Archives for 2019

Congratulations! If you are expecting a new member in your family or if you’re here just for gender reveal ideas then you have come to the right place. Pregnancy is an amazing journey and having a gender reveal party is a great way to have fun and surprise your family and friends. Are you thinking of planning a gender reveal party? Or do you want it to be very surprising for everyone, but don’t know how to make it so? Continue reading for an easy how-to guide with unique ideas in which you and your guests will love.

Early Gender Reveal Party

These days, it’s becoming more popular to host gender reveal parties after the gender of the fetus is determined at 18-20 weeks of pregnancy. One of the tips for planning a gender reveal party is to get a gender DNA test before 18-20 weeks. The gender DNA test is a blood test that is 99% accurate and it allows the parents to have access to the gender of the fetus as early as 8 weeks. This enables parents to have a gender reveal party earlier surprise family and friends. Another reason why it’s a good idea to get an early baby gender test is that the pregnant mother will not be as tired when enjoying the gender reveal party with loved ones.

Makeup of a Gender Reveal Party

Picking the perfect guest list, theme, food, and invitations are vital in a gender reveal party. The theme and invitations are usually created with the colors pink or blue incorporated in them. No one can decide what color or shade of pink or blue you should have because you should be able to choose what you see fit. Having a nice setting is mandatory and doesn’t need to be expensive. Many choose the outdoors when the weather is great and even their own backyards as the surprise reveal is done in a dramatic presentation. As far as food goes, you can choose a summertime BBQ or whatever you like to serve your guests. Don’t forget the dessert table, cake, and assigning a photographer which are all necessary. Some use cake with pink or blue filling inside to reveal the gender of the baby when it’s cut. Balloons, table decor, table cloths, streamers are the typical makeup of a gender reveal party and are easy and affordable. One of the creative games for your party can be having guests dress up in either pink or blue which will determine which team they will be in and who the winners will be after the gender reveal. The winners then receive a small prize.

Unique Surprise Gender Reveals

We have finally made it to the most exciting part, the surprise gender reveal. You don’t want to just open an envelope announcing the gender. You want it to be a unique and memorable moment. There are many creative ways to do this. You can have a dark balloon or piñata that has pink or blue colored confetti in it and releases the confetti once popped or cracked. Another idea is using powder or confetti-filled compressed air cannons to pop with your partner. A closed banner or box with pink or blue balloons inside which will fly in the air once opened is an adorable surprise as well. Regardless of how you surprise your loved ones, remember to be happy and grateful always. 

The holidays are upon us, and shortly after they are over and done, the most anticipated event of the season for many will be right around the corner. If football and the much anticipated Super Bowl is a big deal in your house, then you might need some tips for throwing the best football party ever at your home this season. Even if you don’t enjoy football there are many reasons to watch the Super Bowl.  For instance, a lot of people enjoy sports betting, and some are even able to make some money from the Super Bowl, and various other games and tournaments that take place throughout the year. If you are interested in sports betting, you can click here to learn about some of the sportsbooks that are out there so that you can choose the one that fits you and your needs the best.

So, whether you like football or you don’t, if you’re tasked with throwing the party at your house this year, read on below for a few tips to make it the best one you’ve ever hosted.  

Grab a Few Simple Presents

The Super Bowl isn’t just about football, just watching the game is one of America’s favorite pastimes. To make your event even more special, don’t pass up the opportunity to give your guests a grab bag to go, just like you would at any other party you hosted. Some possible gifts include miniature footballs, football cards, patriotic shirts for all, or any type of memorabilia with your guest’s favorite team on it. Having a grab bag for guests to take home will not only make them feel special, but it will also have them talking about your party for months to come, maybe even into the next football season. 

An Awesome TV Is Needed

The one thing you can’t have the best Super Bowl party ever without is an awesome TV. The larger the TV is, the better the game will be. What’s important to note here is that the more people you invite, the larger the screen of your TV needs to be. After all, everyone needs to be able to see the game without crowding and from wherever they happen to be in the room. 

Have Plenty of Seating Available

Whether you’re watching the game indoors or outside on a huge outdoor TV, you need to have enough seating areas so that everyone can be comfortable. Seating can include anything from couches to chairs and from bean bags to comfortable stools. If you don’t have enough seating, ask friends and family to bring a few camping or folding chairs along with them. 

Plenty of Food

The biggest necessary item, next to the TV, of course, is enough food. You just can’t have any kind of a Super Bowl party without the right food. Of course, you’re going to have plenty of chips and dip, but you also need stuff like chicken wings, nachos, pizza, pigs in a blanket and much more. If you’re not sure what your friends and family would like for the party, ask them to bring some of the food on the lists with them, so you won’t have to do all of the work yourself.

The Right Kind of Drinks

While everyone knows that beer drinking and the Super Bowl just go together, you need to have the right kind of beer at the party. On top of that, not everyone at the party is going to be a drinker. Make sure you have bottled water, diet and regular sodas, and Kool-aid and juices for any kids that are joining the party as well. 

Make it BYOB (Bring Your Own Beer)

With all of the different brands and variety of beer out there today, there is no way you can please everyone in that department. Instead of trying, and then breaking the bank buying beer for your football party, make it BYOB, bring your own beer. In this way, you’re not spending a fortune, and everyone is happy with the type of beer they drink and enjoy. 

These are just a few tips for throwing the best Super Bowl party at your house this year. Do it the right way and people will be talking about your party until next season begins.

Image Source: RSPCA

Hamsters make wonderful pets, especially when it comes to a family’s first pet with younger children. With several different breeds of hamster, it’s important to know what you want before you make a purchase, as they can vary in size, temperament and so on. You usually find that hamsters live to around 2-3 years, so you’re not committing to years and years of care and attention, which many families often struggle to do making hamsters a better option over dogs or cats. Just like any pet, hamsters require a certain level of love and attention, with the right care to keep them healthy, happy and strong.

The Needs of a Hamster

All hamsters are different, but they all have similar needs when it comes to the way they are cared for. Whilst there isn’t an exact way to care for them, it’s still essential to follow the normal steps in taking care of them to ensure they are healthy and living a high-quality of life. Once you get to know your hamster, you will start to pick up on its needs, what it likes and doesn’t like and so on. This will help you to care for your hamster in the very best way, as you’ll start to know what they like to eat, when they like to eat, whether they like being handled a lot and other important things like that.

Let Them Explore

You’ll find that, no matter what breed of hamster you have, they all love to explore. From nuzzling into their hay bedding to playing with the cardboard from toilet rolls, hamsters will do their very best to explore their area and get great entertainment from this! To help encourage your hamster to explore and stimulate them, you can invest in some great small animal toys that are designed to add adventure to your hamster’s cage. From exciting see-saws to tuff tubes, you can find a great range online here from big brands including Ancol, Rosewood Pet and more. Providing your hamster with a space that they can enjoy will really help to keep their brains active, keep them healthy and ensure they don’t become bored.

Nutritional Essentials

Even though hamsters are only very small, they require a specific balance of nutrients to ensure they stay happy and healthy. The main food that hamsters enjoy is simple pellet food, as this helps to keep them active and full without taking away any of the vitamins they require. You should be feeding your hamster every single day, with their bowl three quarters full to ensure they have a constant supply of food. Hamsters also love to graze on vegetables like carrot and kale, which helps to vary their diet a little and give them something interesting to eat every now and then.

Plenty of Playtime

With their love of exploring, hamsters also love to stay active and play. Investing in a hamster wheel or ball is a really good way of getting their exercise in and providing them with hours of entertainment. These items are also ideal for your own peace of mind. Hamsters are very small, so you want to keep an eye on them at all times and when safely inside their hamster ball you can rest assured, they aren’t able to escape or explore the rest of the house!

Winter can be an extremely harsh season when it comes to drastic weather conditions, so it’s always beneficial to ensure your home is safe and secure, ready for the winter months. From simple exterior checks, to ensuring the boiler is on top form, you’ll thank yourself if you come across any issues that can be resolved, that would’ve become a nightmare for you once the temperature drops.

Exterior Preparations

Your homes exterior is the most important area to prepare in time for winter. From the strong weather conditions, the garden and homes exterior can become battered and untidy but preparing your garden for the winter can help to prevent too much damage. Firstly, you need to check that your fencing is intact. Broken fencing can become a huge issue during the winter, especially when winds become strong and aggressive. If you notice that you have broken parts of fencing, or there are panels missing, then you need to take a trip to your local builders’ merchants and stock up on plenty of timber to fix these problems. There are lots of different parts available for fencing, like these edge panels, fence posts and so on, so you need to work out exactly what you need before you invest in any additional parts. Once you’ve fixed your fencing, you shouldn’t have to work on it again during the winter.

Shed and Greenhouse Security

When the bad weather sets in, you never know what kind of conditions you’re going to be dealing with. The shed and greenhouse can take quite a bit of pressure from strong winds, as well as a battering from any flying debris that’s blown around the garden. As a result of the bad weather, you often find that windows can become smashed, doors can become loose and roofing materials can become damaged. Before the winter properly sets in, give your greenhouse or shed a thorough once over. Check all areas are intact, just like you would with the fencing and make note of any areas that need a little TLC. Make sure you lock your shed securely to prevent any doors from flying open, as well as storing any loose furniture items away here too.

Warm and Cosy Interiors

Many people like to avoid putting the central heating on until the temperature seriously drops, however after months of not being used, your radiators may need a little test run before the cold weather hits. In the run up to the colder weeks, use your heating sparingly to just test the waters and ensure it’s still working properly. There is nothing worse than facing the coldest day of the year with a broken boiler. It would even be worth having a technician popping over and giving your boiler a quick check, to ensure it’s going to run smoothly for the few months ahead.

Alongside the boiler checks, you should also use this time to go around the house and bleed your radiators. By bleeding radiators, you can ensure your radiators will work properly when needed. If your radiator needs bleeding, you’ll notice that the top of the radiator is cold, when the bottom is hot. All you need is a cloth and bleed key to tackle this issue and it doesn’t take long at all!