Melva Gifford

I heard that January is a good month to buy winter clothes, and for that purpose today’s blog is dedicated to the topic of buying a coat. The following are some items to consider when making such a purchase. Also included are some links to give further details.

My Information concentrates upon for areas: fit, design, function, and appearance. I hope this information will be of use and interest.

Fit:
-Consider what you’re wearing underneath.
-Fits well over your clothes when you’re putting it on.
-If you don’t get cold easily and will just wear a coat on top of your normal clothes and you maybe will want a coat in your own size or if you get really cold and often wear a sweater or multiple layers beneath your coat you may want to increase the size to accommodate your multiple levels of clothes.
-When buying a coat you will want to consider an open and loose sleeve for your hands versus a tight sleeve this may be influenced by how much you put your hands in the snow or ice if you wipe snow off the car etc.
-If you buy a coat to the waist make sure that you buy it long enough so that your belly isn’t exposed.
-Buying a bigger sized coat may be influenced by your environment at the workplace. Consider your selection if you’re a smoker and need to go outside to take a break else if you are sitting under an air conditioner vent and many to wear a sweater indoors to stay warm.
-Consider how well your buttons and catches work in keeping the coat properly snug against your body including your neck so that you don’t spend time having keep one hand on your coat to keep it closed against the elements.

Design:
-The design of the coat needs to match your personality.
-Some coat designs can complement your figure.
-A dolman sleeve doesn’t have a seam that can restrict or catch against your close when moving your arms.
-The coat needs to pass the hug test or permit easy lifting the arm or lift arm. You don’t want your coat to restrict easy movement.
-A very colorful uniquely designed coat can cheer someone up on a cold February morning but if that doesn’t fit your personality consider a more conservative or plain color.
-Men’s coats with the fly front (with the buttons are hidden) suggest a higher quality and keeps the wind out.
-By a coat that you like and don’t give you an image that you disapprove of such as you don’t want it to make you feel dowdy or cheap.
-Don’t buy an ankle length coat if you spend a lot of time climbing in and out of buses.
-You will want to consider having a hemline that will cover your dresses and skirts.
-Avoid submitting too easily to trends, as you will want a coat that will accommodate multiple years.

Function:
-If you’re outside a lot with the coat then buying a full-length coat may be more useful against the elements versus a coat for just the upper body only.
-Determine the weather if it doesn’t get very cold that will influence the level of coat.
-Pockets are usually very popular, especially as a backup if you don’t have your gloves.
-The type of coat you buy will be influenced by how drastic the weather gets. City rain or snow or incredibly windy will all influence the type of coat you buy.
-If the rains in your area of the country then you’ll want a coat that is waterproof or if it just gets cold you want something with wool.
-If keeping your head protected is also important that will influence your decision about getting a coat with a hood or it that provides too much possible restriction, consider a scarf or hat.

Appearance:
-You will want to look professional.
-Some people will have two coats one for work and another for play and thus would have the style to fit the function.
-Many times people will buy a coat that can be used for multiple tasks.
-Leather coats are known for durability.
-Wool coats are good in that they don’t absorb moisture very easily and provide a wide variety of styles.
-Trench coats are popular because of the belted waist that can complement a females figure.
-Cotton coats work well in the rain.
-Faux fur coats feel luxurious.
-Wool blend coats often look classy and work well over a dress or skirt.
-If it is not really cold enough for a coat that a jacket or blazer would be a better alternative.

Sources:
http://www.luckymag.com/style/video/2009/11/andrea_coats
http://www.overstock.com/guides/womens-coats-buying-guide
http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/news-features/TMG3476714/How-to-invest-in-a-winter-coat.html
http://www.esquire.com/style/tips/best-coats-for-men

How To Buy A Winter Coat

If you have recently made a purchase of a coat and have some items to add to this list please feel welcome to include them thank you.

I do like it when a teacher uses a variety of techniques to teach a lesson. Today in Sunday school, the teacher provided at worksheet to help teach important principals of the lesson. Today’s theme was on The Spirit of Christ, which provides a conscience and can motivate us to live more righteously.

Before the lesson began, the teacher distributed a 5 x 8 sheet folded in half that contained Scriptures and questions to help direct the thoughts of the class, One example is that she gave some Scripture references and then had a spot on her page asking
Is it of God?
and in only opposite side of the page she had
Is it of the devil?
The class is invited to read a selection of scriptures and to determine from the text what actions define what is of God or of the devil. We wrote down our ideas on our individual papers from what we read in the Scriptures and then later discuss them.

A different section of the page she provided the question related to how we live our lives and what kind of activities you perform on a daily basis. She put this question on the page:
When contemplating any activity ask yourself:
Does ___________ invite me to love and serve God?
Is___________ inspired of God?
This section of her worksheet was useful in that invited us as students of God to contemplate our own lives and determine if our actions are activities that God would approve of. So this provided an excellent opportunity for self-reflection and hopefully a chance for us to see how we could improve in being better people.

She does not provide a worksheet every week but the thing is, it’s nice is to have a variety of presentations during different classes and we avoid the same-o, same-o thing every week. Other weeks might consist of reading scriptures and discussing those Scriptures.

Perhaps a week will include a lesson with a short video distributed by the church. I like it when a teacher mixes up the lesson with a variety of ways. All these ways find different ways to involve the class students. A lesson is further embellished by various students getting personal examples from their lives of how God has helped them in a personal trials. Or perhaps how the Scriptures of help them make a wise decision. Etc.

There was another lesson at church that inspired me with an idea for the next time I teach. One time I attended a self-improvement seminar were members were given a stick and we were given the assignment to get the stick to someone we thought had worth. I kept a copy of a stick to take home to remind me of the lesson. I think it would be fun that when I teach a certain lesson that I would provide some everyday object to give each student that would remind them of the topic of a particular lesson. Many teachers will give out a sheet of paper with a very thought-provoking message on it. That is very nice. Some time I would like to provide a three-dimensional object. Where I would have the student put it on the desk or somewhere they would see it every day so that as they would see the object they would be reminded of the lesson.

Just something to consider when I teach a lesson in the future, I like the opportunities when I can learn from the techniques of talented people and teachers around me.

If you have an idea that you find adds freshness and originality to your lessons please feel free to share it in the comment section of the blog. Thank you.

Today’s blog was inspired by reading about a man by the name of Richard G Wilkins. Before his death this year he was highly involved with an organization called defense of the family. He gave a lecture at United Nations of the importance of the family. Wilkins emphasized that the definition of a family is the marriage between a man and a woman. As a result of his opinion he was spit upon at the United Nations by people who wanted to alter the definition of the family

This man’s experiences provides an excellent example of how an individual to make an impact on the world around him. This reminds us that we as individuals we can make an impact in our chosen passion. Often when I think of someone make an impact on the world I may think of a historical figure such as George Washington or Ben Franklin or might think of an inventor such as Alexander Graham Bell or Michelangelo, and forget that one individual can make an impact on their local community, congregation or town.

Simply by becoming a delegate or city Council member or to be on the committee or to participate in a charity event, all of these contribute to the prosperity of the community. As a new use resolution, I am hoping to participate in activity that will affect only one person at a time. But if I can alter that one individual in a positive way then it will be a good use of my time. This is an invitation for each of us to find some chosen area in our community or nation that we can contribute our intellect and our passion to its success.

Now to spend a little time on the accomplishments of the Family Watch International organization.

I remember attending a lecture several years ago at Utah Valley State College of another woman who was involved in defense of the family, and she talked about organization specifically dedicated to hurting the family unit. She also gave some alarming information about the Girl Scouts of America. I recorded the lecture and will have to find it.

I’m going to present some articles about Richard G Wilkins that present some of his experiences while in defense of the family. This is a nice organization I recommend everyone check it out.

http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=353
http://www.familywatchinternational.org/fwi/about_us.cfm
http://www.familywatchinternational.org/fwi/who_we_are.cfm

http://www.familywatchinternational.org/fwi/newsletter/0619.cfm
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/katherine-marshall/family-watch-international_b_1091222.html
http://vimeo.com/user10646088/videos

The blog, Speller Beezy and other ailments, is not just devoted to spelling but also includes remembering facts and information’s through visual images and various mnemonics. Today is devoted on how to tell the difference between arteries and veins.

A for Arteries and also away (as in blood Away from the heart)

Veins bring blood to heart which I use the V like a funnel directing blood to the heart

In honor of Christmas day here is a list of site that show and teach how ot make homemade Christmas decorations. Enjoy.

http://www.allaboutyou.com/craft/knit-free/Christmas-craft-handmade-Christmas
http://www.countryliving.com/crafts/projects/christmas-crafts/easy-to-make-christmas-ornament-crafts#slide-1
http://handsonaswegrow.com/30-homemade-ornaments-for-the-kids/
http://pinterest.com/fedbyfaith/handmade-christmas-ornaments/
http://www.marthastewart.com/274467/christmas-ornament-projects/@center/307034/christmas-workshop

Cheap Homemade Christmas Decorating Ideas

http://www.examiner.com/article/best-cheap-homemade-ornaments-and-decorations-for-christmas

If you’ve made your own or want to share, please feel free to provide a link to your photos of your projects and/or provide a link to instructions.

I hope today’s object lesson can be of use to youth ministries, family devotionals, family counselors and family home evenings. I want to taste the topic of establishing a good work ethic with humor and commentary.

Joke: super dads:

Little Johnny was talking to a couple of boys in the school yard. Each was bragging about how great his father was.

The first one said, “Well, my father runs the fastest. He can fire an arrow and start to run. I tell you, he gets there before the arrow!”

The second one said, “Ha! You think that’s fast! My father is a hunter. He can shoot his gun and be there before the bullet!”

Little Johnny listened to the other two boys and shook his head. He then said: “Sorry, dudes, but MY DAD is the fastest. He’s a civil servant. He stops working at 4:30, and he’s home by 3:45!”

Received from Irene A. Mystery.

**
This is a fun joke and is an interesting way to depict the value of a strong work ethic. I have always enjoyed the phrase, a honest day’s work for a honest day’s pay. I have heard various reports in the media that people joining the work field who okay well may not be as inclined to work hard. I hope that is not the case.

I have had many examples in my life of seeing people at work hard and are honest in their labor. Throughout my life I have done various jobs some more physically demanding and others not. I’ve appreciated the examples of my mother and siblings by their hard work. Parents and grandparents can teach the principal of hard work by example. I’ve always liked seeing parents give their young children assignments for cleaning up sections of the house or doing yard work. Some parents will have a work chart that will assign different tasks each week. Often a child cannot go out and play until their specific assignment is completed. This is a good way to teach work.

I have a specific memory of me sweeping the kitchen floor and not doing a very good job of it and of my mother taking the broom and showing me how to do a better job of it. In my youth, I often had responsibility of cleaning the dishes on Saturday night so we had a clean kitchen Sunday morning. I had the opportunity to have paying jobs while I was young. Two specific jobs I had were at different times. One was delivering a biweekly newspaper called true grit, I think that was the title. The other job was doing custodial work at an elementary in Hurricane.

Many parents will begin training their children while they’re very young, by giving them very simple tasks. As they begin to mature the complexity of their chores increase. Parents will often show them how to do the task and then watch the children as they perform the task to make sure that they do it accurately. This gives the children a chance to contribute to the comfort of the family.

Other important principals to teach about work is the relationship of honesty between employee and employer and working efficiently. Being a person of our word means we do the task we promised to do. Often when we perform a job well, employers may want to increase our responsibilities in the workplace, which gives us a chance to expand our abilities. Working efficiently can be developed by experience and by good training. Other contributions can be our desire to do a good job and looking for examples from those that do a good job of the task that we are performing.

As a family or class or family counselor you may have other ideas of what you would like to teach about work ethic. If you have ideas you would like to share here with this blog you’re welcome the comment, thank you.

Well the world is still here. I guess I’ll continue on with my projects. This day gives me an opportunity to thank God for my blessings.

I just got back from a family Christmas party and had a good time. There are members of my family who have delightful personalities and if I wasn’t related to them they would make good friends. The people of my family in my youth are also individuals who I have come to admire for various reasons. I also appreciate my past friends and current friends and find that they are very talented. I appreciate being employed and having adequate health. Thanks Paul Roberts for helping me pay off my house and car.

I love my country.

I appreciate the gospel of Jesus Christ and the birth of Jesus in Nazareth so long ago. Now is a good time of reflection to remember our blessings and to tell others that we care for them and the thank God for all he has done for us.

Merry Christmas.

I keep wanting to spell scissors as scizzors or scizzers. Hummm how to remember how to spell it correctly. Here’s an idea, one likes to have scissors to be really Sharp. I mean really Sharp to work well, so a sharp and sharp I remember there are two. Ss in the middle of the word scissors.

Scissors

Humm, another observation, there are 4 Ss in scissors, one on each end into the middle. Never noticed that before.

Here’s another way, the S could look like the finger holes of a pair of scissors. That might help me remember to spell scissors with Ss.

How to remember the O at the end of scissors? Men OR women both like using scissors therefore I remember the word OR inside of scissors. We’ll see if these mnemonics work and I spell this word the next time I need it.

If you have ideas on how to remember how to spell this word correctly please feel free to share them thanks