Month: April 2021

Importance of Healthy Sleep Habits for Newborn

Sleep is an essential habit that is important for a newborn’s health and well-being. The average newborn sleeps during the day and night, waking only for a few hours to eat and do other activities.

Unfortunately, newborns do not have a given sleep schedule, causing them confusion as they try to develop their nighttime sleep patterns. These uneven sleep patterns also affect the parents as well.  According to a report by the US-based National Sleep Foundation, almost 70% of parents are sleep deprived due to their babies. This can alter their own sleep cycle with repeated awakenings during sleep.

This is why parents need to instill in their newborns good sleeping habits right from the beginning.

How Much Sleep Does a Newborn Baby Need?

On average, your toddler can sleep for up to 18 hours a day, ranging from sleep duration of 3 to 4 hours on the go. However, as they reach 4 months, their sleep schedule becomes more predictable, and they settle for a more regular schedule for their naps. Yet, we suggest maintaining a sleep diary to help you recognize your child’s current sleeping pattern.

Moreover, it’s this phase during which you can try promoting healthy sleeping habits in your toddlers. This way, you routine their lifestyle with a set time to fall asleep. While the routine might not kick in right away, as the child grows, he/she picks up the habit.

Here’s a definite list of steps that we think will come in handy, to help you develop healthy sleeping habits in your child.

Steps to Develop Healthy Sleep Habits in Newborns

  • What Soothes Your Baby?

Every baby is different! Some newborns can be easily soothed by swaddling. On the other hand, some prefer motion (generally rocking or patting) or white noise to fall asleep. Until three months of age, babies need help in sleeping. Try to understand what soothes your baby. Hold, rock, or feed your baby if needed.

 

  • Is Your Baby Comfortable?

Do you know? Even your child’s diapers or clothing can prevent them from falling asleep. Children’s skin is soft and tender; they feel the slightest of changes to their skin. If your little one is uncomfortable with their clothing or their diaper, they’ll stay irritated and won’t be able to sleep. Further, it’ll also impact their sleep cycle and overall health. Therefore, we suggest using natural baby diapers & pure cotton clothes, to prevent your child from getting harmful rashes on the skin.

  • Develop a Sleep Routine

By the time your child reaches the two-month mark, you can foster a sleep routine as they can signal you about the ‘sleepy time’ via signals. To help your toddler go off to sleep easily, try incorporating predictable and calming bedtime practices. You can also include feeding sessions as a part of a healthy sleep habit. However, after three months of age, try to skip this by feeding the child before bedtime.

  • Encourage Napping

Encouraging naps is a great part of incorporating healthy sleep habits in your toddler. According to sleep experts, the better small children can rest, the better they can fall asleep. Once your baby has been awake for a couple of hours, you can encourage him/her to go for a quick nap.

However, you should avoid overstimulating the baby at all costs. Babies have a hard time sleeping if they are tired as it induces stress hormones that interfere with their sleep patterns.

  • Allow the Baby to Fall Asleep Independently

After babies reach three months of age and are healthy, encourage them to sleep on their own. This life-long skill is pivotal in shaping good sleeping habits to sleep quickly at bedtime, napping, and throughout the night.

Implement positive changes early to prevent problems from becoming chronic and difficult to fix. Once, you start taking small steps, you can cultivate healthy habits that promote the child to sleep independently.

Be a Patient Parent

Developing the right sleeping habits in babies takes time. Apart from creating a bedtime routine, take note of their night feedings to keep their tummy full. After feeding, use natural bamboo baby wipes to refresh them.

Being a parent, take cues and behavioral indications from your baby. This will help you in making them fall asleep fast.

5 Roadblocks to Making a Successful Insurance Claim

No one wants to deal with their insurance company. But if your home has been damaged by a fire, flood, or natural disaster, your insurance policy is the best tool you have to rebuild your home and protect your family from financial burden.

However, it’s not always smooth sailing. Insurance companies are known to try and cut costs at homeowners’ expense, especially when natural disasters strike and they’re facing hundreds or even thousands of claims at once.

These are 5 of the most common problems that you should prepare for if you’re about to make a claim.

1) You’re Underinsured

An alarming 60% of households are underinsured, meaning their policies would not cover the full costs of rebuilding or replacing their belongings. When you’re underinsured, it means the limits on your coverage are too low, and you will have to pay out of pocket to replace your belongings or repair your home.

Don’t mistake a low offer from your insurance company for being underinsured. It’s important that you go over your policy and understand what you’re really entitled to.

 

2) Communication

Communicating with your insurance company should be one of your topmost priorities. You will have to contact your insurance company as quickly as possible when you experience a loss; failure to do so could jeopardize your claim.

Keep track of your subsequent communications with the insurance adjuster. It will help you stay on top of your claim’s progress.

 

3) Additional Living Expenses

Additional Living Expenses coverage compensates you for the cost of living in a hotel or rental while your home is repaired. You’re entitled to maintain your standard of living while repairs are done on your home. For example, the insurer should provide enough funds for you to rent a home or apartment of comparable size.

Another area of disagreement may arise around the date that your home is determined to be livable again. The insurer will insist that once repairs are finished, you can move back in. For personal reasons, you may want to delay that move. For example, your kids may be writing exams, or you may be completing a time-intensive project at work. Keep in mind that if your home is livable the insurer will likely stop paying Additional Living Expenses since you are willingly incurring extra costs.

4) Depreciation of Personal Property

A substantial part of your claim goes toward replacing personal belongings lost in the fire, such as furniture, clothing, electronics, etc. Many policies have something called Actual Cash Value coverage, which means that the insurer will compensate you based on the value of the item before the loss, rather than the purchase cost.

Personal belongings can depreciate quickly. For example, on average, furniture depreciates 20 percent each year, so you could be left with far less than you need to replace everything. If the insurer has applied Actual Cash Value, it’s worth looking at how much the insurer has depreciated each item and contesting their accuracy if you find a miscalculation.

5) Repair Costs

Insurers like to save money on claims. When they are getting an estimate for your claim, they will solicit bids from preferred contractors to complete the work. They base their offer to you on the lowest bid provided.

If you believe necessary repairs or materials costs haven’t been included, you may need to negotiate with the insurer about including them in the estimates.

5 Best Tips to Sharpen Your Photography Skills

Whether you’re an amateur or a professional photographer, there’s no denying that you’re probably spending most of your time trying to improve your skills. The art of photography is not only a lucrative one, but one that inspires and drives us to bring works of art to life with our DSLR cameras and our keen eye.

Of course, in order to become a better photographer, you need to have the right equipment, but you also need to practice regularly, attend professional workshops, network with peers, and take other crucial steps to achieve success. You can have the best DSLR or the best camera on your mobile phone that money can buy, but if you don’t take the following steps, you’re going to fall short of your goals. With that in mind, here are the five best tips you can use to sharpen your photography skills and thrive as a photographer.

Find inspiration online

Firstly, no matter what we do in our professional and personal lives, it’s important to feel motivated and inspired to achieve it. You might have been born with a keen eye and a talent for taking amazing photographs, but you also need to find a source of motivation to keep you inspired and give you fresh ideas. You need an idol, or several.

Luckily, the online world is filled to the brim with amazing photographers from all niches in the industry that specialize in different types and styles of photography. You can start following them on Instagram and other online platforms where they publish their work regularly so that you can stay inspired to achieve better results yourself, refine your approach, and ultimately build your unique style and brand.

Show off your work

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

Becoming better at something means putting your ego aside and being willing and able to take criticism and feedback. You’re never going to become the photographer you aspire to be if you’re not able to accept other people’s opinions as constructive and instructive criticism. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but your work needs to be scrutinized mercilessly for you to become a better photographer.

By showing off your work to friends, family, and unbiased individuals, you can get the feedback that will make your rethink your work and consider how you can improve it. This is a great way to slowly but surely turn your amateur hobby into a career opportunity, but you can only do it if you ask people to give you honest feedback on a regular basis.

Attend professional workshops

No matter how much you practice and no matter how many photographers you follow online, there’s nothing that can help you advance your talents like a professional class or workshop. Your goal should be to get hands-on experience and work under some of the best professional photographers in your field in order to gain invaluable experience. This is especially important if you’re trying to succeed as a photographer in a highly competitive market.

In Australia, for example, aspiring photographers will make sure to attend Sydney photographic workshops and classes in other competitive markets like Melbourne and Brisbane in order to get proper education and training from the finest photographers in the region. This allows amateurs and professionals to refine their skills and elevate their chances of success in the competitive market, but it doesn’t matter where you’re currently located – make sure to attend the right workshops in order to become a more sought-after photographer in your local market.

Network and talk to industry professionals

Photo by Matheus Bertelli from Pexels

It’s not only important to attend workshops to improve your skills, it’s also important to network with the successful photographers in your field and beyond in order to pick their brains, meet important people, and promote yourself as a photographer.

You need to get yourself out there and talk to the people who inspire you and whom you look up to. They will prove you with invaluable practical and theoretical information you can use to improve your work.

Practice with a keen eye

At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that practice makes perfect. However, simply taking hundreds of pictures on a daily basis won’t cut it – you have to practice with an observant mind and actively scrutinize your work after taking every shot.

Don’t just look at the photos you’ve taken, instead, delve deep into picture to analyze its every part. Scrutinize the composition and the lighting, follow the lines and consider the symmetry, assess the dead space and if you’re using manual shutter control, always strive to make the next image more focused than the last.

Wrapping up

Photography can be a healthy hobby and a passion, but it can also become a lucrative career. Be sure to use these tips to sharpen your photography skills and set yourself up for success in this thriving field.

Why do You need to Integrate Instagram Marketing in Your Content Marketing Strategy?

Getting a plan is the main component for doing social media marketing well. For the purpose of sharing, you could be posting on social media sites without a plan. It’ll be tough to generate results on social media without knowing what your ambitions are, who your target demographic is, and what they expect. If you wish to expand your brand through social media or to become an Instagram expert, it is essential to have a marketing strategy for Instagram.

You’ve got a plan in motion for Instagram. For your social networking campaign, you have an idea of what you’ve been going to share, where you are trying to publish it, and who you’re looking to reach. To support you, prepare all of your Instagram content strategies well in advance; you have your Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook pages loaded with posts and a calendar with the help of Instagram marketing companies.

And you’ve got your content policy, too. For your article, you get an editorial schedule. If it is a film, an animation, digital material, or a blog post, you know what sorts of subjects you’re going to discuss. For certain of your content strategies, you may well have a PR outreach approach in place. You recognize what content you’re going to create, and for that content, what targets you’re aiming to attain with the help of an effective content marketing strategy.

 

Why Is Instagram Necessary for Your Business?

Social networking is most commonly also used to communicate with friends and relatives for personal purposes or to be part of interactions that correspond with your private desires and passions. If you have information that is not suitable, appropriate, or helpful to people with that same mentality, it will have the effect of putting people off and moving them away. Similarly, it can be frustrating and come off as a screaming match if they blast people with a steady stream of content. To discover what people, want to read/watch and make it digestible through the forms and platforms they find most helpful, and you need to take the time. You can take help from some of the best-paid content marketing agencies.

 

Less Expensive Advertising

Social networking is free, even if you can charge for certain advertisement functionality, such as on Facebook. To meet people over a certain distance from your business, you may target those ads. That implies you don’t end up paying from outside your immediate client base for ads. Set a target and pick your audience to begin ads on Facebook. Small companies just have to rely on their place instead of spending thousands of dollars on Instagram ads to spread around the country. Without spending for additional functionality, Instagram is a perfect promotional platform. For discounts, sales, new products, and even just industry-related details, you can check your followers. Customers can now see everything you sell by sharing pictures, and it can be used for the benefit of your business by a content marketing manager. Check out more benefits of ads to your business.

 

Boost Brand Awareness

 Whenever it comes to increasing your brand recognition, Instagram proves to be a strong instrument. There really are firms who ignore it as a way to create a name, but they are creating an open field for rivals by doing that. Many credible affiliate marketers, on the other hand, believe that Instagram has a definite effect on brand recognition.

 

  • Find Your Audience: Figure out what your intended demographic is on that before you start working on a single social network. By scanning for important discussions regarding your product or business, you can do this. For instance, on LinkedIn, instead of just Facebook, a B2B business could find its audience. Don’t just believe those brands or follow them.

 

  • Use Visuals: When you understand where your main demographic is, it’s time to attract their interest with your content by using eye-catching graphics. In order to help you build your brand reputation on Instagram platforms, pictures and videos play a major part. Since they not only improve engagement but also maximize social networking under some effective website content strategies.

 

  • Create Conversations: Building interactions have always been about Instagram. You’ll only win too much exposure if you use these media networks for one-way conversation. Chat and listen instead. Engage yourself. Showcase your style by chatting to others, marking, and listing them. With the help of free Instagram likes, you can easily start the conservation among the users on your posts.

 

  • Measure Your Efforts: To evaluate your Instagram behavior, use the monitoring tools offered by the sites (e.g., Facebook Page Insights) along with some other external tools, including URL shorteners, Google Analytics, etc. Using the knowledge, you obtain to learn what works so that through Instagram, you can leverage your activities and create a better brand.

 

  • Build Authority: You must concentrate on building your credibility by exchanging true meaning if you want a greater engagement rate together with better brand recognition. The material you publish should also contain something original, together with borrowed information, as it adds to your reputation. Only with solid and proven marketing strategies examples can you make this possible for your business.

 

Paid Instagram Strategy

 They are paying to promote advertisements (whatever the medium – text, picture, video, carousel, etc.) or supported updates to social network members depending on the user profile, e.g., statistical. Depending on the method of an ad intended, an expense is incurred; certain advertisements, for example, pay a cost per click (CPC). Many e-commerce professionals are comfortable with the pay-per-click model through other search engine experiences, but although many paid social campaigns would often bill on a per-click basis if the message passes at all, the route to conversion would not be as straightforward as with search. If you have some creative market strategies with you, then only you can make the best use of paid social media tactics.

 

Well, if you need any kind of assurance of guidance you can always get in touch with the marketing experts available online.

Internet Side Hustles and Saving – How to be Financially Stable

People use side hustles to supplement their income, but what are the differences, and which one is best for you? A side hustle could be a better choice than passive income if you want to make more money, significantly when raising a child.  In any case, we’ll describe side hustles and what passive income is, as well as provide examples. Maybe after reading this, you’ll get started right away! Let’s get started!

 

Side jobs  

When you hear the word, the first thing that comes to mind is probably not having enough sleep and working until your legs are numb. Even if you work from home, you can feel stuck, and your eyes can hurt from staring at a computer screen. And if you start a side hustle, you will now be able to maximize your time. It’s difficult enough to be a mother, but if you need to supplement your income, there are ways to do so without overworking yourself (we know having a kid is beautiful, but the exhaustion is real).

 

Side jobs come on the internet

After your “usual” job, getting an extra shift or working at a different bar or restaurant is a tried and tested process. It can work for a while, but as a mother, we should choose something that allows us to earn money while spending as little time as possible away from our children and will enable us to stop whenever we want (for that day). Making a schedule is crucial in this case, and side hustles can be lucrative if you dig under the surface, thanks to the internet. As long as you have a strong and reliable connection, from a trusted provider such as xfinity internet, there are many lucrative online side hustles that can be done from home.

 

Finding your craft

The cost varies depending on the length of stay, but it’s a good place to start. Knowing English well or using English as your first language can be incredibly helpful if you want anything more reliable since there are always people who want to learn English. This type of education has been available online for years. Look for websites with a list of companies/schools that are currently hiring and sign up for the ones you think would be the most helpful to you. Some will stick to a strict timetable, while others will give you more leeway (you can schedule time slots when available). After completing the basic introduction, you will have an interview with the recruiter to check your qualifications, and then you will be ready to go. Consider hiring a native speaker for a decent hourly wage if you have a quiet room in your home (there should be no disturbances during a class).

 

Putting money into something concrete

Many young people are beginning to invest, so the question is whether you can do it as a side job or as a source of passive income. Since Forex trading is much too difficult to be a side business, the best choice is to find a certified and authorized brokerage (and a Forex broker) by reading broker reviews and then working out a plan with a professional. You can see long-term benefits and generate income from Forex if you are cautious and don’t rush, mainly if you are a beginner. Please try side hustles that allow you to maximize your time and be considered an investment (whether for savings or anything else). Meanwhile, regardless of what you’re doing, open a trading account and make small deposits to ensure that capital accumulates over time.

 

In conclusion

This is just a small example of what you can do online if you’re serious about working from home. There will be some changes as you progress (for example, creating a new daily schedule), but it will get easier as time goes by. We wish you luck in your quest for something fruitful and satisfying. Best of luck!

 

 

6 Tips For Mompreneurs to Grow Their Businesses

Being a mother and a small business owner at the same time is very rewarding, but also very stressful. No matter if this was your dream from the beginning or something that just happened along the way, juggling both can be a challenge for everyone. Both roles require dedication, time and energy, so many mother entrepreneurs realize they bit off more than they can chew. But, if you persevered and started your business, here are a few tips on how to grow it and become a true mompreneur.

Build a strong team

No matter how deep you are invested in your role of Supermom, you can’t do everything yourself. Every successful entrepreneur has a strong team to cover their back—a good team is critical for success. Make sure to choose employees (or an employee) who have skills different from yours or who can cover hours when you’re busy with mom stuff. Your time as a mompreneur is valuable, so be picky about your workers. When interviewing, make sure to check whether they can work flexible hours, jump in on different tasks, and help your business grow.

Choose a job you love

If you’re just starting your own business, it’s best to focus on something you love or have previous experience in. While some careers are better suited for mothers like advertising, interior design or event planning (they offer very flexible hours and a lot of work from home), if you don’t love the industry, you won’t succeed. And don’t be scared to venture into a traditionally male field, especially if you know the ropes. For instance, Oil and Gas might be male-dominated, but it’s a broad industry that has space for everyone. So if you want to earn good money investing in oilfield equipment, don’t hesitate to try your hand. As long as you have passion and drive, money will follow.

Hop on social media

One of the best ways to grow your business is to use social media for marketing. This tool can attract potential clients and customers and give you valuable insight into what people want to receive from your business. Social media also allows you to manage all your marketing needs from home, which is great when you have little ones asking for your attention. Plus, you can show off some of the behind-the-scenes content of how mother entrepreneurs live and work—it can be very interesting to viewers and even cause you to go viral. Also, social media is usually free, so you don’t have to add a new expense to your list.

Time your actions

No matter if you’re a full-time mom, working mom or freelancing mom, if you decide to become a small business owner, don’t expect to be able to work during regular business hours. From what can be learned from industry leaders and other moms, the best work is done when kids go to school, take an afternoon nap (this will give you at least two hours of uninterrupted work) or after you put kids to bed. However, don’t stay up too late, or you will ruin your health and fail at all tasks, both as a mother and as an entrepreneur.

Learn to battle guilt

Many mompreneurs don’t always have time to see every recital and soccer game or bake cookies for playdates, but that’s okay. Guilt is a toxic feeling that will not only ruin your mood but affect your performance in all spheres of life. Say no to mom-guilt and you will get to enjoy both worlds to the fullest—your family and your business.

Highlight your titles

You are a proud mother of your kids, so why not use this title to help develop your business? Search the internet for organizations that offer help to mom entrepreneurs or programs that motivate new small business owners. If you have a website or social media profiles that advertise your business, highlight the fact that you’re a working mom and you will come across many people willing to help you grow your business.

In the world of small businesses, where most people face a lot of challenges, mothers have additional struggles. When you have to juggle kids, your spouse and your business, you have to be ready to handle the pressure. However, mothers all over the work are killing it in the entrepreneurship game, so if they can, so can you!

Essential Tips to Improve the Quality of Your Life

 

It doesn’t matter where you live, what you do, and how old you are – as long as you’re healthy, you can consider your life to be a happy one. That’s why improving our health and doing whatever we can do to feel as good as possible every single day is simply a must. Unfortunately, this isn’t the easiest thing in the world, and some people might have a problem turning that idea into practice. If that’s the case with you as well, here are a few hacks that could help you improve the quality of your life and take your health to the next level.

Be as active as you can

Having to work all day long and not having enough time to run, ride a bike, hit the gym, and play sports is one of the worst things in the world when it comes to your health. Most people don’t realize how dangerous physical inactivity really is, but the fact is that this leads to a number of different diseases and serious health issues. From heart failure to depression, everything can be traced back to how active or inactive you are on a daily basis.

Changing this isn’t easy and you’ll have to adopt an entirely new lifestyle if you want to do something good for your body. Even if you don’t have enough time and energy to do that every single day, you can find alternative ways to get fit and stay in shape. If you don’t have time for the gym, don’t be afraid to exercise at your own home and you could be boosting your health and your quality of life without even realizing it.

Boost your mental health

Being stuck at work all day long is catastrophic for your mental health as well, whether you love your job or not. The constant stress, never-ending pressure, and endless anxiety might be hurting your health more than you know, and putting an end to this sort of behavior is something you have to do as soon as you can.

Again, this is easier said than done, and you might have to invest quite a lot of time and energy turning your life around and boosting your mental health. The easiest way to do that is by starting simple – take some time off and focus on yourself instead. After that, try to find your happy place and do only the things that relax you and keep you happy. In the end, don’t forget to surround yourself with positive and optimistic people who will help you stay positive and mentally healthy in the years to come as well.

Control bad habits

This is another major issue that could be ruining your health slowly but surely, and the sooner you understand that the better. Bad habits such as smoking, alcohol, and drug abuse are probably the biggest and most difficult opponents you’ll have on your road towards a happier and healthier life. Luckily, controlling bad habits is possible if you put your mind to it and remain determined in the future too.

When it comes to alcohol, just take things one day at a time and keep your end goal in focus at all times. Try to remain focused and collected, and surround yourself with people who will help you reach your goals. If you’re trying to quit smoking, though, there’s a simpler solution – just start vaping instead of smoking. Trying out one of those well-known vape brands, such as the tasty Innokin, for instance, will help you realize that this is an idea worth exploring and it might end up meaning quite a lot in the long run. Finally, if you’re struggling with drug abuse, you need to be careful, patient, and not afraid to talk to professionals.

Deal with issues straight away

Not dealing with health issues and problems straight away is one more thing that could damage your health and ruin the quality of your life. It doesn’t matter what’s going on – you have to react ASAP and check your health before it’s too late. Some problems will be easy to solve and you’ll be able to deal with them yourself, while others are going to require you to see your doctor and potentially do several different tests before you learn what’s wrong.

For instance, dealing with perimenopause symptoms might turn out to be easier than you can imagine, so all you have to do is understand your condition and react immediately. The same goes for several other health conditions that could be dealt with quite easily, but in case of something more serious, don’t hesitate to go to your doctor straight away. For example, if you’re in need of some professional dental cleaning, don’t hesitate to book an appointment to get teeth whitening and dental implants boynton beach.

 

Improving the quality of your life and doing something good for your health might require a lot of time, energy, and money, so start doing that right now and you’ll feel better before you know it!

How To Make A Salted Caramel And Chocolate Pretzel Milkshake

As summer returns, so do the appeal of cold indulgences! Whether you’re coming back from the pool, spending the day at the park, shuffling kids to activities, or running errands, nothing hits the spot like an icy cold dessert on a hot day. That’s why, from ice cream cones to popsicles to milkshakes, summer desserts are often big on the chill factor. This year, why not take those sweet indulgences up a notch by making a milkshake that’s an elevated version of the classic? Your kids won’t soon forget a special sweet such as this!

Get the best of sweet and salty flavors in a single beverage with a salted caramel and chocolate pretzel milkshake: It’s the kind of warm-weather refreshment that feels luxurious but is super simple to whip up at home by yourself. Keep reading to learn how to make one for you and your kids this season, and make this summer’s snacks a little more special.

Why Salty and Sweet Are Such a Great Combo

Gourmet caramel apples, chocolate-covered pretzels, or caramel corn: what do these age-old combinations all have in common? Each one brings together two of the most popular tastes of all time: salty and sweet. When paired with something sugary, salt heightens the sweet pleasure and brings out a food’s flavor. It’s as true for salted chocolate chip cookies as it is for a salted milkshake. If your kids already crave peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, there’s a good chance they’ll beg for second helpings of this, too.

Recipes such as this milkshake satisfy the sweet tooth, while also giving you a more interesting, complex taste sensation. You don’t have to visit an ice cream shop or fancy restaurant to experience it, either. With as few as three ingredients, you can indulge in an amazing sweet-salty milkshake any summer day you please.

Ingredients You Need for This Milkshake

Making a salted caramel and chocolate pretzel milkshake starts with two ingredients you may already keep on hand: milk and vanilla ice cream. Beyond that, all you need is a long chocolate- and caramel-covered pretzel stick.

When you’re ready to make the milkshake, here are the ingredients to gather. The following proportions make enough for one serving; to serve your whole family, multiply by the number of people who will have a shake.

  • 1/2 cup of your preferred milk or milk alternative
  • 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream
  • 1  large chocolate- and caramel-dipped pretzel

In addition to the three ingredients listed above, you can dress up your drinks further with various optional extras: A generous dollop of whipped cream using Nangman‘s cream chargers and caramel syrup, for example, can give your shake that restaurant feel. You could also add a few chocolate- and caramel-covered pretzels to the top, or crumble them all over for a pretty finishing touch.

How to Mix Up the Milkshake

As long as you have a blender, creating a killer homemade milkshake only takes a few minutes. To create yours, combine milk, vanilla ice cream, and a pretzel together in the blender, and blend until fully pulverized. Pour the finished mixture into a large glass, and top with garnishes as desired. Anyone who enjoys a good, salty, crunchy pretzel can appreciate the appeal this snack adds to a sweet milkshake. Using a chocolate- and caramel-topped version makes it even better! At the end of a long, hot day, reward yourself and your little ones with this perfectly delicious recipe, or make a bunch of them to wow family and friends for backyard barbecues and other gatherings this season. One thing’s for sure, any summer day gets a little sweeter (and saltier!) with one of these incredible cool-down drinks.

4 Simple and Fun Party Game Ideas

With authorities rushing to distribute vaccines, there’s encouraging news for folks weary of the confinement that the COVID-19 pandemic wrought. It will soon be safe to return to gatherings, and if you’re like many, you’re probably chomping at the bit. Here are four fun and simple party game ideas that you can play at your reunion bash with all your best buddies.

1. Charades

Charades is one of the most classic dinner party games of all time. You can find dozens of variations of this game online — or invent your own.

 

The beauty of this game is that you don’t need any equipment, other than paper and pencils, and perhaps a hat. Have your guests jot down a word or phrase, including books, celebrity names, and TV shows. Then, place all the slips in the hat and divide groups into two teams. One participant silently pantomimes the word or phrase they drew, and the first team to guess the correct answer gets the point.

2. Darts

If you are too low-budget to afford a pool table, you can often find dartboards for under $100 at many retailers. Many feature soft tips that won’t damage your drywall when you make a wayward toss. Plus, you can’t tack your in-laws’ picture to this style of board, sparing you an argument with your spouse.

 

You can find dozens of dart variations — from the standard 301 to games like cricket. The laid-back nature of this pastime lends itself to drinking and watching sports, which is why you’ll find these amenities in many bars.

3. Adult Scavenger Hunts

Many companies feature scavenger hunts as team-building exercises — it’s a fun way to get to know others. You can throw dozens of creative items on your list. Think outside the solo search box and partner up to make this game more collaborative. This can be a great way to partake in some outdoor activities.

 

If you want to make a super-tough variation, why not give out the clue sheet to guests before they arrive? After all, not all households have things like VHS tapes anymore. The couple or individual who finds the most items gets a free pass when it comes to helping with party cleanup.

4. Trivia

Trivia provides endless fun, whether your version features random questions from every category or resigns itself to entertainment and sports. Best of all, you can whip out this idea at your next Zoom happy hour — you don’t have to wait for a return to normalcy.

 

As with most party games, this one is more fun when played as a team. That way, blowing an “easy” question doesn’t sting individual egos — and two heads really are better than one.

 

Try to partner off like the fictional Jack Sprat and his wife. If you wouldn’t know a tackle from a fumble, pick the teammate sporting a Steelers jersey who has never seen a single episode of “Say Yes to the Dress.”

Try These Simple and Fun Party Game Ideas at Your Next Gathering

With vaccines rapidly arriving, it will soon be time to bring back the house party. Try these simple and fun games at your next gathering and enjoy chilling with your BFFs once more.

How to Organize Your Stuff Before it Goes Into Storage

Putting your things into storage can be whatever kind of process you make it — you can go through it by tossing things willy nilly, but you can also go a bit wild with the organization and drive yourself up a wall. There’s no need for either, though, because you can find the perfect system of organization to store your things before you put them into storage. No matter how much stuff you have, you can organize it so you can make the most of your storage situation.

 

Whether you’re moving, or simply learning how to tidy and organize your space, getting into some simple organizational practices can help you more than you realize. If you’re unsure where to start, here are a few ways to organize your things before you put them into storage.

1.  Pear Down

This step might be a little painful depending on what you’re storing, but it can be one of the most effective — not just in managing the load, but in going through your things and understanding what you have in front of you. You can go with the classic choice of figuring out what sparks joy or you can simply go based on what you actually need and use. Especially if you happen to be moving, getting rid of a few things can reduce a lot of the stress involved.

2.  Disinfect

While you’re cleaning out, you may want to make sure you’re literally cleaning out. Things can get dirty when you store them for a while, and if you find yourself moving during COVID, you can never be too careful. This can even help you be more thorough as you organize your things.

3.  Create a System

When it comes to the meat of the organization process, finding a system that works for your process and your belongings will lead you towards a successful move. Everyone is different, which means that someone with lots of clothes will likely have different needs from someone with an abundance of comic books. Maybe you need to organize things by year or by material. Look up the needs of your possessions and plan accordingly.

4.  Label

When you pack things away, keeping track of what goes where can sometimes be a bit of a challenge, and it becomes even more important when some items are fragile or require specific storing conditions. Use a label maker to label boxes and bins specifically based on their contents so when you move things to the storage facility, you can keep things moving smoothly with minimal mistakes.

5.  Use Coordinating Boxes

While this might not always be possible, using boxes and bins that can easily stack on top of one another, that fit into one another or store easily together is one of the best ways to stay organized when moving things into storage, both in the moment and when you need to find things again at a later date. If you can find matching or coordinating boxes for your things, you should definitely do it.

Organizing Before You Store

While getting organized may not always seem worth it, when you have your things neatly organized and ready for storage, you may find yourself thinking a bit differently. Organizing can make your life so much easier. What do you plan to organize first?