The Shaker of Salt

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If you were to think of the most relaxing room in the house, it would hardly be the kitchen, and it might not even be the bedroom! The bathroom is the place you go to after you’ve had a long, difficult day. But sometimes, our bathroom leaves a lot to be desired. They can be a dull, boring affair. So what’s the solution? Make it a bit more like a spa. What can you do to give it the spa treatment?

Less Is More

As the vast majority of spas implement the “less is more” idea, having a minimalist approach to your bathroom will not just emulate the style of a typical spa, but it will help to free up your bathroom considerably. This is particularly helpful if you don’t have much space!  Remember, although you cannot have it exactly like a spa, you have to play with the space carefully. This means you still got to make allowances for the practical items in your bathroom. This could mean choosing between the tub or shower. But if you go for the shower, you can still make it a luxurious one. With massage shower heads purchased cheaply, it doesn’t take up much space, but in using sliding shower doors, like the ones you can see here at www.capitolglassnyc.com/shower-doors-1, it helps to make your bathroom space more practical. If you struggle to give the impression of space, use a few basic tricks, such as painting your walls with a lighter hue and putting mirrors around to reflect the light back in the space.

Choose Your Light Carefully

Many bathrooms come fitted with harsh bulbs. If you want to soften this sensation, think about installing lights that come with dimmer switches. There are various bathroom lights on sale that are suitable, www.lights4living.com/bathroom-lights/c28 has many in abundance to inspire you. But when you’re looking to create a calming atmosphere, a dimmer switch is a simple and cheap option.

Evoke Warmth

You want to be instantly calm, and this means keeping the room at an optimum temperature. Making sure that it’s not too hot and not too cold can be a fine balance, installing faux wood tile helps to imitate the feeling of wood panels you see in abundance in health spas, but also a heated towel rack doesn’t go amiss.

Add Rejuvenating Smells

Aromatherapy is one of the biggest parts of the spa experience, and this can be easily imitated in your bathroom. Even if you have to shower quickly, you can purchase scented soaps to rejuvenate you, ready for the long day ahead. Or you can drop some jasmine drops into a deep bath, and it will wind you down, ready for sleep. In addition to this, consider adding an oil diffuser to the bathroom, which gives out lovely smells, but is a safer alternative to candles.

It doesn’t have to be a challenge to turn your bathroom into a spa, by adding a few little touches here and there, you can give your bathroom the spa treatment without it costing as much as a spa membership!

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How much thought have you given to your internet provider? Probably not as much as you would to your electricity or gas bill. However, changing your internet provider could offer you multiple benefits from a better connection speed to lower monthly bills. At the very least, doing some research could help you get a better deal with your current provider to minimize disruption to your service.

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Want to save money and boost your connection speed? Take a look at these great tips for changing your internet provider.

Start with a speed test

A speed test is the simplest way to find out what’s going on with your internet. If you’re serious about speeding up WiFi, you need to see what you’re dealing with first. A WiFi speed test can tell you a lot about your current setup, and could even indicate a drastically lower speed than the one you thought you were paying for.

Make a price comparison

It doesn’t hurt to shop around and explore other internet providers. Doing an internet provider comparison can help you see which companies are offering the best deal, and which ones are cheaper than your current price plan. If you’ve been on the same rate for years, you might discover some interesting insights into the current market and what you get for your money.

Haggle with your existing provider

While your research might show that another provider can offer you a better deal, it can be a hassle to move between providers and possibly interrupt your service. Use your research to first haggle with your current provider. They won’t want to lose you as a customer and might even match the other offers you’ve found. Depending on how far you’re into your minimum term contract, you might be able to benefit from the deals that new customers are offered. If you’re serious about saving money on your bills, do what you can to haggle them down on price, and you could land yourself a much better deal.

Don’t be afraid to split your services

It’s common to keep all of your services like your TV, phone and internet to one provider. Often this means one monthly bill and a discount on having a package deal. However, the internet aspect of your deal might not necessarily be the cheapest. It’s worth exploring how much you would save by splitting your services and seeing if you can benefit from different speeds. You might have three separate payments coming out of your account, but that’s a small price to pay in exchange for an overall saving.

A slow internet connection can be frustrating, especially if you want to take advantage of services like Spotify or Netflix online. Do something about it by making sure you get the best speeds for your money, and who knows – you could end up saving some money too. Switching your internet provider is one of those things that you’ll just keep putting off, but making the switch now could help you see some much-needed improvements in your service. Reassess your situation regularly to help ensure you’re always getting the most for your hard-earned dollar.

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Owning a car isn’t the same as having a beat up old bag that you can throw in the back of the closet. You need to take care of it to make sure that it won’t break on you. Apart from saving you a lot of money in the long run, investing into the care of your car can mean that it lasts longer, that it drives better, it takes the stress out of the equation – plus, there are extras that simply look good. You expect a lot from your car – it does countless miles while coping with all terrains and all weather conditions, it deals with family vacations as well as your daily commute – and you can’t expect that to not have an effect on the vehicle. General wear and tear isn’t something you can get around, but preventive measures can be taken to ensure any damage is contained and fixed before it gets out of hand.

You will obviously have insurance for your car, and choosing a premium or higher level policy is a big start on caring for your car and for you as a driver. No matter how much money and effort you put into your car, there will always be idiots out there and accidents waiting to happen, so you need to be prepared for those instances with a high quality insurance. The same can be said of routinely taking your car for it’s MOT – it’s something that you have to do, but also something that can be made less expensive and less stressful by caring for your car year round.

Waterproofing

Your car is waterproof – it wouldn’t make a very good vehicle if it wasn’t. But the undercarriage of your car isn’t, and that does lead your car to be vulnerable to flooding when driving through rainstorms and deep puddles. Paying for a waterproof coating for the underside of your car could save you a lot of money and from breaking down in the rain. It also offers a small level of protection from oil and petrol splatters, as well as mud clinging to the underside of everything.

Window Tinting

Tinting your windows with Fletch Window Tint is mostly a cosmetic luxury. It looks smart and is used in a lot of professional driving companies. But it also has a functional use; for driving companies it allows the passenger a level of ambiguity and privacy. In a family car it can keep the sun off your children’s faces, keeping the car cool and get rid of the need for blinds in your car. It’s also great at dimming those headlights that always seem to be on high beam glaring at you from the car behind. Tinted windows aren’t usually allowed on the front windscreen, driver side and passenger windows, as a safety thing. So double check the legislation in your area before going ahead with it.

Wax

When you take your car to be washed, you’ll see the option for a hot wax treatment – take it. It improves the look of your car by keeping the paint work looking fresh and super shiny. It also reduces water marks from the rain, makes it easier to wipe off dirt, and just looks so good! (It deserved saying twice.)

Services

It’s recommended that you take your car to be serviced raise a year – ideally spaced equally before and after your MOT, or when you have done 12,000 miles. But that doesn’t mean that you are limited to that amount. If you feel like your car needs it – take it for an extra service. You know how your car drives and how it sounds, so if you think something is off, go and have it checked out. And if anything is wrong, then fix it straight away. Sorting out a problem now means that it doesn’t have the chance to turn into a bigger issue which would cost you a lot more money in the long run.

Tires

Cut the year in half and change your tires every six months. It makes sense to change them just before winter, and if you live in a place prone to ice and snow you might want to look into getting snow tires or even snow chains fitted. You can tell when your tires are ready to be changed by how deep the tread is – use this coin trick to help you figure it out. When buying your new tires, stick to a reputable brand, and one that is recommended for your vehicle. Don’t go for second hand – yes they are safe to use, but you end up replacing them twice as fast. Pick a premium brand and invest in some decent tires.

Wipers and lights

Much like your tires, your wipers get worn out throughout the year, and you will need to replace them. Installing new wipers is an easy task you can do for yourself, but most car parts or hardware stores will offer to fit them for you of you’re unsure. The same can be said of light bulbs – although these aren’t as easy to fit by yourself. It’s legal to drive with a busted light, so the moment one dims, or when your check light pops up on your dashboard, replace it. Being preemptive is always better than having to deal with the ticket you will surely get driving around with a broken light.

Tech upgrade

Pretty much all new cars come with Bluetooth speakers and a USB and aux outlet. And most of them also come with a built in Sat Nav. But of your car doesn’t you can invest to have your existing tech upgraded. A lot of old cars can have the radio replaced with a CD player, but for a Bluetooth hook up you will probably have to have it fitted for you as it takes a bit more rewiring than plugging it in. Plus any major reworking can call for a new dashboard altogether as the original might not have been built to support the new tech.

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Everyone knows their favorite alcoholic drinks, but when it comes to choosing beverages to cook with, people tend to be a little lost. When used properly, alcohol bonds with the fat and water molecules in food to help carry the aromas and flavours. So, if you feel out your depth when choosing cooking alcohol, this handy guide is here to give you a helping hand.

Choose Your Alcohol

You can more or less use any alcohol that you would normally drink to cook with, from red wine to Fireball Whisky. However, there is no point going for the very expensive wine as the subtle flavors and nuances will be lost once you add it to your meals.

Allow it to Sink in

Alcohol tends to be especially good when you are cooking meat, as it tends to complement your dish without totally overpowering the flavor. Start off with just a small amount in your marinade as too much can negatively affect the texture of your dish. As a general rule of thumb, darker alcohols such as stout tend to pair well with darker meats such as beef. On the flip side, lighter drinks such as tequila and white wine are better with white meats like chicken or seafood.

Substitute it for Water

While you can’t always substitute alcohol for water when you are cooking, if your meal is looking a little dry, you can add a dash of beer or wine from time to time. If you are poaching fruit, this technique works particularly well as the wine is helping to amplify the sweetness that is naturally found within. If you have some overripe fruit and sugary wine, combine the two and you can make the best of these two things.

Focus on Flavor

If you have some basic ingredients that would otherwise be a little dull such as a chicken breast, try making a pan sauce to improve what would usually be a tasteless dish. Once you have cooked the meat and removed it from the pan, add in some wine or beer and dislodge the bits at the bottom to create a sauce that offers both texture and flavor.

Finish with an Alcoholic Dessert

There are plenty of dessert dishes which are improved immeasurably by a dash of alcohol. Remember not to add too much booze to your rum caramel sauce, bourbon chocolate cupcakes, or sangria sorbet as you don’t want to overpower the taste with alcohol. Essentially, it takes a bit of experimentation until you stumble upon the right combination of ingredients.

So, if you have never really cooked the alcohol before, now is the time to experiment a bit more in the kitchen. Over time, you will naturally start to become more confident and you may even begin fusing flavors that you would never have thought of before. Start off with beer and wine and see where the inspiration takes you.  

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It is always good to encourage your children to take up a sport in their formative years, but only if it is done in the right ways and for the right reasons.

Here are a few ways you can make it a positive experience for them.

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Question your reasons for getting your children involved in sports

First of all, you must question your own reasons for wanting to get your children involved in a sport before you push them into it. And, you must do so for one very important reason: because it can shape them and have a very direct and active impact on the person they will become.

Specifically, when questioning your own reasons for getting your children involved with sports, you should make sure there is no selfishness occurring. First and foremost, you must make sure you are not pushing your children to any old sport or form of physical activity for your own benefit, such as a certain Charlie Harper once did. Second of all, you must ensure that you will be able to cater to your children’s desires to carry on with the sport should they wish to continue with it in the future, which could mean devoting your weekends to ferrying them about and taking them to and from games for years to come.

Make sure you’re pushing your children in the right sporting direction

After you’ve questioned your reasons for pushing your children into sports, you have to consider just how they are best going to achieve what you want them to achieve. If you want your children to simply learn how to work in a team, for instance, then you should get them involved with a team sport. Or, if you want them to learn actually how to play a sport, then you need to get them involved with that sport rather than just subjecting them to the fanfare of it.

This can be exemplified in the molding of young soccer players, particularly in Spain. The changes in the Spanish methodology when it comes to teaching soccer to youngsters in recent times has seen the country go from a lowly Group Stage performance in the 1998 FIFA World Cup, to them winning the whole tournament just 12 years later in 2010. So, by enlisting your children on a soccer program that embraces this Spanish methodology, which includes the likes of Escola, a program that consists of four training stages according to age, and Tecnificacio, a supplementary program designed to improve skill and technique, your children would learn what they absolutely need to be learning in their very young soccer adventure, and the results just 12 to 15 years later could be all the proof you need to show that you made the right decision. So, make that right decision now by not getting your children involved in a soccer team where they will learn nothing more than how to kick a ball and how to be competitive — instead, get them involved in one that will actually help them to learn and grow and hone their craft, such as that that is offered by the FCB Canada soccer academy. As stated, the results in the future will show you made the right decision.

Sports can be very beneficial for children, but only when children are subjected to them in all the right ways. But, do not worry, because by taking heed of the advice above, you’d be well on your way to doing just that.

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If you have spent any time watching the news or flicking through a newspaper lately, you will have no doubt seen and heard that we are currently in the midst of a housing crisis. Not enough new homes are being built around the country to keep up with the demands of those who want to buy a new home. As a result, more people are staying in the rental market. As it currently stands, this isn’t a particularly stable position to be in, financially speaking, as it means that few people are now investing their hard-earned cash in property for the future.

But there is one option that you still have to get a home of your own – you could always build your own! Lots of people are now embarking on self-build projects in order to get their foot on the first rung of the property ladder. In fact, there might be more people self-building than what you realize. That’s because you don’t need any experience of building to work on your own home as you can outsource most of the construction work.

Do you think that self-building a home is the way forward for you and your family? If so, you should read on and find out all of the following great tips that will help you build your way to your ideal home.

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Make Sure Your Whole Family Are Onboard

First of all, you need to make sure that your whole family are onboard with the idea of building a new home. This is especially important for you and your partner. If one of you is not entirely sure about the project, then it’s a good idea to either sideline it for a few months or a couple of years until you are both completely behind it. You might just need to have a few honest and frank discussions in order to bring them round to the idea. You certainly shouldn’t go ahead with building your own home if your relationship is currently strained as it is. Building a house together and managing the whole project will be exceptionally stressful, and you might find that this adds to the strain of your relationship. You might not come out the other side in one piece!

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You Still Need A Mortgage

Do you have any idea how you will pay for the self-build project? Even though building your very own home often works out slightly cheaper than buying one, you will still need quite a bit of cash behind you to fund the whole project. If you have enough savings in the bank, then you should be able to support your project with this money. However, if not, you will need to go to the bank and take out a mortgage. There are now many different mortgages available for those who wish to build their own home. These are often different to a mortgage for buying a house as you will be paid the money in a few different installments. These are often agreed to when you arrange the mortgage. Before any bank manager agrees to give you a mortgage, you will have to show them your building plans and any blueprints that have been drawn up. You should also have a rough time scale outlined for the project so that you can give the bank manager an idea of how long it should take you.

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Your Plot Won’t Be Perfect

Next, it’s time to find a plot of land to build on if you don’t already have one. It’s always a good idea to spend plenty of time viewing a few different plots to find the one that is best for you and your new home. Things to consider include the location, quality of the land, and how easy it will be to get the construction trucks and lorries onto the plot. There is a good chance that not one plot you will see will tick all the boxes on your list. But this is very normal. In fact, you shouldn’t go out expecting to find the most perfect plot of land for your new home. That rarely happens. Rather than letting a plot’s disadvantages put you off, you should instead figure out how you can turn them into advantages by changing and altering the design or layout of your home. By working with the plot in mind in this way, you will find that you can create a house that seamlessly slots into the plot you have chosen.

Set Your Budget Early

Once you have organized all of the finance that you will need for your project, you will then need to come up with a budget so that you can effectively manage your money throughout the whole project. This will prevent you from overspending early on and ending up using too many of your savings or running up a debt. Once you have created your budget, you need to try and stick religiously to it as much as possible. It’s also a good idea to let your contractors and building workers know what your budget is from the outset. Tell them that you are unable to go over it. That way, they will have a good idea of how much you are able to pay them for the whole project and how much you have to spend on materials and equipment. If you don’t tell them, they might end up overspending on your behalf.

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Work Your Design Around The Plot

Now that you have your plot of land all sorted and you know exactly what your budget is going to be, you can start to design your new home. But before you do, it’s important to remember that you should always work your design around the plot of your house. Whatever you do, don’t create a house design and plan without taking into account the plot. Otherwise, you might find that the home doesn’t fit well into the plot of land. This could cause numerous issues for the construction workers. Not only that, though, but if your home does fit into the plot it might not look entirely right.

Submit Planning Permission

Once you have decided on a final design for your home and are happy with how it will fit into your plot of land, you then need to submit these plans to your local planning office. This is a legal requirement for all build projects – before you begin any work at all, you need to gain the right planning permissions. Once you submit your plans, the building regulators will take a look to ensure that it meets all of the necessary requirements for buildings in the area. Plus, it needs to pass various health and safety regulations. Once your plans get passed, you can start to get to work on the project. However, if your plans fail to meet the various requirements, you will need to tweak and change them until they do get passed. There might be some instances, though, where no amount of changing will help your plans get passed. In this case, you simply won’t be allowed to build your house so will need to go back to the drawing board and think about your other options.

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Chat To Contractors About Potential Issues

Once you have hired some contractors to help you get your project done, it’s worth talking to them about any potential problems that they think the project might run into. That way, you can consider your options to resolve these problems before they occur. For instance your builders might think that the type of land they are building on could cause structural issues further down the line. Soft ground could lead to foundation repair being required in the distant future, for example. Thankfully, though, if the builders anticipate these problems now while they build the house, they should be able to consider various ways to improve the structure and to bring the risk of these issues down to a minimum.

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Keep Your Neighbors Happy

When the building does begin, it will be necessary to try and keep your neighbors as happy as possible. After all, you will have to live with them on either side of your house once your new home has been built. If they were angry with how your self-build project was carried out so close to their home, then they could stay annoyed with you for a few years to come! There are a few things you can do to help keep the neighbors on your side. For instance, you need to let them know in advance that there will be lots of building and construction work taking place. It’s also a good idea to try and warn your builders to keep noise and other disruptions down to a minimum as much as possible.

Still think that building your own home could be something for you and your family? Hopefully, all of the above tips will help you create your perfect family home!

Good luck with it all!

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After you have had a baby, going back to work can be very difficult. You are likely to have a mix of emotions running through your mind. You may be worried about getting back into your daily working life after numerous months at home. You may be also feeling guilty about leaving your baby (you shouldn’t by the way!). You may even be wondering whether your job is right for you. No matter where your mind is right now, read on to discover some tips on getting back to work after giving birth.

Meet with your boss

 It is a good idea to schedule a quick meeting with your boss not in the office. This will help you to ease back into going back to work. It lightens the mood and you will get a feel for what the office is like (probably exactly the same) and the sort of tasks that you will be working on. It will make you feel much more comfortable, and any anxiety you had will drift away.

Remember that flexibility works both ways

 If you want your boss to be flexible with regards to your working hours, then you are going to need to be flexible too. You should put in a bit of extra effort whenever you can to show your boss how dedicated you are, and that you appreciate they are being adaptable to your new life.

Use your new skills to your advantage

 You will have picked up new skills by giving birth. This includes time management skills and multitasking skills. Use this to your advantage. Being a new parent is a benefit, not a disadvantage.

Think about what you really want

 Do you want to go back to the job you had before? Perhaps you want a change of career? Nowadays, you can enhance your skills online, meaning a new career path doesn’t need to be as difficult as it once was. You can take a Supply Chain Management masters online, you can do a course in Engineering… the sky is your limit. Perhaps you want to work from home? If this is not possible with your current job, look into the possibility of freelancing.

Stock up on healthy snacks

 No matter whether you go back to your new job or you start working somewhere else, healthy snacks are a must. It is easy to forget to eat healthy snacks regularly when you get back into the daily grind. However, this often means turning to the vending machine, which isn’t the best fuel for your body when you are nursing, and it won’t make you feel great about yourself either.

As you can see, there is a lot to take into account when going back to work after giving birth. However, there is no right or wrong regarding how to approach this part of your life. It is all about finding what works for you.

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Whether you’re a parent, an aunt or uncle or a godparent, it goes without saying that you want to buy brilliant gifts when it’s time for the little ones in your life to celebrate major landmarks and special occasions. Shopping is an idyllic way to spend time for some people, but for others, it can be a nightmare. If you’re short on ideas or you just don’t know what kids are into these days, you’ve come to the right place. From tots to teens, we’ve got you covered! Here are some incredible ideas to make shopping a doddle.

Newborns

There are few things more exciting in life than welcoming a new baby into the family or friendship circle. If you’ve recently given birth or your sister, best friend or cousin has joined the parent club, it’s natural to want to mark the occasion with a present for the new addition. When you’re buying for newborns, there are lots of different routes you can take. You could opt for a practical gift and help the parents out with stocking up on essentials or putting money towards more expensive items like a changing unit or a car seat. You could choose a gift that they’ll be able to keep forever, such as personalized print for the nursery with their birth date, full name and weight, a teddy bear or a wooden train with carriages emblazoned with the letters of their name. Or you could go for something they’ll be able to use straight away like a blanket, a soother or a super cute outfit. Another option, which is really thoughtful, is a baby book you can fill up as the little bundle grows or a video diary. If you capture footage day by day, you could edit it and add music and then give it to the parents as a gift to keep for when their newborn is old enough to appreciate it.

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First birthday gifts

A baby’s first birthday is a major milestone, and it’s definitely worth celebrating. At this age, children are really starting to interact, they’re interested in the environment around them, and they’re also starting to move. If you’re buying for a 1-year old, toys that enable them to learn while they play and embark on new adventures are a fantastic idea. You could buy a fun walking aid to encourage them to take those first steps or a new ride-on toy such as a car or a rocking horse. Books are also a fabulous idea for young children. You can choose from classic titles and collections like Winnie the Pooh or Dr Seuss or opt for educational books that will help the child learn all about colors, shapes and animals. For a first birthday, you may also consider gifts that will stand the test of time, such as a money bank, a piece of jewellery or a personalized rocking chair.

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Pre-school

By the time kids reach the age of 3 or 4 years old, they usually have a range of interests, and this is great news for gift buying. Use the child’s passions and hobbies to shape your search. Do they love animals or are they mad about dolls and princesses? Do they enjoy arts and crafts or are they always reading, doing puzzles or playing out in the yard? There’s a huge range of toys to choose from, and you’re bound to find something that appeals to the child you’re buying for. Take a look at fun games you can play outside, craft and jewelry making kits, stuffed toys and accessories for dolls or opt for books that match their interests.

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Pre-teens

As children get older, they’ll often give you a list of ideas when it comes to birthdays and Christmas. This can be very useful, but if you’re keen to think outside the box, there are some excellent products out there. Personalized gifts are always a great option, as you can guarantee that you won’t buy the same as anyone else and adding that extra touch makes your gift more thoughtful. Consider a customized hoodie or sweater for a fashion-conscious 10-year old or a personalized apron for a budding young baker, for example. If the child has hobbies, this should give you ideas. If you’ve got a sports lover in the family, you could order a new football shirt, buy a new baseball bat or go all-out and design some custom sneakers.

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Teens

Teenagers will often ask for money, and they always seem to be saving up for something. In this day and age, this often means putting money aside for the latest phone or games console. If you want to embrace technological trends and invest in these gifts, that’s fine, but if you’d rather not put cash in cards, there are other options to explore. If you’ve got a teen interested in fashion, you could buy a new item of clothing, a bag or even some vouchers and treat them to a mini shopping spree. If you can’t think of material items, experiences are an excellent alternative. If you’ve got an aspiring scientist or artist, you could organize a day out at a museum or visit a gallery. If you’ve got an animal lover, you could go to the zoo. If you’re buying for a sports fan, you could book tickets for a game. Experiences create memories that last a long time, and they also give you a chance to spend time together.

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Are you on a gift buying mission for your child, your niece or nephew, a cousin or your best friend’s children? Shopping for presents for children can be tough, but there are ways of making life easier. When you’re buying for small children, you can either look for clothing, toys or accessories they’ll use at the time or invest in something for the future, which maybe has sentimental value. As kids get older, use their interests and hobbies to find gifts they’ll love. Go for fun, interactive toys and games for inquisitive toddlers and consider personalized items and experiences for older children and teens.

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Once your elderly parents reach a certain age, you will need to decide what is best for them, their health, and their safety. After all, they might get to the point where they are too sick or frail to look after themselves in their own home. You have two main choices: find a retirement home for them to move into or get them to live with you and your family. As the former option can work out quite expensive, many people are now moving their elderly parents in with them.

If you decide to get your parents to live with you, there are a few home adaptations and changes you might need to make. Read on to find out more!

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A Stairlift

If your parents have some mobility problems or they just find it difficult to manage stairs now, it’s a good idea to get a stairlift installed into your home. Alternatively, you might want to consider Lift Works home lift installation services and think about adding a lift to your property. That way, your elderly parents won’t have to struggle too much getting about your house. These adaptations can be quite expensive, so it’s worth trying to find some financing to fund them. If your parents are over a certain age or you are their full-time carer, you might be able to apply for some benefits to fund the changes to your home.

Declutter

Once your parents move in with you, you can’t risk your home being untidy and messy anymore. That’s not because they might scold you for it – in fact, there is a more practical reason! It’s because all that clutter laid around will cause hazards for them, and your parents might trip over things that are left on the floor. This could be especially the case if they suffer from mobility issues or have weak eyesight.

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Make Wider Walkways

It’s also important to take a look at the walkways throughout your home. These include the ones that link your rooms as well as the ones in each room. For instance, do you think your parents will be able to easily walk around in your living room? You might need to make the walkways wider so that they can maneuver easily, especially if they use a walking stick or a wheelchair. You might also want to ensure that the floors provide plenty of grip, so that your elderly parents don’t slip over often.

Add Some Handrails

If your elderly parents really struggle with mobility, it’s a good idea to add some handrails to the interior walls and staircases in your home. Then they have something to grab onto as they move around the house. You should also add them close to your main entrance, especially if there is a step up into the house. This then makes your home a lot more accessible. If your parents use wheelchairs, it could also be necessary to replace your front doorstep with a ramp.

Best of luck living with your parents!

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We want to protect our children through as much of life’s hard edges as we can. We don’t want them to get hurt. However, they are going to face difficulty in the world, including unfairness. Some families are facing the unfairness of having a loved one battling dementia or Alzheimer’s, often a grandmother or grandfather. If you’re living with that difficulty, how do you make sure your children are equipped to handle it as healthily as possible?

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Don’t try to hide it from them

You may have the notion to keep your children unaware of their grandparent’s condition. Indeed, if they’re young enough, they might not understand even if you could explain it. However, if they are old enough to understand changes in behavior, it’s better to let them know now. For teenagers or older children, you should talk to them in the clearest terms about what is happening. In time, the changes in their grandparent’s behavior are likely to become all the clearer. It can be more painful to deal with those changes on the fly as opposed to having some minor warning, at least. What’s more, if they’re old enough to start suspecting things on their own, they may instead feel resentment or distrust towards you if they perceived you hid it. Learn to talk about Alzheimer’s and dementia with your kids to help them cope with the changes as they happen.

Get help when you need it

Dementia and Alzheimer’s don’t just affect the person living with the condition. It affects the whole family. This is especially true if you live with the grandparent or question or spend a lot of time caring for them. Stress can manifest in your own behavior and in the family if you are stretching yourself too thin. Finding help through dementia care services, whether it’s a facility or a caregiver, can take a lot of the strain off the family. Otherwise, your children will be impacted not just by their grandparent’s illness, but the changes in your behavior.

Remember how important it is to be family together

Cognitive decline may start to change the nature of your children’s relationship with their grandparent. But the relationship should never be defined by the disease alone. Visits for the sake of visiting, not just checking up on them or providing care, but spending family time together, are important. Social activity has been shown to have positive effects in fighting the symptoms of dementia, after all. It’s important to spend time with your kids as they cope with the difficulties ahead, too. You might be able to catch the warning signs of troubling behavior and help them learn how to cope with it healthily. Otherwise, some of the longest term impacts can catch you off-guard.

With dementia and Alzheimer’s, there is no easy way to face it. However, we can find the positive and focus on it, and make sure that we survive it as a family. To do that, you have to be frank with yourself, your children, and the reality of their grandparent’s situation.