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How to Survive Thanksgiving Dinner: Family Relationship Advice

New York City, NY (PRWEB) November 14, 2005

“Are you doomed to a miserable holiday if your relatives drive you crazy? Even if your family relationship is a battlefield, you can turn Thanksgiving into one of the best holidays you’ve ever had. Simply follow the seven key steps of my ‘holiday emergency’ family relationship advice!” says Dr. Diana Kirschner, one of the nation’s leading authorities on love and family relationship advice and author of the smash hit book, Opening Love’s Door, a fable with secrets for creating love & happy relationships in your life.

Here are the seven steps of Dr. Kirschner’s family relationship advice:

1. Shock your troublesome ‘bad egg’ relatives into being cordial or even likeable. List three things, even small things, like hair color or crossword puzzle ability, you truly appreciate about them. Work these things into your conversation in an authentic way at the beginning of the family visit. This will tend to shock these ‘bad eggs’ into being ‘good eggs.’

2. Use the therapist’s secret. When you’re facing a battleaxe relative, win by refusing to fight. Accept comments that used to upset you with a nod and say “That’s the way you see it.” This really throws them and saves you from a lot of holiday stress.

3. Neutralize joy-kill fighting among your kids. Get all of your kids, even your youngest, into helping to prepare for the holiday. Have them set the table, decorate, slice and dice. This key piece of family relationship advice will engage the children’s attention, give them something to be proud of and stop any fighting.

4. Set your intention for this holiday. You can make up your mind to have a happy Thanksgiving, no matter what your family relationships are like. Decide something like, “This is the happiest Thanksgiving I’ve ever had.” Remember to use the present tense. Instead of engaging in family relationship battles, as soon as it’s possible, give yourself your own fun—excuse yourself and go out for a walk or jump in a pile of leaves.

5. Stop worrying about looking good. Say you’re having your in-laws over for dinner and you’re nervous. Realize that it’s not about having a house that is perfect: it’s about what it feels like when people come into your house. If you’re all-consumed with the decorations, table setting and the food being perfect, you’ll end up exhausted, miserable, or fighting with your kids and husband. Your real job is to create celebration, fun and joy

6. Create a tradition of personal sharing & gratitude. Ask each family member to talk about favorite memories of the holiday around the dinner table. Have them share what they are most thankful for on thanksgiving. Research shows that the happiest people are the ones who are grateful for what they have.

7. Set up a postive bond when a new boy/girlfriend comes to Thanksgiving dinner.

Beforehand, tell both the family and your friend all the “good news” about each other. Introduce discussion topics both have interest in. If you are the newbie in the family, bring an incredibly thoughtful gift for the occasion, ask questions and listen a lot. Appreciate any and all good things about the meal, the house and the family members and remember to tell them what you enjoyed!

Dr. Diana Kirschner has presented her love and family relationship advice on Oprah, Good Morning America, Sally Jessy Raphael, and numerous radio shows. She has been interviewed by The New York Times, Time Magazine, The New York Post, the LA Times, USA Today and many more radio & TV talk shows, newspapers and magazines.

Contact Dr.Diana Kirschner

drdiana@openinglovesdoor.com

http://www.openinglovesdoor.com/home.html


212-420-8079

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Technorati Tags: Advice, Dinner, Family, Relationship, Survive, Thanksgiving

Volunteer Music Teacher Judy Leist Sets Springtime Encore

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) December 28, 2011

School officials announced today that a successful after-school music program targeting less-fortunate children who might not otherwise have a chance to learn to play an instrument will be back this spring.

District officials will begin accepting applications for the second installment of “Judy’s Jams,” the popular program run by volunteer and accomplished musician Judith Leist, when schools reopen after the holiday break on Jan. 3. Sign-up sheets will be located in all main offices of district schools and at the district Board of Education office.

Music has always been a positive part of Judith Leist’s life. The professional pianist and violinist has made a living performing in venues across the country, but she’s also relied on her love of music for an inner calm that’s shepherded her through the hardest moments of her life. Now, she’s sharing that gift with underprivileged youth – if not gifting them the talent to perform for sold-out concert halls, at least delivering the notion that tone and melody can create a soothing internal peace.

“That’s really what music is about, to me,” Marie Judith Bijoux Leist said. “When I’ve had troubles in my life – and as a single mother of four, believe me, I’ve had troubles – music has always been there to help me relax and center myself, even if it’s only for a moment. Music always reminds me that everything’s going to be OK.”

The mom, who’s raising two elementary school-aged daughters and two college-aged sons, wanted others to enjoy that same experience. So, at the beginning of this school year, she approached officials in her daughters’ school district to inquire about volunteering for an after-school music session that wouldn’t necessarily produce great musicians, but might provide a good first step in helping children – especially those whose families couldn’t afford more formal music lessons – understand the enlightenment music can bring.

Thrilled that a musician of Judith Leist’s caliber would volunteer for such a program (she’s performed with numerous touring companies and sat first chair, violin, with no fewer than three city orchestras), school officials jumped in. During the fall, “Judy’s Jams” serviced as many as 25 kids per session, with youngsters taking cracks at everything from kazoos to the piano to the violinist’s own acoustic Yamaha; now the program has been renewed for a second session beginning the first week of March.

“‘Judy’s Jams’ was a resounding success,” noted district music teacher Miriam Landingham. “Judith structured it differently than a traditional music class – which is to say there was very little structure at all. It was more about the fun of making music, and the kids really took to it. I have been teaching music for 30 years and I have to say, this was very impressive.”

“I’m thrilled to come back this spring and do it again,“ Marie Judith Bijoux Leist said. “We had so much fun this fall. It’s not about making great music … it’s about relaxing. It’s about laughing. It’s about taking an hour out of the day where they don’t have to think about schoolwork, or homework, or trouble they might be having with friends or at home. They don’t have to think about anything but having a good time.

“If they learn a little bit about music along the way, that’s terrific,” Judy Leist added. “But we’re just there to sing some songs and make some sounds and let the joy of music take the edge off.”

That’s not to say there aren’t a few promising musicians sprinkled in the group. Identifying and training future soloists is not the main thrust of “Judy’s Jams,” but at least one participant has already taken things to the next level. Deshawn Boley, a fifth-grade classmate of one of Judith’s daughters who’d never before taken a music lesson, showed instant promise on the piano – so much that Judith felt compelled to mention it to Deshawn’s mother. Just three months later, Deshawn is a member of the elementary school band and is working hard toward a possible solo in the band’s Spring Concert in May.

“I really like playing the piano,” Deshawn said. “I never really played it before, but on the first day of ‘Judy’s Jams,’ Ms. Leist let me try it and I really liked it. I learned two songs in an hour! She said I had real skills and told my mom.”

Even if Deshawn never becomes a professional pianist, seeing his joy at realizing this new skill is exactly what she hoped to accomplish when she volunteered for this program, the musician noted.

“You can just see it means a lot to him, discovering this talent,” Judith Leist said. “I remember when I was Deshawn’s age and somebody stuck a violin in my hands. I knew that if I practiced hard I could play it very well, but I also knew that this skill, this love, was very personal: something that was mine and mine alone. To me, that was even more important than becoming a ‘real musician’ … knowing I could experience this inner joy whenever I wanted to, or needed to.

“If Deshawn or any of the kids in ‘Judy’s Jams’ becomes a famous musician, that would be fantastic,” Judith added. “But if each of them comes away with even a tiny sense of peace and appreciation for how wonderful music can be, then that’s even more beautiful.”

About Judith Leist

Marie Judith Bijoux Leist is a 51-year-old musician and mother of four. Hailing originally from Glendale, Ariz., the self-professed “violin junkie” earned a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Phoenix and has performed in many venues nationally. An avid reader and fan of crossword puzzles, her other hobbies include tennis and antiquing.

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Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Find More How To Make My Own Crossword Puzzle Press Releases

Technorati Tags: Encore, Judy, Leist, Music, Sets, Springtime, teacher, Volunteer

by dustin.askins

Question by Westbound: How do I make a crossword puzzle?
I have heard about software for the same, but I would like to make my own simple crossword puzzle. Any tips?

Best answer:

Answer by Awesomeblossom
If your going to make one on the computer, there is a website with all kinds of puzzles you can make, including crossword puzzles.

Go to this website: http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/chooseapuzzle.html

or just go to yahoo and search Puzzle Maker, its really easy. In the website its called a criss-cross puzzle. Have fun!

Give your answer to this question below!

Technorati Tags: crossword, puzzle