Archives for June 2016
Inspirational Quote – Bricks
Guest Post – How to Thrift Shop for Gorgeous Maternity Clothes
Being pregnant is a great blessing. For the first few months everything seems fine, and you can get away with no one noticing your condition. Pregnant women in that stage often turn to baggy jeans, sweats and skirts, steering away from maternity clothes. However, this is only delaying the inevitable. Once the belly gets huge a different approach is required. Today, I’m going to share how to thrift shop for gorgeous maternity clothes. You can look beautiful and empowered on a budget.
Maternity Clothing Can Be Fashionable
Spending a truckload of money on apparel that is going to be worn for just six months is not cost effective. Fortunately, the market is filled with great maternity clothing that is buried under mountains of flashy, commercial, and costly stuff. It is time to do research and find local stores or online retailers that are budget friendly.
Brick and mortar stores such as Goodwill and Once Upon a Child are increasingly popular with many expecting moms. If time is of the essence, a customer may order pieces online. You can find great maternity clothing in places such as a swap online consignment as well. With just a few clicks of the button women can secure a tailored dress designed for pregnancy, and one that also allows them to look fashionable. Comfort and quality come first, but the design is a close second.
Most items will probably be worn just a handful of times, and are likely to be in a great condition. Also with such a variety and volume of clothing available, pregnant women can always discover clothes that fit like a glove and match their taste. There is no need to hide baby bumps anymore or shop for the tent look. Stylish women have proven that tight-fitting clothes are all the rage, accentuating the bump nicely. Be sure to check each piece thoroughly.
Dress for the Occasion
Today, expecting moms pay much more attention to the bliss of the pregnant look. Blake Lively, Coco Rocha, Jessica Biel and others were spotted showing off their growing bellies while looking fabulous. They now compete over the best second-hand finds, and the reason is not just some desire to display frugality. Going through piles of clothes in thrift shops enables you to find unique vintage pieces that are virtually impossible to come by in regular stores.
Famous people have paved the way to snatch the inexpensive ticket for the big fashion show. Following the lead of famous moms, it is advisable to stick to dark and solid colors. Bold prints and bright colors are a questionable choice, because they can make you look bigger and are not easy to mix and match. Opt for pieces that reflect the regular style because repurposing will ensure that they serve well after the child is born.
Finally, keep the eyes open for all things wrap (dresses, tops, sweaters) because their adjustable comfort is a blessing during pregnancy. Make your pregnant self look like a million dollars, even though you spent nowhere near that amount.
Show Your Baby Bump In Style
Who said that pregnancy and stylishness do not go together? Move past stretchy and knit clothing, and dive into an ocean where opulent secondhand treasures lie. Invest time in finding clothes at a reasonable price, and you will be able to accumulate a beautiful dash without blowing your budget.
Author BIO:
Sophia Smith is an Australian based beauty, fashion and lifestyle blogger. She is also very passionate about DIY projects, latest fashion trends and organic beauty products. Sophia writes mostly in beauty and fashion related topics, mainly through blogs and articles. She is regular contributor at High Style Life.
Haus & Garten Titanium Garden Shears Review
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I was given the opportunity to review the Titanium Pruning Shears by Haus & Garten. In return I was given a pair of the garden shears to use in my backyard vegetable garden. However, all opinions are my own. When you’re a gardener, having a quality pair of garden shears is imperative.
I used them in my shrubbery beds, my vegetable garden, and trimming flowers on my deck. First, I pruned a Nadina in my shrubbery bed, and it was like slicing butter. Afterwards, I trimmed a few overhanding branches from my Dogwood Tree, and it was easy as 123. Effortless would be the word I would use.
I headed around back to my deck and trimmed a few of my geraniums. The job was quick and easy. The cut on the plant was perfect. These shears were going to be my go to for cutting back plants and removing vegetables in the garden.
Unfortunately, my vegetable garden wasn’t producing vegetable yet, but I was able to remove lower branches from tomato and pepper plants. I have no doubt that the shears will easily remove my peppers, squash, zucchini and tomatoes from the plants without issues.
Quality material is evident in the shears. They are heavy, but not a distraction. I have carpal tunnel, so the design and comfort of the shears is important to me. Ergonomically designed shears are a must for any gardener really. These shears are definitely a pro, and the feel great in your hands. The blades are thick and strong. So, you will be able to perform most gardening tasks with these shears. They are easy to grasp and position on plants, flowers and small limbs. Little effort is needed to complete the task.
It is my opinion that these shears will withstand many gardening seasons. Compared to other shears that I own, these are superior. They are actually shameful in comparison. I’m looking forward to using them this fall when I cut back my woody shrubs hard.
I recommend these shears for the home gardener. They will also make a great gift for the gardener in your life. Click on the link and head over and check them out.
Top Vegetables for Outdoor Gardens
Backyard Vegetable Gardens can provide healthy rewards for you and your family. Have you thought about growing vegetables in your outdoor garden this summer? In this post you will find a list of the best vegetables for outdoor gardens. Not only will you find tips on the best vegetables to grow in your garden, we also offer advice on important garden maintenance tasks.
1) First, beans, broccoli, sprouts and cabbages are some of the easiest and best vegetables for outdoor gardens. These will grow great even in a small outdoor garden. They offer a long list of advantages and can be prepared in a variety of ways. Not to mention the aesthetic advantage that these low-growing veggies offer. They cover the pots or the area in your garden with a green texture that will become one of your most favorite garden corners.
2) Cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, sweet corn and potatoes – don’t forget the most important vegetables that every gardener should have. Or at least some of them. These plants require just basic care and some are suitable for almost a year-round harvest if you have a greenhouse.
3) Next, carrots, beetroot, onions and herbs – these small yet delicious plants are perfect vegetables for your outdoor garden. They can even be grown in pots. Choose these plants if you prefer green colors or if you want to harvest some good-quality veggies in the autumn. These edibles grow underground and are more resistant to the climate conditions, so you can start the season with planting these about a month before the last frost in the springtime.
You could use these few tips for growing vegetables too:
– Make a gardening schedule. The schedule should include the dates for sowing and starting seeds, the dates for planting directly outdoors and the expected harvesting periods. Do this for every different veggie in your garden. Don’t forget to include other important dates and tasks in your schedule. For instance, the expected first and last frosts for the year. The preferred datefor great garden maintenance services. The frequency of watering during the hottest months, the dates for weed control, etc.
– Choose the harvest periods, which will help organize the sowing and select the right dates for it. If you pick the right moment, you can get the advantage of a double-season harvest for some fast-growing edibles.
– Always try to plant good-quality seeds if you want to get the best harvest. Contact the gardening experts in your region to discuss the details and to get help with the selection of the best seeds. The experts can also assess the specific conditions of your garden and give you indispensable advice for your specific case.
– Consider the regional and climatic factors. The location plays a major role in all the activities in your veggie garden. Some plants prefer slopping terrains, while others – only a certain type of soil. Other veggies prefer terrains with a southern (usually warmer) exposure, while others grow better in shaded terrains.
– Finally, make different combinations of vegetables to take full advantage of their individual benefits. When sowed in a combination, some plants absorb only certain types of nutrients from the soil. And, leaves the other nutrients at the disposal of the other veggies. Other plants grow high and have a large leaf structure, which provides the important shaded conditions for some low-growing veggies. Other combinations of veggies give just aesthetic advantages, but are very effective too. Choose wisely and make sure you give your plants the proper garden care they need at every stage of their growth.
Bio: Ella Andrews is a content writer. She has a passion for home maintenance, healthy living and gardening projects. She is presently focused on writing and enjoying every opportunity to share tips and advice with her readers.
Sunday’s Best Linkup – #77
Welcome to Week 77 of Mother 2 Mother’s Sunday’s Best Linkup. We’re starting our Red, White and Blue theme this week. We’re celebrating the 4th of July and we‘re looking for crafts, recipes, party ideas, decorating inspiration, gift ideas, and anything else you would like share to inspire dishes and decorations.
Each week your hosts will select their favorite post and it will be featured the following week. An image from your post will be used on my blog the following week with a link back to your blog. Be sure to check back to see if you’re a Sunday’s Best featured blogger. All Featured Bloggers will have their posts Pinned to the Sunday’s Best Pinterest Board.
The Reader’s Choice post(s) will be determined by the post(s) with the most clicks. We will be adding the winner to our Sunday’s Best featured bloggers.
All posts linking to Sunday’s Best will be promoted on Twitter.
In addition to the reader’s and hosts selections, a post for our monthly themes will be selected and featured each week as well.
Your Hosts Are:
Rhonda – Mother 2 Mother Kim U. – Pinterested Parent Kim M. – Life In A House of Testosterone
Here’s the rules, please connect with us on social media before you leave or subscribe to/follow our blogs:
Mother 2 Mother: Please subscribe to my blog on the right, like my Facebook Page, follow me on Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, BlogLovin or before you leave.
The Pinterested Parent: Please like Kim’s Facebook Page, follow her on Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Bloglovin before you leave.
Life In A House of Testosterone: Please like Kim’s Facebook Page, follow her on Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Bloglovin, or Instagram before you leave.
Kim M. selected Mango Sangria from Lemons From LuLu
and
Kim U. selected 15 Patriotic 4th of July Wreaths from The Jenny Evolution
and
The Favorite Theme Post
Easy Father’s Day Gift Idea from The Scrap Shoppe Blog
Congratulations to our featured bloggers! All of the posts were great, and I appreciate each of you linking up. We have so many great posts that it gets difficult to choose a featured blogger. I would like to invite all of you back to linkup your post(s) again, it could be selected next week. While you’re here take a minute to visit these great blogs. It’s a great way to meet and connect with new bloggers. Be sure to PIN or share any posts that you like, we all appreciate a little love. Be sure to connect on social media.
Help Your Child Reach Their Potential
Uncovering the true potential in children takes work. A child being successful at whatever she does is the biggest dream of every parent. So, today we’re sharing parenting tips to help your child reach their potential. As parents, you should do everything that you can to help in their development. To help bring positive results, you will have to encourage and build a few characteristic traits. Not all children are the same and every child has his or her specialty. Your guidance will help your child identify their strengths and build on them, which in turn will help them reach their full potential.
- Recognize Your Child’s Potential:
Instead of asking your child to follow others, find out what is special about your child. There will be some things that your child is good at, but they may excel at others. They may hate math, but love ballet or baseball. They may have problems in language class, but be excellent in grasping the concepts of science. Whatever they show an interest in, make sure you talk to them about it. Ask why they are interested. At the same time, make sure you help them out with things that they may not be as good at. Never force them into anything.
- Teach The Importance Of Practice:
Teach your child the importance of practice. Tell them that while they may have an inherent interest and understand the concepts, it is important to keep practicing. It will help them remember things, and with regular practice they may also be able to look at new details that will help them perform better.
- Understand Your Child’s Moods And Be Patient:
Be patient with your child in whatever they want to do. Do not doubt their abilities and don’t allow them to doubt their abilities. Tell them that success is all about being patient and working at it. If your child is not able to understand something, help them go over it again and again. If they feel low about something, inquire. Speak politely, but ask what is bothering them. Sudden outbursts of crying, or irritation are natural. Seek to understand why they are behaving that way.
- Making Friends:
While this may not seem related, forming good inter-personal skills with others is very important to be able to function in a stressful environment. As your child grows, they will come in contact with more and more people. They may have to interact with people for networking, which could facilitate their goal development. It will help them get a broader perspective on things. They will see multiple points of view, instead of just their own. Interacting with others will be a great tool to help them understand their strengths and weaknesses and work on them.
- Praise Your Child:
As a parent you should appreciate your child’s efforts and applaud them whenever you see them putting in an effort. When you do, your child will feel confident and also love the fact that you are attentive. It will boost their moral and make them work harder and do better.
Finally, the tips mentioned here are all very easy to follow. So, help your child reach their potential. Don’t allow your busy life keep them from succeeding. If you have a child at home, how do you help your child work towards his/her goals? We’d love to know more, so tell us in the comments below.
Author Bio – Aradhana is from India. She is a veteran writer on topics concerning parenting, child nutrition, wellness, health and lifestyle. As a regular contributor to popular sites like Huffington Post, Natural News, Elephant Journal, Thehealthsite, Naturally Savvy, Curejoy and MomJunction.com. Aradhana writes to inspire and motivate people to adopt healthy habits and live a stress-free lifestyle.
Pentex Camera Cleaning Pen
I was given the opportunity to review the Pentex Camera Cleaning Pen and I accepted. I’m an amateur photographer who has a lot to learn about taking pictures and maintaining my equipment, so I thought the pen would be a great place to start in learning how to clean my camera.
The pen arrived in a blue velvet pouch, which is perfect for keeping track of the pen. It’s the perfect size for carrying in your purse or camera bag. I removed the pen from the pouch and put it to use. It has a retractable brush, which is so soft. Have no fear of scratching your camera or lens. It does a great job in removing the dust from the lens and camera. I decided to use on my binoculars and phone as well.
You can see the pen in the picture, it has tools on both ends. The brush on one end and a carbon cleaning pad on the other. I keep my camera lens covered with a cap when not in use to minimize scratches and dust. I started with the brush. I dusted the camera all over and removed the cap to clean the lens. I was amazed at how dirty it was. I followed the lens brush cleaning with the carbon cleaning pad. My mouth fell open, the lens was glowing. It was smudge and dust free. I grabbed all of the lens for my camera and went to work. I cleaned the view finder and every nook and cranny on the camera.
Another thing that I like about the cleaning pen is that it does not require additional cleaning fluids. The carbon cleaning pad is patented, environment friendly, non-toxic, and alcohol and ammonia free!
I highly recommend this cleaning pen for both professional and amateurs photographers. This pen would make a great gift for photographers, Christmas, birthday or any time.
Note: I received the Pentex Camera Cleaning Pen in exchange for the review; however, all opinions are my own.
Help Your Child Defeat Bedtime Monsters
Is your child afraid of the dark or they have bad dreams? The scary monsters are real for children. They hear noises, see shadows on the wall, hear the wind blowing or their imaginations get the best of them and they become frightened. I used to watch my grandson constantly look at the front door, especially when it got dark. They have a window on one side of the front door so you can see onto the front porch. I could see that he was scared when he looked over. My grandson is no longer afraid, but my daughter is afraid now. Today, we’re sharing parenting tips on bedtime monsters.
Both were afraid of the dark in my home and in theirs. They also liked for me to lie down with them until they fall asleep. Of course I was happy to accommodate my little darlings, but as parents we can’t always do that. We need every free hour to finish or to do list or just to relax from the day for a few minutes before we head off to bed. My goal was to make sure they were able to go to sleep without being afraid before they started school. I believe it is important that children sleep in their own beds and have a designated bed time during the school year. If you have the same believe, here’s a plan to help you reach this goal:
1. Use Night Lights – Using night lights takes away the fear of the dark.
2. Read Bedtime Stories – Reading or telling a story relaxes children and takes their mind off their fear.
3. Tuck Them In – It’s important that kids feel safe and secure. Put them under the blankets, give them their favorite stuffed animal or night time toy, tell them you love them and whatever else you do to make them feel safe.
4. Take Their Fears Seriously – Don’t tell children that they are being silly or laugh at them. Fear for all ages is real.
5. Calm and Reassure – Hug them and make them feel safe. Discuss the wind, shadows or whatever is bothering them and let them know that other children are afraid too. Tell them that it’s a shadow and explain shadows. Explain how the wind blows and moves tree branches etc. They need to learn what’s happening so they can think about your conversation when things are happening, and that they are not alone .
6. Monsters Are Temporary – Your child will out grow their fear of monsters, the dark, the wind and anything else that frightens. My grandchildren stopped being afraid at the age of 5. We still use nightlights. Big kids still need to be able to see at night. They go upstairs alone at night now. They just turn on the lights and head up. We still haven’t talked them into turning them off when they come back down, but at least they’ve conquered their fear.
We hope our tips on defeating bedtime monsters was helpful. You may also like: How to Teach Your Children Manners.