Author: Rebecca Alston

Did you know that smiling can help you live longer? Aside from being contagious, it can improve your immune system and make your life a lot more fun. However, unless your smile is white and healthy, you won’t spend a lot of time revealing it to others. Because of that, you may appear as prude, self-involved, and close-minded even.

A pearly white smile will give you many reasons to smile and make people fall in love with your energy and positivity. As a result, you’ll become more confident and approachable. Want to know more benefits of a healthy smile for your confidence? Keep on reading.

You will look more approachable

Have you noticed how a person who smiles often, makes you want to talk to them? On top of that, the moment they put a smile on their face, you’ll instinctively smile back. The conversation tends to go in a positive and very friendly direction once both sides are smiled and open for communication.

So, if you’re holding back from smiling because you don’t like the way your teeth look, pay a visit to your dentist. Whether they’re not white enough or they’re crooked, a good dentist and an orthodontist will know exactly what to do to help you get your pearly white smile. The second you start smiling more, you’ll notice how people stick around you and enjoy being in your company.

Appear as more professional to your boss

Smiling is also very important in the business world. You can’t afford to look all frowned and stiff all the time because building relationships requires people to look friendly too. So, if you greet your superiors with a wide smile and a handshake, you’ll seem like a professional and positive individual.

Maybe your boss has had a rough day, and a smile from anyone can improve their day. So, why shouldn’t that smile come from their employee and let them know you’re happy in your working environment. In return, you may even get a chance to cooperate on the next project and advance on a corporate ladder.

Build better relationships

Do you like spending time around grumpy people who rarely ever smile? Nobody does. So, if you can’t figure out why you were not able to build better relationships, maybe it’s because of your smile. Or a lack of thereof. Experts across Australia advise that every person brushes their teeth at least twice a day, and ideally after every meal.

For problems such as crooked teeth, you can look for Invisalign braces Sydney wide and invest in this revolutionary dental solution. You will have straight white teeth without having to wear metal braces and feel embarrassed for wearing them.

Attract more people to you

Did you know that people who smile more look more attractive? Just think about the first thing you notice about a person you find attractive. If it isn’t physical appearance, it’s either their smile or the colour of their eyes. So, if you want to look more attractive to other people, you should work on improving your smile. Taking care of your dental health shows that you care about yourself and your overall health, which will be incredibly attractive to your other half.

You will feel better when you smile confidently

With all the previously mentioned benefits of a healthy smile for your confidence, you will inevitably feel much better about yourself as a result. As you start attracting more people to you, look more confident, approachable, and cooperative to your boss, you’ll inevitably have a higher opinion about yourself.

With a bright white smile, you’ll never be afraid of laughing at someone’s joke or greeting others with a wide smile. As you smile, your brain instantly gets a surge of happy chemicals and perceives it as you feeling happy, only sending back feel-good chemicals and making you happier than before.

Final thoughts

A healthy smile can make you feel confident and become more successful. From improving your career prospects to building better personal relationships, having a bright white smile comes with a full spectrum of benefits. Therefore, make sure you pay a visit to your dentist regularly and work on improving your smile soon. You’ll want to experience all the benefits of a healthy smile as soon as possible.

Hey there, mama!

Does all the terrifying news about mutating viruses make you paranoid? Do you have little kids who like putting everything to their mouths?

Does it make you feel uncomfortable seeing their toys cluttered everywhere, not sure whether they have been properly sanitized?

Okay, we understand.

This is the time when moms (and dads) are becoming more conscious about health and safety. Even if you’re not letting your children go out of the house, they still can get exposed to viruses and bacteria through their toys.

Hush, mom. Breathe and take it easy.

We’ve rounded up some brilliant strategies to disinfect toys and prevent germs from spreading in your home.

Why It Is Important To Clean Toys and Surfaces?

Children love to explore. It’s how they learn!

One minute they could be collecting stones and pebbles in the garden, the next thing they are hugging their favorite stuffed toy. And before you know it, they are rubbing their eyes or grabbing snacks.

Unfortunately, the primary way children are exposed to viral and bacterial infections is through their eyes and mouths.

It’s easy to understand how bacteria gets transmitted from one surface to another and ends up in your child’s tummy or lungs.

Apart from making sure that they wash their hands frequently, we must also keep their surroundings clean. These include their toys!

Here are easy yet effective ways to disinfect toys and surfaces at home:

Have a Separate Bin for Dirty Toys

Germs and viruses easily spread between surfaces. To prevent contamination, designate a container where your kids can easily toss their dirty toys.

If your kids are old enough to read or understand commands, teach them where they should put the toys they’ve used for the day.

Labeling toy bins are also very helpful when you have visitors/playmates coming over. You also save time having to clean everything.

Use Eco-Friendly Techniques to Disinfect Toys

As much as you don’t want your kids to be exposed to viruses and bacteria, you also don’t want them to ingest toxic compounds from the cleaners you use.

Whenever possible, clean and disinfect toys and surfaces in your home using natural solutions.

Here are the best options:

Hot Water

The most common method is to soak toys in hot water until it cools down. Then, dry the toys with a towel or air dry them.

Make sure you only apply this method for items that cannot be damaged by water.

Alternatively, you can place the toys in the dishwasher. After several minutes, the toys are ready for your kids’ next adventures!

Soapy Water

This method works well for wooden toys and those that cannot be cleaned with hot water.

Make sure to dry them properly because even a little moisture can trigger mold buildup.

Vinegar-Water Solution

Mix equal parts of water and distilled vinegar. Using a clean microfiber cloth, wipe down the toys. Let them dry a bit to get rid of the vinegar smell.

The vinegar-water solution also makes wonders for surfaces. Use them to clean counters, tables, and other high-touched surfaces in your home.

Bleach and Alcohol-Free Cleaners

If using commercial cleaners, choose those that don’t contain alcohol and bleach. Another easy way to clean toys and surfaces is to wipe them down using disinfectant surface wipes. Let the toys air-dry for several minutes before giving them back to your child.

This is a super helpful hack especially when your child can’t wait.

Be Careful Using Water To Clean Cloth and Plush Toys

For plush toys, it’s best to use the washing machine. You may or may not put them in the dryer. Just make sure they’re completely dry before your kids use them.

Generally, to clean stuffed toys, you can soak them into cold water with mild detergent. If using any cleaner or solution, test a small section of the toy first to see any reaction like discoloring.

Check the label for cleaning instructions. Some stuffed toys are not meant to be soaked in water.

Baking Soda

If you think those plush toys won’t dry soon enough, or if they have electronics inside that make them less suitable for the washing machine, you can use baking soda to clean them.

Just cover the toys with baking soda for at least 20 minutes. Shake the soda off or vacuum the toy until none is left on the toy.

Pay Attention To Outdoor Toys

Outdoor toys are vulnerable to so many types of bacteria, including E.coli and salmonella from birds, pets, and animals.

These toys have to be disinfected regularly. Never bring them inside the house until they have been completely sanitized.

How Often Should You Clean Your Child’s Toys?

The toys your child plays with daily can be cleaned once a week unless of course, they are noticeably dirty. If someone in the family (or visitor) who is ill or has a cough and cold touched the toy, disinfect those items right away.

It might be tempting to hide most of your child’s toys during the pandemic to limit the infection risks. Paranoia is real! But try to refrain from taking away your child’s favorite toys as they provide comfort, which your kids need right now.

By regularly disinfecting their toys in the right manner, you’ll have peace of mind knowing those toys aren’t going to cause harm to your kids.

There’s no doubt that our oral health plays a vital role in our life. It affects our self-confidence and the way other people see us, not to mention the enormous impact it has on our overall health. As such, instilling good dental habits is a must, and it should start from an early age.

This becomes even more important when you consider the increasing amount of kids getting cavities. While many parents consider tooth decay a normal part of growing up, it’s actually something that’s almost always preventable. And it all starts with teaching your kids good dental habits. Below, four reasons why it is important to encourage good oral hygiene in your children from day one.

Promotes a sense of overall health and well-being

Many of us don’t realize just how important oral health is for our overall health and well-being. In fact, oral health is often said to be the window to our overall health. Bad oral health can also be the culprit for a plethora of other health issues. Our mouths are, after all, the entry point to our body and tracts. As all the other areas of our body, they do harbor a certain amount of bacteria that could cause diseases.

The best way to keep those mouth microbes in check is to maintain proper oral hygiene. Try to explain to your children that regular brushing will keep their teeth healthy and help ward off tooth decay and gum disease. Rely on different methods to teach dental hygiene to kids and try to make it fun to help motivate them. This will help ensure a lifelong healthy smile which will positively affect a child’s confidence and self-esteem, both of which are associated with well-being. 

Prevention is always better than cure

Photo by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels

As a parent, you want your child to make good and healthy choices in life. However, you also need to understand that you are their first teacher. You have a strong influence on everything from your child’s habits to behaviors to their preferences. As such, it’s important that you lead by example and instill good dental habits that will prevent serious dental conditions.

According to experts for pediatric dentistry in Coral Springs, preventative dental care is key to setting a solid foundation for the rest of your child’s life. Common preventative dental care steps include regularly visiting the dentist, eating a healthy diet, brushing and flossing regularly, as well as growing up with healthy habits. By practicing preventative dental care at home, you’ll manage to ward off oral health problems and ensure a healthy future for your little one.

It helps reduce dental fear and anxiety

Another reason why teaching kids good dental habits is so important is that it helps counteract dental-related fear and anxiety. In fact, it is often the bad experiences from childhood that are the main reason for dental anxiety in adults. When a person has a negative experience of dental care, they’re more likely to avoid getting dental treatments.

On the other hand, when a person’s early dental care experience is a positive one, they’re more likely to continue with good dental habits and have well-looked after teeth later on in life.

Starting early will set your kids up for lifelong success

It’s a well-known fact that the habits picked up in early years are more likely to stick. This goes for both good and bad habits. Younger children are particularly good at grasping knowledge, and by the age nine, their habits are already deeply ingrained.

What parents should do is take advantage of this and encourage proper dental habits during the child’s formative years. Depending on your child’s age, consider different techniques, methods, and tactics to teach various dental habits (e.g. proper tooth brushing). Go through the process step by step, and once they’ve learned, give them autonomy to make things more enjoyable. In doing so, you’ll help your children build long-lasting dental habits and set them up for lifelong success.

Wrapping up

Teaching proper oral hygiene to your little ones is one of the best things you can do to ensure they get the best shot at a long, happy, and healthy life, and the best time to start taking proper care of your child’s teeth is as soon as they appear. Stick with the tips above to encourage good dental habits from day one and help your little ones start their dental journey on the right foot.

When you receive unfortunate news that your child will be facing criminal charges, it’s understandable that you would feel alarmed. However, in this instance, time is of the essence, and what you do next is critical.

 

If you find yourself in such a situation, here are six critical steps that you need to take:

 

Talk to your child

When your child gets into a terrible legal situation, a parent’s first instinct is to blow up, maybe panic, which is not the best path to take. You need to calm yourself before you start blowing up in front of your child. More so, if you have the opportunity to talk to them directly after knowing that they’re facing criminal charges.

 

You need to make sure that you create an atmosphere that will enable you and your child to have a calm and honest conversation. They need to be comfortable enough with you so they will tell the truth and for you to grasp the situation better.

 

It will be a good idea to write down notes as you are talking so that you can get the facts straight, especially once you’re talking to your lawyer.

 

Know your child’s rights

When your child is getting arrested, you need to start moving and become proactive with how you’re going to deal with the situation. It’s time to start looking at what your child’s rights are in this situation.

 

Of course, you also need to realize which processes are legal and which ones aren’t. It is your child’s right to have legal counsel, and they also have a right to talk to their parents.

 

You also reserve the right to speak to your child. Even if a police officer is the one you’re on a call with, you have a right to ask them to let you talk to your child.

 

Aside from that, when your child is getting arrested, the police officer should be reading their Miranda Rights. Your child should also know what crime they’re being committed.

 

Don’t argue with the police

Understandably, emotions are high when you’re seeing your child going through this situation. However, you need to control yourself and ensure that you don’t argue with the police as much as possible.

 

Responding to this instance by making an outburst may go against your child’s favor in the future.

 

Of course, you should still observe the police and how they handled your child and the situation. If you find that their handling isn’t up to par or doesn’t seem right, you should ask your attorney to figure out what to do next.

 

Ask about custody release

Ask your attorney to talk to the judge and convince them to let your child stay out of custody while they’re working on the charges. Of course, it will not guarantee that this will work because it will depend on what charges your child is facing in particular. However, it’s something worth asking your attorney about.

 

Contact a legal representation

When your child is in custody and can face charges, you should contact your lawyer or a legal representation as soon as possible.

 

Daniel Schellenberg, an experienced Auckland criminal defense lawyer, suggests contacting your lawyers. This is always a sensible first step.

 

They will give you legal advice that you can act on depending on what the situation is. At the same time, they can help reassure you by figuring out what will happen to your kid and what the penalties are for the juvenile crime they are facing.

 

Attend the probation interview

Although done through a phone call, you must attend your child’s probation interview.

 

If your child is on the way to juvenile hall, make sure that you talk with the probation department. This is crucial, especially if the probation officer deemed that your child should remain there.

 

Provide all necessary yet non-discriminatory information about your child to ensure that your child will be cared for. This includes medical conditions, medications that your child needs to take, or any disabilities.

 

However, keep in mind that any information you give will be recorded and sent to the judge and prosecutor handling your child’s case.

 

 

 

We can only imagine the anxiety and worry you’re feeling, knowing that your child may face legal charges. Nonetheless, we suggest that you keep your calm. Reach out to your lawyer, and he can help you get through this ordeal.

If you are a beginner trying your hand on watercolours for the first time, you have to be wary as the process can turn messy at any point. Though watercolours may seem easy to ace, they can get challenging over time, especially for inexperienced people.

To avoid messy mistakes and improve your watercolour skills, you must learn more about the basics of painting. Here are important things you must know before starting with watercolour painting.

The Type of Paper Matters

While starting with watercolours, you must have the right supplies that complement each other. Trying to create artwork with the wrong papers and brushes can turn out to be a nightmare. To make the process easier, you have to equip yourself with papers intended for water-soluble paint.

Rather than using regular paper, cardboard, or even mixed-media sketchbooks, do a quick research and find a brand that sells high-quality watercolour paper. The paper with a weight of 140 lb or 300 gsm is an excellent option to start with.

Choose the Right Brushes

To achieve different results and to create an artful masterpiece using watercolours, you must have a few key types of brushes in your kit. It is okay if you do not have an extensive collection of brushes, but the key ones are a must-have, especially while you are a beginner. Flat brushes, mop brushes, medium, large and small round brushes are the basic ones that will help you improve your skills.

Pans, Tubes, or Pens

Watercolour paints come in tubes, pans, and also in the form of pens which create watercolour effects. Depending on your preference, you can invest in any paint, but remember that the brand’s quality can impact the quality of the painting. If you buy colours of poor quality, they may soon become chalky and can even ruin the artwork.

Keep Check on the Ratio

Right from the early stages, while trying your hand at watercolours, you must simultaneously hone the water to paint ratio techniques. As the water to paint ratio can drastically change the output of the artwork, you must keep an eye on it depending on what you are trying to attain. According to what you are trying to bring out on the paper, choose the proper water to paint ratio.

Always Let Layers Dry

Remember to practice patience while starting a watercolour painting. No matter if you are a beginner or pro, you must never forget to work on layers. While painting, you must give each layer the right time to breathe. If you ignore this and paint atop wet layers, it can cause bleeding of colours.

So be patient with the painting, or invest in a heat tool to avoid the wait.

Keep the Timing in Mind

As said earlier, watercolour painting requires a lot of patience and time. Working too slowly can result in hard lines, streaky strokes, and uneven blending of colours. So always try to work quickly and keep up the speed while painting.

Depending on the type of watercolour paint, brushes, paper quality, and the climatic conditions in your area, the work time of the artwork can vary. Experiment and identify what works for you before starting important projects.

Be Well Prepared

Before you start with the painting, you have to spend a reasonable amount of time prepping. As watercolour painting is time-sensitive, only proper preparation will help you achieve your creative visions. Get all the supplies ready, and once you start with the painting, don’t let anything get in the way.

 

 

Don’t worry if you have messed up your first painting. Check if you have the right products in hand and buy those missing from the kit. Remember, it is essential to find the right products which are of high quality. So, find a reliable seller, purchase the supplies and get your hands dirty right away.

People acquire old furniture in numerous ways. You might find an eye-catching chest at a garage sale or inherit a display cabinet from a relative. You’d love to keep the furniture, but it doesn’t exactly match your existing interior design scheme. Use these seven pro tips for repainting furniture to flip it into something that works with your home and personal preferences.

1. Inspect Pieces for Damages

Even freshly painted furniture is useless if it’s damaged. It’s also more difficult to apply paint over chips or dents in the wood. Closely inspect your newly acquired pieces to see if they’re functional or need a bit of work.

2. Research Paint Brushes

One large paintbrush likely won’t be enough to do the job. There are many different types that accomplish specific painting tasks, like navigating carvings or edges. Consider your particular piece of furniture to decide how many brushes you’ll need and which types will apply paint most evenly.

3. Wear Protective Equipment

You could solve some damages with special equipment, but that also requires wearing protective gear. Sanding down chips or scratches requires a dusting mask to cover your eyes and shield you from inhaling the dust.

4. Clean the Furniture

Painting over dust and debris results in a bumpy paint job that can’t properly adhere to the wood surfaces. Cleaning is one of the best pro tips for repainting furniture. Research how to clean your specific piece and let it dry before opening any paint cans.

5. Start With Primer

Many people don’t understand the importance of primer when repainting old furniture. Without it, the paint could soak into the wood and require multiple coats. It adds extra costs to your project that you could avoid with a single can of primer.

 

Apply the primer as the first layer of paint. It’s typically white but doesn’t shine through the final color. It seals itself over the wood to prevent the next layer from sinking into the furniture as it dries. You’ll get more use out of whatever paint you need to finish the job.

6. Finish With Sealant

After finishing your project, the last thing you need is more chipping and peeling. Exposed paint is more likely to do this if the furniture comes into contact with water rings or harsh sunlight.

 

Sealant is the final layer for any repainted furniture. It locks the paint into place and gives the piece an extra shine. It keeps the paint intact for years, making your time and effort a better investment.

7. Preserve the New Paint

Always give the paint extra time to dry before applying sealant. Moving on while it’s still wet or sticky leads to smudges and improper application. Some paint cans estimate the time it takes for the product to dry. Give your furniture a few extra hours or even days so the paint is ready for sealant and immediate use.

Try These Tips for Repainting Furniture

You don’t need to pay an expensive fee to update old cabinets, tables or chairs. Use these seven pro tips for repainting furniture to create a new interior design addition. With a bit of research and protective precautions, you’ll have an easy time designing your next favorite piece of furniture.