How to prepare for the Sabbath+ why keep it

I have posted about ways to keep the Sabbath Holy, but preparing for it is another story! However, why are most schools and businesses closed both Saturdays and Sundays (or Saturdays are a partial day)? Because Saturday is the day before the recognized Sabbath and Saturday is the day to prepare for it. If you don't have such days off, maybe Tuesday could be your preparation day and Wednesday could be your Sabbath, if you have Tuesdays and Wednesdays off. Also, as I have found, keeping the Sabbath is very difficult when you haven't prepared for it. Here are some ideas on how to do so (assuming Sundays are your Sabbath):
Monday:
After school/work, everyone decides what chores should be done and who should do what. The youngest kids would have the easiest work and the oldest kids would have harder ones.
Tues: After school/work, everyone does one chore. Let's say Mom, Dad, 9 year-old Samuel and 6 year-old Emily make up a household. Mom could sweep and mom the kitchen, Dad could vacuum, and each kid could clean up their room. (The kids should do their homework first.)
This would continue every day. On Saturday, necessary errands (such as grocery shopping) could be ran by one parent and one kid while one parent and kid finished any necessary chores. If the house is clean and homework is done, errands could be split among two people to save time.

WHY KEEP THE SABBATH HOLY?
Several reasons!

1. We are commanded to do so! For God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh!
2. We can slow down and actually focus on God. We might read a few bible verses a day and listen to Christian channels on the radio on the way to and from work, but Sunday can be a day where we just relax and work on our relationship with God.
3. You build relationships with your friends and family. Not only can you connect with your household members more, but you have time to write that letter to your Grandma in Wisconsin or to call your cousins in Oklahoma. Wish you could see them more often? Even if you can't see them, at least you can connect with them more often, and the Sabbath gives you time to do so!
4. You might get more done during the week. Want to take a nap instead of doing those Saturday chores? Want to take a long lunch that will result in less productivity at work? Sunday is the time to take such breaks. You can think, "I'll have the time soon enough. I'll get this done now and relax on Sunday".

https://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/christianity/6-reasons-to-keep-the-sabbath.aspx?p=6

We are commanded to keep the Sabbath rest. Let's focus on God one day and see what He has in store for us!

Good and bad things about being an only child

I am an only child and while I don't think about it much, there are times I love it and times I hate it!

Pros:

1. My parents have been able to help out a lot financially to start out my adult life!
2. Most parents love their kids equally in different ways, but I'm definitely my parents' favorites!
3. While many parents try to get houses so everyone can have their own room, having your own room as an only child is pretty much guaranteed! This means having my own space and not having to worry about a sibling barging in when I'm half naked. I also don't have to share a bathroom with a sibling, so I don't have to wait to take a shower or brush my teeth.
4. I don't think parents should do this, but parents may ask "Why can't you be more like your sister?" "Have you considered joining the band with your brother?" Not a problem as an only child!
5. Along with that, siblings sometimes have conflicting schedules. Maybe Trevor has a football game at 10 and Anna had a ballerina recital at the same time. When I played sports, my family had no conflict! (Not just my parents but my aunt and a few cousins went to watch me play!)

Cons:

1. When I see siblings fight, I don't really have a right to say anything because I don't understand sibling relationships. I have two cousins that seem to have slight arguments when they see each other and I want to encourage them to stop it, but I have no right to say anything because I am incapable of understanding sibling relationship.
2. When my parents die, I'm going to be on my own. Also, since my youngest cousin is seven years older than me, I am probably going to die alone one day. Holidays will be hard to celebrate because I won't have relatives.
3. No one understands your grief like a sibling would. If I had a sibling, they would understand becoming a grandorphan the same day I did and being one the same day I became one. My dad was devastated and several relatives, friends, and my professors (I had to email them in case I was absent) were sad for us, as anyone would be, but no one can understand becoming a grandorphan just like I did. Also, when my parents die, no one will understand like I will. My cousin already plans to act like a sibling to me when my parents die (contacting family, planning a funeral, etc), but one day my closest relatives are all going to be dead and I don't know what I'm going to do then!
4. At lunch in school, I never had anything to say with my friends and I was just a shy person. I know many shy people have siblings and not all "only children" are shy, but I think being in only child really made me shy. I did not build a whole lot of friendships in high school, and so far I haven't in college (though I plan to live on campus to help change this).

This is what I have so far. Any other pros and cons from anyone?

Why girl scouts should have vests, not sashes

Some girl scout troop leaders wonder whether their troop should have vests or sashes. We didn't have girl scouts in my area in kindergarten, and at the time only kindergartners were daisies and first-graders were brownies, so I was never a daisy. (I moved a few weeks before first grade and I joined girl scouts.) We had vests as brownies, but we switched to sashes when I became a junior, and our uniforms were sashes from then on. I missed the vests, but I will start by saying some good things about the sashes:

1. Some say it looks more formal. I don't know if I agree with that, but you might think so.
2. Easier to get into and out of (which I agree with. I had trouble getting into and out of my vest sometimes).
3. Less bulky (Also agreed with)
4. More room for a growth spurt. I had a growth spurt as a brownie, so I had to get a new vest and my mom had to take my badges off and iron them on my new vest. She didn't seem to mind it, but I'm sure that was a pain for her.
5. It will show more of your shirt (though reguardless of whether you wear a sash or vest, I think troops should wear matching, plain polos, such as white or blue, to be more formal. Even with a sash, anything your shirt says will likely be hidden).

However, I still recommend a vest. Here's why:

1. On a sash, you wear the trefoil pin on the shirt and not the sash. I think it's just easier to put it on your uniform, which is where it will go on a vest.
2. A sash will slide around, which can be annoying if the girls will be active while wearing their uniforms. A vest is supported by both shoulders, so this will not be as big as a problem.
3. On a sash, some people are not sure whether the vest should cover the right shoulder or the left, so some girls may have their sashes backwards. A vest is on both shoulders, so that confusion will be eliminated.
4. After you're a junior, you will have the same uniform until you are an adult. That is over seven years worth of badges! While after cadettehood you will not have as many badges to earn, you will still have some badges to put on your uniform.
5. A vest is bigger, so there is much more room for badges. I still have my brownie vest in my room and it's FULL of badges, and I think I have a few badges somewhere that there is no room to iron on. If we had had sashes, I don't know what I would do with all those badges! Also, after the junior stage, girls will have the same uniform until they graduate. Sashes give more room for a growth spurt, but vests will allow many more patches to hold for those seven years with that outfit! (To prepare for growth spurts, try giving a girl a vest that is a size or two too big when she becomes a cadette.)
6. Finally, since there is more room for badges on a vest, it will appear less cramped than a sash.

I do not really have an explanation for my last tip, but I offer this post as tips for leaders who are making this decision.