Month: May 2021

If you are a beginner trying your hand on watercolours for the first time, you have to be wary as the process can turn messy at any point. Though watercolours may seem easy to ace, they can get challenging over time, especially for inexperienced people.

To avoid messy mistakes and improve your watercolour skills, you must learn more about the basics of painting. Here are important things you must know before starting with watercolour painting.

The Type of Paper Matters

While starting with watercolours, you must have the right supplies that complement each other. Trying to create artwork with the wrong papers and brushes can turn out to be a nightmare. To make the process easier, you have to equip yourself with papers intended for water-soluble paint.

Rather than using regular paper, cardboard, or even mixed-media sketchbooks, do a quick research and find a brand that sells high-quality watercolour paper. The paper with a weight of 140 lb or 300 gsm is an excellent option to start with.

Choose the Right Brushes

To achieve different results and to create an artful masterpiece using watercolours, you must have a few key types of brushes in your kit. It is okay if you do not have an extensive collection of brushes, but the key ones are a must-have, especially while you are a beginner. Flat brushes, mop brushes, medium, large and small round brushes are the basic ones that will help you improve your skills.

Pans, Tubes, or Pens

Watercolour paints come in tubes, pans, and also in the form of pens which create watercolour effects. Depending on your preference, you can invest in any paint, but remember that the brand’s quality can impact the quality of the painting. If you buy colours of poor quality, they may soon become chalky and can even ruin the artwork.

Keep Check on the Ratio

Right from the early stages, while trying your hand at watercolours, you must simultaneously hone the water to paint ratio techniques. As the water to paint ratio can drastically change the output of the artwork, you must keep an eye on it depending on what you are trying to attain. According to what you are trying to bring out on the paper, choose the proper water to paint ratio.

Always Let Layers Dry

Remember to practice patience while starting a watercolour painting. No matter if you are a beginner or pro, you must never forget to work on layers. While painting, you must give each layer the right time to breathe. If you ignore this and paint atop wet layers, it can cause bleeding of colours.

So be patient with the painting, or invest in a heat tool to avoid the wait.

Keep the Timing in Mind

As said earlier, watercolour painting requires a lot of patience and time. Working too slowly can result in hard lines, streaky strokes, and uneven blending of colours. So always try to work quickly and keep up the speed while painting.

Depending on the type of watercolour paint, brushes, paper quality, and the climatic conditions in your area, the work time of the artwork can vary. Experiment and identify what works for you before starting important projects.

Be Well Prepared

Before you start with the painting, you have to spend a reasonable amount of time prepping. As watercolour painting is time-sensitive, only proper preparation will help you achieve your creative visions. Get all the supplies ready, and once you start with the painting, don’t let anything get in the way.

Don’t worry if you have messed up your first painting. Check if you have the right products in hand and buy those missing from the kit. Remember, it is essential to find the right products which are of high quality. So, find a reliable seller, purchase the supplies and get your hands dirty right away.

People acquire old furniture in numerous ways. You might find an eye-catching chest at a garage sale or inherit a display cabinet from a relative. You’d love to keep the furniture, but it doesn’t exactly match your existing interior design scheme. Use these seven pro tips for repainting furniture to flip it into something that works with your home and personal preferences.

1. Inspect Pieces for Damages

Even freshly painted furniture is useless if it’s damaged. It’s also more difficult to apply paint over chips or dents in the wood. Closely inspect your newly acquired pieces to see if they’re functional or need a bit of work.

2. Research Paint Brushes

One large paintbrush likely won’t be enough to do the job. There are many different types that accomplish specific painting tasks, like navigating carvings or edges. Consider your particular piece of furniture to decide how many brushes you’ll need and which types will apply paint most evenly.

3. Wear Protective Equipment

You could solve some damages with special equipment, but that also requires wearing protective gear. Sanding down chips or scratches requires a dusting mask to cover your eyes and shield you from inhaling the dust.

4. Clean the Furniture

Painting over dust and debris results in a bumpy paint job that can’t properly adhere to the wood surfaces. Cleaning is one of the best pro tips for repainting furniture. Research how to clean your specific piece and let it dry before opening any paint cans.

5. Start With Primer

Many people don’t understand the importance of primer when repainting old furniture. Without it, the paint could soak into the wood and require multiple coats. It adds extra costs to your project that you could avoid with a single can of primer.

Apply the primer as the first layer of paint. It’s typically white but doesn’t shine through the final color. It seals itself over the wood to prevent the next layer from sinking into the furniture as it dries. You’ll get more use out of whatever paint you need to finish the job.

6. Finish With Sealant

After finishing your project, the last thing you need is more chipping and peeling. Exposed paint is more likely to do this if the furniture comes into contact with water rings or harsh sunlight.

Sealant is the final layer for any repainted furniture. It locks the paint into place and gives the piece an extra shine. It keeps the paint intact for years, making your time and effort a better investment.

7. Preserve the New Paint

Always give the paint extra time to dry before applying sealant. Moving on while it’s still wet or sticky leads to smudges and improper application. Some paint cans estimate the time it takes for the product to dry. Give your furniture a few extra hours or even days so the paint is ready for sealant and immediate use.

Try These Tips for Repainting Furniture

You don’t need to pay an expensive fee to update old cabinets, tables or chairs. Use these seven pro tips for repainting furniture to create a new interior design addition. With a bit of research and protective precautions, you’ll have an easy time designing your next favorite piece of furniture.

Everyone desires to progress and sustain a stable career. However, the question arises how do you achieve the promotion you want? Every sector has its prerequisites of skills that you’ll need to thrive, and the health industry is no different. This field demands you to stay on your feet and at the top of your game at all times. Unless you can keep up with the work, you will be swept aside by the competition.

According to a report, employment in the healthcare industry has grown by 25% during 2021. It indicates that there is an increase in competition. So it would help if you put in twice the effort to get where you want in this industry. The surest way you can make this happen is through a set of lucrative skills.

Through this article, we will walk you through how you can positively impact your career:

1.      Be Resilient

The healthcare sector will give you many experiences, while loss and wins are part of the package. Accomplishments are easy to handle, but tedious situations define your resilience. No matter what sector you occupy in the health industry, it would be best to learn to deal with setbacks. When you learn to focus on the bigger picture rather than immediate outcomes, you experience growth.

Your resilience will motivate you to make significant decisions. When you know what you want to accomplish, you’ll make a difference. Your strength allows you to go the extra mile which makes you a tenacious worker. For any sector, a resilient worker gets the limelight.

2.      Study More

No matter how many certificates you have at hand, continue to learn more. You can pursue degrees such as online MHA to harness your skills further. Education allows you to pick on new concepts which are helpful for your career. It is essential because no sector is stagnant, and there is constant expansion and addition of growth opportunities.

Education ensures sure you are updated sufficiently to navigate through these changes. Your skills will never go unnoticed. When employees notice that you bring more skills and knowledge into the sector, they are impressed. This fast tracks your career to where you want it to be.

3.      Become Flexible

Your career will demand you to be flexible. It is a test of how well you adapt and learn unfamiliar concepts. Maybe there is a change in management, and you need to adjust to the new team. It could even be a patient’s lack of response to prescribed treatment. In any case, you need to show that you can drop a tactic and adopt a new one. The healthcare sector cares about its resources.

The more flexible you are, the better you will utilize resources. However, companies never hesitate to either demote or let rigid employees who are steadfast in their ways. Moreover, agility makes you rise high fast.

4.      Effective Communication

Communication is all it takes to divide people or unite them. Your words, body language, and ability to listen play a significant role in getting your point across. Effective communication means knowing your audience. The way you speak to your colleagues is not the same as you’d talk to your managers. If you are excellent at communication, not only will you leave an impression, people will come to you for guidance. As a healthcare practitioner, you must know that confidentiality between patients and doctors is very important, so the same goes for written communication, like emails, it is important to use an email service that is HIPAA compliant.

When you can decipher body language and pay attention to what is said, you’ll know how to steer the conversion. Communication also plays a role when it comes to your thoughts. You can rearrange your thoughts better for a more fruitful conversation. Communication will always stand as the most valuable skill. Therefore, you should learn about effective communication through different outlets such as seminars as much as you can.

5.      Exercise Empathy

The health industry deals with some of the most fragile cases. You may meet patients with severe diseases and conditions. Whether you work as a therapist or a nurse, you need to practice empathy. A skill like empathy allows you to be perspective. It enables you to understand where the person across from you is coming from.

As a result, you will know how to approach your patients and make progress with them. When you are more level-headed and calm, you are approachable. It is a trademark quality that would make you a perfect representative for your sector.

6.      Be Part of a Team

As much as you feel like you can do everything on your own, it’s always good to be part of a team. In the health industry, you’ll be part of a team more often than not. You may need to discuss some instances with different medical staff members. You may need to make referrals. In some cases, you may need to draft a research paper within a team. When you know how to collaborate with others, you can get the job done. When you collaborate with different people, you gain exposure to more learning.

Exposure is necessary as it will allow you to build your perspective. You may even get an idea of alternate routes and methods which you may have overlooked. Not only would you find solutions faster, but people who can work in harmony with others are also always assigned better projects.

Wrap Up

A stable future is the goal of any career. The best way to make a mark in your career is through a skilled-based tactic. Resilience ensures that you carry out every task to perfection. Your ability to want to learn more proves beneficial when it comes to new concepts and new skills.

Effective communication is the key to make sure you can leave an impression. It would help if you were empathetic to everyone you come across. Finally, always be a team player, and with these methods, you will climb your career in no time.

Motherhood is a full-time job – one that requires constant, hard work. And just like any other job, it can feel quite overwhelming at times. In those moments, recharging your batteries is of the essence. The question is: How can a mom take care of herself without feeling guilty?

First things first, moms need to realize that self-care isn’t really an option but a necessity. Secondly, taking some solo time is essential not just for your physical but also your mental and emotional well-being. Finally, taking care of yourself will make you a better mom and make the journey of motherhood much more enjoyable. With that in mind, here are five simple ways you can prioritize self-care as a busy mom.

Take time to exercise

First things first, every mom needs to understand that making room in her schedule for exercising is not selfish. It’s certainly understandable why lots of moms may feel this way. Some of them may be thinking that they’ll be taking away valuable time from their little ones. Others skip or delay exercising due to the lack of time.

Whatever it is that’s holding you back from engaging in regular physical activity, now’s the time to change it. For starters, find an activity you like. It can be yoga, pilates, dancing, or simply jogging. Then, schedule your workouts. You can tackle your exercises in the morning and cross them off your checklist early on. You can also try to sneak them in during the day. As long as you get your body moving, anything goes!

Make healthier choices

Photo by Zen Chung from Pexels

As a busy mum, it can be all too tempting to skip your workouts and reach for unhealthy foods. While they may seem convenient at times, these are bad decisions that you’ll only regret later on. Instead of letting time constraints and other factors lead you to unhealthy choices, do your best to eat healthy.

Generally speaking, this will mean filling your plate with more fruits and veggies and focusing on a wholefood diet. Aside from adding variety to their meals, moms should also consider taking digestive and immune system supplements to ensure the optimal amount of vital substances their body requires. By making healthy choices, not only will you manage to boost your own health and well-being. You’ll also be setting an example for your little ones, thus helping them start off on the right foot.

Stay connected

Once you become a mom, your new role starts to heavily impact your social life. Your priorities change, and taking care of your children begins to take up a major portion of your day. Maintaining friendships suddenly feels a lot more difficult, especially if you have child-free friends. Still, it’s important that you do your best to nurture those relationships and stay connected.

To do this, let your friends know that you need them. Be honest and open and try to prioritize them. Sometimes, that will mean reconnecting over coffee, and other times, it’ll mean talking on the phone once a week. Your non-mom friends may not be able to get what you’re going through, and that’s fine. If a friendship is meant to be, it’ll make the transition.

Don’t shy away from asking for help

One of the common mistakes moms make is try to do everything on their own. Some of them assume that others are too busy to help them out. Others feel helpless but are ashamed to ask for help thinking that it’ll make them a bad mom. The thing is, asking someone whether that’s your partner, friends, or family, to lend a helping hand can make parenthood a lot easier and smoother, especially if you’re a first-time mom. In fact, sharing the load can actually be quite empowering as it helps you be a much better mom.

Knowing when to ask for help is just as important as learning how to say no to non-essential things. If you’re feeling like certain responsibilities are adding to the burden, ditch them. Put your needs first, eliminate what’s unessential, and you’ll ward off that feeling of mental, physical, and emotional overwhelm.

Take baby steps at first

Learning how to properly manage your time as a mom and prioritize self-care can be challenging at first. This is why you want to take baby steps and do things little by little. The key to successfully juggling your responsibilities as a busy mom lies in your ability to detect small pockets of time that you can dedicate to yourself.

Even if it’s just a quick five-minute meditation or a brief yoga session, these small acts self-care all add up. Gradually increase your ‘me time’, and soon, you’ll have several hours to yourself every week.

Wrapping up

Putting yourself first when you’re a busy mom can be tough. Yet, it’s so vital to your overall health and well-being that it can not be neglected. A mom has her own needs, too, and by meeting those needs, you’ll make sure that you’re being the best mom you can be.

We’ll stop you right there if you think that booster seats and child car seats are the same. Sure, they are indeed vehicle components and are very important for children. But they have similarities and differences that might surprise you. 

And guess what? You are in luck, for today, it’s all about finding the difference between child booster seats and child car seats. You will get to find out and learn more and differentiate these two car parts with ease once you finish reading. So let’s get into it.

Getting Into The Basics

A car seat is a specific structure inside your vehicle that carries the weight of a passenger while also granting comfort and safety. 

There are numerous types of car seats, each highlighting a set of features and functions. There are regular seats, child booster seats, all-in-ones, and so much more

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Related Article:Questions about Your Child’s Car Seat? Discover these Child Safety Seat Tips

The Contenders: Booster Seats And Child Car Seats

So now, let us find out what separates booster seats and car seats to end such a debate once and for all. 

Booster Seats

• A booster is a seat resting at the back vehicle seat. 
• It can come with a specialized latch system that keeps it secure during travel. The latch also ensures that the seat does not move during usage.
• A booster seat has a feature that allows the passenger to stay in an upright and stationary position.
• Booster seats are ideal for protection against side impact.
• Booster seats work best for passengers at least five years old without having to slouch, lean over, and play with the belt.

Child Car Seats

• A child car seat comes with a harness system – usually four or five – that works to secure the passenger to the car seat.
• Child car seats, just like booster seats, can keep your passenger in an upright position.
• You can customize child car seats with additional features to adjust how you want to secure or protect the child.
• Child car seats also come with a feature where you can customize them to provide postural adjustment for the passenger.
• You can convert most child seats into booster seats.

So, Which One Should I Be Using?

There are a couple of determinants you must consider to know what seat you should be using. Check them out below.

For Booster Seats

• The passenger must be mature enough not to mess around with the seat. This matter means that there should be no slouching, leaning, and no playing around with the booster seat overall.
• In general, boosters begin at four years of age. But you may choose to use one once your kid reaches the age of five.
• Your passenger should be at least thirty-five to forty pounds.

For Child Car Seats

• Check your passenger’s height and weight before placing them on the seat.
• Ensure that the harness would not make your little passenger uneasy or uncomfortable at any time.
• You can opt for an all-in-one seat which is one of the most recommended seats on the market. And as you can set it front or back facing. Plus, you can convert it into a booster in the future.

Are You Still Confused? Don’t Worry One Bit

It can get very confusing when it comes to the world of cars and car seats. And a lot of car owners have a hard time finding which one is which. 

To make things less complicated than they should be, a booster seat is a seat you set up on top of a pre-existing car seat. The item holds the passenger in place, but it is the vehicle that does the restraining. And a car seat is a restraint that comes with a built-in harness system. 

Things To Take Note of When Using Seats

• Never allow your passengers to slouch any moment. The action can be a hazard to passenger safety and security. In addition, slouching causes a myriad of problems – the belt will get loose, the passenger will be prone to impact from accidents, and so much more.
• Also, setting up the harness with care leaves no risk of the child submarining. Submarining is where a child tends to slide from under and off of the restraint.
• A well-secured passenger in a seat is bound to be a lot safer and injury-free should a crash or accident happen.
• The harness will do no good if the passenger is not sitting properly. 
• Never use a car seat that is more than five years old. The item might have been through a couple of accidents, improper usage, and so on. It might even have some missing parts, which can make it more dangerous.
• Always refer to the instructions given by your car seat manufacturer.
• Every car seat is unique in its term. So not all of them will easily fit into your vehicle. It would be wise to test the item first before you hand over your cash.

To Finish Things Off

It is a swell practice to better work on some research before you purchase a type of seat. Doing so will not only allow you to save on some precious cash. But it will also guarantee your passenger’s safety once you get on the road and here are more tips to avoid a car accident.