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Adulting How To Life Mental Health

10 Simple Ways To Find More Happiness in Life

It’s always going to be important for you to prioritize your own happiness. Now, that might be a strange thing for you to be thinking about or even imagine. Yet, it’s still very much true, because finding happiness in life is essential.

If you know that you want to live a good life, you’ll want to make sure that you are happy. Being happy and living a good life is often easier said than done. You may find that you must make much more of an effort for that to happen.

Sometimes, you may just go about your life without really realizing that you’re doing it. If you do this, you are living on autopilot. That can cause you to miss out on everyday moments that can make you happy. Not only that, but you may find that you’re also focusing too heavily on things that are stressing you out.

One of the ways to do it is to ensure that you’re actively looking to find more happiness for your family. By being in their company and making time to enjoy happiness, you’ll start to encourage more ways to feel good in yourself.

If you’re not sure about different ways that you can do this, you’ve come to the right place. You’ll find that of the different ways you can really start to feel happier, these ten are really going to add some value to your life. So take a look and see if you can apply them to your life this week.

How To Find More Happiness in Life

1. Slow Down

To start with, you’re going to want to slow down a little bit. If you want to be happier, slowing down can help you to enjoy your life a little more. You start to see and appreciate the little things, and it’s going to have a benefit on your health, too.

2. Be More Present

Next up, you’re going to want to think about being a bit more present. You may find that slowing down will help you, but bringing yourself into the present can make a difference to your health and happiness. It keeps your mind still and allows you to feel more joy.

3. Spend More Time With Loved Ones

Human interaction is just so important. Spending time with people that you love and care about can make you feel good.

It’s a simple pleasure that has such a strong effect on the mind and body. So why not think about spending more time with your loved ones for a quick happiness boost.

4. Expand Your Family

From here, you may find that you actually want to be able to expand your family a little, too. This could work in two ways. You could consider getting a new puppy to bring more happiness into family life.

Don’t worry about it being hard work because things like www.puppytrainedright.com can be a great support for you here. You may even find that you want to grow your family and have more children too, so there’s that to think about as well.

5. Work Towards A Goal

Sometimes, you need to focus on something specific. If you want to feel happier in yourself, you may find that you would want to consider the idea of setting a goal for yourself.

This could be work-related, health-related, or even something entirely different. The idea here is that it keeps you focused and brings happiness into your life.

6. Do Things You Love

It’s also important to do things that you love to help you feel happy, too. Whether that’s baking or reading or gardening – whatever it is, make sure that you save some time for it so that you have that little source of joy in your life.

7. Be More Creative

You might also want to think about what you can do to try and be more creative. It might be that you want to be able to do things that bring you joy and creative activities can do that.

If you’re not the most creative person, you may find that you can do things like drawing, coloring, writing, painting, or even some kind of sewing craft that makes you feel happier while you do it.

8. Get Outside

You are also going to find that it’s going to really help you if you can get outside a bit more. There are so many benefits to you being outside more and enjoying nature.

Even if you don’t really consider yourself someone that loves to be outdoors, the benefits will really help your health and happiness. So, think about spending a bit more time outside. Even just going for a walk can really make a difference to how you feel about yourself.

9. Look For Little Wins

It’s also nice for you to think about how you can look for different wins on an everyday basis. Sometimes, we let ourselves just get way too worked up and worry about the negatives. When actually, there are often little victories that we can celebrate daily.

So, why not think about things you can do to feel better about yourself and bring some happiness in your life. It could just be the moments that have made you smile in the day.

10. Focus On The Positives

Finally, you’re going to want to ensure that you can think about all of the different positives in your life. No matter who you are and what sort of things are getting you down, there will always be positives.

From breathing fresh air, having loved ones in your life, and having a roof over your head, there are positives. Sometimes there are ideas much bigger than that, sometimes much smaller. But by focusing on the positives and the things you’re grateful for, you may find that it helps you find more happiness in life.

What are some of the ways that you find more happiness in life? Leave a comment and let me know!

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Adulting For the Home How To Life

4 Practical Ways to Prepare Your Home for Extreme Weather

During extreme weather, the elements can threaten our homes and put us at risk of damage. In many cases, protecting your home against natural disasters and the elements can be simple. However, many Americans are all too aware that extreme weather conditions can be devastating, and the damage can be immeasurable.

So how can you protect your home against the elements and survive the wrath of Mother Nature when it hits?

How to Prepare Your Home for Extreme Weather

1. Get Insurance or Check Your Current Policy

One of the best ways to protect yourself is to make sure your home and all your possessions are insured. Make sure to read the small print and know exactly what is covered and go over the limitations.

You should take pictures regularly of what you own and back it up. Keeping records is the best way to show the insurance company what you own and what has been damaged.

2. Familiarize Yourself With Repair Companies

Knowing a reliable repair company will be the best way to help you get back on track after a natural disaster. Part of the issue is negotiating between contractors and insurance companies, and this task can often seem worse than what you are facing.

However, finding a company that can help you with Water Damage Restoration or repairs after wind or water damage who will be able to work with the insurance company can help you start to find your way again in the aftermath of a damaging event.

3. Prepare For Anything

Many counties and states have guides on preparing for geological events that frequently affect the local area. These guides range from hurricanes to earthquakes and extreme heat levels to rising water from flooding.

Visiting your local government’s website will give you information on how to prepare your home for different weather conditions. It will give you an insight into how frequently this type of extreme weather can occur, too.

Knowing when to expect extreme weather conditions and how best to protect yourself and your home will help you put plans in place. Don’t forget to keep local weather alerts on your smartphone to be kept up to date with any new and sudden weather changes.

4. Emergency Supplies

Keeping your home well-stocked with supplies can give you a head start if the worst-case scenario happens. Stocking up on bottled water, canned foods or long-life food supplies that can be eaten as they are will give you something to fall back. While it isn’t likely, you don’t want to be without if food and water supplies are disrupted.

A shovel for snow or in the aftermath of high winds can be useful. De-icer for cold temperatures is also useful, as well as spare batteries, a generator, and torches to help you to see. Consider packing a survival kit including blankets, waterproof outerwear, first aid kit, socks, shoes, torch, and tools that you can easily access.

Extreme Weather, prepare your home

You never know when extreme weather may cause issues for you. In the event of a disaster, being prepared can help you manage those initial few hours after an extreme weather event or help others who may not have been so lucky.

Is there anything you would add to this list? Tell me about it in the comments!

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Adulting For the Home Home How To Life

4 Ways To Increase The Value Of Your Home

Many assume that adding value to your home means spending a large sum on home improvements. But, there are many cost-effective ways to increase the value of your home.

Increase The Value Of Your Home

How to Increase The Value Of Your Home

Improve Insulation

An essential feature of a home is good insulation. Double glazing windows and durable door frames will not only make your home more energy-efficient but will also add value to your house.

These features do not have to be expensive. Finding a reasonable window installation cost is simple with the right companies. Some companies may offer discounts if you install new windows across the house, increasing the value further. 

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

Revamp Your Yard

Increase The Value Of Your Home

Your home is more than just what’s inside. Your yard matters, too. If your yard is neglected or lacking, redesigning the space is a great way to add value. Water features, a better lawn, and patios can make the area more appealing and functional.

Upgrading your yard will also mean you get to enjoy it before you move. As you spend time in the upgraded yard, you might even find that you want to add other things such as sheds or energy-saving tools, which will only increase the value of your home further.

Make It Energy-Efficient

A more sustainable home is a more valuable home. The upfront cost of energy-efficient features such as solar panels can seem daunting. But, it will lower your future energy bills and lower maintenance costs. More effectively, it will increase the interest for environmentally conscious buyers and give your home more edge than those without such features. 

Adding features such as new light bulbs, wall insulation, a new boiler, and solar panels is a great way to implement more sustainability into your home while making it more profitable when it comes to selling.

Fix Anything That Is Broken

Increase The Value Of Your Home

Keeping your home in excellent condition is an easy way to increase its value on the market. It can be easy to let broken features slide and get lazy with repair jobs. But, leaving a broken tile or sink fixture may lead to more issues, which will cost you more money. If things are left unrepaired, then the value of your home will automatically decrease. 

A home in excellent condition with little to no work to do will appeal more to future buyers and make them consider your home to be worth the asking price. Plus, fixing things as they break instead of putting them off will make your life easier and save you money.

Increase The Value Of Your Home

Adding value to your home is a great way to profit if you plan to sell. These four methods will maximize your home’s value and make it more attractive to future buyers. It will also benefit you in the meantime as your bills will reduce, your home will be easier to maintain, and you will enjoy the space

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Adulting For the Home Home How To

How Can You Keep Your Home In The Best Condition Possible?

Keeping your home in the best condition possible is important for a number of reasons. The first is that it means you aren’t going to have to spend a fortune and a bunch of time sorting it out later on. This will be helpful if you want to move or if something gets damaged. The second is that it will make your home a much nicer place to live.

Keep Your Home In The Best Condition

While it may seem like a daunting task that you would rather ignore, it is best not to. You’ll be happier that you have a nice home, and it won’t be such a headache later on. Luckily, there are some easy things you can do to keep your home in the best condition possible.

How to Keep Your Home In The Best Condition

Fix What Is Broken

If something is broken, you need to fix it. It might not always be possible to do this right away, but there should be some kind of solution in place. For example, if there has been some flooding or other water damage, a company such as Delta Restoration Services will be able to provide the solution that you need.

Or, it might be something else such as a problem with the roof. You might be able to fix it yourself, or you may need to call a professional depending on the extent of the damage.

The same goes for things such as the washing machine or dishwasher. As long as you have a plan in place, then you’re on the right path to keeping your home in the best condition possible.

Keep It Clean

Another thing that you need to do is to keep your house clean. You never know when you are going to have unexpected house guests, so your home should always be clean.

It might feel like a nightmare in the beginning, but once everything is clean, you will feel better. Make sure you keep up on it to avoid having to spend hours on it again later.

Clean up often, make sure nothing is left lying around, and vacuum or sweep once per day. Of course, there are other things like shampooing the carpets that can be done less frequently. 

It’s the little things that are going to make a big difference. When you keep up on the little things, you are doing yourself a huge favor.

Make sure that everyone who lives in the house is helping out, though, and this includes the kids. When only one person does it, this is where the downfall usually happens. One person cannot be responsible for keeping everything clean.

Make Cost-Effective Improvements

Finally, one of the best ways to keep your home in great condition is to improve it in a way that keeps things efficient. Using a Solar Panel Company is a great way to do this. Generating your own energy can help you to run your home at a better cost, and you’re doing your part to be renewable too.

How Can You Keep Your Home In The Best Condition Possible

If you follow these tips, you are sure to keep your home in the best condition possible. By fixing things when they are broken and keeping your home clean, you are sure to have a home that you love. If you have already done these things and are looking for decor options, check out this blog post for home decor lovers.

What are some of the ways you make sure that your home is in the best condition possible? Tell me in the comments!

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Adulting For the Home Home Life

4 Easy Ways to Make Your House Feel More like a Home

As the old saying goes, “there’s no place like home.” In many ways, our homes are the places that we turn to for comfort, rejuvenation, and even inspiration. Our homes are where we spend some of our most cherished moments with the people closest to us, and they are where we refine our sense of who we are. For these reasons alone, you must make your house feel more like a home.

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Taking care of your home is so important, and there are many things that can contribute dramatically to making your home feel more like a home. You can make it the kind of place where you enjoy spending time, and where you and your family can thrive.

Perhaps you have just moved into a new home and haven’t quite settled yet. Or, maybe you just aren’t quite happy with how you relate to your existing living space. Either way, taking steps to help make your house feel more like a home is essential.

How to Make Your House Feel More Like a Home

1. Get a Pet

There are many brilliant upsides to getting a pet – especially for families with young kids.

For one thing, getting a pet such as a new Labrador puppy, from a responsible breeder such as https://chocolatelabradorretriever.ca, can immediately fill the home with a rich sense of innocent, jubilant energy, while simultaneously allowing every member of the family to participate in the wonderful aura of enthusiasm that results from this.

For another thing, pets – for many families – symbolise the real solidification of a home. They complete the “white picket fence” dream of what a family home should look and feel like.

In addition to all of this, pets can teach all sorts of valuable lessons to all members of the family, but especially to children. Lessons concerning things like responsibility, to give just one example.

2. Personalize Your Home with Things that have a Personality and a Story

There is certainly a kind of allure connected to the simple and streamlined aesthetic that you will find in many home décor catalogs these days. But, there are setbacks to filling your home with this type of furniture.

The things you fill your home with will dramatically affect how the place feels to you, how you perceive it, and how capable you are of relating to it. If everything in your home was mass produced in a factory, there’s a good chance you will feel alienated from your home.

This is because for a living space to really feel like a home, it has to feel like something that you have a relationship with. Something that has character, personality, and that is personal and relevant to you – rather than just being something broadly utilitarian and pretty.

The more you can ensure that the objects in your home are more than just “objects,” but that they have a story and personality – or, at least, can develop a story and personality over time – the more your house or apartment will come to feel like a home.

3. Get Your Home in Order and Keep it That Way

No matter how great your house may be or how many meaningful items it contains, it will be hard to feel comfortable in your living space if it is messy, and chaotic.

While “comfort” isn’t exactly the same thing as your house feeling like a home, it is at least a significant factor to consider. If you find yourself in this situation, it can be difficult knowing just where to start. You may even struggle with getting the energy and momentum to step forward and begin the process.

Despite those obstacles, the best thing you can do for transforming how your home feels overnight is to dive into the cleaning and organizing process. Make sure that there is a place for everything, and that everything gets put away.

From there, you will be able to see, feel, and appreciate the unique and beautiful features of the place that had been obscured before.

4. Develop Routines to Create a Sense of Happiness and Meaning Each Day

Your home is much more than a place where you simply sleep and eat in between going to work or school.

It’s meant to be a place where you flourish, and where you can get in touch with yourself and appreciate some of the small pleasures of everyday life.

One thing you can do to make your house feel more like a home is to come up with routines that can introduce a sense of happiness and meaning on an everyday basis.

This might mean having a family breakfast each morning at a beautiful dining table, or it may mean sitting on your porch with a cup of coffee before starting the day properly. It could even be as simple as enjoying a good book in your favorite chair.

Your home is supposed to be a special place where you can truly let go. You should be able to relax and enjoy the time you spend at home. This means finding a way to make your house feel more like a home is essential.

What are some of your tips for making a house feel more like a home? Do you have any simple daily routines that help you find pleasure in your home each day? Tell me in the comments! I’d love to hear about it.

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Adulting Decor For the Home How To Life

5 Easy Ways to Create a Cozy Living Room You Will Love

There are certain times of the year where you just want a cozy living room to enjoy. The winter is one of those times, but how can you make your living room as cozy and relaxing as possible, with minimal effort? Well, here are some quick tips for making your living room as cozy as possible.

How to Quickly Create a Cozy Living Room

1. Clean Up

No one can be genuinely cozy in a place that needs to be decluttered. Most people tend to clean during the winter and again in the springtime. So if you’ve been putting off your winter clean, it’s time to get it started. 

Declutter as much as possible, though you’ll likely do this to make room for a Christmas tree or some sort of festive decorations, anyway. The more you eliminate, the better you will feel as you cuddle up on your couch to read a book or watch your favorite show.

2. Add Texture

Some textures are super comforting during the winter months. Look for textured fleece blankets, chenille sweaters, or warm fluffy socks to keep nearby. If you already have them, it’s time to grab your most comfortable blankets and have them ready on the couch. This is one of the most important things you can do to get that cuddly, cozy feeling in your living room.

Having a soft fluffy rug will also help to keep your living room warm and insulated, as well as add extra texture to the living room too.

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

3. Consider the Lighting

If you want to create some specific atmospheres, then lighting is the way to do it. One of the best things you can do is to add fairy lights to the space around your living room. Wrapping fairy lights around shelves, around your Christmas tree, or around windows to add a festive twinkle to your living room. 

Then, when the sun sets early in the winter months, you can turn the sparkle up. For an extra cozy feeling, you might want to keep the overhead lighting off and let the rest of the twinkling lights work their magic. 

4. Make Sure It’s Warm

Part of being cozy is being warm, so make sure your living room is well-heated. If you haven’t had your boiler checked out for a while, now is the perfect time to do it. Many people find themselves in need of a water heater repair just as winter hits. 

Plan ahead so that you don’t get stuck in this situation. If you have a fireplace, consider getting that checked out, as well. There is no way to be cozy if you aren’t warm, and you don’t want to get stuck this way in the middle of the night.

Before switching on the radiators in every room in the house, read this handy guide and how you can save money on your heating over autumn and winter.

5. Fragrances

Some fragrances just remind us of the winter. Spiced apple, cinnamon, pumpkin and Christmas cookies are all great scents that can make a room feel extra cozy. If you don’t want to have open flames, then reed diffusers can help bring comforting smells to your living room. 

Many fragrance brands have brought out specific holiday-themed fragrances, which means you can recreate that cozy Christmas feeling all year around. You can also opt for a simple plug-in. 

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So, once you have created a cozy living room, it’s time to get settled in. Put on your favorite comfy clothes, get a cup of coffee, and grab a blanket before hopping on the couch.

I always like to watch Gilmore Girls when I have a chance to get cozy on the couch. What do you like to do when you’re cuddled up on the couch in the winter? Tell me in the comments!

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Adulting Free Activities Learning Mental Health

4 Reasons You Should Play Word Games

The craze for “brain training games” such as word games took the app-based world by storm about a decade ago. It was based on the suggestion that if you played these games enough, they would build your IQ and make you smarter. As it turned out, the science behind that suggestion may have been exaggerated.

While studying in any way will help to boost your knowledge in the short term, long-term gains are not something that any training game can deliver. So, it might be fair to ask, why should you play word games? As you’ll see, there are plenty of reasons to keep an interest, regardless of whether you’re getting a long term boost.

How Word Games Help You

They Help Boost Your Vocabulary

While you’re not going to outsmart Albert Einstein with an hour a day of gaming, there are definite benefits to playing these games. If you play word games often enough, you’ll learn words you didn’t know.

Every time you find a new word, you can look it up in a dictionary. Then, through building your vocabulary, you can gain knowledge of things you never would have before. Plus, if you’re learning another language, playing word games in that language can be a great way of picking up new words.

Word Games are a Form of Brain Exercise

The idea of a “brain gym” perhaps oversold what word games could deliver. However, it should not be ignored that playing these games is better for your brain than not playing them. For one thing, they exercise your brain and strengthen your cognitive performance. Plus, they can help with brain concerns later in life, too.

As we learn more about brain concerns such as dementia, any boost we can get is welcome. Even if you cheat a little by searching for Wordscapes answers, you are still processing information neurologically, which is kind of like giving your brain a light cardio workout.

They can Offer Social Opportunities

Many modern word games come with a social element. They allow you to test your wordiness against someone else who may be halfway across the room, or halfway across the world.

The competitive element can help you to raise your game, while the chat element is a way of socializing. It can even give you a little bit of a boost on the geography front if the person you’re chatting with lives somewhere else, which is additional exercise for the brain.

Word Games are Relaxing and Stress-Busting

While your brain is getting a workout, the improvements you see each time you play the game are an excellent way to boost endorphin production. That’s very beneficial for fighting stress, something we can all do with from time to time.

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While this doesn’t mean you’re building a brain that can take on Nobel Prize winners, the overall mental health and cognitive benefits that you’ll derive from playing word games are more than reason enough to give them a try.

Word games are, quite simply, a lot of fun to play. The additional benefits you can get from playing them means it’s an even better idea to pick them up and play from time to time.

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Adulting Home How To Life Parenting

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

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.

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.

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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!

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Adulting How To Learning Life

Standing Up For Yourself In Life Is An Important Skill

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.

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.

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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.

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.

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Adulting For the Home How To Organization

Organization Tips You Can Learn From The Home Edit

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.

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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.

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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!