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A garage can offer overwhelming space if it is properly organized. Unfortunately, most of us dread organizing our garages and leave them cluttered. However, following some tips and products, you can manage the garage in the best way possible. In addition, you can get premium-quality and durable overhead garage storage items from professional companies. Have a look at this article to know the best overhead garage storage ideas for a well-organized garage.

Ceiling Racks

You can store your items in the ceiling racks. Then, whenever needed, you can take the required stuff out and place the remaining stuff back. A good quality ceiling rack can hold up to 600 pounds. It will make your floor mess-free, and you will get a lot of space to put other stuff or sit and do your work. These racks are perfect for placing things like holiday decorations, etc.

Industrial Shelves

These shelves are sturdy, tough, and excellent to manage your items in the garage. You can get them in various sizes. They can hold a lot of items. It is easier to grab items through these shelves, and they don’t take that much space.

Walls Storage

Walls are the best way to organize your junk and make a lot of space in the garage. You can get wall hooks and shelves and install them easily. Then, arrange your items according to the requirement on the shelves and make your life easy. Hooks can hold up stuff while leaving so much room for you to sit or work. Slatwall panels are another space organizing product. You can hang small and most needed items on it. Then, you can adjust them according to your need.

Corner Storage

Right when you think that there is no space left, have a look at the corners of your garage. This can serve as the best spot to place the kind of stuff you want to grab frequently. You can get shelves for the corner, and it would provide you extra space to place your items. It can be a very common habit to dump things in a garage in empty spaces, but by utilizing proper storage racks, you can easily organize your garage. For example, you can install a firewood rack in the corner to store wood for winter instead of tossing it in the corner of a room. Moreover, it could be beneficial to protect the wood from getting ruined due to moisture and mold.

Storage Bins on Racks

If you think you don’t need stuff often, you can place them in storage bin racks. They are attached to the ceiling and give plenty of space to your garage. You need to find storage bins that are durable and sturdy. Take note of how much weight a single storage bin can hold, and don’t put any more weight in it. Clear bins will be a good choice if you want to see what’s inside without opening the bins.

Pulley System

You can hang some items with the help of a pulley. Cycles are the best to hang with the help of a pulley which provides you so much space on the floor. The pulley must have a rubber-coated hook so that your items will be saved from slipping or getting scratched. 

Whatever you decide to do, it’s worth ensuring that your stuff is properly secure, so make sure that your garage door is in proper working order with All Star.

These were some of the best ideas to organize your garage and reduce the mess. A properly organized garage will not only provide you space but will also become a great place for you to hangout and do your work.

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When you are moving, it can be hard to know how to take care of your children. You may feel like the only way they will behave is if you give in and let them eat ice cream for breakfast and watch TV all day. Here are helpful tips on how you can keep your children happy when moving.

Prepare the Children Early Enough by Explaining to Them

Prepare the children early enough by explaining to them that they will have to relocate. Educate the children about what is going on and answer their questions honestly, but not in detail if it’s too traumatic for them. Tell them that everyone has to leave some things behind when they move somewhere else. Let them know where you are moving to find out more information about the new town or city.

Inform them about the move at least a few weeks in advance to have time to prepare for it without being upset about not having enough warning beforehand. The sooner you tell your children, the more likely they will be excited and ready to pack their belongings when the moving day comes around.

Encourage the children by telling them how happy they will be in their new home and neighborhood after relatication with excellent movers. This way, you can keep a moving day from being an overwhelming experience and instead turn it into a positive one filled with anticipation of all coming next. You may also want to talk about what toys and activities they will be able to do in their new place.

Listen to Their Thoughts and Concerns

During a move, children might feel some anxiety and fear of the unknown. Listening to their thoughts and concerns about moving is essential while not promising anything too extravagant or unrealistic. Let them know that you are there for them in any way possible. For example, if they have a favorite toy or pet staying behind with family members during the move, tell them that they will stay with someone they trust and love. If you do have a pet, you have to make sure that they are safe in the new home too. After the move, check the perimeter of your new home, and if there are gaps in the fence, consider investing in a GPS dog fence until you can get the issue repaired.

Assure Them of Their Safety and List the Benefits of the New Place.

Kids will often feel anxious and frightened when moving is announced. It’s stressful enough for adults, so it makes sense that children would be worried about the change too. For example, one of your kids will likely be worried about leaving their friends and school, while another might fear the new neighborhood and homeschooling.

Include Them in Your House Hunting and Choosing

Children can be especially vulnerable to any change, so bringing them into the process is an excellent way to feel like they have some control over their new environment before the moving day. This also helps give you an idea of what kinds of schools and communities will be best for your family.

Taking them to visit open houses and showing them the different home options in person is a great way to get their buy-in early on. There are also things you can do when they aren’t around. For example, showing your children pictures or videos about new homes or discussing with them various factors (like those mentioned at https://sharonsteelerealestate.com/moving-to-westfield-nj/) you consider when moving to a new place, can make them rest easy about what you’re up to and feel like they have a hand in making decisions too.

Making sure kids are happy is essential, but don’t forget that “home” means something different for everyone. So even if your children aren’t thrilled with where you end up moving to, it doesn’t mean they won’t adjust. And even the most reluctant children will likely make friends and become involved in their new community before long.

Ask Them for Their Help During Packing and Moving

Moving is a big job, and it can be harder for your children than you realize. It’s easy to get caught up in doing the work yourself, but there are simple things that you can do that will help your kids feel involved and also ensure everything gets done correctly. If they’re old enough, let them pack and pick their new room, but make sure you go over the packing list to ensure nothing is missed. If they’re young, put them in charge of a specific box – it’s easier for younger children to focus on one thing at a time versus everything going on around them.

Make sure that you have something fun planned during this time, or if this is happening during the school year, you should take them out of school for a day to spend it moving. It’s also vital that they’re around friends and family during this time, as your children may feel isolated if they’re spending all their time with adults helping with the move.

Be Patient if They Are Not Receptive at First

During a move, kids may experience stress depending on their age and personality. If they are young enough to be too attached to objects or places, you might find it challenging to convince them that moving is the best choice for everyone involved. This is not necessarily an easy situation, but there are ways to make it smoother for everyone involved.

It is essential to consider the timing of your move if they are not receptive at first. It may take them a few days to adjust to the changes in their lives. However, if you make this time for patience and understanding, your children will feel more secure in who they are becoming with each passing day. So please do what you can to create a space for them to feel safe to explore their new emotions.

Conclusion

During a move, children are especially needy of attention and care. They can feel insecure if their familiar environment changes abruptly. A new school or the absence of friends might make them unhappy. There is nothing more important than to show your kids that you love them during this time. Give them all the affection they need to help them manage the stress of moving.

When it comes to packing, children’s things are often forgotten or ignored when organizing belongings inboxes. First, it would be best if you separated their toys and clothes from yours before you packed up your stuff. Then, once they move into a new house, make sure they have a space for all their favorite objects and room for their clothes.

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You might have heard the term “addictive personality” being bandied about in conversation. And you may even think you have one, given your proclivity for enjoying certain pleasures.

However, it turns out that an addictive personality is something much more specific than many people realize. It’s not just about enjoying the finer things in life. It’s more of a state of mind that makes it much more likely that you’ll engage in destructive behavior. 

You Carry On With Something, Even If It Hurts You

There’s nothing wrong with indulging yourself from time to time. Nobody ever got hurt from eating a sugary cake on their birthday. However, if you continue to expose yourself to the same hazards, despite the consequences, it could indicate that you have an addictive personality. 

For instance, consider somebody who orders fast food to their home on a Friday night. That person is living a balanced life because the rest of the week, they are eating healthy. However, the person who does it every night is engaging in a destructive activity. A little bit of fast food is probably okay, but a lot certainly isn’t. 

Your Relationships Change Often

Many people with addictive personalities struggle to remain in relationships long-term. That’s because their destructive behavior has a habit of pushing other people away. Initially, they have no trouble attracting a mate, but as problems in the relationship become clear, arguments arise. Eventually, the other person doesn’t feel like they can trust them. 

You Are Always Looking For The Next Reward

A healthy person can sit in silence in a room without any stimulation and feel at peace in themselves. However, somebody with an addictive personality is always looking for the next reward. Their minds are inherently pleasure-seeking. 

If you go to a rehab center, you will notice that the attending staff always try to limit this reflex. That’s because you can’t usually deal with addiction unless you first deal with the impulse to seek pleasure first. 

If you find yourself looking for pleasure all the time, take a step back. Recognise what is happening and then use techniques to interrupt it. Things like meditation, deep breathing and even exercise can help tremendously. 

You Are A Risk-Taker

Related to this is the fact of being a risk-taker – somebody who feels the urge to continually put themselves in danger. Addictive personalities often take pleasure in risks, even if they are outright dangerous. Consider looking into a Rehab Center in Colorado. 

You Find Yourself Obsessing Over Things

It is natural to obsess over some things in your life a little bit. For instance, if you just got into a new relationship, the biochemical high of being in love means that you think about your new partner all the time. 

However, people with addictive personalities can find themselves obsessing over all kinds of minutiae. For instance, you might find yourself getting obsessed and upset because of the decor in your home or what somebody said about you at work. 

The trick here is to learn to let go. You don’t have to focus on one thing to the exclusion of everything else. There is so much more to life.

Dogs can have allergies, just as many humans do. These can be caused by foods, the environment, or fleas and mites. Knowing which bug you’re dealing with – whether it’s fleas, gnats or lice is extremely crucial in tackling this issue – as it may not be an allergy. This website has a great resource on how to differentiate between the three. Below we look at everything you need to know about dog allergies, including the common signs, causes, and how to get a diagnosis.

Food Allergies

Some dogs are allergic to certain types of foods or have a sensitivity to them. If your dog has an allergy to a food, you may notice digestive issues, such as constipation or diarrhea, and vomiting. Food allergies can also cause a skin reaction (see below). Dogs can sometimes have a serious allergic reaction to some foods, which is called anaphylaxis. If this happens, you must get your dog straight to the nearest veterinary hospital. The main signs of a severe allergic reaction include breathlessness, a widespread skin rash, and sudden weakness.

If your dog has a food sensitivity, this is different from a food allergy. Some of the symptoms are similar but a food sensitivity is more like intolerance than an allergy. This means they can still eat the food, but it may cause some discomfort or pain. The most common food intolerances in dogs are chicken, eggs, wheat, milk, soy, and beef.

Skin Reactions

A skin reaction is a very common form of allergic reaction in dogs. The most common reason for an allergic reaction of the skin is because your dog has eaten a new food that he is allergic to, or an environmental factor has caused a skin reaction. Some dogs are allergic to fleas, so if they have fleas, they may display many symptoms similar to an allergy. If your dog has an allergy to fleas, he will become itchy and the skin underneath his fur can become scabbed, inflamed, and red. If you check your dog’s fur, you can determine whether the cause is fleas. Your dog will need flea treatment, and your home may need a company like Merlin pest control service in Leicester to come over and make sure the pests haven’t spread elsewhere.
If your dog is allergic to something in their environment, their skin may react. This is usually the first sign of hay fever in dogs. Dust is another common cause of skin reactions in dogs. You may notice your pooch suffers from bad skin during a certain season, which is a big indicator of an allergy to their environment. Any skin reaction to an allergen needs to be treated, as it can cause broken and irritated skin. This can increase the risk of another infection that could require further treatment, such as a bacterial skin infection.

Some dogs develop an allergic reaction to germinating grass. Fortunately, this isn’t very common. Dog owners often make use of dog boots to cope with this issue. It is quite helpful when your pup wants to go on a walk in the park. Boots can be a great shield against not just allergies, but also hot or cold surfaces that can hurt sensitive paws. Brands like Walkee Paws, the better dog boot can be considered if your pup needs paw protection.

Acute Reactions

An acute reaction is an allergic reaction that happens suddenly. Often, this is caused by something like a wasp or bee sting. Dog immunizations can cause an acute reaction, why is why your vet will tell you to keep a close eye on them after their immunizations. If you notice any signs of an allergic reaction after your dog has been immunized, you should take them to the vet immediately.

Sometimes acute reactions happen right away, and other times, it can take a few hours for an acute reaction to kick in. If your dog gets an acute reaction, he will need an antihistamine, which you can get from a vet. Do not give your dog an antihistamine made for humans.

Other Dog Allergy Symptoms

Dog allergy symptoms can vary, depending on what has caused the allergic reaction. Other signs to look out for are:

• hives (a skin rash)
• noticeable swelling around the ears, lips, eyelids, or face
• sneezing
• constant itching or rubbing
• ear infections
• constant licking
• runny and itchy eyes

Some of these signs may also be symptoms of another illness, so it is better to get seen by a vet, so your dog can be diagnosed and treated with the right medication.

Diagnosing Allergies

The only way to know for sure if your dog has an allergy is to take them to veterinary care. For example, you can visit IndyVet – Philly (who are known to provide excellent canine care) or a place near your house. Vets will be able to look at your dog’s symptoms and perform an examination. They may ask you to keep a food diary, to see what could be causing the allergic reaction, if you think it is due to their diet.

Vets will carry out a few tests on your dog, to rule out any other conditions that could cause similar symptoms. Allergies can be difficult to test for but if everything else has been ruled out, an allergy test can be done. An allergy test is not always guaranteed to find the cause of an allergy. With food allergies, this is often determined through trial and error.

Treating Dog Allergies

The main way to stop your dog from getting an allergy is to avoid whatever the cause of the allergic reaction is. This may mean changing your dog’s diet, to a healthier, allergen-free version. If you are wondering what to feed your dog, check out this guide to the best dog food for allergies from Native Pet. Finding the best dog food for allergies can improve your dog’s symptoms.

If the allergen is something that cannot be avoided, such as pollen, your vet may prescribe some antihistamines. You should also limit walks in highly pollinated areas. Giving your dog medication can be difficult. If your dog struggles to take medication and has allergies, here are some tips for giving your dog pills.

If your dog is having an allergic reaction to flea bites, treating the fleas should cure the allergy. Lifestyle changes may also be necessary, such as cleaning your dog’s bedding with pet-friendly detergent and increasing the amount you dust and clean your home, especially if dust and pollen are the reasons for your dog’s allergies.

Having a dog with allergies can be worrying, but with the right treatment and care, your dog will be safe from the unpleasant symptoms. If you have been given any medication, make sure your dog takes this when they need it. If you have any further worries or concerns, speak to your vet for advice on your dog’s allergy.

Baby car seats are something that you need to get. These are expensive so you should carefully choose the right one. You need to know how to properly and safely buckle up the kid. This can be tough as they grow. The following are some common mistakes that parents make with car seat safety.

Buying a used car seat without doing the research

If you are on a budget and have to get a used car seat, you should do your homework carefully. The car seat must come with instructions and have a label that displays the manufacture date as well as model number. Make sure that it has not been recalled.

Check to see if the car seat is expired and is above 6 years old. There should be no visible damage and missing parts. Ask whether the car seat has been involved in a moderate or severe crash. Stay away from those that are like this. Only when you know the car seat’s correct history, get it then. Also, if at any point you feel that you are being conned, you can reach out to lemon lawyers in your vicinity (click to know about lemon law time limit here). They might be able to provide better assistance in such situations.

Putting it in the wrong spot

You need to know that the safest area for the kid’s car seat tends to be in the back seat. It should be away from any active air bags. When the car seat gets put in the front seat and your air bag inflates, this can hit the back of your rear-facing car seat. This is the place where the kid’s head will be. It can result in serious and fatal injury. It is possible for an airbag to hit and harm your child who is in a forward-facing seat.

When you need to put only a single car seat within the back seat, make sure to install this in the center of your seat. This is if a perfect fit is possible. When you put the car seat within the center, it reduces the threat of injury when a crash occurs.

Installing the car seat wrongly

It is important to carefully read the manufacturer’s instructions prior to installing the car seat. Also check out the section that is on car seats present in the vehicle’s manual. Be certain that the seat is actually tightly secured.

There should not be more than 1 inch of movement occurring from side to side and front to back at the time when grasped at the bottom close to the attachment points. The car seat must face the right direction.

Choose a car seat carefully according to your child’s age, weight, height, etc. Measure the vehicle that it needs to be placed in as well. You can have a look at the variety available if you click here. It is better to invest in a car seat that will remain for some time and which will be able to keep your child safe in the car.

After a demanding day at work, mothers come home to fulfill their second most important duty of managing the home and raising their children. Working moms are still not immune to the squeeze even when you have a spouse who equally shares your workload at home. Here are some of the best working-mom tried and tested tips for relieving the load that will help you manage your work and home responsibilities more efficiently. 

Make Household Chores Fun for Kids

Chores are an inseparable part of our lives, and every family member should share this responsibility, including kids. However, it’s easier said than done since making kids do chores independently is pretty challenging. But, if you can find a way to make household chores more interesting for your kids, everyone will have a lighter load to carry. Offering children a small reward, such as a trip to Long Beach where they can see their favorite whale show, will encourage them to finish household chores without you asking them. Moreover, suggestions like these will help ease your workload and give you an excellent opportunity to spend time with family. 

Find a Way to Forget About Your Worries

Taking inspiration from the above advice, working moms should blow off some steam by forgetting about all the worries. It’s because accumulating constant work or home-related stress can affect your productivity at work and make it challenging to give your kids the care they deserve. You can plan hiking with your family since nature has a healing effect that can help you calm your senses and forget about all the work stress. Or you can try taking your kids to Long Beach Whale Watching, you get an excellent opportunity to forget all about your worries while spending some quality time with your family. Watching a whale, the world’s most giant animal, with your own eyes can have a refreshing impact on you and your kids. As a result, you create fascinating lifelong memories that you can always go back to. 

Parenting Is a Life-Long Learning Experience

When you become a parent, you don’t get a manual on successfully managing your work and kids. For this reason, parenting is a life-long learning experience. Moreover, it’s a job that you learn while doing it. Every kid and their requirements are unique, and the sooner you know, the better it is for you. So, if you find it challenging to manage your kids and work to perfection, don’t stress it since it is only natural. However, the only thing you need to do is be as vocal as possible about your feelings and encourage your kids to do the same. It will help create a two-way communication channel between you and you that can further assist you in becoming a better parent. Consequently, you find better ways to manage work and family. 

Wrapping Up

When you are a working mom, you always find your hands full. And if you keep following a busy routine in your life, it can tire you physically and mentally. However, there are ways to help your parenting endeavor that will help you find a perfect balance between work and family responsibilities. Make sure you give yourself this benefit and find more ways to enjoy your life. 

There’s a famous quote, “Variety is the spice of life”. It originates from a poem written in 1785 by William Cowper, called “The Task”. The full quote reads, “Variety is the spice of life, that gives it all its flavor”. That’s why, even though I am an avid reader of science fiction and fantasy novels, I sometimes step out of my comfort zone to try something else. Like when I tried out PlayCroco Online Casino that one time. Anyway, I ended up picking out three books to read recently: “The Warlord of Mars” by Edgar Rice Burroughs, “Skylark DuQuesne”, by E. E. Smith, and “Blackberry Wine” by Joanne Harris (Sing it with me, one of these things is not like the other~).

The first two I picked completely arbitrarily by their cover art and thought they would be right up my alley. Pulp sci-fi with hand-painted cover art? Yes, please! I had only vaguely heard of Edgar Rice Burroughs and had never heard of E. E. Smith. Then I actually opened the books and found them a slog. If it takes active willpower to continue reading a book, then it’s a poorly written book, no matter who the author may be. So I chucked them both to the side and opened the third novel, “Blackberry Wine”.

And when the narrator turned out to be a literal bottle of wine, I was hooked.

The Story

It’s hard for me to classify what “Blackberry Wine” is. It’s not urban fantasy, despite the fantastical elements. It’s not a murder mystery, despite the fact that there is a murder/suicide (I won’t spoil which it turns out to be). It’s not a love story, despite the love and romance that plays out. If “mid-life crisis” was a genre, I put it in there. As it is, I’d put I think “slice of life” is the best approximation for this story.

I wasn’t kidding when I said that the meta narrator is a literal bottle of wine. It’s a bottle of Fleurie from 1962. Wine is actually subject of major importance throughout the book (it does take place in France, after all). Each wine is treated almost as if each bottle was its own character, with unique personalities and flavors.

The wine in question belongs to our central character, Jay Mackintosh. He’s an author with a single bestselling novel to his name and survives by writing “sci-fi rubbish” and living off the assets of his girlfriend TV-star, Kerry. Kerry is an obnoxious attention-seeker who is constantly schmoozing with the rich and famous to make herself more rich and famous.

Whatever love existed between Jay and Kerry disappeared years ago, and they stay together for convenience more than anything else. Jay is listless and meandering, writing story after story without conviction, drinking more than he should, and smoking whenever Kerry isn’t around. After seeing an ad in the paper, he buys, on a whim, a house in France and moves to the tiny village of Lansquenet to get away from it all.

The story is constantly jumping back and forth between the years 1977 and 1999. In the early years, we see Jay as a kid living with his Grandparents in Pog Hill since his parents divorced. However, he spends most of his time with an elderly man named Joe Cox, a nearly illiterate farmer who’s constantly telling stories of his adventures around the world, and becomes a sort of father / mentor to Jay.

He has a unique collection of plants and varieties of vegetables that have nearly gone extinct because of mass farming. Joe is also extremely superstitious and carried around herbs and incense and talismans to bring luck and good omens.

Jump to 1999, when Jay is visiting his new house, and he starts getting visions of Joe talking to him, giving him advice, and inspiring him as he writes. And as Jay settles into his new life, he quickly becomes entangled by the gossip, hope, and dreams of Lansquenet and its’ inhabitants- and, most of all, his reclusive neighbor, Marise, and the mysterious suicide of her Husband…

The Magic

At one point in the story, Joe Cox describes something that he calls “Layman’s Alchemy: The Magic of Everyday Things”. I think this is supposed to be a central theme and message of the story- that life is full of wonder and splendor all around us all the time, if only we occasionally stopped to appreciate it.

The novel goes into exquisite detail to describe how beautiful something as simple as drinking a glass of wine can be, and Joanne Harris’ prose is very evocative without being pretentious. I just want to point out what an accomplishment that is, considering the subject matter of this book is wine, French people, and struggling authors.

However, there is one nitpick I do have to mention about how this novel portrays magic: The magic is literally real. It’s not all within us or made from love or something equally romantic. Magic or astral projection or whatever is happening… is actually happening. Jay is constantly seeing visions of Joe Cox, right? At first, it’s written like it’s all in Jay’s head and fine.

But then he starts telling Jay details that Jay himself didn’t know- like how his girlfriend Kerry’s eyes weren’t actually green; she wore contacts. Okay, maybe he noticed, and it just never clicked for him. That could still be in his head. However, the definitive proof is when another character acknowledges Joe’s presence and says something that only Joe knew / would say.

And it’s never brought up again! Like, actual magic is proven to exist, and it’s just kind of glossed over. The hallucination of Joe tells Jay that he’s Astral Projecting, and it just seems like more of his rambling nonsense until this other character actually mentions seeing Joe too! It sets up a powerful moment, but I feel like there are implications here that are simply ignored… the fantasy fan in me is seething- seething, I say- over this!

This also implies that Joe’s wines, a powerful factor in moving the plot forward in several important scenes, are not merely being described as magical in an artsy-fartsy description. There is literal magic at work, potions, if you will, where sentient wine bottles getting drunk have powerful mind-altering effects on their drinkers.

Yet… it works. I sort of love this low-level magical setting that was (probably unintentionally) created. It fits the story’s theme of Layman’s Alchemy: The Magic of Everyday Things by making everyday things (like wine) have literal magic properties. And that’s what makes “Blackberry Wine” stand out to me in a way I never really expected it would.

Overall Review

So, allow me to cut to the chase: Do I recommend “Blackberry Wine”?

Yes, yes, I do.

Joanne Harris’ writing style is exemplary. The story flows easily and naturally- incidentally, like wine. The characters come alive with distinct personalities that jump off the pages, and after reading some really drab sci-fi recently, it’s a hugely welcome breath of fresh air. There are a LOT of things in this book that normally does not appeal to me that simply clicked here.

I don’t usually read about wine, romance, slice of life, or the French (it’s been years since I studied the language, and, like most students, I have practically forgotten all of it). Perhaps it’s the inclusion of the elements I do love that make it all come together for me. Magic, murder, and mystery that’s all so grounded it becomes part of the mundanities of everyday life.

However, I think that at the end of the day, it all comes down to compelling characters. Jay Mackintosh is simply a good guy trying hard to live a quiet, peaceful life. The inhabitants of Lansquenet feel real, with ambitions and worries and dreams for the little village to become something greater. Marise is reserved and reclusive, and as you learn more about her, it makes complete sense as to why.

And Joe “Jackapple” Cox is a wonderful, lovable old man- but he’s no Gandalf, or Dumbledore, or even Master Roshi. He’s not especially wise or knowledgeable, except in regards to his farm, and his stories and adventures are dubious at best.

“Blackberry Wine” could be summed up in a couple of different ways. It could be seen as the story of Jay’s closure with Joe. It could be interpreted as the “mid-life crisis” version of a coming-of-age story… if that makes any sense. It could be a romance, or a mystery, or a murder mystery. Because it’s really about all these things, from the small minutiae to the greater themes.

In other words, it’s a story about life. Loving life. Appreciating life. Accepting what you do and don’t have. Finding the best way forward for you, and not the one that everyone else expects of you (which I think is probably the greater plot twist than anything else in this novel). Jay’s story is simply compelling in a way I never thought it could be, but that’s life, eh?

9 / 10 Better than it has any right to be. Superb prose. Compelling characters. Literal, unexplained magic. Narrated by a literal bottle of wine.

Knowing that you’re going to bring a child into this world can, of course, be a little frightening, and especially if it’s your first child. At that stage, you’ll be full of doubts and fears, especially relating to your capacity to be a good parent! But all that will come later (and also, for what it’s worth, you’ll do fine). Since being pregnant really is one of life’s most joyous moments, it’s important that you find ways to embrace all that it brings to your life. In this blog, we’ll look at some useful tips that’ll help you to get the most out of it!

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Enjoy the Status

There aren’t too many times in your life when you can sit back and binge-watch Netflix and know that you’re doing exactly as you should do. It might take a couple of weeks before you become comfortable with your ability to essentially do whatever you want, but it’s important that you do get there. In the not too distant future, you’ll have a lot of responsibilities and virtually no time to sit back and unwind. Make the most of it while you can!

Photos and Momentos

This is going to be one of the most important periods of your life. And it’ll go much, much faster than you think it will. As such, it’s important that you record the journey as much as you can. There are plenty of ways that you can do this. You can take photos, do something with all the cards you receive, or even frame your pregnancy test. These things require some time and effort, but you’ll be very much glad that you took the time later on down the line, when your pregnant period begins to feel like a distant memory.

Meet With Other Moms to Be

You might feel like you’re the only one going through a life-changing experience, but that’s not the case; it can’t be! There will be other people expecting a child, some who will even be expecting their child on the same day as you are. It’s just unlikely that there’ll be your existing friends and family. Being pregnant provides plenty of opportunities to meet new people, so make sure that you’re making the most of them! There’ll likely be a group in your area where you can meet others. Aside from offering friendship, meeting with others will also allow you the chance to pick up some useful pregnancy tips that you may have otherwise overlooked. 

Think of the Journey So Far

Finally, be sure to take some time to reflect on how far you’ve come. You’ll have had a lot of life experience that lead to this specific moment, and you will, of course, live a lot in the future. Taking a moment to think of the journey so far will allow you to appreciate everything that you have — and all that will come your way in the months and years to come, too. It’s a pleasant time, for sure.