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?

5 Tips For Entrepreneurs To Grow Cannabis Business in 2021

Starting a business is easy. The hard part is making that infant business grow. That’s what many entrepreneurs find out, and by the time this revelation hits home, it’s usually too late. So what makes entrepreneurship in some industries so challenging? As an experienced business owner will tell you, business success requires a lot of preparation, especially in the cannabis industry.

For those considering entry into the cannabis market, there are several factors to consider. This is partly because the cannabis industry is still relatively young and quickly evolving. The strategies and models that worked yesterday may be irrelevant in a matter of months.

Also, rules and regulations governing marijuana businesses vary significantly from one state to another. The body of rules that govern the operations of cannabis businesses plays a significant role in the future of the industry. Therefore, entrepreneurs need to understand the direction the cannabis industry is headed to make smart business decisions.

The Future of The Cannabis Business

Despite being an illegal plant at the federal level, the New Frontier Data’s estimates valued the cannabis industry at 13.6 billion in 2019. The growth of the cannabis industry shows no sign of slowing down with new strains and products introduced to meet the rising demands.

Consumers both home and abroad believe cannabis use should be permitted by law, and weed strains like hash, sativa in Canada, the U.S, and other countries should be readily available for purchase both online and in stores. Pew Research’s survey shows that about 67% of Americans think cannabis use shouldn’t be illegal.

Although the marijuana industry shows such tremendous possibilities for growth, companies, and products have to navigate myriads to challenges to attain success. Hence, to prepare for the hurdles bound to come the way of your cannabis industry, here are five smart tips.

1. Do Your Homework

An essential weapon needed by entrepreneurs in the marijuana market is information. Therefore, you’ll need to conduct thorough research and leave no stones unturned. Don’t leave anything to chance. If it pertains to cannabis and your business, you want to be the first to learn about it.

This approach to business will ensure that you don’t violate any rules out of ignorance. It also helps you make the right decisions about location, marketing, and other aspects of daily operations. Remember that where you locate your business is crucial in this industry because different jurisdictions enforce different laws and regulations. To stay legally compliant, it’s also crucial to use a dispensary POS system, such as Posabit. This will also help you track your inventory and facilitate faster sales.

2. Differentiate Your Cannabis Business

Another vital path to success that many owners and marketers in the marijuana industry overlook is differentiation. It’s easy to conform in a landscape of shrinking margins. However, letting the public, competitors, investors, consumers, and target audience know what makes your company unique goes a long way in carving out a place for your business.

This can be particularly useful in the early days when you’re looking for your first few customers. Think about your approach to production, the packaging technology, how you obtain your raw materials. All these could serve as powerful marketing messages that resonate with consumers and help grow your revenue.

3. Take Your Time

At this point, everyone knows that abiding by the rules and regulations of the cannabis industry comes first. However, many businesses still find themselves in violation. Though there are several reasons for this, impatience is high up the list. Some entrepreneurs believe just by starting a cannabis business; they’ll make multiple millions overnight.

But they soon realize they’re wrong and find themselves cutting corners. What you can count on is creativity, innovation, and compliance. With time, commitment, and others qualities, you will find success. Your cannabis business will get its fair share of rocky times, but this shouldn’t move you from your initial vision.

4. Quality First, Content Second

Quality and content should be integral to your cannabis company. Let’s face it; it doesn’t matter what strategies you use. If your products are no good, your business will get nowhere. Therefore you need to produce the highest grade products consistently. Next, consumer education is necessary to attract and retain paying customers.

This is where content creation plays a key role. Today, many consumers research products before making purchase decisions. Therefore, you want to provide them with all the information necessary to convince them that they need your products and that it’s good for them.

5. Strategic Partnerships

Unity brings strength even in the cannabis space, and you’ll need to find other businesses that share your vision and collaborate. Teaming up against some of the challenges in the industry is the easiest way to overcome them. A robust collaborative market research team can put together enough data to supercharge your marketing efforts and bring in more revenue.

Conclusion

By 2025, incomes from legal cannabis businesses could reach as high as $66 billion. There is perhaps no better time to enter this ripening industry than now. Marijuana entrepreneurship could span from retail to healthcare, and your company can find a profitable niche within this broad landscape. However, you can expect competition and hurdles to also increase as the market swells.

Given this, entrepreneurs operating within the cannabis landscape can rely on innovation, quality, and these five tips to stand out. As is the case with any emerging market, businesses have to prepare to deal with a dynamic regulatory landscape involving anything from manufacturing to marketing.

References

https://newfrontierdata.com/cannabis-insights/potential-cannabis-market-job-growth/

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/11/14/americans-support-marijuana-legalization/

Five Things People Forget When Planning a Wedding

As more people get vaccinated and we get a handle on the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of people are going to go through with the wedding they’ve been putting off. Weddings are joyous occasions, but they are also stressful and chaotic. There are so many things to remember and you want the planning to be enjoyable. While the pandemic won’t be coming to an end yet, it is never too early to start planning. If you set the date a good amount of time into the future, you’ll have enough time to remember all the details. Here are some things that people don’t think about or forget to do when planning for a wedding.

RSVPs

While a lot of people remember to send out save the dates asking for the invited guests to RSVP to the wedding, as soon as people start sending them in they realize that they didn’t create a system to track these answers. Create some sort of a database or spreadsheet to track who is coming and who is not. The amount of guests is integral to the budget. You will be paying for their food, drinks, and any other items you’ll need to buy. With fewer people attending, you’ll have a better handle on your planning and the budget.

Create a Wedding Website

It’s not mandatory, but a lot of people don’t think to make a wedding website to help people navigate the event and plan for it. You can put dress code, the catering options, what you will have to drink, where the ceremony and reception will take place and all the other pertinent details that the guests need to know. It can be very helpful to put all of this into one accessible place.

Guest Gift Baskets

A lot of people choose to give their guests a gift basket to remember the wedding. If you can afford it, putting together a basket for the guests will provide mementos and utilities that commemorate the wedding. While this isn’t mandatory if you want to make a gift basket, remembering it can be difficult amongst all of the other things you have to do. When you want people to remember your wedding, a gift basket will help with physical items that the people will take home.

Thank You Cards

Don’t wait until the wedding is over to have to deal with thank you cards. Just when you think everything about the wedding is behind you, you might realize that you didn’t thank people for attending. Wedding thank you cards can be included with your guest basket or sent after the fact. When you take the time to make and purchase guest thank you cards before the wedding, you won’t have to worry about it when you’re married and on your honeymoon.

Make a Drive for Contact Information

One helpful thing that you can do is keep all of the information for the vendor, location, organizers, pastor, and whoever else is involved. Keep the number for the catering company on this document. You can also input the numbers of family and friends who may need to be contacted for information about what the wedding events entail. A lot of information will need to be spread around to ensure that everyone is on the same page.

Bring Extra Clothes & Shoes

When it’s your wedding, you can do what you want. If you want to change into more relaxed clothing after the reception, you can. Or if you want to change into comfortable shoes, bring some sneakers so that you can dance more freely and feel more comfortable during the party. Whether you wear them or not, you should bring extra clothes for when you inevitably want to take off the suit or dress.

There are so many different details to remember when you’re planning a wedding. With so many things to keep in mind, keep a list of things that you don’t want to forget. Even if some of them aren’t mandatory, you probably want to keep a few of those things in mind. You don’t want to be disappointed about what you forgot. Keep lists, documents, and spreadsheets to facilitate the process of planning a wedding.

Why Franchising is a Great Option for Stay at Home Parents

Working from home is often the most advantageous career route for parents with childcare responsibilities. Franchising is a business model ideally suited for those who need a flexible work schedule to fit around family life.

Stay at home parents opt to pursue a career from their own property for many reasons. Often this is borne out of necessity. It may be to care for children yet to reach school age, to look after those already in education who have additional needs or it can be because before and after school arrangements are unable to accommodate working to traditional office hours.

For other parents, working from home is a lifestyle choice. They may simply want to spend more time with their children, to nurture them and be there for their landmark moments. There is a wonderful saying which applies to parenthood that “the days are long but the years are short”. You may be trying to fit everything in if you work for an employer without realising your children are growing up all too quickly.

Whatever your reasons for opting to be a stay at home parent, there are some notable benefits to investing in a franchise business. And it’s a trend which is set to continue in the global economy.

The coronavirus pandemic accelerated a shift in employment patterns and a refreshed focus on work-life balancing. It is estimated that almost one in five people now live in countries with the infrastructure required to work from home. That figure is much higher in certain developed nations.

Mix business with pleasure

There are lots of children’s franchise opportunities available. For anyone who loves being around kids and enjoys working with little ones (or bigger ones), a children’s franchise can be a rewarding career.

If you’re dedicating much of your time to the development of your own children, then a franchise based around infants, school kids or teenagers can combine your enthusiasm with the necessity of earning a living.

You could choose to invest in a daycare franchise, an educational enterprise, pursue your passion for performing arts, or run sports classes. Essentially, any talent you have, or skills you’re passing on to your own kids, can be shared with a wider audience of children while providing your family with a source of income.

Harness your parenting skills to run a business

There are very good reasons why stay at home parents make ideal entrepreneurs for operating a franchise. Without realising it, if you’re a home-based mum or dad, you already possess and have demonstrated in abundance the skills and desire required to make a success of a franchise.

The essential abilities to organise and manage a household, look after children, tend to their needs, and provide emotional and educational support to your own kids, while also having time for a little fun, are holistic life skills that cannot be taught and are those that others simply may not have.

To be a stay at home parent, you have to be able to organise and prioritise, managing multiple demands at once. You must also be an effective communicator, to people at all levels, abilities and ages. You have to be able to set goals for others and encourage them to make progress every day.

If you’re planning to return to work as a stay at home parent

As children grow, the focus for parents can begin to shift from raising their family to beginning to consider a route back into employment.

For some, this may mean considering part-time or freelance work. However, these paths back into the workplace following a career break can be low-paid and/or offer variable levels of income.

Franchising is good for those who wish to build up their return to work while maintaining a level of flexibility and control over their schedule and commitments.

Why the franchise model is good for stay at home parents

Franchising offers significant benefits for stay at home parents over other business models. This is both because of the way franchise investments operate and the unique situation, challenges and needs of those who have responsibilities for kids.

If you’re raising children, one of the most important factors to consider is how stable and secure your source of income is. This becomes of paramount importance if you are the sole breadwinner in your household. This is an increasingly common feature of family life across the Western world.

A franchise system offers a secure, low investment route into becoming your own boss. You benefit from trusted brand names, expert training, ongoing advice and abundant resources to establish your business and then grow it in a manner that fits around family commitments. It may just be the very best of both worlds for stay at home parents.

Brides and Grooms Gift Too!

It’s your big day. All of the important people in your life will be flocking to your wedding. And with this, you can expect to be presented with great wedding gifts. One of the top aspects of weddings is the traditional exchange that occurs when it comes to gifts. The happy couple is on both ends of the gift-giving experience, but most people don’t think of that. The bride and groom must show their appreciation for all of the time and effort their loved ones have given throughout the years.

There are a variety of loved ones who deserve to be honored and thought of on this special occasion. You definitely didn’t make it to the altar all by yourself. Even the best of us needed assistance along the way. Stay organized and give a second to write down the names of the people you should buy for. It keeps you from forgetting and having a few names slip through the cracks.

Gifts for the Groom

The first gift you should focus on is the one for your soon-to-be husband. The bride and groom certainly shouldn’t forget about each other! It’s been a journey getting to your special day, and you can’t forget that you did it as a team. You can simply present the groom with a personal note that expresses how much you’re looking forward to your life together. Make sure you accompany your message with a meaningful gift. The ideal offerings are special and come from the heart, focusing on how unique he is to your life. You don’t have to break the bank either! This token can be inexpensive but you know how much he’ll appreciate it. Book a weekend trip by grabbing him tickets to go see his favorite band or sports team, or jump on the Web and find him a cool guy gift. When it comes to shopping for men, there are endless possibilities. Depending on the man, a watch, drinkware, or cigars would make cool gifts. You can even send him off on a golf weekend with friends, as I’m sure he’ll love that!

Gifts for the Bride

For your beautiful bride, a pair of sparkly earrings or a gorgeous necklace should bring a smile to her face. Or you can get creative and leave a loving message somewhere in her room to surprise her on the morning of your wedding day. Really anything that says “Mrs.” or “Wifey” would be a cute offering that she will appreciate. Gestures that let her know you’re thinking of her on your wedding day are really what we’re after here. Your bride has done so much to prepare for the wedding. She deserves the biggest of thank yous! Be the one that gives it to her with a thoughtful gift. Think of all the things she loves and tap into her favorite hobbies and interests. One thing that I know is all women love bags! Based on her taste, get her one she will cherish forever.

Gifts for Your Parents

Next up, think of a gift for your loving parents. I’m sure they were overjoyed when you told them you found the love of your life, to spend your journey with. The special moment you announced this news will be stamped as one of the favorite lifelong memories. And I’m certain, they have spent an abundance of time and money to assist in your big day. This is exactly why a thank you gift is the least you can give. For the moms, an embroidered cosmetic bag would be cute, or a beautiful satin robe paired with her favorite colored stemless wine cup. For the dads, a new set of shiny cufflinks, some engraved drinkware, or a personalized tie perhaps. You don’t have to empty your wallet, just target what you know they love and gift away!

Gifts for Your Maid of Honor and Bridesmaids

The besties! Your maid of honor and bridesmaids, the women who have been there from the beginning, deserve nothing but the best. Gifting them a token of appreciation and in remembrance of your wedding would be a fantastic start in the thank you process. The special present for your maid of honor should be a little more meaningful and over the amount spent on the bridesmaids gifts. There are several options as to the items you can give for women. Grab them a personalized bag, drinkware, jewelry, gift boxes and sets, robes, and a lot more. Think of buying items you can all use while getting ready the morning of your big day – satin robes, mimosa glasses, fuzzy slippers. Monogrammed clothes and matching jewelry for your bachelorette party or wedding morning would be a creative way to say thanks for it all.

Gifts for Your Best Man and Groomsmen

Your best man and groomsmen certainly don’t expect anything, as it’s probably the last thing on their minds heading into your wedding day. But since there are so many cool gifts for guys out there they will love, you just have to do it! Just like the offering for the maid of honor, your gift for your best man should be significantly more special than that of the groomsmen. The memories you share with these men will surely make your wedding day extra special and a gift given to them simply expresses your gratitude for all those fun times. Make your present count by making it something they will cherish for years to come. You can choose from personalized flasks, decanters, cigars and lighters, barware, travel bags, and the like. There are countless options for you to select from.

Wedding Day Table Gifts

The wedding favors you hand out are your way of thanking your guests who took the time to travel to your ceremony. Many of these guests may have come from afar and put in time and resources just to make it to your wedding. Make sure they leave feeling loved and valued for being part of your special occasion. For these gifts, choose from a wide variety of favors like wine bottle stoppers, glass containers, bottle openers, creative salt and pepper shakers, and the like. Look to match the gift with your wedding theme. And remember, these are gifts that will be household trinkets that will be used and bring a smile to the face of your loved ones for many years to come.

When to Buy Gifts

There is a laundry list of things to do to prepare for a wedding. I get it! Buying gifts for loved ones is important, but not a top priority. That said, the sooner you can prepare for these gifts the better. Get it off your list as soon as possible. A more specific goal would be one to two months before your wedding date. This way you won’t have to rush around during crunch time. Make sure that you begin to shop months before your wedding so you can take advantage of fabulous deals both online and in stores. You’d be surprised how a great off-season sale can save you, or how stumbling upon the perfect gifts may happen while doing other life errands.

How Much Should You Spend?

Calculating the amount you should spend on each gift should really depend on your overall wedding budget. However, considering the amount they dished out for your wedding, you may want to put in a more significant amount on the gifts for your parents, maid of honor and bridesmaids, best man, and groomsmen. Think of what they have already spent a great deal on: hotel room, attire, your bridal shower, bachelor/bachelorette party, wedding and shower gifts, and such. A range from $75 to $150 should suffice. The general rule is to spend a little more for the maid of honor and best man, and a little less for the flower girls and junior bridesmaids. You can simply break it down as to, spend more if they’ve spent more. Who has the more important wedding role gets the more significant gift.

How Much Should You Spend?

When to Give the Gifts

In life, timing is everything! When to give the gifts should be thought of well in advance. The item for your spouse may be given hours leading up to your ceremony, as it’s a special gift for the special day. Take a quiet moment away from the hustle and bustle of your wedding day to say “I love you.” Always remember, this day is for the two of you! Share an intimate moment together to trade gifts, or ask someone from your wedding party to help you set up a gift swap if you didn’t plan to see each other before the ceremony. Some couples do it the night before the wedding. What’s important is to be on the same page as your spouse and enjoy a special moment together before the craziness ensues.

If your gift is something you need them to wear on your wedding days like a shawl or scarf, jewelry, or cuff links, you may give this while you’re getting ready. By doing this, you lessen the risk of your wedding party forgetting your gift at their hotel room or even misplacing it. And maybe it’s a trip, like a golf outing. If that’s the case, set the date and enjoy!

For the young attendees, like your flower girl or ring bearer, the gifts may be given during the rehearsal dinner as well. However, this will depend on what kind of gift you have and their age. Gifts that they need to use or wear during your ceremony should be handed to them on the day of your wedding, as they are young and forgetful.

The wedding favors, which are intended for everyone, maybe positioned at each place setting or even as part of the table centerpiece. If the wedding favor is to be given per couple, you may label them with the couple’s family name and place them on a separate table where guests may pick them as they enter the reception area.

Your gifts mean everything, especially to the people closest to your world. Always personally hand them out or insert a personal message to express your heartfelt gratitude for all their love and support along the way. So many people have done so much for you leading up to the day, and this is your big chance to truly thank them properly.

Household Finances 101: How to Raise a Family on a Tight Budget

At some point in life, most people experience their fair share of financial challenges. Unless you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, money is an essential factor that plays a significant role in your quality of life. When you’re raising a family on a tight budget, it can feel pretty stressful. Thankfully, there are some excellent ways you can work through the struggle, find solutions and get to the other side. Consider the following ideas to get started.

Always Use Discount Codes and Coupons

When you’re shopping online, there are plenty of widgets and programs you can use to take advantage of discounts automatically. All you’ll need to do is install the programs into your internet browser to take advantage of the savings. When you’re shopping for groceries, clothes, or back-to-school supplies, take time to cut out coupons and plan purchases around the items that are on sale. You can always freeze food that you don’t plan on cooking immediately and store items to be used later in the year.

Create Financial Margin

Even with doing your best to stretch your funds, you and your family can’t live like this forever. Besides securing additional income streams through side hustles and investments, debt relief can provide financial margin from a temporary perspective. Popular debt relief options include credit counseling and filing for bankruptcy. When you’re able to find a debt relief option that works for you, it won’t be as difficult to sort through your finances and develop a better financial life.

Search for Free Items

Before you go online to purchase a brand-new bed for your toddler, search around to see if you can get the item for free first. There are plenty of websites where people list their items that they simply want to get rid of. By perusing the websites, you can find items for free. In most cases, a thorough cleaning job and a fresh coat of paint can make a simple piece of furniture look as though it’s brand-new.

Decrease Monthly Expenses

Take a closer look at all of the areas you spend money in. Even though expenses like utility bills are expected, find ways to decrease the amount you’re spending. Purchase a low-flow showerhead to save on water. Monitor the number of laundry loads you’re washing each month. During the summer, use blackout curtains to keep rooms cooler. This will help you use less A/C to cool down the house. As you utilize various tips and tricks to decrease your overhead expenses, the money will add up over time.

Create Excitement

When you’re focused on penny-pinching at all times, it’s extremely easy to become overwhelmed and stressed. Instead, work on becoming intentional about having fun. Find joy in the mundane. Instead of focusing on the fact that you can’t afford to order pizzas anymore, create a DIY pizza night with your family. Once you’ve placed the toppings out, allow everyone to make their own pizzas. Enjoy pizzas as you all connect. Making sweet memories with the people you love might help you forget about the gourmet pizza you wanted to get delivered.

While it’s easy to feel ashamed about getting into financial hardships, don’t wallow. Take time to create a plan, do your research, and strategize to rise from this challenge. When you utilize popular debt relief options and these strategies, it’s possible to raise a healthy, happy, and well-fed family. Financial challenges don’t have to loom over your family’s head forever.

Top Tips for Taking Care of Your Eyesight as You Age

It’s only natural for our eyesight to decline as we age, with the majority of people needing to wear glasses or contact lenses by the time they reach 65 years old. However, despite this, there are plenty of steps we can take to look after our eyes to keep our vision as clear as possible for as long as possible.

Here are some tips to follow to help your eyes stay in good health:

Have regular eye tests

The first step is to ensure that you are having your eyes tested roughly every two years. This will ensure that any potential problems are caught early on – not just in terms of your vision but also the health of your eyes – and therefore can be treated effectively. It will also mean that you can be confident you’re wearing the correct lenses for your eyes (if necessary).

Wear sunglasses

The UV radiation from strong sunlight can be damaging to your eyes and increase the risk of developing cataracts. While cataracts can be successfully treated with surgery by removing the clouded lens and replacing it with a PanOptix IOL/intraocular lens to restore your vision, prevention is better than a cure where possible. If you do need to undergo surgery, you can find a specialist to help you by searching online for ‘cataract surgery near me’.

Eat well

A balanced diet is vital for maintaining the health of your eyes. Some of the key vitamins to include are A, E, C and B, in addition to lutein and omega 3 fatty acids. Eating well is also important because it helps you to maintain a healthy weight and reduces the risk of diabetes, which can lead to vision loss.

Get plenty of sleep

When you sleep, fluid circulates and hydrates your eyes. This is key for cleaning them, preventing infections, and keeping them feeling refreshed. Lack of sleep has been linked to eyesight problems including eye spasms, sensitivity to light, blurred vision, dry eyes and difficulty focusing – so do your best to get those eight hours a night!

Limit screen time

Too much time looking at phone or computer screens can result in eye strain and also dry eyes because we tend not to blink so often. The best way to prevent this is to give your eyes regular breaks, try and keep the screen at arm’s length from your eyes, and reduce the brightness of your screen.

Use good lighting

It’s not just the lighting on our screens that matters. Having lots of natural light helps us to see more easily and reduces eye strain. When reading or doing similar activities, try and use warm lighting that doesn’t cause a glare on the page.

Exercise

Regular exercise can also be an important factor in maintaining eye health. This is because good blood circulation and intake of oxygen are key for your eyes, and exercise is an effective way of boosting both of these factors. You can also do specific eye exercises to make your eyes feel more comfortable, for example, focusing on near and far objects alternately.

How to Start an Etsy Shop to Bring in Extra Money

In times of high unemployment and businesses closing at an unprecedented rate, many people turn to their crafty talents to carve out an income. If you ever thought of hanging a shingle and opening a shop for yourself, the global creative marketplace of Etsy is a reliable place to explore. Millions of buyers flock to the site each year looking for unique handmade and vintage items with a personal touch instead of mass-marketed products.

If you’re a stay-at-home mom who is trying to balance your art and home life, one of these shops might be great for you. So, if you have a talent for making jewelry, stuffed animals, knitted items, or the like, you need to know the steps to open an Etsy shop of your very own and grow your customer base.

Choose Your Product and Name

The first thing you need to do before setting up an Etsy shop is to decide what you want to make. Do you have a talent for crochet, knitting, or needlepoint? Maybe you write in beautiful calligraphy or can draw personalized comics.

Jewelry making is another popular genre on Etsy, so maybe you could make clip-on earrings, antique pins, or wire-wrapped necklaces. Whatever you decide, remember you can expand and change, but you have to settle on where to start. After that, you want to pick a name that people can associate with your shop so they can keep coming back for more.

Set Your Price

Next, you have to decide how much to charge customers for your product. Setting the price too low will cost you money, and setting the price too high will cost you sales. So, calculate how much it costs you to make your product, including all raw materials, then double that number. Is that a reasonable price you would pay for a similar and uniquely handmade item? If the answer is yes, try using that as your price for that product and see how it works. Remember, you can always adjust things later and tweak as you go.

Get Your Camera and Build Your Inventory

Once you have your product, name, and price, it’s time to open an Etsy account by simply registering and following the instructions. Then make some samples and take beautiful pictures to upload into your Etsy shop.

With your shop all set up, you want to make some products to build up your inventory. Don’t make too many until you know about how much you sell each month, but have a few on hand, so the time between ordering and shipping is relatively short.

Keep Your Customers Happy and Deliver

The last thing to do is share your Etsy store with your friends and family and ask them to spread the word for you. Be sure you also start a social media account for your shop to showcase your products and gain a following for future customers. Once the orders start to roll in, just be sure to keep the customers happy by delivering a quality product.

Make adjustments to your shop based on feedback, what works, and what doesn’t work. Also, familiarize yourself with Etsy’s fee schedule, and don’t forget to charge for shipping, or it will lessen your bottom line.

The First Step Is to Start

Sometimes when you consider a new business, it doesn’t get past the planning stage because the idea as a whole seems too big. But all you have to do is take the first step, and then another, and another still. Before you know it, you’ll see your idea come to life so you can nurture it and watch it grow. If it doesn’t grow, you adjust until it does, but none of that can happen until you take the very first step.