Welcome to Day One of Pump Up Your Book Promotion’s August Authors on Virtual Book Tour ! Follow along as these talented authors travel the blogosphere all month long to talk about their books, their lives and their future projects. Leave a comment at their blog stops and you could win a FREE virtual book tour if you’re a published author with a recent release or a $50 Amazon gift certificate if you are not published. So, pick your favorites, follow their tours, and make sure you leave them a n

India defence drive attracts global suppliers (Channel NewsAsia) NEW DELHI: India’s drive to protect itself after last year’s Mumbai attacks is attracting interest from some of the world’s biggest companies who see opportunities in the push for improved homeland security. No talks with Pakistan till it acts against Mumbai attackers: Indian PM (People’s Daily) India has again made it clear that the bilateral composite dialogue with Pakistan cannot resume unless the latter keeps its assurance of b

My husband is going to be marking a major birthday soon.  I would like to commemorate this event by having a surprise party for him. A quiet, reserved man, he certainly would not appreciate a large “todo.” The list of invited guests will stay simple…our immediate family and a few of our closest friends.  Because my birthday boy has everything he could possibly need and since he would be extremely uncomfortable by opening presents, I have asked everyone to bring a humorous card for him and, if they want, to make a donation to their favorite charity in his honor.

I plan to host this surprise birthday party at our home.  We have a very roomy yard which is well suited to entertaining.  There is plenty of room for our parents and siblings to sit comfortably on the patio, as well as a nice lawn for the younger children to cavort. Decorations will consist of connectingstrings of brightly colored patio lights, which will also illuminate the area nicely.  Easy-listening music will be heard via speakers from our outdoor CD player to create an ambience of serenity.

In the past, finding suitable birthday refreshments has been a challenge because my husband is not a lover of cake.  I have substituted with various treats like pudding cups, chocolate chip cookies, and candy bars.  Since this birthday has such significance, I have chosen a decadent turtle cheesecake to take the place of the traditional birthday cake.  The crunchy, salted pecans and rich chocolate and caramel swirls which drizzle over the creamy cheesecake will be a treat my husband will find scrumptious.  It’s a delicious alternative that will satisfy all of our guests’ cravings.

(Later, now.)  Upon completion of the plans, the eagerly anticipated date of my husband’s birthday party celebration has finally arrived.  As luck would have it, the evening is beautiful…clear skies, sparkling stars, warm temperature, and a light breeze.  As I excitedly lead my husband outside in the pretense of taking a stroll around the garden, our loved ones surprise him by singing “Happy Birthday” to him.  I hold the turtle cheesecake as he proceeds to blow out lots and lots of candles.  As each guest takes their first mouth-watering bite, they rave about how delicious the turtle cheesecake tastes.  My husband whole-heartedly agrees.  He thoroughly enjoys this birthday cake substitution.

The surprise birthday party I planned for my husband turned out to be exactly what he likes most…a simple get-together with our family; enjoying the easy banter among loved ones; appreciating the time spent in each other’s company.  He laughed at the funny cards, romped in the grass with the children, teased his brothers, and especially savored his birthday cheesecake.

When the party ended and everyone had gone, my thoughtful husband thanked me profusely (and I think sincerely) for having the kind of party he truly could enjoy.  I asked him if he had any idea about the surprise.  He replied, “I kind of suspected something was going to happen”.  At least the exceptional turtle cheesecake was a surprise!

Encourage your children’s creativity by providing them with the time, resurces and the space for making art. Try to set aside interruption-free time for drawing, in a mess-proof zone - so that their creativity can run wild. Make sure you cover all surfaces so that any splashes of paint or scribbles of crayon are ‘caught’ - because  nothing squishes creativity more so than a parent saying “Don’t make a mess” every 2 minutes.

Choose the right drawing materials too as this is very  important. Many craft materials can be improvised, think of decorated kitchen roll tubes and potatoes as stamps, but when drawing tools and paper are required, opt for a small selection of good quality age-appropriate products, rather than loads of inferior products. Be sure to check safety information and follow instructions. Young children should always be surpervised during ‘art time’ because many necessary materials - such as crayons - pose a choking hazard.

Surroundings: As with writing or working at a computer, good posture and a comfortable position are important for drawing. A child-size table and chair is actually preferable to an easel. If the chair is a little high, provide a phone book for a footrest. A coffee table and an inexpensive plastic chair work well. A small kitchen storage trolley is ideal for containing supplies, or if space does not permit, a portable tackle box is a good option too. Untidy toddlers may need a drop-cloth and supervision to avoid ink-stained walls, as even ‘washable’ pens often don’t deliver on that promise!

Art Materials: Avoid cheap markers, too-hard pencils and thin paints - these types of materials are discouraging to the child and therefore  a waste of money. Provide many sheets of blank paper to inspire their crativity and occasionally invest in a canvas so that your child can paint something and chances are you’ll want to hang it on your wall!  Provide also coloring books or coloring pages which are bountiful online - coloring pages are not so great for creativity, however they do provide children with the  chance to practice their fine motor skills and sometimes it’s very relaxing and just what they need to simply color in without the ‘pressure’ of thinking about WHAT to draw. 

Little boys typically enjoy coloring pictures of cars and trucks while little girls usually enjoy coloring images of fairies and princesses  - at sites like Princess Coloring Pages  you’ll find the best princess coloring

When it comes to drawing and coloring, at each age/stage of your child’s life provide….

Toddlers

• Child-safe markers and wipe-off boards
• Chalk boards and safe chalk
• Plain paper and coloring pages

Juniors

• Sketchbook
• Student colored pencils
• Washable Markers
• Oil pastels
• Plain paper and coloring pages

Middle School

• Sketchbook  or scrapbook
• Graphite Pencils
• Watercolor sketch paper
• Watercolor pencils
• Marker pens, marker paper
• Plain paper and coloring pages

High School

• Sketchbook  or scrapbook
• Quality drawing papers and boards
• Graphite Pencils
• Artists’ quality colored pencils
• Illustration markers, marker paper
• Pastel paper and hard pastels if liked
• Plain paper and canvases to work on

All ages

• Safe sharpeners, erasers, dusters, stencils and rulers
• A  folder for storing large pieces
• Storage boxes for smaller pieces
• Consider photographing or scanning pieces for a permanent record.

If you are planning a garden, knowing the full cycle of bean plant growth can allow you to take full advantage of the bean growing season, optimizing the amount of crop you get for the effort that you put in. All types of beans, ranging from the common snap pea to soy beans, are a healthy addition to any diet. High in protein, the bean is one of the base ingredients in a vegetarian’s diet, as well as an excellent side dish for those with a preference for meat.

For those working a garden, the first stage of bean plant growth is the seed. While these seeds may be slightly more expensive, the overall increase of bean plants growth is worth the investment, especially if you intend on having a larger garden.

To maximize bean plant growth, planting should be done when the temperature drops no lower than 61 degrees F or 16 degrees C. If the temperature falls below this level, your plants will not germinate, and may die.

Once your seeds are planted, the time it takes for the plant to hit the seedling stage ranges from three to approximately forty days, with the median being eleven days. A seedling is a very young plant that has just started to break the surface of the soil. This phase of the bean plant growth cycle is vital, as a healthy seedling will mature into a robust plant. If your seedlings are dehydrated or over fed, your crops will be unhealthy and the amount of beans gained later in the cycle will be smaller.

Once your beans are planted and have begun to crack the surface, it takes an average of at least fifty days for your plant to create pods and be ready for harvest. This means that there is realistically only one grow cycle for these crops in a season. Planting of beans should happen no earlier than March to ensure that your plants have had adequate time to grow during the season before fall frosts strike. Frost can serious harm bean plant growth, and care should be taken to avoid this. In colder climates, this can be tricky, as the time needed for bean plant growth is closely tied to when frosts end and begin.

The bean plant is an annual plant, which means that it can regrow itself for at least three growing seasons. However, many gardeners will completely till the soil, killing the old bean plants and planting new each season to ensure that the bean plant growth cycle avoids frost from damaging their crops.