things to do before u get pregnant

You and your partner have decided to take the plunge into parenthood. But wait just one second -- or a month or two at least! To give yourself the best chance for a healthy pregnancy and a healthier baby, there are a few important things you need to do before you head down the road to conception. Our list will help you get your life and body into baby-making shape.
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Fuel up on folic acid
Even if you do manage to eat a balanced diet, it can be difficult to get all the nutrients you need from food alone -- and there's one in particular you don't want to skimp on at this point. By taking 400 micrograms of folic acid a day for at least one month before you start trying and during your first trimester, you can cut your chances of having a baby with neural tube defects such as spina bifida by up to 70 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control. You can buy folic acid supplements in the drugstore or you can just take a prenatal or regular multivitamin. If you do take a multivitamin, make sure it doesn't contain more than the recommended daily allowance of 770 mcg RAE(2,565 IU) of vitamin A unless it's all in a form called beta-carotene (getting too much of a certain kind of vitamin A can cause birth defects). If you're unsure what to take, ask your healthcare provider to recommend a supplement for you.
Just say no to partying
If you smoke or take drugs, now's the time to stop, because some drugs can stay in your system after their effects have worn off. Numerous studies have shown that smoking and taking drugs can lead to miscarriages, premature birth, and low-birthweight babies. Plus, research suggests that smoking can affect your fertility and lower your partner's sperm count. In fact, studies have shown that even secondhand smoke may affect your chances of getting pregnant. And experts recommend that women avoid alcohol during pregnancy, so it's a good idea to cut back when you start trying and to abstain during the last two weeks of your cycle in case you've conceived.
Give that cup of joe the heave-ho
Research shows that too much caffeine can reduce your ability to absorb iron (which you'll need plenty of for pregnancy) and increase your risk for stillbirth -- so start weaning yourself off of coffee, tea, and colas or switch to decaf. You might want to start by switching to a half decaf, half caffeinated drink because going cold turkey may cause nasty headaches. If you're a real java junkie, try cutting back to a cup a day -- most experts think that amount is safe. Once you've acclimated to life with little or no caffeine, you may find steamed milk with a shot of flavored syrup a nice coffee substitute -- and the calcium will do your body good.
Get your weight in check
If you're a healthy weight, you'll likely have an easier time conceiving. Studies show that women whose body mass index (BMI) is below 20 or above 30 have a harder time getting pregnant, so it's a good idea to try to get yourself into the 20 to 30 range before you start trying. Click here to figure out your BMI. If you're not in a healthy range, losing or gaining weight may give you the boost you need to conceive. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to achieve your weight goals.
Stock your fridge with healthy foods
You're not eating for two yet, but you should start making nutritious food choices now so your body will be stocked up with the nutrients you need for a healthy pregnancy. Try to get at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day as well as plenty of whole grains and foods that are high in calcium, like milk, calcium-fortified orange juice, and yogurt. If you're a big fan of fish, start watching your intake. Although fish is an excellent source of protein, certain kinds, such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish, tend to contain too much methyl mercury, which can be harmful to your baby's growing brain in high doses. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises pregnant women to steer clear of these fish and to have no more than 12 ounces (the equivalent of about two servings) of other cooked fish a week, so it's not a bad idea to start following this advice now.
Create and follow an exercise program
Start and stick to a fitness plan now, and you'll be rewarded with a healthy body that's fit for pregnancy. Plus, working up a little sweat is a great way to relieve the stress that can get in the way of getting pregnant. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, a healthy exercise program includes 20 to 60 minutes of aerobic activity, such as walking or cycling, three to five days a week; muscle strengthening, such as weight training, two to three days a week; and exercise to increase flexibility, such as daily stretching, or yoga, two to three days a week. And once you're pregnant, remember that it's okay -- and even recommended -- that you continue exercising.If your idea of working out is clicking the buttons on the TV remote, you'll need to ease into an exercise routine. Start with something tame, like walking ten to 20 minutes a day. Or add more activity into your daily routine by taking the stairs instead of the elevator or parking your car a few blocks away from work.
See your dentist
When you're getting yourself into baby-making shape, don't forget about your oral health. Mounting evidence suggests that periodontal disease -- a bacterial infection that affects the gums and bones supporting the teeth -- can lead to premature labor and low-birthweight babies. In fact, one large study found that pregnant women with periodontal disease may be seven times more likely to have a premature baby. And another study shows an association between gum disease and an increased risk of preeclampsia -- a pregnancy complication marked by high blood pressure, fluid retention, and protein in the urine.To make matters worse, hormonal shifts during pregnancy can make you more susceptible to gum disease. Increased progesterone and estrogen levels can cause the gums to react differently to the bacteria in plaque, resulting in swollen, bleeding, tender gums. The good news is that women who take care of their periodontal health before they get pregnant cut down on their chances of experiencing gum complications in pregnancy. See your dentist for a checkup and cleaning now if you haven't done so in the last six months.
Get in touch with your medical roots
It's a good idea for you and your partner to find out what your family health history is, so call your parents, siblings, or other relatives to get the medical scoop. If they get suspicious and you're not ready to share your news, tell them you're trying out a new healthcare provider. The most important thing to ask about is whether anyone in your family has any genetic or chromosomal disorders like Down syndrome, sickle-cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, Tay-Sachs disease, or bleeding disorders. You'll also want to find out if any relatives have mental retardation or other developmental delays or were born with an anatomical birth defect, like a cardiac or neural tube defect. Your practitioner will ask you a series of questions at your preconception visit or first prenatal checkup, and your answers will help determine whether specific prenatal tests are recommended or if you or your partner should consider genetic testing before you even start trying.
Schedule a preconception visit
You don't have to have a doctor or midwife lined up yet to deliver your baby, but you should set up an appointment now with your regular healthcare provider for a preconception checkup. Your practitioner will likely ask you about your personal and family medical history, your present health, and any medications you're taking. Some drugs, like Accutane, for example (a commonly prescribed acne medication), are stored in your body's fat and can linger there for months. She should also discuss diet, weight, and exercise with you; recommend a prenatal vitamin; make sure you're up to date on your immunizations; test you for immunity to childhood diseases like chicken pox and rubella; and answer any questions you have. If it's been a year since you had a checkup, you can also expect to have a pelvic exam and a pap smear, and to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases if you're at risk. For more information on what to expect at a preconception visit , click here.
Figure out when you ovulate
Some women simply stop using birth control when they're ready to get pregnant and let fate decide when they'll conceive. Others take a more calculated approach by pinpointing their ovulation day. Use our ovulation calculator to get a rough estimate. If you want to be more exact, start charting your basal body temperature (BBT) and the changes in your cervical mucus. Tracking these symptoms over several months can help you figure out when you're ovulating during each cycle. To get a precise temperature reading, you'll need to check yours first thing in the morning, before getting out of bed, using a special basal thermometer (available at drugstores and at the BabyCenter Store).Ovulation predictor kits can also help you figure out when you're ovulating by detecting hormones in your urine that signal ovulation is about to occur. These kits can be pretty pricey ($20 to $50 per cycle) and are available at drugstores and at the BabyCenter Store.
Call your health insurance company
It may be more than nine months before you have to think about a hospital bill, but you should consider the cost of having a baby now. The best place to start is with a phone call to your health insurance company. Take a close look at what kind of prenatal coverage they offer and think about switching now if you aren't satisfied. If you have a particular doctor or midwife in mind, find out if she's in your plan or how much it would cost to go out of network. Find out what your deductibles are for prenatal visits and delivery and ask what tests and procedures your insurance covers. If you have a high deductible you may want to put a little aside now so you won't be slammed with exorbitant bills when the baby arrives.Keep in mind that without insurance, a typical vaginal delivery can cost over $6,000 and a cesarean section can cost over $10,000. And don't forget to check on coverage for the baby -- neonatal intensive care can cost $2,000 to $3,000 per day. If you're one of the millions of women without health insurance, contact your local health department to see if it offers programs to help pregnant women get the coverage they need.
Make an appointment with a financial advisor
Shelling out $20 for cute designer baby booties is just the start of what you'll be spending on your little one in years to come. According to a 2002 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, families making $39,100 to $65,800 a year will spend $170,460 to raise a child from birth through age 17. Find out how much you're likely to spend with our Cost of Raising a Child Calculator. But never fear: By investing just $50 or $100 a month now, you can have a nice nest egg by the time your child heads off to college. Talk to a financial advisor about how to start saving.
Get in touch with your mental health
Women who suffer from depression are twice as likely to have problems with fertility as women who don't, according to Alice Domar, a psychologist and director of the Mind/ Body Center for Women's Health at Boston IVF (a fertility and in-vitro fertilization center). As she points out: "If someone is clinically depressed, she can barely take care of herself, much less a baby. From an evolutionary point of view, it makes sense that it's hard to get pregnant when you're depressed."Domar suggests that all women -- but especially those with a personal or family history of depression -- do a mental health check before they get pregnant. If you notice signs of depression, such as a loss of interest and pleasure in things that you used to enjoy, a change in appetite, a change in sleep pattern, a loss of energy, or feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness, ask your practitioner for a referral to a therapist or psychiatrist for a consultation. If medication becomes necessary, a psychiatrist can help you find an antidepressant that's safe to take while trying to conceive and during pregnancy. You may also want to try stress management techniques, such as yoga and meditation, which research suggests can also help depressed women conceive.
Avoid infections
It's important to steer clear of infections when you're trying to get pregnant, especially those that could harm your baby-to-be. You'll want to stay away from certain foods such as unpasteurized soft cheeses and other dairy products, packaged luncheon and deli meats, and raw and undercooked fish and poultry. These foods can harbor a dangerous bacteria that causes listeriosis, a food-borne illness that can lead to miscarriage or stillbirth. You should also avoid unpasteurized juices because they can contain bacteria such as salmonella or E. coli. Raw fish, especially shellfish, can contain harmful microorganisms.You should also be sure to wash your hands frequently when preparing meals and make sure your fridge is set between 35 and 40 degrees F (2 and 4 degrees C) and your freezer at or below 0 degrees F (-18 degrees C) to keep cold foods from going bad. Finally, it's a good idea to wear gloves when digging in the garden or sandbox and to get someone else to change the litter box to avoid contracting toxoplasmosis, another infection that can be dangerous for a developing baby.
Eliminate environmental dangers
Some jobs can be hazardous to you and your unborn children. If you're routinely exposed to chemicals or radiation, you'll need to make some changes before you conceive. Also, keep in mind that some cleaning products, pesticides, solvents, and lead in drinking water from old pipes can be dangerous for a developing baby. Talk to your doctor or midwife about what your daily routine involves and see if you can come up with ways to avoid or eliminate hazards in your home and workplace.
Think your decision through
Having a child is a lifetime commitment. Before you decide to make a baby, it's important that you and your partner consider what you're in for and whether you're ready to take on this responsibility. Some of the key questions to consider are:- Are you both equally committed to becoming parents?- If you have religious differences, have you discussed how they will affect your child?- Have you thought through how you'll handle childcare responsibilities and balancing work and family?- Are you prepared to parent a special-needs child? - Are you ready to give up sleeping in on Sundays? To line up a babysitter every single time you want to go out without the baby?
Tell a friend
While this is an incredibly exciting time, it can also be stressful and emotional. Confide in a friend (besides your partner) about the leap you're about to make. It'll be great to have a support system in place once the morning sickness and wild hormones kick in. And it's always fun to have another person to daydream with about your baby-to-be. If you're reluctant to tell someone you know personally about your decision, visit our Trying to Conceive bulletin boards, where you can share stories, advice, and support with other women trying to get pregnant.
Buy something sexy
Some experts say that if a woman is highly aroused while she's having sex, the sperm has a better chance of fertilizing her egg. Others say it makes absolutely no difference. The jury may be out, but why not set the mood for baby-making with some sexy new lingerie? Or illuminate a room with soft candlelight. Or bring home some special scented massage oils. It certainly can't hurt, and it may help eliminate that clinical feeling couples sometimes complain about when they're having sex for the purpose of pregnancy.
Toss your birth control
Once you've gotten yourself into baby-making shape, you're ready to bid adieu to birth control. For some people, ditching contraception is as easy as moving the condoms or diaphragm to the back of the dresser drawer. But going off hormonal contraception can require a bit more planning. If you've been using the Pill for example, it's a good idea to finish your current pack to avoid irregular bleeding. (It may take a few months for your cycle to return to normal, but many women are fertile the first month after they stop taking the Pill. The same holds true for the contraceptive patch and ring.) If you're using Depo-Provera, it can take up to a year after your last shot for you to start ovulating again, even if your period returns to normal sooner. (Find out what you need to know about quitting other kinds of birth control, including Norplant and IUDs.)When you do ditch the birth control, start keeping a menstrual diary to help you keep track of your cycle. Use a regular calendar and mark when your period starts and ends, or simply circle each day you experience bleeding. This will help your practitioner determine your due date and schedule any tests you may have during your first trimester.
Take a (safe) ride on the wild side
This is it -- your last "wahooo!" before pregnant-hood. Soak in the hot tub. Take one last horseback riding lesson. Ride a roller coaster. Now's your chance to throw your hands in the air and whoop it up. There's little chance you'll be doing it again anytime soon. And besides, a roller coaster is the perfect metaphor for parenthood!
Fact-checked by the BabyCenter Editorial Team and approved by our Medical Advisory Board.

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6 steps to being your own boss

Got that entrepreneurial spirit? You aren't alone. In fact, two out of three teen-agers who completed last year's Junior Achievement "Interprise" Poll on Teens and Entrepreneurship said they hope to start their own business one day. But it takes more than a good idea and a desire to be your own boss to launch a successful venture.
Just ask Max Durovic. At 18, he increased his odds of making it with formal and thorough business planning. By taking the right steps, he built a booming business before he even graduated from college.
While a sophomore at Georgetown University, Durovic founded the inventive street-advertising company Aarrow Advertising. He began hiring 14- to 24-year-old students to carry sandwich-board sign ads for nearby retail chains and to perform trademarked tricks, spinning and tossing the signs to attract attention. The sign spinners received hourly pay with a 10-cent increase for mastering each new trick. Durovic turned the idea into a booming livelihood by crafting a complementary team with an expert mentor, meticulously writing a business plan to focus his vision, following the financial feedback and continuing to plan. Now at age 22, he leads 200 employees in five cities and has revenues that have grown at an average rate of 10% per month.
Early on, Durovic faced one of the biggest challenges of enterprising young adults: the credibility gap. Most entrepreneurs endure long hours, challenging management decisions and months without income, but young entrepreneurs may face larger hurdles. With minimal work experience, limited financial resources, fledgling credit histories and no startup experience, they often have difficulty convincing people to take their business ideas seriously. Startups are already risky -- inexperience adds more risk. In fact, one in three new businesses fails by their second year.
How can you minimize your risks? Use our checklist to get ready. We'll help you carefully weigh whether to trade valuable years of traditional work experience for your new business dream -- and then how to pull it off when you're ready.
Get some experience If you've never clocked a day of work in your life, you might consider taking a job before striking out on your own -- even if the thought of doing time in a cubicle makes you shudder. Work experience in the field you want to break into may be the most productive use of your energy. Think of it as a paid research position. In a couple of years, you can give your business a go. By then, you'll have learned the ins and outs of the real world and reduced the risk of total inexperience."Financial literacy is the language of owning a business," says Irwin Rudick, the vice president of the San Diego chapter of SCORE, a nonprofit firm that gives advice and training to small business owners. So, if you're still in school, take classes in business, management or entrepreneurship. If you've already graduated, sign up for night classes. Durovic, an international business and marketing major, says that his formal business education has been integral to his success. "Nothing brings the classes to life like running your own business," he says.
Build a winning team Bring on people who complement your skills and fill in the gaps. Mary Beth Metrey, a 24-year-old Spanish literature master's student at Georgetown University, had always dreamed of opening a boutique, but her short stint in retail didn't provide all of the details of running a shop. But Heather White, her hometown friend from Wyckoff, N.J., had studied fashion design and merchandizing. Naturally, Metrey asked White to be her business partner when she opened her charming new shop, Valise, in Georgetown this spring.
Fight inexperience with advice Universities and alumni networks are great sources for mentors. Durovic found business plan help in a Georgetown entrepreneurship class, and he continues to consult with his former professor on business decisions. Ryan Comfort, a 22-year-old grad of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School and founder of the online art sales business Comfort2020.com also found cost-cutting connections through his school's alumni network.
The Internet is another great place to get free advice. SCORE, for example, boasts a mentor network of more than 10,000 mostly retired entrepreneurs nationwide. You can search by related background and meet the mentor locally or by email. You can also get feedback online from 12,000 peer entrepreneurs at YoungEntrepreneur.com.
And seek out local organizations. This spring, New Yorker Leah Alani, 27, founded SophieSays.com, an online boutique for stationery and gifts for special events. She gained the confidence and the practical skills to accelerate the startup date after taking a four-week class with Ladies Who Launch, which has local chapters in metropolitan areasWrite a bulletproof business plan One of the biggest mistakes a young entrepreneur can make is simply failing to write a business plan. There is no other single process that can be more useful in beginning business problem-solving than addressing the risks and thoughtfully forecasting by writing the plan. Don't fall into the excuse that you have the business plan in your head. "That's a fantasy," says SCORE's Rudick. "It only becomes a reality when you put it into writing because when it's in your head, no one else can see it."
Not only is it a good planning tool, but a solid business plan is also your key to raising capital -- the money you need to get your show on the road. Although you may not have had time to build a long credit history to show that you are financially responsible, you can demonstrate your penchant for using sound judgment by crafting a document that sells your business and lures financers on board. It's your greatest opportunity to fill the credibility gap.
A business plan will showcase your product or service, how you plan to make a profit and the exceptional team who can bring the business to success. It should include market data and tests to show the service or product will sell, the essential skills that will drive profits, estimates for startup costs, projections for sales and profits, a break-even analysis and long-term goals for the company.
If, while writing the business plan, you decide from your research that the business isn't as sensible or profitable as you originally thought, the plan has served its purpose. Rather than cost you money and effort, you've spared yourself any loss. Once you've crafted a plan that satisfies you, show it to your mentor or entrepreneur friends and ask for their input on how to improve it.
Find inspiration from sample plans at bplans.com. But be sure your plan shows your original thinking for the unique situation so that readers can see how the team problem-solves and relates to the business, says Stever Robbins, business consultant and startup veteran of nine companies.
The top-rated Business Plan Pro 2006 ($100 and up) from Palo Alto Software will walk you through the entire planning process. It includes cash-flow projections and a useful tool to help you understand when you'll break even. With the $200 Premier edition, you can collaborate with other teammates and split up specific parts of the plan to streamline the process. Best of all, it includes freebies like a company logo crafter and a guide to small business law.
Raise money Your business plan should overestimate how much money you will need from the beginning because it's easier to raise money before the launch than it is after you've failed to meet projections. To minimize risk, limit the amount of personal money that you put into the business, says H. Irving Grousbeck, co-director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Stanford Business School. Also, you'll be tempted to use credit cards, but credit-card debt is the most expensive debt you can have. Try to steer clear.
Clutching a business plan that sells, go first to a bank to request a loan. "Banks are conservative, and they're still in business," says Robbins. If you have a FICO credit score of 680 or more and you're seeking a loan for less than $50,000, you'll likely be granted the loan, says SCORE's Rudick. Even if the banker can't offer you a loan, ask for his or her advice about how to improve the plan so you can try again.
If your credit history is too short, friends and family may be your best shot. But tread carefully: Set the loan up like a formal business transaction that explicitly states when it will be repaid. A smart way to manage a loan between family or friends is with a professionally-administered loan from CircleLending. The company will send statements and track payments -- and provide healthy distance.
Follow the money Count on a cash cushion to live on for at least the first six months because you likely won't have an income. Conserve your money before you start. (See Build Your Financial Foundation to learn more about how to build your stash -- and where to keep it.) Once the business launches, regularly compare your actual income and expenses to your original forecasts to take the pulse of your company. Intuit's QuickBooks software ($200 and up for Pro and more advanced versions) features many bookkeeping tools and services such as expense tracking, check printing and payroll managing. Another plus is that you can export your information to Business Plan Pro to simplify your comparisons.
And stay focused on your financial goals. One of the biggest causes of failure is diffusion of focus, Grousbeck says. The first year you should have two overarching goals: meeting or exceeding your projections and treating your customers right

Quit work for a year: 7 steps to do it right

It's time for a break. It's something everyone thinks about on occasion, but now an increasing number of people are taking mid-career sabbaticals as a way to refresh their creativity, or to do things they've always wanted to do.Financial planners sometimes call it a "mini-retirement," in which you trade a couple of years while you're still in your 30s, 40s or 50s for working a little longer in yourThe reasons vary. Maybe you want to travel, go back to school, spend quality time with your family, volunteer or pursue your favorite hobby full time. Taking time off from work may be the only way you can follow these dreams, or just undo the damage to yourself and your family from job-related stress.Sounds great in theory, but how do you pull it off? We will leave it to you to figure out what to do on your sabbatical, but here's how you can balance your desire for time off and your desire to keep your financial goals (such as a secure retirement) on track: later years
1. A leave of absence is (usually) better than quitting outright.Unless your financial situation is very secure, and you don't need the group health insurance available through work, try for a leave of absence. (You also have the benefit of being able to borrow from your 401(k)). Understand that your employer can't keep your specific job open forever; the longer your sabbatical is, the less likely it is that you will be able to come back to your current position. Your employer may think a six-week sabbatical is terrific and will help you recharge your batteries to become a better employee; a six-month sabbatical (especially in a small company or a fast-paced one where products are brought to market very quickly) may be impossible to negotiate.2. Accept that it's going to cost you.Unless your employer offers you paid sabbatical time, you're going to have to take unpaid leave (or resign outright). Many a person has taken a sabbatical and rationalized the hit to the pocketbook with "I will be a better worker and much happier and focused, so I'll end up making much more money." That's great if it happens, but don't count on it. If anything, after a sabbatical you might decide you don't want to work as hard, or that you want to change your career to something less lucrative and more altruistic.3. Figure out how much it's going to cost you.We know this takes some of the spontaneity and fun out of the planning, but you need to know the bottom line in order to know how much time you can afford to take off. If you don't do it now, keep a detailed record of your monthly expenses for six months, subtracting out work-related costs (such as dry cleaning, lunches out, commuting costs) and adding in the extra costs of your sabbatical plans (such as travel, home renovation, and so on). Don't forget to also add in expenses that your employer pays now but that you will have to pay if you take a leave of absence or quit (such as medical expenses). Multiply your monthly basic expenses times the number of months you plan to be off work, and add in the extra costs of your sabbatical activities. Unless you will have a guaranteed job waiting for you upon your return, add at least three extra months for job hunting.4. Set goals for your sabbatical.This doesn't mean planning every day of your time off, but it does mean thinking through exactly what you want to achieve, both practically and personally.5. Figure out how much time is enough to meet those goals.Again, you don't want to sacrifice all the spontaneity in your time off, but unless your employer subsidizes you, every month you take off is going to cost you. You can plan for an open-ended sabbatical if you have a nice financial cushion and you're willing to use it, but there's a law of diminishing returns at work. For example, after six months off, the seventh month of free time is going to be less beneficial to you. At some point, the money you lose by continuing to stay out of the work force becomes more important to you than the extra free time.6. Find the money.Now that you know how much money you will need, you have to come up with it. Make a list of all of your assets, including any non-financial assets you might be willing to sell (this can be just the motivation you need to clean out your house and have the Mother of All Garage Sales). Here is a quick snapshot of the various sources of income and some quick strategies to remember with each:
If you take money out of investments, subtract the capital-gains tax you will have to pay.
If you take money out of savings, be sure you leave an emergency fund of about three months' worth of expenses in a checking or savings account; many people who have taken sabbaticals have reported that they vastly underestimated their expenses, even when they tried to plan.
You could also go for a home-equity loan, but take the loan proceeds well before you announce your plan for a sabbatical. If you are on unpaid leave, it's going to be hard to get that loan approved.
Another source is retirement plans; take loans if you can, instead of outright distributions. That's because an early distribution from your retirement plan carries a 10% penalty, plus you get taxed at ordinary income rates on the amount of money you took out. If your company will give you a leave of absence instead of making you quit, you probably can borrow from your 401(k) plan. Remember, though, that if you don't go back to that company and your employment status is terminated, your loan must be paid back to the 401(k) plan immediately.
You might decide to take a loan against the cash values of your life insurance policy, or to cash in an annuity. Before you do that, however, find out about the surrender charges. That includes any mutual funds that have back-end loads.
If your parents are making annual gifts to you already or you know they would support your desire to take time off, you can ask for a parental loan. Of course, you can ask for an advance on your inheritance, but it's probably better if you ask for a loan and let them offer on the inheritance.
If you plan to take substantial time off and you don't need a car, you might sell your car and use those funds. But before you do that, make sure you know where you will get the money to buy a replacement car when it's time to re-enter the work force. If you have taken a lot of time off, it may be hard to get a car loan before you have held onto a new job for a period of time.7. Make exit and entrance plans.When the job market is tight and employers are offering all kinds of incentives to prospective workers, you may be tempted just to quit and figure out your next job move at the end of your sabbatical. But even then, it's a bad move.To be fair to your current employer, you need to give at least three months notice if you're hoping to make it a leave of absence. This way, your temporary replacement can be trained and you make it clear that you care about your job and your employer. Even if you decide later not to come back to your current job, your supervisor will be more likely to provide a good recommendation.If we all lived life "by the numbers," we would never take vacations or sabbaticals, would never have kids and would never do anything unnecessary that costs any money. There are some things that money can't buy, and a sabbatical may be just what it takes for you to find it.Yes, you are probably going to end up with less money a year from now, five years from now and 20 years from now. The goal is for you to plan your time off in advance, make sure you can swing your finances so you don't have money worries while you are supposed to be de-stressing, and not find yourself saying, "I wish I had never taken that time off; it just wasn't worth it" at any time in the future.

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يحكي أن الحق كان يركب حصانه عندما التقي بالباطل منهكا من المشي علي قدميه، فتوسل إلي الحق أن يركب الحصان قليلا، واستجاب الحق واعتلي الباطل الحصان ثم رفض النزول بعد ذلك، وارتضي الاثنان الاحتكام إلي الناس، فسألهم الباطل: من الذي يجب ان يمشي في هذا البلد الحق أم الباطل، فأجمعوا ان الحق هو الذي يجب أن يمشي، وبذلك اغتصب الباطل الحصان.حدث ذلك في بلد اسمها فسادستان.
أحمد رجبa_ragab@akhbarelyom.org

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frog2:seen MI3?
frog3:huh! PhD?what is wrong with # 3 guys?
we haven't even finished the globalization last week discussion? have u lost ur marbles ? even the rain forrest is affected ..where is kuoto agreement ...i agree

io voglio passare la mia vita con te per sempre

Che tesoro che sei quando mi guardi quando dici che mi chiami dopo e non mi chiami mai che tesoro che sei quando fai tardi dici ... scusa sono in mezzo al traffico .. mi aspetterai E se il nostro poi non fosse amore giuro io non ti lascerei anche se pensi che di te non me ne importa niente Anche se non fossi un angelo io non ti cambierei perché sei bella bella bella ... bella come sei sei bella come ti vorrei ... Che tesoro che sei quando ti svegli quando esci dalla doccia corri e non ti asciughi mai ... ti rivesti nel buio e leghi i tuoi capelli .. un biglietto per me ... sono pazza di te ... non lo sai E se il nostro poi non fosse amore giuro io non ti lascerei se pensassi che di me non te ne importa niente Anche se non Fossi un angelo io non ti cambierei perché sei bella bella bella ... bella come sei bella come ti vorrei ... Che tesoro che sei quando mi guardi quando penso con qli stessi occhi tu mi lascerai che paura che hai ... non mi sorprendi perché stare con me non è bere un caffè ... e tu lo ami E se il nostro poi non fosse amore giuro io non ti lascerei se pensassi che di me non te ne importa niente Anche se non fossi un angelo io non ti cambierei perché sei bella bella bella ... bella come sei bella come ti vorrei ...

allah yerhamak ya wad ya mazzika ,adee el seyasa walla balash

How to ask your Boss for a salary increase..?

One day an employee sends a letter to her boss asking for an increase in her salary !!! Dear Bo$$ In thi$ life, we all need $ome thing mo$t de$perately. I think you $hould be under$tanding of the need$ of u$ worker$ who have given $o much $upport including $weat and $ervice to your company . I am $ure you will gue$$ what I mean and re$pond $oon. Your$ $incerely, Marian $hih The next day, the employee received this letter of reply: Dear Marian I kNOw you have been working very hard. NOwadays, NOthing much has changed. You must have NOticed that our company is NOt doing NOticeably well as yet . NOw the newspaper are saying the world's leading ecoNOmists are NOt sure if the United State s may go into aNOther recession. After the NOvember presidential elections things may turn bad. I have NOthing more to add NOw. You kNOw what I mean

Who's to sayWhat's impossibleWell they forgotThis world keeps spinningAnd with each new dayI can feel a change in everythingAnd as the surface breaks reflections fadeBut in some ways they remain the sameAnd as my mind begins to spread its wingsThere's no stopping curiosityI want to turn the whole thing upside downI'll find the things they say just can't be foundI'll share this love I find with everyoneWe'll sing and dance to Mother Nature's songsI don't want this feeling to go awayWho's to sayI can't do everythingWell I can tryAnd as I roll along I begin to findThings aren't always just what they seemI want to turn the whole thing upside downI'll find the things they say just can't be foundI'll share this love I find with everyoneWe'll sing and dance to Mother Nature's songsThis world keeps spinning and there's no time to wasteWell it all keeps spinning spinning round and round andUpside downWho's to say what's impossible and can't be foundI don't want this feeling to go awayPlease don't go awayPlease don't go awayPlease don't go awayIs this how it's supposed to beIs this how it's supposed to be

Dear Tech Support: Last year I upgraded from Girlfriend 7.0 to Wife 1.0. I soon noticed that the new program began unexpected child processing that took up a lot of space and valuable resources. In addition, Wife 1.0 installed itself into all other programs and now monitors all other system activity. Applications such as Poker Night 10.3, Football 5.0, Hunting and Fishing 7.5, and Racing 3.6 I can't seem to keep Wife 1.0 in the background while attempting to run my favorite applications. I'm thinking about going back to Girlfriend 7.0, but the uninstall doesn't work on Wife 1.0. Please help! Thanks, A Troubled User. (KEEP READING) ______________________________________ REPLY: Dear Troubled User: This is a very common problem that men complain about. Many people upgrade from Girlfriend 7.0 to Wife 1.0, thinking that it is just a Utilities and Entertainment program. Wife 1.0 is an OPERATING SYSTEM and is designed by its Creator to run EVERYTHING!!! It is also impossible to delete Wife 1.0 and to return to Girlfriend 7.0. It is impossible to uninstall, or purge the program files from the system once installed. You cannot go back to Girlfriend 7.0 because Wife 1.0 is designed to not allow this. Look in your Wife 1.0 manual under Warnings-Alimony-Child Support. I recommend that you keep Wife1.0 and work on improving the situation. I suggest installing the background application "Yes Dear" to alleviate software augmentation. The best course of action is to enter the command C:\APOLOGIZE because ultimately you will have to give the APOLOGIZE command before the system will return to normal anyway. Wife 1.0 is a great program, but it tends to be very high maintenance. Wife 1.0 comes with several support programs, such as Clean and Sweep 3.0, Cook It 1.5 and Do Bills 4.2. However, be very careful how you use these programs. Improper use will cause the system to launch the program Nag Nag 9.5. Once this happens, the only way to improve the performance of Wife 1.0 is to purchase additional software. I recommend Flowers 2.1 and Diamonds 5.0 ! WARNING!!! DO NOT, under any circumstances, install Secretary With Short Skirt 3.3. This application is not supported by Wife 1.0 and will cause irreversible damage to the operating system. Best of luck, Tech Support

tom and jerry influence

don't we ,these days specially and all over the world , face new ideas and challenges ?
these ideas and the rush of information, i guess both are strong contributors to what we all call"stress"..we have been discussing" tom and jerry" issues then our "bands" were shifted upon the subject of stress at the workspace and how to reduce it..well, competition gives the work a taste , once the competitors are away from the work station, u feel that the urge and ur surge can go down , hell no! other ones enter the game, fresh new ones with fresh tones and the game begins..isn't that a waste of time ? we are like that shifted away from the main goal and we are drifted towards the "people"who are in the game , i wish guys u will not enter in this lame process of only concerning about ppl u working with and drift away from ur main goal , ya rab to be able to either ameliorate the process or better, redesign ..ya rab

Some people find it hard to seeOh yes they doBut everytime you look at meNo doubt about itYou and me we've got..[Chorus:]Real Love they cant stop you nowReal Love they can't hold it downReal Love if I needed to i'd give it all up for youReal Love don't ask for moreReal Love I'm livin forReal Love oh ohIf you feel love put your hands together like this ya'llPut your hands together like this ya'll[Verse 2:]The way that I feel about you girl I wouldn't treat itFor all of the money in the world coz I can feel itYou and me we've got..[Chorus:]Real Love they cant stop you nowReal Love they can't hold it downReal Love if I needed to i'd give it all up for youReal Love don't ask for moreReal Love I'm livin forReal Love oh ohIf you feel love put your hands together like this ya'llPut your hands together like this ya'll[Verse 3:]Now I wake up in the morning I feel you next to meYou know I'm blessed from aboveCoz its all so plain to see that I got real loveYes I got real love oh yeah yeah[Chorus:]Real Love they cant stop you nowReal Love they can't hold it downReal Love if I needed to i'd give it all up for youReal Love don't ask for moreReal Love I'm livin forReal Love oh ohIf you feel love....The love I got for my peopleThe love I got for my familyThe love I got for my musicThe love I got for youThis is real love ohhh this is real loveTo feel love...Put your hands together like this ya'll, put your hands together like this ya'll.

sunset is wonderful , a slow breath , silence ...a real battery charger

i adore this picture , i don't really know where is this place, but i found this picture ..mixture of clouds' colors with a wonderful building and snow topped mountains , mixture of nature and the modern civilization ..i adore this : nature and modern architecture

perry como , isn't he just a cutie pie ?

perry como is one of the best singers ..his music and lyrics are so wonderful to the point that u feel u are very happy listening to him ..he is pretty old singer but , ain't old is gold ?listen to this song:it's impossible tell the sun to leave the sky is just impossible..it's impossible ask a baby not to cry is just impossible, can i hold u closer to me and not feel u are going through me , split the second that i never think of you , oh how impossible..can the ocean keep from rushing to the shore, it's just impossible.., if i had you , could i ever want for more, it's just impossible,and tomorrow,should ya ask me for the world, somehow i'd get it , i would sell my very soul and not regret it , for to live without ur love is just impossible

this is a dream island..wonderful

now you say you are lonely , you cry the whole night through ..well you can cry me a river, cry me a river , i cried a river over you ... now you say u're sorry for being so untrue,..well you can cry me a river , cry me a river , i cried a river over you ...you drove me , nearly drove me out of my head while you never shed a tear ...remember , i remember all that u said , told me love was too plebeian...told you were through with me ..and now u say u love me , well just to prove u do ..come on and cry me a river , cry me a river , i cried a river over you ..thank u miss julie london for the best music and lyrics i have ever heard

sob7an allah
i have heard on the inside edition that these two roses are twin sister , this is amazing ..i told u guys that GOD always show us what he can do in the universe , sob7an allah ..they are fraternity twins 3ashan el mix up bass, 2 different eggs , same gestation period..they are not identical twins..i had to see this foto same time i had an HLA typing conversation with a doctor, he is an e-friend...we must read more guys , and ayman , sure this will amaze u :)