|
||
 Forgot Your Password? |
||
|
||
| Change password |
||
| Jan/Feb 2006 news letter. | |
Welcome to our January and February newsletter. We hope that you will find the articles we have chosen useful,
and thought provoking.
THE PROS AND CONS OF HOUSE SWAPPING: One of the keys to surviving life in the 21st century is to take regular breaks from it. As the demands of modern living stack-up, so do our holiday funds for weekends away and trips abroad to take our minds off the daily grind. Affordable airfares have revolutionised our aspirations and travellers of all generations constantly crave new, more exciting destinations. A round-the-world-trip is part of the syllabus for many students and retirees spend their golden years clocking up more air miles than executive businessmen. So many places, so little time to see them in; there is just one other obstacle to our insatiable appetite for overseas experiences though, and that’s cash. Whilst we hunger for the jungle or dream of scaling distant peaks, the combined cost of travel and accommodation means that most of us are limited to European destinations. Yet if we broaden our horizons that little bit further, there is a superb, globally available form of accommodation that’s absolutely free - the home. Foreign Exchange House-swapping has become a very popular way for people to enjoy holidays all over the world at a fraction of the normal cost. The basic concept is very simple: you swap your home with another person for the duration of your holiday. You stay in their home while they stay in yours and neither party pays rent to the other. The practice began in America, where friends and relatives would use each others’ houses to hop from East to West coast and holiday in the comforts of a home from home. The first official programme was the practice began in America, where friends and relatives would use each others’ houses to hop from East to West coast and holiday in the comforts of a home from home. The first official programme was set-up 50 years ago by David Ostroff, a New York High School teacher, who knew the benefits of exchange and wanted to take them to a wider circle. Today, there are about 30 Home Exchange agencies around the world, which facilitate approximately 250,000 house-swaps a year. Agencies will often have thousands of registered exchangers, whose house and availability details can be viewed online and in brochures or books. Those interested in taking part in the scheme pay an annual membership fee to the agency to access the information and enter their own details, but otherwise the exchange is free. Accommodation is not limited to bricks and mortar either: it’s possible to find yachts, camper-vans and other unconventional places available for occupation too. Nor should the fact that you don’t live in a show-home deter you from considering the scheme, as it’s the destination that interests potential exchangers most. Many welcome the opportunity to experience life abroad as a native in a local neighbourhood, rather than through the artificial eye of a hotel. 
THE LONDON WETLAND CENTRE: The award winning London Wetland Centre is the first project of its kind in the world - more than 40 hectares of created wetlands in the heart of a capital city. In February of 2002 the centre was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), supporting nationally important numbers of Gadwall and Shoveler duck. Opened in May 2000, the London Wetland Centre offers hundreds of thousands of visitors the chance to see rare and beautiful wetland wildlife just a stone's throw from central London. The London Wetland Centre is a fantastic location for a family day trip with plenty of activities to attract all ages. Early in the summer 2006, the centre is opening a new area especially for children: First steps for eXplore! London’s first wetland themed play area - eXplore!, has come a step closer this week as building work began at the London Wetland Centre to construct this fantastic children’s play area. 
The first sod of earth was cut by the Mayor of London’s Policy Director for Environment, John Duffy, who said of eXplore!:
’I believe it is essential that every Londoner, especially children has access to green spaces. The eXplore play area is
a fantastic new addition to the London Wetland Centre allowing children to learn about nature and the environment in a fun
and interactive way.’
The work has started following a highly successful fundraising campaign, launched on 8th November 2004, to raise the
£385,000 needed to create an exciting and informative play area at the London Wetland Centre.eXplore! will incorporate elements of both wet and dry play, surrounded by extensive landscaping and planting to ensure both a wonderful play area, and peace and quiet for surrounding areas of the centre. Children will be able to access nature in a secure and very accessible green space, allowing them to develop motor and spatial skills whilst letting their imagination and creativity run riot. “We need to teach the next generation to value their natural surroundings and what better way to do this than through having fun in eXplore!" said Centre Manager, Stephanie Fudge. Help us to save wetland birds and their habitats by becoming a member of WWT. Telephone the Membership office on +44 (0)1453 891198 or email: membership@wwt.org.uk For general enquiries please telephone +44 (0)1453 891900 More information on the London wetlands centre can be found in the party section under day trips. A SURVEY OF COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE: 
Every year, across the world, millions of people spend money on a variety of therapies considered outside the
mainstream of conventional medicine. Often collectively referred to as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM),
a 1997 survey published in JAMA, the journal of the American Medical Association, revealed that over 42 percent of
Americans used CAM during the previous year, a figure which goes up year-on-year. CAM is not usually used as a
replacement for conventional medicine, but in conjunction with it.
What is Alternative Medicine? Any unproven treatment for an illness or disease is considered an alternative medical approach by most mainstream medical doctors. "Unproven" means there is not enough acceptable scientific evidence to show that the treatment works. The term alternative medicine refers to a wide variety of treatments considered outside "mainstream" or "usual" medical approaches in the world today. While the safety and effectiveness of CAM may be the subject of debate, two things are evident:
These treatment approaches may include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following:
While more than 20 percent of parents say they have treated their children with alternative therapies in the past year, only a third have actually spoken with their child's doctor/paediatrician about it. By discussing CAM with your child's doctor/paediatrician, you can identify possible problems that are common among children using alternative medicines, or, depending upon the circumstances, your doctor/paediatrician may be able to recommend an alternative therapy to use in conjunction with your child's traditional therapy. Alternative Medicine, Complementary Therapy and Natural Health. The Internet Health Library Website - the world's largest & most comprehensive information resource specialising in Alternative & Complementary Therapies ... www.internethealthlibrary.com For further information about complementary and alternative medicine: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Clearinghouse P.O. Box 8218, Silver Spring, MD 20907-8218 Toll free & TTY/TDY: 888-644-6226 Fax: 301-495-4957 ... www.nccam.nih.gov March’s issue will include a more detailed exposé on the latest research published in the US regarding the taking of pregnancy supplements, including long chain fatty acids such as AA, DHA and ESP (found in Omega-3 and Omega-6 fish oils). We will also be long at the benefits of baby yoga. If you have any comments on either of these two topics please e-mail me on: customerservices@globalappointments.com RECIPES AND TIPS: Traditional Play Dough 
There are so many different kinds of play dough recipes available, we felt that we should share our favourite with
you. Play dough is always more fun when you make it yourself. Try different methods for colouring your dough, as well
as adding lemon or orange oil to give it a more fragrant smell - unless of course you're making an edible dough. Cook
it, knead it, freeze it, colour it, dry it, paint it, you get the idea. Most of all, have fun and be as creative as
you can!
If shoe polish is in short supply in your house hold, polish all the families shoes with a banana skin!!!! (Tip sent in by Kate Brown-Smith (Louisiana)) WHATS NEW AT GLOBALAPPOINTMENTS? As usual, lots: 
Improvements to the front page (better imagery, and easier to use).More UK party advertisers. New USA party advert section. Choice of banners with instant adverts. A-Mia sponsorship page. Special rates for Aegis Nannies interviewed candidates (see resources menu). Thank you for reading our 3rd news letter. | |
|
|
|
|
RECRUITMENT FEATURES FROM GlobalAppointments |
|
|
||
| Careers advice | |
|
|
||
| Employers advice | |
|
|
||
| GlobalAppointments.com concept | |
|
|
||
| Directors letter | |
|
|
||