What Are Some Great Ideas On A Budget Wedding?

With an average UK wedding bill that is in excess of 20K, and rising living costs, more and more couples are choosing to save money by getting hitched on a budget.

There’s no need to worry that your wedding photo albums will end up filled with snaps of you and your beloved looking miserable on your big day, if you know how to use a little ingenuity and your imagination to cut the hefty costs.

Start Married Life Debt Free

The perfect wedding day doesn’t have to break the bank. As a wedding is a major expenditure, many couples struggle to afford it without the aid of a financial loan. If you do have to borrow money, it’s crucial that you’re able to pay it back within a year, to avoid racking up debt.

If it’s at all possible, it’s best not to borrow money to cover the costs of your wedding day. The financial impact of your wedding will leave you in debt as you begin married life together.

When planning your wedding it’s a good idea to consider what you can afford to spend. Once you know what your budget is, you can work out how to have the best wedding without going way over your limit. For example, you might want to have some wedding tipi events as well as a professional band to sing at your wedding, but due to budgetary constraints, you might have to choose one of the two. This isn’t a bad thing because making a few compromises won’t spoil your wedding if you’re prepared to think out of the box.

Marriage is the beginning of a life-long commitment. So, fretting about expenses shouldn’t be the top priority for your dream wedding. Even eloping with your partner to the highlands of Scotland and getting married privately would work just fine. And, if you are worried that you won’t be able to capture the moments, then there are photographers like scotland elopement photographer, and destination wedding planners always at your service. They could help capture all those timeless moments for you and make you feel the most special. Therefore, it all depends on how special you want to make your wedding! Keep in mind that these wedding planners are professionals and they have gone through things like wedding planning certification as well as taken various courses and built on their hands-on experience so they can professionally provide you with what you need for your wedding. Take a deep breath, you’ve got this.

If it’s your dream to have a romantic wedding, but you can’t afford a castle, shift your perspective and plan a magical outdoor celebration instead. No one looking at your wedding photo albums will be able to guess that you and your spouse are not happy with the celebration compromise that saved you .

Prioritise Like A Pro

Once you know your budget, you’ll be able to plan the best way to spend the money for your wedding. Priorities like a professional wedding planner by working out how much you can afford to spend on different areas/aspects of the big day.

Make a list of the wedding day essentials, like the ceremony, venue, bridal wear, catering, décor and entertainment, and allocate a portion of your budget to each one. It’s worth remembering that you don’t have to stick to conventional ways of spending your money. There’s always the potential to save cash by reducing your spend in one, some, or all of the key areas of your celebration.

It’s sensible to keep an eye on your wedding expenses, and to set aside an amount of cash to cover last minute spending. Budget for extras at least 10% more than you think you need.

Swapping one idea/item for another can also help you stretch your budget a little further. If you don’t have enough to cover the cost of everything you’ve listed, look for ingenious ways to change the content of your list, rather than blowing the budget.

Tie The Knot In The Week

The biggest dent in your wedding budget is likely to be the cost of the venue for your reception. To reduce the venue spend pick a day of the week to get wed that is NOT Friday-Sunday. Getting hitched Monday-Thursday can substantially cut the reception venue costs, so that you have more money available to spend on something else.

Tying the knot outside of the peak spring-summer wedding season is another great way to minimise impact on your budget. You’ll also be able to benefit from midweek discounts that are offered by a variety of wedding vendors.

When looking for the perfect venue with a budget in mind, don’t be too hasty in disregarding the obvious cost-saving choices. Hosting your reception in a church or village hall is a lot less costly than a hotel or country club. And don’t forget to check the small print, to ensure that everything’s included in the final cost, especially VAT.

Celebrating in a cut-price venue means that you’ll still have cash available to spend on a professional photographer that can capture stunning images to fill up your luxury wedding photo albums.

Be Prepared To Haggle

It’s perfectly acceptable to haggle over the price of the items listed in your wedding priority budget list. Unless you’re prepared to ask, you’re unlikely to discover that there are discounts available across all areas of the wedding industry.

Many wedding vendors and suppliers are open to negotiation. Be polite and enquire about the best price that is available, when you’re shopping for bridal accessories and venue décor items. To avoid disagreements in the future, it’s important to ensure that you have all discount agreement details in writing.

Additionally, it’s important to shop around to find the best price. Something that costs 500 in one shop might only cost 300 in another. If you live in the north east, for example, browse the best wedding dress shops north east has to offer to find the best deal. Some shops might have sales on, whilst others might be happy to give you a discount if you buy something else off them.

Ask For Freebies

Although many wedding venues, vendors and suppliers are agreeable to haggling practices, not all of them will readily give you a discount, no matter how politely you ask. To keep within your wedding budget, you can always consider asking for freebies instead.

When making your booking at the venue, or with a wedding vendor, ask them to throw something in on top, as a free extra. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to find how easy it is to get free food/drinks, décor, chair covers, or wedding favours. You could even bag something that you didn’t initially include on your must-have wedding list, because it made you go over your budget!

You can also save money by using the talents of your family members and close friends. In lieu of a wedding present, you can ask your keen photographer buddy to capture the magical moments of your special day. You’ll save money and end up with a fabulous array of candid and personal memories to display in your beautiful wedding photo albums.

Top Tips for Positive Money Management

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We all want to be financially in control of our own lives. This can help to ensure that not only do we lead a good quality of life, but that we enjoy ourselves too. When you slip into debt, you can start to struggle and overwork yourself in a bid to get out of it. Instead of finding yourself in this situation, good money management can help you to avoid it. Planning ahead is also key when managing your money – you don’t know what you’re going to need in 10-20 years, so it’s better to save as much as you can. You might not even be around in 10-20 years, which is when you should use an Estate Planning Attorney to get your finances in order for when you’re gone. Here’s some more information that could help you along the way in this journey!

Clearing Debts

If you already have debt, you will be able to clear it in some way. The best approach will depend entirely on the amount of money you owe out and the amount of money you are bringing in. Many people may look towards debt consolidation offered by the likes of York Credit Services which can help them clear out existing debts with high interest amounts. Consulting with experts from such a company may help you get some much-needed advice as well as financial help, and consequently, relief from your existing debts. The following steps should help you to clear debts as quickly as possible.

  • Start spending within your disposable income
  • Attribute a portion of your disposable income to clearing debts
  • Balance transfer to lower interest cards or accounts – you can learn about Balance Transfer Credit Cards here
  • Take out a low interest loan to consolidate your debts and pay them back at a lower rate over time

If you find that you simply can’t earn enough to clear your debt, you may want to talk to a bankruptcy lawyer to discuss your options for debt relief.

Create a Budget

No matter who you are, how much you earn, or what you like to spend, a budget will allow you to ensure that you don’t overspend and sink into debt. In fact, a profoundly important step towards positive money management is to create a budget. It’s a valuable life skill that can make all the difference not only to your financial wellbeing but your mental and emotional health too. Now, creating a budget is a relatively simple process. The steps below should get you off to a good start!

  • Work Out Your Total Tax – don’t make the mistake of assuming your salary is the amount of money you take home. Most countries have essential contributions and deductions, such as tax or national insurance, that will be taken from your wages before they make their way to you. Use a take-home pay calculator to see how much you have available to spend each month. If you are confused about federal tax payments, there are resources such as My Tax Settlement to help you with the calculations. Remember, back taxes can accumulate quickly, so always be wary of them.
    .
  • Deduct Essentials – we all have to pay certain things to live a decent quality of life. These tend to include rent or mortgage payments, electric, gas and water payments, car payments, phone payments, internet payments and more. Make sure to deduct these costs from your take home pay.


  • Manage Your Disposable Income – the sum you’re left with after deducting tax and essential costs is known as your disposable income. This is the money you have available to spend as you please. Make sure you don’t exceed this figure when spending each month and you should stay above water and stay out of debt.

Of course, there are other habits and tactics that can further aid your money management. But the information outlined above is a great place to start out!

Top 3 Signs You Shouldn’t DIY

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You notice that your pipes are leaking — should you look for plumbers near Atlanta that can fix it for you or try to make the repair yourself? Your kitchen lights keep flickering and the bulbs aren’t the issue — will you be able to safely DIY it or will an Electrician Caulfield service be the better option? These are all questions you should be asking yourself.

As we get older and, hopefully, more responsible, many of us develop an interest in DIY and home renovation. It’s a perfectly decent thing to become enthusiastic about, because the ability to carry out projects yourself will save money in the long-term, and will teach you a lot about how homes work. However, an interest in DIY – and some early successful projects – should not lead you to believe that every improvement or repair needed in the home can be tackled with amateur gusto and moxie.

There is a reason that people still tend to search for a trusted electrician or professionals with equal caliber. Those tradesmen still run successful businesses and are in demand in their local region. The work that they do is hard, and even with years of experience it can take time and patience to carry out a repair – so read the tips below before getting into DIYing a house repair, and ask if you shouldn’t instead PSETDIFY*.

(*Pay Someone Else To Do It For You)

You read a how-to guide, and you don’t understand it

When you read a recipe, sometimes as you read down the list of steps there will be one that doesn’t make a lot of sense. Often, it is by going ahead with the recipe that you’ll find the step makes sense once you get there. However, there is a lot of difference between baking a souffle and installing an air conditioner. The latter has a higher level of jeopardy, so if you’re unsure how to do it, leave it to someone else. Don’t even start to do it, because a household job half-done can become an emergency very easily.

You don’t have the requisite tools for the job

If you’re about to DIY something that you’ve never done before, the first step is always the internet for a quick guide. These guides will tell you how long a repair should take, what you need to do and which tools you will need. If that list of tools contains one or more you don’t have, freeze. Yes, you could go and buy the tool – but if you don’t have it already, it’s fair to assume you’re not experienced in handling it.

Now, if the tool in question is a slightly larger screwdriver than those you have, go ahead and get one. But if it’s an advanced plumbing tool, call your local plumber and get them to do the job. Household repairs are not an appropriate time to be experimenting.

It involves rewiring or in-depth plumbing

There can be a genuine sense of elation in repairing an electrical appliance, tasks like aluminum wiring mitigation, or installing a new dishwasher. Those aren’t simple jobs and they take some effort to complete – but do be aware that doing the former doesn’t make you an electrician, nor does the latter make you a plumber. If you need to go into the electrics or the plumbing of the house itself to complete a job, leave it to a professional electrician or a Plumber in Durham. Years of training and experience are the difference between a job done neatly and cleanly, and a house that is flooded – or much worse, if you’re working with live wires.

If you find you have a knack for DIY, then there is little doubt that you’ll find plenty of ways to put that knack to good use around the house – and if you’re really good, then you can look into training in a trade. But don’t assume that you can do it yourself every time – sometimes, it can be an expensive mistake.

Maximise Your Engine Oil Life with an Oil Centrifuge

 

Like gasoline, oil is vital to the operation of your car’s engine. It ensures that the hydraulic system works efficiently. Additionally, it prevents friction from damaging the moving parts.

 

However, its effectiveness wanes over time due to the accumulation of dirt and other contaminants. When this happens, most motorists opt for an oil replacement. But is this the only solution?

 

You don’t always have to replace oil, as there are alternative methods of prolonging the usefulness of your engine. For instance, you can always opt for fracking fluid ends that are used in drilling operations to improve the quantity of hydrocarbons that can be extracted. Doing so can prevent corrosion as well. Similarly, there are many ways you can improve the warranty of the engine. In this article, we will discuss the process that involves the fitting of an oil centrifuge. It purifies the oil whenever the engine is running.

Oil centrifuges work by removing the contaminants that are denser than the oil. But they don’t remove the included additives. They are more effective than filters. This is because filters can’t remove impurities smaller than 30um (maximum pore size), causing wear and tear through friction. Also, centrifuges clean at a consistent rate throughout their operation. On the other hand, filters tend to be less efficient after extended use.

Types of Oil Centrifuges

 

The two types of oil centrifuges are powered centrifuges and self-powered centrifuges.

  • Powered centrifuges: these use a direct mechanical couple or a combination of pump and motor. That drives the centrifuge when pressure is insufficient or entirely unavailable.
  • Self-powered centrifuges: these use system pressure and need a regulator to maintain the pressure at a maximum of 100psi. This guarantees safe operation.

How Centrifuges Work

The standard components of an oil centrifuge are its housing, a level control base, a separation chamber, and a turbine. Here is how it works.

  1. The contaminated oil enters the separation chamber under high pressure (usually between 45 and 100psi). It then flows through the vertical spindle.

 

  1. This pressure is transformed into kinetic energy that rotates the centrifuge at high speeds of up to 8,000 rpm. As this happens, the oil filters through a pair of tangentially opposed nozzles.
  2. The force generated by the fluid separates the contaminants from the oil. Notably, this force is 3,000 times stronger than the earth’s gravitational pull.
  3. Particles denser than oil move outward and stick onto the inner walls, forming a hard cake-like substance.

 

5.The clean oil leaves the centrifuge, ready for reuse.

It is vital to ensure that the contaminated oil reaches the centrifuge in the best condition possible for the best results. This means that it must be hot and get supplied at high pressure to lower its viscosity and spin the turbine at the highest speeds.

Why You Need an Oil Centrifuge

Besides saving the money you would have otherwise used on oil replacement, here are other benefits of investing in an oil centrifuge:

 

  • Reduced machine downtime: since you don’t have to replace oil often, your machine will operate for more hours. Thus, increasing your productivity.
  • Reduced Costs: investing in oil centrifuges ensures that you don’t have to regularly pay for machine servicing costs. This is because centrifuges remove the smallest particles and prevent the damage caused by friction.
  • Eco-friendliness: by using oil for as long as possible, you protect the environment from the effects caused by oil spills.

Final Words

 

The most effective way of extending your engine’s oil life is by using a oil centrifuge. Moreover, you don’t have to replace any components. All you need to do is remove the sludge after every cleaning cycle.

 

It’s worth noting that oil centrifuges work best when mounted to an engine permanently. However, they are still effective if adjoined to other parts, such as gearboxes and hydraulic systems.

 

Lastly, ensure that you purify your oil regularly to prevent potential damage to your centrifuge.

 

5 Mother of The Bride Dress Styles 2021 Fall

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Every girl dreams of a perfect wedding and so does her mother. So, the big day of your little girl is round the corner, and you are occupied with all the preparations, rituals, managing the events, booking the best wedding photographer Portland has to offer, or a similar photographer closer to where you live, helping your daughter deal with cold feet, being her go-to person, and sharing stories with her from your experiences.

All of these things are crucial. Nevertheless, so are you. Amidst all the wedding shopping for your daughter, have you forgotten to select the dress for yourself? If your answer is yes, we are here to help.

The mother of the bride or groom dresses are designed remarkably to fit your choices. Whether you wish to have a simple wrap dress or you want to dance in the sequin gown, you can get everything you want.

If the bride’s mother doesn’t have the time to visit a store, she can purchase excellent dresses online based on the wedding type. Likewise, the mother of the bride can also use this guide to find her daughter that dream wedding dress for the big day. As fall is here, we have hand-picked some amazing dresses that will go with the fall wedding.

Let’s have a look.

Mother of the Bride Dresses 2021 Fall Ideas

  • Streamlined V-neck Dresses

This fall, minimalism is going to rule the wedding season. Owing to the pandemic and mini-weddings, a streamlined V-neck dress is going to be in high demand. Well, the simplicity of such dresses cannot be denied. You can keep buying a flattering V-neck dress or a lace gown with heels to complete your mother’s bride look.

You can find such amazing outfits along with different styles and colors here at AW Bridal.

  • Romantic Gowns

What can be better than a surreal outdoor wedding and a good romantic gown? This fall, tea-length romantic dresses with different colors are going to be the talk of the town. Gowns with natural motifs or lace designs are surely set to steal the show.

You can find such a beautiful collection of tea-length romantic gowns in different sizes, colors, and sizes here at David’s Bridal – browse now!

  • Square necks

Welcoming back to the ‘90s, you will see more nostalgic square neck gowns in the fall wedding season. With minimalism added to the design and basic color, you can never go wrong with this one.

Whether you are looking for a lace floor-length or short dresses, these will make you look exceptional. Also, if you are wondering where you can get such dresses especially in the plus-size area, go here at Alicepub website and find each dress worth your dollars. You can also find plus-size dresses to flaunt your beautiful curves graciously.

  • Off-Shoulder Balloon Sleeves

Again, this is a classic style that can never let you down. Uber-stylish and elegant in its way, this design is perfect for your little daughter’s wedding. With the right blend of colors and balloon sleeves, you can stand out from the crowd. Visit AW Bridal here to find beautiful and trendy mother of the bride dress options today.

In addition to these, you can also visit the Amazon store and look for premium brands to find the right mother of the bride/groom dress for you.

Conclusion

Selecting the mother of the bride’s dress can be a little difficult as it has to be elegant and comfortable at the same time. Also, mothers should feel confident in it. So, look for a dress that feels right for you and doesn’t give you a headache in the wedding chores.

We hope you liked our recommendations. For more such information, keep following us!

How to play online casino games like a boss

Many people gamble, but not many people are successful at it. Just because casino games are predominantly about luck doesn’t mean you cannot do some things that would help level the playing field. The most significant way you can do this is to set rules that you should follow when playing. Below are six rules that will help you ‘improve’ your luck in jackpot casino games. Remember that these rules only work if you implement them.

  1. Use your head but follow your gut.

This rule is especially true for games that need both your wit and luck. For example, when playing card games, you often need a combination of luck and strategy to win. The first things to consider are the rules of the game and the cards you have. You should play with the cards you have to the best of your ability following the set rules of the game. There, however, comes a time in some card games where you have to follow your gut.

For example, when playing Texas Holdem, there are times when you will decide to bluff and other times when you decide against it. Often, this choice can be determined by a combination of wit and gut instinct. The goal is not to rely entirely on your gut but to take the chance if you feel you have a high probability of winning. The best way to really get a feel for this yourself, if you’re yet to give it a go, is to try something like live casinos online to see how much success your head and gut gets you.

  1. Money management is crucial.

No respectable gambling guide is worth its salt if they do not advise you to manage your money wisely. But what does that mean? Money management often begins before you start playing by creating a bankroll (this will be discussed a little later). It is then followed by deciding how you will place your bets and sometimes what games you will play with what amounts. To help with keeping on top of your payments, you may want to look into MuchBetter casinos as they will help with payment methods through a secured system so that you have your money in the same place and use the service that you have chosen. You will need to do your own research first but you want to be assured you are using the best methods for you.

If you want to depend mainly on luck, you can play games that are almost entirely luck-based, like slots. On the other hand, if you’re going to get a fair shot at winning, you can play games that require you to learn the rules, employ a particular strategy and play better than your opponents. Many card games fall in this category. Additionally, money management can involve deciding the maximum amount of money you will bet in each game.

Point to note:

If you are a fan of roulette, you may have heard of the martingale strategy. In essence, if you lose your hand, you double your bet and play again. You do this until you win, at which point you will have recuperated all your previous losses plus made a little profit.

While this system sounds fail-proof in theory, it does not work in practice mainly because the odds of winning are never 50/50 as the house always has an edge. Additionally, unless you have an unlimited bankroll, you may eventually lose all your money, doubling up. For that reason, it may be wise to avoid it altogether as you stand the risk of losing a lot of money.

  1. Know when to play and when to walk away.

There is a right time and a wrong time to gamble. The right time is often when you have money you can afford to lose, are of sober mind, and when you are not under any emotional or physical distress. If you play when you are intoxicated or under pressure, you risk making irrational or outright bad decisions that could cost you your money.

Additionally, unless you want to become a professional casino player, it is often recommended that you regularly step away from the games and recuperate. This will save you from emotional gambling and also slow down your chances of becoming addicted to gambling.

One easy way to know when to walk away is by setting limits. You can set limits on how much you are willing to lose, how many games you can play, or how long you play in a set duration. Once that limit is exceeded, you walk away. The most important thing to remember is that gambling is meant to be fun. Play games somewhere like Link Taruhan Slot Megasloto if you’re looking for something exciting and a bit different, but make sure you stop when you’re not having fun anymore. If you follow this rule, gambling will always be something you play as a fun past-time and not something that gives you grief.

  1. Have a bankroll and stick to it.

Having a bankroll means having a set amount of money you can gamble with either for the day or the month and sticking to this figure. You arrive at this amount after creating a budget for your day-to-day life, savings, emergency funds, and any other amount you would not like to lose and setting that money aside. The remaining amount then goes into your gambling bankroll. Some people extend their gambling bankroll by using cryptocurrencies (see here for a list of casinos that use cryptocurrency: https://kryptoszene.de/litecoin-casinos/) that way if the value of the currency goes up it can potentially mean more spins on the wheel. Though if you think about it, investment is a form of gambling as well, so make sure you stick to the bankroll no matter it’s vallue. Remember that the money you put into the roll should be money you can afford to lose. Using a money management strategy can help you play more and for longer, but what you do with your gambling bankroll is entirely up to you and should be guilt-free.

  1. Choose the right casino.

There are many casino companies online, but not all of them are worth your time or money. Winning sometimes begins with choosing the right casino. After doing your research to narrow down the casinos that are worth playing at, an excellent way to settle on a casino is to check what bonuses they have to offer. Some casinos like Jackpot Casino offer lucrative welcome packages that can help you multiply your odds and win more money.

  1. If you have to hide, you probably shouldn’t be playing.

According to the National Centre for Responsible Gambling, roughly 1% of the adult US population has a severe gambling addiction. The rates of problem gambling in young people and young adults are even higher than that. There are many signs that can help you identify if you may have a problem with gambling. However, one sure way to know is if you find that you have to hide the extent of your gambling from your loved ones.

Conclusion

In casino gambling, you have to be open to losing some games and winning others. You should not accept lowering your chances of winning or staying in the game because you were not informed of the rules. By following these rules, you can raise your odds of staying in the game longer and increase your chances of winning.

2 Key Things to Focus on That Will Keep Your Aging Parents Healthy

No one likes to see their parents age, and maybe that’s because aging has been associated with declining health. This isn’t always the case, as many elders live healthy, active, and long lives. More diseases affect us as we age, but there are ways to combat certain diseases and illnesses.

#1: Nutrition

Bone Health

It’s no secret that as we get older, our bones get weaker. Between the ages of 25 and 30, we reach our peak bone mass and begin to lose some of it at age 40. As we age, our bodies reabsorb essential nutrients from our bones, causing them to weaken. This is why it is important for aging parents to consume a diet that focuses on bone development. Here are the major nutrients (and food examples) that help with bone health.

  • Calcium (dairy products, meat, fish, eggs, beans, and lentils) is a key mineral in bone formation and can replace old bone cells.
  • Vitamin D (salmon, sardines, tuna, and egg yolk) helps with calcium absorption and ensures proper bone renewal.
  • Magnesium (leafy green vegetables) helps form bone minerals.
  • Vitamin K (also found in leafy greens) ensures the proper mineralization for our bones.
  • Zinc (meat and legumes) is essential for the renewal of bone tissue.
  • Protein (meat, eggs, dairy, grains, nuts, and seeds) is the foundation for our muscles and our bones.

Heart Health

Heart disease is the #1 cause of death for men and women worldwide, and poor eating habits are one of its causes. Fortunately, there are foods that can help with heart health.

  • Fruits and vegetables are low in calories, but rich in fiber and various vitamins and minerals.
  • Whole grains are also good sources of fiber and essential nutrients, and they are easy to add to any diet.
  • Healthy fats (olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocados) have the ability to lower total blood cholesterol. Healthy fats are also known as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated.

Reducing sodium intake is also important to protect the heart. Increased sodium intake leads to high blood pressure, which is a risk factor for heart disease. However, in case you feel that your parents’ dietary habits did not comprise of all the healthy stuffs, it would be suggested to get their heart health checked. More so, if they have been a lover of fast food all this while. If you plan to do so, knowing some things like What Is An Angiogram, What is Echocardiogram, etc. could keep you prepared for the things that may follow.

There are many other issues a proper diet can prevent, such as diabetes. But a healthy diet isn’t the only thing that helps to prevent common diseases.

#2: Physical Activity

EExercise has numerous benefits for the human body, as well as benefiting cardiovascular and bone health. However, it may be hard for your aging parents to engage in vigorous, daily exercise. At their age, it might even be difficult for them to take a bath while standing due to their aged body, which is why they might require something like a bath hoist. A bath hoist is a raised and moveable seat that can help individuals get into and out of a bath. So, it can be understood that vigorous daily exercises could not be a good idea for them. However, moderate exercise could prove to be beneficial for them. Here are a few simple activities that can improve muscle strength and even increase heart rate.

  • Walking is a good way to increase strength in the legs. As a mild form of cardiovascular exercise, walking reduces the risk of heart disease and helps maintain a healthy weight.
  • Yoga is particularly beneficial for women over 60. Yoga benefits bone and joint health, as well as increases strength and flexibility.
  • Gardening may seem like an unlikely form of exercise, but it helps to build strength in the fingers and hands. More intense gardening can build total-body strength and can be a mild form of cardiovascular exercise.

Regular physical activity can also have mental health benefits. When exercising, chemicals in the brain are released that promote happy and calm feelings. Exercise can also promote a good night’s sleep, and many elders experience sleep issues.

Why Nutrition and Exercise are Important for Elders

A healthy, balanced diet, combined with regular physical activity, is known to combat many preventable diseases, and this is especially important for your aging parents. As we age, our bodies can lose nutrients quicker which is why a balanced diet is important. It would therefore be wise for your parents to get vitamin and micronutrient supplements from Rootine or similar nutrient-providing companies. Regular exercise can also help in increasing mobility, which your aging parent needs especially in this stage of life.

Elders with decreased mobility are less likely to be able to live on their own, meaning that they have to live with family or in a nursing home. Many people don’t have the means to care for aging parents (due to work, kids, both, etc.), and placing their loved ones in a nursing home can be a hard decision, especially when hearing stories of nursing home falls and elder abuse. This is why improving your loved one’s quality of life is important to prevent such incidents, as well as diseases. When these instances do occur, that’s when you need to contact the legal resources to hold negligent facilities accountable for their actions. Also, after such incidents, you might lose faith in nursing homes or any other care center for elders as you have already witnessed their negligence in the past with respect to your parents’ care. In such a scenario, you may want to engage yourself to look after your elders. You can enroll in senior care courses (like Aged care courses Melbourne) that might assist you in learning needful practices required for old-age parents.

These tips are important for everyone at any stage of life, but it is especially beneficial for elders, even if they haven’t followed a healthy lifestyle their whole lives. Although it’s important to start a healthy lifestyle from a young age, it’s never too late for any living individual to begin a healthy lifestyle.

Incorporate Cycling Into Your Daily Routine For a Healthier Life

Cycling has a lot of health benefits, which is why it is a good idea to incorporate it into your daily life. However, that is not always as easy as it seems, as forming new habits and sticking to them can be challenging. If you are thinking of making cycling part of your daily routine to find areas where cycling would work as a great alternative to walking or driving, below, we will look at some tips that can help you make cycling part of your daily life.

Buy The Right Bicycle

It may seem obvious, but the first step into making cycling a part of your daily life is purchasing the right bicycle. The bike you choose will depend on the types of activities you are interested in. For example, if you are into recreational cycling, you should consider an electric road bike. These are lightweight, efficient bikes that are specifically designed to be ridden on pavements and other such areas. A modified version of the road bike that you can also consider – an eBike! This one can be especially useful if you want to start cycling regularly, but don’t have much practice. With its electric assist, there are a host of other things you can do with it too, like track your rides and navigate with ease.

If you are more adventurous, you might want to consider mountain bikes. These have flatter handlebars and wider tires with a lot of traction, better suited for riding on dirt trails. Other types of bikes you can consider include utility, electric, park, and fitness bikes.

Depending on the type, make, and manufacturer, your bike can end up costing anything from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. To ensure you are not at a loss when something happens to the bike, you should consider getting bicycle insurance. Bicycle insurance from providers like Velosurance covers incidents such as loss, theft, and accidents on the bike. The insurance can cover a lot more including medical bills and personal liability arising from a biking accident. Velosurance can also extend your bicycle insurance coverage worldwide if you so wish.

Use Your Bike to Commute

If you still work at an office, you might spend a lot of time sitting in traffic or maneuvering through traffic if something happens on the road. You might end up wasting precious time commuting to and from work. Cycling can help you make better use of your time.

In cities with dedicated bike lanes, cyclists end up spending a lot less time commuting. This reduces the stress and frustration that comes from sitting in traffic, translating into fitter and happier people.

With this being more said, you are more vulnerable when on a bike when compared to being in a car. You should read the highway code for bicycles and make sure you know when you need to give way. If you ever do get hit and it wasn’t your fault, contact a bicycle injury lawyer to see if they will be able to get you compensation. But, as long as you respect the rules of the road, wear bright protective gear, and keep an eye out for dangerous drivers, you shouldn’t have any issues.

Run Errands

Even in cases where you do not have to commute to the office, you still have to run errands from time to time. A bicycle is a great alternative to your car for its health benefits as well as fuel savings. Bikes are also faster here because you do not have to spend extra time looking for parking space as there are lots of parking spaces available for bicycles. Also, if you secure your bike well enough and find a safe area to chain it up, you can leave your bike anywhere that is relatively safe.

Ride Every Opportunity You Can

You do not have to buy a bike or even ride outdoors to make cycling a part of your adventure. There are several alternatives you can explore that will lead to the same result. For example, most gyms have stationary bikes available. Stationary bikes are also cheaper than they used to be and you can always purchase a second-hand one online.

The other alternative is bike share. Granted, this option is not available in many cities, but if it is available in yours, you can take one out for an hour a day and still get the health benefits that come with riding.

Attend Social Events

Many bigger cities have a cycling community. These communities meet from time to time and might also organize riding events or competitions. The included social aspect of cycling can help you get on your bike even when you are not feeling like it. You can think of it as going out to meet your friends instead of going on a bike ride. However you think of it, you still get the health benefits that come with cycling to these meet-ups, events, or competitions.

Switch Up Your Cardio Workouts

If you already work out, there are chances that you have a cardiovascular routine in your workouts. To make cycling a part of your life, you could try switching things up and going cycling instead. Cycling is a great cardiovascular exercise that can be used as a stand-in for the usual cardio exercises.

Plan Regular Trips

When people think about biking trips, they think of long distances and weeks of planning. It does not have to be this way as a cycling trip can be about visiting and riding in different parts or other recreational areas in your town or city. You can use this opportunity to enjoy nature and discover new areas in your town or city. Eventually, as you start getting the hang of it, you could ride for longer distances and take bigger bike trips. Who knows, the love for biking could lead you to consider Triathlon training at some point in the future! Be sure to get some swimming and running done in between too, though, if you do think about taking up the feat of participating in a triathlon.

Cycling is a total workout with numerous health benefits. The good news is that you can get into the habit of cycling regularly if you start small and build up. Start by riding around the neighborhood and soon you will be taking whole weekends for your cycling adventures.

7 Flexible Career Choices For Moms

Being a mom is a beautiful journey, but it is also a full-time job! And it can be quite a challenge when you are looking to put yourself on the job market. Getting a job with flexible hours is a great way to earn some money and cover your employment gap while giving your growing children the attention they need. However, the issue is knowing which options would help you achieve your goals.

You can do anything from becoming an online tutor to starting a business. While you might think starting a company can be a difficult task; however, it can be easily managed with the help of the right guidance and financial assistance. For instance, you can hire employees to handle management tasks, such as an accountant for business accounting and taxation, a manager to handle the team and oversee daily work, etc. Moreover, you can be a director who can drop in every few days to keep track of all the operations. This can provide you a lot of time to focus on family and children while also having a well-established career.

Similarly, here are a few career choices with flexible hours you should consider.

Delivery driver

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As a mom, you would probably be overqualified for a job as a delivery driver since you are used to running errands all over town. However, you can help your local florists, restaurant, or courier company by being a delivery driver. You can set up a seasonal schedule with these businesses to offer an extra hand to them on their busiest days. In addition to being paid a wage, delivery drivers usually receive a mileage reimbursement to cater for the wear and tear the deliveries may have on their cars. In some cases, the drivers are given company cars to make deliveries.

Tutor

If you have free time in the afternoon, you should consider being a tutor. You can choose to offer your services to private tutoring centers or schools. However, the Coronavirus outbreak has made in-home tutoring (tutoring at your home or your student’s home) a highly demanded form of tutoring. As a tutor, you have the task of helping your students with more than just their homework. You would provide them with extra help for subjects they may be struggling in. These tutoring sessions go a long way to helping a child achieve a good grade. Payment is made at an hourly rate. On average, tutors charge $30 an hour.

Nurse practitioner

If you studied nursing, it is a career choice you should consider. In general, nurse practitioners provide clinical oversight and offer reliable patient care. They have the task of diagnosing, advising, treating, and educating patients. They also prescribe medication to their patients. This is a rather technical field that requires a master’s degree in nursing. Going back to school may be a challenge for a full-time mom like yourself. However, you can apply to CCNE accredited online MSN programs to get your qualifications.

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Business process analyst

Have you got some experience in the field of business? Then it would be best if you considered being a business process analyst. This career offers flexibility with its telecommuting and freelance options. As a business process analyst, you can troubleshoot problem areas within the business and offer creative solutions to resolve them. You also have the task of implementing various projects and improving upon the existing processes of the business. There are many ways to acquire more knowledge on this front so that you can better help businesses. Using tools such as this I-Nexus guide to continuous improvement, you can provide relevant advice to businesses that can help them eliminate wastage and improve efficiency of processes.

Substitute teacher

Being a substitute teacher is a great flexible job choice for a mom. Schools are always looking for substitute teachers to add to their rotation. Although certification is required to work under a permanent teaching position, this is usually not the case for substitute teachers. However, this usually depends on the laws of the state you live in. What makes it even more ideal for moms is that your required working hours are likely during the same time your children are in school. Therefore, you would not need to worry.

Retail jobs

Working in retail is another excellent job opportunity for full-time moms. Depending on your interests, you can easily find a good-paying retail job that offers flexible hours. For example, if you are into fashion, you can work in a department store. Or, if you are a lover of crafts, you can work in your local craft store while your children are in school. It would be best to consider these flexible retail jobs: cashier, stock clerk, customer service representative, or sales associate. Also, technology can make certain jobs more accessible for you and assist with advancing your career. You might, for instance, use services such as phone number validation to filter out invalid numbers and improve your productivity as a customer care representative.

Massage therapist

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If you have talented, skillful, healing hands, you should consider being a massage therapist. To be sure you would be a good fit, you should attend an accredited training institution to become a massage therapist and gain your license. However, depending on your state’s laws, offering such a service without a license may not be a problem. In fact, with the number of people looking up Massage Places within their vicinity itself can go on to prove how much self-employed massage therapists have the power to organize and create a schedule and working hours that work for them. It is also a very lucrative career option. You can work as a massage therapist in fitness centers, hospitals, spas, and rehabilitation centers.

Choose any of these career jobs to live a fulfilling life economically and as a mother!

Sago Mini

Sago Mini is a great company that puts kids first. The core values of Sago Mini are centered around laughter and learning. Activities that are open-ended allow for creativity and play, which is where learning begins.

Three different products are available from Sago Mini – their boxes and the school and world apps. All of their products are designed to foster a learning environment. What is unique about the company though, is that they want to get kids to laugh and have fun while doing so.

There are three different questions that Sago Mini uses to guide their product design. The questions are:

  1. “Does it encourage kids to explore, imagine, and discover?”
  2. “Is it intuitive, beautiful and fun to play?”
  3. “Does it meet our high standards of quality and safety?”

Seeing this list, I am encouraged. A lot of thought really goes into designing the products, which is great to know when purchasing or allowing our children to play with them.

Sago Mini Box is a subscription program that delivers activities directly to your doorstep. The creative activities offer a make-and-play scenario that kids can play with for about a month, or until the next one is delivered.

The Sago Mini Boxes are good for ages 3-5. They encourage sensory, exploration, and constructive play.

The process is simple. Just choose a theme on the Sago Mini site, pay monthly or annually. Get the boxes delivered to your door every month. Then allow your kiddos to discover, learn, make, play, and more.

Every month there are new themes and activities available that can be delivered. You can head over to the Sago Mini Box website to see some of the different box themes.

In each box there are three activities that all build upon each other. Everything needed is in an envelope with specific instructions for those specific pieces. The envelopes are all numbered, which is another great learning opportunity.

There are fine motor growth opportunities from punching out the little pieces of cardboard, to placing small pieces into a box. Many of the boxes include building something, so there are following directions skills being developed too.

 

Every month the box itself transforms and becomes part of the scene that the kids are creating. Each and every aspect of what is sent in the mail is being used in the creating, learning, and playing process. Pretty cool!

In the box there is also a Sago Mini friend that kids can collect. This little character is to be played with in their scene and used while imagining. The characters are pretty heavy duty, so I anticipate my children’s friends being played with well beyond the box and activities.

Something that I was disappointed in was that our boxes were delivered on a day it was raining. They were placed in a place we couldn’t see so they were sitting in the rain for many hours. Since the box and all the contents in it are cardboard, it was very soggy, wet, and, once dried completely, warped. This is not something that Sago Mini had any control over. I completely understand that this was a delivery service error. Just something to keep in mind when expecting the box. It is cardboard, so if it gets in weather, it could be affected.

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