As a mother, when your mental or physical health is compromised, all you can think about is getting better. You know that you need to be the best version of yourself to continue raising your children and providing for your family. Traditional methods of treatment can work, but not without its downsides.

The medication that is prescribed often comes with a laundry list of side effects and invasive surgeries and other procedures put your life at risk while also putting you out of commission for weeks, sometimes longer. While these may be the only avenues you have, in some instances, many women have been looking for alternative solutions. 

Holistic Medicine

Holistic medicine or treatment is a practice designed to treat a person’s mind, body, and spirit in an attempt to promote all-over healing. The philosophy behind this type of treatment is that a person has the ability within themselves to achieve optimal health by simply rebalancing their life.

Medical practitioners who utilize holistic approaches suggest that the human is made up of various parts (physical, emotional, and spiritual) that are dependent upon one another for wellness. If one part is compromised, essentially, the rest of the body becomes off-balance. 

Examples of Holistic Treatments

The idea is to get patients to start being responsible for their own health and well-being with the support and guidance of holistic practitioners. There are a number of techniques that might be introduced to help you truly heal. Below are a few examples. 

Lifestyle Changes 

Caring for oneself is essential to having good health. Yet, most working moms can agree that’s something that’s often put on the back burner. No matter what you may be suffering from be it depression, anxiety, diabetes, or cancer, the first holistic approach that will likely be taken is educating you on healthy lifestyle changes and the importance of self-care. Here’s what that includes:

• Diet – nutrition is a key component in health. Someone not eating the proper diet increases their risk of suffering from anything ranging from acne to cancer. Changing your diet to include key vitamins and nutrients strengthens your body and rebalances the mind. 
• Vitamins and Supplements – The body isn’t always strong enough to fight off disease and illness. This could be a result of the medications you’re taking, improper nutrition, or the severity of the disease. For example, if you were being treated for colon cancer, holistic treatment for colon cancer would include increasing your vitamin and supplement intake to support your body’s immune system in fighting off the disease, as well as, looking into holistic treatment centers outside of the US.
• Exercise – Beneficial for healing the mind and body exercise is another holistic solution that might be recommended when your health is declining. Exercise helps to build strong bones and muscles, but it also increases your energy, reduces stress, and improves your mood. 
• Talk-Therapy – Some lifestyle changes are easier to accomplish than others. While you can work with a practitioner to develop the right diet or implement a workout routine, trying to manage stress, deal with a toxic relationship, or get past negative or traumatic experiences from your past isn’t that easy. Talking with a counselor is advised to help you vent and, more importantly, learn how to cope with overwhelming emotions.

Complementary and Alternative Therapies

In addition to making healthy lifestyle changes to recover, holistic practitioners might also recommend that you participate in other complementary or alternative therapies to further enhance your healing. Below are a few examples:

• Massages – Massage therapy is more than just a luxury treat it’s a holistic approach to treating a multitude of problems. A few sessions with a massage therapist can relieve stress, lower your blood pressure, reduce inflammation, relieve pain, improve your range of motion, and boost your mood, just to name a few benefits. 
• Meditation – Meditation is a holistic approach that has been used for centuries. When practiced appropriately, meditation reduces stress, promotes emotional balance, improves focus and memory, enhances your self-awareness, and can even help you find spiritual harmony. 
• Acupuncture – The idea of having tiny needles stuck all over your body may not seem like a method for healing, however, this holistic treatment method has been a top-pick for years. It helps to treat anxiety, arthritis, chronic pain, depression, nausea, migraines, stress, and more. 

When mom’s not okay, the dynamics of the entire family change. Wanting to find relief for your medical conditions without the fear of side effects, long recovery times, or invasive procedures is normal. While you should always consult your doctor in advance, turning to holistic approaches such as those described above can help heal your mind, body, and spirit getting you back on your feet sooner. 

Ancestry research isn’t some dry, academic pursuit. It’s the search for stories, the stories of the men and women who came before us. Reading about these stories makes history feel more personal. It makes history come alive.  

Learning about your own family’s history can transform your children’s self-esteem and give them role models to follow. Life has always been difficult, but in earlier times, especially during the first and second world wars, challenging circumstances sometimes brought out the best in a few people. 

Since it’s not always easy to get kids interested in history, even their own family history, here are a few ways to vivify ancestry research so that your children can feel proud of their heritage. 

Discover Your Ancestors 

An obituary search will do far more than tell you when your ancestors passed away.  It will help you discover the story of your family. 

Think of these obituaries as narratives. They highlight what your ancestor’s achieved in life. Their obituaries will reveal how they lived and loved. They will disclose what people remember most about their lives.  

Another benefit of ancestry research using obituaries is that it will give you a few clues on what research further. For instance, you may want to understand more about the large historical events that influenced your family line. 

Serve Dishes Your Ancestors Cooked

One fun way to make the stories of your ancestors interesting for your children is to research the meals they ate and then cook these traditional dishes at home.  

For instance, in the 1800s, Americans only ate locally grown or hunted food. Supermarkets and nationally distributed foods did not exist back then. A common meal in the 1800s might be a simple bowl of corn and beans. 

If your ancestors lived in the North, where cattle were common, they ate beef and dairy foods like milk and butter. If they lived in the South, were cattle were scarce, they ate game meat. Wives and mothers often served venison for dinner. 

Since this was the era long before refrigeration, preservation was challenging. Salting, drying, and smoking foods were necessary. Your ancestors probably stored vegetables and fruits and nuts gathered in the summer in root cellars. They preserved their vegetables for the colder seasons by pickling them.

Find Old Photographs   

Little children love pictures, so discovering pictures from old newspapers and family photo albums can spark their interest in family history research.  

This is an especially good way to interest smaller children because they are primarily visual. It’s much more interesting to see what a great-great-grandfather looked like before learning about his hard life as a rancher. 

Read Old Newspaper Stories  

Journalists wrote newspaper stories in a far different way a few centuries ago. They focused less on facts and figures and made more of an effort to engage readers with interesting and entertaining stories.

Articles were also often brief and written in simple language about homier topics.  For instance, small-town reporters would cover children’s birthday parties at the request of parents who wanted their children’s pictures in the local paper. 

Why You Should Pass Down Your Family Stories 

Family stories will give your children a perspective about their own lives. They will see the courage and hardships that their ancestors faced and that strengthened them against social injustice and adversity. It’s hard for us to appreciate our many blessings until we’re reminded about the challenges faced by others who came before us. 

Learning about their ancestors will also encourage your children to have empathy for the experiences that other people went through in earlier times to eke out a living and contribute to their community. 

You’ve just moved into your nice new home. The boxes are unloaded and you’re finally settling into your home and your new life. While you’re settling in, is the perfect time to make up that checklist of home maintenance jobs that will save you money for years to come. 

1. Check/Install Attic Insulation

If you have an attic, whether finished or unfinished, pop your head up into it and take a look around. You should be able to see the insulation between the beams in the attic space, and there should be plenty of it. Six inches is said to be the average, but it could be more if you live in colder climates. If you don’t see enough or it looks damaged you need to schedule attic insulation installation with a local company as soon as possible. 

2. Clean and Organize

It may be tempting to put those boxes in the corner or to put off cleaning that spare room, but it’s not a good idea. Go ahead and clean, organize, and put away everything from books to dishes, so you don’t have to do it later on. Cleaning and organizing can add years to the life of everything from carpeting and wood floors to counters and walls. 

3. Adjust the Hot Water Heater Settings

If you want to save money on your electric bills, then checking your hot water heater settings is a good idea as well. The optimum temperature for the heater to be on is 120-degrees Farhenheit. Not only will the water be cooler, which can help prevent people from being scalded, but it will also save you money in the long run.  

4. Air Seal Your Home 

While this isn’t much of a problem in new homes, older homes have a ton of cracks that air can seep into. Walk around your house and see where you feel drafts coming in, and then work to air-seal the home against them. The most common places to check for drafts are outlets, around windows, and around your doors. If any of these spots are drafty, it can end up costing you quite a bit of money in the long run — they also make good entryways for pests who want to invade your home.

5. Plant a Few Shade Trees

While this isn’t a short-term fix, planting shade trees will save you money no your utility bills in the future because they’ll help keep your home cool in the summer. You want trees that are leafy during the hot weather to shade your home from the direct sunlight, but trees that lose their leaves in the winter season, so that the direct sunlight can warm your home. On top of that, trees will add to your property value as they grow, as long as they are taken care of properly. 

6. Invest in a SmartStrip/Surge Protector or Two 

When you’re hooking up your TV, gaming consoles, and DVD players, you can save energy and protect them from surges by investing in a SmartStrip or two. It just makes good common and financial sense to get a surge protector, especially if you live in an area that is plagued by thunderstorms during the spring and summer months. 

These are just a few of the top maintenance tips you can follow when moving into a new home to help you save some money in the long run. From insulating the attic properly to turning down the hot water heater, these tips can save you money and keep you and your family safe and cozy in your new home. 

Whether you want to spend your retirement years living on the beach or getting back to nature, you’ll find plenty of amazing locales in California that fit the bill. From lavish estates in glamorous cities to budget-friendly abodes with breathtaking mountain views, California cities offer a plethora of real estate options for seniors. Before you decide where to settle, be sure to check out these cities.

Corona Del Mar

If you’ve been dreaming of retiring to the beach, you should explore some of the available Corona del Mar real estate options. The affluent Southern California neighborhood consists of all of the seaward facing land atop the San Joaquin Hills in Newport Beach, south of Avocado Avenue. 

Corona del Mar has all of the amenities you’d expect to find in a luxury community, including outstanding shopping and dining options. You can spend your days browsing the upscale shops at Fashion Island or relaxing on the beach at Corona del Mar State Park.

Throughout Newport Beach, you’ll find several senior centers and activities ideal for retirees. But if you aren’t ready to slow your pace yet, that’s fine too. You can spend time exploring Disneyland, sailing, or fishing. You can even join a nearby country club to mingle with other locals.

Sherman Oaks

If you love whale watching in Los Angeles, consider looking for homes in the Sherman Oaks area. There you’ll find plenty of options for families and retirees alike. In fact, if you want to really experience L.A. like affluent couples do, you could consider purchasing one of Richard Neutra’s stilt homes. Built in 1966, these stilt homes seem to float off the side of a cliff overlooking Beverly Glen. Of course, if mid-Century modern isn’t your thing, you’ll find plenty more homes in the area.

Sherman Oaks is a great option for active seniors who enjoy being outside. You’ll find several hiking trails close by, including Dixie Canyon Park and Deervale-Stone Canyon Park. Of course, the area is close enough to downtown Los Angeles for you to enjoy everything the big city has to offer as well.

San Diego

WIth year-round nice weather, it’s not surprising that San Diego tops U.S. News Best Places to Retire in California List. In addition to the area’s weather, and plenty of things to see and do, San Diego has excellent healthcare options including Scripps La Jolla Hospital and the UC San Diego Health-Jacobs Medical Center.

San Diego’s North County area has recreational, educational, and social activities for people of all ages, including retirees. You’ll find more than 30 golf courses, 20 live performance theaters, and more than 1500 restaurants to explore. Also, nearby Mira Costa college has a low-cost Learning is For Everyone (LIFE) program that offers free or no-cost courses to seniors who want to learn about creative writing, photography, photo and video editing, knitting, and dancing.

Modesto

If you’re looking for a California retirement location that’s away from the hustle and bustle of big cities, but still close enough to common amenities, Modesto is a good option. Located in the  Central Valley, the city is surrounded by farmland where cattle are raised and almonds are grown. 

The small city gives you views of rolling green hills, similar to those you’d find in the Midwest — but it still has the nice year-round weather that California is known for. The best part about retiring in Modesto is the cost. The area is more budget-friendly than other parts of California, making it ideal for retirees on a budget.

Overall, California is a good option for retirees. The nice year-round weather makes it easy to stay active, there are plenty of high-quality medical facilities, and a plethora of attractions to explore. So if you’re planning to retire soon, consider calling one of these fabulous California cities home.

The kitchen is the heart of our homes. It serves as a place where meals are created, in essence powering the minds and bodies of families and friends across the world. In an ever-evolving technology centred world, kitchens are becoming smarter and more efficient to suit the needs of a modern lifestyle. With modern kitchen technology, preparing healthy and delicious meals at the comfort of your own home has become doable by just about anyone. Current and future kitchen technologies also safeguard our environment by reducing our household carbon footprint. Tech ideas that are finding their way into our kitchens aim at alleviating pressure from the hectic modern lifestyle, saving on energy consumption and delivering tasty meals.

Smart Kitchen tops

In recent years, touchscreen technology has considerably transformed the meal preparation experience by adding a touch sophistication and modernity. Apart from improving kitchen aesthetics, modern kitchen appliances are utilising touchscreen technology to improve safety and efficiency. Smart Kitchen tops such as the Thermador Masterpiece Series Freedom Induction Cooktops not only add a sleek feel to your kitchen but also come with full-colour touchscreen user interface and state-of-the-art technology that allows it to detect pots and pans.

AI-Driven appliances

The world today is making a mad dash towards Artificial Intelligence and in kitchens, the sci-fi dream of having appliances seamlessly working together is finally becoming a reality. AI-driven gadgets substantially increase cooking efficiency and need less of our time and effort, a dream come true for the working class. Among the industry leaders in Kitchen AI is LG. Their InstaView ThinQ smart refrigerator with Amazon Alexa built-in is astonishingly clever. The fridge can suggest recipes based on the available ingredients, monitor expiration dates and purchase groceries. Its internal cameras also allow you to monitor the contents of your fridge through your smartphone. Samsung also offers the Family Hub smart refrigerator which has Bixby. This new generation of Samsung refrigerators has similar features as the InstaView ThinQ refrigerator and enhanced online delivery functionality and the ability to create voice-based profiles.

Refrigerators aren’t the only kitchen appliances that are getting an AI boost. The PHB920SJSS smart oven built by General Electric is powered by Geneva, intelligent software that can coordinate with Alexa, Amazon’s virtual assistant.

Smart appliances

Chefs can make mouth-watering meals with basic Kitchen tools and equipment. The rest of us, however, might struggle substantially to achieve the same results. Smart appliances come in handy when delivering tasty and healthy dishes while also minimizing water and energy consumption. The smart gadget field is quite diverse. There are task-specific appliances such as coffee makers and multi-purpose devices such as ovens and cookers.

The Instant Pot Smart WiFi (surpassed the multi cooker – our favourite product) is among the best selling smart appliances that are making their way into the kitchen. The pot allows you to start and continuously monitor the cooking process from anywhere through your smartphone. The pot also has Google Assistant Integration. One only needs to download the Instant Pot app which is available for Ios and Android and connect to your WiFi network to begin using its advanced features. The Instant Pot app also offers numerous recipes ranging from breakfast, kid-friendly, dessert recipes among others that can be executed on the device. The Cook Now button which is found alongside the cooking instructions automatically adjusts the setting of the pre-programmed pot to the required meal recipe and starts cooking.

As we head towards an exciting future it will be interesting to see what other tech advancements will be made in the kitchen. Future appliances and related technologies will probably make kitchens more userfriendly and safer.

Things Every Homeowner Should Know

Owning a home is an exciting yet daunting venture. Having a place to call your own can give you a sense of pride and fulfillment. That’s why many homeowners go the extra mile to take care of their home and maintain their property. After all, having a home that you can show off to your neighbors is fun. For some solutions to problems that can happen at any home, check out Guardian Recovery Services. They have been helping Michigan businesses and homeowners recover from various disasters, such as fire, smoke, water, and mold for over 15 years.

As exciting as maintaining a home can be, it’s still no easy task. Whether it’s mowing the lawn or cleaning up nasty mold in your house, you need to know how to solve some of the most basic but serious problems in your house. Here are some common household problems and how to go about fixing them.

1. Things to Check Before Buying a Home

Before you make the decision to buy your future home, you need to make sure that you do your homework. One of the biggest expenses in a home are utilities, so check to see how much they will cost monthly and where that fits in your budget. If the costs end up being a little far out of your budget, then you may want to consider other options.

Another thing to do is to talk to your neighbors. There’s a lot of information you can get from talking to your neighbors, such as what the neighbors are like, whether some of the other neighbors are loud, or if the neighbors stay up late frequently. Knowing just a little bit about what the neighbors are like will be helpful since you could potentially be living right next to them. It also won’t hurt anything to just go over to your neighbors and get to know them while you’re looking at buying a new house.

One of the most important pieces of information to gather about the house while looking is the disclosure statement from the seller. By law, the seller has to make a statement about the condition of the house, but there is always room for the seller to be dishonest or exaggerate some of the details. It’s always helpful to have a professional opinion on the house, which is why it wouldn’t hurt to get an inspection on the house. It may cost a little more to get an inspector to look at the house, but this could save you much more money with potential problems down the road with the house. For more information on what to look out for, check out some advice regarding plumbing inspections.

2. Common Household Problems and Solutions

One of the most common minor problems in homes is certain rooms that are too hot or too cold. One of the biggest causes of this problem could be the lack of ventilation into that specific room. A solution to this problem is air sealing. The tricky part to air sealing is finding out where the air is leaking in that room. Once you find the leak, you just cover that leak to prevent hot or cold air from leaving the room which will allow the air to circulate. Learn more about how to fix uncomfortable rooms here.

A common problem in households, old and new, is mold or mildew formation. It can seem like a small problem at first, but it can become quite serious if left untreated. In most cases, mold or mildew forms due to a water leak somewhere in the house. This water leak usually comes from a fault or leak in the piping. In other cases, the mold or mildew could be from a ventilation issue. Whatever the cause of mold forming, the best solution is to find the source. You could check where the mold is forming to see if you can spot the leak, or you can call a plumbing and heating contractor to have them determine the source and fix the problem.

A build-up of dust can be easily overlooked as just something that needs to be swept. But if dust continues to form quickly after repeated cleaning, then it’s best to have this problem checked out by a contractor as this could be from faulty ventilation or a leak somewhere in the house. If you find yourself having to clean up dust more than once a week, it could be something more serious than you think.

While these are all just a few of the problems and concerns to look out for before and after buying a home, there are still numerous problems that can occur. The best way to counteract these problems is to just watch out for signs that something is different about the house or is changing. The more diligent you are in spotting signs, the faster you can examine and fix the problem.

When you take a look at all the things around your home that you’ll have to pack for a move, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. While hiring packers to do the work for you is the easiest way to get the job done, you can still do it yourself with the recommended tips below. These can make the process easier so you can pack and move better than ever before.

1. Stock up on Plastic Zipper Bags

Plastic zipper bags can make packing the small things inside of your home less of a hassle. In addition to keeping them in one place, it ensures they don’t easily get lost with all of the other things you’re packing. For each bag, label what is placed inside and always place it in the box that coordinates with the room. For example, nuts, bolts, screws, and nails from the garage will still go into a larger garage box.

Plastic bags are perfect for packing small bathroom items, pens, children’s toys, socks, blocks, cords, and even cosmetics. Fortunately, you can re-use them after you move so none of the bags will go to waste.

2. Hire a Moving Truck

Hiring help is as easy as doing a google search.  Just search for a moving company atlanta (or in the area near you), and the movers will take the heaviest physical work out of your moving process. They’ll make sure your belongings, including furniture and other bulky items, are safely placed and packed into the moving truck for transport. They’ll also drive the truck to your next destination so you don’t have to worry about driving a larger car than you might be used to. Movers take a fraction of the time to move boxes than most everyday people, so they are well worth paying to hire.

3. Rent Equipment

If you’re not going to hire a professional, or the movers you hire won’t carry out larger items, then you should rent equipment to make the job easier. While rolling carts will help with heavy boxes or some furniture, a forklift hire from Mars may be necessary for larger items. Fortunately, these can be booked in advance and are very affordable.

4. Go Through Your Things

It’s costly and time-consuming to pack and move things that you don’t want, need, or use. Save yourself the trouble by going through your things months before you head out. Donate, sell, or throw away anything that you’re not going to use inside of your new home. You’ll save yourself a lot of time and money by doing this before you move.

5. Create a Schedule

If you have a schedule of what needs to be done, then the process of moving will be simple and straightforward. Without it, you could easily end up second-guessing yourself and whether or not you’ve scheduled everything to get done. Even if your move isn’t long-distance, you’ll want to be as organized as possible.

A Move Without the Stress

Make moving easier by utilizing the tips above before you get started. You might be surprised at how much simpler they make moving as a whole. From knowing when things are going to be done to hiring tools before you leave, each step will bring you closer to your final destination.

Are your kids bored this summer?  Do they sigh heavily when you offer your usual litany of suggestions — go on more bike rides, meet friends at the local playground, visit the county fair, or set up camp in the backyard for a night of stargazing? 

Maybe it’s time to try something different, time to help them expand their growing minds with a fascinating new subject. 

Learning doesn’t just occur in school. Introducing your child to learning outside the classroom, does more than just teach them invaluable skills. You’re also teaching them to be lifelong learners. 

Here are five suggestions to help your kids experience the thrill of discovery:  

Teach Your Kids About Genealogy 

Genealogy can help your kids understand their family tree. 

If, for example, your family has an Irish genealogy, use stories published in Irish American newspaper articles dating back to the 1800s to help them discover their roots and the type of lifestyle their ancestors lived. They might be surprised to learn that from 1820 to 1860, a little under two million Irish people immigrated to the U.S. to escape the potato famine in Ireland. They came here to find jobs and build a new life for their families — and that could be why your family resides in the U.S. today.

Teach Your Kids How to Cook 

Cooking doesn’t have to be a chore. You can make it fun and exciting. Use this opportunity to teach your kids about the nutritional value of different foods. 

Teaching them how to make salads will do far more than teach them practical culinary skills. Your kids will start appreciating the value of eating unprocessed, natural foods rich in enzymes, vitamins, and minerals. You’ll also be making them aware that junk food is loaded with unhealthy amounts of sugar, salt, and fats.

Who knows? They may even surprise you by making their own Crack Chicken Pasta in an Instant Pot. 

Teach Your Kids How to Read Aloud

Reading, of course, is an essential life skill that will increase attention span, improve vocabulary, and strengthen cognition. 

Books still have their place in modern life despite the plethora of multimedia devices. Good books have captured the wisdom of the ages in the voice of their original authors.  

Reading aloud adds a new dimension to literacy. Your kids will learn enunciation, dramatic pauses, and correct pronunciation. They will learn how to entertain an audience with the spoken word. 

Teach Your Kids How to Write Creatively

Even if your kids have learned the fine motor skills of how to use a pencil on paper, learning how to write can be priceless. If they’re already proficient at handwriting, then teach them how to get good at typing, and if they already know how to type, then teach them how to compose their ideas on paper. 

But, of course, writing well is not about knowing how to put words on paper, nor is it about learning grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Rather, it is about learning how to organize a sequence of coherent ideas. Also, when you have your kids focus on creative writing and composing short stories, it helps spur their imagination.

Teach Your Kids How to Code

Many online educational programs teach children the fundamentals of computer programming. Learning how to code will become an increasingly valuable skill in the future.

Learning this skill is like learning a new language or playing a musical instrument. While using tutorial software like MIT’s Scratch Program is not always intuitive, it’s a highly rewarding creative activity once someone gets the knack of learning how to write their own programs. 

Your child will learn how to enjoy experimenting. 

The purpose of these five learning activities isn’t to acquire proficiency. Instead, it’s a way to show kids that learning can be fun. These skills also contribute to learning how to think.

You’re helping your kids learn how to feel excited about discovering new things without the pressure to compete with others or perform for a grade or approbation. You’re teaching them the joy of learning for its own sake. You’re teaching them how to think. You’re teaching them that the world is a far more interesting place than they thought.

Life often requires a little bit of ingenuity and the ability to accelerate in a moment’s notice. Eating healthy is hard in the best of circumstances, but when on the go, it can be tough. Bags of potato chips is easy, and fast food convenient. Yet with a little time and creative thinking, you can create healthy snacks to grab and go whenever you’re in a rush.

Part of eating healthy is cutting back on fats and processed sugar. Buying snacks with fewer ingredients can help to prevent purchasing a snack that looks healthy but is loaded with the very ingredients you’d like to avoid. Another option is to make your own at home, and prep them so that all you need to do is grab as you run out the door.

Five Healthy Grab-and-Go Snacks

• Honey. For a quick pick-me-up, honey is the way to go. Purchase individual honeycomb packets and you can add honey to anything: crackers, bread, on top of a banana, or over the slices of apples. Offering needed antioxidants and linked to reduced strokes, heart attacks, and may also help promote eye health, honey is a great way to finish that seventh inning stretch until your next meal.
• Peanut butter and apples. The fiber from apples will help you feel full for longer, not to mention digestive health, and peanut butter contains protein, fiber, and vitamin B-6. Putting the two together is as delicious as it is healthy. Just remember to squeeze lemon juice over apples to slow the oxidation process that turns them an unappetizing brown.
• Turkey jerky is a great idea if you need something to sink your teeth into on the run. Lower in the bad fats, but loaded with taste, turkey jerky is a low-cost alternative to beef jerky, and depending on which flavor you choose, can be low in sodium and sugar. Many find making their own is a great alternative, allowing for taste and preferences.
• Trail mix. Store-bought trail mix offers at least five flavor options, but if you’re up for it, creating your own means you have limitless possibilities. At the base of every great trail mix is nuts, often peanuts, almonds, and cashews. Add in some dried fruits, perhaps a small amount of chocolate and liberally sprinkled with your favorite spices. It’s also one of the easiest to create different sizes, from small for snacks at work to large for those long road trips.

• Popcorn with dried roasted chickpeas. Not often thought of as a pair, wash and thoroughly drain the chickpeas and add to pre-popped popcorn. The lovely flavors mix; the chickpeas add a nice savory crunch to the satisfying chewiness of popcorn. As with trail mix, it can be separated into small or large portions depending on your needs.

If you don’t have time to make all of these healthy snacks, many are readily available at your neighborhood stores. Remember to store them according to directions, but none should need refrigeration. All are great to toss into a bag and head out the door, whether for a quick trip to the beach or an overnight trip out of town. 

The kitchen can really get chaotic in the household. While you’re preparing meals your toddler is trying to grab the pots and pans out the cabinet, your school-aged daughter wants to be a big helper, and your preteen is hovered over the countertop looking for a snack as they complete their homework. There has to be a better solution to this regular evening madness. 

And there is. Redesigning your kitchen to meet the needs of not just yourself, but your children can help smooth things over. Not sure what a kid-friendly kitchen would look like? Here are some ideas below:

 Install Lower Cabinets and Drawers

For the little helper in the family, accessibility is key. You don’t want them getting hurt trying to climb on a chair to reach higher cabinets. Having a few low cabinets with drawers installed at a lower level can make your helper’s job easier. You can check out different cabinet styles by visiting sites like https://www.gkandb.com/locations/san-francisco/ to find designs that match your decor best. 

Breakfast Nooks

Breakfast nooks are ideal for families with children because they serve a dual purpose. They give the kids a place to sit and eat their snacks after school while also providing a space for them to do their homework, draw, color, or mix ingredients to help you prepare dinner. There are many different styles and sizes to choose from based on the size of your kitchen. Try to designate an area away from the stove and the prepping area to keep kids safe. 

Easy to Clean Surfaces

A few minutes in the kitchen with your kids and all your hard efforts to clean go down the drain. You can make cleaning a lot easier by working with easy to clean surfaces. Whether installing countertops or flooring keep cleanliness in mind. While natural stone like marble is quick to stain quartz isn’t. Lament flooring is also an option to make it easy to mop up messes. 

Entertainment

When your kids are younger they seem to be attached to your hip. They don’t want to leave mom’s side even if she is cooking dinner for the family. If they’re going to be in the kitchen with you, but you want them to stay out of the way, then consider adding things to your design that will keep them entertained. A feature chalkboard wall, for example, can keep them drawing for hours. You could also buy a television for them to watch their favorite shows. 

Space is Ideal

If you have the funds for a complete kitchen remodel then remember space is key to a family-friendly kitchen. The more space you have the less cluttered you guys feel if you’re in the kitchen at the same time. Open concepts are very popular and provide a ton of space which can be ideal for putting up child gates, a playpen, or a section with toys to keep the kids occupied. 

Island

For kitchens without a lot of counter space, things can get pretty crowded really fast. You can make the kitchen more family-friendly by installing an island. A nice island not only provides more storage but gives you space for prepping meals. It can also double as an eating or studying area for the kids if you don’t have space for a nook. 

Babyproofing

For infants and toddlers roaming around the kitchen, you want to be careful. Be sure that you have babyproofed everything to keep them from getting hurt. Section off the area by the stove with a child safety gate put socket covers over low but unused outlets, put rubber bumpers on sharp corners,  and install locks on cabinets they shouldn’t access.

The kitchen really is the heart of the home. It’s where meals are prepared and families spend time with one another. If your kitchen tends to become a madhouse when the kids are around, make some changes like those discussed above to make it more kid-friendly.