Springtime is here, and while you may have already done some spring cleaning in your home and out on your yard, it’s now time to see what sort of spring cleaning you can do to reboot your eating habits! In this article, we offer some tips for achieving a healthier everyday diet this season.

Restock Your Fridge and Pantry

During the winter holidays, you’re likely to have overindulged on a lot of great-tasting but sinful food items—from bûche de noësl and Yorkshire puddings to pot roasts and even venti cups of Starbucks’ holiday peppermint mocha Frappuccino. This spring, take the opportunity to clean out your fridge and pantry and to replace your stock of items with healthier choices—be it whole or packaged food products.

Aim for a Multi-Colored Meals

If the meal you eat on a daily basis is chockfull of whites, browns, and beige shades, you’re probably eating too much meat and refined carbohydrates. What you really want is to take advantage of the bountiful varieties of produce available this season and to decorate your plate with their different colors.

Fruits like apricot, honeydew, mangoes, oranges, and strawberries, as well as vegetables like artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, spinach, and watercress are abundant during springtime. The pigments in these fruits and veggies contain plant nutrients and antioxidants that are very good for your health. For instance, red represents lycopene, while orange and yellow represent carotenoids; blue and purple, on the other hand, usually means anthocynanins, and green means the presence of chlorophyll and lutein.

Consume Healthy Fats

Saturated fats—such as those found in meat, dairy, lard, palm oil, margarine, and coconut oil—should only be consumed in moderation because they can increase the levels of “bad cholesterol” (low-density lipoprotein) in the body. Take note that high levels of LDL in the blood can put a person at a higher risk for cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Instead of consuming food products that are high in saturated fats, choose those that contain unsaturated fats instead. Found in nuts, seeds, avocadoes, and fatty fish (e.g. sardines, trout, salmon, tuna, and mackerel), unsaturated fats can actually help lower levels of LDL and overall cholesterol in the body.

If you find it challenging to consume these food products on a regular basis, consider their healthy processed alternatives. For instance, you may want to substitute wholesome nut butters and delicious nut milk products for actual nuts. Nut milks come in many varieties including almond nut milk, peanut milk, walnut milk, and hazelnut milk, but make sure to choose a brand that preserves most of the nutrients of the whole ingredients.

Make Room for Probiotics

Probiotics are live microorganisms that are typically found in yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut and many other fermented products. These microorganisms include bacterial species like Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Bifidobacterium longum, and Streptococcus thermophilus, as well as yeasts like Saccharomyces boulardii.

Probiotics have been known to help with conditions like infectious diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and antibiotic-related diarrhea—because they essentially help bring balance back to an affected person’s gut flora. There are also studies that point to how these beneficial microorganisms can actually promote longevity, noting that regions around the world where fermented food products are popular tend to have populations that live long and healthy lives.

Choose Whole Grains

If you’re fond of eating white bread, white pasta, and white rice, it’s time to make a change this spring by opting for their whole grain variants instead. Whole grains refer to grains that are either left in their whole form or ground into flour while still having all of the good parts of the seed, including the bran, germ, and the endosperm. This means, you get to enjoy all the nutritional content of the source plant, which includes B vitamins like thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate, as well as minerals like iron, magnesium, folate, and selenium.

On the contrary, refined grains are milled and have had the germ and bran removed, which makes them smoother and more longer-lasting in terms of shelf life but devoid of the nutrients and fiber found in their whole form.

Enjoy More Home-Cooked Meals

Takeout foods are often so rich in oil and sodium that they’re not really the best option for your daily meals. By cooking your own meals instead, you get to save some money while also allowing yourself to de-stress and to learn new recipes or a new skill (the act of cooking itself). Moreover, you get to decide just how much fat and salt to put in your own food.

With these tips in mind, you’re now ready to make your diet a whole lot cleaner this spring!

Like any other party, you want your baby shower to be one to remember. So, it’s time to begin planning how you’d like it to look, and how you want to shape the proceedings of the evening. Throwing a wonderful baby shower shouldn’t cause you stress, so if you’re concerned about how much you have to prepare, then get your friends and family involved, as well as your partner. You should be looking forward to the event, so ensure that you have help wherever you need it. Keep stress to a minimum by planning ahead and keeping plans simple yet effective.

Activities

Baby showers give you something to look forward to, and this is important as it can help the long nine months tick by quickly during the journey of your pregnancy. Your baby shower should be an enjoyable event and one in which you’re surrounded by loved ones and those close to you. Plan activities to keep your guests entertained and enjoying the atmosphere. Visit Pampers and download baby shower game templates to make things a little easier and save money in the process too. You should be thinking about ease, and ways to make your evening seamless and stress-free. If you haven’t yet decided upon a name for your baby, then why not ask your guests for suggestions and ideas? It is a very inclusive activity, and you’ll feel just how much your loved ones care about you. Your baby shower should be uplifting and get you even more excited to meet your imminent arrival.

The Decorations

If you’re approaching the sixth or seventh month of pregnancy during the summer, then think about throwing your shower outside in the warmth. Your yard could be the perfect setting for your shower, as you can light candles in the center of the dining table and decorate the trees with fairy lights. If you know the sex of your baby, then you could decorate the space appropriately in traditional colors such as pink or blue. If you’re keeping things neutral or you don’t know the sex of your baby, then stick to simple white decorations. Again, if you need help with decorating the place and standing on ladders to attach banners and such forth, then do not hesitate to ask for help.

The Menu

Try not to overcomplicate things for yourself, and keep the food simple. If you don’t want to prepare the food yourself, then book a caterer nice and early and have them deliver the food to you on the day of the party. You can choose how you’d like to feed your guests. However, it’s a good idea to get an idea of numbers on the morning of the shower. Also, ensure that you’re aware of any allergies of your guests. You can provide gluten and dairy free options if you need to by following tailored recipes online. Make absolutely sure that you’re staying away from foods that can be dangerous to consume during pregnancy and breastfeeding. If you’ve invited other expectant people, then check to see if there are any foods and ingredients to avoid that your guests can’t stomach currently!

One of the most common excuses you can hear around people above their thirties is that they “just don’t have the knack for technology”. And sure, not everyone is born to be a software engineer or computer scientist, but when you can’t handle basic everyday tasks on a typical computer, you’re setting yourself up for a lot of trouble later on. More and more services are switching to digital versions all around the world, and in a decade or two, you might not be able to do things like filing your taxes or paying your bills without going online.

Managing Your Finances

One of the best ways to use modern computers also happens to be one of the scariest for most people. There is a lot you can do to make your financial situation easier and more manageable when using the Internet the right way, but you also have to be careful. Protect your online banking PINs and other sensitive information just like you would treat the main details of those accounts, such as your account number. Using online banking efficiently can save you a great number of trips to your local branch, but it can also expose you to some dangers.

Protecting Your Information

If you’re like most people, then you’re likely storing a lot of information on your computer and other digital devices, and that information may be sensitive or even critical for your everyday life. Make sure that you don’t allow it to get compromised, and always keep backups of the pieces that truly matter. Knowing who you can turn to for hard drive repair is also a good idea, and it’s often better to explore that market before you actually need to hire a company of this type. Searching in a rush can cause you to make mistakes, and when it comes to sensitive information, that’s clearly the last thing you want.

Staying Up to Date

Don’t ignore recent developments in the tech field just because it might not be your primary interest. It’s important to stay up to date with what’s going on in that area, and there are lots of websites out there that can give you a good summary of recent developments. It’s particularly important to stay alert of any issues related to cyber security, as it’s not rare that we learn of a recent major breach that affects thousands of people. Facebook is a good recent example, but it’s very likely that we’re going to see even more similar incidents in the very near future.

Technology can be of great assistance in our everyday lives, and just because you’re not one of the kids born with a tablet in their hands doesn’t mean that you can’t sit down and educate yourself on the most important aspects of using your computer and other digital devices correctly. Eventually, you’ll reach a point where you’ll be glad you’re more informed than the average person in your age range, especially if we run into another global problem related to our use of computers.

Moms have a busy and tumultuous life in the 21st century, often having constructed ingenious ways to balance running a household with raising children and working in a variety of jobs. In those rare moments when you have an hour or so just to yourself, it’s best to have some treats lined up as small rewards for the fast-paced and often hectic life that you’re leading. Here’s a list of little things that moms can do to bring some well-earned luxury or pleasure into busy and stressful lives.

Fill Your Calendar With Friends

As a mom, you’ll have an intricate working routine which keeps you busy for the majority of each day. Whether it’s taking the kids to school or rushing off to your office job and leaving your partner to care for the children, you’ll have precious little time to see friends. In those chunks of time where you are able to, though, planning ahead and meeting friends – often moms themselves – for food, exercise or fun will bring a great deal of positivity into your life.

Buy Little Treats

Indulgences are sometimes guilty, but always rewarding. If you have a penchant for chocolate, have a little stored where only you can find it for when times get tough. If you’re a vape smoker, check out this Mt Baker Vapor big bang vape that’ll knock your socks off in times of stress. Or, if you simply enjoy an hour spent relaxing in your own thoughts, perhaps buy some candles, some peaceful music, some bath products or a Netflix account so that you’re able to indulge when the time is right.

Organize Mini-Breaks

There’s a popular myth within couples with children, that the passion and energy of the relationship necessarily gives way to the responsibility you have over your offspring. This is not by any means a universal rule and, even though you’ll both be a little strapped for time sometimes, finding space in your calendar to head off for a beneficial weekend away, leaving children with loved ones, can bring a terrific amount of relief to moms on busy schedules. By doing so, you can give yourself the time to reinvest your love and passion into your relationship.

Time With Your Kids

Of course, your children are not the source of your stress – indeed, they’re the reason you get up in the morning, and the joy that sustains busy lives. When all is said and done, there is so much comfort and fun to be extracted from your children that any spare moments you have with them should be used to build closer familial bonds, create wonderful memories, and share in the love that a close family has to offer. Whether it’s playing, settling in for a movie, or going out to see the world, quality family time will remind you that being a mom is one of the most fabulous experiences in the world.

In a busy day-to-day life, moms should take into account these little treats in order to make the most of the unique experience of parenthood, bringing regular chunks of joy into hectic schedules.

Having children can be hard work and time-consuming, but it is also the best role in the world. Just because you have had children, this shouldn’t stop you from reaching your goals and dreams. In fact, you should use your children as motivation to get the best life possible for them and climb that career ladder! If there is a degree that you wanted to study but you never got chance to do it before having children, this doesn’t mean you cannot start now. Here is how you can still study and be a parent.

Online Degrees

Online degrees give busy parents an easier option to study whilst juggling work and family life. They are completed online, meaning you do not have to worry about traveling to university and getting the kids up and off to school, and you can study full-time or part-time, depending on how many hours you will be able to spare in a week. Online degrees such as masters in social work online give you complete flexibility, meaning you can sit down at the end of a night and do an hour or two of work. Gaining a degree as a parent has never been easier.

Why Study a Masters Degree?

There are many reasons to study a master’s degree, including further advancing your career. If you wish to climb the career ladder and earn more for the family, a master’s may get you into higher paid roles and managerial positions. This is great if your children are starting at school and you are looking at going back to work full time. It also shows your employer that you are still dedicated to your job. Many parents feel having a baby will mean losing their career, but this does not need to be an option. With a master’s degree, you can still be learning and advancing your knowledge.

How Can I Juggle Everything?

Studying and juggling everything else that life throws at you can be hard. It is best to talk to your family and friends first and build a support system. If you have friends that have children, perhaps they’d be kind enough to do the school or nursery run one day a week so that you can study. One day a week could be when the children visit grandparents or aunties and uncles. There are ways to work around you and your busy schedule if furthering your education is what you really want. Case Western Reserve University offers an online MSW for those looking to further their social work career. Plan each week around when you will fit in time for studying. You can be smart about it, perhaps take the children for a day at an indoor play area and whilst they are running wild, you can catch an hour or two of study.

Having children doesn’t mean your education must stop. Furthering your career and education is always an option as a parent.

The reason people invite guests over to stay during the holidays or other important family events is that those family members or friends don’t live that close and it’s a bit difficult to spend time with them. Therefore, you need to make sure that you’re a good host if you make the effort of inviting people to stay over at your place. Although it might sound like a scary experience, with a bit of preparing beforehand, you’ll make a good impression on them.

Your guests will definitely appreciate your effort of organizing something special for them, no matter how small or big the surprise is. There are endless ways of keeping houseguests entertained. The main idea is to plan activities that they will enjoy doing. Below there are some examples that you can choose from.

Have a Karaoke Night

Most people love listening to music and even singing while they are having a good time with their friends. Just because it’s a rainy and miserable day that does not mean that you need to spend your whole day on the couch watching movies. Organizing a karaoke party is a lot easier than it might seem. Have a fun time together by singing your favorite songs and even performing for the rest of the group. If there are small kids there, you can give them some board games or puzzles to complete in the meantime. Prepare a few snacks and the night is sorted.

Prepare Food Together

If you’re not sure about the kind of food that you should prepare for your guests, you could wait for them to arrive at your place and cook it together. You can have a great time while cooking your favorite meals in your garden. Your kids can play and run around while adults are taking care of the food. After all, an extra pair of hands is always welcome in the kitchen. If you are looking into potentially designing an outdoor kitchen, this could create a diverse space in your backyard to also entertain your guests. Such a feature would increase possibilities for any guests and would also provide extra storage space, and it increases the value of your property.

Go on a Short Day Trip

Another great way of having fun with your guests is by taking them on a short trip. You can visit places that are close to your home. There needs to be some kind of attraction no matter where you live. You could go to the beach, to the mountains or to a nice lake close by. If not, you could have a nice walk around the local attraction or park in the area. Consider the weather and plan something accordingly.

Don’t forget to be Flexible

In order to keep your guests happy you need to be flexible. Ask them whether they would like to take part in some activities and be ready to provide alternative solutions in case they don’t appear interested in your suggestions. You could even divide activities if there is a bigger group of people coming over. Stock up on supplies, prepare their bedrooms and set aside space for luggage. Take care of their belongings as soon as they arrive so that they feel welcome.

No matter what activities you organize, remember to spend as much time together as possible so that you can create unforgettable memories. The only way of having fun when inviting guests over is by keeping a positive attitude and planning activities that they love doing.

As parents get older and find it increasingly difficult to continue to live independently, their loved ones usually finding themselves having to choose between one of three options.

The first is to move the parent into a nursing home, the second is to remodel or otherwise adapt their current home to make it easier for them to continue to live there and the third is to have them move in.

While having your senior parent share your home can lead to special and memorable times for you both, the transition is not always an easy one. Here are a few tips to help you make it as smooth as possible.

Prepare your home

In the same way you would childproof the house prior to the arrival of a new baby, you should check your home to ensure nothing there will represent a hazard to the health of your parent.

Key considerations include items such as how well they will be able to manage going up and down the stairs, their ease of access to the bathroom, the quality of lighting throughout the property and the installation of safety rails. You should also remove as much clutter and unnecessary furniture as possible in the run-up to their arrival.

If there are likely to be significant costs involved in making the home suitable for suitable, it’s important to determine whether the costs will be met at least in part by the parent that is moving in or not.

Stay in touch

If you spend much of your time away from your home, modern technology can alleviate many of the concerns you have about leaving your parent alone. A range of easy-to-use video calling devices makes it easy to check in on your parent on a regular basis and receive visual assurance that everything is okay. You can even access such services from your smartphone or tablet, meaning you can stay in touch wherever you are.

If your parent is sometimes unsteady on their feet, providing them with a personal emergency response system with automatic fall detection, such as the Libris devices produced by Nortek Security & Control, can automatically alert a monitoring service in the event of an incident. The device will also monitor a range of health information, enabling you to keep track of activity and wellness levels.

Communicate clearly with everyone involved

No matter how much space you have available, moving a parent into your home will always require some degree of rearrangement. Other members of your family may lose access to certain parts of the property or be inconvenienced in other ways, so it is vitally important to ensure everyone is fully aware of the potential implications well in advance.

It is also important to speak at length to the parent to ensure they understand the full implications of such a move. Although they may be spending more time with members of their family, they could be moving far away from friends or activities that have formed a regular part of their lives.

Family trips are what most parents live for: the chance to spend time with their kids, escaping from the pressures of work, and finding harmony in a new location. While they can present a world of memories, they can also come with much stress, which can start before you’ve even set off from your home. Although most of these worries are money related, many of them come in the form of dangers that can put the safety of your family at risk. There are many tips out there to help you keep your family safe, but there are a few more innovative ones which are always good to refer to if you need them.

Invest in a portable charger

Many cars will have charging points for you to keep your mobile device up and running, but there may be times when you are out exploring without your car and you need your phone for an emergency. This problem is easily solved by having a spare phone in your backpack that anybody can reach quickly, but if this is too expensive, portable chargers are an excellent back up. If you invest in the right one, you can sometimes pay mere dollars for a charger that holds a few charges, which is an easy investment to make for the benefits it holds.

Take your own breathalyzer

There will be nights where you go out with your partner or your kids for a family meal, where you might indulge in a few glasses of wine or a beer. In these cases, you might feel like you are good to drive, but you can’t always be sure. Stay safe on the road by installing an ignition interlock device, which won’t let you drive anywhere unless your breath is below the required level. This won’t only come in handy for long journeys away, but when you are at home, as it helps keep you and your family safe on the road.

Stay in family hotel rooms

It could well be that you are traveling to a country where dangers present themselves more often than at home. Yet this should never stop you from being able to take your family to explore the different corners of the world. If you’re thinking of exploring Malaysia, then you have to apply through iVisa.com, but you have to provide proof of accommodation, even if you stay in family rooms.A great way to spend some more time together and to keep an eye on your kids is to stay in family hotel suites, which can sometimes save you some pennies if you are only paying for one room. You could even go one step further and rent a villa for your time away, where you can usually have the security of a garden gate and alarm system.

Take an upgraded first aid kit

When you go anywhere, having a first aid kit is a must. Bandages, antiseptic, and painkillers are all essentials, but you may need more out of your first aid kit than a traditional one offers. If your children suffer from any medical conditions, or you are going somewhere which poses a different set of medical risks, then stock up your kit with what you need so that it is all in one place. Another great idea is to have a resource for reducing stress, such as aromatherapy oils, so that mental health issues don’t become too prominent when you are away.