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Orlando Clark Profile and Articles
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1). A Must-Have Tool for Laying Down Tile
There are certain home improvement projects do-it-yourselfers tackle on a regular basis – not only to save money, but for the satisfaction they get out of doing them. Among the most popular, painting and laying down floor tile.
There’s nothing tricky about painting. All you have to do is mask the things you don’t want to paint, like window trim and baseboards, and go to town.
2). Fun with a Purpose
Now that summer vacation is here, what’s on your child’s list of things to do? To have fun, of course! And as a parent, it’s your job to make sure your kids can achieve that goal while at the same time continuing to learn.
Numerous studies on the phenomenon known as summer brain drain all conclude the same thing: knowledge is a use it or lose it kind of thing.
3). Keep Your House Cool during the Dog Days of Summer
It’s not easy keeping a house cool during the long, hot, dog-days of summer, but according to interior design experts at The Art Institutes, there are steps you can take to not only make your house cooler, but also more environmentally-friendly, energy-efficient and enjoyable to be in.
Start with windows. Even in the summer, homeowners want to experience the long days of daylight the warmer months bring, but old or inexpensive windows can make a house hot by allowing heat to transfer into rooms.
4). Paying for Your College
Are you or your son or daughter heading to college this fall? Are you daunted by the costs and financing decisions? Ponder these facts:
* As reported by the U.S. Department of Education, more than 16.3 million students will be enrolled in colleges in 2006 in the United States -- you're not alone in making some tough financial decisions.
* During.
5). Give Kids the World
When Todd Imholte signed on with a Hopkins, Minn. company that makes and sells wallpaper murals, he never guessed his job would have “global” impact for thousands of American school children. Yet once a year, Imholte, the president of Environmental Graphics, spearheads the updating of the company’s top-selling product of all time – its World Map mural.
6). Kids’ Brains Need Back-to-School Warm-Up
Parents helping a child prepare for that first post-summer-vacation reading quiz often find themselves wondering if he has forgotten everything he learned the year before. Research shows that the “summer brain-drain” phenomenon is no figment of the imagination. Over summer vacation, children can forget more than two months worth of school instruction.
7). New Tool Makes Home Improvement Jobs Easier
How many times have you been working on a project around the house, or on the job, only to find yourself frustrated by trying to find the hammer you put down who knows where. It happens to the best of us, even the professionals.
Because of its odd shape and size, the hammer is one of the easiest tools to lose. Ask any repairman or contractor and they’re likely to tell you putting a hammer back in their tool belt is just too inconvenient.
8). Fund Raising with an Edge
Now that school is starting, school fund raisers can’t be far behind. Everything from coupons books to wrapping paper to cookies has been enlisted in the cause of raising money for school activities.
One fund raiser that has stood the test of time is Rada knives. The company has been helping churches, school groups and community organizations raise millions of dollars by selling the distinctive metal handled knives that are known for their quality.
9). New School Year’s Resolution: Get Organized
The kids are back in school. The free-wheeling attitude of summer is a fading memory. And parents are left with the daunting task of re-imposing order and organization on the household.
“The barrage of paperwork alone that comes with the start of the school year can be a real wake up call,” says Ginny Bean, a mother of three boys ages 11, 15 and 17, and publisher of one of the country’s fastest growing house wares catalogs.
10). Survival Tips for Parents of College-Bound Kids
You once savored that wonderful time of the year when your youngsters went back to school. Ah, the free time ... at last some emotional and financial relief from keeping the kids entertained throughout the summer! But now your bundle of joy is college-bound and you both face new, monumental challenges.
In a recent study by Key Education Resources, 66 percent of parents are surprised by the cost of ancillary expenses like books, utilities, groceries, entertainment, cell phones, computer software, transportation and travel.
11). Most Parents Fall Behind In Saving for Child’s College Education
For many parents, the end of the school year is an anxious reminder of how much they’re falling behind on their good intentions to save for their child’s education. As a group, half of all Americans have children they would like to send to college. Most of these parents expect to pay for at least some of that cost, according to a recent study commissioned by Northwestern Mutual.
12). Get Grads In Gear With Technology Tools for Success
As graduates move from one stage of life to the next, technology can help them in their journey to success. The latest gadgets are smaller, more powerful and less expensive, allowing graduates to take advantage of the best in mobility and efficiency while watching their pocketbooks.
“Technology is essential for students,” says Tony Weiss, president and CEO of CompUSA.
13). Strong Relationship with Mom Key to Son’s Success
You’ve probably heard about the importance of boys having a strong relationship with their fathers. In fact, the presence of a positive male role model in a young boy’s life is practically indispensable. But equally important to any young boy’s success in life is the quality of his relationship with his mother.
Traditionally, the mother and son relationship has faced some unique challenges, based in large part on cultural stereotypes.
14). Rewriting Slovak History
Students of history know that objective facts can be subject to multiple interpretations, and that we, with roots in Central Europe, must look for the truth somewhere between all the opposing viewpoints. Because politics play a role in every interpretation, it can take decades for the diverging stories to come together to paint a more accurate and nuanced picture of the past and how it shaped the world of our forebears throughout Central Europe and ultimately our own lives in this pluralistic society.
15). Invest in Your Child’s Learning
Children of all ages need basic tools to succeed in school, such as pens, pencils, notebooks and dictionaries, but sometimes basic supplies just aren’t enough to capture a child’s interest and understanding. Since math courses build upon fundamentals learned in previous courses, today’s student must keep up and master concepts at each grade level to succeed in school, prompting parents to look for educational tools as an investment in their child’s learning.
16). A Hands-On Approach to Fighting Childhood Obesity
Health experts estimate that 9 million U.S. children older than 6 are obese, which puts nearly one in five American kids at risk for diabetes, heart disease and a host of other health problems. This issue is not just impacting families but also educators and administrators as school districts across the country are taking up the challenge to remove soft drinks and candy machines from our nation’s schools.
17). Prepare College Students for Financial Health
When your children head off to college, you’re sending them out into the world to start life on their own. Before they leave, you’ll probably coach them on the things they’ll need to know -- like how to do laundry, cook their favorite dish, and budget their time and money. But many parents forget to address two areas that can have a significant, long-term impact on their children’s financial health -- managing their credit and protecting their identity.
18). Graduation Gift Ideas
If you are present shopping for a soon-to-be college graduate, have no fear -- stick with gadgets and you pretty much can’t go wrong. And you don’t have to be a 20-something techie to know how to pick out the right gadget gift. Interactive media design instructors from The Art Institutes have some insider’s tips that will make gift-buying for the grad on your list a breeze.
19). Ancient Wisdom Gets Modern Day Twist
“Since our time is short, let’s not waste any of it expecting to live to an old age. Even while we talk, time grudgingly moves on. Live for today, counting on tomorrow for nothing.” Sounds like the latest celebrity self-help guru urging you to seize the day? Not quite – it’s actually age-old advice from Horace, the Latin lyric poet and satirist who died in 8 B.
20). Teachers Prep for Back to School with Free Online Courses
With the current push for academic achievement, teachers need to enter the school year not only prepared to battle students’ “summer slide,” but to be at the top of their own instructional game. Research has highlighted two broad categories for teacher effectiveness: first, the level of knowledge and skills teachers bring to the classroom, as measured by preparation and qualifications, and second, their classroom practices.
21). Teen Fashion Designer Dreams About Her Own Wedding Day
It’s no surprise that weddings are a serious business. They are, after all, a $25.3 billion industry.
Not only does the average bride take 7 to 12 months to plan her wedding, but she will also spend some $25,000 making it one of the most memorable days of her life according to the Web site, www.hallmark.com. Of that budget, some $3,000 or more can go to a wedding dress according to about.
22). Athletics Give Women Strength, Confidence
Whether it’s earning a top finish in a men’s tournament or scoring over 100 points in a high school basketball game, women are breaking barriers in sports everywhere we look. These are just a few of the current role models empowering women to reach their athletic potential.
But it wasn’t that long ago that it was considered unusual for women to excel at sports.
23). Top Teen Chef’s Recipe for Backyard Entertaining
Adreena Winnfield knows a little something about cooking. As winner of The Art Institutes Best Teen Chef 2005 scholarship competition, Winnfield beat out competitors from all over the U.S. and Canada to take home the prestigious title and a full scholarship worth $35,000 to study culinary arts.
Winnfield began cooking at the age of 11, watching her mother and grandmother make wonderful dishes that fed the spirit of her large family.
24). Credit Advice for Recent Grads
It seems like everybody’s doing it. Going into debt that is. Americans are so deep in debt that none other than Oprah Winfrey has made it a mission to force America on a “Debt Diet” with a series of shows featuring families that overspend to the brink of bankruptcy.
For the recent graduate, going into debt is a clear and present danger.
25). Finding a Study Spot for Kids is as Easy as ABC
As school buses start rolling out, the homework will start rolling in. According to the U.S. Department of Education, kids who complete more homework score better on standardized tests and get better grades than students who do less. Consult any parenting or education Web site, magazine or book, and one of the primary tips offered for effective study skills is to designate a place where kids can retreat to tackle their homework.
26). Educate Yourself on the Pros and Cons of Home Schooling
What does Thomas Edison, one of the country’s greatest and most prolific inventors, have in common with 1.1 million U.S. children today? Edison was home schooled, the process by which children are educated at home rather than at a public or private school. While all states have compulsory education laws which demand children attend school for a set minimum number of hours and days per year, the reasons why parents would choose to home school their child are as varied as Edison’s inventions.
27). Great Gifts for Graduates
The arrival of graduation season may have you fretting over how to find just the right gift for that special graduate in your life. Graduation gift-giving doesn’t have to be hard. Some creative thinking, and delving into your graduate’s future plans and current interests, can help you give a memorable graduation gift.
Here are some universal, practical, fun and inspirational ideas for graduation gifts:
For Everyone
* Some graduation gifts fit well for both high school and college grads.
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