By Penelope SanMateo

The colors in the Upper Peninsula in the fall will be well worth the trip to see. There are nine different areas that are suggested. The first is a trip of 105 miles from Hancock to Lake Linden, on to Lac La Belle, Bete Grise and then to Copper Harbor. Leave Copper Harbor and go to Eagle River and on to Calument and Laurium and back to Hancock. The route covers Mackinac County with the peak color expected in mid-October, Chippewa County with the peak color expected the first two weeks of October, Luce County with peak color expected the first two weeks of October and Schoolcraft County with the peak color also being the first two weeks in October. This is called the Eastern Upper Peninsula tour.

The Central Upper Peninsula tour goes from highway 107 to 64 at Silver City, on to Ontonagon, then hwy 45 to Rockland and Victoria where you backtrack to highway 26 and go to Greenland. You split at Greenland and take highway 38 to Baraga then hwy 41 to Chassel and Houghton where you take highway 26 to Twin Lakes and back to Greenland. This tour is 200 miles and covers Delta County where the peak will be around the second week in October, Monominee County where the peak will be the first or second week in October, Dickinson County with peak being the first week in October, Marquette County with the first week in October being peak and Alger County where peak will be the last week in September to the first week in October.

Taking highway 2 from Ironwood and Wakefield to Watersmeet, Iron River, and Crystal Falls on the Western Upper Peninsula will then take you to highway 141 to Covington and then highway 28 to Bruce Crossing and back to Wakefield. Considered tour 3 this route is 220 miles. Here the peak season for seeing the color is the last week in September and the first week in October.

The fourth option is to start in Ishpeming on highway 29, go to highway 510 to Nagaunee and Big Bay, then 550 to Marquette and 28 to Munising, where you can take highway H 58 to H 15 to Singleton and highway 28 to Highway 94 to Chatham, Gwinn and then 35 to Palmer and back to Ishpeming. This trip is 165 miles.

Tour 5 is a little shorter beginning at Iron Mountain and Norway on Hwy 2 to Spalding, hwy 41 to Menominee and Hwy 35 to Cedar River and Escanaba. This is 125 miles long.

Now on to tour 6 which is from Esdanaba on highways 2 and 41 to Rapid River. Turn onto highway 2 and go to Manstique and Saint Ignace. Although this tour is 183 miles it runs quite straight along the bottom area of the peninsula.

Whitefish Point starts tour 7 where you go to Paradise on hwy 123 and to Newberry and hwy 28. Seney is where you take 77 to Grand Marais and H58 will take you to Deer Park and back to highway 123 and Paradise. Another trip of about 150 miles filled with color and memories.

If you thought you had taken all the tours of this area you are wrong, there are two more stunning experiences for you to enjoy. Tour 8 starts at Saint Ingace on hwy 75 and toes to Kincheloe and Sault St. Marie. Now head south to highway 129 and Pickford to highway 48 for a visit to Goetzville and De Tour Village where you will get on 134 to Cedarville and then back to Saint Ignace. Another trip of 150 miles.

Number 9 is off highway 28 where you join highway 123 and enter Eckerman. Follow 123 north to Paradise and then back to the intersection to turn east toward Curley Lewis Scenic Highway. You will stay on this to Bay Mills and Brimley. Of all the suggested tours this is the shortest being only 90 miles. A Tour of Michigan's Upper Peninsula

By Carol Ann

A lot of parents forget to be a parental figure to their kids, for fear of losing their friendship. A lot of this is due to the amount of time most parents spend away from their children. Instead of seeming like a parent when they are with them, they try to be their friend.

The first responsibility of a parent is to parent the child. Parenting is a job, and this sometimes makes us the bad guy, we are the ones saying no and bearing the responsibility of guiding our children. Parents would not be necessary if kids could make these decisions for themselves. The lack of maturity in children is the reason they need parents, a mature perspective, to teach them to make the right decisions. Of course, all children think they can do this without parents' help, even we thought this at one time.

Children do not see situations in the same way adults do. They are not yet wired this way. They thrive in their own little world, but we can see outside this perspective. Letting your child make age appropriate decisions will help them grow into the role of making decisions on their own. You may have to guide them a little along the way.

So does this mean that you can't be friends with your child? Yes. You can have good communication with them. You can be open and honest and understanding when they make mistakes, however you can't be their friend because you still have the power and as long as you still have to pull a power play every now and again, then you need to keep a parent child relationship for this purpose.

Creating and maintaining boundaries with your child is sometimes hard, but necessary. To be a parent, you have to balance discipline with love, and be willing to admit that everyone makes mistakes. The fact that you are concerned enough to read information on being a parent shows that you are on the right path. Keep on trucking.

By Paul Jason James

If you have been working with your toddler on potty training, you've probably had a good number of "accidents". Accidents in potty training can be discouraging to both child and parent and may make the stretch from diapers seem wider than it really is.

You may feel that you have lost progress when a child suddenly has an accident, but occasional potty training accidents are all part of the process. It may have nothing to do with the success of your technique, but may be the child's reaction to a change, like a trip to a relative's house or a birthday party.

When these accidents happen, there are few things to keep in mind. As with many other challenges in child rearing, a positive attitude is the best weapon against potty training accidents. Try to remove the emphasis from the potty training accident itself and place it on making more progress and remembering successes.

Positive feedback is a much more important tool than making negative statements. Celebrating another dry night is more effective than reminding the child he keeps wetting himself.

If potty training accidents start happening frequently, look to external factors to try and diagnose the situation. Your child may have a medical issue like a urinary tract infection or constipation. Remember, he may not have the words to try explain what's happening or what he feels. He may be putting off going to the toilet because he does not know how to deal with an unfamiliar condition.

Another common reason for regression is the arrival of a sibling. Many couples these days choose to space their kids by about two years. Of course, two is primo potty training time, and you may see a surge in potty training accidents upon the arrival of a newcomer who is suddenly absorbing all parental attention. Respond to this situation with understanding.

Remain firm about your shared goals for potty training, but take time to discuss what's going on and give your child a chance to talk about his thoughts.

By Louise Servage

Have you ever wanted to learn self hypnosis? Believe it or not, you dont need to have a collection of books, audio tapes, dvd's or a professional hypnotist to learn, you dont even need a spiritual guru. All you need to do is learn a few simple techinques.

Putting into practice a few simple techniques to bring yourself to a state of deep relaxation can be very easy and rewarding. The most important thing is to find a place that offers complete comfort and quiet. The last thing you need once reaching a state of deep relaxtion is to be disturbed part way through.

You'll also want to learn how to relax your muscles, how to sit or lay down, and you'll also want to learn what to do once you are in a subconscious state.

Going Under

Hypnotists refer to people 'going under' whenever they're put into a subconscious state. This is where the conscious mind is 'asleep' so to speak so that the hypnotist can talk directly to the mind's subconscious. You can put yourself under by using some self hypnosis techniques that have been known to work.

Various people will use various techniques to put themselves under, so it is best to try a variety and then use which is best for you. You could even dicover your own technique.

First, find a comfortable spot where you won't be disturbed for a long period of time. When you're first starting out, it may take you an hour or more to officially go under. This quiet location could be your bedroom, a local park, or it you could even choose your backyard with the sun shining on your face. You should make sure the place offers complete peace and quiet so that you can concentrate on the rest of the self hypnosis techniques.

Apply yourself to your breathing, focus on the air entering and exiting your body. Relax all the muscles in your body and empty your mind of all thoughts. You will find yourself profoundly relaxed. This state is often compared to sleeping without being asleep. Once this state is achieved you can do almost anything you please.

A lot of people often use a self hypnosis script. They also often give themselves instructions and suggestions once they have achieved self hypnosis. The script can include things like mantras to help them quit smoking, to help lose weight, to gain a better memory, and to learn to love themselves.

It is your own personal preference as to what goals you wish to achieve with self hypnosis. It may be for self improvement, it could just as easily be simply a way to relax from the stresses of day to day life. Only you will know what you want and need. With enough practise, you will soon become a master at self hypnosis.

By Rashel Dan

Are you on a babysitter search? Then you know how difficult it may be to find a good one. There are a couple of good places where you could start looking for a sitter. Here are some of them:

Neighborhood

Your community is a good place to start. Some of your teen neighbors may be willing to baby sit for you. You could also put up an ad on your front lawn and wait for community members to apply. Another way would be to personally ask your neighbors if they know of any good sitters. Many parents swear that this is by far still the best way to get a good sitter. Your neighbor can vouch for the ability and character of your sitter. Then again, even neighbors can make mistakes. They may not be fully aware of a sitter's entire background or history.

Schools

Local schools and colleges are also great sources for potential sitters. Many students on these levels need some extra cash for school needs and extra expenses. Advertising in a few online or offline school boards would guarantee that you would have more than a handful of prospects.

With sitters from local schools, you'll be able to learn more about the sitter's background. Most likely, they wouldn't have criminal records. Otherwise they wouldn't be in school. Nonetheless, you should still carefully screen applicants from schools to determine their character and ability.

Agencies

Agencies - Your babysitter search can also begin in agencies. Many agencies have been around for decades. They would therefore have a lot of experience in gathering good sitters. Agencies also provide you with the option of stay in or stay out sitters. They usually conduct background investigations on their applicants to ensure that you get a good sitter. Agencies however typically cost a lot. This is especially if you need to get a stay in sitter from another region or country. You may have to spend a thousand dollars or more to get a good sitter.

Advertisements

The Yellow Pages - People who wish to offer their services typically advertise. You can look through newspapers, yellow pages and even online job posts to find a baby sitter in your area. You would be hiring a virtual stranger though. This means that if you get a sitter through an advertisement, you would have to spend a great amount of time interviewing, screening and scrutinizing your prospects. You can never be too careful when it comes to the safety of your kids.

Online Services

Babysitting online services are just like agencies. They have databases of sitter prospects that you can choose from. Many modern online services however charge cheaper. For a monthly or yearly membership fee, you can get a stay in or stay out sitter of your choice. These services also typically conduct background checks on potential sitters and let parents personally interview prospects. You also benefit from a number of parent resources that can give you advice on dealing with sitters.

These are only some places where you can begin your babysitter search. You can choose the method that is most convenient for you. You should however always put your child's safety and welfare first. Pick the option where you are most certain to get a reliable sitter.