Author: Rebecca Alston

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.

How to Be Sustainable in Every Part of Your Life

 

Sustainability has become something of a buzzword. Kermit the Frog once bemoaned that it wasn’t easy being green. But if many high-profile personalities are to be believed, it is a lot easier than he thought. Everyone talks about being eco-friendly, staying sustainable, and going green. They all swear their next car will be electric. Their swimming pool is heated by solar panels. And they have no less than 5 recycle bins in and around their home. Green is the new black.

Adopting practices that are known to be safe for the environment—aka “going green”—might also help you save on your insurance costs. Whether you’re considering an eco-friendlier car, a more sustainable home, or best auto insurance for green living, check out this sampling of insurance benefits and products for the environmentally conscientious.

That said, there is a big difference between talking a green game and playing it to win. Talk is cheap. And so are those “Honk if you love the earth” bumper stickers. You didn’t save the planet when you slapped that sticker on your Jeep. Part of being green is being sustainable. That is more than a slogan; it is a lifestyle. You have to be sustainable when you are at home, at work, and on vacation. Be sustainable when you get dressed, eat out, and lie down for a good night’s sleep. It is easy to talk the talk. Here are some things you can do to better walk the walk:

Rethink Your Health Products

Skincare products are notoriously wasteful. The packaging, alone, accounts for large swaths of landfills. There are options for zero waste skincare. Obviously, you cannot control every element of how products are made. But you can read the labels and choose the ones that are not wasteful of animal life or planetary resources.

There is also another element to packaging to be considered. How much skin cream do you throw away because it is just too difficult to completely empty the bottle, or the tube, or the jar? It is easy to choose convenience over sustainability. It is much harder to make a truly sustainable choice.

It is not just skincare. All health-related products have issues. Sometimes, it feels like you don’t have a choice in the matter. You just have to find the product that works the best regardless of the waste. It is true that your health is the priority. But you have a lot more healthy choices than you realize.

It takes a little more time. And you might have to pay a little more money. That is true of a lot of things that make a difference. Sustainable solutions don’t always have the economics of scale in their favor. You can make a real difference by making a sustainable choice.

Make It a Family Affair

 

Sustainability is for the whole family. If it is just something that you do by yourself, your family will mistake it for another one of those projects like needlepoint. They might be curious about what you are doing and still dismiss it as something unimportant and not really for them. You can do better than that. You can make it important by making it a family affair. It doesn’t have to be a sermon they have to endure. It can also be something fun they will want to do.

Many lessons can be taught through something as simple as arts and crafts. Gardening and growing your own veggies is not only fun but incredibly useful. Giving digital gifts like a heartfelt group video can be very rewarding. From such skills, your family can learn that not everything they want has to come from a store. That is one of the first and most important lessons when passing on sustainability as a family value.

Love Your Wardrobe Longer

There was a time when a person was lucky to have more than one dress at a time. It had to last. People of that time became experts at making clothes last. That is something of a lost art, and one that is not particularly valued. We love shopping for the new rather than keeping the old items in top condition.

You don’t have to be a professional seamstress to keep clothing in top condition. Most of the time, it is just a matter of following washing suggestions. You can keep those jeans looking like new for a long time just by turning them inside out before placing them in the wash.

True sustainability is a long game. You will not master it in a day. But you can take little steps until you get there. Start by reevaluating your healthcare products. Make it a family affair. And don’t be so quick to buy new when the old is still salvageable.

DIY Homemade Food For Your Pet

Do you want to eat the same food throughout the month? Most likely, it will be boring enough and not interesting. But what if you have to eat a certain product for years? Can you last that long? In the case of cats or dogs, things are not so simple. These animals will not worry about the lack of variety as much as you do. Plus, you can read the Redbarn cat food reviews to find something special for your pet. But what if you add DIY homemade food and make your pet’s food more varied? This might be a good idea!

 

The Benefits Of Homemade Pet Food

Nobody wants to say that buying dry or wet food is bad. On the contrary, a balanced diet and a mono diet will help any animal with an eating disorder. But there are times when adding natural ingredients will not harm your cat or dog. Typically, this solution has several advantages. For example, you can boil natural meat and add it to your regular dry food.

If your pet needs to balance its calorie intake, you can boil some vegetables like carrots or beets. One of the benefits is the huge amount of vitamins and minerals. By not frying food, you can help your pet change its diet or recover from an illness. Many people practice using DIY homemade food as an intermediate option before reading the Canidae dog food review and choosing a mono diet.

 

What Nutrition Guidelines Should You Follow?

The first thing you need to know is the weight and age of your pet. This will help you find a balanced amount of protein and plant foods. It is best to use a double boiler to preserve the maximum amount of nutrients and vitamins. And don’t forget that your pet doesn’t need sauces, salt, pepper, or other flavor enhancers. All you need is a selection of hypoallergenic food ingredients. Check with your veterinarian how often you can feed your homemade pet food.

 

Necessary Nutrients

Don’t forget that cats and dogs are predators. Choose a good source of protein. Chicken, beef, turkey, or lamb are good options. If you do not have meat, then boiled eggs will help compensate for the lack of protein. When you boil the meat, the resulting fat and broth will help your pet to normalize digestion. Some of the main sources of carbohydrates for cats and dogs are rice, corn, and beans. Boil a small portion and add some meat. It will be a great treat for your pet.

Most vitamins are found in red and green vegetables. You can boil this and grind it in a blender along with the meat. Then your dog or cat will not be able to identify the ingredients and will not refuse food. But do not forget that DIY food will not replace a vitamin complex for recovery from illness. Ideally, you need to strike a balance between homemade meals and specialty diets. And don’t give your pet pasta or potatoes. It is not a very healthy food for animals.

 

DIY Homemade Food Recipes

Take 200 grams of chicken and about 150 grams of rice. Boil the meat and cut it into small pieces. Now you should boil the rice and mix it with the meat and broth that was formed during the cooking. Cool the dish and serve a small portion to your animal. Another simple recipe is a boiled egg with bell peppers.

Let’s say you forgot to buy dry or wet food, and your pet is hungry. Boil an egg and cut it into small cubes. Boil bell peppers and peel. Cut this into small pieces and add to the egg. If you have some damp gravy leftover, you can add that to the mix. Your cat or dog will love this.

By the way, you can boil peas, beans, carrots, and pumpkin. Mix it all in a blender and add a little broth. This treat will be especially useful for dogs or cats with a weak stomach. The main plus is that this is an inexpensive dish, and your pet will get the main vitamins.

 

Final Words

Not all foods are suitable for shaping your pet’s diet. Plus, DIY homemade food can’t match balanced diets. But if you follow all the rules and precautions, then homemade dishes can be an alternative for a short time or addition to dry or wet food. The most important thing to do is to consult a veterinarian. Not all animals respond equally well to regular food. Besides, you need to be aware of possible food allergies. The key tip is to use lean meats and boiled vegetables. Try to avoid using spices and sauces. Then a small amount of DIY food will not harm your animal, and you can find the right gastronomic balance.

 

Dessert Recipes With an Ingredient – Coffee

Coffee is the perfect morning drink that tones the body and allows you to structure your thoughts. But that’s not the only benefit you can get if you decide to buy good beans. Did you know that there are hundreds of popular desserts, and coffee is their main ingredient? Everything is simple. Knowing the recipe, you can repeat this at home and enjoy aromatic pastries or delicate smoothies with the best Ethiopian coffee. Check this out!

 

Tiramisu

This amazing dessert, and even invented by the biggest coffee lovers, namely Italians, is rightfully included in the best food list. Everything is prepared simply and quickly. Mix 2 cups of coffee with a strong dessert wine. Separate the yolks from 3 eggs from the whites and, using a mixer, grind with 50 grams of sugar for 15 minutes. After that, mix the resulting cream again with 500 grams of Mascarpone cheese.

The egg whites are whipped until a foamy mass is formed and mixed with another 50 grams of powder. Such a mass is gradually mixed with the previously obtained cream. Cookies prepared in advance are dipped in coffee and evenly smoothed into a mold. The biscuit is covered with half of the cream, on which the biscuit layer is again laid out. Everything ends with a new portion of cream, which is evenly sprinkled with cocoa powder for beauty.

 

Curd Coffee Dessert

It’s not just a dessert, but a mix with kiwi. However, no one bothers to try other fruits to taste. You will need very few ingredients to make this cool, airy breakfast wonder. Whip 200 grams of cream and add it to 300 grams of cottage cheese. Then mix the mass with vanilla, two tablespoons of sugar, yogurt (250 g), lemon zest, and well-chilled coffee. Combine all this with a mixer. Fruit must be peeled and chopped in a blender, adding half a spoonful of sugar. It remains only to lay out the dessert in layers, alternating the curd mass and chopped fruits.

 

Coffee Ice Cream

Who doesn’t love ice cream? Take 50 ml of milk and brew 1-2 tablespoons of ground coffee in it. It is enough to read the budget coffee makers review to choose a good and cheap kitchen device.

Add sugar to taste, strain well, and set to cool. You can even put it in the refrigerator. Whisk well 300 grams of cream and stir in the cooled coffee. The ice cream is almost ready. All that remains is to put it in the mold and put it in the freezer.

 

Coffee Muffins

Take two eggs, half a glass of sugar, add 100 grams of butter and mix it very well. Add a floured glass with a spoonful of baking powder and a quarter cup of kefir, then whisk again. You will need a little flour, literally six spoons. Now it’s time for the main ingredients. Don’t forget cocoa and vanilla. You can pour it into tins and bake at 220 degrees. Pre-cooled muffins can be removed from the mold, and cream is perfect as a decoration. But you shouldn’t forget about proportions.

 

Tunisian Halva

It’s a rather original recipe that came from hot Tunisia, which is worth trying for any connoisseur of coffee and sweets. Melt 450 grams of sugar until brown and stir in toasted hazelnuts (about 250 g). Heat the mixture and chop finely. Take five eggs, pour the whites, and mix the yolks with sugar, adding 100 grams of coffee and vanilla in the process. Remember to refrigerate the substance. It is best if you wait about two hours or put halva in the refrigerator. Then you get the branded fibrous structure.

 

Chocolate Coffee Cupcake

For dessert, you can serve a large coffee-and-chocolate dessert. And the main ingredient will be 80 ml of excellent, strong coffee. Espresso is perfect, for which you need a good coffee machine. So, coffee, 130 ml of milk, the same amount of vegetable oil, and two eggs are mixed with a glass of sugar and beaten thoroughly.

A glass of flour, 80 grams of cocoa powder, a couple of spoons of baking powder, a spoonful of vanilla, and a pinch of salt are added to the mixture. The mold is oiled and lined with parchment to prevent the cake from sticking. It is very important not to stop in the middle of the journey and quickly add all the ingredients to the mix. Dessert is baked at 180 degrees for no more than 40-50 minutes. This great dish will be the highlight of the day if you follow the instructions carefully. Try not to forget about all the ingredients.

 

Final Words

These are just a few interesting and easy-to-prepare desserts. You can easily make this at home if you have all the ingredients, coffee, and an oven. Follow the detailed instructions, and you will have a culinary masterpiece. Don’t worry if your first try doesn’t go well. Practice, and you will be able to prepare the perfect coffee dessert.

 

What to do if you were a passenger in an Uber car accident?

Every day various people use ridesharing services such as Uber. The company tends to complete at least 15 million rides a day. As per recent research, it was said that a lot of people like pedestrians, motorists, and others come across accidents with these cabs.

Even though Uber facilities are convenient for many people, its issuance and policies tend to make compensation for injuries and damages quite challenging. Your chances of getting compensation can somewhat improve with an accident attorney.

There are many times when Uber passengers are involved in a car accident and they are often confused about what needs to be done next. In this blog, we have covered the steps one should take if they were stuck in an Uber car accident.

• Look for Injuries After Assessing the Situation – Whenever you meet with a car accident, you must check if everyone involved, including you, is injured. If you feel you are injured, then without any hesitation, you must connect with a medical emergency team in the proximity.

Even if the injury is minor, you shouldn’t neglect it at any cost. For any help, you can also dial 911 so the paramedics can come to the spot and help you as soon as possible. If necessary; they can also shift you to the nearest hospital. You can get documentation of your injuries with immediate medical treatment. Your accident attorney can then use all these facts to make your compensation case strong.

• Gather Information From People Involved – You need to note down names, license plates, phone numbers, and information from everyone involved, including the Uber driver. If you find any witnesses at the spot, you can also get information from them regarding the accident and get their contact details. The data from your Uber app can also be quite helpful.

• Assess the Scene – You need to write down everything that happened during the accident. By doing so, you won’t forget the essential details and what lead to the accident. If possible, you can also consider clicking some pictures of the scene that will show what happened at the accident site and around it. These pictures are important as they will help during your compensation case hearing.

• Connect with The Police – You can confirm the accident spot with the local law enforcement so that they can arrive quickly. When it comes to accessing the insurance claim, a police report plays a crucial role. This is why you need the police at the spot as soon as possible.

• Contact the Insurance Company – If possible, you should quickly call your insurance company however you should avoid telling them about the accident. You can inform your accident attorney and give your first statement to him. You should then ask your attorney for the next steps.

The insurer is most likely to pay you provided the Uber driver was at fault. You should follow up and make a strong case if you feel the driver was guilty. You should also avoid agreeing to a settlement with Uber or the driver without consulting with your attorney. Avoid speaking with anyone and do not deny or confirm anything till you have spoken with your attorney.

Best Mother’s Day Gifts to Make Her Smile

Since mother knows best, she obviously deserves nothing but the best. Remind her how special she is as you give presents that spell out your love for her. Make it a gift that she won’t easily forget. It can be a visible item that she can place on her office desk or living room that will constantly bring to mind fond memories of you. Show her how much you appreciate her with functional items that she can have with her on a daily basis, a mug, a tote bag, a bracelet or a necklace perhaps will be gifts she will truly treasure for a long time.
Here are some of the best Mother’s Day gifts you can choose from that are sure to make her smile:
This is the perfect Spa Gift Box Set for any mom craving a little relaxation. Being a mom gets stressful so we are here to help you out with a little flourish! If mom is always stressing over family and work, then this wonderful spa box is for her. Get your mom something nice to say I love you and thank you for helping me with everything in life.
Gift mom a cool and unique t-shirt that she can rock around the house or while she’s out on errands.  Let her tell the world and brag that she is a tireless mom!  She would love to wear this every chance she gets. This Best Mom Ever shirt will instantly become one of her favorites. It will always remind her of the best compliment she will ever get – one that comes from you!
Keep your mom cool and comfortable throughout all the Mother’s Day festivities by gifting these stylish fans. It’s a useful gift that’s sure to add a fun dose of personality.   The Sketched Hearts Fan is made of beautiful synthetic silk fabric and real bamboo. When opened, it’s large enough to keep anyone cool. When folded up, it’s small enough to be tucked away into any handbag. They’re a must for any outdoor summer event and mom will love keeping it by her favorite outdoor chair.
Hand bags are a quick way to any woman’s heart!  They simply love to collect them and show them off at will.  Mom would love this stylish and functional gift! This Handbag and matching wristlet from the Threaded Pear is the perfect take-anywhere bag. This stunning handbag features a spacious interior for all her must-have essentials and exterior pockets to quickly and easily access her items on the go. It’s one practical and thoughtful gift for her. features a spacious interior for all her must-have essentials and exterior pockets to quickly and easily access her items on the go. It’s one practical and thoughtful gift for her.
Personalized tumblers and stemless cups are not just functional but stylish gifts that mom can carry with her anywhere she goes. Your mother won’t miss the fact that you want them pampered amidst all the preparations of life with this great gift.  Mom can fill it with her favorite cool drink in the summer, and warm coffee or tea in the winter.
Mom will truly appreciate this super soft and luxurious lace robe. This Embroidered Monogram Lace Robe is perfect for any occasion. She can even use this while lounging around the house! It’s made with ultra-soft, stretch material and trimmed with lace. This robe hits just above the knee and has both an inner tie and an outer belt. They are super comfy and elegant too!
Glamorous and gorgeous! That’s exactly how you want your mom to feel.  This gorgeous robe has an elegant and detailed lace trimming. The robe is soft to the touch as it uses cotton and lace material.  Choose your mom’s favorite color.  This not only makes a great Mother’s Day gift, but it’s ultra-practical and mom will use it for years to come!

Planning a Perfect Anniversary? Here’s How to Wow Your Partner

A wedding anniversary is a deeply intimate and happy occasion that deserves to be celebrated. However, since keeping the marriage fresh and safe and dealing with day-to-day life can be stressful, it’s important to plan a perfect anniversary free of obligations and anxiety. That way, both spouses would be able to celebrate in peace, without worries.

Therefore, if your anniversary is approaching, and you’re intending to celebrate, then here are some amazing and useful planning tips that will help you organize it, and also wow your partner in the process.

Make sure you’re both free and available

Whether you’re planning a dinner at home or going out, it’s crucial to ensure everything is in order. Meaning, if you or your spouse have certain tasks and chores to take care of, be sure to do that before the celebration, so you won’t have to worry about that. In case you have kids, then try finding a reliable nanny, or if possible, ask friends or relatives to watch them for a bit. That way, you’ll feel relaxed knowing that everything and everybody is taken care of and safe. 

Glam up!

Now, a perfect anniversary doesn’t mean you have to wear clothes and accessories that you don’t enjoy, but investing a bit in your looks can drastically boost the atmosphere and your confidence alike. Simply, your partner will appreciate the fact that you’ve invested some effort to look your best on your special day. Therefore, feel free to buy some new clothes or to book an appointment with a hairdresser or a beautician, if that’s possible in the current situation. Of course, feel free to expect some effort in return from your partner, but also, don’t forget to focus on yourself.

Think of some decor options

In case you’re planning to have a cozy and romantic celebration in the comfort of your home, then you might also want to consider some decor ideas and options. Of course, if you’re thinking about a romantic dinner, then aromatic candles and some flowers are always a great idea. But, recently, more and more countries and cultures, such as the USA and Australia are coming up with elegant and fairytale-like decor solutions. Hence, feel free to take things a bit further and choose light-up letters for hire in Sydney as that is a great way to show you love and gratitude to your partner by selecting a meaningful phrase or word and displaying it for them to see. Choosing some new decor pieces will definitely turn your celebration into a special and memorable event.

Do something fun 

If dinner and a movie aren’t your things, or you simply want something a little extra, then feel free to consider some other events, such as revisiting the locales of your early dating days, or going for a picnic, or taking a cooking class. However, before you make any definitive plans, make sure that your partner is on board to a degree, especially if you’re thinking about surprising them. There’s nothing worse than planning a fun surprise for someone, only for them to dislike it. That’s why it’s essential to give them at least a semblance of an idea of what’s going to happen. 

A short trip is also a great idea 

This is a perfect suggestion if your partner is a bit of a wanderlust, but in order for this to work, it’s important to choose a destination that will fit you both. So if your partner loves outdoor activities such as hiking and cycling, and you don’t, then it’s best to find a middle ground and choose a trip that will allow you both to relax and have fun. Swimming, visiting wineries, or sightseeing are always good suggestions, as long as both partners are up for it.

Give them something nice

An anniversary gift is a wonderful way to show your partner that you value them as a person and the time that you’ve spent together. When choosing a gift for your partner, it’s important to take their needs and preferences into account. If they love reading, then a book is always a good idea. And in case they have a unique hobby they enjoy, then buying them something related to that will likely make them happy. If you’re buying them clothes or footwear, always take a receipt, so they’ll be able to exchange the gift in case it doesn’t suit them.

Conclusion

You and your partner deserve an amazing anniversary celebration and these tips will help you woo your partner and have a wonderful experience that you’ll both cherish. Just remember to enjoy yourselves and to relax, as that is the true way to have fun and enjoy the company of one another.

How to Style Monochrome Outfits With Statement Accessories

Accessories have the power to transform and instantly elevate an outfit, especially when it comes to monochrome ensembles. While achingly stylish and effortlessly chic, monochrome outfits are nowhere near effortless, and there’s a lot of thought that goes into the tonal dressing.

While incorporating various materials and textures is key to creating stylish tone-on-tone outfits, adding the right statement accessories such as bags, shoes, and jewelry is what actually makes the biggest difference. Here are a few tips to help get you started.

Dress up your outfit with a statement bag

Statement bags are unique accessories that are quite effective in breaking up top-to-toe color and adding a little pizzazz to a monochrome outfit. Surely, your standard black crossbody bag may work just fine for other outfits, but if you’re wearing a monochrome outfit and want to make a statement, you’re going to have to rely on some “louder” pieces.

Depending on the occasion, you can rely on everything from your small clutch to your large tote to dress up your outfit and make a stylish statement. Bedazzled handbags can be great additions if you want to add a glamorous touch to your outfit. If you want to create eye-catching contrast, get a bag in vibrant complementary color. You can also rock animal prints such as snake or leopard – they pair perfectly with neutral outfits. Or, go for a bag that matches your tonal look but has an interesting detail like a shoulder strap or a ring handle.

Have fun with statement shoes

While evergreen accessories like neutral shoes are essential for creating a capsule wardrobe (think white sneakers, black flats, and nude heels), statement shoes are there to make your outfits more fun. They can be used to take one-color ensembles to another level, and there are plenty of ways to do it.

Sometimes, this will mean grabbing a pair of sculptural heels in untraditional shapes to create an eye-catching silhouette. Other times, this will mean relying on various patterns and prints to make your feet the center of attention. Go for a pair that matches your outfit but also has an interesting detail to them that makes them unique (the cut, the material, the color, etc.).

Rely on statement jewelry to add sparkle to your outfits

If you’re in need of a statement piece that you can rely on to revamp your monochrome outfits year-round, look no further. A couple of ornaments go a long way in transforming a simple monochrome outfit. Investing in just a couple of unique pieces of fine jewelry such as necklaces, medallions, charms, and lockets can be a great way to spruce up your collection with some effective statement pieces.

The right statement jewelry can help you enhance and flaunt your features and it’s perfect for adding sparkle to your look. Just make sure to keep the rest of your outfit fairly simple when wearing such pieces so that your statement jewelry can take center stage.

Add a belt for a more polished look

Just like jewelry, belts are effective elements that you can use to make a stylish statement regardless of the season. These functional add-ons will define your waist and accentuate your curves, which will instantly make your entire outfit look more polished and put together.

When it comes to styling a statement belt, there are several routes you can take. You can go for a chunkier model and match the color to your monochrome outfit. You can also rely on 90s favorite buckle belts to inspire nostalgia and add definition to your dress, blazer, or a coat. Even something as simple as teaming your belt up with a crisp white oversized shirt and white sneakers can make your monochrome ensemble so much sleeker. Narrow, wide, embellished, or simple – it’s up to you to decide!

Spice it up with stylish specs

Last but not least, another way you can step up your monochrome outfit game is to simply put on a pair of statement glasses. Stylish specs are all the rage right now, and wearing them is a low-cost way to spice up your outfit combos and really transform your look. Large frames in understated colors are great for commanding attention, while red and orange frames can take years off your appearance.

Of course, you want to pay attention to the shape of your face as well as your skin and hair color so you can find the most flattering glasses. If you wear glasses every day, don’t be afraid to splurge!

Wrapping up

Nailing the monochromatic style can be tricky, but it’s doable! With these few tips in mind, you’ll manage to find the right statement pieces to add to your one-color ensembles so you can look chic, polished, and put together.