By Rosana Castro,

The inspiration behind Button Me Boutique.com is my two wonderful daughters and my supportive husband. My family is my greatest joy. Being blessed with two beautiful girls has given me the passion to make handmade quality boutique products. BMB has flourished since 2009 bringing together a unique collection of hair accessories for little girls and women alike. BMB offers handmade accessories such as baby headbands, hair bows, clips, flowers, beanie hats, tutus, shoes, dog’s accessories, and much more! I strive to provide quality products, I use high quality ribbons and treat all ends to prevent fraying. We are always adding to our selection. We are a family owned business with the belief that our customer’s needs are of the utmost importance. At Button Me Boutique our vision is to make this boutique more than just a place to shop. We want BMB to be a place you come and treat yourself to something special.

We are committed to providing high quality product, service, and customer satisfaction.

Testimonials:

• I got the accessories today and they are Precious! I appreciate your customer service and am definitely a customer for life!   ~ Kimberly R. NJ

• Wow! Your headbands are awesome! I get compliments on them all the time. Love them!

~ Ashley S. Philadelphia

• Thank you Rosana!! The custom made headbands for the wedding were magnificent, everyone loved them! Thank you!  ~ Lauren M. West Chester

• Rosana my granddaughters loved their tutus with the matching Bows .. will be back to see you in the spring.  ~ Dina T. DE

We have Fabulous accessories for your Princess needs !!!

Gift certificates available!

We are now hosting B-Day Parties & Ladies nights !

Please visit us at www.buttonmeboutique.com for more info.

Dear Reader:

Rose Valley Furniture is not about roses, nor valleys – but it is most definitely about furniture. The kind of quality furniture that you expect to pay a fair price for and that lasts a lifetime. Rose Valley Furniture offers exactly what it looks like – handcrafted hardwood heirlooms, not veneered-over sawdust wood that falls apart if you bump it.

A few facts: We initially placed our first orders in the early Fall of 2001 and were open by that Thanksgiving. By the way, this furniture comes out of Holmes County, Ohio – so, regretfully, I can’t legally put my own initials on these pieces as much as I’d be proud to do so. It takes about six to ten weeks for your order to come through. But, remember it is caringly crafted to last for years and it is well worth the wait.

Sadly, I have to agree our showroom is not huge, but you’ll see it is packed with a spicing of style and selection so you can readily see the quality of the items we offer. Maybe, if I could just get more exposure with the “stuff” that we have, or can get, then I would probably be as busy as I look to be. Maybe, if it were possible for me to own a building as big as Wal-Mart, or half as big, or one-quarter as big then I could better display all the offerings. But, then, of course I would need a bigger parking lot, and that would mean it would periodically need to be swept of debris, not to mention snow cleaning – some winters anyway.

By now you’ve probably guessed, I’m the owner of Rose Valley Furniture. And by now you can see that I’m neither a writer nor a comedian, but rather a homeowner-business man trying to outwit this sluggish economy. We were doing just fine – each year we were getting better and better at what we do and with more satisfied people until this thing hit us – this thing we call “the economy.” If people would just ignore that and not worry so, I think things would get better. I wish to goodness somebody would call the President and tell him to put that on the news.

Sincerely, Daniel Yoder

P.S.  If you haven’t seen our “stuff”… well then, give yourself a treat.

P.P.S.  Don’t all come at once.

People choose cremation for a variety of reasons – philosophical and religious.

Whatever the reason, if you are thinking about cremation, it’s important to know and understand all of the choices available to you.

As cremation continues to grow in popularity, so does the desire to add meaning to services that may include a gathering or memorial service either preceding or following the cremation.  You have many options when choosing cremation and your plan can be as personalized as you choose.  The following is a simple four step process when considering cremation.

Step 1: Select a Plan

• Traditional Plan – Includes a viewing and a service prior to cremation.

• Memorial Plan – Includes a private viewing prior to cremation, plus a memorial tribute following cremation.

• Simple Plan – Includes a private viewing prior to cremation.

Step 2: Select a Container

• Cremation casket – suitable for all types of visitations, viewings and services prior to cremation.

• Basic cremation casket – suitable for a private viewing prior to cremation.

• Alternative container – suitable when there is no viewing or visitation.

Step 3: Select an Urn

• The kind of urn depends on the disposition of your loved one’s cremated remains. Urns are designed for specific uses that include:

• Placing the urn in a niche.

• Having the urn buried in a cemetery.

• Keeping the urn at home.

• Biodegradable urn for water or ground burial.

• Urn for scattering.

Step 4: Selecting Keepsakes and Personalization

There are many options available to help honor the life of a loved one while creating meaningful memories. As you complete your planning, you may also wish to consider keepsakes that provide a lasting remembrance of your loved one. Some items to consider include:

• Keepsake Urns and/or jewelry to hold a small amount of the cremated remains or a lock of hair.

• Engraving of the urn with a specific scene or design.Appliques and Medallions to personalize the urn.

Cremation offers many new options in celebrating and remembering a life, allowing you many ways to personalize the service and lasting memorial. Your funeral director will be glad to answer any specific questions and help you develop a plan so the wishes of your loved one can be honored.

William E. King is a funeral director at Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Homes. Bill is the Advanced Planning Manager and has 20 years of experience in the funeral industry. He received a BA from Loyola College Baltimore and later a Mortuary Science degree from the Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville.

*   Registered Nurses
*   Licensed Practical Nurses
*   Pediatric Speech
*   Occupational Therapists
*   Physical Therapists

Come join the Bayada Nurses team and become a hero to a wonderful child in need. We offer the flexible schedules, full benefits, weekly pay and competitive pay rates. At Bayada Nurses our healthcare professionals are dedicated to providing care with Compassion, Excellence and Reliability.

For more information
please contact SherVonne at 302-322-2300.
You can also email your resume to swilson@bayada.com
or fax it to 302-322-6300.

By Maggie Lage

This is the time of year when many children are concerned about finishing up the school year and are excited about the long awaited summer vacation. But before floating about the pool with ease, there is one last hurdle to jump.  Shortly, schools will be distributing the final interim report cards for the school year. The skills developed during the year will be your child’s foundation for the more difficult work ahead. What should you do if you are unhappy with your child’s interim report card?

According to Dr. Raymond J. Huntington, Co-founder and Chairman of Huntington Learning Center, “Parents know their own children. If you believe your child could be doing better than his or her grades show, you owe it to yourself and your child to remedy the situation.”

“More than current grades are at stake,” Huntington continues, “If grades are mediocre or poor, it means your child is not gaining valuable skills. This can come back to haunt children later.  The skills children learn in school are like building blocks.  If a skill is not learned adequately, future skills will suffer. When a child tries to build advanced skills on a shaky foundation of knowledge, there is likely to be trouble ahead.” Mediocre or poor grades can result from a variety of problems. Dr. Huntington offers the following suggestions for what to do when a child brings home a poor report card:

Examine the situation realistically.
It is important to remember that every drop in grades indicates that valuable skills are being missed. An effort should be made to learn and reinforce those missing skills. While this is being done, it is also important to identify and remedy the basic problem, so it does not continue to hurt your child’s education.

What is really the problem?
Is there a behavior problem?  Sometimes, bright students get bad grades for behavior related activities. Does your child hand in homework? Is it correct and on time?
Is your child bored with schoolwork, and therefore is not paying enough attention? These are not excuses; they are symptoms of different problems. You must identify the problem before you can remedy it.

Talk with your child.
Why does your child think he or she got poor grades? Does he or she take the situation seriously? How does he or she
plan to do better? It is important that your child knows you take the situation seriously. Work with your child to develop a plan that will help achieve better grades. Let your child know that your are supportive and that you believe in his or her abilities.

Talk with your child’s teacher or counselor.
Your child’s teacher or counselor is a professional educator. What are his or her observations? What does he or she recommend?

It is important to remember that the difficulty that caused these poor grades may be a serious problem. Your child may have missed one or more important basic skills. It is vital that you get help for your child as soon as possible, before the problem gets worse. The summertime provides the perfect opportunity for children to strengthen weak skills and prepare for the more advanced skills they will need in the upcoming school year.

The Huntington Learning Center is a nationally recognized leader in the field of improving a child’s basic study skills through remediation and enrichment programs. Students are given individual attention by certified teachers using personalized programs tailored to improve skills in a child’s trouble areas. Huntington offers individual testing and tutoring in reading, math, study skills, writing and SAT/ACT preparation to students of all ages.

Hear what parents are saying about Huntington

• Our son was struggling with school at the end of 2nd grade and now with Huntington’s help and great teachers, at the end of 3rd grade he is at grade level and looking forward to 4th grade. Huntington really helped our son.

• We just wanted to send a note of thanks and great appreciation to all of you for the wonderful work you all did to help Carol get back on track academically. Your skills of pinpointing problem areas then methodically regaining those “lost” skills are exactly what Carol needed. Carol has gained confidence in herself knowing that Huntington staff helped her to get back on track. We will definitely recommend your team to other families.

• We wish to thank you and everyone at Huntington. The devotion and patience shown has been wonderful. Maggie, we will never forget how you went beyond the call of duty to help us.

Founded in 1977, Huntington Learning Center has offered supplemental education services longer than any other provider. Parents often contact Huntington when they receive a particularly alarming report card or other communication saying their child is falling behind. Many also reach out to Huntington because they are concerned their child may have poor study skills, or difficulty in performing to grade level in reading and math.

Maggie Lage is the Executive Director of the Huntington Learning Center in Newark

34 Liberty Plaza | Kirkwood Highway | Newark, DE 19711

For more information or to schedule a consultation at the Newark location

call 302-737-1150 or visit www.newark.huntingtonlearning.com

By Kathleen McCarthy CNM, MSN

Most pregnant women prepare extensively for childbirth.  They research their options, attend classes, and tour birth facilities. They spend a great deal of time maintaining a healthy diet and practicing healthy life style behaviors. Yes, much love and time is invested in pregnancy preparation (as it should be).

There are classes available that cover a plethora of subjects related to pregnancy, such as: Preparation for Childbirth, Prenatal Yoga, and HynoBirthing. There are classes centered on caring for the newborn, cloth diapering, and breastfeeding. In contrast, there are few classes that are offered regarding parenting, most specifically parenting authentically.

As responsible parents it is important to prepare for childbirth as best we can. Yet it is equally as important is to prepare for the lifelong commitment of being a parent. Parenting is a journey filled with choices, challenges, joys, excitements, love, sorrow and special moments. So why not be just as prepared for being a parent as becoming a parent?

Each and every day there are countless decisions to be made. Our parenting decisions are influenced by factors that we may not even be aware of – influences such as how we were parented, our self-esteem, our general sense of health and wellbeing, environmental influences, as well as cultural and societal beliefs about raising children.
There are times when the choices we make from these outside influences can be overwhelming.

One of the greatest challenges in parenting authentically is determining what you think is right for your family from what other people’s beliefs, ideas and judgments are about raising children. How often do you get “hooked” into someone else’s ideas of what a “good” parent is or what the “right” decision should be concerning how you are raising your child or children?

When we buy into the beliefs of others, we end up being out of integrity with ourselves leaving us to question our own wisdom. When we feel unsure about our choices, a cascade of other negative feelings percolate up leaving us feeling stressed and out of balance. It is difficult to remain calm and peaceful when we are whirling out of control.

No matter what age your children are, there are solutions for getting back to center and creating peace and harmony within yourself and your family. As a parent you have the ability to tap into your inherent wisdom which offers an opportunity to parent more intuitively. Rather than reacting to a situation you begin to make healthy decisions for yourself and your family.

How do you begin to parent more peacefully? The primary thing to understand is that the role of parent begins within. It’s easy in this information age to go to the internet, type in authentic parenting, parenting, parenting skills, how to be a better parent and come up with a formula. However by tapping into your inner wisdom you take a more holistic approach. This kind of approach to parenting begins with understanding and respecting yourself. As mothers we are often so absorbed in the everyday details of life we forget to nourish ourselves.

Here are three ways to begin to nurture yourself:

1. Breathe. Mindful breathing is essential to getting in touch with your inner wisdom. The way you breathe affects your whole body. Breathing exercises are a good way to relax, reduce tension, and relieve stress. It takes practice but is not difficult. Take a few moments to sit quietly. Focus on your heart and breathe in slowly, count to four as you breathe in and eight as you breathe out. Set an intention to focus on your breathing for 3 minutes and
as you get more skilled, increase the time to 5 and then 10 minutes.

2. Maintain a healthy diet. Maintaining an overall healthy diet not only offers your body the energy and nutrition that it needs to function, but offers several health benefits as well. The healthier your diet the better you feel.  Eat to live!  Provide your body with high-density foods.  Eat fresh
fruits and vegetables, good
fats and proteins.

3. Exercise. As a parent you probably feel that you get plenty of exercise. However, regular physical activity can improve your mood and the way you feel about yourself. Exercise is likely to reduce depression and anxiety, improve your mood, and help you to better manage stress. For the greatest overall health benefits, experts recommend that you do 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic activity three or more times a week and some type of muscle strengthening activity and stretching, such as yoga, at least twice a week.

The Birth Center is currently offering an Authentic Mama series which expands on the above statements. In this 6 week class, you will learn to come from a place of confidence, discover your needs, identify destructive patterns, and reframe your perceptions. You will discover how to communicate with others in a healthy way and then apply all of this to your unique style of parenting.

To find out more about the series visit www.thebirthcenter.com/classes.

At the Birth Center we support your lifestyle and recognize your individual, physical, spiritual, and psychological needs, whether you are about to have your first period, you’re pregnant, had a baby, or going through menopause. We believe that women and their families have the right and responsibility to assume an active role in their own healthcare.

To find out more about The Birth Center visit our website at thebirthcenter.com or call us at 302.658.2229.

We were given a beautiful gift by the Kanienberg family. Christian, of Wish Painting and Sculpture, and proud Birth Center Daddy, painted a huge, whimsical beanstalk in the children’s play area of waiting room.

“About a year ago my wife discovered The Birth Center in Wilmington. I was skeptical as a lot of Dads are, but this facility soon became a home. We became fast friends with the staff and respective families. Wish wanted to offer a work to serve as a promotional piece, but mainly as a means to give back to the place that helped usher our daughter safely and openly into this world. The bonus is that a big baby girl arrived during the very execution of this mural. Piper’s name is “carved” into the beanstalk trunk for years to come.” Christian Kanienberg, Wish Painting and Sculpture: www.wishpainting.com

The Birth Center:
Holistic Women’s Health Care LLC

1508 West 7th Street

Wilmington, De 19809

302-658-2229

thebirthcenter.com

By Dianne Duffy,

Community Relations Director,

Glen Mills Senior Living

As the concept of personal care or assisted living has evolved and the number of facilities continues to increase, the public and even some healthcare professionals may have a difficult time differentiating between the two levels of care. Today’s personal care and assisted living communities may provide similar services to a nursing home, however, there are significant and important differences in atmosphere, levels of care and cost. Most importantly, the resident’s long-term health and happiness are affected by the choice.

In simple terms, a skilled nursing facility or nursing home serves the long-term, chronically ill or severely debilitated patient. Skilled facilities provide similar services to a hospital and have a more clinical setting. In contrast, assisted living serves those who need assistance with daily activities and desire 24-hour security with a maximum level of independence. The assisted living resident is often ambulatory, perhaps with a walker or cane; however, residents with lower levels of mobility can also be accommodated. Cognitive levels can vary from normal to declining levels, including Alzheimer’s.

Placement decisions are ultimately made by the residents and their families. However, a host of individuals should have important input into placement. Assessments to determine the appropriate level of care are done by physicians, social workers, and the professional staff of each community. Unfortunately, the inappropriate placement of seniors occurs in both types of settings and may be due to poor assessment or lack of understanding of the levels of care available in different settings. While the levels of care are clearly higher in skilled facilities, the newer and more professional assisted living residences offer 24-hour nursing assistance, preventative and chronic care, rehabilitation therapies and directed daily activities.

Finally, cost is a concern to nearly everyone. A typical assisted living residence costs about $4,000 – $6,000 less per month than skilled care. The assisted living residence also offers as much independence as the individual wishes, opportunities to shop and socialize with peers, and the ability to maintain as much of his or her lifestyle as he or she desires.

Placement of a loved one can be a difficult and confusing process. Ultimately, the goal is a move to a residence where residents and families feel comfortable and confident that the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of their loved one will be met. With great availability of support and the right resources, the proper placement can be made.

Dianne Duffy is the Community Relations Director at Glen Mills Senior Living, a Five Star personal care home (formerly known as assisted living) which also provides short-term respite stays, located at 242 Baltimore Pike in Glen Mills, PA.  Glen Mills Senior Living residents live in their own private apartments while enjoying the support of the community’s caring team, which includes 24×7 on-site nursing staff. Owned and operated by Five Star Senior Living, one of the country’s largest and most trusted providers, with over 210 communities in 30 states, Glen Mills Senior Living is proud to help seniors and their families discover a healthier, happier life.

Dianne invites you to call her at 610-358-4900, to make a reservation for a complimentary lunch, learn more about Glen Mills Senior Living, or to discuss your family’s financing options.  Mention this article and you will save $1,000 off of your first full month’s rent.

610-358-4900

www.GlenMillsSeniorLiving.com

If you’re of a certain age, the new year means you’re that much closer to a day you may have anticipated with a combination of humor and resignation — specifically, the day you’re eligible for Social Security. But just because you can take Social Security, it doesn’t mean you must take it. So, should you?

Before we get to that question, let’s review the basic rules governing Social Security payments. You can typically start collecting benefits at age 62, but you’ll get only about 75% of what you’d receive if you waited until your “full” retirement age, which varies according to your birth year but is most likely 66. You’ll get even bigger monthly checks if you delay collecting them until you’re past 66, and you’ll “max out” on your payments once you reach 70.

So, the question boils down to this: should you start collecting Social Security early — thereby receiving smaller, but more numerous, checks — or later, when your checks will be bigger but fewer?

If you really need the money once you reach 62, you’ve already got your answer. But if you could potentially afford to wait, we recommend you view your decision through a LENS:

Your projected lifespan —
You can’t see into the future, but given your family history and general health, you can make an educated guess about your projected longevity.
If you’re fairly confident that, once you reach 66, you’ve still got another two or more decades in front of you, you may want to consider delaying taking Social Security past age 62.

Your employment status —
If you’re under full retirement age — between 62 and 66 — then for every two dollars you earn over $14,640 (in 2012), you’ll lose one dollar in Social Security benefits. In the months before you reach your full retirement age, for every three dollars you earn over $38,880 (again, for 2012), you’ll loose one dollar in benefits. But starting in the month you reach your full retirement age, you can earn as much as you want without loosing any benefits.

Your need, including your other sources of retirement income — If you have a pension, or you’ve built substantial resources in your IRA, your 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan, and you can support your income needs with modest withdrawals from these accounts, you might decide it’s worthwhile to delay taking Social Security to maximize your benefits. Remember that regardless of your Social Security decision, you typically would have to pay a 10% early withdrawal penalty if you started taking withdrawals from these accounts before you reach age 59½.

Your spouse/marital status — If you’re single, you basically just need to think of yourself when making this decision. But it’s a different story if you’re married. If you die first, your spouse can keep receiving his or her own Social Security benefit or receive yours — whichever is larger. Consequently, you and your spouse will want to coordinate when you take Social Security benefits so that you can maximize the benefit for the spouse likeliest to live longer.

The choice of when to start taking Social Security can affect your lifestyle throughout your retirement years — so weigh all the factors and make the choice that’s right for you.

250 Gateway South Blvd.
Ste 300 • Dover, DE 19901

302-698-4007