Online Tools to Help Your Family Live Stress-Free

categories: Article

Stress is a condition that you would not like yourself of any of your family members to go through. However, with the daily struggles associated with work, study, business, health and so on, it is almost impossible to avoid it. Well, stress is actually essential for survival as it helps you to cope up with any kind of difficulty. The challenge is when it becomes too much such that it affects your physical, mental, spiritual and emotional well-being.

For many people, their job is one of the leading causes of stress. Often, most people will come home from work and feel deflated and stressed from their day. This can be reduced. One of the most important things to do if you’re experiencing stress at work is to tell someone who can help you. For many employers, they will want to keep their best staff. This means that they’ll probably be open to trying to reduce the stress you’re experiencing. Ensuring staff are coping with their work is a talent retention strategy that is used by many companies to keep their staff happy and productive. If you’re stressed about your job, be sure to talk to someone.

Once you’ve tried speaking to someone, you may also decide to look at technology. Tech can offer you some of the most powerful stress-relieving tools that you can find. Even switching sites that allow you to compare broadband cost online can really help reduce Bills-related stress.

The following are some of the online tools that will help you and your family live stress-free:

Organization tools and software

The biggest cause of stress to family members is the inability to balance between work and family. This can be attributed to poor organization which leads to poor workflow. Evernote is an online tool that allows you to keep all your text-based documents in one place for easy reference. Furthermore, it is useful for taking notes since you can easily add checklists.

Having an organized life is always the solution to stress and this task management tool will help your family in avoiding stress. In addition to creating to-do lists, a tool like MyLifeOrganized allows you to further outline the hierarchies between tasks by creating subtasks. It also reminds you about your location and synchronizes to the cloud.

Stress management apps

Applications like Pacifica which is available on iOS, Android and web will help your family when dealing with stress, anxiety and depression. It does through tools like health and mood tracking, meditation, relaxation techniques and guided self-help paths for cognitive behavioral therapy.

Mood and health tracking enable identification of trends and causes which promotes self awareness and efficacy.

Happify is also an app that will help your family overcome stress and negative thoughts through engaging activities and games. With it you can measure your emotional well-being, break old patterns and create new ones as well as receive simple but effective solutions for your emotional health and well-being.

Internet of things

It is likely for your family to get stress by worrying more about home security and upkeep. Internet of things is the online interconnection of your computing devices embedded in everyday objects like home appliances to enable connection and exchange of data.

Using this technology around your house will not only save time and money but also keep your family stress-free. This smart home technology will encapsulate everything including thermostats, lighting, video surveillance, and security systems and so on with convenience so that you worry less and avoid stress. Having additional security precautions can reduce your condo insurance premiums so it’s a win-win. You’re more relaxed and so is your wallet.

Online information

The best to avoid stress is to learn and know everything about it. There are many websites that give in-depth information on the different types of stress, causes, symptoms, prevention and treatment.

Such places include Mayo Clinic, Zocdoc, WebMD and many more. Many people see stress only in terms of mental and psychological but it can also be physical as in the case of stress fractures – most common being foot injuries. When this happens, you will need help from qualified podiatrists in Denver for instance, to assess, diagnose and manage your pain.

Your family will live a healthy and enjoyable life if they are stress-free. There are many causes of stress and knowing how to avoid or at least manage them is very important. The best way is to make use of available technologies now that they are readily available, easy to use and cheap.

16
Jun
2018

How to Prepare for a Household Move

categories: Article

Proper preparation can make moving your belongings into a new home is a lot less challenging. By breaking down the whole process into small and manageable tasks, moving will be exciting to you and your family members. Whether it’s buying boxes to separate items from each room, change delivery addresses or get in touch with companies like CarsRelo to help transport the car to the new house, there is a lot to be done before finally being able to settle comfortably in the new place. It will all be worth it in the end.

However, I do know that moving can be stressful for some people, particularly when it comes to actually selling your house (you could take a look at someone who can Sell My House to help you with your move). We’ve created this guide to provides various essential tips that will help you get prepared for your next household move.

Create a Plan

You need to start planning and preparing for your move at least one month before the moving date. It is advisable to create a list of things that you will require to move your belongings to your new home. Planning ahead will keep your move on track and save you from the last minute challenges encountered by other movers. Ensure that your home is clean by hiring professionals like Maid Sailors so that your home isn’t cluttered and moving is easier.

Set Up a Budget

Moving your properties to a new house is an expensive process. Therefore, before the moving date approaches, you need to gather adequate finances to facilitate everything. It is advisable to start saving for your next move at three months before the moving day to avoid financial challenges. Setting up a moving budget will help you stay organized and save money.

Buy Moving Supplies and Pack Your Belongings

One of the reasons why you need money when moving is to purchase adequate moving supplies. For instance, you should buy packing boxes to put both small and large items. Additionally, you need a bubble wrap to protect your fragile items. After purchasing the required things, you should start packing your items and labeling your boxes before the moving day.

Hire Professional Movers

If you want your moving process to be efficient, you need to hire professional movers, movers like Bellhop who are in your region who have been in the industry for a long time. The movers will come with the right moving equipment to enhance the safety of your items during the move. Researching a moving company is not only important but it will allow you to get the best rate. Make sure the moving company has valid license, insurance, and certifications. Finding moving company with good reviews like Suddath will be a sure way to make sure that your move goes as smoothly as possible. If you have any other vehicles such as a motorbike that you need transporting to your new home then using a comparison website like Shiply is fast, hassle free and will save you money.

Prepare a Moving Day Kit

When packing your belongings, you need to prepare a moving day kit to put your essentials that you will need during the moving day. For instance, you should put a toilet paper, cleaning supplies, two or three clothes, and bulbs in the kit because you require them during the day.

Hire a Pest Control Company

Hiring a pest control company in your area to spray pesticides is affordable and is necessary depending on the time of year. You could check out something like Des Moines pest control for an effective extermination of your home’s pests. You will learn pest control measures from the company as well as tips and tricks to keeping your home bug free. If you live in the Florida area, Turner Pest not only helped give us piece of mind, but also worked with our budget.

Once you move into your new home, you should create a good relationship with your neighbors. They will keep an eye on your belongings when you are away, which will help in protecting your home from burglars.

16
Jun
2018

Zoku Giveaway

categories: Giveaway

Enter for your chance to win:

(1) Set of Summer Pop Molds

(1) Mini Pop Mold

(1) Mod Pop Mold

(1) Classic Pop Mold

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$60+ worth of product!!

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Hosted by: MamatheFox

Open to: US 18+

Welcome to the Make a Splash Giveaway Hop

Entry -Form

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Hop along to each blog for your chance to win awesome prizes!
Don’t forget to come back daily for bonus entries.

Click on each blog title below to enter another great giveaway!

Be sure to come back daily for bonus entries too.

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15
Jun
2018

Pizzer Time Subscription Box Giveaway

categories: Giveaway

Hosted By: Love, Mrs. Mommy

3 Winners Will Receive:

a Pizzer Time Subscription Box with Extras!!

($165 TRV Giveaway)

What’s Included In The Subscription Box:
Ingredients to make 2 pizzas
Choice of topping for each pizza
2 Pan Pizzer Cooking Set
Rolling Pin
Pizza Cutter
($55 RV)

About Pizzer Time:

Pizzer was invented and collaborated on by 2 culinary trained chefs with over 30 years of experience in the pizzeria industry and owned one of the most popular pizzerias in New York City and Long Island. Our recipes go back decades and have been perfected through years of experience and culinary training. After years of our out of state customers at our Pizzeria would comment and say “you guys have the best pizza, I wish you delivered to Maryland or Florida or New Jersey”. At first we laughed it off but then we created a method that affords us the opportunity to deliver our pizza and maintain the exact same quality as if our customers got it right out of our oven in house.

Whether you enjoy cooking in your home or love the taste of a hot fresh pizza right out of the oven or you want both, Pizzer offers, not “New York style pizza” but real and authentic New York Pizza with ingredients that were created and made right here in New York by New Yorkers with absolutely top quality products. We use the best tomatoes for our sauce and the best cheese money can buy and our dough recipe goes back decades. We hope you will take the opportunity to enjoy making your own pizza at home and more importantly enjoy having a hot fresh pizza right of your own oven. Buon Appetito!!

Giveaway Eligibility

Open To US residents ONLY in the following states; New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Must be 18+ to enter

Please Note: Sorry for the inconvenience, but the giveaway form will only give me the option to exclude a handful of states in the giveaway. Please make sure that you are not entering this giveaway from any other state other than the ones mentioned above. If you enter the giveaway anyway, and are chosen as a winner, you will not be able to collect your prize.

Giveaway Dates ~ 6/16 9:00 AM EST through 7/14 11:59PM EST

Entry -Form

Disclosure: Love, Mrs. Mommy and all participating bloggers are not held responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill their prize obligations. This giveaway is in no way endorsed or sponsored by Facebook or any other social media site. The winners will be randomly drawn by Giveaway Tools and will be notified by email. Winners have 48 hours to reply before a replacement winner will be drawn. If you would like to participate in an event like this please contact LoveMrsMommy (at) gmail (dot) com.

12
Jun
2018

Summer Eats and Summer Treats

categories: Reviews

Everybody loves summer.

The sun.

The pool.

Grilling.

Going on walks.

And eating popsicles.

Known for their housewears, Zoku creates innovative, easy-to-use, well-designed products. Many of their products are full of bright, fun colors that will add a little bit of sunshine to anyones kitchen (one of my favorite aspects of their products!).

Zoku offers an array of kitchen products including: Quick Pop Makers, Ice ball molds, Slush & Shake Maker, Iced Coffee Maker, Ice Cream Makers, Pop & Ice Molds, Travel Tumblers as well as recipe books. Check out these reviews that some mama’s at MamatheFox have written about Zoku products:

Zoku Quick Pop Maker Review

Zoku Ice Cream Maker Review

Zoku Tumbler & Dino Pop Mold Review

Zoku The Art of Slush Recipe Book and Slush & Shake Maker

Check out these great products that will help make your summer easier and your kid’s summer more yummy! I best make sure that I have a well-working freezer then as if it’s broken, then all of our hard work in making slush and ice cream would have been for nothing. I’m sure that someone similar to Ryan’s Appliance Repair will be able to quickly resolve any problems that we have (fingers crossed we don’t) so that we can enjoy summer with our favorite cold food and beverages. All the products below are popsicle molds and can be filled with: juice, yogurt, pudding, smoothies, chocolate, or a recipe of your own. For recipe ideas check out the Zoku blog.

Mod Pops

These pop molds are great for children or adults. I love the color – orange is my favorite.

My favorite aspect of these molds is the shape of the base. The outer orange base is a rectangular shape which makes it easy to store and easy to keep in the freezer. It’s perfect to keep it along the side or push it against the back; there’s no awkward shape that you have to deal with.

My two year old son loves having these popsicles at any time of the day. We used the Zoku recipe for a yogurt based pop. It was super easy and my son even got in on the fun (see the photo below). Some days we even eat the popsicles for breakfast because they are healthy! With his older brother at sleep away camp, the popsicles have been keeping him happy. Although, he can’t wait for his brother to come back next week!

See the recipe here.

Classic Pop Molds

The main difference between the Mod Pop and Classic Pop, is the shape of the popsicle and the shape of the mold.

These Classic Pop are true to their name – the classic shape of a popsicle, rounded top and all.

The shape of the bright green mold is a little less conducive for an organized freezer; but can be kept out of the way if need be.

Making these pops is super easy.

Follow these simple steps for the perfect popsicle!

1. Pour chilled juice into the removable molds up to the fill line
2. Insert sticks
3. Freeze filled molds for 6+ hours
4. Pull out pop in mold & rinse under hot water for 30-60 seconds
5. Pull removable mold from frozen pop

Mini Pop Molds

The Mimi Pop Molds are different than the other Zoku pop molds because the pops are formed in silicone rather than plastic.

I love these pops for my eight month old baby. They are the perfect size for him – he just recently started eating solid food. I blended two frozen bananas with breast milk to create these pops that he absolutely loves.

These pops are the perfect portion for my eight month old. They are easy to hold and very easy to remove from the mold. Simply push up on the bottom of an individual pop then pull the stick up and out of the mold. There is no rinsing required like the Mod Pops and Classic Pops.

Summer Pops

These Summer Pops are great for making homemade Go-Gurt-like snacks.

Made from silicone, they freeze easily and do not stick to the edges/sides. While your child eats they push up from the bottom, causing the food to slowly (or quickly!) rise to the top. Because of the need to push up on these pops I would recommend these for older children. My two year old son had a hard time coordinating the push motion with eating. I think a three year old could probably handle these pops, but for sure a four year could.

These pops come with a convenient tray that is perfect to use while filling them up and then freezing them. Also included is the lids that very easily snap onto the top of the pops. The lids create an air tight seal and make traveling and on-the-go eating easy.

I love having these pops on hand because we really try to limit sugar in our house. Most store bought popsicles are full of sugar [and other additives] that I don’t want my kids eating. These pop molds really allow you to be creative. Giving your child the nutrients they need with food that tastes good is super easy with these Zoku pops.

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The Zoku frozen dessert products are super fun to have in any kitchen. Whether you have kids or not, these bright colored ice pop molds are sure to bring out the fun in everyone. No matter the age, everybody could use a popsicle now and again; let Zoku help with their wide variety of ice pop molds.

05
Jun
2018

Botley the Coding Robot for Little Kids

categories: Reviews

My kids love robots!

They are the top wanted toy from kids these days.

But my kids are only 4 & 5….can they code a robot without being able to fully read? Yes! With Botley they can!

Botley the Coding Robot is the newest and coolest toy

Botley the Coding Robot is screen free, meaning no reading or typing is used for programming him. Instead you use simple arrow buttons on the remote control to move his the directions you want him to. As your child gets older you can add in more complicated options.

With a fun and exciting 77 piece kit that comes with Botley, you can create courses for Botley to move through. Have Botley push a ball around to a finish line. He can follow looping commands, follow black lines (some puzzle pieces are included to create a black line course for him)….he even has special features that you can unlock!

You can program and reprogram very simply – with the touch of a button! If you have small kids, they might not need to code but they can learn different coding languages like python, java, HTML, etc., as they grow up. Finding a coding class and enrolling your children in it might not be difficult, however, you may want to see the continuous improvement in their coding skills. If they are learning HTML, it might be easy to compare html with syntax highlight for knowing the difference between your child’s previous codes and new HTML codes. This can help them to upskill themselves in the area of coding until they reach teenage. So, by the time your child grows up, you can get a programming robot for them

Botley’s 77-piece activity set comes with a remote programmer, detachable robot arms, 40 coding cards, 6 double-sided tiles, 27 obstacle building pieces and a starter guide with coding challenges

Build obstacles for Botley to go around, and find his way inside or outside of. Guide Botley to push his balls or cubes to a new area. His arms are detachable, so you can play with his cover on or off.

There are 3 types of cards that come with Botley. The small directional cards allow you to make a game with the coding of Botley. Have your child pull 4 to 6 cards from the pile. Place them out in a row, helping teach the child that we read from left to right. Help them view the cards to see if it’s pointing up, down, left or right. Then have them push the corresponding buttons to code Botley to his new orders. Remember to have your child press the trash can button on the remote to wipe Botley’s memory and to start fresh.

The large cards that look like puzzle pieces have 2 sides to them. The one side is white with black lines. Botley has 2 settings (button found on his underside), a coding setting and a line setting. When switched to the line set you can connect the puzzle pieces, having the black lines connect to make a route. Place Botley at the beginning of the line and start the go/green button on his remote. Botley will follow the black lined pattern you created for him! If you have large paper and a thick black marker you can even make your own custom route for Botley too.

As a mom I love Botley. It has helped my children gain confidence in hand eye coordination. Their self-esteem has grown as they feel so smart by coding their own robot. pAfulls hif dauame ause of this little robot, our kids and impliesthat have al,ley helps children ls t ch cplay grn to coo up t Botley inspires the nention of computer scientists and programmers!

We keep all our Botley pieces in a cloth, reuable tote bag, so we can easily travel to a friends house and show him off, and so we know where all his pieces and parts are.

Find Botley on Amazon and add him to your cart today!

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04
Jun
2018

Learning Social & Emotions Skills – Q Wunder

categories: Reviews

Getting ready for school

Checklists typically look like the following: ABC’s, numbers, spelling their own name…

But wait, isn’t there something missing from this list?

Social and Emotional skills are often overlooked when preparing our children. We strive to teach them to sing their ABC’s. How to count numbers….but what about dealing with being interrupted? What manners are and how to use them? How to look someone in the eye and pay attention? Have your children started to grasp and master these critical social cues?

Q Wunder, the new and amazing app (available on Android and Apple devices), allows you to help your children discover and unlock all the tools they need to being ready for school and life success.

Q Wunder helps teach:

Emotions
Manners
Motivation
Self Awareness
Problem Solving
Grit
Focus
Flexability
Responsibility
Friendship
Helping

Using custom designed videos and games, your children will discover real life situations and how to appropriately handle them. The children can navigate through the app by clicking on the word of the category they wish to learn and play with.

Kids love to watch videos! TV shows, YouTube Videos, Music Videos, Singalongs….this is a very attention getting form of media for children, which is why Q Wunder ran with the video aspect. Showing kids, through example and song, allows them to remain interested and engaged.

There are 3 main aspects of the app: videos, games and “do” actions

Videos: watch dozens of videos for examples of situations and how to handle them

Games: games that help them work on things like emotions, patience, manners, helping, flexibility

“DO” Cards: Practice facial expressions and other physically activities (like balancing on one foot / crab walking / lunge steps)

Parents Section

Keep an eye on what parts of the app your child is playing in. Look at the Training breakdown section for a graph and percentage chart to help you see where you child has been in the app. If they are playing heavily in once area ask them why. Try encouraging them to watch a new video in a new section with you. This will help them become not only more opened to new things but they will enjoy that you are sitting with them, also watching along. This “shoulder time” is important to small kids. It shows them that you, their parent, care about what they are doing and that you enjoy being with them.

Q Time Board Game – Race to the Top

The Fox kids love to play Race to the Top, the board game by Q Wunder. Using small Q monkey game pieces, move along the board to the top of the tree house. Each roll, as you land on a color square, it will determine which type of card you pull. “DO” card have you preform physical acts to improve coordination and balance. “Q” Cards help with manners and social skills. “YOU” card help boost emotional intelligence skills with fun questions about you.

Q Time Buddy

Q, the stuffed animal, is a weighted doll for extra calming comfort. “Q-Time” with Q goes like this:

Lie down and place the “Q Time Buddy” on your belly.
Count 1, 2, 3 in your head as you breathe in and watch Q go up.
Count 3, 2, 1 in your head as you breathe out and watch Q do down.
Block out distracting noises and thoughts be bringing your focus back to this simple breathing exercise.

Having been playing out game for a few weeks, the Fox kids love Q and think he is a fun stuffy to bring along on their daily adventures.

Q’s Race to the Top On-The-Go-Pack

When you are on the run, at a restaurant, have a long car trip or plane ride, bring along the travel version of Q’s Race to the Top.

This set comes with the same questions that are found in the game, but in a convenient little travel tin to store them neatly.

Connect with Q Wunder

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03
Jun
2018

The Facts: Should Baby Buggies Face the Front or the Rear?

categories: Article

With the numerous styles of double buggies available in the market (tandem and side-by-side being the broadest categories), there’s another factor to consider: should baby face you or face forward? What this really boils down to is how a forward or rear facing double buggy can impact the development of the kids.

Although there’s copious amounts of research on rear facing and forwards facing car seats, the research on the same principles for double buggies is pretty limited.

We can, however, take some cues from the safety and developments of car seats that face forward and rear. The choice in a double buggy to face you or not also relies on the age of the kids, as well as their social and emotional needs.

Talking to your babies: Many times, it’s assumed that if the kids are facing you, then you’ll talk to them more. However, this tends to be limited to single buggy styles. It can be challenging to engage both kids who are facing you, regardless of their ages, and watch where you’re steering your double buggy.

If you are able to multitask and want to talk to both babies, a tandem style could benefit you. It puts both kids in the same line of sight and allows you to not worry about the width that you’re taking up with the buggy through doorways or narrower sidewalks. Many tandem styles, if they aren’t used for newborn carriers, can be used for one child who is older, and a newer arrival. If both seats are rear facing, the toddler may become bored, which can make the buggy ride an exercise in patience, instead of enjoyable.

A rear facing side-by-side style could be beneficial for kids who are older. The seating arrangement allows them to more easily connect with each other, if you need to focus more on where you’re headed directionally, or what you’re picking up in a store.

Forward facing in either of these styles can help with engaging in surroundings, however. Many times, walks are beneficial for some communication time. They are used as a way to relax and spend time together in a way that doesn’t involve screen time. Parents of older kids can converse with each other just as well in a forward facing double buggy, perhaps even better than a rear facing double buggy, because the kids can point things of interest out, and see more.

Safety: Just as rear facing is typically best in the car, the same reasoning can be applied to a double buggy. As it is usually used in motion, harsh stops could potentially cause a whiplash type of reaction in a forward facing double buggy. The theory is that, if a child’s seat is rear facing, the motion of a harsh stop won’t cause rapid head movement because the spine and head are better situated and protected. They won’t have to deal with the opposite force in direction.

This can also be attributed to age. The younger children are, the less developed their supportive muscles are for their necks and heads. This means that a rear facing buggy could probably be better. Naturally, you won’t be running nearly as fast as a vehicle, but in the event you have to stop suddenly, even a three to four mile per hour speed can hurt.

How to choose:

If your children are older, a rear facing double buggy might not be necessary. In addition, many double buggies, whether forward or rear facing, have the option for the seats to fully recline. This is more common in a side-by-side style, which features more room to do this, but tandem styles are becoming better at incorporating full recline options.

Sites such as https://doublebuggyreviews.com help to compare how the different features available for a double buggy might change depending on the need for rear or forward facing, and how they might impact kids of similar ages or differing ones. Doing plenty of research on the right style of double buggy, and the best direction that will meet the needs of you and the kids, will help to decide if you should invest in a rear or forward-facing double buggy.

02
Jun
2018