Tag Archives: family

Do Right By Your Kids With These Parenting Hacks

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Do Right By Your Kids With These Parenting Hacks

Being a parent is not easy, and you need to make sure that you do what you can to raise your kids to the best of your ability. There are a lot of considerations to make, and you need to figure out what is involved in the process of improving things for the kids. These are some of the key ideas that you might want to bear in mind that will help you do what’s best for them moving forward:

Keep Them Safe:

The biggest concern that so many parents have these days is whether or not their children are safe. This is something that all of us worry about at one time or another, but we can influence this in some way, as well. The best thing to do is to make sure that you take the steps to ensure that your child is being looked after properly. Choose the safest childcare options, make sure they know their address and phone number, and that they learn not to talk to strangers. Keeping your children safe is such a big concern as a parent, so the more that you can do to achieve it, the better.

Make Sure They’re Well Educated:

Education is so important, because it gives your kids opportunities and opens more doors in the future. Consider what is involved in your child’s education, and how you can improve these prospects as much as possible. Primary school kids need to learn their times tables, they need to be asking what is a composition? And they need to know about electricity and gravity, and all of those important things. So, do be sure you’re helping them study and keeping them on track at home.

Look After Their Future:

You need to do as much as possible to look after your kids’ future financially. You need to have money to help support them as they get older, and that means taking the time to start saving and being more financially sound as a family. Preparing for the future is so important and can help you do a lot to improve your financial situation as long as you are careful.

Don’t Overparent:

So many parents make the mistake of overparenting their kids, and this can be a negative thing. You don’t want to be smothering your child and not allowing them to experience new things because, otherwise, they will not develop properly and will not be involved outside of home as much as they should. You have to work on being the best parent you possibly can be, and this involves giving your kids space to make their own mistakes.

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 :*)

If you can follow these parenting hacks, you will be well placed to make sure that you do right by your kids as much as you can. It’s important to look after their future and help them to grow and develop as people. And you can do so much to achieve that, including looking after their education and financial futures.

Featured Image By: Pexels

Two Sleepy Doggies

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Two Sleepy Doggies

Howdy and TGIF! Monday is my long day at work, and by the time that I get home, all I want to do is get in my jammies, put my dogs up, and watch The Voice with my mom. Normally, my two rescue pups, Gem and Ollie, just want to play all day until everyone else goes to bed, but they must have been just as tired (Or bored with The Voice!) as I was, because they ended up falling fast asleep on the bed with my mom and I. It was so cute I could hardly stand it and I just have to share these Two Sleepy Doggies with all of you:

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Lol, so the first picture of Gem is more for me because I think it’s hilarious. But, the other one of her and my little Ollie is just cuteness overload. My dogs are honestly the most perfect creatures on the planet and I love them oh so much. To have them curled up and snoozing away while my mom and I watched a crappy singing contest was the best way to end a long, hard day and it was just what I needed before I went to bed, myself.

How do your pets greet you after a long day? Who are you rooting for on The Voice? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mother’s Day Bouquets

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Mother’s Day Bouquets

Hi everyone and happy late Mother’s Day to all of the wonderful moms, pet moms, and soon to be moms out there! You are all amazing and thank you for everything that you do – especially my mom! 😉 As a flower loving family, beautiful bouquets were the only way to go this Mother’s Day. Check out these gorgeous blooms and let’s discuss:

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The lavender bouquet seen first is compliments of my dad. He created his gift fresh from the lavender bush (Or tree?!) that he planted in our backyard. They smell divine and the pale purple color is spectacular. My dad planted his lavender when it was just a tiny sprig and now it is a huge, blossoming tree. It looks awesome and will definitely supply us with more bouquets all summer long.

The day lilies and vase are compliments of yours truly. My mom loves lilies and so I thought that they were the perfect flower for her gift from me. I love the dazzling orange and it looks striking against the Air Force blue vase. The butterfly and dragonfly adorned vessel was the last of its kind at the store and I can see why! I think that it is so pretty and I knew that it was something that my mom would love because the simple country style decor is her favorite. And, of course I was right!

We had a wonderful Mother’s Day celebration at my place and I hope that all of you did, too! How did you celebrate Mother’s Day? What is your favorite thing about your mom? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Science Backed Ways To Give The Best Gifts

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Science Backed Ways To Give The Best Gifts

Choosing a gift that the recipient will truly love and appreciate can be no easy feat. Even if you know someone very well, it’s so easy to get it wrong and give them a gift that, sure, they’ll pretend to love, but which you just know they’re disappointed in. The good news is, is that it doesn’t have to be that way – science has come to the rescue.

Yes, scientists have looked into the art of gift giving and they have come up with some solid rules for giving gifts that will be really appreciated by anyone on any occasion. Read on to find out more:

Know the Person Well:

Okay, so this probably isn’t going to help you if you’re buying for a mere acquaintance but a psychologist at San Fransisco State University by the name of Ryan Howell says that really knowing the person you’re gifting to is the key to getting it right. This makes sense, because if you know that your friend is a fan of the kind of quirky gifts you find at Davson Sales or you know that your aunt loves the dresses at Macy’s, then you’ll be giving a great gift. Even better, it enables you to go with a meaningful gift that is highly personalized to them and is unique – how could they not love that?

Make a Donation:

Although this often seems like a way of wimping out or something that people will pretend to like, but are secretly disappointed about, science says differently. In research conducted by Harvard Business School, it was found that giving to charity makes people happier than buying stuff and giving more makes people happier still, so by making a charity donation in the giftee’s name, you both win.

Handmade:

Buying something brand new from the store can be a good move if you know for sure that the giftee wants whatever it is you’re buying, but if you don’t it can be a minefield. Will they like it? Do they already have it? Should I give them the receipt just in case? Luckily, you can easily avoid all of that, because a study conducted by the Journal of Marketing in 2015 found that people like to gift homemade items because they are more unique, thoughtful, and they are often more appreciated. The same is true of family heirlooms which are more valued and, thus, more appreciated even if they are not actually more expensive.

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A craft that you enjoy making is always a good idea!

Give Them an Experience:

Giving people an experience that they will remember forever as gifts, like the ones at If Only, typically, according to science, makes them happier than giving them objects that they may well be bored of in a month or two. So, if you’re stuck, think about whether they’d like tickets to the big football game, a skydiving experience, a spa break, or something similarly exciting that fits their personality. They’ll undoubtedly like it more than chocolates, beer, or flowers.

Even if you weren’t great at science in school, let the experts help you make the best of your gifting with the ideas above!

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Adorable Cuteness Overload Pt. 2

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Adorable Cuteness Overload Pt. 2

Hiii everyone! So you guys saw my dad’s surprise get well shrine for my mom yesterday – cute, right? Lol, well he added a new member to the sunshine crew and it was so funny that I just had to share it with you all:

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In case you were wondering, yes, that is a cut out head of a monkey sending his well wishes. Wait, what? Haha, I guess we got some magazines from one of the wildlife programs that we donate to, and we got two copies of the monkey edition. Since we had two of a kind, my dad decided that it was okay to cut up the cover to place with the gnome, dog, and flowers.

Naturally, my mom did not want this decapitated monkey picture hanging out on our kitchen table, so my dad retired him to his new location after only one short hour with the sunshine crew:

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I just really can’t even, and it was so funny in the “what the hell” type of way that it only felt necessary to share with each and every one of you. 😀

Does anyone else have weird mascots hanging out in their home? What is the weirdest thing that you or a friend owns? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Adorable Cuteness Overload

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Adorable Cuteness Overload

Hi everyone!! So the other morning I wake up and my dad tells me “make sure you take a picture of what I did on the kitchen table”. So, in other words, I heard “make sure you put it on your blog”. Lol, my dad set up a little surprise shrine for my mom, who is going through some intense medical treatment, to wake up to:

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Before even stepping into the kitchen, I could smell the beautiful hyacinths from our front yard. My dad also included lovely daffodil sprigs in his tiny bouquet. Not only did he pick flowers special for my mom, but he upped the ante with a hello from a cute dog and “Dave The Gnome“, who he was gifted with by JANE herself.

I often write about how my mom will surprise me with fashion related gifts like accessories or clothing and it’s always such a delight. So, it was sweet to see my dad muster up a surprise of his own to help start my mom’s day with a smile. To spread the love even more, CHARLES told me to send the picture of his creation to my sister, too. So cute.

Later in the morning, I heard my mom tell my dad how much she liked her surprise and he replied with “Oh, yeah – I made it for Gem”. (My dog. Massive eye roll!!) The Adorable Cuteness Overload was nice while it lasted! 😀

How do you like to surprise your loved ones? What is the best surprise that you have received? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

How To Prepare Your Home For Guests

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How To Prepare Your Home For Guests

If you’re having friends or family staying at your house for a while, then you’re going to want to make sure that your home is in tip-top condition for when they arrive. As the host, this is your job, so it’s essential that you do all that you can to make your home a comfortable and welcoming space, so that your guests can have the best time possible on their trip. This often seems like a daunting task, but try not to get too overwhelmed. As difficult as it may seem, preparations for your guests can be split into four simple steps:

  1. Clean And Tidy Everywhere

If your house is dirty and untidy, then your guests aren’t going to feel comfortable staying there. Because of this, it’s vital that you get all of of your cleaning supplies together and tackle every single room in the house. You need to make sure to vacuum every room, wipe down all of the surfaces, clean the mirrors, and tidy away any clutter. Your house doesn’t need to look like a show home, but your guests shouldn’t have to step over junk as they walk around.

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Cleaning is not fun but it must be done!

  1. Sort Out Their Space

If you’re having guests staying with you, then you need to find somewhere for them to sleep. If you’ve got a spare room, you could turn this into a guest bedroom with the help of an interior design company, like World of Renovation. If you don’t, then you should consider alternative sleeping arrangements, like sofa beds and blow up mattresses. You might even want to consider giving up your own bedroom for your guests and taking the sofa yourself.

  1. Stock Up The Fridge

The last thing that you want is for your guests to go hungry while they’re staying with you, so make sure that your fridge and cupboards are stocked with plenty of snacks and other foods for when it’s meal time. You might want to go shopping with them when they arrive so that they can help you pick out some of their favorite things, but if you’d rather get it done beforehand, then make sure to ask about any allergies or dietary restrictions.

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 Talk about well stocked!

  1. Remember The Little Touches

Things like tidying your house and giving your guests somewhere to sleep are obvious, and because of this, it’s usually the little touches that mean the most and help your guests to feel welcome. Things like putting together a welcome pack of fancy toiletries can really make your guests smile and show them that you care. You could also make sure to buy their favorite foods and drinks, place some light reading near their bed, and put out a vase of flowers in their room. You don’t have to go overboard, because the smallest things can often bring a lot of joy.

Preparing your home for house guests might seem like a difficult and long-winded task, but it’s honestly not as daunting as you might think. All you need to do is follow the four simple steps above, and then you’ll be ready to welcome your guests with open arms and enjoy your time with them.

Frugal Flowers

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Frugal Flowers

Hi everyone! One of the things that both my parents and myself love having around the house is fresh flowers. Whether they’re picked from our yard or selected at a farmer’s market or store, there is nothing like a huge bouquet sitting on the kitchen table to make you smile.

We never look to spend too much on satisfying our flower fascination, and my mom seriously took the cake with the last bouquet that she bought when it comes to saving money. She got four bunches of the flowers seen below for ONE DOLLAR at the store. You definitely can’t beat that!

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When it comes to the little odds and ends that make you smile, I always say:

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Whether it’s a dollar bouquet of flowers or that new color of lipstick that you’ve been dying for, a little pick me up certainly goes a long way!

How do you like to treat yoself? What is your favorite flower? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Garden Gnome Gift

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Garden Gnome Gift

Howdy! For my mom’s birthday, my sister, Kristen, treated her with a gift card to All Fired Up, which is a paint your own pottery place. It was such a sweet and thoughtful gift and they went together to create some masterpieces a few weeks ago. During that time, it was also my dad’s birthday, and my mom decided to make him a present at All Fired Up to celebrate. It was so cute I could hardly stand it and my mom did much better than we all anticipated at painting the prezzie. Take a look:

As all of you know, my dad is an avid gardener. Not only that, but he loves garden decor, as well. Birdhouses, bird baths, bird feeders, decorative pots, garden gnomes – you name it! It makes for such an eclectic and beautiful space in our backyard and I always look forward to when everything begins to grow in the spring to fully showcase his craft. It also makes it super easy when searching for Father’s Day gift ideas as I can always get him something he will love.

Sweet JANE, knows her hubby well enough to know that he would love to have a new gnome to add to his collection and used her birthday gift to hand make him a birthday gift. Like I said, it was so cute I could hardly stand it. Unfortunately, the weather outside is so crummy that CHARLES doesn’t want to take the gnome out for a little jaunt just yet. So, a few mornings ago, I found the cheeky little guy poking out from one of my dad’s extra flower pots for safe keeping. Freaking adorable!

My mom used a gift to make a gift and not only did it turn out wonderfully, but it also inspired her to take a pottery class with Kristen. Talk about a gift that keeps on giving!

Who else enjoys painting or creating pottery? What do you use to decorate your garden? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mastering The Art Of Giving A Thoughtful Gift

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Gift buying can be very stressful, whether it’s for birthdays, Christmas, Easter, or the other hundreds of events that seem to take place each year. It’s not that you don’t want to give gifts to the people you love – it’s that choosing gifts for so many different occasions and so many different people can be exhausting and overwhelming. You don’t want to disappoint anybody, but it can often be hard to think of any good ideas. Obviously, your loved ones will say it’s the thought that counts, but that’s the problem – there are no “thoughts” in your head. Until you read this article, of course!

A day out:

One of the best gifts that you can give to a loved one is a day out together. Spending time together is a gift in itself, as cheesy as that might sound. Obviously, you shouldn’t say “I am the present” because that might seem a little as if you forgot to buy a present for the person in question (Plus, you don’t want to sound bigheaded!). But, a day out is certainly one of the most thoughtful gifts you can give somebody if you do it correctly. Think about that person’s favorite place in the world and take them there. If their favorite place is too far away – like a vacation destination in Europe, for example, fear not! Assemble a care package of gifts europe themed and it will spoil them with mementos and a reminder of their happy place.

A personalized gift:

Adding a customized touch to a present tells the person that you made or bought this thing especially for them. This will definitely make an impact on the person for whom you buy the gift, because it lets them know that you put some thought into the present. You could view here if you wanted to get a custom phone case for a friend. You could get a photo of the pair of you printed on it. You could even create a personalized piece of artwork for someone if you have creative ability. Of course, think about what they might like but think outside of the box too! A proud pet parent would love a Dog Mug with their four-legged friend’s picture on it. An exercise enthusiast could get great use out of a personalized duffle bag. As we’ve discussed throughout this article, a gift doesn’t have to be expensive – it just has to be thoughtful. A customized present definitely shows that you’ve put thought into it.

Food (candy and other treats usually work best):

If you’re really panicking about birthdays that are just around the corner, then food is always a safe bet. Everybody loves food of some kind, so just think about the preferences of the person in question and go wild. Whether it’s a Christmas gift, birthday gift, or even a baby shower gift, food is the type of present that works for any occasion you can imagine. Obviously, you’ll need to make sure it’s presented nicely; get some gift wrap, a bow, and perhaps a nice plate (depending on what it is, of course).

Food is a simple gift, but it’s one that is guaranteed to succeed if you know the person well. Of course, it should be an exciting piece of food – a few apples might not be very exciting unless they’re a fruit fanatic. If they’re a fan of sweet treats, however, then those always make the perfect gift. You could even bake your own treats for the person in question. The homemade touch adds some personal flavor to the gift. As mentioned in the previous point, personalized gifts are always very well received.

Drink related gifts also tend to be very well received. Perhaps you could do a smoothie kit with a blender and recipe book? Or maybe your giftee appreciates a drink or two over the weekend. If so, you could check out the Bourbon Boujee Buddy Bottle Bundle or a similar package gift with their favorite alcoholic beverage. The beauty of food and drink presents is that they are sure to be used and your giftee will think of you when they do so.

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Yummm!

A nostalgic gift:

If you really want to tug at somebody’s heartstrings, then you should opt for the nostalgic angle when you buy them a present. Show them that you not only remember the recent good times you’ve shared together but the good times you’ve shared over the years. Perhaps one of your parents has a birthday coming up. You could buy them a copy of a board game that you used to play together when you were little. Maybe it was lost somewhere along the line, so it’ll be a sweet gesture to give your parents a new version. Or maybe you could find some old photographs of you and your childhood friend – reminding them that you’ve always been close friends and you always will be.

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Board games provide hours of fun, too!

Concert tickets:

As you’ve probably gathered by now, the most thoughtful gifts are ones that show you know or care about the person in question. That’s why a concert ticket to see their favorite artist is such a great idea. It combines a few of the things we’ve discussed already. It could be a fun evening out for you and your buddy, but it’s also a thoughtful gift because it shows that you know them well. Plus, the joy of seeing their favorite musician will be a great gift in itself.

Gift buying can be stressful with all of the occasions to present presents for throughout the year. But if you put some thought into it, you’ll be just fine!

Featured Image By: Pexels