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.

After the turmoil of 2020, we are all in recovery mode this year.

January was busy and exhausting, but now we are all trying to push forward and get our lives moving forward. You may be feeling pretty good, you may be cautious or even worried about what this year holds for you.

Self Care

In 2020 many people ‘let go’. For many people, they crawled into their holes and never peeked out. It’s time to put an end to it. Now that the effects of the pandemic have decreased and everything is slowly returning back to normalcy, it’s high time that you start going out and exploring life outside rather than restraining yourself to the four walls of your room. If, for instance, you used to enjoy going out and hunting, you can start searching for which centerpoint crossbow is best, which outdoor gear should you invest in, or even the best place to hunt. Get back to what you used to enjoy before the pandemic hit. If not, depression may have started or even have taken hold of you. This is a big problem a large majority of Americans are struggling with. If you feel this applies to you, or one of your friends or family you need to look into an online counseling. If you are comfortable with in-person there should be options in your area. Do a based Google search and see where there are locations in your town.

Do you feel like you got sluggish with all the sitting in 2020? This mama sure does! If you want to jump start a new healthy start look into Live Well Metabolic & Weight Loss Clinic as well as joining your local gym or recreational center. Many gyms are having specials for new members. You can probably get a really good deal. At the start of your journey, they will be a challenge but once you get into the routine, you’ll recognize the self-care benefits! If you find yourself feeling sore after the gym then massage guns can help you ease inflammation and reduce soreness. If you do not feel comfortable going to a gym, the swing into your local Walmart or Target and grab some hand weights or a kettle ball. Another type of self-care that can be overlooked because it feels taboo for women is to do with their sexual desires. Things like masturbation are totally normal and often encouraged to better people’s mental health. If you’re unsure about this type of self-care, why not try putting on some music or a porn video like MidgetPorn to get you in mood.

Try for a Job Promotion

A great way to boost your self esteem may be to try to climb the corporate latter. Many people quit or lost their jobs in 2020, which may lead to a benefit for you. There could be new positions opened at your company that need filled. By already being on the staff, knowing the company and having the inside scoop you may be the perfect candidate. Start of by trying to stand out in some way. Help with the training of a new employee. Increase your company website by using a Seo firm Toronto to boost the exposure. This will drive new traffic and increase their standing in Google searches. Helping with something like this will surely cause you to stand out in a great way.

If you cannot seem to manage a promotion then take a look at some online job finding sites. You can see what work is out there. You may not see anything that will really fit your ability, but it cannot hurt to take a few hours and see what there is. Word of mouth is a powerful tool too. Ask your friends, family and even neighbors if they have heard anything in there bubble.

Rearrange You House

If you are on a limited budget but need a fresh feel you should consider moving some things around in your home. This is give you something to do and will be fun to spice things up. Maybe you can move where the book self and some art work are. Try adding a new few pieces, like adding the best wool tufted rugs and new coffee mugs. If you have the energy ask a friend who has a home you admire. As for the tips and tricks from them. If their house looks cool, they will love to hear from you that you also like it. This conversation will boost the mood of both of you.

It is 2021, things are getting better. Lets keep our heads up and our attitudes in a positive light.

When you work as a team you start to feel like a family at times. The love, the hate, the laughter and the memories. Some teams work more effectively than others. But we can all agree that when the dynamics are on the same level, then the team works like dream. If you are the lead, or the manager, then you will have times where you have to train the new guy.

Using the Equipment

Whatever fieldwork you may be doing, you have to be sure to go over all the rules, standards, equipment, and OSHA standings. If they are going to be handling field supplies, like the high-quality ones from https://horizonmeasurements.com/ you need to give them all the information to stay safe and keep the equipment. How to store it and where to place it when the job is done or for overnight storage. Be sure to tell them if there are temperature requirements, such as keeping it from being too cool or too hot overnight.

Teach them how to turn equipment on/off and any tips or tricks to run the unit. You can also look for professional training services that can help your team to learn OSHA Compliance safety guidelines and ensure every employee’s safety at the workplace. Moreover, if there is a manual you find useful make a copy and give it to them, so they always have their own copy on hand. They can store it in their truck or in their clipboard box.

Dressing for the Job

Depending on where you are located, there can be many different types of clothing you will find appropriate. You may be in a sunny and warm start where you will be wearing lighter clothing. Most site jobs will require hard toed shoes, jeans or sustainable overalls most or every day. Many sites will require you to have other safety equipment like helmets, back supports and possibly harness depending on the day. If you have learned some tips over the years be sure to share your knowledge, this will not only make working with them better but they will learn to appreciate and respect you. If you are in a foggy or dangerous place always have your yellow reflective jackets and hats on for your safety.

Preparing for the Day

Depending on the details of the job, and the crew there can be many ways the day runs. Help the new guy by telling him all of the crews names and what jobs they do. This way they know who to ask for what details as the project goes forward. If it will be rainy have them wear appropriate clothing and bring plastic sheets for your clipboard and other paper products. If the snow storm the weather channel has been going on about draws close to your job site, be prepared and call in a local snow removal company – click here to learn more about residential snow removal.

Have they filled out any required safety or job documents? Teach them where to find this information and how to relay it back to corporate.

Remember that you too were new at some point. Think back to how you were trained. What was helpful? What do you wish someone told you? As the days and conversations happen these will dawn on you and you can help train the new guy in the best way you know how.

There are many families who have full time jobs that require almost full time travel. This doesn’t mean you are not a strong or as connected as families who life in the same house all year. You know that your families strength and love are not separated by locations on a map.

Permeant Choices

There need to be a few permanent choices that need to be established. First off, will their be a family home that you all fly to for holidays and other times you are able to get together? If so think about where you travel to most often and where they children are going to school. Find a location that has airports that can easily be traveled to and from. Would an apartment or lovely colonial homes be more likely to suit to your families needs? Find a home base and get something established there. This way when you all come together there are family photos, memorabilia and a sense of family when you arrive.

The other top permeant choice that needs to be made is the children’s schooling. Do you find yourself in the position to homeschool the kids? Many families travel in RV’s as they move across the country and have the kids school as they travel. This may be a perfect choice for families who travel in one country only. If you travel out of the country often, this probably will not be the best solution for you. In these situations you need to think of a quality boarding school like Canadian Accredited Independent Schools. You need to keep your children’s education and success a priority. If a boarding school is at the top of your list, you are going to need to make sure that you have chosen one that works within what you are looking for so you are doing what is best for your child and yourself. Looking into a boarding school for boys, girls, mixed, etc. will help you whittle down your options when it is time to make a decision.

Getting Together

Even when you are far apart, you can still prioritize some virtual family time. If nothing else, 2020 taught us how to stay in touch with each other even if we cannot physically be together. Using apps like Marco Polo, Due or Facetime,  and having a reliable internet service provider such as Verizon internet services, you can see and talk to your loved ones. We love to play virtual games with Kahoot and Jackbox. These are paid for apps that you can play games with each other while in different locations.

When you do have the chance to fly to a central location you need to soak up that time. Instead of flying back to your home, consider some of the best vista cay resorts as a vacation destination to meet up. Here you can all not worry about cooking and cleaning, but focus on the time you have together. Make memories by doing local tourist attractions and seeing a movie together. Be sue to take some pictures so you can save this memory forever.

Staying in Touch

I know it may sound old fashioned, but try writing an actual letter. The long lost form of letting writing is slowly dying. But this is such a fun, personal and creative way to stay in touch. If you are the parent who is traveling, grab postcards at the airport when you stop to grab your new bottle of water and newspaper. When you are on the flight take a couple moments to jot down a few sentences about your day, your trip or just some warm and loving words.