Study reveals that approximately 40 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders. Many of these people don’t realise they have one, until they become so deprived and unwell that they turn to professionals like Gwinnett Sleep to help them out. The figure of these sufferers could even be higher during the summer; high temperatures and increased daylight might interfere with your sleep pattern That can potentially lead to anxiety and can even disturb your mental health. We discussed tossing and turning all night previously which you should check out if you like to learn more.

Well, moving on below are some excellent tips to take care of yourself and sleep better during this summer time.

Drink Water throughout the Day

Delayed sunsets, high temperatures, and dehydration are not uncommon during the summer, all of which are notorious culprits for insomnia. With that said, you can put this problem to rest by drinking loads of water during the day to keep your body hydrated and cool for extended periods.

Ideally, consider consuming six to eight glasses of water every day. However, you should remember that drinking too much water just before retiring to bed could cost you countless visits to the toilet at night. Frequenting the washroom might interfere with your sleep, rendering your efforts to achieve an undisrupted slumber futile.

Keep Your Body Cool and Eliminate Excess Humidity

Another technique for cooling off your body involves showering several times a day, including in the evening just before retiring to bed. Taking a bath not only cools your body but also cleans away dust and sweat; these contribute to poor sleeping habits significantly.

Swimming is another simple way of cooling off your body when humidity and temperature levels hit the roof. Also, ensure to wear light clothes, a hat, and sunglasses during the day to keep cool. Further, apply sunscreen to prevent the scorching sun rays from burning and dehydrating your body. It is also imperative to invest in a fan or air conditioner to cool the air in your bedroom.

Also, high humidity can potentially upset basic functions like sleep; most people generally fall into a slumber easier with less moisture in the air. Dampness in your bedroom could prove detrimental to your ability to breathe, quality of comfort, or even trigger sleep-disrupting allergies. Fortunately, a dehumidifier can be helpful in removing excess moisture from your indoor air which can be very helpful for you to sleep better at night when you have insomnia. Maintaining optimum temperature and humidity in your bedroom is a great step when looking to promote good sleep.

Exercise Consistently

Physical exercise is a proven way of enhancing sleep. In general, exercise helps realign your internal body clock, improves your body temperature, and relieves symptoms of anxiety and depression. You will, however, want to ensure that your body naturally clocks to your sleep schedule, which means that timing is important.

For instance, you may exercise 20-30 minutes in the early-morning sun and nature will correct part of your sleep problem. Avoid exercising within one hour of bedtime because you might aggravate, rather than alleviate, your sleep disorder.

Minimize Light Exposure at Night

Extended daylight is a recipe for trouble for people looking to have good sleep during the summer. For this reason, you need to get rid of excess or artificial light at night. Dim the bulbs or switch them off altogether, and limit the time you spend in front of your television or smartphone. Did you know that excessive exposure to the blue light waves from these devices interferes with the natural production of melatonin, which is a hormone that helps to regulate sleep? Alternatively light therapy help promote sleep.

Sleep in Breathable Materials

If you were sleeping in heavy winter blankets during the cold seasons, it is now time to swap the covers for something lighter. Consider investing in breathable sleepwear, which can be found online or in your local store. Also, make sure you sleep in comfortable bedding that is big enough for you. Maybe choose products from brands like winstons beds exclusive super king mattress that can make you sleep like a baby all night.

Take Camping Trips in the Woods

Research indicates that heading for the woods might help with enhancing your ability to sleep. Spending a few days and nights without access to TVs and smartphones among other sources of artificial light may promote healthier sleep patterns. For example, you’re more likely to sleep and wake up earlier- just before sunrise- when you camp in the woods. Plus, woods are great places to try some cannabis products, and they can enhance your outdoor experience in a good way. You can get on online dispensaries like BC Bud Express to order the cannabis product of your choice. Now, if you are not a fan of camping and sleeping in tents, simply get outdoors early and minimize artificial light before getting to bed.

Get Tested for Sleep Disorders

If you’re still experiencing difficulties falling asleep even after practicing the above tips, then you should consider consulting your physician or even getting tested for possible sleep disorders. One of the main factors of sleep apnea is stress, and your doctor might recommend exercising more and taking anti-depressants. A sleep disorder diagnosis test is recommended for people who experience irritability and morning headache. This illness might lead to mental health problems if left untreated.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder that can cause breathing pauses during sleep, which can occur up to a hundred times a night. To alleviate this, doctors or sleep specialists often prescribe oxygen therapy using an oral appliance called continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine with an attached nasal or full-face CPAP mask that the user wears. The machine and mask provide a steady flow of pressurized air down the airway to keep the tissues open and reduce breathing problems during sleep. Untreated obstructive sleep apnea can lead to complications, so consult your health-care provider as soon as you or your family notices any symptoms.

Summary

The best approach to improving your sleep habits involves choosing one or two of the above-mentioned techniques and practicing them for about two months. After some time, they will naturally become part of your unconscious habits. Ultimately, you will realize that great sleep is a product of natural light and noises, appropriate beddings, exercising, and keeping your body cool. Some of the must-have appliances when looking to have a relaxing slumber include a dehumidifier, air conditioner, and fan for keeping your bedroom’s atmosphere cool and free of excess humidity.

If you are a mom, you know that caring for your family is your top priority. Keeping everyone healthy, nourished, loved and happy has always been a tall task. Now, with the pandemic, there’s even more pressure on you and more demands for your attention and time. Instead of working in an office or being able to easily run your errands, most moms are now cooped up at home and have to juggle constant demands and close quarters as they try to make it through the day.

Home is not just a place for raising your family anymore. It’s also your workplace, in many cases, and the place where your kids go to school. Keeping everything going and making sure your family is well cared for is harder than it’s ever been. In these troubling times, it’s also much more of a challenge financially. Sure, many people have made smart decisions in the past by investing their extra income in shares, mutual funds, or cryptocurrency (and with helpful websites like Crypto Wisdom, it’s not difficult), and it can prove to be helpful in these trying times. But, ultimately, investments can only take you so far. What about managing the day-to-day expenses for food, clothing, utilities, and other essentials? Many have lost their jobs and others have seen their hours cut. While families around the world find ways to cope with expenses and daily living, some may even be looking at filing for bankruptcy, which, in some cases, may come as a much-needed relief for everyone involved. Whether it’s getting more difficult to manage the family business, or income levels of the household have gone down, consulting with Bankruptcy Chapter 7 Lawyers Milwaukee (or elsewhere) could be one option to get through the difficult times. Whatever the case, it’s harder than ever to keep expenses down and make sure the family budget is balanced every month.

Reducing Your Monthly Expenses

One of the best ways you can save money on your monthly expenses is to take a hard look at the loan payments you have to make each month. While housing costs may be the biggest line item on your budget, recurring loan payments can easily be your second biggest outlay. This is especially true if you are a recent college graduate who had to take out student loans to finance your education. Student loan debt can easily sink your budget each month. Fortunately, with the pandemic, interest rates are at near historic lows. It’s a great time to refinance your existing student loan balances and get out from under your current, onerous obligations. A private lender can consolidate your existing high-interest loans into a single loan with one easy payment. You can even work with your lender to set up your preferred payment amount based on your budget to ensure maximum financial success.

Another way you can reduce your monthly expenses is to cut back on extra spending for days out. Although you deserve to go out and about, family days can quickly add costs to your budget that you don’t need when you are struggling to make ends meet. One way you can get around this is to plan fun days at home. Bake some cookies, have a cinema day, do some jigsaw puzzles, and more.

Create Great Family Meals from Scratch

It’s hard to nurture your family when there’s so much going on in the world. Each day seems to blend into the next, and everything looks the same. Sometimes it feels like we are in an endless loop of repetitive existence. If you want to put a smile on everyone’s face and bring keep them happy and healthy too, it’s great to surprise your clan with wonderful, comforting home-cooked meals. When you cook from scratch, you can use fresh, natural ingredients that help keep everyone’s immune system in tip-top shape. You can take online cooking classes and follow amazing recipes that can bring ethnic flavors, new dishes and timeless favorites to the dinner table. Meals made from scratch will also save you lots of money on grocery expenses each month.

Take a Break and Go Camping

If your family is at home day after day, it’s important to take a break and spend some weekends out in nature. Camping is affordable, fun and gives you and yours a chance to share special times in a beautiful setting. When you go camping, you’ll hardly spend any money and you’ll avoid paying ridiculously high prices for a cramped hotel room. Best of all, you and your family will feel rejuvenated after you’ve spent time in the great outdoors. Time in nature is very healing, and the beauty and rhythms of nature help restore us and enliven us too. Since camping is so affordable, you’ll easily be able to enjoy multiple weekend trips away from the confines of your home.

Giving your garden a spruce up for summer

Do you have a green space that doesn’t really look very green at the moment? Don’t worry, now is the perfect time to give it a spruce up ready for summer. From laying new lawn to increasing your plant life, there are lots of ways to get things looking green again.

Lay a new lawned area

Laying a new lawned area is going to provide you with an instantly greener looking space. But, if you want to make sure it stays green, do your preparation first. The cost of turf isn’t your only concern. Making sure you know what type of soil is in your garden and picking the right variety of grass for your plot is crucial.

You don’t need to stick to squares or straight lines with your lawn design, or even stick to one lawned area. You could have three different sized circles of lawn spread across your garden instead.

Get tidy and organized

It’s all very well adding more greenery to your garden, but before you start adding in lots of new plants, it’s a good time to assess what you’ve got. Splitting large plants and replanting specimens into more suitable locations could help increase your yield without needing to buy more. You might have cut down some of your old trees and now wondering how to kill a tree stump. Several DIYs work, some involve controlled burning or using Epsom salt. Whichever method you adopt, see to that the stumps are cleared safely and properly.

Having a general tidy by clearing away weeds and cleaning up old pots will also help your garden’s overall appearance.

Put plants in every possible space

Plants are the life of the garden, giving us something truly beautiful to look at. Borders and raised beds are the traditional places you’ll find flowers and other plants. But, you can use containers, hanging baskets, and window boxes too. And if you want to increase your plant life even further you could add vertical gardens along your boundaries. You can also decide if you want flowering or non-flowering plants. To make it greener, you can opt for succulent plants, climbing plants, and so on. If you prefer to have a vibrant and colorful garden, you can check out Woolmans Flower Plants and see if you can grow such flowering plants in your garden.

Also, another way of increasing your greenery is to make sure there’s color in the garden all year round, not just in the summer. Adding evergreens, and late and early flowering plants will help.

Add some summer fun

Once you’ve got your garden’s green areas sorted, perhaps it’s time to think about adding some fun elements for the summer.

Think about adding some play equipment or garden games for family time. This will give youngsters the chance to burn off a bit of energy during the summer months. And perhaps a pizza oven and bench seating for al fresco meals.

Who loves slime?

We do! And your kids do too – so lets get sliming with OOSH

OOSH by Zuru (one of our favorite brands) just released a super exciting new product, Potion Slime Surprise.

https://youtu.be/Z23t0F1nKvY

These kits come in a genie potion like plastic container, that contains all the ingredients needed to make some fun slime. Each kit has 2 slimes creations inside.

The potion options are:

Sea Treasure Tonic

Wild Dreams Potion

BFF’s Elixir

Light As A Could Serum

Endless Energy Tonic

Sweetness Serum

Deep Sea Elixir

Enchanting Potion

https://youtu.be/dXhd3pxD2Vo

All 8 potions are fun and easy to make. While other slime projects include a sticky situation these potions are easy and have was less mess factor, which any adult can appreciate.

When you open the potion bottle you will find all the ingredients for 2 separate potions. Look at the instruction and separate the ingredient so you use the correct ones for each potion.

Typically they all go like this: Mix a potion with another ingredient in the container OR mix a solution with water. Be sure to pay attention to the instructions as some do NOT require water, and by adding water you will ruin the potion. You can use the large potion bottle packaging to mix the ingredients. Each potion bottle comes with a magic wand! The wands are GLOW IN THE DARK! How fun is this?! Use the wand to mix your potion – making this craft easy on the adults’ and fun for the kids. Once the potion is in the works you had bonus ingredients. These can be things like beads, glitter or sequins.

You will need to mix them for 3 to 6 minutes for it to get to the right consistency. If it feels too runny or sticky then keep mixing it. Once you are done with the wand, set it aside and have your child mix it even more with their hands. This helps speed up the process.

Then play! Squish, roll, squeeze and pull. This slime is so fun and looks magical. Each potion comes with a small potion jar. This is how you can safely store the slime so it doesn’t get lost or hard. As a tip – these option bottles actually open at the bottom, not the top. The top part, which looks like a cork, is permanent. Flip the bottle upside down and the bottom pops right off.

My daughter and son both love these kits. While the names may be more feminine, don’t let that stop you. Your boys will love this project too.

Order all 4 sets of

Oosh Slime Potions Lab Surprise DIY Slime Kit

today on Amazon

Natural stone is a sustainable material that has been used in homes for centuries. It is a classic material that will make any space feel luxurious. Integrating your natural stones into your interior design will give your home a cozy feel. If you are considering remodeling your home, here are several ways you can add natural stone into your home.

Granite Shelves

Shelves are great for organizing and adding some elements of design to any room. If you have limited space, floating shelves are a great way of adding some visual features to your bare walls. Go for shelves made from granite remnants; they will allow you to bring out your personality. Since stone can be heavy, ensure you properly support each shelf to prevent accidents. While you can mill down the thickness, you need to consider what you will put on the brackets before going that route.

Natural Stone Fireplace

If you want to make your fireplace the focal point in your living room, then using natural stone is the way to go. Stone will easily integrate with your home décor. Stones comes with unique patterns that will make your fireplace stand out. Besides, the natural stone hues will contrast with the colours of your home, allowing your fireplace to make a powerful statement. Along with some antique items from a site like firesideantiques.com, your fireplace is sure to be the focal point of your living room, helping to create a cosy atmosphere that everyone will enjoy snuggling around.

Tabletops and Kitchen Counters

The best natural stones for kitchen countertops and tabletops are granite and quartzite. They are sturdy, non-porous, durable and clean up easily. There are so many colours to choose from as well as the type of finishes to install. Natural stones can also be used for the backsplash.

Flooring

If you decide to reach out to a local contractor that engages in Bathroom Remodeling, they might suggest that some of the most commonly used natural stones for flooring include; limestone, tiles, marble, travertine and granite. They are highly durable and require little maintenance. Natural stones provide a luxurious feel in a home while exuding earthy vibes. If you are not afraid to experiment, you can mix and match different colours and textures to create unique designs.

Marble Bathroom

Renovating your bathroom? Why not try using marble. This stone has distinctive veining with eye-catching colours making it the focus in your bathroom. When you choose marble for your bathroom, you improve its overall look. The stunning texture of marble can transform your bathroom effortlessly. The easiest way to achieve a perfect look with marble is by adding a marble basin or a wall clad in marble. This will instantly change the look of your bathroom. Consult with professionals who provide bathroom remodeling jacksonville fl (or closer to you) and plan out how you can renovate the bathroom with these ideas.

Furniture Tops

If you need to cut back on the wood furniture in your home, you can experiment with other textures and visuals. You can put a stone top on your coffee table, a dresser or your desk. Then finish it off with some decorative pieces to take it a notch higher.

Limestone for your Bedroom

Limestone is formed from shallow marine waters. It contains fossil fragments. It’s often used in interior décor, and you can add it to your bedroom. Suppose you want an accent wall: Limestone is stylish and classy and will give your bedroom space some elegance. Still, it can be used for flooring as it is soft when stepped on.

Conclusion

Natural stones add value and elegance to your home, especially with their wide variety of colours and textures. If you are considering doing a home renovation, be sure to add some natural stones, even if it’s just some decorative items.

pixabay

Getting on the property ladder is challenging. You have to find the right location, get a Lynchburg home inspection, budget for the mortgage, etc. It can seem like a very daunting step to take but fortunately, there are a few different options for homebuyers, and plenty of people out there, like Red Deer mortgage brokers, available to help guide you through the process and choose the best finance option for you. If you’re looking to invest in real estate for the first time you could consider a shared equity mortgage.

If you’re looking to follow the dream of owning your own home, you’ll almost definitely want to know about two government organizations established to give the housing market a boost – Who are Fannie mae and freddie mac? In order to save money, you could also buy a new build “off-plan”. Perhaps you would prefer to invest in a rental to make earnings from your new property. Nowadays there are also plenty of great real estate apps that can help you decide. Here are five alternative ways to buy a house.

Shared equity mortgage

This is an option for first-time buyers who are interested in real estate slightly beyond their budget. You can opt for shared ownership with the landlord, meaning you only own a percentage of the property. The end goal tends to be to eventually buy the remainder of the property yourself. For more details on how to do this, here are shared equity mortgages explained.

Consider a new build

There are certainly pros and cons of new builds. They tend to be more energy-efficient so cheaper to run overtime. Not to mention they are clean and fresh and a blank canvas to paint your portrait on! Especially if you will use it for rentals, however many people like to keep new builds for themselves because of their novelty. You can also often get a reduced rate on a new build while construction is in progress. This is known as off-plan. Another positive thing about new builds is that there aren’t previous owners to deal with so you can plan a stress-free move with a shorter chain. There are often teething problems with new builds, however, so do your research.

Remortgage your current property

If you’re thinking about selling your current property to move to a smaller place you could consider other alternatives. You could stay in the same property and instead leverage its equity. You can find out how much equity you can leverage using a Reverse Mortgage Calculator. This is a way to boost your retirement funding without downsizing, for example.

Invest in a vacation home

You could invest in a rental and make money from your real estate. One option is to buy a vacation home. These tend to have a higher yield in terms of rent as you can charge more for a shorter time. The staycation trend is here to stay and maybe people are looking to rent properties in more local destinations. You can also use the property for your own staycations. Here are a few more of the benefits of owning a vacation home.

Let technology do the work for you

Viewing property doesn’t have to be restricted to booking a tour with a realtor. With advances in technology such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence, you can check out new homes online. Here are some of the best real estate apps in 2021 you can try. Let technology do the work for you. These apps give you estimated prices, notifications based on your personal preferences, and the means of contacting interested parties. It’s much easier to buy a house remotely nowadays. You can even take a virtual tour of the entire place and get all the information you need.

Deciding to sell your home is a significant change. Whether you need somewhere bigger or downsizing, selling a home isn’t an easy one. It’s not a process that can happen overnight, and it can sometimes take a while before the ball gets rolling, but that’s okay. It can be challenging, tiring, and overwhelming, but it can also be fun, exciting, and thrilling. Starting a new chapter is always daunting, but it’s often necessary. There are various resources available online (such as the article available at https://cristalcellar.com/first-time-home-seller-needs/) that might help you know more about how you could sell your house faster and move on to the next chapter of your life. However, here’s some advice you may want to take on board when selling your home. It can help your home sell faster and make the whole process a lot easier.

Get a realtor

The pressure of selling a home can get a little too much. That’s why it’s best to offload a lot of the work onto a great realtor. In fact, a good real estate agent can make all the difference when it comes to selling your home. A trained realtor will have sold hundreds of homes in the past. This gives them all the knowledge they need to sell any house in the future. They know the markers and home values like the back of their hand and will be able to market your home beautifully. They can speak to the right clients and have your home viewed as soon as it’s put on the market, improving the chances of it selling quickly. Plus, if your Charlotte realtor has charm and charisma, they’ll be able to sell your home with ease.

Stage your home

It’s lovely to visit a house that looks like it has been lived in and shows any buyer that the home is liveable. However, it can also be off-putting seeing certain things around the house. The last thing any potential buyer wants to see is dirty washing, unmade beds, and toys scattered all around. It’s not as appealing as a clean and tidy space, and it can limit a potential buyer’s imagination of the place. They may be too focused on personal items instead of imagining themselves living in the property. If your sofa is looking worn, perhaps your bed looks blander; even if your kitchen utensils need an upgrade, do it. Or maybe you need to get in touch with the likes of a Hinesville soft washing who might be able to pressure wash your driveway or sidings for you! The prettier your home looks, the more appealing it will be. Besides that, you want to make your house look its best when you’re putting up pictures on listing websites or apps for potential buyers to see. When you get the house fully ready, you might want to look for a photographer specializing in real estate/homes to click detailed pictures of your home that showcase its best aspects. A quick search with phrases like “real estate photographer near me” should help you find a good list of potential photographers you can hire. But, it’s vital that you stage your home before you do any of that. If you don’t know where to start, there are home staging companies that can help. Using one of these companies is also ideal if you’re selling an empty home. It’s harder for buyers to picture themselves in the house when there’s no furniture, so by adding some, even just the basics, you’re creating a mental scenario for them to fit into.

Do small renovations

If your home walls are looking a little drab or the carpet is looking a little warn, change them. It’ll make your home look so much more appealing to any buyer. Plus, it’ll be great for you too because you won’t have to look at any dingy work. These small renovations will work well for you in the long run as buyers can envision themselves moving straight into the property before having to work on it themselves before moving in. More extensive renovations are not recommended as you’re unlikely to get back the money you put into it. If you were to spend thousands on landscaping, that’s great for you, and yes, it does make the home look nice, but you certainly won’t get back half of what you paid. The same goes for sunrooms, outhouses, or even loft conversions. These big renovations can be costly, and as you’re planning to move out, don’t waste your time, energy, and money.

It can be tough letting go of a home you love so much but starting a new chapter is entirely refreshing! It’s worth it.

Do you have a killer baking recipe that makes everyone go nuts? Do you love experimenting with various artisan bread recipes and the results are absolutely spectacular? You could earn some extra cash by selling your home-baked goods online! It is easier than you think.

Start by studying the regulations to make sure that your business model is safe. Then proceed by investing in bakery supplies and introducing your products to the market. Differentiate yourself from the competition and define your brand. The best way to secure success is to nurture your customer base.

Check the Regulations First

This is the biggest headache when trying to start an online bakery business. Laws and regulations vary immensely by state, so you better check them all out. These regulations are also known as the Cottage Food Laws. Depending on the state, they may ban home-baked goods altogether or only allow them under certain conditions.

The good news is that the rules might change if people challenge them in courts or add enough pressure on their representatives. For instance, it used to be illegal in Wisconsin to sell any home-made goods until a judge struck down the law in 2017. Cottage laws are still fairly prohibitive in The Badger State (with just a $5,000 annual revenue limit for home bakers). But there’s still hope.

Also, cottage laws determine what types of goods you are allowed to sell (for instance, in some states you are allowed to sell only candies and jellies online). Furthermore, they specify if there are revenue limitations from selling those goods and if your kitchen needs to be inspected. Also, some health districts bar the indirect sale of home-baked goods via grocery stores and other retailers.

Websites like The Forrager can be handy resources to help you find out exactly what rules apply to your state and how you can meet all the requirements.

How Can I Sell My Baked Goods Online?

The answer depends on your plan. If you want to turn this gig into a full-time endeavor, consider opening an online bakery shop. However, if you just want to earn some extra cash, you may not even need to open a business. You can use existing sites like Amazon and Etsy to sell your homemade goods. Just visit article here to learn how to get started.

For an online bakery shop, you will need at least:

• business license
• commercial kitchen
• annual kitchen inspections by the health department
• food handler’s licenses for all your employees
• food service establishment permits
• insurance.

It will also be helpful to use an SEO agency to boost your online presence. There’s no point in being online if nobody can find you amongst the millions of other sites out there. SEO will help your site to appear higher on search results, meaning more people will view your page and therefore buy your goods.

If you plan to use the home kitchen, you might need it to be inspected first. Check your local zoning laws. If the inspection is a must, you need to consider investing in some professional appliances to store your baked goods that need refrigeration.

When selling your goods online, there are multiple ways to do it. You either pay someone to create an online bakery shop for you or promote it yourself. You could also start a food blog and use it as a platform to promote the business. If you have the resources to spare, think about hiring web designers in melbourne (or wherever your business is based) to create a comprehensive online store as well as integrate it with your blog. This way, your customers have a single platform to read all of your yummy recipes as well as buy your goods! Selling your treats on platforms such as Etsy can also be a viable option.

Build a Loyal Customer Base

As a bakerpreneur, your survival depends on a loyal customer base. There are countless ways to lure in new customers and just as many ways to lose them. Make sure that you consistently deliver amazing results and that the customer service stays spectacular.

The best (and cheapest) technique to boost your customer base is the word-of-mouth marketing technique. Make yourself visible at the local bake sales, local library, doctor’s office, and so on. Let everyone know that you have an online bakery business.

For the best results, give your potential customers small samples of your products along with your business card. But do not do this with absolute strangers. Use this technique in locations where people know you to build trust. You can also make use of the Google My Business platform which is great for local business marketing. However, if you are not familiar with GMB management, get help from a professional who can help you with your listings.

What Can I Sell?

You could become a cupcake expert or one of your local community’s best artisan bread makers, or you could sell various baked goods that are very popular in your area. For instance, cupcakes are the rage now. Cake pops are growing in popularity, and you can’t go wrong with pies or cookies either!

Selling gluten-free or organic baked goods could also be a great hit, depending on your community’s taste. You could create a signature treat like a personal take of this easy upside down berry cake recipe or other forgotten childhood favorites with a modern twist. This way, you can easily establish an emotional bond with your customers and have plenty of regulars, aside from your family members, of course.

Make a Name for Yourself

If you are passionate about baking, there are so many ways you can make some profit from this. Start by learning the legislation inside out to make sure that your enterprise is legal and safe. Then start building your brand and reap the benefits!

Due to the pandemic outbreak so much have been lost and taken from us. Employment, school, business operations, and more have been temporarily put to a halt. At the same time, some are still unable to continue even if lockdowns were to ease. Travelling abroad has also been restricted to some countries. A graver impact of COVID-19 lies on the hunger and malnutrition children face due to the pandemic.

World Hunger and Acute Malnutrition

As mentioned, many have lost their source of livelihood. Without it, they are pushed further down the poverty threshold with no money to buy food. Countries that face crisis-level acute malnutrition and food insecurity include Yemen, South Sudan, Northeast Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These countries have also been conflict-affected over the years. With the pandemic crisis still at hand, experts project world hunger to have an additional 130 million people just this year.

Underfunded Efforts

Even before the pandemic, there had already been severe funding gaps, but because of the virus outbreak, according to the UN, they need an additional $2.4 billion investment to prevent and treat malnutrition. This would consist of compel nutrition interventions from treatment, vitamins, food, and breastfeeding.

What can you do?

Commit to the cause of nutrition. Donate to foundations that address hunger, especially in children. There are multitudes of foundations and organizations you can choose from that work on feeding hungry kids. If you don’t have anything to donate, you can help by volunteering. You can look up various organizations and foundations online, or you can donate to UNICEF.

There are so many ways you can do to help address this issue. You can inform others, make posters about it, talk about it with your friends, share it on your social media accounts, and more. You can also organize fundraisers yourself and donate them to the organizations fighting hunger in children. You can start up a small business or invite small and large companies to contribute.

 
You can also contact food manufacturers near you and persuade them to contribute to the noble cause. A cloud based manufacturing execution system is often used by food manufacturers to streamline and expedite their production processes. Hence they can easily manufacture a little extra food besides their regular production to assist kids in need. Since this is a noble cause, many may come forward to join you.

Anyway, apart from this, you can also help feed hungry children even when you merely text “food” to 877-877. It may seem too good to be true that only texting you get to help feed the kids, but it’s real.

All over the United States, community groups and schools have managed summer meal sites where children can eat free breakfast and lunch. This was initiated during the summer break for kids whose food depended on the breakfast and lunch programs that schools have for their pupils and students. As schools go on summer breaks, an estimated 4 million children in the United States do not have enough to eat without relying on schools’ food programs.

This initiative had extended to the pandemic crisis. With parents losing their jobs and businesses, they have less money or even have none at all. So whether you have money to donate or none, you can simply text the code word to the number to help hungry kids. It’s just a few clicks on your phone, but it already goes a long way in helping address world hunger and malnutrition in these trying times. As the pandemic continues, our support for one another must also remain and grow stronger.

Reading to your child from a young age is so important. Reading helps children develop listening and language skills and helps stimulate their imaginations. It also helps expand your child’s understanding of the world around them.

If the world around you and your children is Chicago, you’re in luck. A number of great children’s books use the Windy City as a setting and help explain the landmarks, the culture, and the history of this great American city.

These books aren’t just Chicago explainers either. They use the city in unique and creative ways to help children develop counting skills, learn the alphabet, and get a feel for what makes their hometown so special. Here are nine great children’s books about Chicago.

Good Night Chicago – Adam Gamble

The original Goodnight Moon is a classic, quintessential children’s bedtime book that many of us remember fondly from our own childhood. In this Chicago-centric update, author Adam Gamble helps make bedtime more personalized for youngsters by taking them on a journey from morning to night in the Second City.

The book starts with “Good morning, Lake Michigan. Good morning, Chicago Harbor Lighthouse,” and continues on a tour of Chicago from there. It is a book you can read over and over again to your child to send them off to dreamland with visions of their city in their heads.

1-2-3 Chicago: A Cool Counting Book – Puck

Some of the best children’s books about Chicago also help teach other skills along the way. This counting book allows children to learn the symbols for the numbers 1 through 10 all while counting things that the city is known for. You and your child will love counting Chicago staples like El train cars and deep-dish pizzas.

If you travel or have family in other parts of the country, author Puck has other counting books you and your child will enjoy as well. Your child can learn to count to 10 while learning about New York City, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and more.

Larry Gets Lost in Chicago – Michael Mullin

Another Chicago children’s book that is part of a series exploring cities around the country is Larry Gets Lost in Chicago. The Larry Gets Lost Series follows the adventures of Larry the dog who explores a city while trying to get back to his family. In the Chicago version, he encounters many iconic landmarks before being reunited with his loved ones.

The illustrations and colors in this book are big and bold and will capture the attention and the imagination of young kids at any age. If this becomes a household favorite, you can check out the sequel featuring Larry, called Larry Loves Chicago!

C Is for Chicago – Maria Kernahan

Learning the alphabet with the help of your hometown is another great genre of Chicago children’s books. C Is for Chicago is a perfect book for younger children. The book goes through the alphabet, A to Z, and features on each page an interesting, colorful, Chicago-themed picture and two short, rhyming sentences about that place or object. 

This book is great for very young kids who will be enthralled by the pictures. The rhyming couplets associated with the letters will also help develop language skills while your kids learn the symbols for each letter. 

W is for Windy City – Deborah Dover Layne

As your child gets a little older, they’ll be ready for an alphabet book that is a little more in-depth. W is for Windy City is a great book for kids ready to take the next step from the simpler C Is for Chicago.

This book has vivid but more realistic pictures of Chicago iconography and a slightly longer poem about each. It also features a more in-depth write up about each person and place that they describe. The B page delves into Chicago’s own Barack Obama and F describes the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. It is great for kids who are ready to really learn the alphabet and can comprehend history. 

My First Alphabet Books – Chicago Sports Teams

As a parent raising a child in Chicago, you want to make sure your child develops a love and knowledge for the landscape and history of the city while also doing things like learning the alphabet. Let’s be honest though; for some parents, the most important goal is to instill a love and a knowledge of your favorite Chi-Town sports team!

These My First Alphabet Books are shaped like the jerseys of the Cubs, White Sox, or Bears and teach your children about the history of your favorite team one letter at a time. Make sure your kids know early that F is for Friendly Confines, G is for Go-Go Sox, or S is for Super Bowl Shuffle.  

The House That Jane Built – Tanya Lee Stone

For older kids who are learning about people who changed the world, The House That Jane Built is an incredible book. The illustrated book tells the story of the first American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, Jane Addams.

After buying a house in the poorest section of Chicago in 1889, Jane opened it to the poor and to immigrants–anyone, really, who needed help–creating the Hull House Community Center, which endured for more than a century, providing services to those in and outside the neighborhood. She is a truly inspiring hero who you will be proud to have your kids look up to.  

Once Upon a Balloon – Bree Galbraith

This is a heartwarming tale of a young child whose balloon floats away. His older brother tells him how all lost balloons end up in the Windy City of Chicago and are cared for by a man named Frank. The young child is touched by this story and sets off to deliver Frank a hopeful message. You and your child will be touched as well and the book will encourage their imagination to roam free.

Max Explores Chicago – Reji Laberje

Another fun trip around Chicago with a lovable pooch, in Max Explores Chicago, the title character investigates some of the city’s most famous places. The book is short, to the point, and covers the Chicago basics with great illustration. It was created in cooperation with the Chicago Children’s Museum and is written specifically to help develop a child’s language, vocabulary, and numeracy skills. 

Conclusion

There are plenty more children’s books about Chicago but these nine are a great start to both build a love of your city in your child while also helping develop critical skills. These books will be something your young Chicagoan will cherish throughout their life.

Author Bio

Sandra Chiu works as Director at LadyBug & Friends Daycare and Preschool.