can not become one.

We all work towards one, so it is real important for children to see the big picture, to be included in it and to be counted in love, forgiveness and understandings. Children are just scared and it is a huge change for them to join with so many others at once. It is about love. That is what started it, that is what runs it and that is what it lives in in the eternal moments of heart and soul that turn unknowns to knowns.

Once the knowns are spoken, touched, not ignored and given time, time can run with the rest of it. Have dinner together, as much as possible, and soon you will all look forward to good food and face to face moments. Food is the common thread that no one can argue with. Make sure everyone has some space, so that when they are not too sure about anything, they know they can go and spend their time in comfort and reflection.

Include as many of the family in decisions and do not let children tattle on each other. Bring them both in so that confrontations are balanced and fair. Don't' take one out and not another, and speak objectively. Don't talk about a child in a way you would not speak in front of them and don't allow others to do so either. If you have girls, put them all in one room. It breeds love in ways you couldn't have otherwise over time, boys too.

You see, this really turns these children into some of the most interesting people. Lovable and appreciative. These children are forced to know reality, live it, and take themselves on in life, knowing they are one of a bunch, and they become awesome team players. So the bottom line is keeping the ex's at bay with respect, not involving children with your hang ups; find another adult to speak to. Try to have dinner every night together, and let the rest find it's way into routine and balance.

A blended family may feel like someone put you into a blender and turned it to liquefy. However, it turns into smoothies; with such exotic flavors and colors, that you would never give it up for the world.

To purchase a copy of the newly released book, "Origins of Truth" by Nadia Khalil Bradley, please visit her website at http://www.originsoftruth.com

People who become victims of identity theft often have to bear a lot of problems that results from the theft; therefore it is better to avoid theft altogether when possible. And luckily there are several identity theft solutions for families that are very useful for the prevention of these identity thefts among the family members.

Identity theft solutions for families start with the family members themselves. Points to consider include:

1) Many identity theft solutions are very simple things to follow like avoiding giving out personal information about any member in the family to any outside person. The children may disclose information, therefore, the useful information like passwords of accounts, and other things should be kept away from them.

2) Another way in which identity theft can occur is due to the loss of any official papers containing private information; hence it is advisable that all such papers should be properly preserved in a safe manner and copies and unneeded documents destroyed with a shredder. The passwords of the accounts should never be written down on paper. All this information should remain only in the mind of the owner or in a safe place.

3) The theft may also occur if a person leaves or moves from his house and still has his mail sent to that address. Therefore, identity theft solutions for families also include the proper provision of the information about the changes in the address.

4) Identity theft solutions for families also include joining only standard organizations and commercial companies. This is because in order to join any organization, it is often required of members that some personal information about the person or his family be shared. In addition to this, everybody in the family should be aware not to provide information to any person who is not officially from that company.

5) In addition to the above-mentioned offline identity theft solutions for families, there is also need of precautions for online identity theft for families. The occurrences of online identity theft are more frequent today than those happening offline. Thieves do it with the help of the virus spyware and other hacking software. Online, they enter the PC system and then they can take away the information that is stored on the PC. Therefore, identity theft solutions for families includes the use of spy ware protecting software.

6) Identity thefts also occur due the use of the internet. Many members of the families have email accounts, online bank and other types of accounts. The information related to these accounts and other additional information provided to these accounts may leak through them. Therefore, identity theft solutions for families includes all the measures to prevent this from happening.

In short, online and off, all family members should not provide unnecessary information for their accounts, and they should carefully choose their passwords. This will enable scammers from hacking your accounts. In fact, a weak password is among the major causes of all the hacking of online accounts and information.

Many times some unnecessary pop ups or some links appear on the screen. Clicking on them should be avoided at all times.

Most people will choose to work for a company because they provide a good benefits package. The personal insurance for families will usually include the option to get life, medical and dental insurance. Each insurance need will be different and families often put great thought into what type of health plan will suit them the best. Some families prefer health insurance that pays for prescriptions. The personal insurance might begin with just the couple with special coverage added later to cover obstetrics and well baby visits.

Over time, several children may be added to the policies and the personal insurance coverage will need to be increased. Additional insurance might be taken out to cover orthodontics expenses, while the parents still maintain regular dental insurance coverage for each member of the family. Some families will look at their family history and get insurance coverage for diseases such as cancer just so they know that any large medical expenses will be taken care of should someone in the family become stricken with it.

Every employee will want to take advantage of any other forms of personal insurance offered by the company. Some employees will provide vision insurance for a good price and it will cover the employee, wife and children. Each family member can visit an optometrist twice a year for an eye exam, and get big discounts on eyeglasses, frames and the initial office visit. The personal insurance offered to families usually requires a co-pay but the financial benefits of owning these policies is certain to be substantial.

A family can benefit from insuring their home and automobiles with the same insurance agency. Many homes are granted great discounts based on the geographic area where the home is located and the current interest rates. When families bring more business to an insurance company, they are generally awarded personal insurance discounts that could extend to hundreds of dollars each year. Good driver discounts are awarded for each driver and some insurance agencies will give discounts if the insured has completed a defensive driving course.

A home is a family's biggest investment and most policies are obtained so that the spouse is not left without a residence if one spouse dies. The children are assured of a bright future with the compensation gained from personal insurance policies that cover life, home and automobiles. The monetary benefits will often sustain a family for lifetime and insure that every child at home has the opportunity to attend the college of their choice one day. It will also insure that items lost in a fire can be replaced and that life will one day return to some kind of normalcy.

All families will take a considerable amount of time considering the personal insurance needs for every phase of life. With some organization and guidance from a knowledgeable insurance agent, the family can be assured of having adequate coverage on their home should they suffer a loss due to a storm or fire. The personal insurance they own will also protect them from all liabilities that occur at work and at play, and it will also protect a business they own and give them compensation so they can start again if they need to.

Untold numbers of consumers have exceeded the limits of their cell phone calling or texting plan and had to pay the cost; sometimes to the tune of hundreds of dollars. For those with teenagers, many friends, or an active business, this error can occur with some regularity. In recent months, however, an answer to the problem of these unpredictable bills that can demolish any attempts to stay on a budget has evolved.

All major carriers in the US now offer unlimited calling plans, and some even provide for unlimited texting as well. Among these more flexible and predictable options, are cell phone calling plans that are designed specifically for families. While costs for single users hover around $100, the family version of unlimited calling is near $200, but still offers a significant savings over the per minute fees many heavy users experience under more restrictive plans.

The unlimited calling plans for families offered through the major carriers include nationwide coverage, free long distance, unlimited nights and weekends, and unlimited shared minutes while providing 2 lines when consumers commit to a 2 year contract. AT&T offers the Nation Family Talk Unlimited Plan for $199.99 per month while T-Mobile has Family Time Unlimited for $198.98 per month. Sprint's Simply Everything Family Plan is the lowest of the plans coming in at $194.98 and Verizon provides the Nationwide Family SharePlan Unlimited Minutes for $199.98. For those who make serious use of text messaging, Verizon will add unlimited messaging to the unlimited calling, making the monthly fee for their Nationwide Select Family SharePlan Unlimited Minutes and Messaging $229.98.

Savvy consumers will be able to find free phones, popular multimedia phones at that, when committing to any of the above plans. For families who need more that two phones/lines, most of the major carriers allow users to add additional phones for between $89.99 and $99.99 per month.

None of these options fall into the cheap category; they are a significant expense for many families. However, they are attractive for those who use a great deal of talk time or exceed their plan limits on a somewhat frequent basis. Even if the switch to an unlimited calling plan is cost neutral over the course of a year, the predictability of the monthly expense can make such plans attractive to families on a budget.

Cruises are great for families too.....

You might think that family bonding sessions are limited to beaches and trips to Disneyland, but you also have another option: cruises.

You might be surprised but there are actually cruises which are tailored to suit a family's specific needs. There are cruises which even kids can enjoy.

While cruises for seniors are wonderful refreshing avenues and a haven of possibilities for singles, cruises are a myriad of options for every family who wishes to embark on it.

Bonding sessions are instantly the most important thing any family can obtain from cruises. Being on a cruise forces you to literally and figuratively leave all of your other affairs in life and with just the family and yourself aboard a classy boat, there is really much refreshing and catching up to expect.

When you are at home or in a restaurant, it will be easy to worry about your paperwork pending at home. But when you are on a boat, you are really left with no choice but to savor each moment with the people who matter the most and enjoy the experience with them - which in itself is not really a bad thing.

Husbands and wives can still find time to catch up and rekindle their love for each other together with their offspring. There will definitely private moments for married couples, especially if the kids are already in their adolescent stage and don't really require much supervision.

Huge families who use cruises as a reunion venue may find themselves having more fun with the scenery than having reunion in a restaurant and a fixed spot.
There is definitely a different positive psychological impression of being in transit together as compared to just staying and chatting in a stationary place.

In the case of going aboard a cruise with a couple more families, there will definitely be some sort of cultural education especially for children. They will be exposed to things they might not be accustomed to, and this is a great opportunity for parents to contribute to their learning growth.

Small families may find family cruises as opportunities to linking up with other families with similar interests.

A support group is important for any individual, as well as for the family which is considered as society's primary social unit. Being able to link up with other families may help parents trade parenting tips while their kids mingle on the other areas of the ship.

There is variety in a cruise which can satisfy every member of the family. The introverted types may find staying within quarters relaxing, the artistic ones can find the picturesque scenery inspiring and even the food preferences may well be accommodated by the flexible menus that cruises are known for. Since it is also a group affair, you might find yourself entitled to one of those neat discounts if you are resourceful enough.

Special amenities are also provided for group cruises such as these. Group cruises are tailored in such a way that it helps build more meaningful relationships between the people while traversing the itinerary.

Leisure rooms and lounges may be found from within the ship and it is something from which everybody can benefit.

While it's true that some cruises may be deemed an unconventional family affair, it's definitely one of the most unique and fun ways to rekindle the harmony of the family amidst the picturesque background.

Some families have been torn apart after arranging personal financing for a family member. The emotions run high when a family member has bargained for money and failed to meet the repayment plans as promised. Some fathers will allow this error to occur once, and all other requests for personal financing will be met with great distrust. Some families institute a strict policy of not transacting business with family members no matter what financial straits they are experiencing.

Family members might need a small amount of cash to buy an automobile to get to work. Parents will generally have established good credit ratings throughout life and will use that credit rating to buy automobiles for children. The personal financing that takes place might be guaranteed with a handshake and the responsible family member would begin repaying the loan just as they verbally agreed to. Communication is the key word to ensuring that all personal financing with family members is completed on time without disrupting the familial relationship.

Situations that might require instant funds from other family members are often provided with no further discussion. When deposits are needed for emergency room treatments, then the family will go through many personal financing options to ensure that the required deposit is rendered post haste. The parents might need to obtain other personal financing through a banking institution to give children the funds for medical care and then the family will gather and discuss repayment options and complete repayment arrangements as promised.

For students planning to attend college in the fall, personal financing can come from parents who established a college fund with a money manager when the student was just a child. This type of personal financing is the type that is never expected to be repaid because the parents took this step in personal financing to ensure that their children were prepared for life when the time came. Those funds will be used to achieve great things in life and parents often consider that achievement as payment in full.

Families might achieve personal financing goals by grouping together on land deals. The properties that are purchased will be assigned to several members and will be use to build homes close to each other. This type of personal financing is quite common today because families are discovering that there is power in numbers and feel quite comfortable doing business with people that they grew up with.

The personal financing arrangements for many family members can be outlined in real estate contracts and families know that every person involved will honor their financial responsibilities because there is more than land at stake in this financial relationship. Some payments will be less for those in the family who are just entering the world of business, and as other sibling age, the difference in payments can be adjusted to even out the financial responsibilities.

Personal financing through family members at times will become a burden but through honesty and communication there is no financial problems that cannot be dealt with. No family member would be able to stand by and do nothing when a loved one is facing ruin, and a little bit of personal financing funds from every member of the family could make a dramatic difference on the outcome that might have affected the lives of many family members at one time.

There are many families who have been in NASCAR for a long time. There are two families, however, that stand out in it's history as having been influential in the sport.

The Frances and the Pettys are two families that have been a part of racing for several generations. They have played very different roles within the sport but have both helped it become what it is today.

"Big Bill" France, Sr. formed NASCAR in 1948. He ran a gas station, raced cars on the side, and dreamt of making racing a true sport with rules, regulations, and a governing body. Bill, Sr. successfully ran the nation's largest stock car association until he handed over the reigns to his son, Bill France, Jr., in 1972.

Bill, Jr. made the North American Stock Car Association into a national pastime with sound business decisions and a little luck. Brian France, third generation, took over the helm in 2003 and the sport has grown by leaps and bounds since then.

Brian has made some major changes, the Chase for the Cup being the most daring change, but all of the changes have served only to increase racing's popularity and widen its fan base. And the sport's popularity doesn't only extend to watching the races. People are buying NASCAR collectibles, NASCAR diecast, and NASCAR merchandise like never before.

The Petty dynasty began with Lee Petty who raced in the very first race ever organized by Bill France, Sr. It was actually his son, Richard "The King" Petty, who has made the Petty family well known to the public.

Richard Petty impresses fans with his gentle manner and his devotion to his family. Richard's son Kyle has proven himself on the track and is now the CEO of Petty Enterprises.

The careers and lives of Lee, Richard, and Kyle inspired Kyle's son Adam to follow in their footsteps. Adam Petty was a promising up and coming driver but in 2000, during a practice run, his car crashed into a wall and he was killed. Adam's legacy lives on through the charitable foundations created by his family in his memory.

The Pettys are loyal to NASCAR. Not only has it provided the Pettys with financial success but careers that they love and are proud of.

There are many more families who have impacted racing in their own ways. The France's and the Petty's longstanding presence in the sport has lent constancy and strength throughout the years. We hope these two families are around for generations to come.

Parents look for shoes that offer the lowest prices because there are so many people who need shoes for wear at different occasions. Luckily, shoes are sold in millions of styles and families are sure to find the right style for the shoe shopping trip they are currently enduring. Finding the right size in the preferred shoe styles is what makes buying shoes for families very difficult, and competent sales staff are trained to recognize the stress on the faces of parents shopping for school aged children.

Some shoe styles are required for wear during the school year and if parents wait too long there is a good chance that the required shoe style will sell out and the child would then be faced with wearing outdated and well worn shoes for another month or two. School age children, on the other hand do not seem as concerned about this dilemma as parents are and will be quite pleased to wear any type of shoe to school if the opportunity presented itself.

The men in the family might be inclined to select athletic shoes for wear all the time. Some boys might prefer to wear designer sneakers so that they can impress friends, but the ever increasing price tag on basketball styled sneakers makes them unaffordable for most families. Boys have dreamed of owning a signature line version of the latest basketball sneaker and will offer to perform odd jobs just so they can own these coveted sneakers.

School proms can stress many families considerably because the cost of the gown is at times less costly than the designer heels that a teenage girl will want to wear. The family will spend a considerable amount of time at a shopping mall going through all selections of designer heels before settling on a pair that were the designers footwear choice for the previous year. A parents reasoning to a child about the necessity of this approach will be that vintage shoe styles are the rave no matter what part of the school year they are chosen for wear.

The men at home would go shopping for a pair of shoes that they could use for work. Some might prefer to shop for a boot styled shoe that could be worn while working in the yard and when polished, would be deemed considerably fine for wear to work. The modern styling of boots give men many choices of fine fashion footwear for any occasion and men are less selective about style but clearly focused on buying shoes that are built for comfort.

Many women is shop for shoes year round, not because they need another pair but enjoy having choices to pick from when they open the closet door. With the wide selection of name brand shoes available in women styles, a woman might need to incorporate the hiring of a carpenter to create more room in the bedroom closet. Women buy shoes for comfort, work and color and since there are so many colors in the rainbow, a woman might have just cause for expanding the closet space a little further.

A survey by Citizens Advice found almost half of respondents said they would be less likely to claim credits in future as a result of their experiences. Overpayments which are suddenly demanded back by the Governnment were found to be the main issue.

Another report, by Parliamentary Ombudsman Ann Abraham, detailed how HM Revenue and Customs was accused of "unfair or unreasonable recovery of overpayments".

The credits were introduced by Gordon Brown'in 2003 to boost the income of around 6million families. But the system has been dogged with prob¬lems, with the Government recently admitting it had made more than £6bil¬lion of excess payments in error.

Citizens Advice found a third of respondents had been overpaid by £500 to £1,499 - but more than a quarter had been told they owed more than £2,500 and one in 10 more than £5,000.

Abraham said: "The report shows the distress which can be caused to some of the most vulnerable families when they find themselves with such a debt to repay - often unexpectedly, and some¬times a very long time after the money has been received and spent."

David Harker from Citizens Advice said: ''A significant number of respondents highlighted the devastating impact tax credit problems had had on their family. Some referred to having to sell or remortgage their homes, their families breaking up under the strain, and to severe stress and illness."

Chas Roy-Chowdhury from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants said: "Your entitlement for tax credits changes if your income goes up or down, or if certain personal cir¬cumstances change. The problem is many people don't know when and what to inform the Revenue about - and it can take a long time for the Revenue to process information when it is recieved.

"This delay can lead to prolonged overpayments which are then suddenly demanded back."
Claimants should inform the Revenue of any change in income or circum¬stance, added Roy-Chowdhury.

Chase Saunders have seen evidence of this over the last few years and the hardship it causes is tremendous and really tips people over the edge.

Right or wrong some people live to their means and will borrow on the strength of the income they get including tax credits, when there is a change in the tax credit they receive their financial situation collapses and mounting debts are the result.

Chase Saunders can help with the debts that have built up. Chase Saunders will find a solution to put all debts together into one affordable monthly or weekly payment, even if those debts in the tens of thousands.

A Chase Saunders Financial Management debt advisor is contactable on FREE PHONE 0800 138 2299 or online at www.chasesaunders.co.uk

Any Galapagos travel guide will tell you that each visit or family vacation that involves families requires a lot of planning. If your destination in Galapagos is meant to include family oriented venues then you have to take one of the Galapagos cruise boats (*Note: some cruises are not available for children under 7 years of age.). Any of the sites that you encounter in the islands of Galapagos will give you an up close and personal view of nature.

The Galapagos cruise boats are filled with interesting sites to see. The Galapagos travel guide of your choice should be able to point out the unique wildlife and numerous indigenous birds that live in and around the islands. The tours will offer you the many activities that include comfort & relaxation for the entirety of your vacation.

Some activities for families with young children will include travel around the Galapagos islands. Also, driving along the coast to see the lava fields and bird watching is a popular favorite of the Galapagos cruise boats. In addition, off the boat there is the Gardner Bay on Isla Espanola, where you can take the kids swimming and for the adults snorkeling.

The planning for this tour should include a few things that are essential to bring along when you have small children to entertain. To make the trip more enjoyable snacks are very important. The island is full of scenery but not full of places to buy snacks along the way. Anyone who has traveled with kids will attest that the “little angels” get hungry and may easily turn a fun trip into a long ordeal without preparation. Also, a necessary item is a swim suit, being sure that they have goggles and plenty of sunblock. In many cases the snorkeling equipment may not be available for small children, but may be bought in advance before getting to the island.

Lastly, it is essential for you to bring a camera for capturing the moments that will be cherished for many years to come. The trip to spot animals like the dolphins, whales, penguins and birds of all varieties will be a memorable part of the Galapagos cruise boats. If you are like many travelers this trip should also include many small items to keep the children occupied so that you can see the sights. The family time can be inclusive or exclusive of the entire family Also, available on these cruises is daycare, but should you choose to use them bring lots of familiar things, such as crayons, travel games, and stuffed animals that will be familiar for them.

Anytime you plan to take a cruise whether its with a travel guide or not it should be well planned, taking into consideration many small items from home to make every moment a quality experience. The ultimate considerations are to have fun, be safe, and enjoy any and all opportunities to experience nature and the true pleasure of a family vacation.

Single parents often worry that their children will somehow be damaged from living in a single parent family. While a single parent family may not be the ideal situation for raising children, many two-parent families are also less than desirable. Kids can actually benefit from living in a single parent family.

Results of studies have indicated that a home filled with conflict is the least desirable home environment for children. When the child's prior two-parent household included frequent fighting and discord between the adults, the child can benefit from living in a one-parent home provided that the conflict is stopped. A parent who is no longer devoting time to warring with a partner may have more energy to give to the kids. Children observe adult relationships and usually apply what they have learned to their own relationships as adults. By residing with only one parent, the child may actually have a chance to observe healthier adult relationships.

Children learn valuable lessons from dealing with hard times and having different lifestyle from many of their peers Your family may not represent the stereotypical American family, but there can still be lots of love and fun in your home.

A single parent may actually have more time for the kids that a married parent would have. Since there is no longer a spouse around at mealtime, meals don't have to be as substantial and can be structured around kid-friendly ingredients. If your former partner was not very involved with housework, you may have more time since you now have one less person to care for. Financial worries may actually be fewer. Yes, you have less income, but you also have total control over the expenditures that you may not have had while with your partner.

The opportunity to spend time in two separate homes can be a good experience for your children. They will see different approaches to life and hopefully, take the best of both homes to use in establishing their own households as adults.

Often, a child with parents who live apart will gain a stepparent or two. Your child's extended family will then be even larger, giving her more chances to develop meaningful relationships with caring adults. Your kids may even get exposure to new ideas or experiences that could ultimately lead to a career or hobby for your child.

Kids who live with only one parent tend to develop independence faster than their peers. Since the parent will probably have a job and other many other duties on their plate, the kids may have to learn to do things for themselves such as preparing a simple meal or participating in household chores. Kids with stay-at-home parents or two parents in the home may not have as many opportunities to take part in the day-to-day responsibilities of running a household. The kids also learn that they need to be ready to take care of themselves, since they, too, could end up on their own or in a single parenting situation someday.

A favorite benefit of many kids from single parent families is that they often get two or more celebrations for each holiday. They may get two sets of gifts at Christmas, often getting more stuff than they would have if the parents were together. Two Easter baskets, valentine's gifts, etc., are also enjoyed by many of these children.

Two-parent homes can often provide many advantages. However, single parent homes can offer many opportunities for self-growth for children along with other benefits. You can commiserate with your kids about their ?different? lifestyle from their peers, but be sure to stress the advantages of their situation, too, along with offering lots of love. Your family can be a successful as a single parent family!

If you are in charge of creating the family budget, chances are, you've had the unfortunate experience of having a brilliant budget plan that isn't executed well. This happens to many families and couples, and with a little attitude tweaking, you can solicit the help of your family in making your budget work.

Create a family budget vision. Talk to your spouse and children about whatever budgetary constraints you are facing, or whatever financial goals you intend to set. By being completely honest about the bills and loans you have to pay, or your intention to save a certain amount of money for a family emergency fund (or a college fund, for that matter), you can help your family understand better your collective financial situation. This will allow them to change their perspective on purchases they make, and will help you make sure that whatever money crunching strategies you utilize wont be counteracted by a subsequent spree by your teen.

Another good technique is to create a list of usual expenditures per member of your family. Together, identify which items you can do away with in order to save up some extra money from your monthly income. By doing this altogether, you are making your family participate better and see the contributions they can make into making your familys finances better.

Should your child have the habit of continuously asking for money for minor and oftentimes unnecessary purchases, you can let your children learn to manage their own weeks allowance. With their limited money to budget, they will realize the value of money.

Put a cap on the amount of expenditures you make in a week. The best way to do this is set aside a fixed amount of cash that you will spend for a week. By putting this limitation on your spending, you are forced to prioritize spending on the most essential over other things.

Make it easy for your family to save more. How often do you eat out? Most family budgets are blown over because of the frequency of dining out and the accompanying exorbitant expense of that activity. Eating at home will reduce your expenses, not to mention allow for your family to bond over cooking at home. Do you spend on routine purchases like coffee and newspapers? Cut back on the latte and the paper, and put aside the amount you would otherwise spend. Your familys collective saving will surprise you.

Lastly, don't be afraid to create a most efficient driving route, as well as grouping together activities into one car trip. This way, you can save a lot on time and even on gasoline and car expenses.

The spiritual essence that is the true you, vibrates energetically with other souls.

You and I are equally divine and spiritual. We are Creators and each of us can think and feel anything we please. We may interpret our personal reality in any way we desire, and we can customize our explorations to discover new worlds within worlds. That being said ... in truth, no being is an island for we share our experiences visibly and consciously from time to time during the day, and also invisibly and subconsciously 24-7.

Up until now, we have largely been oriented to the external world. Many of the private thoughts that play in our minds and the externalized messages that we share with others, contain ideas, beliefs and feelings of a world populated with separate, disconnected individuals. We have assimilated that picture and have believed in what we see on the surface of the physical world as obvious and true. Identifying with that perception, attracts to us the evidence, concepts and feelings that support and verify such long-held beliefs.

The belief of separateness is also the dominant beliefs of modern societies. Generally speaking, the human family on planet Earth is psycho-dynamically orientated to the external world and our thoughts, feelings and communications express and support the separations that we believe in and are oriented to.

Look inward for connection to others

However, if we can go inward with our attention -- into the inner cosmos of our personal hologram where vast stillness, subtle energies, thoughts, feelings, memories and dreams exist -- where our quiet center exists -- and if we can get comfortable in there and not be under the influence of the force fields of ego (who proclaims "all of these thoughts and feelings are MY exclusive property and originates from ME!") -- if we can use the natural virtues of our heart to quiet the ego along with our minds, then we can begin seeing the inner environment as swirling with materials that our Resonant Family is sharing.

A Resonant Family is composed of like-thinking and like-feeling beings, who may be anywhere on the planet. The family is having very similar thoughts, feelings, dreams, discoveries and inspirations, often simultaneously. All members of the group are vibrating with the same (or very similar) electromagnetic field signatures. The energy and inner impressions do not belong to an individual, but are simply a part of the particular area of the quantum field that their group is tuned-into.

Resonant Families are quantum field-based communities

We certainly are interconnected as a human family, but people in Resonant Families have a more active telepathic relationship. They are tuned-into the same quantum field "addresses" and are sharing the holographic content and electromagnetic fields that are supported by the group.

And, all beings share the same quiet inner center. It is a quantum center that is the same everywhere it appears, and through it all individuals are connected to each other. From this quiet center of stillness flows the telepathic communication system of the human species: The Soul Connection Network.

To say it in another way: all beings in the human family are intertwined and are sharing energy on a quantum level, but each person flows most frequently, clearly and easily with the subtle energies, thoughts, feelings and dreams of people who are in their current, dominant, Resonant Family.

Live from the heart and tune into the vitality of our unity

If we can live in the understanding that we are sharing electromagnetic fields of energy that swirl with the thoughts, feelings, memories and dreams of many -- and such an attitude becomes our normal, every-day, peaceful point of view -- we orient ourselves to the reality of unity and wholeness. When that happens, our thoughts, feelings and communications will express and support the Oneness of the human family and the intelligent orchestration of the Universe at large.

On the other hand, if our normal, everyday attitude and belief is that we are separate, isolated people, then we orient ourselves to the reality of separation, and our thoughts, feelings and communications will express and support the separation that we are focused upon.

Tuning into or being in a Resonant Family is not a barrier to freedom ... unless you make it so

You are a God fragment. You are free to think and feel anything you want! You don't even have to feel as though you must follow along in the status-quo of a Resonant Family that you have been aligned to, for when you follow the call of inner freedom, you instantly channel the sovereign nature of the Soul, who is an offspring of Prime Creator. Simultaneously, you become networked to the psychic energy currents of other beings who have a similar realization of vastness and freedom.

Hence, Resonant Family groups are not "written in stone." They do not have impenetrable boundaries ... unless you imagine them. On a quantum level, you are a sovereign being who is free to explore any group and experience their electromagnetic fields, thoughts, feelings, dreams, memories, inspirations and points of view.

There are thousands and millions of Resonant Families that one can explore. The reason that we can explore them is because all the families are linked-up and connected to each other through the inner network of our species that spans the globe and beyond -- the Soul Connection Network (SCN).

How the inner material is translated for each member within a Resonant Family

Your energies, thoughts and feelings are flowing through others, and theirs through you. As your family's impulses arise in the Personal Inner Hologram of your heart and mind, your unique vibrational signature does a translation-thing via the Intelligent Soul Language (ISL), just so that the group’s thoughts and feelings will relate and be knowable within the scope of your current beliefs and understanding.

For example, if a person in your Resonant Family who is on the other side of the planet, only speaks Punjabi -- and you speak and know English -- as the verbal part of their messages telepathically arise in you, they are translated into English ... and as your messages arise in them, they are translated into their native tongue: The energy and messages are sent and received instantly and freely within your quantum community, but the ISL tweaks them for the benefit of each receiver. The ISL does this for all inner content: thoughts, words, images, feelings and dreams.

The leading edge of human spiritual evolution unfolds one person at a time, but also through vibrant Resonant Families operating on the SCN

Humanity is on an evolutionary path of transforming the current material-orientation of the human family into the energetic-heart-awareness of the sovereign soul, the collective, and Prime Creator.

The increase of conscious communication on the Soul Connection Network reflects our spiritual evolution: At first, we thought we were alone and isolated individuals. Then we realize that this is not true ... that we have always been connected to others, and in fact we are communicating rather constantly to our Resonant Families, behind the scenes. What was subconscious communication becomes increasing conscious, and we start working together on the SCN with more generous, mobile and creative rings of Resonant Families. We work on real projects that have real impact in society and upon the physical world. More conscious communication on the SCN illuminates our unity and wholeness. New frontiers are explored and discoveries made that were not even conceivable nor attainable when we functioned from isolated ego-based mind-styles and negatively-oriented energetic heart frequencies.

Marriage is such a wonderful and yet challenging time of life. We always wish it could be a fairy tale affair like in the movie, or like on your wedding day. But that s not the way life is unfortunately. So, how do you remember the good times in life? How do you make sure that the good times stick out in your memory over the boring and or sometimes unhappy time? One word, Videography.

Videographer s captures life s little moments for them to always be remembered. You can have a Videographer at a family event as a birthday parties, births, kids, baptism, wedding, etc. I know someone that has a Videographer come and film the family for a day baking together, playing together and some stylish shots as well once a year, so each year this family has a film of their family each year. Its shows them growing, new additions, where they are at in their lives, and sows them very happy in their lives of course. So that s a really good idea. Once a year is affordable and so much better than just scrapbooking your life s events.

Not to mention that kids love, love, love to see themselves on the TV screen. I haven t seen kids so enthralled then to see themselves on the big screen! It s really cute actually.

So if you think you re family might benefit from having a video done by a Videographer than I say do it! No time to waste. The Videographers take the footage that they took of your family and put it to music that you and your family choose that is your personal style and taste and cinematically puts the footage together for a very memorable video of your family and your lives.

Photography is also important. Photography allows us to take an instant out of time and hold it still for eternity. That a very important idea. Without photos what would we hang on our walls and what would we scrapbook with? I have a friend that makes her kids scrapbooks starting from the time they born until they move out of the hose or get married. After that graduation to adulthood, they get their growing up scrapbook from their Mom, and that is such a treasure to them.

Wither it be keeping clippings of the child s hair locks, or totally decking out pages with pictures, make sure you make something that your child can remember from their childhood whatever it may be. They will really appreciate it.

My Mother did it with me. She scrapbooked everything, cool pages with pictures all the years growing up, locks of my very white hair as a two year old, pictures I drew in first grade, hand painting prints, etc. It s all very fun to look back on and have together in one book. Preserving memories should be very central in your families long term plans.

Whenever there is devastation the one thing people always say is they wish they could have their memories back. Make sure to preserve yours.