Massage Techniques - Wrap your hands around your feet with thumbs on the soles and fingers on the top of your foot. Start by making circular motions with your thumbs and cover the entire area of the heel, soles, ball, and toes.

- Next, use your thumbs to make long, deep strokes on the soles of your feet, moving upward from the heel to the ball. If you feel some soreness in one area, spend extra time there to soften it up.

- Don’t forget your toes! Spend a good 30 seconds or more on each toe. One at a time, rub and massage your toe all the way from the base to the tip. Use small circular motions and then long strokes from base to tip, and don’t forget in-between... more

Being a massage therapist, I know the power of touch. For the majority of my clients their favorite section of the massage is the feet. There are a few though that really cannot stand to have their feet even lightly touched. If you are like those very few clients, you may not want to read this post as it will teach you how to enjoy your very own foot massage. The detailed way that this is written is better than what I learned in massage school. The only thing that I would add to these steps is to put on some relaxing music before you start and also to remember to breathe deep to help internalize the relaxation response.

From www.lifescript.com

Even... more

Vilsack, 56, was adopted shortly after birth and has spoken of growing up in a family where his adoptive mother struggled with alcoholism and his adoptive father had financial setbacks. He has used his past as an example of rising above adversity, but the latest development could add detail to the story.

This article discusses the Iowa governor and his possible search for his birth mother. The irony never... more

My daughter, Natasha, and I went to see The Nativity Story a few weeks ago. We talked a little bit about it after the movie.

But I didn't realize the true impact of the film until the Sunday after the film.

I am a volunteer in the Sunday children's program at church. I am the cat header for the 3rd grade class (also know as guide.. I guide the children around during the church year :)) ).

The workshop leader does the teaching.

Anyway, the workshop... more

Every family is drawn to adoption for different reasons, and just as those reasons vary, so do the choices of where to adopt from. One of the most common questions we adoptive parents will hear is, “Why adopt from ______?” How can one answer that question adequately? Choosing your path in adoption is a very personal decision. One must decide whether or not they will adopt domestically (and if they choose domestic, they must decide among a myriad of choices). If not, they are left taking an international journey. Once the decision to go international has been made, the adoptive parent(s) must then pick the country they will adopt from.

How does one choose the right country?... more

Recently a reader emailed asking for guidance on deciding if adoption is right for her family. I think that the first and most important qualification for an adoptive parent is the desire simply to be a parent. I truly believe that most people with the capacity to be good parents can also be good adoptive parents. People sometimes think of adoptive parenting as some exotic kind of parenting- a tiny bit unnatural, even?

That simply isn't true. The vast majority of the activities that fill a parent's day, like brushing teeth and tying shoes and giving hugs and helping with homework and tucking in at night, are the same whether your kids were born to you or to someone else. Adoptive... more

My friend Nancy reaches the half-century mark today! She’s bound to tell you many things about herself in her own blog over on Reactive Attachment Disorder. But there are probably things she will not tell you...and those are the things I want you to know. First off, in addition to being 50 years on the planet, for the last decade, Nancy has been tirelessly running (nearly single-handedly) the Attachment Disorder Network. Starting locally and now reaching out globally, this network supports... more

On Christmas Eve, the Washington Post had an interesting article on transracial adoption. The headline I am sure, grabbed the attention of many readers.

Why Doesn’t White Adopt Black?

The author, David Nicholson starts off the article by questioning,

“Whenever I see a white couple with an Asian or Hispanic child, I can't help wondering whether adoption -- like the personal ads -- is one of the last areas of American life where naked expressions of racial preference are acceptable.”

Nicholson comments on how many white adoptive parents from... more

I was born in Frankfort, Indiana; the third and last child in my family. (I say they quit when they couldn’t improve on perfection…my dad says they quit because they were so shook up!)

I grew up with a dog named Cindy who was the same age, year for year, that I was. She died when I was 16.

I first met my husband when I was in 7th grade. He knew my older sister because they both played French Horn in band.

I dated my husband’s best friend when I was a freshman and my husband, his long-term girlfriend, and... more

Welcome to the second day of Kwanzaa, Kujichagulia (koo-gee-cha-goo-LEE-yah) or self-determination: to define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves.

If you are still wanting to make a kinara, the Family Fun website has a pattern you can use. Or, the "Family Education" website has a more involved version.

Family Fun also has a VERY cute Kwanzaa ... more