In Search Of The First Ever Amazing Women Of The Year

Are you a woman who holds the secrets to success in maintaining a
healthy home and work life balance? If so, you could be one of the first
ever Swiffer Amazing Women of the Year!

Are you a woman who holds the secrets to success in maintaining a
healthy home and work life balance? If so, you could be one of the first
ever Swiffer Amazing Women of the Year!

Swiffer, the revolutionary cleaning system, has partnered with
supermodel Cindy Crawford in a nationwide search to find everyday women
who are making amazing contributions to their communities. From the
multi-tasking mom who finds time to run the PTA and her own online
business, to the neighbor who organizes a charity walk-a-thon each year,
the Swiffer Amazing Women of the Year campaign wants to publicly
recognize women who are finding the time to balance their busy lives
while positively influencing others around them.

As the first Amazing Woman of the Year, Cindy Crawford was chosen to
launch this program because of her dedication to the Silver Lining
Foundation, a charity dedicated to providing lifetime opportunities for
children with cancer, and her ability to successfully balance her young
family, thriving career and vibrant personal life.

"Honoring women who are making a difference in their communities is
something I am thrilled to be a part of," said Cindy Crawford. "As a
wife and mother, I know it takes a lot of dedication to balance a
healthy work and home life. I am honored to help pay tribute to women
who have transformed the world they live in while still juggling their
work and personal life."

The five Amazing Women of the Year will be announced in May 2006. Each
winner will be awarded a $5,000 donation to the charity of her choice.

In celebration, the original Swiffer Sweeper has been redesigned to make
it even easier to keep your floors clean every day. It now features a
new look with transparent handle and larger head to enhance its overall
performance. With its lightweight, maneuverable pole, the sweeper is
quicker and easier than traditional cleaning methods.

Used in more than 40 million households worldwide, Swiffer continues to
revolutionize the way people clean their homes. The new redesigned
sweeper starter kit contains one sweeper, two dry sweeping cloths and
two wet mopping cloths.

Incarcerated Fathers And Their Children Find New LIFE

A group of inmates are learning how to breathe new life into their
relationships with their children through a unique program at a maximum
security prison.

A group of inmates are learning how to breathe new life into their
relationships with their children through a unique program at a maximum
security prison.

Through the 4-H LIFE-Living Interactive Family Education program at the
Potosi Correctional Center in Mineral Point, Mo., youth build
relationships with their incarcerated fathers through 4-H club work.
Developed jointly between the fathers and local 4-H staff, the program
focuses on improving parenting skills and bettering the children's
social and academic adjustment and overall well-being.

One and a half million American children have parents serving sentences
in state and federal prison, according to U.S. Department of Justice
statistics. These children can react negatively to the separation and
develop aggressive behaviors or suffer from eating or sleeping disorders.

"Offenders join the program because they see their kids are repeating
their own destructive behaviors that led to their committing crimes and
they want to help break that pattern before it's too late," said
Washington County 4-H Youth Extension Associate Robert Wilkerson.

In the 4-H LIFE program, children and their fathers can move freely and
interact naturally in an open, unstructured setting-a sharp contrast to
the restricted visitation usually granted at the maximum-security prison.

"When you meet them for a [regular] visit, you're [only] allowed a hug.
In 4-H, your kid can sit there with you and lean on you," said one
father. "You have a bigger bonding process between father and son."

The youth and their fathers work together on 4-H club activities that
encourage goal-setting, teamwork and accomplishment. One youth said
being able to work on 4-H activities with his father "created an
environment for me to be with my family like a normal family."

Fathers work on their parenting skills in formal meetings and often look
to each other for help working out family problems or other advice. They
organize food sales and recycling programs to fund activities and adopt
needy families in the community.

Families that participate in 4-H LIFE report stronger relationships,
better communication, greater family unity, life skills development and
improved home and school behavior for the youth.

"It's astounding and gratifying to see the changes the kids have made,"
said St. Francois County 4-H Youth Development Specialist Lynna Lawson.

4-H is a community of young people across America learning leadership,
citizenship and life skills.

Inexpensive Gifts

The value of a gift lies in what it means and what it conveys to the
receiver, and not in how many dollars were spent in getting it.

Is an expensive gift more valuable than an inexpensive one?
When you are considering a gift, what do you settle for—an expensive
gift or something special that conveys a message? Does the price of the
gift really matter? The thing to remember is that gifts are meant to
convey a message that you care. They need not be expensive, but they
need to be special. There's nothing wrong with an expensive gift, but
what is much more important is a demonstration of affection and care. As
Shakespeare says in Hamlet, "Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove
unkind." An expensive gift can become "poor" and an inexpensive gift can
become "rich" depending on the way you give it. So, it is the message
that you convey rather than the value of the gift that matters more.

What happens to expensive gifts
Let's look first at what happens when you present an expensive gift. In
these days of affluence and consumerism, most people have almost all the
things they need. Unless you are thinking of something like jewelry,
there's a good chance that the item you gift is already available to the
person to whom you are giving it. In that case your item, if given, may
not be used at all.

When you gift an expensive item, the focus is more on the item than on
the act. In addition, if the expensive item that you give is not to the
taste of the person receiving it, both of you are going to be
disappointed. So whichever way you look at it, it's not the price of the
gift, but its utility to the person and the spirit in which it is given
that are more important. That seems to clearly show that the value of
the gift itself is secondary. A bunch of flowers, a kiss on the cheek or
even a good word may bring more happiness to the person than an
expensive gift.

A thoughtful gift can be richer than an expensive one
A gift that helps someone really needy and aids a charitable cause may
often come with exotic handmade items that are made in far off places.
That might be a comparatively inexpensive gift, but it does a lot of
things, especially if the gift is intended for children. It shows the
value of caring for others. And it adds a certain novelty to the exercise.

A place for expensive gifts
We must remember that there are occasions when an expensive gift is
appropriate. There are certain special occasions when the gift of
something that is really needed, though perhaps expensive, can make a
big change in the life of the person receiving it. And such a gift can
sometimes show care and concern. If you look closely, you will notice
that even in these cases, the expensiveness of the item is incidental.
What really matters is that you have recognized a need and are trying to
fulfill it.

Can you "say it" with inexpensive gifts?
The next question that arises is whether you can "say it" with
inexpensive gifts. The answer to that question in most cases is an
emphatic "yes". Not only can you say what you want to say through an
inexpensive gift, you can also fail to say it through an expensive gift.
Think of that for a moment. Look at the quote from Shakespeare at the
end of the first paragraph. You will see that an inexpensive gift can
convey the message as well as an expensive one can. It's the spirit in
which you give, and not what you give that really matters.

Considerations while selecting a gift
Here are a few things to consider when you select a gift.
Does the person really need this gift?
Will he or she value and cherish it?
Does it bring forth fond memories, a feeling of bonding or togetherness?
Does it say, "I love you, and I care"?

The answers to these questions are far more important than how expensive
the gift is. If it weren't so, neither the giver nor the receiver
deserves the gift.