Parenting Tips Archives - Page 9 of 36

Little Known Martin Luther King Jr Facts

January 26, 2020 by Rhonda Gales Leave a Comment

Today, I’m sharing parenting advice on Little Known Martin Luther King Jr Facts. Martin Luther King (MLK), Jr. is one of the most iconic figures in American History. MLK Jr. was a minister, civil rights leader, husband, father, brother and Uncle. But, there are other facts about his life that few people know, especially our youth.

Little Known Martin Luther King Jr Facts:

Martin Luther King Jr. attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. Started college at the young age of 15 and graduated at age 19 with a Bachelor’s degree. He skipped grades 9 and 12.
When he was 5 his father, a pastor and missionary, changed his name to Martin Luther King, Jr. His name was initially Michael King, Jr. However, after a family trip to Germany he was named after Martin Luther, a German Protestant Reformer. His father, Michael King, Sr., also changed his name.
He loved Star Trek.

Martin Luther King Jr. attempted suicide after his grandmother passed away. He jumped out a two story building.
He and his wife, Coretta Scott King, spent their honeymoon at a friend’s funeral parlor. Unfortunately, there weren’t many places for people of color to honeymoon.
Martin Luther King Jr. wanted to be a doctor or lawyer before he became a Civil Rights Activist and Minister.
Martin Luther King died at the age of 39. However, doctor’s said he had the heart of a 60 year old. Heart Disease had affected his health.
Martin Luther King is still the youngest male to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. He received the honor at age 35.
A mentally ill woman stabbed him in the chest when he was at a book signing. The stabbing almost killed him.
He received his Ph.D. degree in 1955 from Boston University.

Alberta Williams King, Martin Luther King Jr.’s mother, was shot and killed while playing the organ at a Sunday service at Ebenezer Baptist Church. The killer intended to kill, Martin Luther King Sr., but Mrs. King was closer, so he killed her.
While in seminary school, Martin Luther King got a C in public speaking his first year. However, he graduated valedictorian with an A in public speaking.
Martin Luther King Jr. was told that he couldn’t play with his white friend anymore. Sadly, his white friend’s father wouldn’t allow them to play together.
The famous singer, Mahalia Jackson, encouraged Martin Luther King Jr. to speak about “The Dream”. So, he changed his speech to the I Have a Dream Speech hours before he went to the podium.
Approximately 250,000 people gathered to hear Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream Speech at the Lincoln Memorial. It is now the most popular speech in history.
Martin Luther King Jr’s younger brother accidentally drowned July 21, 1969. Alfred Daniel Williams King was 38 years old at the time of his death.

I hope that you find these Unknown Martin Luther King Jr Facts for kids beneficial. You can download the fact sheet here. It’s perfect for homeschooling or an addition to a Black History lesson plan. You may also like Martin Luther King National Park.

Filed Under: Education, Printables Tagged With: black history facts, Martin Luther King Jr.

Famous People With Disabilities

January 19, 2020 by Rhonda Gales Leave a Comment

Today, I’m sharing a list of famous people with disabilities. There is a common misconception that associates a disability with failure, break-downs, or despair. Some people prefer death over a disabled existence. If you are in sound health, there is a high chance that you may think around the same lines. Unfortunately, this sort of thinking has not only created a feeling of difference towards disability, but also the disabled.

Various observations reveal that persons with disabilities actually lead a happy and satisfactory life. For people born with a disability, they have no way to compare their current condition. When someone is born with blindness, he does not have any sense of vision for which to crave.

To most disabled people, the disability is not a grave issue. Once they cope with the initial shock, they learn to adapt. They change their attitude, and achieve a lot more than people expect from them. Many with disabilities believe that success lies in a positive attitude. Furthermore instead of feeling depressed and disappointed they believe in happiness. It is safe to say that with a cheerful approach, disability does not remain a drawback. Disabilities have been proven to be a catalyzing force for higher achievements.

Here are famous people with disabilities:

Helen Keller:

Hellen Keller, one of the most famous disabled persons, was from Alabama. She was an author, lecturer, and political activist. Also, she was the first-ever deaf and blind person to earn a B.A. degree. Her struggle and the role of her teacher, Anne Sullivan became famous through Keller’s autobiography, “The Story of My Life.” She is the author of 12 books, which also includes her spiritual autobiography, “My Religion.” Additionally, Keller was outspoken and firm on her convictions. She was also a member of the Socialist Party in America and supported labor rights, women’s suffrage, etc.

Stephen Hawking:

Stephen Hawking was an astrophysicist, cosmologist, and theoretical physicist. Doctors diagnosed him with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis at the age of 21. He was only expected to live for two years after his diagnosis. However, he went on to outlive his doctors. He lived to be 76, although he suffered from paralysis of his whole body for over 30 years. Hawking used a voice synthesizer for communication and a folding mobility scooter for movement. Nevertheless, these impairments could not restrict the genius of this world-famous researcher. This professor revealed many secrets of the universe and existence. The name of his most famed book is “The Theory of Everything.”

Frida Kahlo:

Frida Kahlo, a Mexican artist, is one of the most famous disabled artists of the 20th century. She suffered from Polio in her childhood. She was seriously injured in her teens, which forced her into bed rest for a long time. Her broken back never healed 100 percent. While fighting her disability, she became famous for her self-portraits. Some portrayed her in a wheelchair. Frida remains as a symbol of the artistic spirit of survival.

Ralph Braun:

Next, Ralph Braun was the founder of Braun Corporation. He wanted to bring the freedom of mobility to persons with disabilities. His organization was one of the leading producers of wheelchair accessible vehicles. President Barack Obama termed the corporation “a champion of change.” Braun was born with muscular dystrophy. In 1966, he made the first wheelchair accessible van with hand controls. In 1991, his company built the first accessible minivan.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt:

Roosevelt was the president of the United States who guided the nation through World War II. Furthermore, Roosevelt served his entire tenure in a wheelchair. He lived his life with courage, and was a great president. His paralysis was the result of Polio. Although disabled, Roosevelt never let anyone doubt his competence. He proved that having a disability is never a drawback to being a beloved leader.

Nick Vujicic:

Nick Vujicic is a world-famous motivational speaker who speaks on the importance of courage for overcoming extremely adverse situations. He is the founder of an organization for people with disabilities, which is called “Life Without Limbs.” It is a non-profit organization as well as an Evangelistic ministry. The organization seeks to spread the message of hope and love through the words of Jesus Christ. Nick, who was born without legs or arms, faced endless challenges in his life, and his present-day celebrity status is proof of the fact that disability is not a significant barrier before human will.

Andrea Boccelli:

So, Andrea Boccelli was an Italian musician, tenor, musical producer, and writer. His notable achievements include selling more than 75 million records! Also, he came into the world with congenital glaucoma, which made him partially blind. But, his blindness could not restrict him from taking music and piano lessons at the age of six. In his early teenage years, he received a severe blow during a football match that made him completely blind. However, his indomitable spirit and continuous striving for improvement led his focus towards music and singing. He also studied law, and went on to win many awards of international repute.

Finally, these great figures, through their stories of resilience, prove that having a disability is not an impediment in achieving greatness. With their perseverance, big heart, and sympathy for others, they overcame their immediate circumstances. These great souls climbed the heights of their obstacles to show the rest of us that human determination and will power can win any battle.

Reference articles:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/famous-people-with-disabilities_n_4142930

https://www.sunrisemedical.co.uk/blog/famous-people-with-disabilities

Filed Under: Education, Health Tagged With: handling disabilities positively, people with disabilities

Valentine’s Lunch Box Notes

January 19, 2020 by Rhonda Gales 2 Comments

Today, I’m sharing free Valentine’s Lunch Box Notes for kids. Valentine’s Day is around the corner. We all want to show our love during this time. So, I created a few lunch box notes to show your children additional love leading up to Valentine’s Day. Be sure to check out my other posts on parenting advice.

In addition to being used as lunch box notes, you can print them and have your child hand them out as Valentine’s Day Cards for classmates. Print them on stock card so they will be sturdy. They’ll be a hit with classmates for sure.

Valentine’s Lunch Box Notes:

Here’s a Pizza of My Heart – The card has two pieces of pizza. Who doesn’t love pizza.

You Make My Heart Go Boom Boom – The card is filled with hearts and one heart that is smiling.

I Loaf You With All My Heart – Next, two slices of bread are the main characters on this card.

Here’s Sprinkles of Love Just for You – Kids love sprinkles. Except for my granddaughter, she’s not a fan. But the quote is cute.
Happy Valentine’s Day My Sweets – This card is filled with slices of cake, ice cream sundaes and more.

My Heart Beats for You – Additionally, this card is filled with candy hearts with love notes like You & Me, Be Mine etc.

Please Be My Jelly – This adorable card contains two slices of bread with peanut butter and jelly.

You’re the Icing on My Cupcake – Cupcakes are a favorite of kids and kids at heart. The icing is my favorite part.

My Heart Is Buzzing For You – This adorable bumblebee will get any heart buzzing.

You’re A Hotty – So, hot sauce lovers will appreciate this card. My grandson loves all things hot and spicy. Just like his grandmother.

Love You Boo – Perfect for a girl or boy.

I hope you liked my lunch idea. Print one or all of the cards, and brighten your child’s day.

You may also like the History of Valentine’s Day.

Filed Under: Holidays, Printables Tagged With: kids motivational notes, notes for kids, Valentine's Day ideas

4 Hidden Dangers in Your Home

January 17, 2020 by Rhonda Gales Leave a Comment

We all want our families to be safe and healthy, especially in our own homes. Today, I’m sharing tips on hidden dangers in your home. So, there are lots of hidden dangers that we don’t even think about or that never cross our minds. They could be doing us a lot of harm.

We’re going to share tips on what you should be looking to ensure optimum safety for everyone in your household. Our tips will help prevent trips to the doctor for bizarre problems or emergencies that could have been prevented.

Here are a few possible hidden dangers in your home:

Roofing

That’s right. Your roof not only protects the inside of your home, but it protects your family from a lot of outdoor elements that can harm your health. When we move into a home, one of the last things we think about is the roof. We don’t think about everything that can go wrong if it’s not well maintained.

Holes and cracks can let in water that creates damp and mildew, leading to health issues. A quick browse online will give you more detail about what to look for and who to call for a regular inspection.

Medicine and Cleaning Products

These items are supposed to help us clean so we can stay healthy, right? Well, yes, but they can also do a lot of harm. Furthermore, we buy cough syrup, use half a bottle, and save it for another time. Or we have a bottle of ibuprofen for our kids that we use now and again. However, cough syrups should be used by the expiration date on the box. Otherwise, it should be thrown away.

Care should be used with certain cleaning products. They may smell nice and give your home a pleasant clean feel, but they can be toxic, and breathing too much of them is dangerous.

Finally, it would help if you kept all of these out of reach of your little ones. The last thing you want is for your toddler to accidentally swallow some medicine or detergent and have to be taken to the ER.

Electrical Outlets and Cords

How many of us have a network of cables behind the tv cabinet? Yes, they are out of sight, but this doesn’t mean you’re out of danger. Thousands of people have wires intertwined and extension cords with way too many plugs in them.

This is a recipe for a fire. First, we don’t want to imagine what will happen if a small child or pet gets behind there. Keep cables tidy and as few as possible in the same place. Ensure you are using a surge protector on printers, computers and TVs.

Empty outlets are also a considerable danger to little ones. But, many of us have done nothing about it? There are plenty of plastic devices that keep them covered so tiny fingers can’t stick anything in them. It will only cost you a few dollars, but save your home or loves one’s life.

Pencils

Last, we’re going to mention pencils. Small children enjoy coloring and have a collection of pens, crayons, and pencils. They need to be observed at all times.

Toddlers and small children don’t fully understand the dangers of fighting, especially with sharp objects. A freshly sharpened pencil can do a lot of damage. It’s best only to give them crayons until they are old enough to understand the dangers and how to use them properly. However, make sure they don’t make attempt to eat the crayons.

Keep Everyone Safe

Now you’ve read this, take a closer look at your home. Determine which of these you need to implement to create a haven for your family with as few hazards as possible. You’ll be able to relax knowing that everyone is as safe as possible and that you’re preventing unwanted trips to the hospital.

Filed Under: Safety Tagged With: children's safety tips, home safety

4 Ways to Teach Your Children To Be Grateful

January 7, 2020 by Rhonda Gales Leave a Comment

Being grateful is something that you learn as you grow. So, teach your children to be grateful at an early age. It’s a trait that’s heavily influenced as a child. It can be very easy for a child to become spoiled. And, that’s not something that they could carry into to adulthood.

Here’s a few tips on teaching your children to be grateful:

Teach Them Manners

Manners are something that gets taught from a young age. Unfortunately, those who don’t have manners in their adulthood can be met with some hostility. Saying please and thank you are two phrases that don’t take much effort. So, when they have the opportunity to use their manner you should encourage them. Do it every time they receive a gift, like one from BeadifulBABY. Or when someone does something that helps them in life. Being appreciative of others is a part of being grateful. Furthermore, it’s one thing that they’ll need in order to thrive in life. If manners aren’t given, they shouldn’t expect to receive them back.

Expose Them More To Reality

The reality of life is one that, as parents, we tend to shield them from. As they’re growing up, everything they see on television, and you do with them is likely to be a positive one. However, as they grow, it’s important to expose them slowly to the realities of the world. Teaching them that their life is likely to be richer than others because there’s always someone who’s suffering more than yourself. It’s a good lesson for them to learn so that they’re more appreciative of what they have and hopefully further down the line, they’ll want to give back to those who are less fortunate.

Make Them Earn It

Being grateful for what you have can come from earning it. Doing household chores or getting a job when they reach a certain age, is a great way to show them how money is earned. Things are rarely given to you for free. And, it’s important to show them this lesson by having them earn pocket money.

Get Them To Name Their Blessings Daily

The blessings we have in life are those that we’re thankful for. Sometimes we forget how lucky we are and just how good we have it. It’s important to make them aware of their blessings. One way to do this is to get them to name their blessings daily. Writing it down or sharing at the dinner table are great family activities. These little recognitions in life are going to really help them understand what they have and what they should be grateful for.

Teaching your children to be grateful is a really effective quality for them to have, and as they grow, it will reflect positively in their adult life too.

Filed Under: Character Building Tagged With: raising children, teaching children character, teaching children manners

Tips on Building Your Son’s Character

December 19, 2019 by Rhonda Gales 2 Comments

Today, I’m sharing parenting advice on building your son’s character. Are you striving to raise good, decent human beings? Community service and leadership helps build a child’s character. Both have the ability to help shape your child’s development and outlook on life. As parents, building values, integrity, honesty, faith and more is a huge responsibility. Fortunately, you don’t have to do it alone.

My grandson plays in the Virginia Beach Pop Warner football program. Nothing Is Given Everything is Earned is their motto. What a lesson to teach our sons and daughters. It prepares them to be productive human beings and work for what they want in life.

Furthermore, they involve their players in Promise Keepers. The purpose of Promise Keepers is to help men learn respect, purpose, and influence in their homes and communities. Many lack role models on how to achieve these goals. So, Promise Keepers helps rise up men with integrity and to identify with Christ. This includes young men who never attend church. Furthermore, they teach men to be humble, honor women and children, and follow God at all costs.

Bill McCartney founded Promise Keepers in 1990. The program has touched the life of 7 million boys and men. They believe in building a strong foundation that will keep young boys on the right path no matter where their future takes them.

7 Promises in Building Your Son’s Character:

Honor – A Promise Keeper is committed to honoring Jesus Christ through worship, prayer and obedience to God’s Word. Teach your son to give glory and all honor to God in everything he does. It will be a blessing to watch him pray, attend church and obey his parents, grandparents and other leaders. My grandson was leading us in prayer and blessing the food when he was five.

Brotherhood – A Promise Keeper is committed to pursuing relationships with other men. They must strive to understand that he needs brothers to help him keep his promises. So, being a team player is important. It’s imperative that you teach your son that it’s okay to reach out to others. Teach your son that he doesn’t have to go through life alone or deal with his problems alone. Being a part of a group helps young men feel like they belong and it helps build a strong foundation for them to stand on.

Virtue – A Promise Keeper is committed to practicing spiritual, moral, ethical, and sexual purity. It’s so important that teens/children have someone to turn to. Especially, when they reach puberty. Peer pressure can be difficult for kids. Socializing with other who have the same values can help during difficult times. Especially, when difficult decisions have to be made. Furthermore, teens need to understand that not having sex and not following the crowd is cool.

Commitment – A Promise Keeper is committed to building strong marriages and families through love, protection and biblical values. Many young men come from single parent homes. As a result, parents come together and open their homes to other team members. Young boys get an opportunity to see homes that are different from theirs or the same. It’s important for young men to learn to love who they are and where they come from.

Change Making – A Promise Keeper understands that Jesus calls him to be His hands and feet, serving others with integrity. He purposely lifts up the leadership of the church and his nation in prayer. Teaching your son to give Jesus the glory in that he does will build confidence. He will learn to rely on someone greater than him, and he will carry it into all aspects of his life.

Unity – A Promise Keeper is committed to reaching beyond any racial and denominational barriers to demonstrate the power of biblical unity. Expose your child to other children who don’t look like them or who don’t worship like them is imperative. So, it’s important that children understand diversity. Involving them in programs and being around other who are different from them helps them understand diversity better.

Obedience – A Promise Keeper is committed to influencing his world, being obedient to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. Teaching children to be obedient to their parents, teachers, and elders is important. With this comes manners and respect.

Finally, your child doesn’t have to play organized sports or go to church every Sunday to implement these teachings into his life. You can use these stepping stones in building your child’s character on a solid foundation. Good character builds a good personality, and it is the basis for personal growth. It is the core of a person’s characteristics, and character building should start at an early age.

Filed Under: Character Building Tagged With: character building, parenting teens, teaching children character

Healthy Eating Tips for Kids

December 14, 2019 by Rhonda Gales 2 Comments

Today, I’m sharing parenting tips on healthy eating tips for kids. Implementing small steps is the key to getting your child to eat healthy. Pushing your kids until they eat their greens might ensure that they get the right nutrition, but it’s not going to get them excited about choosing the right foods.

As any parent knows, there’s more to teaching children about the benefits of healthy eating than simply encouraging them to eat the right foods every day. It’s also important to make sure that your children feel passionate about the meals that they’re getting. They’re more likely to build healthy habits that last for a lifetime.

The good news? Changing your child’s attitude towards food doesn’t have to be as complicated as it seems. Everything from getting your child involved in the cooking process to gamifying the experience of learning about food can make a huge difference.

5 Healthy Eating Tips for Kids:

Start Gardening Together

Our kids healthy eating tips begins with a garden. Gardening with your children can also help to improve your child’s attitude towards nutrition and healthy eating. When your child works with you on tending a garden and growing their own fruits and vegetables, they’re less likely to turn their noses up at the same items on their plate.

Children want to celebrate their achievements and eating the food that they have grown themselves is a way of doing that. You don’t need to start a huge vegetable patch to make a lasting impact on your kids with gardening either. There are plenty of foods that you can grow in a very small space. For instance, tomatoes and runner beans grow perfectly in smaller spaces, if you’ve got a wall or some sticks for the vines to climb. You can even work with your children on finding vegetables that would be suitable for your garden.

Start Cooking Together as a Family

Having kids in the kitchen can often be a recipe for disaster. However, if you really want to create a positive relationship between your children and their food, then you’re going to need to deal with a little mess.

Bringing your children into the kitchen gives them a chance to experiment with different ingredients and flavors behind the scenes. They get an insight into what’s going into their food before they see it on their plate. And, they’ll be more likely to want to experiment with new things. One study found that school-based cooking programs can have an excellent impact on the food-related preferences of children, as well as their attitude towards food.

At the same time, you get the benefit of being able to spend some quality time with your youngsters, teaching them skills that they’ll be able to use in the future.

Get Technical

When it comes to kids, it’s always a good idea to gamify. If simply telling your children why certain foods are so good for them doesn’t seem to make an impact, use something they love to make them passionate about food—use technology!

Technology is not a bad thing and can make things easier for you and them too. In fact, you can even use apps that help you monitor your kid’s health and progress. There are also plenty of amazing educational apps built specifically for children that uses fun graphics to connect exercise and food for children into a language that they can understand.

You might find an app that teaches your children the benefits of each food item on their plate are by having them match food to its healthy outcome. Alternatively, you could download apps that allow you and your child to plan future meals together.

Planning meals with your little one will make them feel more invested in the food that they’re eating so they will clean off their plate more often.

Share the Benefits of Nutritious Foods

Children like to know the reasons for what they’re doing. There’s something exciting about getting to see the inner workings of the world around you.

Rather than just telling your children that they need to eat their carrots, tell them that those carrots are an amazing source of good things like antioxidants, beta carotene, and other crucial substances and explain what they do.

Sitting down and talking to your children about the food on their plate each day and why it’s going to make them healthy and strong will make them more likely to want to eat it.

Try linking the benefits to something that matters to them.

For instance, if you eat your broccoli the iron in it will help give you the energy you need to do really well in your next soccer game.

You could even go online and watch some educational videos about how certain foods improve your health and fitness.

Be a Role Model

If you’re constantly dieting or struggling with erratic eating habits where you fail to have a full meal every night, then you’re going to confuse your children. It’s important to learn how to be a role model for your children. Although it’s tempting to make sure that your child gets good food, then completely forget about your own needs, it’s important to remember that your behavior makes a difference to what your child sees as normal.

Be honest with yourself about the kind of messages you’re sending to your child about food. Whenever you can, sit down for a full meal with your little ones at a table, and let them see you eating the same ingredients that they’ve got on their own plates.

You could even bring your child along to the supermarket and let them see what kind of food you buy, and why.

Teaching Kids About Food

Teaching children about food isn’t always easy. The chances are that your little ones will automatically want to spend more of their time eating fast food and sugar than fruits and veggies. However, the five tips above will give you the support you need to introduce your children to the amazing world of healthy ingredients, and their benefits.

Remember, successfully teaching your children about food means building habits that they can keep honing over the years. Don’t give up if your first attempt to impart wisdom on kids healthy eating tips doesn’t have an impact.

Lisa Michaels is a freelance writer, editor and striving content marketing consultant from Portland. Being self-employed, she does her best to stay on top of the current trends in business and tech. Feel free to connect with her on Twitter @LisaBMichaels.

Filed Under: Meal Time Tagged With: healthy eating, kids healthy eating tips, kids meals

How to Make Your House a Home

December 6, 2019 by Rhonda Gales 2 Comments

It’s what you do inside your house that makes it a home. Are you struggling to make your house a home? Today, I’m sharing parenting tips on how to make your house a home. It’s more than just a roof over your heads. It’s the place you will make memories and spend time together. It should be set up for you to make the most of family life.

There are many factors to consider when making your house a home for your family. It needs space, but home decor is important too. Perhaps the most useful skills are recognizing the potential and being able to work with what you have. All it takes is a little imagination and some effort, but the benefits are more than worth it.

Here are a few tips to make your home warm, comfortable and fun:

Your Property

If you’re purchasing your family home, it’s a good idea to think of what you need and what features are ‘must haves’ rather than ‘nice to have’. Property experts, like msyorkville.com, say that “there is a good chance that what you believe you are searching for and what you need will be two different things.”

Expert advice could help you bridge the gap between what you are looking for, and what is available on the market.

If you want to upgrade your property to help it fulfill its potential, it’s easiest to focus on one aspect at a time. It could be creating a new family bathroom, or extending to have more multi-purpose space that helps you achieve the lifestyle you want. This could be a study or a family music room.

Spaces to Get Together

If your short on a budget then it helps to narrow down your focus. One of the changes you can make that will have the most impact is looking at the places that you spend time together. Although there are places that are common with every family, it works best if you make it personal for you.

That means if you are a family that loves cooking and eating together, you should think about making some small changes to create a spacious kitchen or homey breakfast nook. Adding an island to your kitchen, or just opening up space for more seating, could be a great way to bring you all closer together.

Alternatively, if you all come together at the end of a long day to watch TV, focus on creating a den where you can all relax.

Make it Fun

Fun and laughter are said to be a key element of a family home, which certainly makes sense. There are two ways to bring fun into your family home while working on it at the same time. The first way is to make it a family project.

Turn the activities into fun things that everyone can get involved in at some level. Feeling part of it will be a nice reminder every time you see your changes, and the results will benefit everyone.

The second way to keep it fun without too many precious things. You’re an adult and a parent, so balancing the two can be hard. Create a space for nice things that are just for you, but don’t fill the house with expensive breakables if you have young kids. They will feel like they can’t run around, and you’ll get upset when things get broken.

It’s the Little Things

You don’t need to carry out a big DIY or renovation project to get your house feeling like a home. Some small touches can really make an impact. Accessories don’t need to be expensive to help you transform your space. Take your time over finding the right pieces to finish your room, or get crafty to create the ambience you are looking for.

Plants can be an effective way to bring life to a room. Alternatively, take a look at your room and decide what it’s lacking. If it needs warmth consider adding a rug or changing blinds to curtains. However, if it’s a bit gloomy add mirrors and a change of lighting could really impact how you feel in the space.

The Finishing Touches

The most important part of making your house a home is planning your design and decor around family moments. If the changes you make will help you carry out activities, get together more often, and have fun with each other, then you will make your house feel like home.

Having enough space to take some quiet moments is essential. So, before you make everything open plan, consider keeping a few spots secluded so that you can have some you time or some one on one moments.

Filed Under: Holidays Tagged With: home buying tips, home decor, home improvement tips

Holiday Decorating Tips for Your Home

December 5, 2019 by Rhonda Gales Leave a Comment

Are you looking for budget friendly holiday decorating ideas for your home? Today, I’m sharing parenting advice on holiday decorating tips. It’s time to make this holiday season the most eco-friendly, beautiful, and practical yet. There are some small changes that we can all make this year to reduce our environmental footprint without sacrificing style. In this article, we will go over tips for decorating your home so it will shine brightly with consciousness and sustainability.

Here are a few holiday decorating tips:

Use LED Lights

Imagine the sheer quantity of CO2 that would be saved over the twelve days of Christmas if every household switched their old, incandescent, exterior lights for the new, upgraded LED equivalent. It is also much smarter to hang LED tree lights. These bulbs emit a fraction of the heat and use far less electricity, so you don’t have to worry about fire hazards or cost.

LED lights are much more environmentally friendly than their traditional counterparts, using up to 80% less energy. You can also switch to solar-powered lights for the outside. A helpful hint is to keep the lights on a timer.

Are you avoiding LEDs because you don’t want to spend money on new lights? In the long run you will save money. The more modern, eco-friendly option will reduce your energy bills so you’ll have more savings at the end of the holiday season.

The twinkle lights come in compact packaging replete with cable and small bulbs and are much less of a hassle when attempting to install them in tricky areas of your home.

Take care when you are using a ladder to string decorations on the roof. Especially, if you live in a place with an icy winter climate. To be extra safe, look at the roof to make sure it is in decent condition before you climb up. According to the site for Dominion Roofing Company, warning signs of a faulty roof include broken shingles, buckling, curling, and leaks.

Purchase a Live Christmas Tree

Does your family have a long-standing tradition of Christmas Tree hunting? Great! Not only is this a fun event for the whole family, but buying real instead of fake is an essential step to enjoying an eco-friendly yuletide. Fake trees require a lot of energy to produce, and they are made from non-renewable petroleum-based products. They will take years to break down in a landfill site. Buying a natural tree means reducing plastic pollution.

Christmas tree farms act as carbon sinks as they are a slow-growing crop. The trees smell nicer, look better, and you will be supporting local farmers. Make a day out of it and visit one of the farms in your area. Choose your favorite farm and get to know the owners. Spread the holiday spirit.

Tree Trimming Fun

There’s nothing better to create a jolly atmosphere than a pine-needle smell permeating a home for the holidays. If you are buying a real tree this holiday, consider putting the trimmings to work! You can use the cut sprigs to make a wreath, add decoration to presents, or dress up the settings on your holiday dining table.

If you want to get creative, you can make glass ornaments containing evergreen cuttings, or place them in a jar for pure enjoyment. The natural world offers so many free resources that can add warmth to your home. And, the best part is you don’t have to spend much money or time sourcing and using them. The best ideas are often the simplest. We love adding in elements like Clementines, winter berries, and pine cones to create elegant garlands and lovely centerpieces.

To Sum Up

This holiday season, consider all of the naturally available resources you have, and get crafty! Take advantage of new technologies that will lower your holiday expenses. It’s more important now than ever to make this year’s Christmas a little more sustainable.

Filed Under: Holidays

Keeping Your Kids Healthy During the Holidays

December 4, 2019 by Rhonda Gales Leave a Comment

The holidays are here, and with them a variety of health concerns: the cold, the flu, and the holiday fat. Today, I’m sharing parenting advice on keeping your kids healthy during holidays. The holiday season can be amazing. But, between the flu bug and the holiday overeating our best intentions for health and fitness can awry.

Here are 5 tips to keeping your kids healthy:

1). Make Sure They See the Doctor

First, are your kids current on their pediatrician visits? Your pediatrician can evaluate their overall health and identify any pressing issues as well as keep them current on their vaccinations,

According to Families First Pediatrics in South Jordan, UT, it’s a good idea to bring your children in around the beginning of holiday season. Vaccinations are an important concern. Especially with the flu and other nasty bugs going around. But, there may be other issues you may want to address head-on so you can have a good holiday season.

So, be sure to ask about any health concerns you may have. Furthermore, their vitamin levels. Are they getting enough Vitamin D and/or Vitamin E? Discuss this concern with your doctor.

2). Let Them Have Sick Days

It’s likely that you’ll have to deal with some runny noses, coughs, and sniffles during the holiday season. As a result, it’s a good idea to allow your children to have a sick day or two now. Push them to go to school could end up with them missing more days and exposing other children in their classes.

3). Keep Everyone Moving

It can be very easy to let physical activity fall by the wayside during the holidays. After all, everyone’s busy celebrating and eating lots of delicious food. Furthermore, there’s a good chance it’s a lot colder outside and the days are shorter. Admittedly, winter may present you with some of your biggest tests, but there are a few tried and true ways to getting your kids physically active and healthy.

For example, walk as much as possible. A brisk walk in the cold can be refreshing. Walking a few blocks with the family after dinner can be a good source of exercise and a chance to burn calories. When you return, cozy up to the fire and play a game. Also, try to find opportunities to be physically active indoors. Yoga, which requires very little room or special equipment, can be done by practically anyone. This includes kids as well as adults.

No parent condones running inside, but sled riding or building a snowman can be fun if you have snow in your area. A day at the roller skating or ice skating rink can be fun too. If it’s not too cold riding bikes around the neighborhood can be fun.

4). Hand Hygiene

Hand hygiene is also important not only during the holidays, but throughout the year. It’s flu season, and colds are common as well. Make sure your kids adhere to frequent hand-washing after using the restroom, before meals, and after blowing their noses. A simple bar of soap should suffice for all hand-washing needs.

5). Look for Healthy Food Alternatives

You’re likely to get a lot of resistance to healthier meal planning for the holidays. So, “Hey guys, we’re going to try some healthier versions of all our favorite holiday foods!” is likely to get you push back. Unfortunately, for many kids and many adults, when they hear “healthier” they think it means “terrible and icky”.

Instead, make brownies using black beans instead of flour or cookies made with bananas instead of butter. Serve them to your children without explanation of what’s in them. Let them enjoy these treats without realizing they’re eating something different.

Conclusion

Being healthy for the holidays can help everyone enjoy them. From careful hand hygiene to paying attention to what you eat, these 5 tips should help you get the most out of your holiday season.

Filed Under: Health Tagged With: healthy kids, Holiday ideas, kids health tips