Category: Parenting

Some Tips to Help Single Parents Get Out of Debt

As a single parent, it can be quite difficult to manage your personal finances. This can be more so if you have more than one child to support. There are a number of different expenses that you would have to bear with, like the schooling costs of the child, regular food expenses, paying the babysitter or a nurse if it is a young child, and so on. The problem gets more in the vent that you have a debt to pay. A lot of single parents take loans to support their families. But when you cannot pay these loans on time, then it can become quite a crisis. In this article, you will learn about several tips that can help you to reduce your expenses as well as gradually come out of any debt.

Getting over the debt

It will not be of much importance if you owe too much debt. But you can still start now and repay the debts. You should understand that you are not the only person who feels overwhelmed with debts and that you are not the only one to be under debt. On average, Americans have around $90,000 in debt. People have around sixteen thousand dollars in credit card debts alone. The average car loan is around $27,000. Student loans can reach up to $27,000. For a single parent, it can be incredibly difficult to pay all these alone.  If you have student loans consider debt consolidation or refinancing. By comparing student loan refinance rates you’ll be able to choose the most affordable for you and pay off your debt sooner.

But before you start to pay off your debts, it is important that you do some preparatory work first. These are some of the things that you should do, also you can find more info here https://www.sofi.com/private-student-loans/:

1. Tally the expenses up

It can become impossible to repay all the debts that you owe unless you first know where to start from. It can be understood that you would be initially hesitant to tally your expenses, but it should be done at the earliest. You should be honest with yourself. Get all the credit card bills that you have, along with your student loan expenses, your personal loans, home loans, and all of them up. It is essential that you combine the amounts that you owe so that you understand how much money you must pay back.

2. Create a new budget

You will have to create a budget now. A budget will allow checking how much money you would be able to spare to repay your debts. If you see that the money does not amount to too much, then you need not worry because you are just starting out. You can find out a lot of different ways by which you can cut down on your expenses as well as also get additional income to repay your debts.

3. Chalk out a plan

You must chalk out a plan to repay your debts. You have two basic ways to repay your loans either in the form of a debt snowball or as a debt avalanche. In a debt snowball, you must list all the debts that you have in a specific order from the smallest to the largest amount. You must try to repay the smallest loan first all the while making some payments to repay the other debts. Once you have paid that small debt off, you can move on to paying the next small one. In a debt avalanche, you would be again listing all the debts you have, but this time in an order with the highest interest first and the lowest one at the bottom. You would be trying to repay the debts that have the highest interests first and make some minimum payment for your other debts. In this payment method, you would save more money in the end. You should take a decision about the way you want to repay your loans.

4. Have some emergency funds in place

Before you start to pay your debts off, it is vital that you have around a thousand dollars as your emergency funds.

Set aside Some money strictly for emergencies purposes. This will keep you from relying on various forms of debt in case something crucial comes up. And let’s be real, we know that emergencies come up that require money more often than not. You must try and save at least a thousand dollars when you make the payments for your debts.

5. Do not use the credit card any longer

Credit cards can be really irritating as they can easily rake up your debts. The interest rates of credit cards are also quite high, and you can take a lot of years in paying the bills. In the event that your credit cards have got you into any debt, then you must not use them anymore. You ought to destroy them quickly. Do not use your credit card as your funds for emergency situations.

6. Look at your debts like the emergency that it is

Debts can hold you back from plenty of different things. When you have a debt, you would be unable to increase your savings. It will also not allow you to be independent financially. There can be situations like when your child is sick; you would be unable to take a break from work as you have got no savings but there are lots of debts to be repaid. Although you do not like your job, you would still have to work. Thus, you must look t your debt like it is an emergency which you must repay as quickly as you can.

You can visit nationaldebtrelief.com in order to learn about more innovative ways by which you can successfully pay off your debts.

Conclusion

For a single parent, it can be quite difficult to repay debts. Life can be extremely difficult. But when you have some debt management plans the process will become easier. Before you repay your debts, you should prepare yourself for the ordeal first. Hopefully, the information mentioned in this article will have helped you.

White Noise Machine – Giving the Perfect Baby Gift

Are you invited to a baby shower? Then you must be looking forward to get your hands on the best gift that you can give to a baby. In fact, purchasing a gift for a baby shower can be quite overwhelming. That’s because you have a variety of options available to consider.

The traditional gifts that people tend to give at baby showers include outfits, bath items, car seats, strollers, sheets and blankets. But if you are looking forward to give something more useful and productive, you can take a look at the white noise machines. Here is a list of some of the most prominent reasons, which indicate why you need to think about purchasing the best baby white noise machine, before you go to a baby shower. 

White noise machines help the little ones to sleep

White noise machines are in a position to provide a great assistance for the little ones with getting into sleep. This is the main reason behind the demand that is available for white noise machines out there in the world as well. The effectiveness of whiten noise machines to aid the little ones to get to sleep is proven from a variety of experiments conducted within the past.

A parent just needs to get a white noise machine into the bedroom. Then it will be possible to turn that on when the baby goes to the bed. This can aid the baby to get to sleep within a short period of time. Most of the parents who had sleeping issues with their newborn babies have been able to receive positive results out of this method. Therefore, you can go ahead with it and you will be able to receive positive results without any hassle.

White noise machines can minimize the stress levels of baby

Yes, the babies also become victims of stress. However, there are some effective methods, which can minimize the stress levels of the little ones. White noise machines hold a prominent place out of them. When a baby is exposed more to white noise, the stress levels are reduced in an effective manner.

White noise can simply be defined as a stimulus. The baby will be able to receive that stimulus on a daily basis. Once the baby is stressed out, white noise is in a position to bring down the stress levels effectively. Therefore, a safe environment will be created for the baby to live in as well. Moreover, a white noise machine has got the ability to block the external noises, which can disturb the sleep of the baby. This is another way how a white noise machine can indirectly eliminate the stress levels that your child has to go through.

White noise machines can help the parents as well

The white noise machines are not just in a position to help the babies. They are also in a position to provide a great level of help to the parents. Usually, the parents of newborns have to wake up multiple times during the day. This can be tiring. If you don’t want to go through such a frustrating experience, all you have to do is to purchase a white noise machine. This can also be considered as the reason why it is worthy for you to give a white noise machine as a gift, when you are at a baby shower.

The white noise machine can provide a good sleep to the baby throughout the night. This can also provide parents with the chance to enjoy an uninterrupted sleep, without having to wake up in the middle of the night.

White noise machines can keep the newborns away from crying

It has also been identified that the best white noise machines available in the market are capable of keeping the newborn babies away from crying. The stimulus created on the baby when he is exposed to white noise can be considered as the main reason behind the above-mentioned fact. This can also be considered as a great reason available for you to purchase a white noise machine as a baby shower gift.

The white noise given out by a white noise machine is similar to the noise that is generated by blood. It will flow through the arteries, which are located in the uterus. As a result, the baby will be able to experience an environment, which they are familiar with. Hence, your baby will not tend to cry when he is sleeping.

White noise machines can minimize the risk associated with SIDS

The white noise machines are capable of reducing the risk factor that is associated with SIDS. This is one of the most recognized benefits that a white noise machine can deliver. The level of white noise that a white noise machine can deliver is extremely powerful. Hence, it has got the ability to reduce the active sleep that your little one will go through. Therefore, your baby will not tend to get to the state, in which SIDS can take place. Therefore, parents will be able to minimize the risk of getting SIDS in their little ones as well.

Conclusion

These tips would convince you that a white noise machine is the best gift that you can purchase when you are going for a baby shower. Even the parents would appreciate the decision you made to purchase a white noise machine. Therefore, you are highly encouraged to give it to a little one at a baby shower. There is no need to think twice and wonder if this is the perfect gift that is available to consider or not.

What are nappy bag essentials?

A well stocked nappy bag is the key to surviving any outing with your baby. Remember there are several places you can go which don’t have diaper changing tables. There are several other places you can go where you cannot feel good breastfeeding in public. For this reason, you have to ensure that your nappy bag has everything you need along the way. Just start by shopping for a good nappy bag on nappybagstore.

Diapers and changing gear

Remember its called a diaper bag and so it should have all that the baby needs including diapers and the changing gears. Ensure that at all costs you have as many diapers as possible. You should have diapers for every hour that you spend out with the baby. You can as well include some extra nappies just in case. What I am trying to mean is that if your baby needs eight diapers for the day and you will take a full day out, you should carry 8 diapers plus a few extras.

Food and clothing

It doesn’t matter the age of your child; you don’t have to leave the house without some extra foods. The fact is that babies often get hungry and for this reason, you need to carry some bottles of formula or breast milk. If you are going for the formula milk, you shouldn’t come out of the house without preparing it. You also need some extra clothes for the outing. You don’t have to spend the whole day with dirty cloths simply because your baby vomited when feeding her. You can get extra cloth for the day.

Medicine and extra care items

If your child is under medication, you need to ensure that you have the right medicines for the day. You can preplan this by checking on all the medications that he/she is supposed to take when you are out. It is also very crucial to pack the bag with some first aid extras. You should include a small first aid kit, baby-safe pain reliever, a pacifier, antibiotics cream and a security blanket.

Hand sanitizers

If you are dealing with a toddler, it is very common for you to get some bodily fluids on your hands while you are changing or even handling the baby. Another thing that you should note is that you may not have direct access to soaps and water and for this reason, you should have a hand sanitizer for the purpose.

Cream/ointment

One thing that you should bear in mind is that babies are not strangers to diaper rash and for this reason you should keep cream and ointment on your diaper bag.

Toys

If you think that you are going to spend some time out with your baby, then you should pack some toys with you especially when you are not dealing with newborns. You should pack a compact toy or even get a toy that you know he/she likes the most.

Water

Another necessity that you should get in your nappy bag is water. You can buy two bottles of water for the day. The fact is that you never know when you may need it.

How to Keep Your Kids Happy Even When Times are Tough

Life is not always going to be as full of joy as the day that your children were born. There are natural ups and downs that happen, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try extra hard to make life a little sweeter and happier for your kids. There are things that you can do when life gets tough to keep your kids happy.

No matter what the difficulty is, your kids deserve their childhood and they deserve their happiness. It doesn’t have to drain you to afford this peace and joy for your children. Here are some ways to keep your kids smiling and happy even during difficult times.

Let Them Be Your Stress Reliever

Although it may not seem like motherhood can relieve stress, there are ways to use your maternity to reduce your stress. Playing with your children can help you feel like a child again and reduce your worries as a parent. Whenever you have to deal with the negativity in your life, take a break to play with your children without the interference of screens or other people getting in your way.

Playing with your kids is an excellent way to keep both of you happy. It may drain you of energy, but like exercise, it can also help you feel better and actually raise energy after the fact so that you feel better in the long-run.

Consult Professionals

Sometimes, the situation is simply too big to face alone. By yourself, it seems like a mountain impossible to cross, so it is good to know some professionals who would have your back. When it comes to your kids, hiring the right babysitter to keep them happy while you deal with life might be one of the best things that you can do for them.

Depending on the situation, you may also benefit from consulting with a divorce attorney, psychologists, and educational professionals. Don’t think that you have to go through anything alone just for the sake of your kids. They can feel your stress and they would want you to get the professional help that you need.

Keep Lines of Communication Open

Talking to your kids is by far the easiest way to sort out anything between you. If there is something happening that is affecting you and the overall health and wellbeing of the family, then you should be open and honest with your kids about it. When talking to them, be sure

  • To communicate in terms that your children understand
  • To be honest, because lying will inevitably make any bad situation worse
  • To talk to them not just about the situation, but about both your feelings and their feelings
  • To keep optimistic

Don’t Think of Money as Being Key to their Joy

Usually, bad times coincide with times where money is tight. However, you shouldn’t think of this time as the need to buy your kids’ happiness. Small kids will be just as fine with the pots and pans that you already have as with the hottest new toy. Take your kids out for a day at the local park when the weather is nice. Both of you could probably stand to smile and swing again.

Get creative when it comes to playing and having fun at home. You don’t need to have anything fancy or special to have a good time.

Keep Routine as Normal as Possible, but Add Fun Where You Can

Your children will appreciate a sense of normalcy during these trying times, so try to keep their routine and schedule as consistent as possible. However, when it comes to fewer fun tasks like chores or homework, try to incorporate fun elements such as rewards, games, stickers, and other incentives.

Doing things together can also help pack more fun into routines. For instance, helping your kids wash the dishes or make their beds can give them something to look forward to more time with you.

Happiness is Never too Far Away

You always have the chance to make and keep your children content, even when it sometimes feels that happiness is far away and an impossible task. Let your children bring you joy and let you be able to return joy to them as well.

How to Help Your Child Become a Successful Student

As a parent, you need to make sure your child has the most amazing childhood ever. However, the job of a parent is even more complicated – you need to do everything you can to help your child achieve the best possible results in the future, and this is why you are your child’s most important teacher. The new day and age made things even more complicated as the school expectations are higher than before, so what can you do to help your child become a successful student and thus provide them with a shiny and successful career after the school and college are over?

1. Be involved

The first thing you need to do as a parent is to actually be involved in the schooling of your child. This means attending every parent-teacher meeting, as well as the meetings at the start of every school year. This is a great way to learn more about the actual teachers of your children and get to know something more about the curriculum and the expectations. This is what will help you make your own plans connected to your child’s education as you will know what aspects you need to pay attention to. If you have the option, you can also volunteer at your child’s school and in that way stay closer to the teachers and other parents – you never know when you will need them.

2. Find a good tutor

Once the semester or the school year starts, you will get to see if your child needs more work in a certain subject or if they excel somewhere, and this is where you step in. It is very important to know your child and thus know what type of tutoring your child needs, and try to find the best tutor for your child. It’s also very important to know everything about the pros and cons of online vs in-person tutoring; some children might enjoy the first one, while the latter might be perfect for students who like face to face communication. Make sure to explain to your child that having a tutor doesn’t mean that they’re performing badly, but that you want for them to excel at a certain subject where they need more work. Tutoring is also a great way to make your child learn something more about a subject and stay one step ahead of the curriculum.

3. Respect the homework

Homework is an essential part of schooling. It’s not only there to make the students revise a certain lesson, it’s also there to teach your child responsibility and work ethic – two aspects that will be extremely important for the child’s future. This is why you, as a parent, need to support the homework expectations and do whatever you can so that your child completes this task without any problems. In addition to making your child know that homework is a priority, you can help them by making sure they avoid distractions such as TVs or smartphones. Make sure that you’re there while your child is doing their homework, especially if they’re very young – be there to offer guidance, answer questions and interpret assignment instructions.

4. Teach organizational skills

There’s nothing more important and effective that you can teach your child than organizational skills. These will not only be helpful throughout school and college, but throughout their working life as well, and this is considered one of the most important skills a person acquires throughout their lives. Teach your child how to make to-do lists and how to respect them. If you want to make this task even more interesting for your child, you can use the perks of technology and find a good app that they will use (after all, they are growing up in the era of technology). Moreover, make sure that your child keeps their desk in perfect order and talk to them about why this is important.

5. Take attendance seriously

Finally, be the kind of parent who takes attendance seriously. Of course, if the kid is sick and cannot go to school, it’s always best to stay at home, but if your child is missing a lot of school due to illness, make sure to check with the teacher about the work that needs to be completed.

 

As you can see, your child’s performance at school does not depend solely on them – you should, as a parent, do whatever you can to teach your child how to take school seriously. Use fun ways or even games to teach your child good organization and responsibility. The day when they will be extremely grateful to you for this will eventually come.

A Busy Mom’s Guide To Staying Healthy And Losing Weight

Source: https://pixabay.com/en/mother-daughter-family-park-child-1171569/

Most people think they lead busy lives and don’t have time for anything, but those people usually aren’t mothers. Even though their lives might be busy, they have no idea how much work, effort, and dedication it takes to bring up a whole other human being while still taking care of yourself. Some mothers lose themselves completely to their children, but your life isn’t over just because you have a baby. In fact, the healthier and happier you are, the happier and healthier your child will be as they thrive off positive emotions, especially at a very young age.

1. Schedule workout time

Even though you may have many obligations as a dedicated mother, it’s not impossible to set aside a few hours a week for yourself. You could leave the children with your husband, parents, or babysitter and go for a run or to the gym. Some time away from your kids will help you both grow as individuals without damaging your bond.

More importantly, you’ll learn it’s not a sin to devote some time to look your best. Let your workout time set you free. It will help your body process stress more easily, rejuvenate your mind, and make you fitter. All of this will also be extremely beneficial for your mental health. Being busy is only a matter of shifting priorities and your workout time should definitely be at the top of that list.

2. Don’t starve yourself

A mistake most mothers make is that they skip meals and go on crash diets which basically restrict anything but water. This way, it seems like you’re losing steady weight but as soon as you start eating normally again, it just comes back. What you’re actually doing is starving your body from all the nutrients it needs. The same happens when you’re skipping meals- you may think you’re doing yourself a favor but you’ll just be hungrier later which will lead to junk food cravings and set back your progress.

Try another approach. Eat little, but eat frequently. Three meals a day and two snacks should be enough. Make sure these are all well-balanced and home-cooked meals which include a lot of vegetables, protein, and even some carbs. If you don’t have time to cook daily, try prepping your meals a week in advance. Cook the same food for your kids to build healthy eating habits from a young age and enjoy your results together. If you are into supplements, and based on the advice of your doctor, you may also try fat burners formulated for women.


Source: https://pixabay.com/en/salad-fresh-veggies-vegetables-791891/

3. Join other mums

The key to success can sometimes lay in numbers. If you’re having trouble sticking to your diet or workout regimes, you can find a mum group and ask them for help. All of these women are on the same journey you are, and sticking together makes them stick to their resolutions. These groups usually plan activities together and have similar goals in mind, so it’s fairly easy to fit in.

Another benefit of joining hands with other mums is that you always have someone to lean on. When the rest of the world doesn’t understand what you’re going through, these mums will. You can always talk to someone about your concerns, and there’ll always be someone to cheer for your progress. If there isn’t a mum group in your area, you can try forming one with your friends or neighbors. It might be an excellent opportunity to make new friends or strengthen bonds with old ones, too.

4. Consider getting some work done

If you need some help along the way to health and happiness, you can always consider getting some work done. Reconstructive and plastic surgery can make you more confident, enhance your health, and give you the motivation to stay on your new journey. It’s time we let the stigma toward surgery die and realize the amazing benefits they can have; especially for busy mothers who need a push in the right direction.

In most cases, no major surgery is needed. In fact, as Dr. Ross Farhadieh trustfully says: “Often, the most subtle surgical enhancements can have a profound effect on your self-confidence and self-esteem”. These subtle changes can be enough to make you realize your worth, too. What’s more, they’ll give you a head start in the losing weight department and provide fertile grounds for success. Don’t stop yourself from being the best version of yourself that you can be just because you’re too afraid to step out of your comfort zone.

Source: https://pixabay.com/en/belly-heart-love-girl-relaxation-3186730/

5. Play with your kids

Children are naturally curious and like running around and exploring every environment they find themselves in. Encourage and join them in their new adventures, and you’ll find out just how much more you’ll be moving. Plan outside activities where you can all play in the park or at the beach. Teach them to ride a bike and have family rides around the neighborhood every day.

Anything can be a fun activity and an opportunity to keep moving if you try hard enough. When it’s rainy outside, make your own playground at home. Play inside a tag or hide and seek, build a pillow fort together or play pretend. Tap into your inner child and enjoy youth with your children. Not only will you bond through all the family activities, but it will also boost your immune system and help you lose weight. Cherish every moment you have together and use it wisely. Both you and your children will benefit from it.

Conclusion

As you can see, being a happy, healthy, and fit mum isn’t impossible. You don’t need to rely on crash diets or dangerous drugs like Ozempic to lose weight. Sure, you’ll need to work on your organizational skills, but in the end, the results will be worth it. You won’t be less present in your child’s life just because you took some time for yourself. Setting an example for your children by managing to lead a healthy lifestyle will give them the grounds to grow into healthy adults who have the right values in life. If not for yourself, you should be healthy and fit for your children.

Guide To Pick The Right Quilt Kit

Quilt kits are used to create the blankets and can also be used to create some beautiful piece of craft. Quilt kits come with all type of things which are needed to make a beautiful blanket. In quilt kits, you will find a different type of fabrics patterns and cut pieces of fabrics. So, the quilt kits are considered as the best one which let the quilting process easier and picks it wisely. It should follow the right pattern that has implemented with new techniques for crafting and changes in the modern pattern.

Floral Appliqué Table Quilt Kit

This is an interesting model that has been undergone with the table’s cape and other ideas. This is highlighted with basic foundation so that it remains coasters attention too. In addition, the quilt kits are turned with large and hand-quilted for absolute design. This is made up of personal touch so that it needs to undergo by stitches made with the floral appliqué table design. It will match coasters too and determine how to implement it.

Rectangle Quilt

If you wish to get a charming look, then choose the rectangle quilt kits. It must come under rose petal pinks and sage greens for giving exclusive look. It makes the perfect option and bedroom quilt kits denote changes in the modern world. This is identified with printers with polka dot prints and able to carry out quickly and colorful quilt designs. Most often, the pattern is simple so that it remains to cheer any room. It is made up of charming collections and suitable for bedroom and living space.

Customized Mouse Pad

When you are looking at the customized and modern pattern, it helps to turn a bit of fabric into wonderful reason. This is highlighted with a customized mousepad and able to provide a good condition for the home. It will able to check pattern and thus put around friends and family members. They are sure to appreciate the gesture by installing customized mouse pad quilt kits forever.

Baby Quilt Kits

It has distinct patterns and uses to put together in a modern baby quilt kits design. It should go with soft, pastel colors for designing with a natural look. When you acquire perfect look, then pick baby quilt kit that looks awesome and cuddling up with bed or couch. It should be identified with a modern baby quilt that has been used to give perfect look anyways. Your baby will look cute when lying on a quilt on the bed or couch.

Use in-wall Hanging

If you want a bit of inspiration, then go for a luxury pattern of quilt kits. It brings together for wall hangings that are made up of intricate designs of flowers and others. This is identified with lots of things and able to partner with the addition to private space. It must consider a bit of inspiration and thus go for patterns to give an attractive look for walls. As a result, it should deliver a perfect look and even utilize luxury quilt kit patterns for premises.

Themed Decors

Go with the admiring quilt kits that have been functioning on boat patterns and add a few bits of themed designs. This is highlighted with lots of lovely packs so that you could adhere to the rest collections. Some of the themed decors quilt kits are highly capable of delivering an attractive look to the premises. Go ahead with pre-cut collections and fabrics have been feeling right together.

Conclusion

When picking the best quilt kits, you could follow the above steps to get a clear idea. In fact, the themed collections are really awesome and able to provide whatever theme wants for designing. It has been operated with distinct collections and thus able to quilt kits operate for large purposes.

Self Care: Things Every Mom Should Do to Enjoy a Little “Me Time”

Becoming a mother is one of the greatest gifts in the world. You begin to develop a special bond with your children the minute they’re born…you knew from the very moment you laid eyes on them that your entire world felt much fuller and more fulfilling.

As your children begin to grow older, your motherly responsibilities begin to increase. You’re having to do this, and do that; go here, and go there…it can be maddening. Granted, you absolutely love being a mother, and everything associated with motherhood, but you can begin to lose yourself without even realizing it.

You’ll slowly start to notice that you’ve stopped doing things that you used to enjoy (such as following a fitness routine or having a hobby), and instead do things to cater to your kids. It’s perfectly fine because you love your kids, but you’re also afraid that if you want to do something that isn’t centered around your kids, then you’ll look like a bad mother…that couldn’t be further from the truth.

As a mother, you have to still be yourself. Having a child shouldn’t change the person you are; if anything, it just adds another title and job description to your name. You’re no longer just a wife, cook, and accountant anymore…you’re also a mother now, and with that title, you can add 50 more job duties to go along with it!

All in all, just because you became a mother, that doesn’t mean you have to do away with who you once were, and stop doing the things you once enjoyed…in fact, becoming a mother makes it more important than ever to take time and enjoy what makes you, you. Take a look at some of the ways you can still enjoy being a mother while having a little “me time” as well.

Shop for Yourself

As mothers, this is one area that we all too often neglect ourselves in. Ever since your child was born, it was all about the baby…rarely was it ever about you. It really is a change in lifestyle. Just imagine: you started out being single, worrying only about yourself; then you get a boyfriend; and later, he became your husband. At that point, you were looking out for both him and yourself. Then boom! The babies come. Now you have multiple mouths to feed, and multiple people to make sure took their bath for the day.

The same thing goes with shopping. The kids need clothes, so you get them clothes… but what about you? You’ve had two pairs of jeans that you just refuse to get rid of because you don’t have anymore…that’s a problem. With the New Year right around the corner, you need to make yourself a resolution that you will start shopping for yourself on occasion. Whenever you buy your daughter an outfit as sassy as her, you need to buy yourself a dress as chic as you are! As a matter of fact, grab a couple pairs of shoes while you’re at it!

Hang With Girlfriends

This area is detrimental to your adulthood sanity. You love your kids, but you will need that break from them eventually; there’s only so many conversations about “Princess Fiona” and “I got a boo-boo” that we can handle in one stretch of time. A lot of moms go wrong in this area, because they lose themselves in their children, to the point that when they do get around their peers, all they can talk about is their kids.

Talking about your kids is perfectly normal, and your real friends will love to hear all about your adventures in motherhood, but what about the hot and juicy gossip, or recapping the latest drama from your favorite reality TV show? There are definitely other adult things to talk about outside of the kids. Next time you get around your girlfriends, try to make the extra effort and talk about something else… and leave the feelings of guilt about it at home!

How to Travel with Kids on a Budget

The idea of showing your kids the big wide world while they are at a young age and see the magic in everything is a compelling one. In an ideal world, we would all be jetting off with them and watching them experience the wonders of London, Paris, Sydney, Tokyo, Dubai, and a dozen other iconic destinations.

Of course, we then wake up from our daydreams. But the truth is, traveling to far-flung places as a family is within closer reach than you might think if you follow these simple tips.

Shop around for everything

This is an age of choice. Whatever you are looking for, there will be plenty of people wanting to supply it, and desperate for your business. This puts you in a strong position. Flights can vary enormously in price if you are prepared to be a little flexible as to dates or you don’t mind flying indirectly. The same goes for travel insurance, where you can visit a site like uhcsafetrip and be selective about what you need and what you don’t. It all adds up to maximum bangs per buck.

Stay Longer

It sounds counter-intuitive, but if you have a short break, you tend to splash out on restaurant meals, taxis and other expensive costs that you would be less likely to incur on a longer visit. Essentially, the longer you stay somewhere, the lower your costs per day, so think long and slow. It’s also a far better way to really experience a different culture if you are shopping in local supermarkets, taking bus journeys and strolling beyond the main tourist areas. Not to mention that if you drop by Idaho, there are ski resorts near boise idaho to visit.

Photo credits: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-beach-holiday-woman-39691/

 Travel further

There is a similarly twisted logic when it comes to where you travel. Once you are on a plane, the further you go, the less it is costing per mile and the long-haul carriers are really working hard to reduce costs. But the savings are even more tangible than that. Destinations in Western Europe such as England and France are very popular with American travelers but are also expensive. Consider a trip farther afield, for example to China, Indonesia or even Africa. This brings two advantages.

The first is that basic expenditures when you arrive are far lower for things like food, local transportation, and accommodation. The other advantage is that this provides a great opportunity to show your kids a truly different culture, as opposed to western Europe that is really not so different from America.

Do free things

Sure, every kid wants to visit a theme park or a zoo, and there is no reason not to include one or two of these kinds of activities in your vacation. But try to make those the exception, not the rule, and when you do, book in advance to take advantage of online discounts and reduced family rates that might be available.

For the most part, however, remember that long days at the beach, walks in parks and even visits to local museums will not cost you a cent, and these are often the things that create the most memorable vacation experiences.

How to Throw a Party for Your Kid That They Would Never Forget

Everyone loves a party and kids are no exception.  Kids get incredibly excited for their birthdays and a great way to show them how much you appreciate them is to throw them a birthday party.  There are many fun and unique birthday party themes that you can choose you are sure to find one that is right for your child. You can decide to throw a party for your child anytime not just for birthdays, and they can be a fun way to show how much you love them. Below are some tips and ideas for throwing a party your child will never forget.

Start Early

To make sure your party is one they will never forget to make sure you start planning early.  If you wait until the last minute, you may not be able to find the venue or items you need to make your party successful.  The earlier you start, the better your party will be.

Budget

It is essential to make sure you set a budget so you can plan accordingly for your party.  While a child’s birthday party might not require much budgeting, a sweet 16 or graduation party is a different story.  You need to make sure you have the right budget so you can book a venue or location as well as ensure you have enough funds to provide food and party essentials.

Invitations

Be sure to send out invitations with an RSVP so you can plan your party around the number of guests that will be coming.  Do not entirely rely on invitations as people get busy or forget to respond, but by sending out invitations, you can still get a ballpark figure as to who and how many guests will be attending.

Theme

Pick a theme; everyone loves a theme no matter how old they are.  For kids, this could be as simple as their favorite character or cartoon, and for teens and adults, it could be as simple as their favorite color or special occasion like turning 18.  Picking a theme makes party planning easier as you have one central theme and you can shop accordingly. Below are some party theme ideas:

  • Glow Party
  • Pirate
  • Skateboard
  • 1st Birthday
  • Minecraft
  • Emoji

Location

Picking the right location is essential to a memorable party.  This could be as easy as your own home.  But, for a child’s party, you may want to book a unique location.  Especially if it’s a milestone like graduating high school. Regardless, make sure that the place is suitable for the number of guests you will be inviting and that they will allow food and entertainment.

Food

Be sure to supply your guests with food to make sure they are happy and having a good time.  You can either supply finger foods like chips, dip, fruits, sandwiches, etc., or you may want to have a buffet or full dinner for more formal parties the choice is up to you and your budget.  To make your party memorable, you may want to rent a food truck, a snow cone machine, or cotton candy maker. These add to the fun and are appropriate for all ages.

Entertainment

To keep guests from getting bored make sure you have some activity or form of entertainment for them to enjoy.  For children, you can rent a slide or bounce house for them to play in or have a magician or clown entertain them.  For older teens and adults you may want to consider hiring a DJ or band to play so that guests can dance and have fun.  The type of entertainment you choose will also depend on your theme and budget, but just make sure your guests are entertained to make sure your party is a success.

Photo Booth

A great way to make a part memorable is to rent a photo booth.  You can provide theme-based props or costumes, and guests can have their picture taken as a souvenir and a fun way to remember your party.

Party Favors

Be sure to prepare party favor or goodie bags for your guests so they can have a little memento of the party.  These do not have to be elaborate or expensive, just something to show you appreciate them coming and be a part of your party.

Conclusion

To ensure that you create a party for your child that they will never forget, be sure to plan early and make sure you budget to be sure you can afford what you want to do.  Be sure to have entertainment and food to keep guests happy and send them home with a small gift bag as a show of appreciation. Whatever party you decide to throw just take the time and effort to make it one you and your child will always remember.