Aug27

Self Care Hobbies That Can Be Done From Home

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Self Care Hobbies That Can Be Done From Home

Hobbies that can be done from home are so much more likely to be practiced often. And if they are much more likely to happen, then it can be such a good thing for your self care and mental health. Looking after yourself and finding something that you love to do, outside of work or school is important. So with that in mind, here are some hobbies that you can try from home to help you relax. Which are you going to try first?

Knitting:

Knitting is a wonderful hobby to try. The reason being, is that it is not only a mindful and relaxing activity, but it also gives you an end result. Want to create a scarf or make something for your friend’s new baby? Then get knitting. Seeing that you have created something by yourself can be a real confidence boost. Not only is the act of knitting relaxing but it’s also fun to find new colors of yarn for your projects! You can shop sustainable supplies for knitting and crochet for an eco friendly approach without sacrificing quality. This is another way that your hobby can make you feel good because you will be doing good for the planet too.

Painting:

Painting is something that can be really relaxing and mindful, and you don’t need very much equipment to get you started. You can go wherever your imagination takes you or take inspiration from your favorite artist or pieces of artwork. You could look here for some inspiration: https://davidhartgalleries.com.au/pro-hart/. You could choose paint, acrylics, watercolors, chalks, or other mediums, it is all about being creative and making it up as you go.

Baking Bread:

Another hobby that is practical, as you get something good to eat at the end of it, but that is calming and relaxing at the same time. Baking bread in a traditional way, such as by kneading the dough by hand and waiting for it to rise can be therapeutic and so, so rewarding. You can get creative with the types of bread and the flavors like sourdough, which will need a starter, as stated here: https://feastingathome.com/sourdough-starter/. So there are a lot of options for you to play around with.

Reading:

If you don’t think that you have much time for reading, then you might not have been putting as much emphasis on it as you have in the past. Reading can be pure escapism, as well as a way to learn new things. If you want to read more, then block out the time in your schedule and it will make sure that it happens.

LEGO:

Building with LEGO is not just for kids! You can get proper sets and kits to create something as it is meant to be or you can use what you have to create anything else that you can imagine. Some kits can take a while to build, so it can be a real labor of love. The perfect solution when you’re looking for something to do to relax at the end of the day.

Everyone needs a hobby to enjoy so why not try some of these ideas? Have fun!

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Aug27

Surprise LEGO Set!

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Surprise LEGO Set!

Hi! Johnny and I will be celebrating our two year anniversary of being in a “Facebook official” relationship on September first, which is super exciting! When it comes to buying presents for any occasion, I am notorious for purchasing way in advance and constantly asking if I can give the gifts early. I just can’t help myself!

For mine and Johnny’s two year, I came to terms with waiting until the day of so you could imagine my surprise when he wanted to do presents early. Take a look at what Johnny got for me:

As you all know from yesterday’s post, Johnny and I had a huge LEGO haul with a Harry Potter Hogwarts Chamber of Secrets set, a Seinfeld set, and a little boat set too. Once I returned home with all of the LEGO in tow, Johnny decided to gift me with one more so I guess the two year anniversary is the LEGO anniversary! 😀

For our two year, Johnny got me the Harry Potter Attack on the Burrow set, which I have wanted since it was released about a year ago. We are constantly talking about expanding our Hogwarts castle and grounds and while the Weasley house technically doesn’t belong on the Hogwarts grounds, it is still a welcome addition.

Our two year anniversary definitely qualifies under the “fun and games” category as I gifted him with a Legend of Zelda Monopoly and more Link Amiibos to add to his collection. We are so excited to play a rousing game of Monopoly together and build our four different LEGO sets. I think our LEGO additions will keep us occupied for about a week because once we start building we just can’t stop! ❤

What is your favorite board game? Have you gotten any new LEGO sets recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug26

How To Support Musical Children

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How To Support Musical Children

Music can be beneficial to children in many different ways. Playing or listening to music can be an enjoyable thing to do together, a way for children to learn new skills, develop their creativity, and explore their emotions. If your child has shown an interest in becoming a musician, how can you best support them?

Encourage Listening Skills:

Getting children to begin to enjoy exploring music can be a fun thing for the two of you to do together. As you listen to music, ask your child to describe to you what they can hear so they can start to work on their listening skills. Choose a piece of music you think they will like and ask them questions as you listen. Ask them questions like:

  • What sounds can you hear?
  • How would you describe this piece of music?
  • How does this piece of music make you feel?

Having these conversations can also help your child to begin to build their communication skills as they find the right words to describe things to you.

Play Along To Music:

Children love making noise, and a musical instrument along with something like Moon River sheet music can be a good way to channel that interest in noise into something more creative. Encourage them to play along with a song they enjoy so they can think about the different parts of the music. Suggest they try to play as loudly and then as quietly as they can with different ways of making sound such as clapping or tapping a pan with a spoon. Another fun game to help them to build an understanding of beat and volume is to ‘wake’ a sleeping toy. Using one of their stuffed animals, ask the child to wake it up by playing loudly and make the toy go to sleep by playing softly. You could also move the toy around in time with the beat.

If your child is really responding to these ideas, it is the perfect time to enroll them in music lessons for their preferred instrument. To get started, simply enter a search for “music lessons in Melbourne’s northern suburbs” (or your local area). This will give your kiddo the opportunity to develop the skills beyond just having fun and a deeper appreciation for music altogether. Encourage regular practice time at home and you will be blown away at their first recital!

Move To Music:

Children often really love to dance, and you can support this with an enjoyment of music. Tempo is the speed in music, and children can get a good grasp of what this means by exploring it with their movements. Put on music and encourage your child to move as they listen. Watch to see what they do, then join in with them by copying their ideas. By mimicking their ideas, they will see that you value and are interested in what they think.

For some children, physically responding to the music might feel more natural than playing instruments or talking about music. Offer them lots of different genres of music to listen to and see how they respond and move to different kinds of music. You can pre order up and coming K-Pop music releases for some catchy tunes, or explore another genre altogether like classical or jazz. You might be surprised by what they actually enjoy the most. Music that has a range of tempos in it can be great fun.

Try listening to music from around the world too, from a range of cultures. This is a good way to explore music and encourage them to have a conversation with you about different cultures too.

Whether your child wants to be a rock star, a drummer like Joey Armstrong, a dancer, or just loves to listen to music, supporting this will be amazing fun for the both of you!

Featured Image By: Unsplash

Aug26

LEGO Haul

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LEGO Haul

Hi! It has been a while since Johnny and I have purchased a LEGO set to build together but that has been resolved with this huge haul! One of our favorite weekly shows is LEGO Masters and after each episode we always name off which sets we want next. Recently, LEGO came out with a Seinfeld set of Jerry’s apartment and since we are such huge fans of the show, I couldn’t not get it! I also got a few more goodies too, thanks to a great promotion running on the LEGO website. Check it out:

When the massive box of LEGO finally arrived, I felt like a kid on Christmas day and couldn’t wait to bring the new sets home to Johnny. There was a promo running on the site for free shipping on fifty dollar plus purchases as well as receiving the boat set for free after spending a certain amount. I thought that this was a really good deal and knew that it never hurts to have more LEGO so I decided to go for it and purchased the Harry Potter Hogwarts Chamber of Secrets set too.

Although we haven’t bought new LEGO sets in months, Johnny and I already have quite an extensive collection of Harry Potter and Star Wars sets. The Seinfeld one was an absolute necessity and I can’t wait to build it with Johnny and am really eager to add onto our Hogwarts castle and grounds. Although the boat set is small, it is effective and inspired us to begin a nautical collection with pirate ships, islands, and adventure.

When it comes to building LEGO together, Johnny and I have it down to a science. Because of my acrylics, Johnny handles all of the small pieces and details while I build with the bigger bricks. We have spent countless hours building in our apartment while listening to music, laughing, and beaming with pride once our set is complete. ❤

I am dying to get started on these new sets and, like any LEGO enthusiast, we already know which ones we want to buy next. While we will never be at LEGO Master level, I do like to think that we are the best Brick Masters in our apartment! 😀

Do you like to build with LEGO? What is your favorite LEGO set? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Aug25

Giving Your Customers A Great Experience

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Giving Your Customers A Great Experience

A successful business relies on several key features. Ultimately, though, it is the customers who will determine whether it has a future or not. Consequently, it’s imperative that you learn how to keep them happy by delivering what they want. From the first interaction to long-term experiences, it’s vital that you keep the customer’s needs at the front of your mind. Focus on the following factors and you won’t go wrong:

A Connection:

All customers want to feel a connection to the brand. Therefore, creating marketing strategies and product packaging that resonates with them is vital. Many companies fall into the trap of being too generic rather than targeting their chief audience. The sooner that you learn it’s better to succeed in a small pond than fail in a big one, the better. There will still be opportunities to reach secondary markets without harming your hopes of success.

Value For Money:

Regardless of whether targeting the working classes or upper classes, people want a sense of value. Producing better quality products should always be the aim, but you should also aim to do it cheaply. Embracing 3D printing is one particularly useful option. Visit https://www.zdnet.com/article to learn about its potential influence. Whatever you do, try to create products that exceed expectations. Clients will then tell friends and family about them too.

Value for money can also come in the form of promotions and giveaways. Any customer will appreciate saving some money or a freebie item and that can turn them into a loyal customer. A customer who keeps coming back and recommends you to their friends and family. It could be as simple as a twenty percent off promo or adding a gift like branded cups, key chains, or T-shirts to their order. Products with your logo on them will turn your customers into walking billboards to spread the word on your business even more.

customer1

Pixabay Image

Fast Turnarounds:

There is no escaping the fact that we live in an era where people want things right away. So, you need to use the right equipment and partner with the best companies to make this happen. The benefits of a quick dye change system in manufacturing are plentiful. Visit https://universalengraving.com/lockup to find out for yourself. Production speeds can soar. Using automated tech for other aspects of manufacturing as well as order fulfillment will serve you well.

Achieving fast turnarounds should never alter the quality of the products you are selling. This all starts with having the proper equipment and tools in the workplace. For example, if you are in the automotive industry, you might want to have a healthy supply of butyl tape from HS Butyl Ltd (or a similar business in your local area) handy for your employees to use. Those in the fashion industry should be using high quality materials for each item. Excellent quality ensures repeat customers no matter what you are selling.

Clarity:

Customers want to know exactly what they are getting from a brand. This is critical for all products and services, but even more so for items like a double block & bleed valve which requires technical know how. Customers want to feel safe with what they are buying. They also need to know that any issues they encounter can be handled quickly so promoting better client care should be high on the agenda. Chatbots are a great feature. You can learn about them at https://medium.com/swlh. They’ll take communication to new heights.

Having fair returns policies will aid the cause further. Everything you do should be aimed at giving clients peace of mind. Not least because it can remove disputes.

Safety:

Finally, consumers are increasingly aware of the threats to their data. As such, they need to feel that they can trust your company. Protecting the business can be as crucial for client interactions as it is for the firm itself. The fact that it’ll also promote increased happiness from the workers should not be ignored, either. Prevention is the key to success. When digital precautions are combined with safer workplaces and stores, clients will be more satisfied.

Providing a comprehensive client experience means that you will be creating loyal customers to keep your business booming!

Featured Image By: Pixabay

 

Aug25

D-Day Reenactment Adventure

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D-Day Reenactment Adventure

Hi! This past weekend, Johnny and I had a road trip to Conneaut, Ohio where we saw a reenactment of D-Day. My husband is a history buff and is constantly teaching me new things from the many books he has read, documentaries he has watched, and podcasts he has listened to. World War II is his favorite thing to learn about so when I found out about this reenactment so close to home, I knew we had to go because he has never been to anything like it but has always wanted to. Check out some pics from our adventure:

Our day spent in Conneaut was an absolute thrill and it was so much fun to see Johnny in his element! It was amazing to see him chatting it up with all of the volunteers, actors, and veterans and every time I looked at him he was grinning from ear to ear. While the “big show” of the D-Day reenactment was spectacular, seeing how much Johnny was enjoying himself was my favorite part of the whole thing. ❤

The morning of our outing started out with a bang when we saw a reenactment of The Battle for La Fiere and that was insanely cool! We definitely both jumped out of our skin when the first shots were fired lol. From there, it was a whirlwind of tank and mortar firings, weapon demonstrations, SAS trainings, and camp shows. I was most partial to The Battle for La Fiere reenactment and we both loved the mortar demonstration!

While there was plenty in the schedule that we did to fill up time until the D-Day reenactment at three, we both enjoyed walking around the different areas representing Germany, France, and England and taking in all of the sights. It was also a lot of fun to browse through all of the different vendors and eat fair food and drink hella fresh squeezed lemonade. Johnny walked away with lots of souvenirs that are now proudly displayed on our knick knack shelf.

The actual D-Day reenactment was so well done and, although our view wasn’t the best, it was still really special to see. The coolest part had to have been seeing the P51 Mustangs and the C47 Transport planes flying around the beach as well as watching the boats come up onto the sand with more and more soldiers. From the sounds and the smoke to the tanks and guns firing, it was an astounding display and we can’t wait to go back next year.

Thanks to some tips from other viewers, we learned about more reenactments in our area and I just know it will become a regular thing for us to do. We thank all of our veterans and those who lost their lives from the bottoms of our hearts for their amazing service and bravery.

Have you ever been to a war reenactment before? What was it like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug24

Road Trip!

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Road Trip!

Hi! Because I’m self employed and Johnny has limited days off, weekend getaways are the way to go for us to break up the monotony of the work week. This past weekend, we made a trip to Conneaut, Ohio which is about an hour and a half away to see the reenactments of D-Day. My Johnny is a huge history buff so when I found out this was happening, I knew we had to go and surprised him with tickets. Tomorrow, I will fill you in on the actual day spent on the beach and today I will talk about our trip so far. Let’s get to it:

We left for Conneaut pretty much as soon as I returned home from work on Thursday and arrived at our hotel right at six o’clock. We stayed at the OYO Hotel and let’s just say it left a lot to be desired. The carpets of our room were so badly stained it honestly looked like a murder scene. There were mystery hairs all over the room and bathroom too, which is insanely nasty. It is apparent that the rooms at the OYO don’t get cleaned thoroughly once a guest leaves and that is unacceptable – especially considering the price that we paid.

Despite being super turned off by the hotel, we were starving and headed to Sparky’s Place for dinner once we dropped our bags off. I wish I took pictures of the delicious burgers and cheese curds that we ordered but our meal was gone as soon as I thought to do so! I didn’t have anything to drink at Sparky’s but Johnny went with their house specialty of “Monkey Punch” which is basically an alcoholic fruit punch. I had one sip to try it and it was really good and I wasn’t expecting that at all because the different liquors listed in it sounded disgusting mixed together!

The cool part about our arrival on Thursday evening, other than our yummy dinner, was driving around Anytown, USA in Conneaut. There were military jeeps and guys in their uniforms driving all over town, having dinner, and mingling with the locals. That was cool, yes. But, the best part was seeing how excited Johnny was anytime any of these vehicles or gentlemen passed by. I can’t wait to see his reaction to the actual reenactments today. 🙂

Tune in tomorrow for more on our adventure in Conneaut. And, if ever you are in the area, do yourselves a huge favor and don’t stay at the OYO because it will have you saying “oh no” in a heartbeat! Whomp whompppppp.

Where is your favorite place to go for a weekend getaway? What was the best road trip you have ever been on? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug23

T-Shirt Time Pt. 2

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T-Shirt Time Pt. 2

Hi! Johnny and I are a very fashion forward couple and it is a rarity to see us step out in jeans and a T-shirt. However, when we are chilling out at home T-shirts are all we wear and we have quite a collection that we share with each other. Other than T-shirts of our fave local bands, my favorite Ts are, easily, our Impractical Jokers ones! I am also incredibly partial to these new ones that I added into the mix when shopping with my mom and brother:

As you all know, I am a huge fan of literally anything that Jack White does and I never see band Ts that feature any of his work on them. It was an obvious must have as soon as I saw this White Blood Cells album cover T-shirt at Hot Topic and I am tickled pink to finally have a band T of his. Not to mention that White Blood Cells is one of my favorite White Stripes albums other than all of them lolol.

Johnny and I played hella Animal Crossing throughout the pandemic and, despite not playing it nearly as much anymore, I still try to check in on our island once per week. We both live for the K.K. Slider concerts which are so hilarious to us so this K.K. band T from Box Lunch was another one that I just needed to have. Also, Box Lunch is basically the coolest store ever so do check it out if you have one in your area! 😀

My Mall Haul was a huge success and I am so happy to have some band Ts of two of my favorite artists! Haha! 🙂

What is your favorite band? What is your favorite K.K. Slider groove? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug22

Fun & Games: Seinfeld Edition

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Fun & Games: Seinfeld Edition

Hi! During a shopping outing with my mom and brother, I returned home with many a treat for Johnny and myself including a new game for us and a puzzle for me. FYE was running a buy one get one fifty percent off deal on their board games and puzzles and when I saw their options for Seinfeld related entertainment, I couldn’t pass it up! We already have two Seinfeld board games that include Clue and Festivus and I thought that one more couldn’t hurt. 😀 Check it out:

I love working on puzzles with my mom and brother and when I saw The Kramer portrait in puzzle form, I was sold instantly. I never work on puzzles at our apartment because we really don’t have a lot of free tabletop space. However, I can definitely make room for this one! Johnny doesn’t like doing puzzles too much so this will be nice for me to do to keep my hands busy while we’re watching our favorite programs. We plan on gluing and framing it once it’s complete. 🙂

The Seinfeld party game looked like a hoot and I laughed out loud about having to fish for the Marble Rye to win! Our favorite thing is having game nights with our friends and family and I knew that it would be a hit the next time the occasion calls for some board games. While we already have Seinfeld Scene It Trivia, this tabletop game is nice because you don’t need to bother with the TV to play it. I think that all of the Seinfeld fans in our circle will get a huge kick out of this!

It has been a while since Johnny and I purchased some new board games and activities so I was really happy with these purchases and I can’t wait to get started on my puzzle! 😀

What is your favorite board game? What is the biggest puzzle you have ever completed? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug21

Shimmy Shimmy Funko Pop

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Shimmy Shimmy Funko Pop

Hello! This past weekend, I had a super nice outing to one of the bigger malls in Strongsville with my mom and brother. I really don’t go to the mall often because we all know I love TJMaxx the most so when I do venture to one, I never feel bad about making purchases for items I really like. During my shopping, I picked out lots of treats that I knew Johnny would love too, including the following Funko Pops:

My brother has a huge Funko collection, which makes mine absolutely pale in comparison. However, I gave a nice little boost to my Funko shelf at home with the above purchases. I had no idea that they even made Seinfeld ones or I would have bought them a long time ago since it’s one of mine and Johnny’s favorite shows. I still need several more to complete the set but the Puffy Shirt Jerry, Yev Kassem, and Sombrero Elaine were a great place to start!

The Bret Michaels Funko definitely seems out of place with the rest of my haul but I promise that there was a method to the madness. When Johnny and I first started dating, our go to show was Rock Of Love which was a dating competition show with Mister Michaels as the prize. It was such a guilty pleasure and we still quote it constantly to this day. In fact, Johnny even got me a mini cardboard cutout of Bret for our first Christmas together and it is still proudly displayed in our living room.

With all of that nostalgia, I couldn’t say no when I saw the Bret Michaels Funko at Hot Topic and I knew that Johnny would get a kick out of it too. Rather, I knew he would get a kick (Or in Elaine’s case, a little kick!) out of all of them and we can’t wait to complete our Seinfeld Funko Pop collection! 😀

Which Funko Pops do you have? What do you like to collect? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah