The Shaker of Salt

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Your child has plenty of needs when they grow. Not only do they need to be loved and nurtured in all aspects of their development to become a healthy and active young person, but they must also be fed well. Keeping a consistent and healthy diet for your children can be tough, especially when they outright refuse to eat certain foods or prefer the taste of some. To save money, you may also try and buy easy snack foods which while convenient, are often not the best things you can feed your child.

Luckily, any new parent can feed their child healthily and also help your child overcome an aversion to vegetables or any other health food you’ve like to introduce to their diet. We’d argue the following tips are the best to follow in this regard.

Water Filters

Tap water, while often subject to intense filtering mechanisms, can greatly benefit from being filtered even more so. This can prevent any bacteria or toxins from the water supply from entering the system of your toddler. If breastfeeding, it can also mean that you prevent your body from being subject to the same issues. In this regard, it can be a wonderful way to make sure you’re providing your child with the best nutrition you possibly can. Installing a home water softening filtration system or simply purchasing a Kinetico small filter from http://www.ncwater.net/products/drinking-water-systems/ can help you easily and surely filter out the chemical and biological contaminants potentially found in today’s water.

Child Multivitamins

While a child’s diet should always feature some common health staples such as fibrous vegetables, a good quality protein source as well as the micronutrients such as calcium for strong bones and vitamin D for the correct hair and skin development, using a child’s multivitamin to help supplement their diet can be essential at this stage. Note how we make the distinction to use a ‘child’s multivitamin.’

These are often much softer in their vitamin and mineral content and are often given in a soft gel cap which is easily digestible and easy to swallow. Make sure you never feed your children supplements intended for adults. Also, make sure to consult with your healthcare professional before implementing this into your child’s diet. If appropriately and correctly given to your child, they can mean the world for their positive health development.

Make Vegetables Fun!

There are some children who happily partake in any healthy food you put in front of them. Unfortunately, it’s far more common for children to be quite picky about what they eat, and vegetables are often the most commonly rejected food on a child’s plate. For this reason, making vegetable fun and exciting can help your child develop much better than simply giving them the junk food they might ask for. Consider cutting and roasting carrots into french-fry like sticks, or arranging their foods in the shape of a funny face. Consider switching from high sugar baked beans to low sugar and high protein haricot beans cooked in your own tomato reduction. It could be as simple as switching from white to brown bread for toast as an after-school snack. There are always many ways to help your children grow and develop positively through their diet, and for the most part ‘tricking them’ into the healthy foods can be your best way forwards.

Alternatively, feeding them these positive foods from a young age can help prevent them from developing a taste for fatty or unhealthy products, limiting the damage reduction you’ll need to do when giving them a healthier diet.

These tips will help your children get the best start in life, through making sure their stomachs are healthy and happy.

A concern that many parents face when raising a child is asthma. Air pollution is all around us, and if you live in a city area then there’s a surprisingly high risk of your child developing asthma.

Whether you’ve just moved home or if you’re trying to cope with living in a city, your home has a huge effect on the quality of air inside of it. So to help you out, here are a couple of tips on how you can cleanse the air around you and lower the risk of your child developing asthma or any other respiratory issue.

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Learn how it starts

Being worried about an illness you don’t understand is rather foolish. If you want to know the risks and how asthma develops, then look at some resources on the internet. Websites such as http://www.mayoclinic.org/ will show how asthma develops, the symptoms of asthma and how it worsens if not treated correctly. Many people don’t realise that the quality of air around them is often one of the leading causes. They’re too quick to blame things such as car fumes, but there are many things in the home that could also lead to poor air quality.

Purchase a dehumidifier

One of the main reasons to own a dehumidifier is to reduce the humidity levels and make your home less likely to become a host to dust mites, mould, mildew and other allergens that are known to cause asthma. Check out http://www.dehumidifierweb.com/frigidaire-ffad7033r1/ if you want some more information on dehumidifiers and how they can help you. If you notice things like water stains on your walls or if you smell mildew in parts of your home, then they’re clear signs that you need a dehumidifier.

Ventilation is important

The outdoor air is great to purify your home, but you need to ensure that you’re keeping your home well-ventilated. Even if it’s cold outside, make sure you open the windows now and then to let the fresh air in and the bad air out. Keep doors open to let the air circulate, and don’t keep smells locked in your home. For instance, if you’re a smoker, then make sure you smoke outdoors. If you have to do it indoors, then make sure you open up the windows and smoke near a window so you don’t lower the quality of air indoors.

Avoid toxic products

Whether it’s a cheap cleaning spray you bought from the supermarket or hairspray that you use on a regular basis, make sure to avoid toxic products as much as possible. If you have to spray them, then make sure your home is well-ventilated and make sure you don’t let those smells linger for too long. The more you keep your home clear of these toxic substances, the better the quality of air in your home. Assuming you follow these tips, you should have absolutely no fears of your child developing asthma.

Garages are spaces within many homes that don’t get the love or care that they deserve. There is a common misconception that these spaces are only good for parking vehicles in or using for storage space. However, that isn’t the case, in fact, it is far from it. As livable and usable spaces, garages have heaps of potential; it’s just a case of knowing how to convert them, that’s all.

Does your garage get little use? Is a space that you feel is wasted? If the answer to these questions is yes, then why not convert it? Think of the possibilities – imagine what you could do with the space. Garages have so much potential – your garage could become your favorite place in your home, it just needs a little TLC, that’s all.

Stuck for ideas? Below are some tips and ideas for making more of your garage and creating a space that gets plenty of use. Read on for everything that you need to know.

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Keep it cozy

What’s the number one reason most people don’t think of garages as being liveable spaces? Because they are seen as being cold and drafty areas, however, that doesn’t have to be the case. The fact is that if properly insulated, a garage can be a warm and cozy space. Obviously, if the garage door leaks drafts then this can cause the space to be cold, but the good news is this is fixable. You can opt to use specialists like Tip Top Garage Doors to fix your door and ensure that it is draft proof, or you can replace it with a wall and smaller door, like the ones used around the rest of your home. If you are not going to use it for parking your car, that oversized door can go.

Overhaul the space

If you are going to make the most of the space, it is vital that you overhaul it. The good news is that garages have lots of potential, it’s just a case of knowing how to overhaul them. If you need inspiration and ideas, sites like Pinterest have plenty to offer. To overhaul the space and make more of it, get creative. Don’t be afraid to theme the space, as often having a theme can allow you to make more of the space. Whether you want to create a home office, personal gym, playroom for the kids, or a man cave or games room.

Accessorize

When it comes to overhauling any space, the key to success is accessories. The fact is that it is the little things that make all of the difference, which is why choosing the right accessories is so vital when it comes to decorating any space. It’s amazing how a few well thought out pieces can take a garage from drab to fab in just a number of minutes. Choose a theme for the space, such as cute and quirky, smart and stylish, or cozy and comfortable, and use accessories to bring the theme to life.

The fact is that your garage can be glorious, it is just a case of giving it the TLC it needs. Your garage doesn’t have to be a space that gathers dust; it can become a livable space.

Most of us dread the feeling of packing up and moving to a new place. While we tend to focus on the practicalities and how we can get the tiring process over with as quickly as possible, your children may look at it a bit differently. It’s the nostalgia and sudden change, the break to their old habits, and a sense of unquestionable uncertainty.

New school, new friends, strange teachers – it’s almost as if we’re six again by just thinking about it, tiny, helpless, and nervously anticipating the move.

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As a parent, you can do a lot to make the process of moving house easier on your child, and even help them to look a bit forward to it. Here is a handful of the best tips from experts out there, making the future look much brighter.

Involve them in the move

As it often is with life and changes, we tend to worry about the little things. Your child isn’t thinking much about making the ends meet in your new house, though, or how you’ll be able to maintain such a big garden – they’ll be missing their friends and the old neighbourhood instead.

There is a silver lining to everything, so focus on making the conversation positive when you’re preparing to move. Invite your children to go house-hunting with you, for example, give them the task of figuring out what kind of decorations they’d like, and talk about how much fun you’re going to have. If you’re still deciding on the kind of area you’d like to move to, have a look at mortgageloans.co for an overlook of the best alternatives.

Talk about your feelings

Acknowledge their feelings and let them know that it’s perfectly normal to feel a bit sad, while also helping them to feel slightly excited about it all. Although you want them to be happy and cheerful, it’s important that you don’t ignore their sad comments and bids for comfort; let them know that you’re also sad about moving, and you’re going to visit the old area as often as possible.

When they seem blue about the move, cheer them up by pointing out that sure, you had a great playground in your old area and the neighbour kids will be missed, but you will come back to visit them. Even better, you can invite them over for sleepovers in your new, big bedroom. And what about the playground that’s just around the corner from your new home? It’s so much to be happy and grateful for.

The first couple of weeks will be a rollercoaster ride, that’s for sure, and you’re going to experience a few sleepless nights and a lot of tears. Keep in mind that it will pass and your children will settle in soon enough – it may not be as soon as you’d like it to be, so give them time, and read up on helpiammoving.com if you’re moving with a toddler.

Let them see their old friends on Skype if you’re moving far away, and encourage them to invite them over for sleepovers in their new room; it will make the transition so much smoother for all of you.

Living in a brand new home can be a dream for some people. Other prefer to live in a home that has already been around for a while. Both options come with pros and cons. Let’s discuss the pros and cons of living in a brand new home so you can get a good idea of whether this is the right option for you!

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Con: Getting a Mortgage Can Be Tougher

If you have your heart set on living in a brand new home, you should know that there are stricter limits when it comes to getting a mortgage. Many people find this process much more difficult when living in a brand new home.

Pro: You Get A Guarantee

If you choose to live in a brand new home, it’s likely you’re going to get a 10 year warranty covering structural defects, as well as a potential warranty from the manufacturer. This means you won’t need to worry about anything going wrong. New homes are a good choice for this reason, as this isn’t something you’ll get with an old one. However, it shouldn’t be the only thing you take into account.

Con: Potential Delays

If the home you want is in the process of being built, you need to think about potential delays. Your mortgage offer could expire if something goes wrong and you have to wait for too long!

Pro: More Energy Efficient

Usually, new technology used and included in new home builds mean that they are far more energy efficient than older homes. This is great if you want to save money on bills and be more economical.

Con: Plans And Brochures Can Be Inaccurate

If you only have an image on a plan or brochure, you need to remember that these can be inaccurate. There’s every chance the property won’t look like that once it’s completed!

Pro: Personalization

A new home is like a blank canvas, so you’re free to start personalizing it any way you wish. It can be tough to do this with older homes that people have already lived in sometimes.

Con: Rooms Can Be Smaller

In some cases, rooms in new build homes can be smaller. You’ll need to make sure that you’re going to have enough room to fit all of your belongings and suit a growing family, if that’s what you have.

Pro: Incentives

Depending on where you live, there may be certain incentives for living in a new property. Some people like to build a home themselves from scratch. If this is what you’re looking to do, it can mean having a house that fits your dream specifications perfectly.

Con: Disruption

Bear in mind that you could be living on a building site if you’re the first to move into the new home. This will mean disruption, and your neighborhood won’t look pretty!

Pro: Ease Of Purchase

There’s no upward chain to contend with, so the purchase process should be easier.

What do you think? Is this still something you’re considering? Let us know!

If you live in an old house, you’ll know a lot about the meaning of the word “potential.” Everywhere you look in your home you see the possibility of creating stunning interiors. And yet, despite your efforts, your period property pushes back against you, stopping you from realizing your dreams.

It’s time to put a stop to this tug of war. Here are some ways that you can teach an old house new tricks.

Paint The Cabinets

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If there’s one thing that makes a period kitchen look dilapidated, it’s peeling, aging cabinets. They just look awful. But even if the cabinets aren’t peeling, old wooden facades eventually start looking a little discolored and dirty. It’s only natural. For that reason, renovation specialists like CalRes painting recommend updating your cabinets with a fresh lick of paint. Not only does it bring all your cabinetry in your kitchen up to date, but it actually helps emphasize the original features of the room by helping to draw the eye. Rather than cover up period features, new paint jobs actually help to accentuate them.

Paint Your Backsplash Tiles

If you don’t have any backsplash tiles behind your kitchen sink, it’s time to get some – and make sure they’re in two-tone. Geometric patterns are in vogue right now, especially in older homes. Start by placing regular ceramic tiles behind your sink and then paint them block-diagonally for a modern/retro feel.

Make Your Pantry Into The Space It Was Meant To Be

The home was the place where all meals were eaten and prepared when most period homes were first built. Although today, we go out to fast-food restaurants, grab ready meals from the superstore, and indulge in snacks from the local bakery, in the past, people simply didn’t have the income or the access to do that. Instead, they stored, cooked and ate all their food in the home. As such, many period properties come with large pantries which are impressive by today’s standards.

But there’s a problem. They lack style, and many look downright drab. Try sprucing up your pantry a bit by giving it a bit of a makeover.

Add Wooden Beams To The Ceiling

Despite popular opinion, it’s not true that all old homes have wooden beams running along the ceiling. And that’s a pity: wooden beams help bring a house together and make it feel cozy. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t install some of your own. DIY ceiling beams are not only possible, but also highly do-able, and the end result is stunning.

Scrap Your Brass Doorknobs

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Brass doorknobs were all the rage when most period properties were built. But brass loses a lot of its luster over time – and even if it didn’t, it still wouldn’t be the best choice in the market. Try replacing your boring door knobs with stylish vintage varieties. You can find vintage doorknobs on sale from specialist antique dealers, but it’s best to go to local salvage yards and look for sellers on sites like Etsy.

Dinner parties have seen a resurgence in popularity with the newfound love of all things vintage and retro. The 1970s classic dinner party is making a comeback albeit without the prawn cocktail and the duck a l’orange. Throwing the perfect soiree is an artform and one that is incredibly difficult to get right. There’s nothing better than hosting your friends, cooking up some masterful culinary creations and seeing the satisfied looks on your guests faces as they tuck in. Follow these three easy steps to achieve the ultimate dinner party that your friends will be talking about for months.

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Keep It Simple

Ok, not too simple. A dinner party needs to be more than egg on toast followed by ice cream. Think about the recipes you can cook that are always crowd pleasers. Go for dishes that merge well together as a menu. The thought of a steak tartare, followed by a fillet steak might be beef overload. Consider following a regional menu to tie your dishes together. If you fancy a Mexican fiesta, think about all things tostadas, enchiladas, salsa, guacamole, and tacos.

Don’t be tempted to reinvent the wheel or rather the trifle, and implement your Heston Blumenthal-like skills in the kitchen serving up snail porridge and bacon tuiles. You may be able to cook, but a Michelin starred chef you are not, so don’t be overly ambitious leaving your guests trying out your experimental food when they’d rather be heading down the local takeaway.

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Don’t Forget The Drinks

Try and pair a wine for each stage of your menu. Go for a dry white with your chicken dish and perhaps a fruity Italian masala with your dessert. If your alcohol needs to be served chilled, consider investing in one of the many wine coolers reviewed on http://www.coolingwine.com/. Your guests won’t appreciate a fine Pinot Grigio with their trio of scallops if it’s served at lukewarm temperature.

Ensure there’s plenty of water at the table and allow guests to fill their own glasses. You don’t want any of your attendees to feel like they have to ask for a glass of water and you don’t want to run out of drinks. Ensure that you have plenty, and any corks you don’t pop can be saved for the next dinner party.

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Know Any Allergies

There is nothing worse than serving a satay sauce to one of your friends who has a peanut allergy. Sending any of your guests into an anaphylactic shock isn’t the aim of your evening. Ask about food intolerances before you start constructing your menu and adapt your dishes accordingly using www.foodnetwork.com as a guide. Your guests will appreciate the thought.

As a good host, you need to set the tone for your evening. Try to keep it light and informal with good food and great company. Allow the drink and conversation to flow and encourage people to chat, converse, laugh and joke as they enjoy your dishes. Hopefully, your gathering will be the first of many soirees that will see you become the ultimate dinner party host amongst your friends.

Keeping your home looking its best from the outside is a task which doesn’t have to be too complicated. You want to look around at the other houses in your neighbourhood and see how your house fits in with the style, while at the same time taking some steps so it stands out from the crowd. If you are looking to give your home that extra bit of curb appeal, then you have come to the right place for a few useful hints and tricks.

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Make it Accessible

You want people to be able to easily get to your home from the street, so lead them up to the front door with a garden path that is clearly marked and well-maintained. Ideally, you want it to be at least three feet wide so two people can walk side by side. It can run through the centre of a garden area, and you can have some natural markings like potted plants or hedges.

Keep the Front Door Clear

Make the front door clearly visible by cutting back any trees and plants that are starting to block it from view. If you go for flowers and plants in containers, these are the easiest ones to maintain and move around as you need to. Make your front door clearly stand out by painting it in a bold colour that contrasts with the surrounding greenery.

Create a Cohesive Look

Make sure that all your windows, front door and garage door are all designed in a way that makes them work together in design harmony. Repeating elements helps to create a cohesive look to your home, so you can also match up items such as door knockers, house numbers and letterboxes.

Light the Way Properly

You can help to draw attention to any features that you particularly like with cleverly designed lighting. But don’t forget that your lighting needs to be practical as well as being attractive. So, you could consider motion sensors close to the front door so that you shed some light on visitors from the moment they step in front of it.

Make Your Porch Warm and Welcoming

Rather than just being a place where people wait for you to open the door, your porch could be transformed into an additional seating area where you can watch the world go by. A couple of pieces of weather-resistant furniture can help provide a good starting point. And you can liven up the decor with some nice plants or ornaments.

Keep Everything Neat and Tidy

The final piece of advice is to keep everything looking neat and tidy, so take the time to trim back hedges, mow the lawn and clean your windows. Little and often is the best mantra to follow when you are trying to add more curb appeal.

Creating a beautiful outside to your home makes you feel great every time you get back after a long day, so try out a few of these simple tips to see what a difference they could make.

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Keeping your kitchen up to code can be a task of various challenges, but while we tend to think we’ve got it all under control, there’s always something that seems to slip through our fingers. We may feel that our kitchen preparation methods are perfectly fine, but when we have children in the house, or we are preparing for guests we may think we’re doing everything we can to be safe. But there are many different things to bear in mind to make sure that, not just our food is safe, but that we are keeping ourselves safe in our own kitchen.

Dealing With Raw Food

According to https://www.cdc.gov/, 76 million Americans get sick every year from poor food preparation. It’s something that every food safety expert keeps banging on about, but the fact is that if so many of us get sick every year, there must be something we’re doing wrong. Always make sure that you defrost your food in the refrigerator, in cold water, or by using the correct setting on the microwave. A lot of people leave their food on the character to thaw, but the outer surface of the food may enter a dangerous range of temperature where bacteria can rapidly multiply, and this is between 40 degrees F and 140 degrees F.

Keeping Your Utensils Clean

If not probably looked after, utensils can be prone to various germ-related issues. Keep your utensils clean, make sure that you change your sponge weekly to prevent microbes growing, and also to keep a metal scourer on hand to remove hard and stubborn residue. It’s important to try and have a knife for each type of food, such as one for meats, one for fruits, and one for bread and so on. And if your knives are rusty, they can add impurities to your food. Based on your various food preparation habits, you may want to look at a site like http://www.cutitfine.com/, which gives a detailed breakdown of various kinds of knives, from chef knives to bread knives, all the way through to boning knives. If you look after your utensils, you will prevent them from getting rusty, which is not only unsightly but can give you a nasty cut.

Drying Your Dishes

The next time you put your dishes away after drying them, you might want to check that they are completely dry. If you hold wet dishes, there could be a chance they could get re contaminated, and once they’ve been put away, these bacteria will spread quickly. You may also want to think about how you dry your dishes. If you dry them with a tea towel that’s not completely dry, which we are all guilty of doing, this is how germs can spread. The best way to dry your dishes is to leave them to air dry. But if you do this, make sure that there is enough space between each item.

We all think we have it under control in our own kitchen from making that breakfast in the morning all the way through to the last meal at night, but give these points another thought and see if you can change your cleaning and drying habits for the better.

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Have you got mold growing in your home? This fungus commonly grows inside homes that have damp conditions. Mold spores can be breathed in and cause all manner of respiratory problems such as asthma, as well as causing skin rashes and other allergic reactions in other people.

Mold can be easily cleaned off with a sponge and soapy hot water. However, this won’t stop it coming back. There are lots of ways to prevent mold, largely by preventing dampness in your home. Here are a few prevention measures for those currently dealing with mold indoors.

Ventilate your home

Condensation on windows can encourage mold. Keeping windows open can help to ventilate your home and prevent condensation. Bathrooms can be a common culprit for mold as they often get steamy from the bath and shower, so try to always air these rooms out afterwards by opening the window. Extractor fans can be installed for room without windows or rooms with windows facing onto busy polluted roads.

Fix up all leaks

Leaking water will cause mold growth. Roofs are the most common source of leaks and may require a roof plumber. This could be the result of rainwater getting in or a broken pipe. Occasionally underfloor pipes can cause leaks, in which case there may be unexplained pools of water forming on the floor.

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Buy a dehumidifier

A dehumidifier can suck away the moisture in your home that could be leading to mold. There are plenty of electric dehumidifiers on the market. There are also natural methods worth considering such as beeswax candles and crystal salt lamps for those wanting to save money on their energy bills.

Upgrade your home’s insulation

Condensation is less likely in a warmer home. Various types of insulation such as cavity wall insulation and double glazing are thought to inhibit mold growth. That said, you should refrain from over-insulating your bathroom and kitchen, as this could have an opposite effect as well as stopping other household toxins from escaping such as gas from cooking.   

Let damp objects air

Clothes and towels that are not sufficiently aired can eventually start to grow mold on them. Hang them somewhere so that they aren’t scrunched up and can easily dry. Be wary of hanging clothes on radiators as with some clothes this has been known to start fires.

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Prevent with plants

Many household plants can have natural dehumidifying properties such as peace lily and English Ivy. However, you should watch out for plant soil as this can sometimes be a source of mold, especially if plants are overwatered. Clean out any mold from soil the moment you spot it to prevent it from spreading onto other parts of the room.

Clean out your air con

Mold in an air conditioning unit is never a good sign. This should be cleaned out immediately as mold spores could get pumped around the air and breathed in. Unclean air conditioning units have also been known to cause deadly lung conditions such as Legionnaire’s.