Author: Marci Smith

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Retirement seems like a million miles away yet it creeps closer each year. There is nothing wrong with aging as it’s an occupational hazard of growing up. Still, nobody wants to spend their golden years struggling to remember the most basic of things. After all, they are some of the most enjoyable years of life. The key is to safeguard your health and you can do it right now regardless of your age with the right care. Whether you’re forty, fifty or sixty, it’s never too late when you put the following tips into practice.

Proactive Decisions

Wrong decisions have consequences, and not making any at all is a major problem. People who don’t take their future seriously end up alone and without help which is a big deal when your mind and body aren’t as effective. The key is to make decisions now with one eye on the future. Do you have a retirement budget? Are you visiting the doctor as much as you should? Is there a skilled nursing community you believe would be the perfect match? For the latter, you can kill two birds with one stone by sorting out care for elderly relatives while keeping an open mind to your arrangements for later life.

Moisturizer

Another ailment at the top of the list is wrinkles. Looking good is something everyone wants to do as they age, and loose skin isn’t the answer. Collagen levels decrease as the body grows old, so it’s tough to eliminate the signs of aging altogether. However, maintaining a comprehensive skin routine should result in firm, moist skin well into old age. The trick is not to over moisturize. Once or twice a day regardless of the season is plenty. Also, clean the pores by getting as deep into the cells as possible.

Diet

The things that go into your body will impact your health. From a beauty perspective, not eating fresh produce will result in greasy, oily skin. Your pores will clog and you’ll suffer from wrinkles, crow’s feet and bags under your eyes. Of course, there is the impact fatty foods have on weight gain and the vital organs. Going overboard with takeout will put pressure on the heart and lower your life expectancy. And, smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol only compounds these problems. Try and eat a balanced diet and cut down on the harmful substances whenever possible. Your body will thank you for it in the short and long-term.

Doctor’s Appointments

You can’t see what’s going on under the hood. And, if you could, there would be no way to understand the picture. After all, you don’t have a medical degree and years of experience in a hospital environment. That’s why doctors are essential – they can diagnose and offer advice on how to safeguard your health. Never assume you should only see a medical professional once something is wrong – scheduling a regular checkup should help you regulate your lifestyle as the doc will spot any issues before they become a major problem.

Your health depends on the choices you make which is why incorporating these tips into your lifestyle is an incredible move.

Independence and safety is a constant battleground for parents. We want to let our children have some freedom as they grow up. We want them to able to go and play with their friends, to stay for after-school clubs on their own, and even to go to events with friends and on their own. We know that to grow up to be responsible, careful and streetwise adults, this freedom in their younger years is essential. But, we worry. When they first start playing out alone, we sit trying to watch them through the window. Those first few weeks of them walking home from school alone, we’re constantly checking the time and fighting the temptation to call them.

We want to give them freedom. We want to show them that we trust them, and we want them to be able to grow up, exploring their own personality and character in their own space. We want them to be sensible, independent and responsible. Yet above all, we want them to be safe. It’s a delicate balance between protecting them and letting them go a little bit. Here are some tips to help you to get it right as your kids get older.

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Educate Them

The very best way to keep your children safe as you start letting them out into the world alone is with education. Teach them about stranger danger and who to call in an emergency. Tell them what to do if they need help and make sure they know your name, address, and phone number. But also teach them things like local public transport information, take them out walking so that they know the local area on foot and teach them anything at all that you think that they need to know.

In today’s world, online safety and independence is another concern. The Family Orbit iPhone App can help you to keep them safe but teaching them as much as you can about keeping themselves safe online can also be a massive help.

Set Some Ground Rules

Rules are often the key to safety. Give them times to be in. If there’s somewhere you don’t want to go, make it a rule. You might want to say that they can only go out alone on weekends or once homework is complete. It’s also ok to tell them that they need to check in with you with a text or phone call at regular intervals. Rules keep them safe and help everyone to feel more at ease.

Encourage Honesty (Without Hounding Them)

It’s crucial that your kids feel happy talking to you about what they do, who they see and how they feel. Ask them questions about their friends and what they’ve been up to, without it seeming like you are grilling them. Talk about your own day, ask natural questions and encourage an open and honest relationship between you. This will mean that they are much more likely to come to you if they need help.

It’s Ok to Worry

All parents worry when their children start to become more independent. It’s normal and natural, but you shouldn’t let your worries hold your children back.

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Parents put their kids first – that’s what being a mom or a dad is all about. And, 99% of people wouldn’t have it any other way. Still, it doesn’t mean focusing on them all of the time is a great idea. Sometimes, you and your partner have to put your needs in clear view to create a strong, unbreakable bond. And, you should do it without using the kids as a focal point as it will provide you with mutual interests that add spice to the relationship.

If the idea of connecting without the kids sounds tough, don’t worry because it isn’t as tricky as it seems. Here are four ways to do it that are astoundingly simple.

Spoil Them

Typically, it’s the kids that get the surprise gifts. You just can’t beat the smile on their faces when they open a present that they love. But, don’t forget that your partner likes to feel loved too. Out-of-the-blue gifts are the perfect way to show that you care, which will boost your bond. Not only that, you can tailor it so that you can do it together. Jasmine Traditional Thai Massage will give you a couples’ massage, meaning you can enjoy the experience as a duo.

Prioritize Date Night

Everybody understands the importance of date night, yet lots of men and women fail to prioritize it on a weekly basis. Sometimes, work gets in the way or the pair of you can’t be bothered to get ready and leave the house. Most people have been there and it isn’t embarrassing to admit you prefer chilling in pajamas than eating at a swanky restaurant. However, going on a regular date is the best way to get away from home life and be adults for an hour or two. Even if you book a hotel room and watch a movie, the time alone will bring you closer together.

PDA

Nope, this isn’t a hip new drug the cool kids are taking. It stands for Public Displays of Affection, and it’s something your children will inevitably hate. But, kissing in public or holding hands are two excellent ways to build bonds. For one thing, it’s a sign both people are lost in their happiness. No one cares about who’s watching because you’re smitten. Also, it gives the relationship the spark back. In your younger days, you would probably kiss and cuddle all the time. Therefore, it’s a reminder you’re still very much in love.

Spend Time Apart

It sounds illogical because connecting with your partner relies on being close to one another. The way it works is simple: when you’re not together, you realize how much you miss your spouse. As the saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder. With this in mind, it’s essential to have separate hobbies and activities and to give each other space. Go out for a drink with the girls, for example, or join a different gym so that you’re not always stepping on each others’ toes.

What are your secrets?

We’d all like to be able to save a bit more every month but sometimes no sooner has the paycheck landed in our accounts, then it’s out again thanks to bills, rent, car payments, school fees and medical treatments. Throw in something unexpected like a large bill, or denied insurance claims, and things can seem impossible. It’s not easy pinching pennies, and it’s important to know what items you should pay extra for such as quality meats, a cable provider or comprehensive insurance and those that, if you know where to look, you can get for less.  

Buy In Bulk

No matter what time of the year household goods such as toilet paper, bin bags, soap, kitchen roll and laundry detergent are items we need. However, it could be worth stocking up while deals are on, buy one get one free, three for ten dollars etc, to save money in the long run or even consider buying your essentials elsewhere. Supermarkets tend to mark up prices on household items so it may be cheaper to purchase them online, visit a warehouse or even buy them at the drugstore.

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Stick To Your Grocery List

We all arrive at the supermarket determined to buy what’s on the list and only that but somehow by the time we arrive at the till it never happens. If you can, avoid taking children with you when grocery shopping as the basket will be piled high with sweets and chocolate or distract them by turning looking for items into a game. They’ll be so busy trying to find the pasta that they’ll forget to add the candy. Sticking to a list helps you identify what you eat the most and means you’ll be on the lookout for deals as well as looking to see if there are cheaper alternatives. Make sure you eat a proper meal before you browse the aisles, as it’ll remove the temptation to throw anything and everything into the shopping cart so you can just get home.

Switch Off Your Appliances

Even when you’ve removed your phone from the charger electricity still continues to flow through the cable if it’s still turned on at the wall. By making sure all devices, cables not in use and even lights are switched off before you leave the house each morning you could lower your monthly electricity bill by around ten percent as well as helping the environment.

Research Big Purchases

Big purchases such as a new TV, games console or sofa require a little bit of thought and preparation to avoid you spending cash unnecessarily. Make a note of the make and model of the item that you like, check the price and look around. Online retailers tend to have more stock, but independent dealers will have more freedom to negotiate so decide what’s important to you and go from there.

A Dollar A Day

A dollar may not seem like much but if you pop a buck into a savings account, or even a glass jar, every day over the course of a year you’ll then have $365 to spend. A healthy savings account will help pay for surprise family holidays, a different car or a boatload of new gadgets.

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We are living in an age where keeping in touch with people is easier than ever. It’s no longer like times of old when you’d have to send a note by post and wait for days for a reply. You can make contact with your loved ones at the touch of a button. You can make a phone call, organise a video call, send a text message, or engage with numerous direct messaging apps and instant messaging apps that are ready and available to download. But for some reason, many of us are becoming increasingly isolated and feelings of loneliness are on the rise. So, what can you do to combat this? Well, here are a few different groups of people that you might want to look out for, alongside a few pieces of advice on how to make sure that they’re feeling loved and supported at all times!

Elderly Loved Ones

If you have elderly loved ones in your life, you need to take extra measures to keep in touch with them. While there are OAPs out there who are adept with technology, many are not used to mobile devices and constant updates to software – they may find smartphones, tablets, laptops, and computers difficult to use. So, make sure to either show them how to use these devices or to make use of older means of getting in touch that they are more used to and familiar with – try calling their landline rather than sending a text message. You should also make more effort to pop in and see these loved ones on a face to face basis. Many elderly individuals worry about burdening their loved ones and will not let on to day to day difficulties that they are facing. Visiting can help you to determine whether they are living a good quality of life or not. If you find that they are struggling, you may want to organise help that can alleviate pressure on them – see FreedomCare for more information on this subject.

Long Distance Relatives and Friends

It’s difficult to check in on loved ones who live a long way away. But make sure to make the effort to figure out time differences and arrange periods of time when you can both answer one another’s calls and messages. Make sure to keep in touch during these hours – it will help to maintain more consistent communication between you. This will help to make your bonds stronger and long lasting, despite the physical distance between you! You could also arrange occasional visits – they might be annual, biannual, or even less frequent, but knowing that you will see each other again in person at some point can prove extremely comforting and can provide you with something to look forward to.

These are just a couple of groups of people who you may find it a little more difficult to look out for on a day to day basis. But hopefully, the above advice will help you to maintain communication and positive relations with them!

Winter is a season that is typically associated with cozying up to the fireplace, sipping a cup of hot chocolate and being wrapped in warm blankets. All of this is to fight against the cold weather that most parts of the world experience, but the winter season is actually an opportunity for your children to learn more about how to be less wasteful with important resources such as energy.

We believe that it’s too good of an opportunity to pass up, so here are a couple of important lessons that you can teach your kids over the winter season regarding energy usage and how to be efficient.

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1. Teach your kids why your home gets cold in the first place

It’s vital that your kids understand why your home even gets cold in the first place. They might not realize that drafts from windows, opening doors or even drawing the curtains could have an effect on the overall temperature of your home. They might not understand where the cold comes from and if you teach them some basic physics, they’ll start to understand the importance of how small things can make a drastic difference in the temperature of your home.

2. Teach your kids about sources of heat and how it spreads around your home

Kids might not realize that everything in their home could generate heat. For example, they might not realize that exercising will generate heat from their bodies, they might not know that their computer or laptop can create heat and they might even forget that cooking is a good source of heat as well. They might not even be aware of how heat is generated in your central heating system or how it’s even spread around the home. It’s essential that you teach your kids about how your home is heated so they get a better understanding of where they can be more efficient and less wasteful. You may need to give some examples, such as explaining how heat is transferred from the heating element and why certain parts of the home are hotter than others.

3. Teach your kids about the costs of energy and how it increases during winter

Another important thing to teach your kids is the cost of heating. Children typically don’t have a good understanding of money and how it impacts their lives, but if you’re in the process of giving them an allowance and helping them understand pocket money and finances, then it could be a good idea to teach them about energy and gas usage and the costs associated with it. A good way to do this is to use simple examples, such as simplifying the cost of heating and explaining it with a per-hour cost.

4. Teach your kids to be more efficient and plan ahead with energy use

Kids usually can’t see very far into the future because they don’t like to make plans unless it’s something related to fun like a camping trip or a party. As a result, they often don’t think about how to plan ahead with their energy usage, such as setting the thermostat on a timer so that it’s only on when they need to get warm. You should let them know about the timer option on your heating and teach them to be less wasteful and reduce energy usage when they’re not around to use it, such as when they’re not at home or sleeping.

5. Teach your kids alternate ways to stay warm when they’re cold

There are plenty of unexpected ways that you can stay home, such as reversing the setting on a Modern Fan Outlet ceiling fan so that it draws warm air up to the ceiling and spreads it across the room. Kids normally wouldn’t think that a ceiling fan could keep them warm, so it’s a good idea to teach them little tricks and explain how it helps them stay warm throughout the winter. You can also talk about wrapping up in more clothes or even consuming more hot food to keep their body warmer.

Conclusion

Be it healthy habits, how to be more efficient with energy use or even how to cook, it’s vital that we pass down essential skills to our children so that they can learn how to save money, be more friendly to the environment and ultimately live a happier and healthier life. Teaching your kids about wastefulness and how to avoid it is one of the best ways to teach them good habits for the future and it forms a good foundation for how they should approach life in the future.

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No matter who you are and where you’re from, there is one thing that unites us all and that is the need to for a healthy lifestyle. Not everyone will live one, but it is hard to argue against the fact that we need our health to live. With that in mind, we are going to look at what it means to lead a healthy lifestyle and some of the ways that people go about doing so as well as what doctors recommend.

Exercise

Keeping fit and living your best life go hand in hand. Your body and mind need a certain level of activity in order to maintain health. Medical experts recommend up to 150 minutes of aerobic exercise per week and at least two times a week you should be including strength training such as lifting weights or doing push-ups as well.

There are some types of exercise that work these two styles together so that you can engage all of the muscles in your body through one style of exercise. For example, at home you can take part in yoga which allows you to move your body, be active and learn other parts of exercise like controlling your breathing. Particular styles of this style of exercise like DDP Yoga pride themselves on being more than just the traditional style of yoga and use calisthenics to provide another level of fitness to the routine.

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Diet

Exercise and diet do tend to go hand in hand with each other. They complement the work you are putting into another one. Diet consists of many different layers that you should consider before settling on what you are going to do. First of all, what is your diet plan for? If you are looking at weight loss you might want to consider a rounded diet plan like the KetoLogic’s keto diet challenge. However, if a low-carb diet is not something you can envision yourself being comfortable doing then you should explore alternative options.

The most important thing to consider when you are looking into any diet plan is that you must make sure you are getting the nutrients your body requires. This goes double if your exercise routine is particularly challenging or intense. Food provides your body with many functions, it isn’t just there to fill a hole. You use the nutrients from the different food groups to build up your health, provide energy and improve brain power. Bear in minds what different fruits and nuts give your body through different vitamins.

Your Health

The driving factor behind the decision on exercise and your diet should be how they are benefiting your health. Diets are good for providing some structure to your daily routine, but if something is causing you harm, then you should alter your meal plan so that it suits your digestive system better. The same applies to exercise, don’t push yourself too hard because that can cause injury, fatigue or push you to lose motivation.

There are few generations quite as interesting as us millennials. We’re widely criticised and misunderstood, often considered as lazy and self entitled by older folk. But as a demographic, we’ve done a lot of good. We’re entrepreneurs who are carving new paths in business and career thanks to the fact we’re savvy with technology. We’re the most ethnically and racially diverse generation, meaning we’re more accepting of others- we’ve pushed forward movements such as gay marriage and gender equality. And as a generation, we’re more educated and informed than others that have come before us. However, it’s not all good news for Millennials and if we’re looking at general trends, there are a few things we could be considered ‘guilty’ of. If you’re looking to get ahead, here are some things you can do.

Buy your own home

Millennials are less likely to be homeowners compared with older generations, and there are a few reasons for this. First, we’re the age group that grew up in the recession, which has meant many of us are jaded with our feelings around borrowing money. High house prices and a struggling economy (that’s only just recovering now) meant that even those who did want to own homes, doing so was often out of reach. Millennials also tend to like living in and around big cities where there’s plenty to do, where house prices are even higher. It’s always worth getting on the property ladder, if you’re able to save up for a deposit then it’s best to do so. You could even buy something cheap and fix it up over a couple of years- get new windows and doors, rejig the layout and have a new bathroom and kitchen fitted over a period of time. This would allow you to add value and own a home that you wouldn’t have been able to afford in a ‘move in ready’ state.

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Learn to drive

Millennials drive much later than previous generations have. The high cost of living is one thing to blame here, high driving lesson prices along with zero hour contracts and money being tight can have people feeling like learning to drive isn’t a priority. Again, coming back to the fact that Millennials tend to like cities, where public transport links are good but your can’t really drive your own car easily, it’s no wonder so many put it off. But learning to drive is a smart move, you never know when you might need it. What if you want to move away and transport links aren’t great, or you get a fantastic job offer but it requires you to drive?

Get your finances in order

Millennials are known for spending on frivolous things– expensive coffee, meals out, artisan products and more. This is despite the fact that due to the economy, many are struggling financially. Get your budget in order, stick to a plan and be careful of overspending.

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Making a home perfect for you and your family is a dream for many people. The idea of being able to create a custom-made space to suit your needs, decorated exactly as you like is hugely appealing. And with the costs of moving house so high, it’s little wonder that embarking on a home renovation is a popular choice for many. And although the end results can be amazing, you do have to live through a fair amount of chaos to get there, especially if you have children. While the ideal scenario is to move out while construction works are taking place, that isn’t possible for a lot of people, So, can you survive a home renovation project while also tackling the day to day issues of family life? Read on for some top tips…

Plan One Room At A Time

If you have a property where multiple projects needs carrying out, and you can’t afford to move somewhere else, then tackling lots of areas at once simply won’t work. Instead, you need to prioritise the most important rooms to get done and tackle them in order, so that you can close the door on the chaos and dirt as you go. Only you can decide what order to go in but as a general rule, if you have lots of ground floor rooms to reconfigure, it’s wise to make sure the bedrooms are sorted first so there’s somewhere calm to retreat upstairs. If it’s the bedrooms and bathrooms that need an update, make sure your family room is liveable downstairs.

Accept The Longer Timescales

It’s easy to get frustrated if things aren’t moving quickly enough, but when there’s a young family involved you have to learn to be patient. There’s no point in beginning to strip old wallpaper impulsively one evening if you can’t get it finished and will be waiting weeks for a painting contractor. The slow approach really is something you have to live with and especially if you intend on doing some of the work yourself. Get used to grinding a halt during nap times!

Timing Is Everything

When trying to accommodate a family and do major works to your home, you must take advantage of the most favourable times to do things. Fit in your major building works from September to November and January to May. This leaves the summer holidays and the Christmas period to concentrate on family activities and gives everyone a break from the noise and disruption of renovations. If there are things that need doing outdoors, schedule them in for April and May when the weather is likely to be kinder. Try to suit the activity to the time of year and the conditions, as much as possible.

Remember To Take A Break

You also need to look after yourself and stick to healthy habits. Working, raising a family and renovating your home is a lot, and there are bound to be times when you feel tired and stressed, so make sure you’re also taking down time out for yourself and your partner – even if it’s just a quiet walk or an afternoon curled up with your Kindle. Life has to be about balance so make sure you don’t put yourself in danger of burning out.

During the winter, we may moan that it’s too cold and that we don’t like how freezing our fingers and toes are. Yet when it comes to summer we almost kid ourselves that hot weather is better. In fact one could argue that for safety concerns, winter is far better. At least in winter, you can control your body temperature by putting layers on and turning up the heating. When it gets hot what can you do other than take layers of clothing off? What if it’s so hot that the ground and air outside makes opening windows and doors useless because there’s no breeze? Now you have a safety concern especially when you have a young family. You could run a cold shower but for how long can you be in the water? So what can you do when your home is hot and you don’t know how to control the temperature inside it? Firstly you have to realize that you should prepare for summer just like you do for winter. We know winter is going to be giving us certain challenges like cold mornings and ice on the roads, so we prepare our cars and homes for it. The same approach should be adopted for summer.

Heatwave mode

Heatwaves are no joke, hundreds of people die every year from essentially just baking to death. The young and the old are more susceptible to this kind of fate so if you have young children in the home, cooling your home down should be taken very seriously. Go into a heatwave mode in your home. Shield your windows so the hot sun cannot penetrate into your home. Fix louvers to your windows so you can shut out the sunrays. You can also use thick blankets that are hung from the windows to achieve this but they might transfer heat from themselves to you. Plug the vents or extraction fans in your home so that cool air cannot escape and hot air cannot force it’s way in. Put bottles of water in the fridge so at any time someone can drink something cold and regulate their body temperature this way. Stock up on foods that are going to be stored in the fridge also, such as salads, sandwiches and cold meats.

Repair and prepare

Air conditioning units take a hell of a pounding during very hot summers. Don’t forget that they have many moving parts and because they are made out of metal, they expand due to the heat. This can cause friction and a sudden seizure that stops parts from functioning properly. Be prepared to call someone like Trane ac repair that can come directly to your home no matter where you are or what time of the day or night it is, and get your air-conditioning unit fixed. They have a 24-hour emergency callout service, with a 5-star approval rating and can get to you in around 45 minutes. Have their details on standby in case you are in trouble.

A hot home can act like an oven for the occupants inside. Your family should be prepared for a heatwave scenario and take it just as seriously as you would a deep freeze winter.