Lifestyle Archives - Page 34 of 52

Tips for Saving Enough Money to Go on Vacation with the Family

After a long year of working and attending school, your entire family could benefit from going on a long, relaxing vacation. Unfortunately, if you’re living from one paycheck to the next, it can be downright impossible for you to try to save up enough in order to start planning your next adventure. There are many ways for you and your family to save up money so that you can start planning ahead.

Bring in Extra Money

There are lots of ways for you to bring in some extra money that can be put directly into your vacation account. You might choose to sell some unused furniture or items that are just lying around the house. You can sell these either by holding a yard sale or selling them online to local buyers. If you don’t have much to sell off, you might want to consider taking on some overtime at work or doing some freelancing.

Refinance or Consolidate Older Debts

If you’re in a significant amount of debt, it can be suffocating to try to see the light at the end of the tunnel. If you’re trying to save up some cash for a vacation while tackling debt, you probably won’t be able to meet your monetary goals. For this reason, you need to either refinance or consolidate the debts that you have. If you have old student loans, you can refinance them to save some money and get a longer repayment term.

Set Up a Special Account

The problem with trying to save up money for a vacation in your regular checking or savings account is that you’ll be tempted to use it. Your account is running a bit low, so you simply take it out of the savings. You need cash for an emergency, so you dip into what you have saved up. It’s a good idea to create a special account specific to going on vacation. You may even want to set a restriction that you cannot dip into these funds until it comes time to travel.

Send Funds Automatically to Your Vacation Fund

You can automate your savings in order to prevent forgetting to put into the account. Most banks allow their customers to set up automatic transfers that allow them to choose the amount and time to send money over to a separate account. You won’t even realize that money is being put into this fund each week, and you’ll have significant savings when it’s time to take a trip with your loved ones.

Plan Ahead

The earlier you plan for your trip, the cheaper and more affordable it is going to be. Likewise, you’ll be able to get a feel for how much the vacation will cost so that you have enough time to save up for it. You can check flights and hotel fees well in advance to actually needing them. If you have the money for it, don’t hesitate to establish some bookings while you are able to get them at their absolute cheapest and most affordable.

Smart Ways to Decorate Your Living Space While in Isolation

The whole situation with the coronavirus isn’t exactly ideal. People have to spend more time indoors than ever before, and shopping for decorations is limited. You’re pretty much stuck with what you’ve got, and no one is inspired by looking at the same rooms all day, every day. Even in these tumultuous times, decorating your living room is as important as ever. In fact, it’s something you’ll need to not go crazy from being indoors all day. Luckily, there are some clever ways to redecorate without needing a lot of shopping or effort. Here are a few that might interest you.

Bring a bit of nature inside

People didn’t get enough outdoor time as it is, but the current situation is turning out to be even worse. Spending time inside is the norm right now, and there’s a severe lack of fresh and natural environments around us. Luckily, there’s a way to bring a little bit of that natural freshness inside your home.

Potted plants can be real life-savers when you need to stay inside for a while. They let your house breathe and make it feel livelier. The soft green hues of leafy plants help you relax and focus, and research has shown that they also affect peoples’ stress levels. Add a few of them in your living room and it’s going to make your home feel more comfortable.

Rearrange the living room

During isolation, you’re probably going to be spending more time in your living room than anywhere else. It’s where all the entertainment is, and it’s where you’ll interact with your family. Being there more than usual is going to have you sick of the room in no time. Switching things up would be great, but you can’t really go out shopping for new things.

On the other hand, you could always make some changes without introducing anything new. Rearranging the furniture works well to freshen up a room. Instead of having everything centered around the TV or entertainment center, you could create a chic chaotic arrangement with the furniture. You could also make a coffee table the focal point of the room. This will make it easier to get people into board games or cards. It’s something that would do everyone some good when they get bored of isolation.

Add tasteful touches

While you can’t make enormous contributions to your home’s design, there are still a few small details you can add to your rooms from time to time. Something that adds a little flavor and personality will make spending time in these rooms more tolerable.

Rugs are a great place to start. They make any room feel cozier and their colors and patterns can really draw your attention. Since you can’t go around flea markets and shops to check them out, looking for modern rugs online would be a better option. You can find rugs that fit any kind of home design. You’ll find everything from chic and messy-looking rugs to clean and sleek rugs that would work well with a minimalistic design.

Candles are another addition worth introducing to your home. They can create a nice atmosphere that changes the feel of a room. Let’s not forget about the romantic aspect as well. You can have nice candlelight read in your living room and feel like you’re in a chic café. Plus, candles aren’t hard to come by. You can find the most diverse scented candles on the internet. Think about the atmosphere you want in your home and recreate it with the wonderful smell of candles.

Put emphasis on the windows

Since we’re all yearning for a little more fresh air in our lives, windows and balconies are this year’s saving graces. If you haven’t been spending a lot of time there before, you certainly are now. It might be time to make them a little more comfortable and attractive while this whole situation lasts.

Take the clothes hangers out of your balcony and put a few chairs up. Enjoying the springtime on your balcony won’t be equal to going outside, but it’s as close as you can get. Take some of those candles and use them at night, it’s going to make for even more of a cozy environment.

Being cooped up inside probably has you wishing you had bigger windows to let even more air inside. Try to free up space around your windows and spend more time there as well. Keep them wide open and add a potted plant on it. It’s not much, but it’s going to freshen it up.

Conclusion

Just because we’re all isolated inside doesn’t mean our houses have to be less attractive. You should do your best to make use of this situation and spruce up your home as much as possible. Even without any external additions, you can still decorate your home to your tastes and make the time you spend inside more interesting and comfortable.

How Your Sleep Patterns Affect Your Children’s Sleep

Adequate sleep is something that people of all ages need to stay healthy and happy. It’s especially important during childhood and adolescence when the brain is still developing. Unfortunately, many children and teens aren’t getting the sleep they need. According to Sleep Standards, most teens are sleep deprived — a recent study found that only 15% reported sleeping 8 1/2 hours on school nights.

As a parent, you probably know just how important it is for your children to get enough sleep. But have you ever thought that your own sleep patterns could be affecting how much rest your kids are getting? Here’s what you need to know so the whole family can get more (and better) sleep.

Know the Facts About Sleep Deprivation in Children & Teens

To understand just how important sleep is for kids and teens, we need to look at how a lack of sleep can have an impact on their health and well-being. Overall, sleep deprivation can contribute to diabetes, obesity, mental health disorders, disruptive behavior, and more. Having the proper tools and information at your disposal to understand the effects of a lack of sleep is important and can primarily affect vulnerable populations.

The effects of sleep deprivation can even disrupt normal brain development. Poor and inadequate sleep has been associated with structural changes in the brain and can contribute to issues with memory, cognition, and attention.

Sadly, chronic sleep deprivation in young people is very common. In 2013, 68.4% of high schoolers were sleeping less than 8 hours each night. Younger children need even more than 8 hours to stay healthy.

Be Sure to Reduce Screen Time Before Going to Sleep

By this point, we all know that we shouldn’t have screens in our bedroom. The light from electronic devices can disrupt melatonin production, making it harder for us to fall asleep. Plus, if we’re engaged with media use, it’s much more interesting to keep using our devices than it is to go to sleep.

As a parent, you need to set boundaries surrounding screen time and enforce them for the whole family. If you tell your kids to turn off their devices two hours before bed but you’re still surfing on your iPad, they might not take the rules very seriously.

Are You Letting Your Kids Get Enough Sleep?

Kids and teens need more sleep than adults. Their developing brains need extra time for rest, and it’s important for parents to help them get the amount that they need. The amount of sleep needed decreases as a child grows up, but even children as old as 13 may need up to 11 hours of sleep each night, while older teens need 8-10 hours.

So how can you, as a parent, help your child get enough sleep? You might consider setting an earlier bedtime for the family so that everyone goes through the ritual of tucking in for the night together. Then, the adults can get up early and have some time for themselves in the morning before the kids get up. You need to let your kids get enough sleep, even if that means making some adjustments in your schedule.

Consider Having Kids and Teens Meditate Before Sleep

Kids are often over-stimulated in the evening, whether from media use, homework, or family time. When bedtime rolls around, it’s a good idea to have everyone take a deep breath and start to wind down.

One good way to do this is to implement a daily meditation practice in your household before bed. Relaxation techniques can be helpful for children who find their mind racing at night, have anxiety, or just can’t calm down enough to sleep restfully. Meditation can help to improve well-being, and might just set the mood for a restful night’s sleep.

Be Active With Your Kids During the Day

Achieving deep and restful sleep starts long before bedtime. Exercise is important for both physical and mental health but will also help kids sleep more soundly. Physical activity doesn’t have to mean structured exercise—it can be tag in the backyard, yoga together in the living room, and even chores like cleaning or helping with dinner.

Kids spend a lot of time in front of their devices or sitting at a desk, especially during the school year. You might have to get creative to keep the family active, but it will be well worth the effort. Plus, it’s good for you, too!

Be a Good Role Model

When it comes to building better sleep habits in your household, you can’t just tell your kids what to do. You have to model good behavior yourself. Being a role model for good sleeping habits isn’t always easy, but it will make your home happier and healthier more quickly than you might imagine.

10 Places to Find Your Inspiration

You’ve hit the creativity brick wall. Whether you’re a writer, a painter or a creator of professional stock photography this happens to all creative types from time to time. No matter how imaginative you think you are, there will be occasions here and there where you will need a proverbial kick in the creativity pants.

The next time this happens to you, take a deep breath and look around. Sometimes the next great idea materializes right in front of you when you search these tried and true themes for your inspiration.

Holidays

Tired of creating still lives of Christmas lights and ornaments? Look to some of the more unusual holidays celebrated around the world for your genius. There is a day dedicated to just about any food, fetish or trivia somewhere. Search the web and you’ll find a wacky holiday, festival or celebration sure to be a catalyst to your creativity.

Nature

It’s hard not to be inspired by the beauty of nature. The majesty in a sunset, the colors of the rainbow or contrasts in fields of flowers are all awe inspiring. But the trick is to see beyond the obvious draw to find originality. Look small – at the tiny spider building a web on that stunning flower. Look big – at the storm clouds parting to form that breathtaking rainbow. Draw from contrasts of light and dark, hot and cold, big and small. Look not as an observer, but as an artist and you’ll be sure to see a new side to Mother Nature.

Travel

It’s easy to create awesome imagery when traveling to exotic places, but try to be a tourist in your own backyard. Think like someone who’s looking to book a trip to your area – or better yet, think like the tour director, travel agent or pamphlet designer looking to promote your area. What is unique to your geography? To your history? To your climate? To your architecture, or people, or traditions? Use these as your muse.

Humor

Sometimes we simply take art – and ourselves – too seriously when all we really want is a good reason to laugh. Use your naturally silly side to capture practical jokes, caricatures of folks you know, or just a good old fashion pun. Think of any person, place or thing and then see how many different ways you can use that in a humorous setting. Don’t forget to poke some fun at yourself while you’re at it.

Science

Geek is the new chic! Every avenue of scientific research and study can be a model for your thoughts. Go to an observatory, or science and nature museum, with an open mind. Read scientific magazines or watch television shows that discuss astrology, chemistry or any other scientific field. Or just watch The Big Bang Theory for a few days to see what physics can inspire you to do.

News and Current Events

We all read a paper or watch the evening news so why not use the relevant topics as motivation. See what’s trending on social media for insights into what the world is talking about and challenge yourself to see how many ideas you can brainstorm from a single hashtag. Look at the topic of the latest viral video to see what they bring to mind – if nothing else, you’re sure to see some really cute videos of kittens to make it worth your time.

Animals

And speaking of animals, they are a great boost to ideating. They can be used as a subject in their own right, or studied to identify characteristics that translate well into art; kitten/playful, fox/sly, dog/loyal, crocodile/cold, etc. etc. etc. Use them to represent universal themes like a butterfly flying free.

Everyday Life

List all the things you do on an average day. What are the weekly or monthly items on your to-do list? What annual events centered on home, work and family occupy your time. These can each be an impulse to an idea. Close your eyes and let the mundane become exceptional.

Food

We’re already a world of food paparazzi; why not use the daily bread to add incentive. If you like to cook, think farm to table to uncover unique examples. If you like to eat, think happy times with friends and family shared over a kitchen table. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Fish is good brain food. Every aspect of the food can generate a wealth of new angles to consider.

Health, Nutrition, and Fitness

We are bombarded daily with the importance of balancing nutrition and fitness for good health and the consequences of not doing so. Instead of obsessing over them in your personal life, let the topic encourage new visions.

A few additional tips to help with your creative flow.

Keep a notebook or journal to jot down great ideas when they come to you.
Try doodling as a brainstorming technique. It’s amazing what can come to you when you release your mind to the creative process.
Get moving! There is scientific proof that motion helps to improve creativity, so take a walk to help get those juices flowing.

Images copyright Karen Foley via Dreamstime.com.

Garlic For Good Food and Good Health

For many years garlic has been known to have great health benefits and is often thought of like nature’s own antibiotic’ but people have been wary of eating fresh garlic because of the pungent odor it leaves on your breath or excreted through the pores. Garlic has this effect because it is a substance that is not metabolized; instead, it is absorbed through the stomach lining.

Now it has been realized that taking a good quality supplement of Allicin (the active ingredient of garlic) gives you equal effectiveness, and of course, you can use the odorless variety, for this garlic is aged and detoxified leaving it deodorized.

I adore garlic and am happy with garlic on just about any type of savory food, but being the minority in the family has resorted to taking odorless capsules to keep the peace. I think garlic is one of the few foods that everybody has an opinion about; you either love it or hate it!

In fact my father-in-law Joe used to eat raw cloves every day, probably one of the reasons he is in his eighties and has never suffered from bad health. Joe originates from Poland where garlic had been used for health benefits for years and years, primarily eaten against influenza, but they would also use it topically rubbed on the soles of their feet to ward off colds and many other ailments.

But yes, there was a problem with odor and it came to a head at the maternity center when I had our eldest daughter, the nurses could not believe how after he visited us the odor lingered and went on to tell him they were worried it would upset the babies on the ward. Obviously he was a little offended, but more embarrassed, even though we had approached the subject before, thank goodness this time it sank in. Now he still uses garlic, but not every day, and happily takes a daily odorless supplement.

To date, garlic has undergone many studies and it seems the list of its benefits keeps on increasing. The main reason I have taken garlic for several years now is because of the effect it has on strengthening the body’s immune system.

With all the stress in today’s society, our bodies could do with a little help. The antioxidant properties contained in garlic come from selenium and germanium that are sulfur-containing antioxidants that boost the immune system.

It is this property that helps rid the body of free radicals that are believed to be associated with the aging process, growth of tumors and atherosclerosis. Garlic in its raw state is thought to be one of the most potent boosters of your body’s natural killer cells. This alone should encourage non-garlic lovers to change their minds.

Research has shown that garlic-Allicin is an excellent natural antimicrobial that can disable a wide variety of infectious organisms. These antibiotic properties can provide extremely active against yeast, fungi and viral infections.

Garlic is great for your heart too, as it contains properties that fight bad’ cholesterol. Nowadays we are all aware that HDL- high-density lipoprotein which is not dangerous, but LDL – low-density lipoprotein definitely is because of the fact that it can be oxidized by dangerous free radicals. Garlic’s antioxidizing qualities help diminish free radical damage.

Garlic is a natural aspirin as it can help prevent red blood cells from clumping together. Garlic naturally keeps the blood thin which is necessary for the prevention of strokes and heart attacks, so people who regularly take garlic benefit from the same aspects as aspirin but without other risks associated with it, but it should not be taken in place of prescribed medication.

Garlic is also beneficial for the cardiovascular system – circulation and has been proven to improve circulation in the body’s peripheries, which is extremely helpful especially in the age when getting enough exercise is often difficult.

Studies are also being undertaken to find the effect garlic has on cancer cells, and to date, the findings carried out on mice are looking good. This is really encouraging.

I hope if you are not a lover of garlic this has given a good insight into the benefits of eating garlic or at least taking a supplement. Not only will your health benefit, but you will also have the added benefit of knowing you are safe from vampires!!

Garlic has been written about throughout history. 22 Egyptian remedies using garlic were found on papyrus dating back to the sixteenth century BC. Vikings would not take to long sea voyages without garlic, because of its anti-bacterial properties, this was also the reason it was used against the plague in the 1770s. African missionaries found that garlic was successful at stopping dysentery.

In fact, my granddad grew garlic, and he used to use old cloves steeped in water to cleanse his lean-to come greenhouse, he would fervently swear that it killed mildew and other infections, and apparently having been his grandfather that passed this down to his father, was obviously well thought of for its antibacterial properties.

In our modern hi-tech world we now live in, we have all but forgotten nature’s own natural problem beaters and these are often absolutely harmless, with no man-made chemicals to endanger the environment. Perhaps we should look closer at what our ancestors knew and we seem to have forgotten.

5 Top Sleep Tips for New Parents

For nine months, parents are sleepless with excitement, but as soon as you welcome your new family member into your home, you discover that the many joys of parenting will inevitably be riddled with challenges – sleep deprivation included. However, too many parents take this at face value and simply embrace the fact that sleep will be scarce and that they won’t have a single moment to themselves until their offspring grows up a little bit.

Still, this is not entirely true. It definitely pays to reevaluate your attitude, to pick up a few handy tips from versed parents and to start adjusting your routine to make more room (and time) for proper rest. Now that you’re embracing your new roles, it’s time to introduce some self-care practices and prepare for the new, extraordinary chapter of your life, preferably while not gluing your eyelids to keep ‘em open. These tips should do the trick!

Nap while your baby sleeps

One key way in which parents can get more rest is to use the natural sleep cycle of their little ones. Whenever your baby falls asleep, you should pick up your favorite pillow, a blanket, and get some rest yourself. Tune out all distractions and make sure that you always have a comfortable place with no noise and chaos around you so that you can fall asleep more quickly and without any trouble.

Ensure comfort for you and your partner

Too many of us are completely clueless about what kind of beds, mattresses, and bedding we should get, let alone the right positions for our spine and neck and how we should sleep to get the most of our downtime. The right choice can mean the difference between getting ample sleep and ending up restless during the night, so it pays to find out more about the right bedroom essential to get enough rest.

Start by choosing a mattress that will give your entire body enough support while also ensuring ample comfort to help you fall asleep faster without causing any pain. A hybrid mattress that blends the memory foam with steel coils, for example, which makes it a great option to ensure comfort and support.

Set up a schedule

You and your partner have decided to bring a baby into this world, and you’re in for one rewarding, yet bumpy ride. It’s vital that you share every single obligation when it comes to taking care of your little earthling since you’ll also be cherishing all the joyous moments together. A schedule for those shared responsibilities is a great way to set up a system that both of you can develop together and adjust according to your needs.

For example, you and your partner can take turns getting up during the night for feeding your baby, whereas you can also switch when someone makes meals, takes care of the dishes, and handles nappies. Some parents easily communicate these chores, but just in case one of you feels overwhelmed, you should share your concerns and find a fair way to share chores with a newborn schedule.

Build a support system

Moms and dads everywhere: you’re not alone. Your friends and family members are also there for you, as they should be, and you can and should ask for help when you need to get some rest. There is no shame in letting your loved ones know that you’re exhausted, so they can jump in occasionally to take care of your little one while you get a few hours of sleep.

In case you don’t have a big family and none of your relatives are able to help, there are professionals whom you can hire. A sitter or a trained nurse can be of great help from time to time.

Practice sleep-inducing rituals

It’s easy to think that you’ll fall immediately asleep as soon as you put your little angel down for the night. As many parents will attest to, this doesn’t always turn out to be true, because many parents are too tense or have many other chores to think of, so they end up revising their to-do lists for hours in bed instead of falling asleep. To help your body unwind and turn on that sleep mode in your mind, you can introduce relaxing rituals.

For example, you can use scented candles with lavender to add this lovely, soothing fragrance to your bedroom. Also, you can prepare and sip on a cup of chamomile tea while you read a book to let go of all those daily worries. Some stretching and belly-breathing can also be of great help!

Parenthood is a time of revelation, beauty, and of course, ups and downs. Take downtime seriously, because you will have more energy to bond with your baby, you’ll reduce your risk of developing postpartum depression, and you’ll also preserve and deepen your connection with your partner. Hopefully, these tips will help you get your shuteye and rest more easily, and ultimately help you enjoy your new role for months to come.

Seeing some parenting books can be very handy.

About the author

Mia Taylor is a 33 year old blogger who writes about beauty, fashion and travel. She had always been passionate about fashion and over time she had developed a style of her own. Mia loves to mix and match and inspire girls with her advice about outfit and accessories. She loves telling a story about her travels, providing beauty tips with readers.

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5 Ways to Reconnect with Your Partner after Giving Birth

Parents already know that bringing a child into this world comes from an entire universe of intimacy, closeness, and love. Yet, when the baby is born, the focus can shift entirely to this new little earthling in your home, and you might feel that your bond with your partner is getting strangely neglected, despite being strengthened by your new family member. It might sound like a paradox, but sometimes the very experience that brings you closer can tear your relationship apart, precisely because your bond consists of so much more than expanding your family.

Your relationship is based on so many other commonalities, shared experiences, and of course, intimacy, hence the need to reignite that flame and invest time and effort to reconnect with your spouse now that you’ve become parents. Here are a few suggestions that can help you grow your bond even stronger.

Find a shared activity

Restoring your health, energy, and endurance starts with your nutrition and exercise. However, instead of treating it as yet another chore, you can shift your perspective and look at your workout routine as another opportunity to bond with your partner.

In fact, couples exercising on a regular basis can use this time to boost each other’s confidence, provide moral support, and help each other get strong and healthy. At the same time, this simple practice can bring you closer together and improve your quality of life.

Work on your intimacy

Post-partum depression, body issues after giving birth, complications, and a slew of other issues are so common among new moms that it’s not so strange that many new parents find it difficult to enjoy their love-making in the first months of parenthood. It can be difficult to regain your confidence, but you’re not alone. Why not talk to your partner, share your desires and fears, and explore your options together?

Perhaps if you browse through a fun adult shop and find creative ways to explore your intimacy, you can rediscover your sensuality and your connection to your partner. Sometimes a flattering piece of lingerie can remind you of your own physicality and slowly restore your confidence. Dedicating time to your intimacy can be a powerful way to strengthen your bond and your confidence, too.

Make time for dating

Yes, we know that you’ll feel tempted to spend your free time wrapped in a blanket, asleep, whenever a grandparent volunteers to take care of the little sleepless rascal but consider other options, too. For instance, you can set aside a monthly date for you and your partner to go out for a romantic dinner, enjoy a picnic in the park, go for an afternoon of walking in nature, or anything you love doing.

Dating in marriage is not just advisable, it’s necessary for your romance to continue evolving as you accept new roles in life, including the one of being a parent.

Talk to a professional

Too many couples believe that counseling is their last resort, whereas in fact, they should treat it as a valid option when they notice they have issues in communication. To prevent neglecting your marriage, communication problems, and to prevent the loss of intimacy, you can talk to a professional marriage counselor and face your issues head-on.

Work on your shared responsibilities

Conflict is natural, especially when there’s a misunderstanding and you’re too tired and impatient, which happens to us all – because, let’s face it, we’re all human. When you have this new life to take care of in addition to your own, the responsibilities are constantly piling up, and if you find yourself struggling, it’s natural to feel tense and exhausted.

That’s precisely why you need to work through this period with your partner so that you can share your responsibilities and all the little daily tasks, find the time to rest, and you’ll feel appreciated, loved, and cared for. When you can manage that, you can reduce conflict, and you can find more energy to bond and be emotionally generous to one another.

Now that you’re parents, the stakes are all the higher for you to work on your family, on your bond, and to find time in this learning curve to connect with one another. It means relying on your support system, asking for help, sharing your insecurities and fears, and finding patience within you to recognize opportunities instead of looking for excuses to postpone your time together. Use these tips to bond, and you’ll enjoy your partnership and parenthood all the more for it.

How to Unclog Your Drains Without Dangerous Chemicals

Sometimes it happens that our drains get clogged. The water drains slowly and it can sometimes have a bad smell. It leaves us with a number of problems like not being able to use the sinks, bath or toilet. This situation usually sends us running for a bottle of chemicals for unclogging the drain. It is one of the most common methods for cleaning the drains. But, it’s also one of the very dangerous ways of resolving this problem. These chemicals are caustic, meaning they can damage your skin and eyes, and they can damage certain types of pipes. But, there are many ways with which you can unclog the drains naturally, without using dangerous chemicals. Read on to find out what they are.

Baking Soda and Vinegar

These are the two simple ingredients you probably already have in your home, and that don’t cost much. They create a chemical reaction because the soda is the base and vinegar is an acid. When you mix them together, a chemical reaction happens that will bubble and eat through the clogs. To unclog the drain using this method pour ½ cup of baking soda down the drain and ½ cup of vinegar after that. Plug the drain and leave it in for an hour. After the hour, pour a pot of boiling water down the drain. Continue pouring water until the drain is unclogged.

Dish Soap and Hot Water

If you know your drain is clogged by grease, a good method is to use your regular dish soap and hot water to unclog it. To use this method, pour a good amount of dish soap down the drain. After this slowly pour a pot of boiling water down the drain. This should break up any grease clogs in your drain. This method should be done once a week to prevent clogs.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Another method of unclogging your drains with ingredients you already have in your home is using hydrogen peroxide. It’s good for disinfecting and can be great for unclogging your drains. Mix a cup of hydrogen peroxide with a tablespoon of baking soda and pour it down the drain. Let it foam and it should break up any clog in your drain.

Baking Soda and Salt

Another mixture for unclogging your drains that involves baking soda is adding salt to the mixture. Mix about half a cup of soda and half a cup of salt and pour it down the drain. It would be best to leave it overnight, or at least an hour. When the proper amount of time has passed, pour down a boiling pot of water and your drain should be cleared out.

Professional Help

If you have tried everything and your drain is still clogged, consider hiring professional plumbers that can solve your problem. Hiring plumbers that have all the right tools and don’t use harsh chemicals for unclogging blocked drains can be a lifesaver. They can solve your problem very quickly and efficiently. Not every clog is possible for a do-it-yourself unclogging, so save yourself the hassle and frustration. Another reason for hiring professionals is that having clogged drains increases the possibility for your pipes bursting and adding to the problem and whole cost of the operation.

Wire hanger

If the clog is persistent, it may be better to use a physical approach to the problem. Everyone has a wire hanger in their home, and it can be the perfect tool for unclogging the drains in your home. Take the wire hanger and straighten it as much as you can and then bend one ned to create a hook. Remove the drain cover and start fishing around. The hook of the hanger will catch hair and any big stuff that is clogging your drain. Try not to push the gunk further in. Have a bag to discard everything you pull out. When you are finished, run hot water and everything should be working nicely after.

Plunger

Plungers are one of the tools for unclogging drains and toilets that first come to mind. They are fairly simple to use, and you can do this very quickly. There are two types of plungers, one for the toilet and one for sinks. The toilet one is bigger and usually has a black cup. The plungers with shallow cups are for sinks and tubs. In order to use the plunger and for it to work, there should be water covering the drain. Place the plunger over the drain and push until it makes a vacuum seal over the drain. Grasp the handle and pump the plunger up and down quickly a couple of times. Pull it out and see if the drain has opened. If it’s necessary, repeat the process until the drain is opened.

If you have successfully unclogged your drains, there are steps you can take to prevent them from getting clogged up again. Swap out your normal sink stopper for a one that prevents any unwanted materials from going down the drain. Clean your drains regularly with baking soda and hot water. If you follow this advice, you won’t have any drain problems for a long time.

Keep Your Kids Healthy This Spring Season

With many bright and sunny days, spring is the perfect season for outdoor games and exploration. However, along with the days of extra fun for your kids, comes the higher risk of injuries, accidents, or diseases.

Here are a few essential tips on how to minimize those risks, and keep your kids healthy this spring season.

Use Sunscreen

Since your kids will be spending a lot of time outdoors, exposed to sun rays, you must take adequate measures of precaution.

The skin grows thicker as we age – the skin of the face, limbs, and trunk in kids aged two to 13 is significantly thinner than in adults and much more sensitive.

A study found that UV exposure during the first 18 years of our lives is the most critical when it comes to premature aging, skin damage, and skin cancer.

To minimize the risks of getting sunburns now, and severe skin damage later, your kids should be protected from UVA and UVB rays even during the cloudy days.

Make sure they have their sunscreen on 15 to 30 minutes before going out. If your kids will stay longer outside, ensure they/you reapply it often.

Using protective hats and clothing during outdoor activities is also advised.

Watch Out for Allergies

When the springtime comes, everything blooms, including our allergies. Kids can have as severe allergies as adults and can develop them anytime.

The most common symptoms of allergies include itchy eyes, ears and throat, heavy breathing, repetitive sneezing, and a runny nose.

There are many ways to keep your kids healthy during allergy season. If they already have a history of allergic rhinitis, they must start taking their medications early, at the end of March, before their symptoms begin to develop.

However, if besides these symptoms, your kid has a fever too, it’s more likely they are affected by the virus than a seasonal allergy. To make your kids’ immune system stronger, as well as ready to fight flu and infections, consider natural children’s supplements so that you’re sure they have all essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients needed.

Beware of Ticks and Insect Bites

Ticks are another risk related to the spring season and spending more time outdoors. They begin to hatch as soon as the ground defrosts, and since they carry and transmit Lyme disease, their bites can be extremely dangerous to kids.

However, to transmit Lyme disease, a tick needs to be attached to the skin for more than 36 hours. To reduce the risk of developing the disease, check your children for ticks before they go to bed. Pay special attention to skin folds and the scalp, as ticks love dark and warm places.

If you find the tick attached to your kids’ skin, have it properly removed.

Bites and stings of other insects, such as spiders, bees, and wasps can be harmful too and require a medical action. Teach your kids to let you or other adults know if they’ve been stung by an insect immediately.

If there are any symptoms of an allergic reaction, such as hives, difficulty breathing, nausea, dizziness, or a tight feeling in the throat, seek medical help right away.

It’s also essential to remove the stinger from the skin as quickly as possible and wash the area with soap and water.

Also, teach your kids how to minimize the risk of getting bitten or stung when they’re outdoors.

Develop Healthy Habits

You should make it your goal to use this spring season wisely, and bring more healthy habits into the life of your kids, and your whole family.

Your kids will best learn by your example, so consider focusing more on:

Healthy food. Spring is a perfect season to enrich your meals with fruits, veggies, and grain. Try to be more creative and include them in your cuisine the fun way, and teach your kids to like them. The health of your kids and their development largely depends on their nutrition, so try to cut down on the processed food.
Your kids need to take enough water whole year-round, but it’s harder to stay adequately hydrated during spring and summer. Teach your kids to always have their water bottles with them. Also, remind them to replenish themselves often.
Active lifestyle. Use the happy spring days to walk with your kids around the park, go jogging, hiking, or cycling. If they see how much you value physical activity, they’ll think highly of it too, so they’ll find it reasonable to engage in sports and lead a healthier lifestyle later on. However, to minimize the risks of getting injured, make sure your kids always have the proper gear.

Washing Up

Kids will be kids, and when they’re back home from the outside, they’ll be dirty.

However, while it’s almost impossible to change this fact, you can do a lot for their health by enforcing a good washing-up policy.

Teach your kids to wash their hands when they’re back from the outside, as well as not to consume food, touch their face, nose, or mouth with dirty hands.

By using the tips above, your kids will be protected this spring. However, if they acquire healthy habits, they will be in good health for many years to come.

Kevin has gone through an extensive home renovation with his son, which he has both

thoroughly enjoyed, and dreaded every morning. He is now the proud owner of half his dream house (the other half has been waiting for spring). You can read more of Kevin’s work on PlainHelp.

How to Throw a Destination Wedding that All Your Guests Will Love

It doesn’t matter where you get married. However, it matters a lot how you greet and treat the guests who will come to attend your wedding ceremony. You need to be a little more careful in every aspect of your marriage ceremony when you decide to have a destination wedding to fulfill the dream you had.

Here are some practical tips/steps that can help you to please your wedding guests:

Choose an ideal place

There is a high possibility that you would already have a spot in your mind if you are willing to have a destination wedding. The place may be a gorgeous resort, a particular city of your choice or somewhere off your hometown/country. Whatever the selection you make, start knowing more about it.

In your search, you should keep the comfort of your guests in mind and select the destination where you can keep your guests busy in several activities before and after your actual marriage ceremony begins/ends.

Assist your guests to get ready

Your wedding day is a very special day for you. It is also special for your guests too. They need time for preparation, and you can help them in this regard. After selecting a venue for your destination wedding, you must share venue details with your guests. Ask them to start their preparation a little earlier and get ready before the scheduled time. You can send them a kit with welcome wedding signs and notes, describing date, place and instructions on how to get ready for that particular location.

Offer transportation to and from

You are inviting people to attend your marriage ceremony, and so, you must take care of their conveniences. Whether you have chosen a city around your hometown or foreign place for your destination wedding, you must keep the transportation in your mind. Hire a small to big vehicle to let your guests from their house to an airport and vice versa.

Host an interactive meeting

In a destination wedding, people have enough time before, between and after a marriage ceremony. They can feel bored or lonely, especially when they are not well-familiar with each other. Before the departure for the wedding venue, schedule a day & time and request all your guests to attend this introductory meeting. On the arrival of all the guests, start introducing all of them to one another after refreshments. With this, you can assist all your guests to mingle with each other so that they can have a well-familiarity with all of them.

Do arrange for a cocktail after arrival at the venue

Reaching the venue of your destination wedding doesn’t mean that the marriage ceremony will get start soon. It will have a start as per the scheduled date and time. There is a gap between the arrival of the guests and the beginning of marriage rituals, even if you schedule the arrival of guests on your big day. Between that, you can treat them to their favorite snacks and wines. In order to escape from directing your people, you can indirectly help them to find their favorite drinks by sticking custom labels for wine bottles. They will be happy to find their preferred drinks without making any extra effort.

Book all the required services in advance

Whether your destination wedding is at a hotel or a resort in a far city/country, you need to take care of all your guests. Fix a seat for every guest and give a wake-up call facility for every morning. Talk to the associated staff and request them to ensure the availability of all the amenities for your guests. Moreover, you can start planning your wedding by exploring resorts, venues, and wedding packages at ParadiseWeddings.com.

Produce a Go Gift for all your guests

Greeting on arrival is not enough. You should take care of their departure too. In your destination wedding, there is a gap between your and your guests departures. So, you should have a proper arrangement for their departure. As your marriage ceremony comes to an end, request all your guests to leave for their home after taking rest. On their departure, present a Go Gift to all of them with a personal note. In the gift pack, ensure to include the essentials that can assist them to get rid of post-celebration outcomes.

Conclusion

Planning a destination wedding takes time and money. In your planning, keeping the convenience of all the people helps you get the real price for all that you invest. Keeping everything, from the selection of a venue to departure, can make you all your guests happy in your marriage ceremony.