Precautionary Action: A Guide To Family Health

Posted on August 16, 2017 by Krissyar

The human body is a very delicate thing. Without the right care and attention, it’s easy for it to fall into disrepair, losing proper function and possibly ceasing to work altogether. Of course, this is very extreme, and it’s unlikely that a little bit of unhealthy living here and there will see you in an early grave. But, it still makes sense to think about your day to day health, along with the health of those around you. Your health impacts other areas of your life, as well. To help you to achieve the goal of a fitter family, this post will be going through all of the areas you’ll need to consider. But, first, where can you get some help with this vital part of life?

  • Appointments

While being incredibly delicate, the human body is also very complex. Thanks to this, it takes a very long time for people to learn enough about biology and medicine before they can effectively perform a job in a field like healthcare. For this reason, it’s always best to trust people in this position. They have worked hard to get there and understand health problems better than anyone else.

  • Doctor

After your child has reached the age of one, you can start taking them to see the doctor once a year. Of course, if they have any long-term health problems, you may have to take them for more regular appointments. Having a visit each year gives the doctor a chance to make sure that your child is developing properly. If you have any concerns, this time also gives you the chance to voice them to a professional. Along with this, you may have to take your child to the doctor for emergencies, like sudden illness or pain.

  • Dentist

Dental health is very easy for a child to ignore when they don’t have anyone to impress. A person’s younger years are extremely vital to their oral hygiene. As your child starts to lose their baby teeth, their new ones won’t be able to take a punishment for a long time. During this time, the way that your child eats and drinks will have a huge impact. And, of course, brushing is extremely important, too. Because teeth are so sensitive, it’s worth taking yourself and your child to the dentist at least once every three months. This is often enough time to stop problems in their tracks before they become much worse.

  • Optician

Being able to see is an amazing gift. Of course, though, it’s impossible to fully appreciate this until you’ve struggled to see for a long period. The importance of eye health is something which parents rarely consider with their children. Issues like Glaucoma only take a short time to cause real vision problems but are easy to fix if they are caught early enough. Along with this, being unable to see correctly could hinder work or school for you and your children, limiting everyone’s ability to do well. Quarterly visits to this professional are all you need to resolve this one, though.

  • Home Life

Life at home can be very unhealthy for a modern family. With loads of bad options within easy reach, a lot of people struggle to keep themselves eating well and living in a way which promotes health. When you have kids, this becomes even easier, and bad habits will pass on to your children. To avoid this, you just need to think about a few crucial areas. Below, you’ll find some examples of these important aspects of life.

  • Food

The quality of the fuel you put into your body and those of your family is very important. Eating unhealthy food all the time can have a massive impact on your body, even if you don’t gain any weight. To solve this issue, a solid meal plan is in order. Create a set menu for at least two weeks, including as many tasty and healthy meals as you can find. With this in place, it will be much easier to avoid temptation, but you’re not done yet. It will be easy to figure out what you need to buy from the grocery store, with this sort of list in mind. So, it’s just a matter of ordering it online. It will be impossible to find a way to justify eating badly when you have everything you need at home.

  • Sleep And Rest

Sleep is incredibly important to several aspects of your health, from your mental constitution to your ability to perform at work. Along with this, sleeping in a poorly made bed can cause back and neck problems in the future, for a child. To avoid this, you should make sure that you’re using good-quality beds throughout your home. To ensure a good night’s sleep, you should also think about replacing the bedding you use. A Plumeria Bay down comforter and memory foam pillows could be the perfect combination, offering both comfort and support where it’s needed. Avoiding food and electronic displays is also a good idea before you go to sleep, as these will make it harder for you to drop off.

  • Physical Activity

Everyone knows that to keep fit and healthy you have to do exercise. But, this doesn’t make it any harder for this area of life to go ignored. Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t think they have time for structured exercise at home. In reality, though, this sort of effort is worth making time for. One of the best ways to bring physical activity into your home is by getting everyone involved in a sport together. The sport you choose has to be something which everyone can enjoy. Along with this, it’s also got to be something which can be played together. Alternatively, you could try and pick up an active hobby together, like cycling or rowing.

  • Emotions

The last part of family life to consider is the emotions which bound around your home. Especially during their formative years, people are very vulnerable to their emotions. For children, this will often manifest itself very clearly, in extreme forms like anger and joy. But, as an adult, your emotions might be a little more subtle. Working to make sure everyone in the family is happy can be very hard. The best way to do this is by building trust with one another, enabling you to talk about the way you feel. Emotions are a very large part of life, so it isn’t worth pushing them under the rug.

  • Areas To Look Out For

While being very fragile, the human body is also extremely predictable, making it very easy to monitor the key areas of concern. You should do all of this for yourself, as well as your children. This will ensure that you all have the best possible chances of maintaining your health, while also teaching your children to look after their weaker parts.

  • Joints

Out of all of the mammals in the world, humans have some of the weakest joints. Considering how long they have to last for, it’s quite staggering that they can fall apart so quickly. It’s unlikely that your child will have any problems with their joints while they grow. But, it can still be worth looking out for signs of pain in areas like their knees and elbows. Along with this, you should also think about your own joints. As you get older, the chances of having problems with these parts of your body increase massively. Taking supplements like Omega3 can help, but you should also go to a professional if you ever have any pain.

  • Eyes And Teeth

As mentioned above, eyes and teeth are both very sensitive parts of your body. Without the right treatment, it’s easy for problems to quickly get out of hand. Eyes should be quite easy to monitor, as trouble with vision is obvious when you’re suffering from it. Teeth can be harder, though. A lot of dental issues don’t hurt when they first start out. Then, over time, they become worse and cause discomfort. Always take your child to the dentist at the first signs of pain in their mouth.

  • General Discomfort

Along with the doctor’s help, you can also use your body’s natural warning system to let you know when something is wrong with it. For example, if you have been feeling pain in your stomach for a long time, it’s likely that you have a problem with that part of your body. Using this information, you can take yourself to a professional whenever you need to. Of course, it’s not as easy with children, though. To spot when your child is in pain, you have to look for changes in behaviour and the way they move around. If they are limping or moaning when they stand, they might have an issue with their left. But, if they are constantly rubbing their neck, they could be hurting there. This can be a hard ability to master. But, once you do, it will be easy to notice when there’s something wrong with your child.

Hopefully, this post will give you a good idea of what can be done when you’re trying to improve your family health and fitness. In the modern world, there are more ways than ever to look after yourself and the people you love. It’s just a matter of putting in a little bit of work.

Posted in Fitness/Health | Leave a comment

Learning How To Cut Back On Your Spending

Posted on August 11, 2017 by Krissyar

Cutting back’ is something that everyone dreads to hear. The thought of having to adjust your spending and make savings isn’t exactly fun. With life being as unpredictable as it is, however, making savings from time to time is a necessity but in most cases doesn’t have to be permanent. If you’ve never been great at saving or haven’t got a clue where to start, you could get some good tips on learning to cut back below.

Why you might need to cut back

There are multiple reasons why you might have to cut back on your spending. You might have a large expense to save for such as a wedding or a vacation. You might have lost your job or moved to a job that pays less. Unexpected expenses such as car or home repairs are another reason that you might have to make some adjustments to your spending. You may also need to cut back when your credit is bad, and you’re trying to prepare to make a big purchase such as a new house. Even if there is nothing major happening in your life that you need to save for, everyone can benefit by cutting back to free up some additional savings.

It starts with working out your outgoings

To be able to cut back effectively, you’re going to need to know how much you spend each month on everything from bills and housing costs to entertainment and luxuries. Set up a spreadsheet and record the exact amounts (not estimates) that come out each month. Add your income and work out what’s left once you remove all of those expenses. If it’s not much, then you will need to make some changes to be able to factor in some savings or to pay something off.

Some outgoings can be written off straight away. If you’re paying for memberships that you’re not using, make sure that you cancel these to free up some money instantly. For other expenses such as your cell phone or credit card bill, see if you can switch providers to benefit from a reduced rate and help you make easy savings without having to cut back. Could you go to a cheaper gym or better yet, work out from home? When looking at ways to cut back, it’s important not to make rash decisions. Do not cancel your health and other types of insurance, as the cost of being without these can be far more than what you’d be saving each month.

Many costs can easily be reduced, including your energy bills. See what’s possible to adjust and then see what your shortfall is to see how much you need to cut back in other areas.

Being more frugal

To be able to really cut back, you’re going to need to adjust your shopping habits. You can benefit from the wisdom of many frugal shoppers to help you save money with tips you’ve never considered. Most of us shop in the way that’s most convenient for us. This means buying from the closest store or impulse buying when we see something that we like. However, by shopping around and thinking a bit more before making purchase decisions – you could save yourself a lot of money.

Grocery shopping is one of the ways you can cut back the most on your monthly expenses. Shopping for reduced items or those that are on sale will save you a lot, provided that you use the food that you buy. Buying frozen fruit and vegetables will cut out preparation time, and save food waste that is also damaging to the environment. Planning your meals for the week in advance and creating a grocery list based on that plan will mean that you only buy what you need and aren’t tempted by treats and foods that may not get eaten.

 

With clothes, you can cut back easily by changing where you shop. If you have expensive tastes, you might want to consider popular fashion brands instead. You can get some great clothes that are on-trend and affordable, and mix them in with your existing pieces. It’s also a good idea to take advantage of discount coupons when shopping online as these could save you a lot of money on necessary purchases.

 

Grooming is another area that you might want to cut back on. Switching your shampoo or facial cleanser could help you save a few dollars, especially if you buy these products regularly. You might want to stop buying new products that you don’t necessarily need and try different salons for haircuts, waxing, etc. There is more to feeling good about how you look than how much you spend on achieving it. Many beauty treatments such as manicures can be done at home, so if you’re trying to cut back, these are some of the first things that should go.

Making long term changes

After cutting back on many of your usual outgoings, you might find that what you were spending before was wasteful and unnecessary and form new habits for life. If your financial situation shows no signs of improving in the near future, you might want to consider making long term changes such as moving house or selling your car. These things might seem drastic, but if it helps you get out of debt and make it more affordable for you to live – they’ll be worth it.

 

Improving your financial situation takes patience, but that doesn’t mean you should deprive yourself. Allow some room in your budget to cover some luxuries and entertainment, but on an adjusted scale to before. If your focus is on saving all the time, life can seem very dull. Having things to look forward to will make it easier for you to stick to your savings plan and less likely to turn to avenues that could lead you into debt.

 

Learning to cut back is tough, but with a positive outlook and focus on why you’re doing it – you can be happy. Finding bargains and making savings can make you feel good and you might find that you have more money to spend on things that you love or vacations as a result. It will all be worth it when you succeed at making the savings you need.

Posted in Money Matters | Leave a comment

Designing the Perfect Kids Bedroom

Posted on August 11, 2017 by Krissyar

Most of us can remember the various bedrooms we occupied as children, and often we took great pride and pleasure in adorning them with all manner of furniture and decorations that we felt reflected us and our personalities. As we grow up and have children of our own, we have a unique opportunity to rediscover some of that magic and share it with our own children. Numerous advances in our manufacturing capabilities have opened up new and exciting possibilities when it comes to the range of decorative and practical furniture available to furnish our kids rooms with.

A child’s room is the environment in which they will spend most of their time, and many psychologists believe that subtle factors such as the color scheme we choose for them can have a profound and unexpected effect on behavior. It is therefore important that any parent carefully considers the choices they make with regards to furnishing their child’s room. Of course, this concern needs to be kept realistic, lest we run the risk of creating boring and sterile environments that hinder our children’s creativity and joy. Parents also need to balance their legitimate concerns with the wishes of their child as this is, after all, their room and it is them who will be spending a considerable portion of their time there.

Below are some design tips from parents, psychologists and furniture manufacturers themselves for designing and putting together the perfect children’s bedroom.

Scaled Down Furniture

There is a growing trend for scaled-down furniture which, as the name suggests, is smaller child-sized versions of adult furniture whereas most kid’s furniture is designed specifically for children. This allows you to design a room with your children that replicates the style you would not normally associate with a child’s room. The obvious drawback is that scaled down furniture might not carry the same aesthetic qualities as furniture specifically designed for kids and might not elicit the same response from them.

One potential solution to this is to have your children paint the furniture with you. Discuss with them various options for color schemes and, while you can try and steer them in the right direction, giving them as much freedom as you are comfortable with to make these choices for themselves will help them to build confidence and will make them more receptive to any other suggestions you have to offer.

Giving an Existing Room a Makeover

One way of giving your kids’ rooms a new look and extra shine without breaking the bank is to make over what is already there. This is a fantastic opportunity to get your kids involved in the practical work as well as encouraging them to think about the practicalities of the space that they live in. The best part is that you can give the appearance of having put together an entirely new room with a few simple DIY tricks.

Add hooks to the backs of doors to hang up clothes and other clutter. Kids’ rooms will inevitably be somewhat messy, and it doesn’t matter how well you design the rest of the room; if there is clutter strewn about the place, clothes with nowhere to go, and toys strategically hidden behind and under other furniture, then it doesn’t matter how good the rest of your design choices are, the room will never look as good as it should.

As well as hooks, you should look to add other types of storage. Many children’s beds contain built-in draws which are an excellent place to store toys and clothes. There are also the more common options of chests, drawers etc. and with an almost endless variety of designs available it should be possible to find something to match any room or design.

Create a Soft Play Area

Children love to play, and by creating a ‘soft spot’ with rugs, blankets, pillows, etc. you can give your children an area where they can play to their heart’s content without having to worry about sustaining any knocks or scrapes. Be careful to make sure that any such area is away from hard furniture and sharp edges, as a child in the midst of play is not the most attentive creature.

Walls and Ceilings

Decorating the walls and ceiling is one of the most fun parts of giving your kids’ room a makeover. It is up to you and them whether you prefer painted walls or wallpaper, both can be very effective design choices and there is no right or wrong way to decide. Posters and other artwork should be encouraged as they offer a great way for your kids to express their personality without permanently altering the room. After all, posters can always be taken down, and if sticky tape or blue tac is used to hold them up, then they can be removed without leaving a mark.

Wallpaper comes in so many varieties that there is almost certainly something out there that your kids will love. It used to be the case that wallpapering a room was a tedious and tricky business, but this is no longer the case. And, wallpaper is not only cheaper than ever before, it is far easier to work with than it used to be. This has the additional benefit of making it a lot easier to redo the wallpaper if the child’s tastes change as they grow, or if they change their mind about the design they’ve chosen.

For ceilings, consider investing in some glow in the dark stars. These are particularly good for children who are afraid of the dark as they will glow when it’s dark, but won’t produce enough light to interrupt sleep.

Put Up Shutters Instead of Curtains

Rather than putting up curtains adorned with cartoon characters, consider using shutters. One of the main benefits of shutters is their aesthetic appeal. While curtains often look untidy, even in the rooms of the most organized of us, shutters are an elegant solution to this problem, and unlike curtains can be painted and customized easily to suit tastes. White shutters, or those left the natural color of the wood they’re made from, can be very attractive.

If you do prefer curtains, or shutters aren’t suitable, then be creative with your choice in both terms of design and material.

Bedding

Mixing and matching bedding styles can create a wonderful environment for your children to sleep in. Kids’ beds come in all manner of sizes and styles, some are more gimmicky, such as those in the shape of racing cars. Others resemble more traditional beds. Elevated beds and bunk beds leave storage space beneath them, while some ground level beds have drawers built into the base, allowing them to double up as neat storage solutions. Some children prefer a themed room with a bedspread and accompanying furnishings that all fit along a particular theme. Companies such as Vision Bedding offer such pre-made sets to cater to a variety of tastes and preferences.

The Personal Touch

While there is furniture out there catering to all tastes and sensibilities, nothing can quite match the effect of hand crafted furniture, particularly if it’s stuff you’ve made yourself. Depending on how old your children are, you might want to get them involved with the DIY process, nothing will be quite as special as them being able to look at a piece of furniture and know that they had a hand in making it.

Another fun option for some DIY decoration is to place blackboards over any panels on doors or cupboards and give your kids chalk so that they can draw and color over and over again. It also doubles as a useful way for them to record any homework or chores that they have to do. Similarly, if you have the wall space, you might want to encourage them to put together a picture wall where they can display any drawings or colorings that they do. This adds to the control they have over their environment and encourages them to think creatively.

Lighting

Your choice of lighting will depend largely on the age of the child in question. For very young children, there are any number of night light products available, some of these project stars on to the ceiling that match real constellations and provide an excellent way to get your kids interested in space and science. Bedside lights and night lights are also a good idea, particularly for children who just can’t seem to ever put their book down and those likely to stay up late. In both cases, the gentle light produced is much less likely to interfere with their sleep patterns.

Designing your kid’s bedroom should be a fun and enjoyable experience for both of you, and the more involved you can encourage your children to be, the more likely they are to be pleased with the results. Give them a room that matches their personality, provides them with a space that really feels like their own, and lets them know that they always have somewhere safe and secure to go to if they need it.

Posted in Crafts/DIY | Leave a comment

Kings Island’s Ultimate Stunt Show

Posted on August 7, 2017 by Krissyar

Over the past year or two, Kings Island has really been picking up their game – new rides like Mystic Timbers and having events like the Food Truck Rally, but this time, they’ve really gone all out. This August Kings Island is bringing you the Ultimate Stunt Show!

This month, see the Ultimate Stunt Show at Kings Island daily, at one of the 3 shows – at 1 p.m , 3 p.m , or 5 p.m. The show is located right at the entrance of Kings Island at the fountains and is guaranteed to give you a thrill!

I have watched a lot of stunt shows in my day, and this show compares a lot to what you might see at a circus (in fact, if I didn’t know any better I would say they used to be part of the circus!)- so you get the entertainment of this awesome circus-worthy show, on top of some of the best roller coasters in the U.S.


With stunts like the Wheel of Destiny

The Globe of Fear,

The Motorcycle High Wire
or even the Human Cannon Ball, there is a stunt that everyone will enjoy!

Kings Island is offering child price admission for all park-goers during the Ultimate Stunt Show’s three-week run when tickets are purchased in advance online for $39.99.

You can also take to some stunt action of your own – if you are into that kinda’ thing.
Check out fun activities like the slingshot, or even the Xtreme Skyflyer that my daughter and her friend decided to give a go during our visit last week!

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Cedar Fair and BlogMeetsBrand. Though I was compensated for my time, all opinions are my own.

Posted in Cincinnati, Travel | Leave a comment

5 Steps to a Spring/Fall Cleaning Purge

Posted on August 7, 2017 by Krissyar

Fall is nearly upon us- it’s a renewing, refreshing time of year. The beginning of a school year, is almost like a new year to most of us. We clean up the house, get rid of junk, and ready to start a whole new year with your kiddos.

One of the things I try to do every year – is to purge my house of all the ‘junk’ we’ve collected from the prior year. I will admit my basement is sometimes full of items I’m holding on to for a yard sale, some goodwill stuff, and even some things I wasn’t sure what to do with…

Now as much as I’d love to say I’m a junk-purging-organizational-freak – I’m not. I try. I really do. But getting my house exactly the way I want it; well it only happens for a very short time frame. But it does happen! I purge! I organize! I get things done! And I would lose my sanity if not. So over the years I’ve come up with a few tips to make the ‘purge’ a bit easier and more successful – so you can spend more time enjoying the beautiful Spring weather!

Stock Up on What You Need

Trash bags, totes, bins, labels – make sure you have everything you need to start the spring cleaning/ and organizing. Trust me it’s better to have it all on hand, then to have to stop in the middle of cleaning to go get something!
I like to order stuff off Amazon because I have a better idea of what I need if I’m standing in said room, searching online then when I’m at a store and get distracted (oh look -squirrel!) They have great deals, and free shipping on a lot of organizational stuff, like a wall organizer for all your important paperwork/homework, or this really amazing make-up organizer that will fit on nearly any bathroom vanity.
Usually I shop for one room at a time (helps with the budget too!)

Remember You Don’t Need so Much “STUFF”

The first step to your purge is realizing that you do have too much stuff. Remember that commercial where they box up everything and finally have an open clutter-free garage, and they look at each other and say, “We need more stuff!”? I am pretty sure that how a lot of us get, right?
LESS IS MORE  – really.
I promise you, you will be happier once you go through and purge all the junk from your home. You will operate more efficiently, laundry will take less time, cleaning will take less time – it’s a time saver, a money saver, and overall a sanity saver.

Take It One Room at a Time

Purging and decluttering can be overwhelming not only physically (with your time) but also mentally. When I remember how much I spent on something for one of my girls..and I find it behind their desk, covered with months of dust bunnies – it pains me a little to put it in the sale pile. When I start to add up all the money I essentially ‘wasted’ on things they just ‘had to have’ that looked brand new …well you get the picture. But there are ways to get a room nice and organized and give it a modern day look even for kids.

Besides that, if you try to do too much at once, you’ll want to just throw in the towel because you’re house will look like someone ransacked the place. I usually like to start with the rooms that everyone spends the most time in. I am big about always having my kitchen and living room cleaned up before I go to bed (even if the rest of the house is a disaster) – so this year I started with the kitchen. Just pick your room order and go from there – don’t move on until you have the prior room completely finished (trust me!)

5 Steps to a Spring Cleaning Purge2

Have a Vision

Before you get started have a vision before you get started – what you want it to look like, what your goals are for that room (decluttering, redesigning, etc). Knowing what you want, will help you focus on getting it. For example – in my kitchen I was tired of all the extra cups and plates, and mismatched pans or measuring cups – it was driving me crazy!

Store, Sell & Donate


The first step to purging is to separate – you need to start 3 piles: store, sell and donate. Anything you really want to keep – something with emotional value such as the serving bowl your Grandma gave you, or the china cup your kids made you. The next pile needs to things of value that you are ready to get rid of that you can sell online, or at a yard sale. Thirdly, your donate pile!

Clean!

Vinegar and a de-greaser is your best friend in a kitchen clean-up! Start from the top and work your way down. Kitchen ceilings, window sills, curtains, blinds, etc. Use a grease-cutting cleaner, wash your ceiling, light fixtures, ceiling fans & exhaust fans. Wash teh walls, cabinets, appliances -you get the picture!

 

Posted in Cleaning & Organizing | Leave a comment