Whether they are infants, toddlers, teens or just-about-adult, decorating your kid’s bedroom can either be a creative expression of your love, or a source of self-doubting despair. The decisions are endless – as are the costs – and the demand for the perfect bedroom is implacable.

Where to start slaying this beast?

The first step is to decide what the budget for this project is going to be – and promise yourself that you will stay within that budget. Next you need to decide whether you (and your child / children) are going to go with the traditional pink for girls and blue for boy’s colour schemes, or are you a progressive parent that allows other colours into the scheme as well. Will this decision be influenced by the theme of the room? Of course, if it’s a Barbie theme pink will be very appropriate. Then again, a cars (or Cars – the Disney version) will allow for multiple colours, including blue and red.

The theme is also very important. Not only does it help determine the colour scheme, it also needs to be age appropriate to prevent your child seeing monsters under the bed or in the closet. There is also evidence that certain themes stimulate brain activity and others depress the child’s development.

Do some research on the internet to find the most appropriate (and affordable) supplier of the bed, dressing table, wardrobe etc. that suits your theme.

A fun thing to do together is to paint the room together as a family, or let your child paint his / her own pictures on the walls to give it a customized look.

All-in-all, decorating your kid’s bedroom should allow for the child to feel safe, treasured and allow him / her to be able to express themselves.

WISHING ALL THE FATHERS, DADS & PAPAS AROUND THE WORLD

Looking for a FREE gift for Dad this Father’s Day? Dad’s are always about safety, so in honor of Dad, AmberAlert.com will be giving away 1,000 FREE downloads of their innovative My Child ID software on Sunday, June 20th.

An alternative to scattered photos and documents, the My Child ID software is a convenient and secure way for parents to store, organize and access vital child identification data at home.

In emergency situations, a parent’s ability to recall basic facts about their child can be compromised by overwhelming stress. For this reason, AmberAlert.com developed encrypted software to aid parents in organizing and storing important information. Unlike typical software programs or simply storing vital info on a spreadsheet, the downloadable software from AmberAlert.com is password protected and secured using SHA 1 encryption, designed by the National Security Agency (NSA) for full protection of the sensitive data. Additional features such as Private Alerting and Geo-Analytics allow families to develop a list of trusted contacts that can be texted or emailed at a moment’s notice.

On Sunday, June 20th only, AmberAlert.com will be offering 1,000 free My Child ID software downloads which also includes 1 year of free online back-up and Private Alerting. Additionally, the My Child ID software will be available at the sale price of $9.99 for the remainder of the month, June 21st through June 30th.

AmberAlert.com’s My Child ID software is currently available for $19.95, and can be downloaded for FREE during said promotion times at www.BuyMyChildID.com.

My ten year old has recently become very interested in science and this is something that my husband and I are keen to encourage. I had my own microscope at his age so I was pleased with the idea of having something we could enjoy together; the great thing about having kids is that you can revisit your childhood. It was actually a colleague at work who suggested the duo-scope microscope, as she had bought one for her son, and it turned out that this was good advice.

I ordered the duo-scope from Amazon and I was surprised to see how many people had given it a full five stars; I read the reviews and they were all positive. I ordered it for a reasonable price and didn’t tell my son until it arrived. He was delighted with the microscope and I also felt impressed; it actually made my old microscope seem a bit cheap in comparison. This one is well made and functions impressively. It is not recommended for young kids, but ideal for somebody around my son’s age. I sometimes worry that we buy too many toys for our son but this microscope is something that will benefit him. I don’t regret the purchase one bit and would recommend it without hesitation.

Attention all BlogHer 2010 Moms! Do you need a time-out and some quality “me” time? Well, BornFree wants to give you a well deserved break!

BornFree is offering one lucky mom going to BlogHer 2010 in NYC this August the Ultimate Indulgence Package at Elizabeth Arden Red Door Salon & Spa, Dinner for two at The Russian Tea Room & a $1,000 NYC Shopping Spree! Here’s the link to enter & win.

I remembered three years ago, I was really pleased with our purchase of the Graco TotBloc. It was the first playpen that my two year old (at that time) has been willing to stay in for any length of time. We did buy another similar item a few months back (not naming any names) but this turned out to be a big mistake as my daughter took an instant dislike to it. This Graco playpen is bigger though and he seems to feel less confined.

I also felt that the Graco TotBloc is handy for parents because of its portability. We sometimes leave our daughter with his grandparents for the night and the fact that the playpen was easy to pack away in a carry case meant it was easy to transport. When my daughter had grown too old for the playpen, we had it stored away easily or hand it over to be used by any of his future cousins. It is a bit heavy but manageable; just make sure you don’t strain your back. Overall, this playpen is something that I’d recommend to any parent looking for a safe place to keep their kids.

Sky Angel Productions, LLC, the producer of Halo Baby, a video series created just for babies ages three years and under, is looking for cute baby video submissions during the month of May for a chance to have the video clip used in the next Halo Baby episode. This is the chance for your baby to become a star! Those interested can checkout the promo video below or head over to Halo Baby for more info.

When I first requested to review Greater Love, I was not aware that it was the third novel in the Tides of Truth series written by Robert Whitlow.  Having said that, I was not lost in the story and was able to have a good understanding of the main character, Tammy Lynn.

Here’s a quick look at what Greater Love is about:

The Tides of Truth series follows one lawyer’s passionate pursuit of truth–in matters of life and the law.

As the storm clouds gather, Tami does her best to weather the growing turbulence in every area of her life.

She’s just accepted a job with a law firm but now wonders if she made the right decision. She has two strong men vying for her heart–and is about to lose them both if she can’t determine which one is right for her.

And Tami’s new case is anything but simple. When she first meets her prospective client, she immediately knows the rough young teen is lying, guilty…and utterly terrified of something beyond the charges she’s facing. What she doesn’t realize is just how far reaching the effects of the case will go. Or how close to home the deadly results will hit. For by the time the storm breaks, someone close to Tami will have paid the ultimate price.

Through it all, Tami will experience greater sacrifice, greater friendship, and greater love than she’s ever known.

For those who are expecting plenty of suspense and thriller, Greater Love is definitely not your kind of book. In fact, it is more of a spiritual novel and more than half of the chapters in this book focuses on Christian values.  Now, even though I am not a person with a strong spiritual upbringing, I can look beyond that and appreciate the story. The plot was interesting enough that I didn’t skim through the pages but honestly speaking, I couldn’t relate with the fact that the main character, being a law graduate, having such a submissive nature. It seems that she was practically turning to her parents for advice each time she has issues with her love life.  At times, it irked me so much that I have doubts that Tami was an adult. Neither was I impressed with her lifestyle choice as I find it unrealistic in this century. The ending was also predictable and not something you would expect out of a legal fiction.

Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this book as a legal fiction. However, you may enjoy Greater Love if you are a person having the same Christian faith paradigm as the author. My rating would be 2.5 out of 5.

Disclosure : I received this book for free, courtesy from Thomas Nelson Publishers . I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.