Making A Change For You And Your Family

I was 26 before I met my wife and I lived in a typical bachelor manner.  My diet consisted of Hot Pockets, Pizza and cereal which is pretty typical for a single guy.  I avoided the doctor (I still do but for an entirely different reason).  My roommates consisted of friends from school and college and I was comfortable with this setup.  My relationship was very different from the “typical relationship” and allowed me to maintain this lifestyle for a couple more years with few changes.

As time went on, I began to think about what I wanted to change in my life and taking better care of myself was pretty high on the list.  My wife never pushed or “trained” me to make this change, it was something I wanted to start so I could be around longer for her.  Changing for someone else and not yourself rarely works and if it does take, it’s usually doomed to fail.

Examples of change:
New/Altered Diet: This is one of the best options for trying out change but you have to really be willing to go for it to see any success.  Try small things like switching to less meat or more greens and slowly transition new, healthier foods into your diet while removing ones that are worse for you.

Less Television: TV is a black hole that will make time disappear quicker than anything. Sitting down to watch a show or movie with the family is fine but try to avoid mindless channel surfing on days off or after work.  Try to substitute TV with music or a more active type of video game (The Nintendo Wii was designed for this exact situation).  Music will allow you to get other things done and active video games help get you off the couch and get the body moving.

Splitting the workload: The idea that the woman is “supposed” to take care of housework is an old and dated concept that got planted into the male brain through family and pop culture.  Wipe this from your mind and start splitting the workload.  Try these:

• If she normally cooks dinner, why don’t you clean the dishes.  She will appreciate the help and it will give her a chance to relax.

• If she is specific about how the laundry is done, try separating the dark & light loads and moving them into the laundry room for her.

These are all very basic changes but they can go a long way in positively affecting you and your family.  Many men will hit a groove and avoid making changes because we like our “comfort zones” and don’t want change. This will probably be the biggest challenge when attempting most changes so keep it simple and small. Decide on one thing to change and stick with it for a month. Odds are, it will become habit and allow you to try another change. QUICK TIP: If you find it difficult to remember what you want to change, leave notes in frequently viewed areas (such as your computer desktop or wallet) to remind yourself on a constant basis. This has helped me immensely.

Treon's Game of the Week - One Button Bob

It doesn't get much more basic than this.  One Button Bob is a game controlled entirely with the left mouse button.  If you've played a Warioware game, then you'll be familiar with this style of game where the controls are super simple but it's a blast to play.  Featuring charming Atari retro graphics with a catchy background tune, One Button Bob challenges you to make it through increasingly difficult challenges with as few button clicks as possible.  You have unlimited lives which only serves to push you onto the next screen.  Give it a try, it's perfect for a quick fix.

Play One Button Bob Now!

Films That Will Change Your Life - Food, Inc.

Food, Inc. is a documentary that is so powerful, it will change the way you look at what you eat.  You may think you have a good beat on what's good for you but you'll find that you're way off.  The film does a great job of covering a lot of important issues ranging from corn subsidies to genetically modified crops to issues with meat production.  I can't recommend this film enough and I urge everyone to view it and then share it with everyone they can.

Become a fan of Food, Inc. on Facebook
Watch "The Truth about Food, Inc."

Free Software You Can't Live Without Vol. 5 - Audacity

Audacity

Audio editing can be expensive and confusing.  Many people have wasted lots of time and money when it comes to editing audio files on computer when they don't need to.  Audacity has stepped up to offer a free and powerful solution that works on Windows, Linux and Mac.  While it may not offer all of the tools and options of the expensive professional programs, it will take care of the average audio users needs.  Need to make a Podcast?  How about cutting down a song for a YouTube video?  Audacity has got your back and its versatility makes it a must have program on your desktop.  Head over to the site and download and if you find that you use it for all of your major audio needs, don't forget the donate.

Download Audacity Now!

Treon's Game of the Week - Mario Paint Composer

Mario Paint was a fun little mini program/game for the Super Nintendo back in the 90's but it was too limited to really stand the test of time.  The team over at unFun Games took the music creation portion of Mario Paint and built Mario Paint Composer which could be considered both a game and a utility.  You can now create full length songs with a deeper palette of sounds with the ability to save your creations.  The program works for Mac as well as Windows and it's 100% free.  Click on the link below and check out this freebie.

Download Mario Paint Composer

How To Save Money When Having A Child

There’s a LOT of extra unnecessary costs associated with having a child.  Many people think they are bad parents if they don’t spend a ton of money on every class, book and device to help with having a child.  Truth is, billions of people for thousands of years have been having children and guess what, the human race is still here.  All sarcasm aside though, America’s capitalism shines through when it comes to baby spending.  You really don’t need to spend that much when having a baby.  Here are some quick tips on saving money when having a child:

• Goodwill - Goodwill stores are one of the greatest inventions of all time.  When it comes to books, clothes and even baby furniture, you can find it all a goodwill and often in excellent condition.  A lot of people turn their nose at Goodwill because the merchandise is second hand but if you can be mature and realize that this is no different than family giving you their old baby stuff, your all set.

• Avoid Childbirth Classes - Unless you plan to give birth all natural with no drugs, just about anything they can teach you can be learned from the internet or as advise from other recent mothers.  These classes are expensive and offer you information on something your body is already designed to do naturally.

• The Internet - The Internet is quite possibly the greatest invention of the last century and it has revolutionized the way the planet communicates.  Within that vast sea of information is just about everything you could want to know about having a child and best of all, IT’S FREE!!!

Remember to shop smart and save money!  Your child will be perfectly happy without being spoiled and you'll have more money to use for more important things.