Monday, November 24, 2008

Family Fun: Thanksgiving Turkey Gourd Craft


At the first Thanksgiving, turkey was actually a side dish, taking second billing to venison. But set this pretty bird center table and it's guaranteed to steal the show.

CRAFT MATERIALS:

Gourd
Round toothpicks
Pumpkin
Red chili pepper
Orange rind
Cloves
Corn husks or tamale wrappers
Tempera paints
Pair of red gloves

Time needed: Under 1 Hour
1. To create the turkey's face, push a few toothpicks halfway into one side of the gourd, then attach it to the pumpkin by pushing the protruding toothpick ends through the pumpkin shell. Use the same method to attach the chili-pepper wattle.

2. For eyes, use two orange-rind circles. Push a clove through the center of each one and into the gourd.

3. Next, tint the corn husk feathers by dipping them into diluted tempera paints (2 parts water to 1 part paint) and attach them to the pumpkin with toothpicks.

4. Set the completed pumpkin atop the red gloves so that the fingers resemble turkey feet.


Thanks Familyfun.com, for this holiday craft!

Monday, November 3, 2008

How to Conceive a Planned Baby Boy

Scientific studies have continuously proven that diet, prior to conception, can influence the baby's gender. Many parents wonder, how can I conceive a baby boy through diet? There are important things that must be considered first and these facts are certainly worth the effort.

How to Conceive a Boy Baby – The Scientific Background

The first thing you need to know is how is gender determined? To do this you must begin with the root of the baby's development: the fertilization process. The union of the father's sperm and the mother's egg is what starts off that option to conceive a baby boy or a baby girl. At the heart of it all are the interplay of chromosomes X and Y. The female's egg is generally composed of the X chromosomes, while it is the male sperm that can either have the Y chromosome or the X chromosome in it. But the sad thing is that the Y chromosome, though faster in speed, is ironically weaker in resisting challenging environments than the X chromosome.

Y chromosomes can get immediately washed off in the vaginal area of the mother or if they luckily make it to the mother's egg, the acidity levels of the womb can completely destroy them. So even if they have already reached the egg and embedded themselves into it, their development may be halted by acidic levels and once they are destroyed, the X chromosomes found on the egg's make up will takeover and therefore conceive a baby girl.

The Next Steps on How to Conceive a Boy

Because the development of the Y chromosome is usually set off on more sensitive grounds due to acid levels, it is important that a soon to be expecting mom change her pH level and control it to set favorable conditions for a baby boy. The Boy Diet includes foods rich in alkaline because this helps tone down acid levels and notably alkaline also provides a favorable environment to let the Y chromosome develop.

With the pH level in place, you will now have to begin sorting your food groups. The challenge of how to conceive a boy actually depends with you eating all the foods, outlined in the Boy Diet plan, especially during the first three months before conception. This is also the reason why those who wanted to plan the sex of their child must do so beforehand and not during the pregnancy itself. Once you begin with the Boy Diet, you will be consuming more potassium and calcium-rich foods and will take mineral rich supplements to increase your chances of conceiving a baby boy.