Giving gifts is my way of sharing inspiration and bringing encouragement to others. I love being able to show others that they have been thought of and to make them feel special! That is why I really love being able to buy gift cards online nowadays. If I can’t find the perfect gift, then gift cards are my second choice. I believe that blessing serves a double purpose in my life. Gifts bring a smile to the recipient’s face and on the other hand, it also helps me not to become selfish.

Sites like giftrocket which combines a gift certificate and cash gift into one are great innovations for e-commerce! It allows one to buy a gift yet still give the flexibility to choose the gift he really wants or needs.

I believe that gift giving is not really about the gifts – but it is about giving a smile to another and letting the other person just how special he or she is!

This year, one of my goals is to be able to save up whether in the form of a bank savings account, or stock certificate under citiseconline. I was finally able to open bank accounts for my kids and I hope to regular save some money for them. As for my own savings, I hope to invest in some stocks through citiseconline and some retail treasury bond soon.

I pray that I would be a better steward of our finances this year.

Do you have any tips you can share with me so that I can handle our money better?

1. Blocks – whether the big or small ones, building blocks help the kids to be imaginative and creative.
2. Board games – these promote camaraderie, fair play and lots of fun hours regardless of age.
3. Clay – imagination and motor skills will be developed using clay. guaranteed to give your child many hours of fun!

There are far too many technological gadgets around and it doesn’t allow our kids to be creative and use their hands naturally. It would still be best to develop their fine motor skills and other skills naturally than use gadgets very early on in their lives.

Change is not always easy but I am thankful because with change comes development and improvement.

Withdrawing entirely from alcohol use is something that you shouldn’t be taking lightly and it can be easier if done with a friend.

Sometimes, it makes the TV series less interesting to watch and that certainly is what I felt after Gil Grissom left in Season 9, but being a loyal CSI fan, I stuck around until this latest season. I hope to see some more good episodes even without Catherine.

Work at home and stay at home moms need to include time to rest in their busy schedules. Being home most of the time doesn’t mean that they get to rest all day. In fact, most of the time, the schedule is overloaded with house hold chores, errands and other unforeseen events. Being inside the house 24×7 can really be a cause for stress. Heading out once in a while would actually do the mom some good as she gets to do some unwinding. It can be a trip to the salon, or the spa or go on a budgeted shopping or window shopping and enjoying the different hot tub cover or whatever the mom is interested in. Go running or walking can also be part of the list. Meeting with friends can also be a great de-stresser!

Whatever it is you are fond of doing, you should schedule a day of relaxation. It will definitely do your family much good!

That is why at the start of this year, I chose to use this  image as my desktop image.

Image source: http://www.funxite.com/get/msn/msn-backgrounds/love-msn-backgrounds/forever-friends-msn-background.htm

However, when this happens we miss the first part of the sleep cycle, known as REM sleep, which is the type of sleep in which we have vivid dreams. After REM sleep, our body settles into a deeper sleep and this helps the body to repair itself. It might seem, given this, that getting into bed on a comfortable mattress and falling straight into a deep sleep is a good thing.

The problem is that the effects of alcohol start to wear off after a few hours of deep sleep and we then move into REM sleep. Each cycle of REM and deep (or NREM) sleep lasts around ninety minutes and when the cycle alters, our whole night’s sleep is affected. Therefore, even though we may sleep better in the first part of the night, we will sleep poorly for the remainder of the night and wake up feeling exhausted.

Alcohol is also a diuretic, which can lead to dehydration, as excess fluid is filtered from the body along with the alcohol. This can mean numerous trips to the toilet in the middle of the night, something that is guaranteed to interrupt sleep.

Heartburn from a heavy night of drinking can also seriously disturb sleep, made worse if you have stopped for a curry on the way home from the pub. Another effect is heavy snoring, caused by the relaxed muscles in the body preventing air from flowing freely through the nose and mouth. Heavy drinking can also bring about vomiting, as alcohol is an irritant to the stomach lining. This can sometimes be a symptom of alcohol poisoning, which can have extremely serious consequences.

Longer-term drinking also contributes to many serious health disorders. There is an increased chance of type II diabetes or pancreatic disease and there are links between alcohol consumption and certain types of cancer. It is estimated that there are more than 33,000 deaths per year in the UK from liver disease caused by alcohol.

In terms of mental health, alcohol does affect the brain’s chemistry and is linked to depression and anxiety. Heavy drinking can cause psychosis, a type of mental illness that involves hallucinations or paranoid feelings of persecution.

Alcohol also affects our appearance, at times quite dramatically. An expanding waistline is often accompanied by a tired, pale and dehydrated face the morning after. Longer-term drinking causes the skin to become redder, with tell-tale signs of rosacea and the face can appear bloated.

It is clear that not only does booze trash your sleep, it can also help to trash your life. Moderation is still the key to alcohol consumption. Even though many people will continue to indulge in a nightcap to help them sleep, this may not good for either getting a good night’s sleep or their long-term health prospects.

This guest post has been written by Rob who currently writes on behalf of Archer Sleep Centre. Rob focuses his writing towards how a good quality bed can improve your life in some way or form.

I don’t believe that I will be lucky this year – but I believe that it is up to the  Lord God as He will bless me whenever He pleases. I am praying for better finances this year though and fulfilled goals too.

For everyone who celebrates the Chinese New Year, may you have a prosperous and fulfilling new year!