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Thanks to the growing popularity of self-made home improvements, many get excited at the thought of repairing and restoring their own home. It can be tempting to channel your inner handyman and fix some home repairs to save costs. It is ok to handle many minor home improvements, especially with a few essential DIY skills under your belt. But there are a few you should leave to the professionals, mainly for safety reasons and to prevent worsening an existing problem. Here are four home repairs you shouldn’t DIY. 

• Structural repairs 

It is best to avoid anything close to significant structural work when thinking about home repairs you can DIY. For instance, when completed poorly, major basement repairs could compromise the integrity of the entire structure. You might watch a few YouTube videos of someone doing it and assume you could too. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long before the entire home collapses or notice the floor upstairs sags. Structural modifications are home repairs best left to the professionals. Some walls carry much weight from the top, so you need a professional who knows the safest methods to demolish and transfer the weight. 

• Electrical repairs

Simple things like installing a ceiling fan or replacing a faulty light switch are ok so long as you turn off the power before beginning. However, it would be best if you took extreme caution regardless of how minor an electrical repair may be. It is better to call the professional for any electrical repairs that go beyond simple. Additionally, some electrical repairs require a permit to fix, and you can only get that from the pros. For instance, replacing or extending a circuit is serious business. You risk burning your entire home or injuring yourself if you attempt without knowing your way around it. 

• Plumbing 

To avoid paying for plumbing services, people sometimes turn a blind eye to a leaky tap hoping it mysteriously fixes itself. Replacing a worn-out valve washer or bending a slightly blocked drain are a few minor plumbing tasks most people can do. However, you should avoid any plumbing repairs that require extensive work. Your safest bet is to call the plumber. Anything else would put you at risk of injuring yourself or damaging your property which can significantly tax your pocket. What appears to be a minor leak can escalate to a flood and cost you a lot of money. It is particularly crucial to avoid major plumbing repairs that involve hot water pipes or sewage systems. You can visit sites like https://evolutionplumbingaz.com/ if you need pocket-friendly, professional plumbing services for your home. 

• Roofing repairs 

Roofing repairs aren’t recommended for experienced DIYers, and here is why. Repairing a few shingles isn’t near the world’s toughest jobs. However, it is easy to slip, and climbing and descending with your repair tools pose severe injury risks. Roof repairs can be exhausting, and when you are weary, you are more likely to make a potentially costly mistake. So calling an expert is the best way to go.

In our busy lives, taking the time to relax and reset ourselves can make all the difference in keeping us happy and healthy. For some people, this self-care might be taking a walk, going to the gym or reading a book. Others find joy in carving out small moments in their day to enjoy their favourite food or indulge in warm beverages like tea. 

Brewing a cup of tea is fast becoming a favourite wellness pastime, and for good reason. Here are some ways drinking tea can help refresh and reset your mind. 

H2: It gives you a (short) break from the daily grind

Taking the time to prepare and enjoy a cup of tea is the perfect opportunity to take a break – whether it’s from your desk at work, screen at home or your busy to-do list. It might seem simple, but giving yourself some time – even five minutes – can help provide a small respite in your busy day. 

There are many benefits that come with taking a break – from increasing your productivity to restoring your focus and preventing fatigue. Making a cup of tea doesn’t just provide you with a warm, delicious beverage to drink, it also provides you with an easy but focused activity to do during your break. This way you can have a productive break that doesn’t drain your energy further. 

H2: It can help you practice mindfulness or meditation

Mindfulness and meditation are becoming increasingly popular as people try to combat busy schedules and stress. Simple acts, like making and drinking a cup of tea, is one way to help you relax. By bringing awareness to the simple act, your mind is focusing on the now, rather than thinking about your to-do list. 

You can practice mindfulness or meditation step-by-step as you both make and drink your tea. 

1. Start by choosing what tea you’ll drink, based on your current mood. You might opt for a classic, like an Earl Grey, or match your mood with a stress reliever or energy-boosting tea.  
2. Take some slow, deep breaths as the water boils.
3. Carefully pour the water into the cup, watch it change colour, and then savour your sips. 
4. Whether you pair this by listening to a mindfulness or meditation app is up to you, but this step-by-step process is a great way to start making mindfulness or meditation a habit. 

H2: It may help reduce stress

While the act of drinking a hot or warm cup of tea in itself can be relaxing and a great opportunity to practice mindfulness and meditation, tea can reduce stress in other ways.

If you go with an herbal or floral tea, you can treat yourself to some quick and easy aromatherapy by breathing in the alluring fumes of peppermint, chamomile, or bergamot. If you’re thinking of using tea as a form of quick and easy aromatherapy, peppermint teas may help boost energy and digestion, whereas chamomile teas may help with relaxation, and bergamot teas may help reduce stress and ease symptoms of skin conditions. 

H2: It may put your mind at ease about your overall health

As well as helping reduce stress and maintain optimal mental health, tea is known for the many benefits it may provide with maintaining your physical health. The antioxidants and amino acid, L-Theanine, present in teas may help with reducing the risks of heart disease, boosting the immune system, reducing inflammation, and may even help with controlling weight, blood pressure, and blood sugar.

While your daily cup of tea may help you with maintaining optimal physical health both in the short and long term, it should also be paired with a balanced diet and regular exercise. 

H2: It can help you connect with others

While most of us make and drink a cup of tea by ourselves, that doesn’t mean you can’t be social with your tea drinking. Whether it’s a daily tea break with your workmates, a weekly tea session with your friends, or a virtual tea party with loved ones who live elsewhere, making your tea habit a bit more social not only provides you with the benefits you already reap from regularly drinking tea, you also get the mental and physical benefits of socialising.

As well as reducing stress and enabling some much-needed time for fun, socialising over tea can also decrease the risk of depression, increase confidence and self-esteem, and may even decrease the risk of developing degenerative diseases, like dementia.

Not only that, but you may even get some suggestions for new teas to try. 

These are just some of the ways that drinking tea can help refresh and reset your mind on those busy days. By giving you the chance to take a short break or meditate, reducing your stress levels, helping you on your journey to optimal health, and letting you connect with loved ones, tea isn’t just a hot beverage, it’s a little slice of heaven for your body and soul, as well as your mind.

When it comes to cosmetic surgery recovery, what’s going on inside your body is as important as what’s going on outside. To give your body the tools it needs for an optimal recovery, a healthy diet and plenty of fluids is going to be key.

Whether you’re trimming down with a tummy tuck, or adding in some curves with a Brazilian Butt Lift, your body is going to need nourishment to help you heal. A good way to guarantee a balanced diet is by preparing your meals in advance – this is often referred to as ‘meal prepping’.

Here’s a few tips on meal prepping for your recovery:

1. Lists are your Friend – Plan each week carefully in list/table form. This will take mealtimes off your mind and give you the time and freedom to relax when you need it most. Have Monday to Sunday set out and ready to go – breakfast, lunch and dinner.
2. Keep Things Balanced –  Make sure that each meal has a healthy balance of everything you need. You need the right quantity of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals. Try not to overdo things – moderation is key.
3. Use your Freezer Wisely – When planning food for a week, finding foods that you can freeze is a good way to make sure your food keeps all the way through to Sunday. You can cook certain things from frozen and mix them in with fresh to maximize nutrition while remaining practical.
4. Plenty of Fruit and Veg – Set out a good portion of fruit and vegetables with every meal as they will give your body the vitamins it needs to help decrease swelling and aid with the healing process. Dark leafy greens, apples and pineapples are all excellent choices.
5. Omega-3 Fats – Beneficial fats like Omega-3 will work to reduce inflammation. The best source of these fats are fish, like salmon and mackerel, but you can also find these fats in walnuts and flaxseed.
6. Lean Protein – It’s important to avoid sources of protein that can be fatty and generally unhealthy like fried or fatty meat. Lena proteins, such as chicken, turkey, or pulses are a much better way to provide your body with the proteins it needs.
7. Avoid Sugar – As blood sugar levels can rise after surgery, it is best to avoid any foods that use refined sugar; sweetened drinks, cakes and chocolate are all foods to steer clear of.

In the end, meal prep is a fantastic way to take a load off your mind while your body is working hard to get you back into shape. Your recovery period should be sacred and you should be able to relax, safe in the knowledge that your nutrition is covered and all you have to do is focus on taking good care of yourself.

If you take into account the tips above and plan ahead, there is no reason that your downtime after your cosmetic treatment needs to be stressful. A good, balanced diet, planned in advance, can set you onto a more comfortable path to recovery.

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If you are trying for a baby, or you are going to be doing so soon, and you are keen to try and keep your chances as high as possible, there are many approaches that you can take to this. As it happens, it might be easier than you think to increase your chances of conceiving, and it’s the kind of thing that is always possible to focus on. In this post, we are going to take a look at some of the best ways to make it more likely that you will conceive. You will find all of the following well worth trying out and being aware of at least.

Check Your Health

First of all, it’s well worth taking a look at your general health to see whether your body is currently in the best possible condition to host a baby. If it is not, it might be harder to actually conceive at all. It’s a good idea to get the likes of Willow Women’s Health Obstetrician-Gynecologists to check you out and see whether there are any issues that you don’t know about – you never know, and it’s better to be safe than sorry. This way, you can ensure you are at least aware of what’s going on in your body.

Speak With Your Partner About Their Health

At the same time, it’s also important to make sure that your partner is as healthy as possible too, because that is going to make it so much easier and more likely that you will conceive if you are both healthy. It’s a good idea to speak with them about this and to make sure that they, too, get a general check-up. This can help to save a lot of confusion later on, so it’s the kind of simple thing that is well worth remembering. If nothing else, it should mean that you can fix problems right away.

Take A Look At Your Lifestyle

There are all sorts of lifestyle issues and behaviors that might be working against you when you are trying to conceive, and it’s really important that you are doing all you can to be aware of these if you are keen for that to happen. It might be that just by changing a few simple things around, you can actually make a huge improvement to your chances, so that is certainly something that you are going to want to think about at least.

Manage Stress

One of the things that works against you the most is stress – and this can lead to a catch-22, because it can be stressful to try for a baby and you are much more likely to therefore keep on being stressed. You need to try and find a way to manage your stress, individually and as a couple, so that you can increase your chances but also make the whole experience considerably more fun too. That is something that is therefore always worth thinking about if you want that to happen.

There are tons of workers’ unions out there that exist to protect employee rights and ensure workers of all classes are seen and heard. Whether you work at a grocery store or a private medical practice, you’ll find a union readily available and waiting to handle all your employment concerns. 

A grocery store union can protect you from instances of unfair dismissal, unpaid wages, and various other employment-related matters. The same applies to all different kinds of workers’ unions. 

With this, if you’re enduring some hardships at work and wondering whether it’s stim to start searching for a new job or join a union, we’ve listed five definitive reasons all employees should join a union. 

Better Wages And Better Benefits

Employees who are part of unions earn more than those who are not union members. The collective power of unions ensures their members receive fair salaries and essential employee benefits. 

These benefits don’t just refer to health insurance and sick pay but also leave entitlements, overtime pay, pension funds, and much more. 

Personal Protection

As an un-unionized employee, you’ll find it challenging to fight any sort of employment-related conflict. Otherwise, you’ll spend a small fortune in legal fees to have a lawyer handle these situations for you. 

But if you join a union, you’ll pay a small monthly fee to receive complete personal protection. You won’t need to face employment-related conflicts alone anymore, as your union will always have your back. 

Equality

Unions make a point of insisting on equal rights for all. Not only will your union handle situations like refusal of leave entitlements, unpaid wages, and lack of essential benefits, but they will also fight for you in cases of workplace discrimination. 

Whether you are facing gender discrimination, racism, or even ableism, your union will ensure your employer tends to the unfair treatment on your behalf. 

Improved Health And Safety

In companies where unions are present, employers are far more willing to ensure employees are provided with a work environment that meets health and safety standards. Your union will ensure you won’t ever need to put your health or safety at risk for your employment. 

Solidarity

Unions all have an incredibly solid network that spans the globe. Whichever union you join concerning your line of work, you can be confident that it’s not only your union standing behind you and providing employment protection but also the entire network of unions across the globe. 

With this, global unions have the power to raise serious issues that smaller corporations are overlooking. With the joint influence of unions, you can rest assured you will be improving the work environment for all employees across the globe. 

Joining a union is also straightforward. Moreover, the cost of being a union member is exceptionally affordable and often calculated by income affordability. 

Instead of facing employment-related conflicts and frustrations on your own, it’s wise to join a union and enjoy the many real-world benefits of being a union member. 

Brain Games: Experiments(ages 8-12, paperback) – Based on the hit National Geographic TV show Brain Games!

Featuring more than 200 extraordinary illustrations and photographs, detailed diagrams and infographics and a winning combination of comprehensive articles that do a deep dive into outer space research, fast facts and first-hand accounts from experts, Can’t Get Enough Space Stuff is the ultimate book for space enthusiasts.  This book covers it all — get the scoop on space food, space junk, space volcanoes and NASA’s future plans for reaching Mars and Europa.  Learn about how scientists are looking for life on other planets, cutting edge space technology, mind-blowing black holes and the International Space Station.  Hands-on activities you can try at home are a terrific resource for STEM studies and science fair projects.

Break Down: Explosions, Implosions, Crashes, Crunches, Cracks, and More … a How Things Work Look at How Things Break (ages 8-12, hardcover)

This book explores how things break down, crack, explode, crumple, and shatter. This fun, unique take on a how-things-work book explores the world through the lens of what it takes for things to, well, not work. In these vibrantly illustrated pages, you’ll peer through the smoke and rubble of controlled demolitions to discover the properties of building materials. Then get a glimpse of the inner workings of a cracked cell phone screen, peek carefully at mega-avalanches and sinkholes, and hold on tight as wrecking balls swing and car crushers crunch metal. Buckle up with crash-test dummies and travel back in time to explore the world’s most famous failures (looking at you, Leaning Tower of Pisa).  Featuring hands-on activities that walk kids through their own experiments in destruction, Break Down! will change the way you look at the world.

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It’s not just about the skills it takes to be a great blogger, but about realizing that blogging is not an exact science. If you want to learn how to be a great blogger here are a few things that you need to bear in mind. 

Use SEO (but Don’t Lean on It)

It’s important to understand the ins and outs of the Google SEO algorithm, but the reality is that if you want to write an effective blog, you should not be constantly looking for the right keywords to put into your content. The Google algorithm boils down to creating useful content first and foremost. As long as you are focused on creating content that serves its audience effectively, you are not going far wrong. There are things that you can do to boost your rankings, such as link building, however, these are all secondary to creating great content. When it comes to creating a fantastic blog, you need to gather information from your audience. Asking for feedback from your readers can give you greater insight into the things that can craft that perfect blog.

Building Your Email List

Creating a great blog is one thing, but getting people to read it is what drives traffic. You need to recognize that an email list is the best way to have people engage with your content. Even if you don’t sell anything, an email list means you can promote your content to the audience without being concerned about rankings in your search engine or if enough people are reading it. Email marketing is still an important component that makes a big difference in how you promote yourself and you should not underestimate it.

Use Social Media Correctly 

Social media can drive a lot of traffic to your website. Rather than using social media as a publishing platform, you need to use social media as a networking tool. When you start to realize that social media is not the end goal, but the implement that will drive more engagement, you can start to use it more effectively, perhaps creating different types of content that suit the audience on Facebook or Twitter. 

The Right Formatting

People seldom read blogs word-for-word anymore. We skim, and therefore, we need to format our posts in the right ways. For example, using great images is the best way to stimulate initial attention, but after that, you need to use subheaders, bulleted lists, italicize key points, and use short paragraphs. Formats are fundamental.

Understanding Who You’re Writing For

It sounds incredibly simple, but if you don’t understand the people you are writing for, you’re not going to get high levels of engagement. You may be writing posts about improving your productivity or working better, but if you are not testing your blogs with the right segment of your audience, it’s not going to resonate.

Delivering great blogs is a fine art. So if you want to be a great blogger, you’ve got to make sure that, while content is king, the other subtle levels should be catered for as well.

It’s something that we all have in common and we’ve yet to find the secret recipe to reversing the process of aging. While we can prevent it, there are plenty of health issues that can be hard to reverse or may need to be lived with, once the damage has been done.

As we age, there are certainly some health issues that are more common. With that in mind, here are a few worth knowing for those who are getting older.

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Hearing 

Hearing is one of the main issues that come from aging but it’s something that can affect anyone, at any age. It’s all about how well the ears are looked after and what they’re exposed to.

Loud music, for example, can damage hearing, as well as working in an environment where there’s lots of loud noise. Fortunately, there are solutions in the way of hearing aids, to help bring back some of this hearing loss. It’s important that with hearing aids, comes a responsibility to also look after them in order to retain their performance.

From knowing about humidity and hearing aids to how they should be stored properly, it’s worth understanding all the ways to look after them if and when they’re needed.

Eyesight problems

There are plenty of people in life who have eyesight issues. In fact, there are currently over four billion adults in the world that wear glasses. So, it’s definitely a common health issue to have.

However, it’s important that our vision is something we want to protect, so how we look after it is much like how we look after anything to do with our body.

Making sure to attend optician appointments and keeping eyes clear of any foreign objects, will all help to avoid eyesight problems.

Aches and pains

Noticing more effort in getting up and those occasional groans that go with it? Yes, that’s a sign of aging. As we get older, we’re often more inclined to experience general aches and pains as our body struggles to continue performing and holding up the same as it did back in its heydays of the early 20s.

It’s always good to be aware of these aches and pains so that an abnormal ache or pain is noticed and addressed by seeing a doctor.

Weakened heart

A weakened heart can be commonplace for many as they get older and it can be helped by keeping the blood pumping. Exercise, for example, is a good way of helping maintain a healthy heart.

As the heart is the main organ of the body, it needs to be looked after because once it stops beating, it stops life in its tracks.

Memory loss

Memory loss can occur as we get older, due to the brain getting older too. It can be harder to retain information and there are also plenty of health issues that can happen that have memory loss as a symptom. Keeping the brain active is important.

If you check out this dentist in Syracuse, aside from the things above, they will also inform you about the natural deterioration of your dental health as you age. Thus, it’s important to take care of them while you’re young. Brush twice a day, floss every night, and regularly visit your dentist.

These tips will hopefully give the reader the guidance they need to keep an eye on their body as they get older.

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As we head into the winter, it’s important to do what you can in order to boost your mental health. Many people find that as the weather changes and it becomes colder, they don’t go out as much and this can lead to a decline in how they feel. If you find that your mental health is suffering it’s important to get it sorted and do what you can to aid it and make it become better. Speak to your children, teens or elderly relatives and ensure they are feeling themselves, encouraging them to talk if they need to. Here are our top tips to boost your mental health this winter.

Speak to friends and relatives

When it comes to your mental health, you need to make an effort to still socialize. Winter can mean you don’t get out of the house as often and lack of speaking to people can have a very negative impact on your mental health. Make sure to take time to speak to your family members to check on them and their mental health too, particularly elderly relatives such as those in Assisted Living who you might not live as close to.

Look for activities to do 

Another way to boost your mental health is to find activities to do that can keep your mind and your body busy. When the weather is colder, you don’t want to be out of the house so much and it’s harder to do things such as walks in the sunshine. If you sit inside isolated and don’t do what you love, it can negatively impact how you feel. You could organize things such as movie nights or do exercises such as ice skating or going swimming inside somewhere. Make time to go out for dinner with friends and family and have plenty of things in the calendar to look forward to.

Try and eat well and exercise

The better you eat and look after yourself, the better your mental health will be. It’s important that you don’t just indulge in unhealthy food and stop exercising because it is dark and cold. Try to eat foods such as soups that are warming and hearty and packed with vitamins and goodness. If you don’t want to get out of the house to exercise, you could also look to do some exercise classes online – there are plenty to choose between.

These are just a few things you can do to try and boost your mental health this winter. It is normal for your mental health to decline as the seasons change, but it’s important to notice this and make changes to improve it where you can. If you find that you aren’t feeling any better, it’s a good idea to speak to a professional as they can help you to sort it out and feel happier. What are some top things you do in order to boost your health in the winter? Let us know in the comments below, we would love to hear from you.

When you think back to Christmas as a child, what are some of the traditions you remember most? Maybe it’s a Christmas movie marathon or listening to carols. While you might have traditions you continue with into adulthood, there’s plenty of room to make new ones with your family.

What better way to get the most out of Christmas time than creating a few decorating traditions your family will carry out for years to come? You might even find your kids continue them on with their own children! From looking at neighbourhood Christmas lights and picking out a tree, to getting crafty and doing some festive baking, here are some ideas for Christmas decorating traditions your family will cherish year after year. 

H2: Looking at Christmas lights around the neighbourhood 

An oldie but a goodie, driving (or walking) around your neighbourhood to check out the Christmas lights is the perfect way to get in the swing of the festive season – and it might even inspire some decorating ideas for your own house! Make a night of it with a movie afterwards to really get into the festive spirit. It’s a simple tradition with a lasting impact. 

H2: Picking out a Christmas tree

Another quintessential Christmas-time activity is picking out a Christmas tree. Of course, traditionally this would involve choosing (and even chopping down) a real fir tree, but these days plenty of people opt for the ease of artificial trees, which not only involve less mess and maintenance, but can be re-used year after year. If the latter option applies to you, you can still make it an activity for the whole family by letting your kids help pick out the tree (or perhaps some new decorations if you already have one), and getting everyone involved when it comes to assembling it each year. 

H2: Getting crafty with decorations

Get out the pom poms, paint, ribbon and plenty of glitter, because there is no shortage of ideas for DIY Christmas decorations that will not only get the whole family involved, but also save money – a win-win situation! Some ideas include a Christmas angel for the top of your tree, a wreath, or even a miniature Christmas tree. You’ll be surprised what you can make out of paper and pipe cleaners, and even random household items like toilet paper rolls can prove to be great materials for crafting decorations. You can even personalise pre-bought decorations – like painting your own patterns on baubles – which will give them an extra touch. 

H2: Making a gingerbread house 

A fun and creative way to get your hands dirty in the kitchen, there’s a reason why gingerbread houses are so popular. If you want a no-fuss approach, there are some great gingerbread house kits you can buy. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can also make one from scratch using a recipe. Get the kids to decorate the gingerbread house with icing, candy canes, gummies and other sweet treats – the best part about this Christmas decoration is you get to eat it!  

H2: Christmas baking 

Continuing with the cooking trend, Christmas baking is a great way to create festive decorations that are both tasty and fun to make. There are plenty of cakes you can bake, from a Christmas cake to a Bombe Alaska or a carrot cake (this one has Rudolph’s tick of approval!). Cookies are another great option, whether you opt for classic gingerbread cookies or purchase Christmas-themed cookie cutters to get creative with your shapes. It doesn’t have to all be sweet either – a pie is another classic Christmas-time dish, or you can combine savoury and sweet and make a mince pie! 

H2: An advent calendar

Advent calendars are a fool-proof way to build that Christmas excitement – not that your kids will need any encouragement. There are plenty you can buy (you won’t be able to escape them at the supermarket!), but they’re also incredibly easy to craft at home, making them a great Christmas decoration activity that can very easily become an annual family tradition. Get started early and create your own countdown with small little gifts or sweet treats!

H2: Homemade Christmas cards 

Cards are so expensive these days and homemade cards always have that extra bit of charm, so why not make your own Christmas cards? Sit the kids down with craft materials and you’re sure to get some creative results that will be all the more meaningful to the recipient than a generic store-bought card. 

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to ideas for Christmas decorating traditions. Whether you choose something on this list or come up with your own ideas, these activities will not only get the family together and save some money, but the decorations you create will be all the more meaningful and you’ll find you have plenty of memories to cherish for years to come.