Category: How To

Categories
Adulting Home How To Life Parenting

Easy Stress-Busting Tips Every Work From Home Mom Needs Now

work from home mom, tips for working from home with kids, work from home with kids, virtual learning and working from home, how to work from home when you have kids

Being a work from home mom may sound like the ideal solution to earn money while raising your kids. However, as any work from home mom will tell you, it is not always as idyllic as it sounds.

Image Pexels CC0 License

While working from home does allow you to enjoy flexibility in your day, it can leave you feeling like you are trying to do everything at once. You may feel as though you are not giving either your home life or work life your full attention. This can leave you feeling stressed out and emotional.

To make working from home efficient for you and your family, you need to find a way to ease the stress and strike a better balance in your life. If you are wondering how you can enjoy the benefits of working from home while minimizing stress, you should find these tips helpful.

How a Work From Home Mom Can Make It Work

Perfect Your Workspace

Perfecting your workspace is an essential ingredient for working from home successfully. If your work setup is not suited to your needs, you will feel uncomfortable, and it will be impossible to be productive. 

If you can, try to create an area of your home that is dedicated to work, so that you can give your job your full attention.

This space should be as quiet as possible and away from the constant interruptions of your kids. If that isn’t possible, simply make sure your workspace is efficiently setup and allows you to develop a nice work flow.

Use headphones to minimize the sounds around you, or learn to tune them out when necessary. Plus, make sure your kids don’t mess with your setup or touch any of your work supplies.

Take Regular Breaks

While it may seem like a good idea to just plow through your work and get everything done as fast as you can, this is not necessarily going to make you more productive. Failing to take regular breaks can make you less productive rather than more. So, you may find that you are putting in lots of hours but not making as much progress as you would like to.

When you take a break, you are allowing yourself to clear your mind and then return to your task with a fresh outlook. This can be hugely beneficial, especially on more taxing tasks.

Plus, by taking regular breaks, you will find comfort knowing your kids don’t need anything right then. This will help you focus on your work rather than wondering what your kids are doing or if they need help.

Minimize Distractions

When you work from home, distractions are everywhere. It is so tempting to get sucked into chores when you are supposed to be working. When you have kids at home with you during the day, it can be even harder to resist this temptation. If you have five loads of laundry waiting to be washed, dried, and ironed, you may be tempted to crack on with this before you get started on your work.

However, once you start on your chores, you may find it difficult to slip back into a ‘work mindset’ and focus on your job. Wherever possible, try to ignore the laundry basket calling to you and, instead, use your work time just for work.

This will likely mean setting up your work from home space in an area where you can’t see the chores that need to be done. Then, you won’t think about them as often which will make them easier to ignore.

Don’t Be Afraid to Use Childcare

Being distracted when you are trying to concentrate is hugely frustrating. Even simple tasks can take ages to complete when you are repeatedly distracted.

With little ones at home, the chances of being distracted when trying to work are pretty high. You may find yourself struggling to get any work completed at all while the little ones are running around asking for snacks.

Using childcare may seem to go against the reasons why you chose to take a work from home job. However, there will be times when using a preschool daycare provider is a necessity. This doesn’t mean you have to use the service often, but it will be nice to know that you have the option.

Having a childcare provider on standby for when you need them is a wise idea. You can turn to this option for those times when you need to attend an important Zoom call or if you have a deadline fast approaching. There is nothing wrong with seeking childcare help when you need it.

Of course, with Covid-19 changing things constantly, it is important that you select a daycare that is staying open during these challenging times. If your children are grade-school age, many daycares are helping students complete their virtual school work, too.

Set Up a Work Space For Your Kids

If you find that your kids want to be right next to you all day, then make that work for you. Teach them how to be quiet while you are working, and teach them to work, too. Set up a space close to you that they can use as their dedicated work space.

Include a surface big enough for activities, a comfortable chair, and any supplies they may need. This includes pencils, crayons, markers, paper, etc. I did this for my daughter, and I included this awesome Lego desk organizer. She was so excited to build her own, and she uses it nearly every day as I work.

They will love sitting next to you as they work, and you can teach them some good habits along the way. With virtual learning being the norm right now, this can be a great option.

This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.

Stick to Regular Hours

When working from home, it can be hard to create a separation between being an employee and being a mom. With no physical barrier between your working life and your home life, you can unintentionally merge the two. You might find yourself working at all times of the day and night to keep on top of things. 

Creating the separation between your career and your personal life is essential, however. It is much easier to achieve if you stick to regular working hours. Setting a boundary and working only until a specific time means that once your time is up, you can stop thinking about work and focus on your family.

Learn to Switch Off

Switching off is something that many people find hard to do. It is essential, however, if you want to reduce the stress of being a work from home mom. Giving each aspect of your life your full attention and focusing on one task at a time is the best way to do this. It should help your stress levels to drop dramatically.

This doesn’t mean to only learn to switch off “work mode”, either. During important work times, you have to learn to switch off “home mode” or “parenting mode”, too. If you find that you can’t do this with your kids in the house, this is when you should highly consider childcare a couple of times a week.

work from home mom, tips for working from home with kids, work from home with kids, virtual learning and working from home, how to work from home when you have kids

Finding the work/home life balance is incredibly hard for parents. Now that being a work from home mom is becoming more normal, it is even more difficult. It is SO hard for moms to switch off “home mode” or “parenting mode”, even when their job is incredibly important to them.

Keep in mind that being a work from home mom won’t become easier overnight. As you work on these tips, it will take time to find the routine that works for you.

These tips for work at home moms will help, however, and they will get you started on a stress-free situation. Are you a work from home mom, and when did you become one? If you have any additional tips to add, leave a comment and let me know!

Categories
Adulting How To Learning Life

Standing Up For Yourself In Life Is An Important Skill

standing up for yourself, stand up for yourself, important life lessons, self care, self-care

There are many life lessons we are taught as we grow up, such as standing up for yourself. Sometimes these life lessons are learned through direct tuition and mentorship, and some through life experience.

Of course, some lessons don’t immediately stick, and it might take several failures or obstacles for us to truly get the point. Also, it’s no great failing in a human being to make mistakes – we all do, and we all do until our old age.

standing up for yourself, stand up for yourself, important life lessons, self care, self-care
Source

That being said, sometimes life lessons are worth considering, especially if they seem universal and you have yet to fully practice them. Not everyone learns how to stand up for themselves in life, because not everyone has a strong character from the offset.

Even those with meek dispositions can benefit from learning how to defend themselves, however. Thanks to the way modern society is set up, we don’t have to play by barbarian rules to do so.

But how can you exercise your self-defense in life, in a range of different areas? In this guide, you will get a primer on how to behave this way in three different life scenarios. This advice could help you if going through a difficult patch.

How to Work on Standing Up For Yourself

Know Your Legal Rights

Knowing your legal rights is the first step in the process, and it’s surely one of the most important steps. It’s important to know if you’re acting within legal guidelines in many respects.

For instance, knowing consumer law can help you more accurately complain if your consumer rights are being abused. It may help you assign a personal injury lawyer to a case if neglected at work. If ever in doubt, be sure to research online what possible precedents you can use in your favor.

standing up for yourself, stand up for yourself, important life lessons, self care, self-care

There’s No Need To ‘Accept’

Remember that in life, there’s no need to give in to someone unless you have previously accepted their authority (such as in a work setting), or unless they have the law on their side. This can be important to know if someone oversteps and expects you to be okay with that.

You may encounter this situation if someone takes your table reservations without asking, gives you less than what you paid for, or simply wishes to treat you harshly. This can be important to know, because when you don’t immediately feel as though you have to accept this treatment, you can actively defend against it.

Don’t Set A Precedent

The worst thing you can do is allow for a precedent to be set. It might be that someone in your office made a comment to humiliate you, and instead of addressing it, you smiled and took it.

This means that next time, it will happen again. It doesn’t mean you have to cause conflict with people every single time they do something you don’t like. Causing conflict each time may only cause more difficulty.

Sometimes, however, shutting things down as soon as they appear can show people you’re not that kind of person and that you won’t tolerate that type of behavior.

standing up for yourself, stand up for yourself, important life lessons, self care, self-care
Source

It is clear that standing up for yourself is an important life skill. If you don’t do it, people will walk all over you and treat you badly. They’ll say hurtful things, inconvenience you, and take advantage of you.

Use these tips to get ahead of the problem. Standing up for yourself will change your life for the better.

Categories
Adulting For the Home How To Organization

Organization Tips You Can Learn From The Home Edit

the home edit, tips to learn from the home edit, home organization

If you have already watched The Home Edit, chances are you have made some changes within your home. There are some incredible organization tips that you can get from watching this show. The color-coordinated plastic containers that are carefully labeled, for example, can make your life much more organized.

You can test these organization tips on your messy drawer, a cupboard, or even your closet. Any room or area of your home could benefit from these organization tips.

the home edit, tips to learn from the home edit, home organization
Photo from Unsplash

Organization Tips Based On The Home Edit

Follow The Home Edit on Instagram

The first tip is to follow The Home Edit on Instagram, as this can be a constant source of inspiration for you. They post often and the images are so meticulous that it will make you want to get up and start organizing.

It Will Get Messier Before It Gets Better

One thing to remember is that you are most likely going to make a big mess before you have everything organized. It is essential that you don’t get overwhelmed by the chaos and that you push through this part of the organization process.

You should take everything out of your cupboard, your messy drawer, or your wardrobe first. This will give you insight into what you have, what you use, and any junk you are storing.

As it does get quite messy, you might choose to do multiple projects at once. For example, you might want to replace your kitchen windows as you reorganize the entire room. When everything is going back into your new cupboards or along your new window sills, it can feel more organized and more beautiful almost immediately. The new windows will add an extreme change that will help you enjoy your newly organized space.

You can click here to read more about Pinehurst Windows. In the meantime, you can also check out Pinterest for some great kitchen cupboard design ideas. Find ideas that you can do relatively quickly from home and on a budget. 

Declutter 

As you move through the process, it is a good idea to declutter as you go. If you see things that you don’t use or need, this is the perfect opportunity to sort them into piles to get rid of. 

Have a pile of things that are in good working order and can be donated or sold. Plus, you should have a pile of things that are more likely to go into the trash. 

It is essential to approach this with recycling, reusing, and selling mentality. Where something can be recycled, you must try to do so.

Always Use Containers 

Plastic container sales have increased incredibly during 2020. And most likely will continue to do so. These are the easiest way to sort things into easy to reach categories. For example, if you are cleaning out your food cupboard, you can label a clear plastic box with the word tins and place tins inside it. 

You can take this one step further and separate your tins into categories too. You can have soup cans, vegetable cans, and sauce cans. Buy as many containers as you need, plus a few extra, just in case.

You can use this method for any room in the house. I have done it with the kids’ toys and noticed a huge difference immediately. When everything has a home, it tends to get put away more often than before.

Set Up Stations

If you drink a lot of coffee, it makes sense to have an area set up just for coffee. Make sure you set this station up somewhere easily accessible since you will use it often.

Put all things you will need (or will potentially need) for making and preparing coffee at the station in bins. This will make the things you need easy to find, and you will be more likely to use them this way.

Stations also work wonders for specific periods during the year. For example, during the month of December, you might create a hot chocolate station and have everything you need to make delicious hot chocolate placed in a basket. In the fall you might choose to add some pumpkin spice syrup or other delicious things to your drinks, and this can all be placed in an easy to find container.

This also works for things like Easter, snack nights, game nights, or crafting. Whatever you feel needs to be organized, get a container for it.

Label Everything

Labels will be the saviors of your organization. They will allow you to quickly find what you need. Plus, even better, it will be easier to put things away since everyone will know where it belongs.

When you label something and always put it back in the same space, it makes it quick and straightforward to grab things. There will be no searching around or opening 10 different boxes.

Group Similar items

In the case of a messy drawer, you should try and sort similar things. If your messy drawer is mostly filled with utensils but has some ‘other’ items in it, then try to eliminate the ‘other’ items. Keep only utensils in that drawer. 

The same goes for any other items, too. By grouping similar items together and eliminating other items, your home will be significiantly more organized. This means there is always a single logical place for you to find what you need.

Make it Functional 

Although it is essential to have a space that you find beautiful, ensuring that everything in a specific area is logical can be more critical. 

You might want to have all your shelves looking lovely, but they still should have the items you need to use regularly.

But for example, if you spend a lot of time in the kitchen, it always pays to make sure that your kitchen is well organized. This can make cooking an absolute pleasure. 

Don’t worry if some areas just look more aesthetically pleasing than others. The whole point of the exercise is to make sure that everything is just well organized. With organization, the aesthetics will quickly and surely follow.

the home edit, tips to learn from the home edit, home organization

The Home Edit is one of my favorite TV shows. I learn so many organization tips from them, and I am continually inspired to re-organize my home. As I do one room at a time (hey, I have kids, I can’t do it all at once LOL), I notice an immediate difference. I hope these tips work just as well for you as they have for me! If you have any other tips, leave a comment and let me know!

Categories
For the Home How To Parenting

Fun Ideas to Create a Perfect Playroom

Create a Perfect Playroom, playroom for kids, tips for a playroom #perfectplayroom #playroom #kidsplayroom #kids #tips #parenting

Creating a playroom for your little ones is such a good idea if you have space for one. It means that the toys are all going to be kept in one space, which can be really helpful for tidying purposes. Luckily, there are many fun ideas to create a perfect playroom.

Having all things in one place can make such a difference, and then at the end of the day, you can close the door on it all. But what are the best design ideas that you need to have in a playroom to make it best suit the needs of the room? Having it perfectly set up for children in a comfortable and clean space makes such a difference. 

Create a Perfect Playroom
image

How to Create a Perfect Playroom

Include Bright Colors

You want to have a playroom that your children are going to love, and bright colors can really make a difference. If the playroom is bland and dull, then it can be a little unappealing to kids. When you are planning out your playroom, remember that it will look much better with bright colors. It can be appealing to babies, as well as toddlers and older children, so don’t be shy when it comes to the decor in the room.

If you want to keep the walls fairly neutral, then you could think about an area of the room becoming a mural. Or, perhaps you could decorate with wall decals with characters or animals that your children love. This can be a good option as they can be removed and changed as your children grow and their tastes change.

Consider Chalkboard Walls

One of the things that we often tell children to not do is color and draw on the walls. But in a playroom, there are no rules, right? It is a good idea to have something like a chalkboard wall so that your children can draw and create to their heart’s content. You could have a chalkboard installed on an existing wall, or you could use chalkboard paint.

Install Soft Flooring

Having a space that is comfortable for the children in the playroom will make it a much better experience for them. Of course, you need to think about the practicality of the flooring in the room, as making something easy to clean is a good idea. However, you need to make sure that the flooring you choose is soft underfoot too. Wooden floors with rugs or mats can work, or you could think about carpet. If you choose carpet, then just make sure that you think about getting regular carpet cleaning, so that it is all safe and clean for your little ones. Dark colors can all make a difference too, and can hide a multitude of stains.

Plan For Toy Storage

When you think about the design of your playroom, storage for toys is a must. There are a range of things to choose from, but it can make a difference to have some toy storage with cubbies. This means that the children can reach the toys themselves, but there are places to put them away at the end of the day, and it can look neat and tidy. Toy cubbies can be organized too, and you could add labels on the cubbies if you want to keep things extra organized.

Add a Creative Area

Although the playroom can be for toys and play, it can be such a good addition to have a creative area in the playroom too. Having a table and chairs for children to play at, draw, and create can be a really good idea. When paper and pens are easy in reach, then it can be really simple and help little ones to get creative all by themselves. You could even think about something like an easel for them to stand and paint at; so much fun! 

It can also be a cute idea to have some displays for their artwork. It could be a magnetic board to pin things too, or some string with pegs to clip work to. A really nice addition and a way to make the space really fun and comfortable for your little ones.

Create a Perfect Playroom, playroom for kids, tips for a playroom #perfectplayroom #playroom #kidsplayroom #kids #tips #parenting

Do you have any other ideas for a perfect playroom that you would love to use? Think about your children when you plan the design, as well as practicality and comfort in mind, and you won’t be going too far wrong. It would be great to hear what you think and what ideas you would love to have in a playroom in your home. Leave a comment and let me know!

Categories
Adulting For the Home How To Parenting

5 Tips To Keep Your Home Clean With Young Children

keep your home clean, clean home, keep home clean with kids

Keeping your home clean can be a lot more challenging when you have young children. Your way of life can completely change when you are responsible for someone other than yourself. Cleaning the home can often be a struggle or something that ends up further down the list. However, it’s still important that you’re taking good care of your home. Luckily, there are ways to keep your home clean with young children.

keep your home clean
Image Source

How to Keep Your Home Clean With Young Children

1. Take Advantage Of Storage

Storage is a very important thing to have in your home when you have children. You buy so much for them in terms of toys and clothes that you need to make sure you have plenty of space to store them.

Look at what storage you have available at the moment and what you might need to ensure you have everything in a place of its own. A few toys strewn over the floor can make your home feel like a mess. It’s good to stay on top of the mess by having a few toy boxes or baskets that are placed throughout the home.

Storage can also be found in places that you wouldn’t normally think to look at. This includes furniture that has storage as part of its features.

Sofas with an under storage area, for example, can be very useful. Hidden storage is going to help make your home appear a lot more spacious, too. Plus, when it’s out of sight, it’s out of mind.

2. Teach Your Children To Clean Up

It might not really seem possible when they’re young, but children can absorb information like nobody’s business. Because of this, the early years are useful to take advantage of.

When it comes to cleaning, you can incorporate cleaning into your children’s education and learning. This can be done through games and activities, which will offer positive encouragement.

As much as they need to have fun, it’s good to teach them these life lessons because it’s something they’re going to need as they get older. Just like you do with baking, you’re teaching your child something new, so make cleaning a fun activity.

Eventually, they’ll likely do this on their own. When they begin to do this, it definitely makes life a little easier. They have to be taught first, however

3. Declutter Where Necessary

Decluttering your home is important because the last thing you want is to feel like you’re living in a permanent mess. That’s not a nice way to feel about your home, and it’s something that can easily be fixed if you know where to start.

Decluttering can be a good way to rid your home of all that excess stuff that you really don’t need. It’s worth going around your home every so often to clear out anything and everything that isn’t used. 

This is something that you can time to do on a monthly, seasonally, or annual basis, depending on the amount of clutter and the time you have available. As long as you’re doing it, though, that’s all that matters. Every little bit will make a huge difference.

4. Treat Your Home To A Professional Hand

Even when you think you can do a good job, some jobs are worth hiring professionals. One example is cleaning out your gutters, and another can be carpet cleaning. Both are important to keep your home clean. Plus, the gutters can be helpful in making sure the foundations of your home remain solid.

For carpet cleaning, getting it professionally done might be needed when you have young children who are spilling food and drink on the floor. Carpets can be a pain to clean, and for the most part, it’s better to have wooden flooring. However, if it can’t be avoided, get a professional to give your home a little treat every now and then. It’ll provide you with clean carpets but also a fresh smelling floor too.

5. Clean As You Go

It’s good to clean as you go because, with young children, they can often leave a trail of destruction on a daily basis. Try to keep things clean by cleaning as you go, rather than letting it build up and become a massive mess to deal with.

keep your home clean, clean home, keep home clean with kids

While your life drastically changes when you have kids, this is one thing you can control. You can keep a tidy house with these tips to keep your home clean with young children

Categories
For the Home How To Life Parenting

How You Can Make Your Home Perfect For A New Arrival

Make Your Home Perfect For A New Arrival

If you have a new baby on the way, you need to make your home perfect for a new arrival. First things first: congratulations!!

There are things you can do to ensure you bring them into the best possible home. Plus, you can ensure that the rest of you can operate happily in the home while taking on the huge responsibilities.

Well, fortunately, it is easier to do than you may think. Most of it will quickly become a habit if you just practice them a few times.

home perfect for a new arrival
Source

Make Your Home Perfect For A New Arrival

Create The Perfect Nursery and Consider Other Spaces

This goes without saying, but you’re going to want to ensure that your baby’s nursery has everything it needs and has enough space. Babies may be tiny, but they have lots of stuff and require a ton of space. Plus, they’re going to grow quickly and accumulate more toys and possessions.

If you’re looking for home additions, then you could do something with a spare room you might have. Your baby might need an extra playroom if you currently have no space anywhere else, for example. We didn’t do home additions, but we are constantly feeling like we don’t have enough space.

Unfortunately, my husband and I didn’t plan ahead and now that we have five kids in the house, I am seriously regretting it. Don’t let that happen to you, because now I am eager to move into a new space with more room. Whatever you do, make sure you consider the space you will truly need for a child.

Keep The Home Neat And Tidy  

The job you’re going to have is going to be difficult enough, so you’re going to need to ensure that your home is in good condition. You want to give yourself every advantage as you head into parenthood (even if it’s for the second or third time).

If you start ahead of time, then you’re going to be in a much better position to take care of your child. Likewise, if you have a messy home that needs to be cleared out, then you’re going to have extra work while worrying about and taking care of the baby. Make things easier for yourself and get this gritty job out of the way.

Make Sure Everything Is Safe 

This is another point that goes without saying, but you’ll need to make sure that you’ve checked every corner and analyzed every single situation around the entire house. You never know what issues a small child can run into, so you need to double and triple check. Sharp edges, loose items, wires, electrical products, and so many other areas need to be looked at.

Go through your entire house and make a list ahead of time. This isn’t something you will want to do once the baby is already home. There are many safety products on the market that will make things easier. These things include:

***This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.***

Prepare For Visitors

For the first few weeks and months, you’re going to receive lots of visits from friends and family. They’re going to be interested in what your life is like now with the small child in your home, and they’re going to want to wish you all the best.

So, with that being said, it’s best to make your living room a little welcoming at the very least. Prepare for lots of people and make a little extra space.

If you’re always prepared for someone to stop by, you won’t be so anxious about it. Prevent every bit of stress that you can so you can fully enjoy your new baby. 

Shop For Food

A lot of these have been obvious tips, but with the overwhelming event of giving birth and welcoming a human into the world, it’s easy to forget some fundamental tasks. You’re going to need to do a big food shop and tailor your grocery shopping around the child’s life for a while.

The way you operated before is no longer. Frequent visits to the grocery store may not be an option anymore, and you probably won’t want to take your baby out for a while anyway. Make sure you get more than enough, just in case.

Focus on shopping for meat that you can freeze, canned goods, and non-perishable items. If you’re feeling up to it, you can even prepare meals ahead of time and freeze them for a quick and delicious dinner.

Make Your Home Perfect For A New Arrival

Having a new baby is such an exciting experience, and making your home perfect for a new arrival will make it even better. Don’t cause unnecessary stress for yourself after the baby is home. Use these tips to plan ahead and make the transition easier for everyone.

Categories
Adulting How To Life

Improve Your Life With These Simple Changes

Improve Your Life With These Simple Changes, changes to make your life better
Improve Your Life With These Simple Changes, changes to make your life better
Pexels

Life may be going okay for you right now, but you might feel a bit uneasy knowing there’s more out there for you. You don’t have to settle for mediocre, and the power to improve your life for the better is in your hands.

There are simple changes you can make that will improve your life and put a smile on your face. You can have it all when you put your mind to it and are committed to finding happiness.

Let these ideas inspire you to want more and to be more so you can rest easy knowing you’re giving it your all each day. Enjoy the newfound freedom that comes when you realize you’re in the driver’s seat and control the outcome.

Learn A New Skill

You can improve your life by learning a new skill. You’ll be challenging your mind and body and may even be able to start a new career from it. At the very minimum, you’ll have a fun hobby to do in your free time.

It’s an opportunity to stretch yourself and step outside your comfort zone. It’ll provide you with a fresh perspective and get you out of your normal routine. Think about what you’ve always wanted to learn but have never made the time for in the past.

Save up to Purchase A New Home

Improve your life by saving up your money to buy or build a new home. It’s especially important if where you live currently isn’t suitable. You want to feel comfortable and happy at home.

While moving is a big undertaking, you’ll be glad you did it once you’re settled into your new space. Consider using moving storage services so you can keep your belongings safe and protected as you make the transition. It’s also your chance to declutter your life and belongings and start fresh.

Improve Your Life With These Simple Changes, changes to make your life better

Cook for Yourself & Commit to Exercising More

Take better care of yourself, and you’ll be on your way to improving your life. Practice self-care, and you’ll soon experience a boost in your health and happiness. Cook for yourself at home so you can control the ingredients you use and the portion sizes.

In addition to eating healthier, also commit to exercising more frequently and shedding unwanted pounds. You’ll have fewer health issues to deal with, and your clothes will fit better.

You’ll love who you see in the mirror and will have more natural energy. Plus, you will experience less anxiety when you eat well and exercise.

Have A Positive Mindset & Attitude

Your mindset and attitude also play a role in your health and happiness. Improve your life by changing your outlook and the way you react to situations.

Embrace the unknown and learn to go with the flow instead of trying to control all that happens in your life. Focus on the bright side when things don’t go your way, or you face obstacles and challenges in your daily life. Avoid always being the victim and learn from your mistakes and mishaps to do better the next time around.

Improve Your Life With These Simple Changes, changes to make your life better

Even when your life is going great, you should still work to improve it. By simply picking up a new hobby, you will be opening new doors for yourself. Don’t limit yourself just because you’re happy, instead make yourself happier by pursuing further opportunities.

Categories
Adulting Family Activities How To

Leading A More Environmentally Friendly Lifestyle

environmentally friendly, leading an environmentally friendly lifestyle, eco friendly, environment

In recent years, there’s been a huge focus on climate change, waste production, and carbon footprints. The situation is growing more serious with each day that passes. It isn’t too late to change, however, and leading a more environmentally friendly lifestyle can help.

Mother Nature is simply unable to cope under all of the pressure. There are side effects such as extreme weather and rising sea levels occurring all over the world.

You may think that you can’t do much to change this as one individual, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Every positive change that you make will have an effect on the planet, no matter how small it may seem.

Your changes may even inspire those around you to rethink and adapt too. So, there’s no time like the present to start leading a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.

If you want to find out more about how you can reduce your impact on the environment, then read on to uncover some of the best tips and tricks.

environmentally friendly lifestyle
Image Source – Pexels 

The Big Food Debate 

Food is essential and you can’t live without, but it’s a huge environmental issue that needs to be discussed. Far too many people do not know where their food comes from. Or, they simply aren’t alarmed when they find out that their fruits and vegetables have flown halfway around the world.

Globalization is not a beneficial advancement when considering environmental conservation. It requires ‘fresh’ produce to take a car, ship, and plane to reach your plate. One of the best things that you can do to reduce your carbon footprint is to eat local. Find a passionate local farmer or market where you can purchase fruits and vegetables that are in season locally.

Cooking your meals based on which produce is in season ensures that you can maintain variety while cutting your funds to exotic GMO producers. It is far from natural to see the same fruits and vegetables available all year round.

To add to this, the production process utilized in the animal agriculture business produces more carbon than all modes of transport combined. This makes meat one of the most environmentally unfriendly options you can choose. Attempting to follow a plant-based diet with no animal products will have a dramatic effect on your carbon footprint.

Sustainable Power 

Sustainable power is growing in popularity, whether this means investing in an electric car or sourcing a solar installer to add panels to your home. Utilizing finite resources such as coal and gas is not a long-term plan, as these resources will soon run dry and an alternative must be found.

Wind farms, hydropower, and solar panels are the energy of the future, as they utilize natural occurrences to source their power. It’s so inspiring to see such a wealth of investment reaching the sustainable power industry, but now it’s your turn to get involved! 

environmentally friendly, leading an environmentally friendly lifestyle, eco friendly, environment

What do you think you and your family can do to become more environmentally friendly? Leave a comment and let me know!

Categories
For the Home How To Parenting

Making Your Home Child-Safe: 4 Essential Strategies

create a safe space for your children, children, kids, child safe, child friendly, safe home, home safe, child proof #children #kids #childsafe #childfriendly #safehome #homesafe #childproof

Home is meant to be the safest place a child can be. That is why it is our duty as parents to deal with any potential hazards. Making your home child-safe is essential to ensure the safety and well-being of your little one. This is important whether it’s a child you are currently expecting, or you are thinking about being a foster parent or guardian. If you are wondering what is foster care, it’s a great way to be a parent to a child, but you’ll need to make sure the home is safe first.

Remove Choking Hazards

The sad truth of the matter is that there are many potential choking hazards in the home. Of course, as a parent, part of our job is to identify these and remove them so our little one is safe.

Be sure to do a sweep of your home both before the baby is born, and again as they start to become more mobile. When they begin scooting, crawling, and walking, there will be all-new hazards to deal with. 

Look out for things like pins, small toys, coins, and even deflated balloons. Take special care with batteries of all kinds, too, as these can not only be choking hazards but are full of nasty acid that can be fatal if ingested.

Minimize the Risk of Fire

Another significant risk to the safety of your children in the home is fire. In fact, both burns and smoke inhalation are two of the most common injuries occurring in the home. The good news is that there are several things that you can do to minimize the risks associated with fire in the home.

The first is to avoid open fires where possible and, if you do use them, be sure to invest in a robust child-proof fireguard that won’t get too hot. Next, be sure to install fire and smoke alarms through the home and test them regularly. 

You should also keep any flammable liquids and chemicals outside of the home. Finally, investing in good quality fire extinguishers is a smart idea, as well.

***This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.***

Prevent Poisoning

There are many poison hazards around the home that we parents need to be aware of. Cleaning chemicals can be incredibly risky and can cause a child that has consumed them to become very sick.

In particular, it is essential to keep things like laundry pods out of the reach of children. Not only do they look a little bit like candy, but there have been several cases where consumption has been fatal recently. 

It’s not only cleaning products that can be poisonous, either. There are some things like plants and mold that grow around the home that can be problematic as well. With that in mind, it’s always best to check plants both in the home and garden to make sure they are safe when touched or ingested. 

Additionally, if you come across black mold in your home, getting a professional setup like Advanced Catastrophe Technologies to come in and remove it for you is a smart move. After all, it has been linked to allergies and breathing problems, especially when it comes to younger children. 

Protect Children From Electric Shock

Our homes run on electricity and, while we wouldn’t want to be without it, it can pose a real danger to our children. That is why it’s essential to use things like socket protectors when your kids are young. The socket protectors will prevent children from sticking their fingers or other objects into the electrical outlets.

Also, be sure to unplug and remove any electrical items such as hairdryers and curling irons while your child is in the bathroom. This will prevent them from being accidentally knocked into the bathtub or sink. 

Make sure to keep kids out of dangerous areas 

Depending on the age of the kids, one often-overlooked way to improve home safety is through kitchen remodeling. Updating your kitchen with child-proof features—such as soft-close cabinets, rounded countertop edges, and secure storage for hazardous items—can significantly reduce risks. By incorporating family-friendly designs and modern safety enhancements, you can create a space that is both functional and safe for young children.

You need to do everything you can to keep them away from dangerous parts of the house. This could involve locking doors on certain rooms that you don’t want them to get inside. Alternatively, it may be childproofing certain cupboards and cabinets where you keep dangerous chemicals. You may need to get a garage door service to prevent them from getting in this area where there are tools, vehicles etc.

create a safe space for your children, children, kids, child safe, child friendly, safe home, home safe, child proof #children #kids #childsafe #childfriendly #safehome #homesafe #childproof

Making Your Home Child-Safe: 4 Essential Strategies

This is such an important topic for all parents and the safety of our children relies on our knowledge. What are your best tips for child-proofing a home? Let me know in the comments!

Categories
Adulting For the Home Home How To Life

4 Steps You Must Not Forget When Moving Into A New Home

don't forget when moving, moving to a new home, things to do when moving

Are you about to move into your new home? This is an exciting time and there’s probably going to be a lot on your mind. However, it’s important to ensure that you are not making any key mistakes here. There are quite a few mistakes that you need to be aware of as precautions that you should take. 

new home
Pexels Source CCO License

Things to Do When You Move Into a New Home

Change The Locks 

When you move into a new property, the previous owner should give back all the keys. This includes any copies that they have made. However, it’s easy to forget to give back all the keys and still end up with a few from a previous property.

That’s why it’s worth changing the locks. Even if you trust the previous property owner, a key that they kept could still ultimately end up in the wrong hands and leave you in a difficult situation. 

It’s better to just play it safe and change the locks. Then, you will know without a doubt that no one has keys to your home except your family.

Clean It Up

Make sure that you clean the property when you move in. This does provide a psychological benefit. By cleaning it up you are going to send the message that this is a new property rather than someone else’s home.

It’s immediately going to feel fresher to you and that will be important when you are aiming to get the best experience possible from this move. If you are anxious to clean it, you could consider hiring professional carpet cleaners. This will save you a lot of time and effort, and you will know it is done thoroughly.

Completing A Survey

Ideally, you should have completed a survey before you chose to move into the property. However, this isn’t always an option, especially with a rushed move.

Sometimes a seller is going to be anxious to get the whole process completed without delay. If that’s the case, you should be ready to complete a survey after you move in.

This is going to reveal any issues that you might be dealing with and that you perhaps aren’t fully prepared for. It can save you from any unexpected headaches further down the line. 

Check Problem Areas

If you’re not completing a survey, you should at the very least check some of the problem areas with your home quite thoroughly. The key areas to consider are the basement and the attic.

If there is an issue with your home, this is where they will be lurking. You must inspect every part of these sections of your home and ensure that there aren’t any nasty issues that are only going to grow.

With most home issues, if you catch them early, they are going to be far easier to handle. Plus, you’ll likely be able to avoid some expensive costs, too. The sooner you find out what’s causing an issue and get it taken care of, the better off you and your home will be.

During the home-buying process, it may be difficult to survey a home or even find problem areas, especially if it’s a long-distance move where the house was purchased online. For more information on remotely buying your house, check out the infographic below!


Infographic provided by Master Movers, a residential moving company

Things to Remember Before Moving into a New Home

Remember these important things to do before moving into your new home. Some home buyers get so caught up in the excitement that they forget some of these steps. It’s essential that you do them all, however, so the moving process can be easier and more enjoyable.

don't forget when moving, moving to a new home, things to do when moving #moving #buyingahome #packing #new home