Tips

The 8 Healthy Snacks You Should be Eating Daily

Posted on February 2, 2017

What you eat between meals matters as much as the food you consume for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. This is where a lot of people make mistakes because it’s not uncommon to assume that if you eat chips or other snacks, you get to “correct that mistake” with healthy meals.

Your body doesn’t work like that, and it needs a constant flow of healthy foods rich in valuable nutrients to remain healthy. It is important to establish healthy eating habits; it’s always useful to watch food documentaries with detailed insight into consumers’ habits, processed foods, and benefits of well-balanced diets.

Healthy eating requires proper snacks, too. Here are some snack ideas you could use:

Nut butter packets

Nut butter is one of those snacks that are both delicious and healthy at the same time. They are made from cashews, macadamia nuts, almonds, walnuts, or hazelnuts and you can easily find them in grocery stores, farmer’s markets, even online. Nut butters are abundant in nutrients like proteins, phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and healthy fats. Besides nut butter jars, brands like Nuttzo and Justin’s supply on-the-go single-serving packets of these healthy snacks.

Pistachios

Reasons to eat more pistachios are numerous; they are rich in Vitamin B6 which is responsible for the production of hemoglobin whose role is to supply oxygen to the cells. One study found that consumption of pistachios lowers levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and reduces cardiovascular disease risk. Evidence suggests that moderate intake of pistachios is beneficial for body weight management due to their satiety and satiation effects and they help your body maintain healthy antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.

Walnuts

Did you know that one-quarter cup of walnuts provides more than 100% of the daily recommended value of plant-based Omega 3 fatty acids? Health benefits of walnuts are numerous including cancer-fighting properties, heart health, and weight management. Another reason they make a perfect snack in between meals is that they deliver remarkably powerful antioxidants which destroy free radicals and protect your body from oxidative damage. Men who eat one-half cup or 75g walnuts a day improve vitality, motility, and sperm quality. Let’s not forget that walnuts are super beneficial for your brain as well.

Edamame

Basically, edamame is an underripe green soybean that provides a unique mix of slow-digesting carbs, proteins, and steady energy levels. If you’ve never tried edamame before, you should definitely do so because this healthy snack delivers a number of benefits to your body. Since it’s soybean, edamame has the potential to protect the brain from age-related diseases, reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, and decrease odds for breast and prostate cancer. The folate in edamame helps relieve symptoms of depression, alleviates inflammation, and promotes fertility in women. So many benefits coming from such a small soybean.

Dried plums

Prunes or dried plums are ideal for people who want to eat something sweet but healthy as well. Thanks to high fiber content, this snack promotes satiety thus helping you manage weight. Appetite suppressant properties are necessary for weight loss too! One study showed that dried plum prevents the loss of total bone mineral density in postmenopausal women due to the ability to inhibit bone resorption.

Apricots

Apricots are versatile, you can eat them as they are or add to yogurt and oatmeal for natural sweetness. Plus, you can opt for dried or fresh apricots, it’s up to you. So, what makes them an ideal snack? It’s because they provide various health benefits such as prevention of anemia, eye health, reduced risk of fatty liver diseases, and so on. Bear in mind that apricots have anti-inflammatory properties as well, improve digestion, and regulate your blood pressure. Besides all this, they are incredibly delicious.

Kale chips

The word “chips” immediately reminds you of potato chips that you munch on a daily basis, especially at night. You already know that’s not, exactly, the healthiest food choice one can make, especially if it’s store-bought. When it comes to chips, you just have to be creative and think outside the box. For instance, kale chips are a wonderful snack, it’s tasty and healthy, plus it doesn’t require too much preparation. You’ll be surprised to know that this particular snack can help you lose weight, protect eyesight, and improve heart health. How it’s chips after all?! It’s because they aren’t fried, but baked thus retaining nutritional content. Sounds tempting? You can find a recipe for kale chips online, including here.

Regular snacks that people consume on a daily basis are unhealthy, contribute to weight gain, and increase the risk of numerous health conditions. These negative effects don’t miraculously improve just by opting for a nice, healthy lunch.

This article listed a few ideas for snacks that are both healthy and delicious. Give them a try, you’ll love them.

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New Parents: Design Your Baby’s Nursery Room Like a Boss

Posted on February 1, 2017

Welcoming a baby is an exciting time around the home. But before the baby arrives, mom and dad have some work to do. From selecting the perfect crib to choosing the comfiest nursery chair, here are five tips to make the nursery cozy for the entire family.

The Crib

While many parents don’t necessarily think of the crib as an investment, it truly is. Your child will likely sleep in a crib for the first few years of his or her life. And, if you are planning to have more kids, you will soon find that your crib was in fact, a good investment. When choosing your crib, be sure to check that it meets all of the current United States safety requirements. Although you may want to use a family heirloom or precious antique crib in baby’s room, be cautious, as safety standards have evolved over the past decade, and the crib you may be thinking about using could be dangerous. When it comes to design, choose a crib that suits your style. And, if you are planning on having more children, perhaps consider choosing a crib that is gender neutral.

Noise-Reducing Curtains and Drapes

Noise-dampening window dressings can be a great option for parents who are searching for a way to reduce the amount of noise from outside that is heard indoors. Whether the noise is coming from a busy street or a barking dog, certain styles of drapes and curtains can actually help your new bundle of joy sleep better. Dense materials such as velvet and suede are good for keeping outside sounds muffled. Pleated curtains can help to reduce some noise and layering your window dressings can also make the room a bit quieter and tranquil.

The Changing Table

Possibly one of the most essential items, behind the crib, in baby’s room is the changing table. There are a few possibilities you can choose from when adding a changing station to the nursery. The freestanding changing table is one option. Here, you should be able to access everything you need to change your baby — necessities should never be more than an arm’s reach away. A changing top is a second option. The changing top is different as it is not freestanding but instead a piece that can be added to an existing dresser. For parents with limited space in the baby’s room, a changing top may be the best idea. When choosing your changing station, be sure to consider whether or not it can be repurposed after your baby grows out of his or her diapers.

Aromatherapy

Along with at the spa or in a relaxing bath at home, aromatherapy can be used in the baby’s room. However, keeping the nursery smelling great must be done with caution. Consider using a diffuser in the room; this will both humidify and diffuse the essential oils throughout the space. When adding oils, be sure to dilute them. For example, parents with children ages 0-1 should dilute the oil to one-eighth its concentration.

The Nursery Chair

When the baby arrives, new parents will be spending a lot of time in the nursery. And while it’s important to make the room comfy for your baby, making the room cozy for mom and dad is also crucial. That’s where the nursery chair comes in. While essential to the room, parents can use the nursery chair to add a pop of color to the room or show off their style. Remember, this is a nursery. Choose fabrics that are washable and consider choosing a pattern or print that can hide stains well.

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The 4 Things You Need to Do To Help Your Child Find His or Her Moral Compass

Posted on February 1, 2017

With everyone from politicians to rap stars to professional athletes posting their sometimes abrasive and mean-spirited thoughts online, it can be difficult to try and get kids to avoid doing the same thing.

But Rabbi Daniel Cohen, the father of six daughters and the author of “What Will They Say About You When You Are Gone?” provides some tips for parents struggling to find the right way to talk to their children about such issues and ensure their kids are not making mistakes that will come back to bite them later in life.

He says it begins with helping children understand the choices they make every day.

“I’m not referring to choices about the clothes you wear or the food you eat,” says Cohen who serves as the senior Rabbi at Congregation Agudath Sholom in Stamford, Connecticut, the largest modern orthodox synagogue in New England. . “These choices do not represent the essence of who we are or want to be.”

Instead, Cohen says parents can lead by example when they show their children how they try to make meaningful choices every day, which “require reservoirs of strength, faith and clarity.”

Children – and adults – need to think about whether they want to be seen as a giver or a taker, he says.

“Do you want to be remembered for your honesty, authenticity and warmth? These are the moral choices confronting us every day whether in private or in public,” says Cohen, who also co-hosts with Reverend Greg Doll the nationally syndicated radio show “The Rabbi and the Reverend” Sunday mornings at 11 AM and evenings at 9 PM.

That may translate into things such as getting back to someone when we’ve promised them an answer; seizing the chance to help when asked; not posting ugly comments online or simply smiling more. Those are the things that best teach our children how to live a meaningful life, he says.

For parents looking for ways to help their children develop more positive mindsets and actions and avoid doing things that might hurt their reputations later in life, Cohen suggests:

Developing the “good habit” muscle. Ask children about how they behave when no one is looking. Do they listen to their “inner voice” or do they ignore it and do something they’re not supposed to do, such as posting a snarky Facebook comment about someone else? Cohen says children need to be encouraged to listen to that inner voice, because that’s when courageous choices happen. If they don’t listen, then they “become inured to follow what feels good as opposed to what is good,” he says.
Bolstering self-confidence. Talk with kids about the choices they’ve made in the past week that made them feel good inside. What helped them make those choices? Are there lessons to learn from those things to help them in the future? “When you’re confronted with a moment of indecision, with only a split second to decide whether to listen to your inner voice, you’ll follow what you’re conditioned to do. One good choice energizes another,” he says.
Looking for motivators. Children often are bombarded today with the opinions and thoughts of celebrities and public figures who may or may not behave appropriately. Parents need to talk to their children about who they look up to and why. Who motivates them to be their best? Is it some music star or is it perhaps a grandparent or sibling? Do they keep this person in mind when they make their choices?
Helping them to celebrate small victories. Parents can help their children understand that each new day provides a new opportunity. To be generous and not greedy. To be honest and not deceitful. To be selfless and not self-serving. “Each morning,” he says, “we’re blessed with an opportunity to choose life and get back on the road to success.”

Parents, Cohen says, can use these moments to also energize their own commitment to being better in both the big moments and the small ones.

“At every moment of our lives, whether young or old, we’re called up to be our very best. We’re charged with living life with passion and purpose. The world is watching,” Cohen says. “If we choose courageously and optimize our opportunities, we’ll know that we gave of our gifts and touched the world.”

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Winter Dangers: 10 Ways to Protect Your Family from Carbon Monxide

Posted on January 29, 2017

Carbon monoxide is winter’s “silent killer.” Carbon monoxide kills an average of 430 Americans each year and sickens many others. It’s a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas undetectable to the human senses, so people don’t realize that they are being exposed to it.

Symptoms range from headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness to confusion, vomiting, loss of muscular coordination and loss of consciousness.

Carbon monoxide poisoning can happen slowly or swiftly depending on circumstances. In an effort to raise public awareness, CaliforniaPoison Control offers 10 tips to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning:
1. Have all heating equipment installed properly, and have the home’s heating system inspected by a professional prior to turning the heat on when cold weather begins.
2. Carbon monoxide detectors should be installed in all homes, apartments and workplaces. When a detector goes off, assume that a real danger is present, and get all people and pets out of the structure immediately. Do not re-enter until a heating professional, the gas company or the fire department has declared the area safe.
3. During home renovations, ensure that appliance vents and chimneys are not blocked by tarps or debris. Make sure appliances are in proper working order when renovations are complete.
4. Do not cover the bottom of natural gas or propane ovens with aluminum foil. Doing so blocks the combustion air flow through the appliance and can produce carbon monoxide.
5. Never use portable fuel-burning camping equipment inside a home, garage, vehicle or tent unless it is specifically designed for use in an enclosed space and provides instructions for safe use in such an area.
6. In climates with snow, make sure that chimneys and vents do not become blocked with snowfall.
7. Never operate a portable generator or any other gasoline engine-powered tool either in or near an enclosed space such as a garage, house or other building, or outside of an open window. Keep the generator as far from the house as possible.
8. Do not use charcoal or hibachi grills indoors to cook with or for heat under any circumstances.
9. Do not attempt to heat your home by turning on the oven or clothes dryer and leaving the door open.
10. Never let a car engine run inside a closed space such as a garage. Drive out promptly after starting the car, and turn the car engine off as soon as you drive into an enclosed space. Never have a garage door closed with a running vehicle inside, even for a few seconds.

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Political Discourse: Kid President On ‘How to Disagree’ (VIDEO)

Posted on January 27, 2017

With all the politically explosive exchanges, dialogue among friends, and others, it’s a good idea to take a step back and learn how to better debate.

Thankfully, the folks at the YouTube channel Soul Pancake released a video a few months ago of Kid President telling his audience how to civilly disagree.

In the video, Kid President lists some things people can disagree about…

“Some people even argue with a tree,” Kid President says in the video. “Who am I to judge though maybe the tree said something about his momma.”

Kid President then gives his audience tips for disagreeing without hurting people’s feelings.

“When you disagree you’re going to want to do some crazy stuff like yell or write and release an entire album outlining that you’re right and they’re wrong,” says Kid President. “Don’t do it.”

Launched in July 2012, Kid President is the creation of the uncle of the young man who plays the role, Brad Montague, who, according to kidpresident.com website, wanted to shift the focus onto the important perspective of kids.

“It began as just a few videos we made for fun,” said Montague in a post on kidpresident.com. “My younger brother-in-law Robby, who plays the character of Kid President in the videos, is one of my favorite people to spend time with. He and I love making things together and never dreamed our journey would take us the places it has.”

Soul pancake has over 1.7 million subscribers. Some of Kid President’s more popular video include: “A Pep Talk from Kid President to You,” which has 38.8 million views, and “20 things you should say more often,” which has 10.6 million views.

“I believe kids can change the world,” said Montague in his post on kidpresident.com. “I also believe grown ups can change the world. It just takes all of us working together.”

Watch and get inspired.

h/t to my friend Andrea Paulson for sharing this slightly dated video recently on her Facebook feed and inspiring me to share it with you all.

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Budget Posh: 3 Tips to Get a Sophisticated and Elegant Living Room

Posted on January 26, 2017

Partner Post

The living room is a crucial space in any home; it is the first place any stylish homeowner looks to when trying to revamp a living space. Decorating and styling your living room is an opportunity to showcase your personal taste and show off your style muscles. This is easier said than done particularly if you have champagne style and you are operating on a canned beer budget. However, let your shoestring budget not prevent you from having that elegant and sophisticated living room you have always desired. Here are three budget friendly tips to help redecorate your living room.

Start by simplifying your style

There is a lot of sophistication and elegance in simplicity. Doing too much may not only cost you more but may also end up making your living room cluttered and over-accessorized. You will end up with a disorganized and messy space other than the chic, elegant and sophisticated look you were going for. Simply begin by paring down your collection and ensure you only retain elegant pieces that evoke strong memory or have some sentimental value. The best thing about a simplified space is that every element of your design will stand out and shine. Here are some trips on de-cluttering;

Instead of many pieces of art that will make your pace look disorganized, go for a statement piece that stands out.
Creatively camouflage your television; a huge flat screen is a must have for most people however it can make your living room look congested. Visually minimize it by creating a gallery wall. Alternatively go for a salon-style arrangement around it. I am sure you are wondering how this works? Very simple! The frame of your TV screen will blend with the art work and distract the eye

Go for vinyl flooring and laminate flooring instead of hardwood

Most Americans favor for hardwood flooring over luxury vinyl plank flooring and laminate flooring without considering how affordable the latter methods floors are. When dealing with hardwood you have to worry about scratches and dents and a remodel that comes with a high price tag. Opt for vinyl flooring that looks like real wood instead of solid or even engineered hardwood as it is often times ¼ the cost and DIY friendly (meaning no expensive contractor!).

Vinyl flooring is extremely versatile in color because they use 3-D printing that resembles stone or hardwood. Additionally, vinyl planks are easily replaceable as compared to real hardwood; you can cut and install vinyl planks with only a razor blade and hammer!

Vinyl is not only cheaper but it is more durable and scratch resistant than hardwood. Since it is made of composite materials, it doesn’t dent and scratch like engineered or real solid wood does. Since vinyl is completely water resistant it can serve well in spaces that have a great moisture and water content, or rather places vulnerable to leakages. The best part is you can get it printed in almost any color, grain pattern or style to match whatever interior design style you have going in your living room. Wood look vinyl can give your home that classic and elegant feel that makes it more pleasant and welcoming with out the high price tag and expensive remodel. You can get free vinyl flooring samples from most retailers without even inputting a credit card to see what best matches your style!

Try out window treatmentsThis is a great way of saving the pocket book while getting a sophisticated and elegant style. Window treatments are a perfect replacement for unlined and flimsy curtains. Opt for secondary colors here that complement either your furniture color or main color scheme in the living room. Look for simple patterns or solid colors, window treatments that are too busy with lots of stripes and patterns can take away from the overall theme of the room and draw your eye away from the centerpiece of the room.
These three design techniques will go a long way in adding elegance, sophistication, class and style to your living room space.

photos: GoHaus, InOutInteriors

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Here Are The Benefits of Hiring an Au Pair

Posted on January 24, 2017

Parents have two choices when hiring an in-home caregiver: a nanny or an au pair.

Although sometimes the two titles are used interchangeably, they are very different types of caregivers. Nannies are caregivers, either live-in or live-out, that are responsible for meeting the developmental needs of the child and taking on child-related household responsibilities.

They are hired as employees directly by the parents. On the other hand, au pairs are foreign caregivers that are placed with host families through the Department of State.

Rather than an employee/employer relationship, au pairs are part of a cultural exchange program, and are welcomed as part of the family from the start. They receive a weekly stipend, the opportunity to experience American life and the chance to continue their education while they’re in our country in exchange for childcare. Although there are restrictions on the number of hours an au pair can work and what duties she can perform, there are lots of advantages to au pair care too.

Here’s a look at what many families love about having an au pair.

An au pair can teach your child a foreign language. In today’s world, children who are bi- or multi-lingual have a strong advantage over children who only know English. An au pair can teach her native language to your child, or she can reinforce and expand his language skills if he’s already learning the language in school or from a relative. Because she is also fluent in English, she’s able to communicate with you and your child from the start and introduce her language slowly or provide a complete immersion experience. She’ll be able to approach it in a way that’s best suited to your child.

Your family can experience a different culture through an au pair. Your au pair can introduce your family to the language, customs and history of her country in a way that brings it to life. You’ll get to learn about life in a different part of the world through the experiences of someone who’s grown up and lived there. This can be especially exciting for school age children who may be learning about the au pair’s country in school. She can support your child’s formal learning with unique stories, crafts, cooking and other activities from her background. This is a much more fun and personal way to learn about a foreign land.

It’s an affordable childcare option. Because au pairs are paid a weekly stipend instead of a typical nanny’s wage, this option makes in-home care affordable for many families. While there are some restrictions on what you can ask of an au pair, she can work up to 10 hours a day or 45 hours a week, can provide hands-on childcare and can do many child-related household tasks, like preparing the children’s meals, doing their laundry and keeping the their areas tidy. This lines up with what many families need from a childcare provider, so for many it’s a perfect fit.

You don’t have to take on the nanny tax hassles. While most au pairs are required to pay state and federal taxes at the end of the year, as the host you’re not required to pay Social Security taxes or other employer taxes like unemployment. This means that you don’t have to deal with the time consuming hassles that come with being a household employer.

An au pair has childcare experience and training. Although au pairs are young men and women, all must have childcare experience before entering the program. Also, all au pairs are required to satisfactorily complete a childcare training program before being placed with a host family. So you can be assured that your au pair has a solid foundation of childcare knowledge before she comes to live with your family. This ensures she’s ready to take on the daily responsibilities of caring for your children.

There’s a strong support network for the au pair and host family. When you welcome an au pair into your home, it’s the beginning of a long-term relationship with both the au pair and the organization that placed her. She’ll have a counselor that will help her adjust to the American lifestyle, connect her with other au pairs in her local area and also be there to deal with any questions or problems she has. The au pair organization also provides support to you as you go through the natural challenges of welcoming an au pair into your home. Having this professional, ongoing resource can be a huge help in making the relationship a success and getting the most out of the experience.

Hosting an au pair isn’t for everyone. But for many families, it’s the perfect in-home childcare option and cultural exchange experience, all rolled into one.

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Here’s How to Make Baby Food Using a Blender

Posted on January 23, 2017

As concerns about genetically modified produce and dangerous farming practices escalate, and controversy surrounding Monsanto become more common, the number of parents committed to – or at least considering the practice of – making their own baby food is also on the rise. There are also parents who would love to provide their baby with organically grown, preservative- and additive-free foods, but are under the misconception that the process is a long and laborious one. In fact, making baby food from locally or organically grown fruits and vegetables is surprisingly simple.

The Price Factor

Any parent who’s seen the expensive systems advertised for making and storing baby food at home could easily be fooled into thinking that the process is not only a difficult or time-consuming one, but also an incredibly pricey option. The truth is, those systems are only more convenient than the tools you already have in your kitchen, if that, and they are by no means necessary to create fresh, nutritious food of verifiable origins for your bundle of joy. With nothing more than a pot, a knife, a cutting board, fresh produce, and a blender, you can be on the path to becoming an in-demand chef for the smaller set. Because saving money by making healthful food for your baby rather than paying more for processed jarred food is one of the many selling points of taking on the task, spending a small fortune on an entire system with all the bells and whistles is unnecessary.

Storage

Buying a fully-stocked homemade baby food system brings a set of storage containers to the party, but there are several storage options at your disposal that will work just as well in conjunction with the blender you already have. Rather than purchasing a space-hogging, pricey system, take advantage of the variety of storage solutions available to you for a fraction of the cost.

For frozen foods, simply prepare an item in accordance with your chosen recipe, and allow it to cool. Spoon the pureed food into ice cube trays and freeze them until they’re solid, then pop the cubes out and into carefully labeled freezer bags. Foods can then be defrosted in just the amount you need, eliminating waste and allowing you to make food in large batches when you have free time, rather than scrambling to make baby food every day. Small storage bowls are widely and readily available in the market today, and are also suitable for baby food storage. Just be sure that any plastic containers you purchase are BPA free in order to avoid any potential health risks.

Tips for Making the Most Out of Your Blender

Because small batches of food tend to be pushed to the sides of a blender carafe and missed by the blades, your blender is most effective as a method of pureeing baby food when you’re working with a fairly substantial amount of food. This small drawback is eliminated, however, by setting aside an afternoon to make and freeze enough food for a few weeks. Properly stored in airtight freezer containers, your baby food will have a shelf life of up to three months.

Blenders are also great at liquefying solid foods, which means that it’s important to keep a close eye on food that’s being pureed in a blender, lest it become a very thin soup. Always use the pulse button for maximum control over the texture and consistency of the food; using even a low continuous setting could turn your perfectly prepared produce into something more akin to a juice if you’re distracted from the running blender for a moment. With children in the house, there’s constant potential for distraction, so use the pulse button and watch carefully. Remember to scrape down the sides of the blender carafe regularly as well to ensure a uniform texture with few lumps.

Immersion or Stick Blenders

Parents that are lucky enough to have an immersion or stick blender in their kitchen are in an even better position to make their own baby food with less hassle. Rather than transferring cooked food to a blender carafe to puree and then moving it to containers for storage, food can be blended in the cooking vessel and dished straight into storage containers for easy clean-up. Just be sure to avoid scraping the sides or bottom of a non-stick pot with an immersion blender that doesn’t feature housing or guards to prevent flakes of Teflon from ending up in your baby’s carefully prepared, all-natural organic baby food.

reprinted with permission

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Consider These 6 Things Before Deciding To Have a Baby

Posted on January 22, 2017

Deciding whether or not to start a family is a big decision for you and your partner. There are a lot of factors to consider and these days, not all couples need or should be having children. It’s a lifestyle decision that should be taken very seriously and not gone into haphazardly as it is so often.

Here are 6 ways to tell, compliments of housekeeping.org, if you are ready to have a baby

Consider Your Long-Term Goals – When you’re mulling over the idea of procreation, one of the first things you should consider are your long-term goals and how becoming a parent would affect them. If you’re dreaming of a trip to Machu Piccu or of backpacking through Europe, doing so with an infant in tow may be more of a challenge than you think. Carefully consider the impact that having a child would have on your career, if it’s pertinent, and the way that you’d like to live your life. When the biological urge to reproduce hits, it’s easy to lose sight of the future you’ve chosen. After the birth of your child, however, all of your priorities and dreams will shift to accommodate the new life you’ve created. Before you start trying to conceive, it’s wise to consider how parenthood would affect those goals and which, if any, you’re willing to sacrifice in order to have a child.
Evaluate the Health of Your Relationship – It’s all too easy to fall into the trap of thinking that a child will save a foundering relationship, but that’s almost never the case. If you’re looking to parenthood as a means of salvaging your connection with another person, you should stop that line of thinking in its tracks. It almost never works, and it’s far too large of a responsibility to place on the tiny shoulders of a child. Having a baby won’t fix a broken relationship; it’ll only bring another person into an already dysfunctional situation.
Think About Your Living Situation -The trendy-but-tiny downtown loft you’re currently living in might be perfect for the lifestyle of a child-free couple, but may not be ideal when you bring a baby into it. Take your living situation into careful consideration before you start trying to have a child. If your current home is not conducive to raising a child and you lack the plans or means of moving into something more suitable in the reasonably near future, it may be best to wait a bit longer before having a baby.
Finances, Finances! -There’s an old adage asserting that people who wait to have children until they can afford them never have kids, but there is some truth in the idea that you should wait to have a child until you’re reasonably secure in terms of your finances. The cost of prenatal care and childbirth alone can be financially d evastating for a couple without health insurance, not to mention the ongoing and exorbitant expense of diapers, formula and other necessities. If you’re living from paycheck to paycheck and eating nothing but instant noodles to make ends meet, you may not be in an ideal place in your life for parenthood.
How Healthy Are You? – The physical health of both you and your partner is something that should be taken into consideration before you start talking about having children. The toll that pregnancy and delivery can have on a woman’s body is nothing to sneeze at, and both parents will need to be able-bodied and healthy in order to properly care for and meet the needs of a demanding infant. It’s not impossible for parents with health complications to raise children, but it is significantly more difficult in most cases.
Why Do You Want to Have Children? – Before you start trying to have a baby, you should think about the reasons why you want to in the first place. If you’re looking for someone to love you unconditionally or are under the impression that kids are part of life’s natural progression, whether you want them or not, parenthood may not be the best choice for you. When it comes to unconditional love, parents almost always give more than they receive. Children are demanding, and they grow into teenagers who will almost invariably think that you’re an overbearing millstone around their neck. They’re also not a status symbol or a wish-fulfillment vehicle. The most important thing for prospective parents to consider before having a child is their motivation for doing so in the first place.

Good luck!

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You’re Going to Love these 10 DIY Valentine’s Day Kids Crafts Ideas

Posted on January 21, 2017

Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching and soon you’ll be scrambling to find activities for your little ones to do while celebrating the day together! Here are a few ideas to get you going.
1. Make heart shaped pancakes – Make heart shaped pancakes for breakfast! Put pancake batter into a squeeze bottle and draw heart pancakes on the griddle! You can also cut sandwiches, deli meats, and fruits into heart shapes using cookie cutters. Creating heart shaped cupcakes or muffins is simple, just drop a marble or rolled up piece of tinfoil between the baking liner and muffin tin before baking to create an indent in the finished product, it will look just like a heart!
2. Create a conversation heart wreath – Cut the middle out of a paper plate to create a ring. Have your children help you cut out hearts and write short messages on them such as “I love you” or “You rock” and glue the hearts onto the ring to create a conversation heart wreath. Be creative with your phrases and make them special to your family.
3. Make your own valentines – Younger children will usually have a party in their classroom to celebrate Valentine’s Day with their classmates, so take some time to help your child create their own cards. They don’t have to be fancy, all you need is some construction paper, glitter glue, stickers, doilies, and adhesive to jump start the creativity in your child. Encourage your child to be creative and let them create whatever they want to, the cards don’t all have to be the same as long as there is one for every child in their class.
4. Valentine’s Day scramble – Post a piece of paper on the wall that has the words “Valentine’s Day” on it and see how many words you can create from those letters, adjusting to the age of the children around you. How many words can you find? You could also add the traditional candy heart phrases and see what additional words you can make using those letters.
5. Hold a Valentine’s Day dance party – Invite your neighbors over for a fun, family friendly dance party! Decorate the room with streamers and balloons, choose a few fun songs together, and get ready to dance!

6. Themed worksheets – A quick search online will turn up dozens of Valentine’s Day themed worksheets, from math sheets to crosswords, so you can easily find something to meet your child’s needs.
7. Love themed books – Hit up the library for books with a Valentine’s Day or love theme; most libraries will have seasonally appropriate books on a separate shelf, which makes finding them easy. Check a few out and read them together!
8. Create coupon books for family members – Talk about what love is and what it means and then discuss various coupons you could create to show family members that you care about them. Offer to walk the dog for free, give a back rub, have one on one time, play a game together or offer to sweep the floor. The receiver can then choose when to redeem the coupons. Coupon books are a great way for kids to be able to give back to the family without a monetary contribution.
9. Go pink and red! – Create a pink and red theme! Pink lemonade, strawberry milk, cupcakes with pink frosting, watermelon, beets, strawberries, and apples are all great pink and red foods to offer for snack time.
10. Make a paper heart chain – Use your cutting and gluing skills to create a chain of hearts to hang up in your house! You can either create a chain by cutting hearts out like you would with paper dolls or cut out hearts together and tape or staple them together to create a chain of unique hearts. Hang them where everyone can enjoy them.

Have fun!

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