Our party centered on the activity of making scarecrows. We brought out baskets piled high with faded denim coveralls, straw hats, and flannel shirts. The children enthusiastically costumed themselves as well as the scarecrows. They collected autumn grasses and flowers and wove them into straw hats to take home as mementos.The country setting and the crisp autumn air inspired many activities. Sack races, a tug of war, and a scavenger hunt kept everyone busy throughout the afternoon.

As the day came to a close, our guests enjoyed an Indian summer sunset. We bundled sleepy children into cars and returned home with warm recollections of an afternoon shared with special friends. Do you remember any games from Halloween parties of your childhood? Often the simplest activities create the memories that last a lifetime. This fall, host your own family party. --You have permission to reprint this article electronically or in print, free of charge, provided that each article is: 1.

Printed in its full form with no changes2. Includes an active link 3. A courtesy copy of your publication is sent to the above contact 4. And the following byline appears at the bottom of each article:.

If no visitors come then the site will eventually die.How to attract visitors to a site is what the very broad subject of Internet marketing is about. Numerous articles and books have been written and are available about Internet marketing. Let's just look at one small part of it today.As you watch the honey bees and the butterflies on the flowers you notice that they stay on one flower for a while, then go on to another for a while. Sometimes they stay on a flower for a very short time and sometime they stay for a fairly long time. Sometimes they come back to the original flower and sometimes they do not.The people that visit our web sites act much the same.

Some times they just take a quick glance and click to another site. Sometimes they stay longer and look around. It all depends on how interesting your site is. Does it have a good headline that captures their interest and makes them want to get more information? A good headline is probably the most important single item on your website. Take time to create a good headline.Is the site simple to view? A site should not have text written on a background with a design.

It is too hard to read and often the viewer will click away instead of trying to read it.Is it easy to read? If there is not enough contrast between the background color and the text color then it could be hard to read. Whenever I see a site with black letters on a dark color background I leave immediately. So do a lot of other visitors.Does the site take too long to load? Many people have very little patience these days. If the site is slow to load they get tired of waiting and go to a different site.Does your site have music? If it does be sure the music is appropriate for the type of visitor that you are trying to appeal to.Ok, you've done things right and the visitor stays around long enough to get beyond your headline. How long will you be able to keep the visitor?Is your site easy to navigate? Are the buttons easy to find and understand? If the visitor gets confused he can get frustrated.

If he gets frustrated he is very likely to leave in favor of a new site.Does your site have a benefits list? Most people are looking at your site because they want something. If a quick read of your site fails to show them that you can provide what they want then they are out of there. This is where a strong benefits list is important. If they see their ?want' in a benefits list they will read on for more details. Everyone loves a story.

People start reading a story and keep reading until the story is finished. If you visitors start reading a story on your site they will likely read the rest of the site.The links on you site can help you or ruin you. If you link to another site be sure that the link opens the site in a new window. This is a must. If the linked site opens in the same window you have just lost a potential customer.

Now the only way he can come back is by hitting the back button. Will he do it?Now back to the flowers and the bees and the butterflies. Lets talk about the bees and butterflies that come back. Why did they come back? With the flower it was probably just luck. With your web site it needs to be much more then luck.

You have to plan it. They have to want to come back for something of value (to them at least) that you have on your site.What brought them back was the content. Some how they did not learn everything on the first (or previous) visit or they wanted to re-read it. Or maybe they realize that the content may have changed and they can get new information. Or maybe your site offers a service that they want to use again and (hopefully) again.I call a web site that keeps the visitors coming back a sticky web site.

It involves extra work to make a sticky web site. However, if your goal is to have your potential customers coming back often then the extra work is worth it.Some of the best items to make a website sticky is a free service or free content. Examples of services could be a search engine submission service, a forum, current news display, or some kind of game. A service can be almost anything that a visitor can use or view over and over.Content can be similar to a service. An article directory can be content.

Perhaps you write articles for you ezine. Post them on your website. Let your visitors know that they are free to use as long as they don't change them and they include the resource box. If someone uses they article you could get another link back to your site.Other examples of content could be free software of ebooks. Some people offer free vacation certificates.

A free course can also be some excellent sticky content. Book reviews could also work. A weekly survey can also be a good way to bring certain visitors back every week.Change your site often, at least monthly. Weekly changes are better. People will know that you are actively managing your site and that you want to provide a good service.

This will help create a positive impression and turn visitors into customers.Most people do not buy or join the first time they view a web site. Sometimes they come back several times before surrendering the money for that which your site offers. This is the main reason why you want a sticky site.If you can successfully make your site sticky enough to bring your visitors back to your site repeatedly, you're guaranteed success. Just keep bringing the visitors to your site, and then back again, as the flowers do with the bees and the butterflies..

You can even practice first on a wall not many people will see, like in the laundry room or the basement. You can decorate a wall while practicing and increasing your confidence.

Have fun picking your image pattern. You can either draw it yourself or pick a favorite picture from a children's book, art book, or greeting card?anything really! If you want a more elaborate wall mural, you can pick images from different sources, like a border from a children's book around a scene from a child's birthday card.

Be creative with your design. Garden murals filled with flowers, ivy, baskets and butterflies are an easy way to brighten a kitchenette.

Paint faux brick, tile, or marble to dress up an entryway. An ocean scene with fish, a beach, and palm trees can add whimsy to a bathroom. Paint a scene from a favorite children's book to welcome a newborn. Or paint a baseball themed wall mural to make a home office seem more playful.

You can also use words in your mural.

Wrap inspiring poetry around your dresser to help you start your day happily. Remind your children how much you love them with kind words by their bed, or even paint a playful reminder by their toy box to put their toys.

Remember, you are making the house yours. Take chances to find something you love. And if you get tired of it, you can always paint over it..

Every Genie Bottle includes a parchment that can be personalized with a special message to create memories that will last a lifetime. Genie Bottle Wishes was voted Best New Product at the 2005 National Stationery Show.Here are just three ideas for special occasion uses.Holiday A unique holiday greeting sure to stand out. Who wouldnt love to receive a holiday wish in a handcrafted, collectible Genie Bottle?Anniversary Start an anniversary tradition! Present your wife with a Genie Bottle Wish, flowers and a night on the town.Wedding - It can be a challenge to find an invitation that is unique, elegant, affordable, and memorable. Genie Bottle Wishes are perfect for engagement announcements, wedding invitations, bridal shower favors, gift for the bride and groom, and gift for the bridal party attendants.Genie Bottle Wishes is the first of line of quality gifts to be offered by Inspirational Reflections, LLC. Inspirational Reflections has launched http://www.geneie-bottle.com to showcase Genie Bottle Wishes..

A huge variety of flowers can be grown from bulbs, including lilacs, lilies, daylilies, cannas, tulips, gladiolus, crocuses, daffodils, dahlias, and many more.Many people choose flower bulbs for their ease of planting and colorful flowers. Growing bulbs is virtually foolproof. Finding flower bulbs for sale is just as easy. You can buy flower bulbs at local nurseries and landscape supply stores. Some home improvement stores like Lowe's or Home Depot offer flower bulbs for sale.

Many department stores, such as Wal-Mart, also sell flower bulbs. At certain times of the year, discount stores, such as 99 Cents Only, Dollar Tree, or Dollar General, sell flower bulbs. When buying flower bulbs at discount stores, it is important to make sure you are buying viable bulbs. Flower bulbs should be firm and blemish-free.It is becoming increasingly popular to buy flower bulbs from online nurseries. Many suppliers now offer flower bulbs for sale online, including Nature Hills Nursery, Schreiner's Gardens, and American Meadows.

You can even order bulbs at EBay! Be careful when purchasing bulbs online?since you cannot inspect the bulbs prior to purchase, you should only buy from a reputable nursery. Some of the highest quality bulbs, especially of tulips, come from Holland.If you are in the market for flower bulbs, there is no shortage of them available. From discount stores to online stores, many companies sell flower bulbs..

They are words of wisdom that require action on your part. Don't just read these words and think "it's good advice" and then forget about them. Get up and do something about it.1. Lighten up on your salt intake. That doesn't just mean to limit your use of the salt shaker at the table.

It also means not to eat food with high salt content such as bacon, ham, cheese, chips, popcorn, corn nuts, etc.2. Add yogurt, whey, or the dietary supplement Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) to your daily intake.3. Drink water--lots of water!4. Exercise--start walking and using that ab-doer you have stashed away in the closet. Do any exercise you want.

The important point here is to start moving.5. Limit your calories at snack time to no more than 200-250.6. Don't eat for four hours prior to going to bed. If you go to bed at midnight, then don't eat after 8pm. Never go to bed feeling full!7.

Keep a journal. This isn't the "write-down-everything-you-eat-journal." It should be a journal where you write your thoughts and feelings, successes and failures, weights and measurements. It's your "everything-journal." You can record the foods you eat if you want, but that is not the sole purpose of this journal.Look for future articles where there will be more detail about the aforementioned subjects. Salt intake, yogurt, water, calories, and journaling will be the topics of discussion..

They feed every ten minutes or so throughout the day and typically consume two-thirds of their body weight in a single day. Their source of nutrition is primarily nectar from flowers, as well as sources of protein from insects and tiny spiders.The key to attracting hummingbirds to your garden mainly consists of the right type of flowers and places where they can perch and rest during the day, such as trees or large plants. Hummingbirds are guided by visual means and are particularly attracted to certain shades of red. According to The Hummingbird Society, there are several possible explanations for their preference of red blossoms. Given that insects also see nectar, they can be regarded as competitors.

Nearly all insects see well in the visible and near-ultraviolet light but poorly in the red end of the spectrum. Also, a red blossom may appear nearly black and unattractive to a number of insects, but not to the hummingbird, which can see the full visible spectrum but also some in the ultraviolet. This makes it less likely that an insect has taken nectar from a red flower. Another likely explanation is that during migration, red blossoms effectively contrast with a green environment more than other colored flowers do.Hummingbirds are welcomed guests to nearly all gardens. By planting flowering shrubs and plants that are their favored food source, we can easily attract them to become regular visitors to our gardens.

Below is a short list of their preferred flowering plants by common name, separated by region:Southeastern United States:

• Butterfly Bush
• Cardinal Flower
• Coral or Trumpet Honeysuckle
• Cypress Vine
• Native Trumpet Creeper
• Texas Sage

• Indian Paintbrush
• Lantana
• Lily of the Nile
• Mexican Honeysuckle
• Texas Sage
• Western Coral Bean

• Beebalm
• Bottle Brush
• Cape Fuchsia
• Colombine
• Salmonberry
• Woodland Orchard

• Blue Lobelia
• Cardinal Flower
• Hollyhock
• Red Morning Glory
• Salvia
• Scarlet Sage

• Coral Bells
• Coral Honeysuckle
• Foxglove
• Hosta
• Impatients
• Lilac

The mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week. Do not use red food coloring, honey, or artificial sweeteners in your mixture, as this could be harmful to the hummingbirds.If one of your goals is to attract hummingbirds to your garden, a visit to your local nursery is a great starting point. Find an experienced employee who can tell you which species of plants grow well in your area and have a history of successfully attracting hummingbirds. Most importantly, be imaginative and have fun planting and growing your garden to attract beautiful hummingbirds..

On one level, maybe, on another more important level, it is simply wise. They are going to be there after the holidays, too!Use this time for new beginnings. Demonstrate your willingness to improve your working relationship. Go first. Give first.

This is a time-honored tradition that really works. Step out of your 'He/she done me wrong' mode. Un-Grinch and give. The simple act of surprising someone with chocolate, flowers or a gift certificate for a cappuccino can make a huge difference. Think about it.

How would you feel if you were on the receiving end unexpectedly?Sure, there are a few folks who would grumble, "What's this about? You expect me to forget the past year?" or who are suspicious of your motives. Truth is, most folks want the problems to go away, too. When you give first, you are saying that you think there is hope. Maybe we could do something about this.If this is too Pollyanna sounding for you, consider the alternatives. If you don't do it, the holidays will be over and nothing will have changed.

At least, by taking a step to improve the relationship, you'll know you've held out the olive branch and said, "I'm human over here."Remember what Malachy McCourt said: 'Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die." Why would you want to do that? It is only you that suffers.If you are having trouble with someone at work, think of them as the driver who purposefully cuts you off on the highway. You can be yelling and cursing them in your car, but they are hearing nothing! You are the only one who is agitated, red-faced and screaming. Why do that to yourself?How is resentment working for you? Decide how you want to feel, what state you want to live in, what thoughts you want to dwell on. Act accordingly. Sure, it's not going to make the other person stop gossiping, doing sloppy work or failing to meet deadlines, but, it will make you feel better.

You do create your internal environment.Take this opportunity to change your workplace relationships. Works at home, too. A pleasant surprise can make a big difference at any time of year! Welcome folks back with a treat..

Pinching off the dead flowers will help the plant to grow fuller and produce more flowers.Other things to consider when planting blue garden flowers include:? Bloom Time ? what timeframe the plant will flower in ? planting flowers in the same areas that have different blooming times will insure a succession of blooms throughout the growing season.? Size ? make sure you plant the taller plants in the back so they don't obscure the view of the shorter growing flowers.Below is a list of some blue and purple colored flowers for your garden:Verbena - Babylon Blue - Purply blue flower petals on this early bloomer that is great for window boxes and planters.Catmint - Walkers - This blue flowering perennial shows deep lavender blue flowers on long spikes. It graces us by blooming from June to September and grows to about 10" tall. It does best in a fully sunny spot but can withstand some afternoon shade. Attracts butterflies, hummingbirds and bees.Corydalis, Blue Panda - This plant produces fragrant stringy sky blue flowers. It blooms in late spring, and sometimes again in fall.

Can grow to 12" and likes partial shade with a rich soil.Caspian, Blue Indigo - Blue pea shaped flowers bloom on stalks that grow up to 5 feet tall. The flowers that bloom in mid to late summer can last for several weeks. Plant in full sun or partial shade and sandy soil.Cascade, Purple Rockcress - This ground cover grows 3 to 6" tall and is perfect for growing between rocks and in crevices. Deep blue flowers bloom in early to mid spring. Plant in moderate soil in the full sun or partial shade.Scabiosa - Butterfly Blue - This bushy perennial is more of a lavender blue perennial plant with 2" flower petals that bloom from June to October.

Plant in the full sunlight - deadheading after first bloom will encourage repeat sports. This flower attracts the most fabulous creatures - butterflies and hummingbirds.Bachelors Button - This has bright blue thistle like blossoms and will grow to 24". It shows its blooms in late summer to early fall - cut down after first bloom for another bloom later in the season. Plant in the full sunlight.Campanula, Blue Carpet - Flowers in bright blue to lilac bloom for weeks in the middle of summer. A low growing perennial, this grows to 2 ? 4" and prefers full sun and a well drained soil.Bellflower - Enjoy bright violet blue blooms all summer with this plant that grows to 30" tall.

Can grow in partial shade or full sun and likes well drained soil.Penstemon, Blue Buckle - Tubular shaped blooms in blue to purple from mid summer to early fall. Plant grows 12" to 15" and prefers well drained soil with either full or partial sun.Balloon Flower - Sentimental Blue - This shorter plant has medium blue flowers that puff up before It blooms in. It can get to about 8" and likes to grow in a fully sunny spot.Petunia, Blue Spark Cascadia - Lavender blue flowers adorn this long blooming plant that produces flowers from early spring until frost. Grows 6 to 8" but can have longer cascades when grown in planters. Will grow in partial shade or full sun..