Should I Twitter or should I Blog?

A lot of twitters still don't understand the principal of the site, there is no need to decide which one to use,twitter is a social network and is deemed to be a micro-blogging site also.

With twitter you can basically blog about anything you like, however you will have to do it in 140 characters or less, because you are limited to 140 characters or less, makes it more personal.

What to do with twitter once you have created your profile page, you post blogs, how many times can you blog that's up to you, you can blog every minute,hour, or a couple of times a day.

By following other bloggers and users you will be able to create conversations and build relationships, if you are unable to get to a computer, you can still tweet by going through your IM or mobile phone.


If you find that the limit of only 140 characters is to short, then using twitter is not for you. There is also a code you must use in order to give replies


There are ways in which you should use twitter, unfortunately alot of people make the mistake of not using real pictures or they send impersonal tweets, if you use AutoDM then you will be classed as spam, by not using these mistakes you will have more fun using twitter.


You should try to get as many followers as possible, encourage your friends to join, after all it is simple to use and it's free, then you will be able to send tweets whenever you want.


A simple trick to use twitter daily or more is to add twitter to your browser, so you will see it and then you will use it often.

What to tweet, tweet some tips and articles of interest, if you receive messages you should reply to them, by spending a little time in sending and answering any replies you will enjoy using twitter, another way for you to follow your friends is by adding Google Talk, this way you will be able to check your followers without the need to open your browser, you can also send new tweets and post replies just by using Google talk.


So if you are interested in writing short blogs then twitter a micro-blogging site is what you need, it is a more personal and friendly way to let friends know what you are up to, you will also find that some twitters joined, because they want to use twitter for online marketing. so no matter what the reason is as to why you want to twitter it is free to use.

With twitter you are able to blog, but you can also use it for social messaging by typing status updates, you are able to follow individuals no limit as to how many, you can communicate online with them or by using a mobile device, If some of your friends are from the same area as you, then you will be able to co-ordinate activities by using small groups on twitter, you would be able to instantly blog about up and coming events.


So to recap twitter is a


Business instrument
Social messaging
Micro-blogging
Reporting service
Marketing utility.

So the question was "Should I Twitter or Should I blog? " hopefully you now have some idea on which way to go.

Caring for your Cat

Many years ago after getting married,we found are self's buying two cute kittens, they were tortoise shell,naming them was easy we got them on Guy Fawkes day ( a UK tradition) so we named them Guy and Fawkes, at that time  I did not really know much about cats, as a youngster we always had dogs.  I always thought cats took care of themselves and they generally do, but I did learn a few things along the way which I would like to share with you.

Although my Mum did tell me about a cat she once had, at the time she was living in Plymouth Devon England very close to the dockyard, where the naval ships came in, the funny thing was when a ship went to sea her cat would disappear, three months or so later the cat would reappear stroll in and demand something to eat, a few days or so later the cat would be gone again and then return in a few months, if only the cat could talk!!!


Kittens and cats are cute fuffy animals and yes they generally can take care of themselves, But there are a few things you should know about caring for your cat, usually you get your cat as a kitten and eventually grow up in to an adventurous cat

If you decide to get a kitten, and are concerned if you have other animals and how the kitten would react, generally they adapt well and it will accept that the other animals rule.

At first your kitten will not be able to go out until it has had his/her first injections from the vet, so you will need to train your kitten to use a cat litter tray, Cats are very clean animals so make sure the litter tray is cleaned regularly also decide where you are going to put the litter tray so the kitten will learn that its his/hers, if it gets moved around the kitten will become confused and accidents will happen.

At first like any other your animal the kitten will follow you around, he/she will also jump and climb, from the moment you have your kitten it is best to discourage them from jumping on your kitchen tops or tables especially if you have food on there, the easiest method to teach your kitten not to do this is by keeping handy a small squeezable bottle filled with water which you can just squirt in the face of the kitten.

Another thing I discovered is kittens and cats lover to scratch, so to save your furniture, its a good ideal to invest in a scratching post, scratching is how they sharpen their nails, however if they try to scratch elsewhere, again spray some water at them.

As with dogs it is best to take them occasionally to the vet to trim their nails, or if you are confident you are able to buy from your local pet shop nail clippers and you can trim them yourselves, to do this you will need to hold your cat firmly and then press down on each toe which will make the claws extend, if you start this when they are a kitten then will get use to it, so try to inspect them regularly.


As for shedding hair, kittens do not tend to shed that much until they become cats, but you should comb them, again to get them use to it start combing then regularly no matter if they are a short or long haired cats.

For a healthy kitten/cat, just like us to stay in tip top condition they need to eat good quality cat food, this you can purchase from your local pet store, if you are unsure what to feed your kitten/cat ask the vet for advice he will recommend a brand that is high in vitamins and minerals. Also always make sure your kitten/cats water bowl is clean and fresh, so they don't get dehydrated.

Coming back to the kittens first and yearly injections, you should register your kitten with a local vet who will administer the necessary injections to protect your kitten from diseases,you will be given a record card showing you what and when they had done and it will also be a reminder to have your kitten done each and every year.

If you decide to get a cat and not a kitten, you will need to give them time to adapt to their new home, if you have other pets they may have a little argument, don't intervene it is normal and they will come to terms with each other, if however it does get a little out of hand you will have to separate them into different rooms. Over time they will either get on or just simply ignore each other.


As with a kitten, a cat needs to learn your rules to, so use the same tactic and squirt water at their face, it is the best way to treat them without physically hurting them.

Is your cat going to be an indoor or an outdoor cat, it has been show that by keeping your cat indoors it extends their life for over ten years, outdoor cats run the risk of being hit by cars or picking up a nasty virus from stray animals, stray cats generally only live for a couple of years.

That's it really taking care of your new kitten is relatively simple,you just have to decide whether your kitten will be an indoor or and outdoor cat.

Oh not forgetting cats love attention, they will lay on your lap, enjoy a good pampering and will purr like crazy to show they are contented.

If you are stuck for names for your new kitten here are a few suggestions.



Male

Max -  Sam -  Sooty - Gizmo - Lucky - Charlie - Toby - Buddy - - Simba

Female

Sassy - Missy - Misty - Samantha - Molly - Coco - Lucy - Maggie -  Sophie -  Daisy

Or you could name your cat according to its colour, such as a white cat can be called snowdrop
or maybe your kitten has distinguishing  marks , then you could name it a tabby, patch etc

But remember if its an outdoor cat, it will be you who's calling out the name so be sure you want to be shouting out its name.

Lazy Sunny Sunday.

Yet again we are having a glorious day in England, the sun is shining, what to do 

Gardening? 
Clean the House? 
Maybe do the ironing!!

No we decided to take advantage of this beautiful day and go to a country park, with the dogs of course and water for when they get thirsty and Ice Cream for us mmmmm.

Great exercise for us and the dogs and to breath in some of that lovely clean fresh air.

However got to be back for about 2.30pm.

Its a big day today in England and for Germany too, well it is if you are a footy fan.

England v Germany, lets hope the English fans drown out the noise from them annoying vuvuzelas, I really cannot see how they can watch the football and blow them things at the same time!!


So I would like to Wish England Good Luck, and to hope it is an enjoyable 90 minutes, with some great football from both sides.


Then to finish off the evening hopefully with a win, were off down the club with family and friends for a drink and some bingo., where hopefully I will be shouting out HOUSE!!!!

Update

England Lost no surprise there - Well done the Germans you ran faster, you found space, you scored goals.
England you turned up.....

Good News.

While over the Park, Tammy fell in the water or did Gunner nudge her in? not sure, We had a lovely stroll in the sunshine and the dogs throughly enjoyed theirselves..

And I got to shout House twice on the bingo....

Aerobics For Kids

Whether your children are energetic or not they should be introduced into the world of a healthy and fitter lifestyle.

Introducing your children to aerobics as an exercise will teach them about health and also movement and co-ordination skills, at the same time their energies would be put to good use and will benefit them in the long run.

Studies show that 25% of children and teens do not do any form of vigorous physical activity. 

Its also reported that approximately 14% of teenagers  do physical activity, for example daily walking or cycling. Many children today are considered overweight this could be due to the many modern gadgets they have to play with and the fast food that can be purchased, unfortunatley we all seem to be living at a fast pace and because of lack of time quick meals are eating throughout the day.

However it is now becoming a problem for tots to teens, as they grow older health problems will eventually appear, for those that are involved in physical activities lowers the risks of developing health issues.

By teaching your child to exercise you will be lowering the risks of obesity,diabeted,high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease.

Exercising needs to be fun, so don't rush  out and buy a DVD with a 30 minutes of exercises to do, they will simply get bored.

You could go to your local fitness center, they not only have programs for adults, but cater for children to teenagers and they will be able to help your child with a workout program to suit their age and fitness level, which would involve cycling, swimming,walking,and even playing games which will inturn introduce low,moderate and high impact aerobics and physical activity.

By doing aerobics your children would become more active and they will see a differnet outlook on how they live their lifes and what sort of life they want as they grow older.  

Now I know I said earlier not to rush out and by an exercise DVD, however, there are fun CDs and DVDs that have a mixture of aerobics and dance workouts, Children love to dance and they would be able to dance to hip-hop and modern dances and  be exercising at the same time.

There are others they could try such as kickboxing,yoga and pilates, your child could also take part in their schools organized sports and activities.

If you are concerned in anyway about your childs need for physical activity, please consult your doctor or local health centre for more information first.

Generally children should be doing at least 30 to 60 minutes of physical activites everyday. For moderate to vigorous activity this should last no more that 15 minutes, this does not include things such as playing games with their friends, riding bikes,walking or running they should be doing this daily.

How can you help your child change their lifestyle and look forward to a more healthier, fitter life.

First you will need to encourage your child to undertake physical activity, then as with many things we need rules.

1. Time Setting - Watching TV.
2. Time Setting - Computer games
3. All meals should be eaten at the dining table (No TV No Computor/games,

Number (3) would be the ideal opportunity to talk to your children about their day with no distractions.

Coming back on how to encourage your children to exercise, thats where you come in.

Everybody needs to have some form of exercise, not just for the overweight, even thin people have health issues.

The simplest way to encouragement is set an example by exercising too.

Exercising as a family, will also build a much stronger and closer relationship.

Not only will Aerobics benefit your child but the whole family too.

Kids and mobiles!!!

Finally succombed to my 10 year old daughters nagging, she was beginning to sound like Bart and Lisa.

Can I have a moblie mum
Can I have a mobile mum
Can I have a mobile mum

I decided to succomb and buy my daughter a mobile phone, but with some ground rules of course.

Not allowed to take it to school
Not allowed to take it to her bedroom

But one rule I did not forget to make but did not realise she would do is constantly text me even if we were in the same room!!!

Can I have a drink Please mum
I'm hungry

Luckly this was just a novelty and has warn off now.

But on a serious note:-


Mobile Phones and the Teenager

Mobile phones for teenagers and younger are a growing trend
in England, America in fact all over the world.

Although it a little concerning as to who they are texting
and chatting to, depending on the mobile they are able to
take photos send photos etc.

Every child is different and some are very responsible,
however as a parent you will want to keep your child safe.

Before handing their new mobile to them you must have a gently chat
of the safety issues and being responsible.

Bills, before they run up huge bills you will need to set up
some limits and explain that the last thing you want to do is
confiscate their phone.

So as a parent it is up to you to stay involved and keep on top
to prevent any problems from happening.

Set some rules

Know who your child is talking to
How long they are allowed to use their phone
Know who they are sending and receiving pictures from

This also goes for text messages.

If your child is old enough to drive, make sure they
do not text or chat while in control of a vehicle, it would be more
safer to invest in a hands free kit, however definitely no texing while
driving.

Our Feathered Friends

Recently I had a 100ft tree removed from my garden, unfortunatley it was blocking light into the back of the house also it was far too close to the house and could cause foundation problems so we had no choice but to have it removed.

However we did keep one branch, for the intention of building a Bird tree/house.

And here it is

Apart from sitting in the garden relaxing watching the bird come down to feed, Birds are also very useful for your garden, as they love to eat pests that love to eat your plants.


Bird Watching with Kids

If you have been thinking what to do with the kids, here is a fun family way you could spend a weekend and have a break from the activities that can tire you.

Turn to nature and go bird watching, you could start slowly by watching the birds in your garden, if you feel creative you could build a bird table or hang some bird feeders around your garden to encourage the birds into your garden so the your children can learn about the local species..

Go to your local library or bookshop if you prefer and grab yourself a good bird guide, try to find a book that is easy to read and contains colourful pictures to help keep your children interested.


Take the kids out to your nearest natural trail, not only will they have fun looking for different bird you will be gently strolling giving you exercise and fresh air, also it may inspire your children to have more interest in the environment,inspire them to care more for the environment.

If you feel you need help looking and naming the birds, at most natural reserves you should be able to find a guide who will know exactly where to go to discover these amazing flying creatures.


A good guide will also teach children what they should or should not do in different situations like when they find a bird’s nest, bird’s eggs and even newly hatched chicks. Part of the guide’s responsibility is to spur interest on birds and nature, if possible. A challenging job for a guide, but as parents you have a share to that responsibility as well.

The second important thing that you will need would be a good pair of binoculars. You can find binoculars for kids in the market. You might want to think of settling for those kinds so your child can properly hold them. They might find it difficult to hold the big ones. Another option would be to position the binoculars to focus on the bird feeders and then mount it on a tripod so your child doesn’t need to hold it.


You could make it more interesting by taking photos of the birds and keeping a journey or a scrap book of your weekend bird watching, when winter comes it will be a nice way to sit down and chat about  memories of your fun Bird watching weekend.

Bird watching is a great way to bond with your children, its hard to chat with your child when riding on the Big Dipper in a theme park, it will also help your child to develope new skills, not forgetting the healthy aspect of exercise and clean fresh air.

Mischief Puppy

At the moment I am taking care of my eldest daughters doggie, although we have had little Tammy living longer with us then my daughter.

For some mad reason I decided to buy my husband a dog for his birthday,he named her Gunner, and he's a football fanatic you may realise it has something to do with Arsenal F.C.

Gunner is a Staffordshire Bull Terror, who has a very mischief side to her.

As you can see in these images, she does see Tammy as her mum, and tends to torment her.