Category Archives: Tips

Dating Has Started Becoming Eco-Friendly

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There are more and more dating sites being introduced online, but during the summer of 2014 paper bags made their way into the dating game.

Loveflutter, a UK dating app, introduced a PR event that urged 35 Londoners to meet other singles with a paper bag on their head. Since then, paper bag dating has really picked up steam. Loveflutter created the event in order to raise awareness about their new dating app, little did they know it would open up a great opportunity for singles to join in a new craze.

The paper bag over their heads urged them to forget about how the other singles looked and to learn about the person underneath the bag. They had to write small bits of text all over the bag which helped others to read interesting things about them, rather than focus on the visuals. The participants get just a few minutes to illustrate the bag and make it look individual before popping it on their head and going round to meet other people.

The eco-friendly take on speed dating has hit the love scene by storm and continues to be a great ice-breaking tactic. At first it can be a little strange but once people get passed the weirdness, the atmosphere becomes a very relaxing one where people can learn about new people without having to worry what they look like.

Once the event has finished, participants can take their paper bags home as a souvenir and can even use and re-use it again if they decide to give it another go in the future. Now meeting Mr or Mrs Right has never been easier, and you get to help the environment in the process too.

Paper bag speed dating is the future of meeting the ‘one’, so if you are looking for a creative way to meet that special someone, why not go along and give it a go.

Helping Loved Ones in Recovery

Drug addiction is tough, and drug recovery is even tougher. When it comes to drug addiction in loved ones, especially in our own kids, we want to believe that treatment will solve everything. That they will go to rehab, get cured, and never look back.

Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. The truth is that 40 to 60 percent of addicts will relapse at least once during their recovery, often within the first year of sobriety. There are several reasons why this happens and the more friends and family member learn about the obstacles recovering addicts face, the better they can assist with the addict’s recovery.

Isolation

As part of the recovery process, your loved one might need to sever ties with old friends and acquaintances, especially if they played a part in his addiction. This can lead to a sense of isolation because while the old friends might be a bad influence, it can be difficult for your loved to cultivate new friendships – especially if the new friends don’t know about his history of addiction. Additionally, relationships with family members could be strained, leading to an even deeper sense of isolation. This disconnectedness from others could lead your loved one to return to those old bad relationships and to drugs and alcohol.

One option is for the friends and family to attend counseling to learn how to interact with the loved one after recovery, and to help heal any old wounds. Another option is for your loved one to enter a transitional living situation.

Programs like Tucson Transitional Living allow people in recovery to live in a group setting with others their age who are also going through recovery. These programs also offer family workshops to help repair damaged family relationships. As a result, your loved one will have the social support he needs to stay sober.

Heavy Emotions

Stress is the most common cause of relapse. Rehabilitation programs do offer some stress management training, but once your loved one leaves the relatively safe confines of the rehab program, she might have a difficult time putting those theories into practice. Although stress is the biggest culprit, it’s not the only one; getting broadsided by an emotional situation, even a positive one, can push someone in recovery over the edge.

For example, your loved one might be worried about returning to school for fear of having to repeat a grade. When she contacts the school she discovers that the school is willing to let her graduate on time if she attends regular meetings, does extra credit, and maintains a certain GPA. She could be so excited at the good news that she decides to celebrate with her favorite drink; conversely, she could also be so anxious about the tasks she has to complete that she takes something to calm her nerves.

You can’t control your loved one’s reaction to heavy emotions. In many cases, the best thing you can do is let her know that you have her back, and help her find ways of coping with the emotions without using drugs. In the example above you could offer to take her somewhere without drugs or alcohol to celebrate. You could also offer to help her complete her tasks, within reason.

Exposure to Drugs or Alcohol

One of the most common ways recovering addicts are exposed to drugs is through prescription medications.

For example, Philip Seymour Hoffman rehabilitated in his 20s and was sober for over 20 years when he started abusing pain medication, possibly as a result of a prescription for an injury.

In some cases your loved one might be able to request a non-narcotic alternative, but there might be other times when the only option is a drug that could trigger a relapse.

Another scenario is where your loved one knowingly ingests a mind-altering substance, believing that they can handle it. This could be prescription medication, alcohol or an illicit drug. It could be the substance that they were originally addicted to, or some other substance that starts a new cycle of addiction.

You can’t keep your loved one in a bubble, but one way to reduce the risk of exposure is to avoid having mind-altering substances in the house. If you must have them, like prescription medications, keep them under lock and key. If your loved one has been prescribed narcotic medications, talk to his doctor about alternatives or, suggest your loved one do so if he is an adult.

If you suspect that your loved one has relapsed, do not lose patience and to not ignore the situation. Be prepared to stage a loving intervention, if necessary, to get them the treatment and support they need.

6 Things to Do With Your Kids During Winter Break

Christmas vacation is an exciting time of the year. It means two or more week where your kiddos are out of school and home to enjoy the holidays. But this special time can get a little crazy with stir crazy children trapped in the house all day and growing a little wild. Here are six fun activities to plan with your munchkins during this winter break.

1. Set Up Craft Time

Most kids have an amazing artistic side, and with school out of session, they will be ready to show off their glue stick skills home. Pull out the construction paper and scissors for a fun family craft time. Research a few printables or other winter craft ideas online and let your kids go crazy with creativity.

2. Cooking School

With holiday baking and warm winter recipes, this break might be the perfect time to teach your youngsters some basic culinary skills. Cover everybody in an apron and set to work. This can be a prime opportunity for reinforcing their fledgling math skills with instruction or reminders about measuring cups and spoons.

3. Pick a Read Aloud Book

The importance of reading out loud to little ones can’t be overstated. Winter break is a perfect chance to enjoy quality time and a classic story. Use the break from schooldays and homework to read with your kids. Get together and pick out a favorite chapter book like The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe or The Wonderful Wizard or Oz. If your family enjoys the mornings, cozy up around a cup of hot chocolate and read a chapter. If you are night owls, then start a routine of reading a chapter or two before bed. If your kids are excited to see what happens next, read in the morning and at lunch and at night!

4. Do You Want to Build a Snowman?

They’ve been singing that question around the house and in the carpool and at school all year long. Now, as the snow begins to fall, it is finally time to head outside with your kids and sculpt your very own snowman. It is an annual tradition for most families living in colder climates. And if you reside in a sunny spot, maybe opt for constructing a sand castle together.

5. Family Movie Night

Another great way to engage with kids is over their classic movie or TV show. With channels from Mississippi Direct TV Service or other Direct TV providers, you and yours can enjoy classic holiday movies and all of your children’s shows. When you know a great program or film is about to air, gather everyone together and cook some homemade popcorn. Bundle up on the couch with blankets and pillows and enjoy being together.

6. Build a Blanket Fort

One the most fun growing up experiences consists of indoor construction. Blanket forts are so much fun to create, whether you are eight years old or 48. Gather sheets, blankets, chairs, brooms and other prospective building materials and set to work as a team. See your children generate their own ideas and lead a group effort while learning what works and what doesn’t hold up structurally.

With these six winter time activities, your family will be happily entertained this winter break. And you will be able to enjoy the special memories made this holiday season.

Image from reading4rigor.com and sheknows.com

How to Inspire Your Young, Budding Veterinarian

For many children, a deep love of animals begins early on in life. As a parent, you know it’s important to teach your children to love and respect both their pets and the wildlife around them. It’s an excellent outlook to have in general, but can also foster skills that will help your little one to succeed in an animal sciences career down the road. If, “Mum, I’m going to be a veterinarian when I grow up” is something you hear all the time, this post is for you! These six helpful tips will provide you with ways to foster those skills throughout childhood and beyond.

Encourage Good Grades

This may not seem like a very fun way to encourage your child–especially if you tell them how important it is to stay on top of boring homework before going out to play. Good grades from very early on is one of the best ways to guarantee success when applying for a veterinary programme down the road.

Most are extremely competitive, taking only applications that can show an ability to maintain scores from the early grades on. After year 10, this becomes even more important. With major universities like Edinburgh limiting slots in order to gain more foreign students, your child really needs to be the full package.

Volunteer Locally

While you’ll probably have to tag along if your child is fairly young, volunteering is an excellent way to prepare for a veterinary career path. PBS has an excellent blog post that details how other children offer their help.

Volunteering instills the idea that service toward the community–and the beings within it–is important. Offering your time at a local shelter, pet shop or animal clinic is a fantastic way for your little one to get their feet wet while still providing a much-needed service.

That being said, volunteering can have some drawbacks. Very young children may have difficulty understanding that, sometimes, sad things happen in these environments. While that’s no reason to avoid jumping in altogether, consider your child’s personality before signing them up. If you think seeing sick animals or learning of an animal being euthanised will discourage them or upset them a great deal, it may be best to wait a couple of years and try again.

Walking dogs or petting cats at your local RSPCA is an excellent place to start. These animals need love, too!

Adopt a Pet

Dogs are synonymous with childhood. If you had a pet dog as a child, then you undoubtedly know the sense of loyalty and responsibility it can foster. If you haven’t already, adopting or rescuing your own dog can be an excellent way to further that love of animals.

According to the RSPCA, owning a dog can encourage the development of social skills and teach little ones about the value of clear communication.

But it’s not enough to just adopt a puppy–make your little one an active part of the process right from the beginning. That means choosing a good breed, learning about feeding the pet a healthy diet, and attending vet visits. Grooming, walking and training are all valuable learning experiences, too.

When You Can’t Adopt

Can’t adopt your own pet? There’s still plenty of opportunity to play with the pets of others. Help your child to create a pet-related business by walking local dogs for a small donation to the RSPCA. Or, just visit local dog parks. You can also find scheduled dog walks in your area using the My Pawson Dog Friendly website, and other similar sites.

Being the Mum or Dad of a budding veterinarian won’t always be easy. You’ll undoubtedly run into some difficult situations along the way. But the joy and excitement of seeing your little one unfold their wings over time is absolutely worth it.

How to Tell Your Husband He is Losing His Hair

Striking up a conversation with your husband to tell him that he is losing his hair can certainly be difficult. This is a sensitive topic and needs to be handled with care, empathy, maturity and sensitivity.

As hair care experts know, hair loss can have a profound effect on a man’s self-esteem and can even change the physical attraction that exists between you and your husband. The good news is that there are resources and support for dealing with this situation and hair care specialists such as Transitions Hair, can provide help with hair restoration. Click here for more information and read on for some tips on approaching the situation.

1. Compliment

When your husband is making an effort to look handsome, tell him that you think he looks handsome. It’s important that you don’t go over the top with this or give compliments in a false, pitiful way. To do so is offensive. If you have a special occasion to attend and your husband is dressed up, remind him that he looks nice.

2. Show an Interest in your Husband’s Anti-balding Efforts

If your husband is showing an interest in balding treatments and solutions, take an interest and support him with this. Try not to belittle your husband’s ideas, but show a genuine interest in the options available. It is important to nurture your husband’s confidence when he is facing hair loss.

3. Remind him that Hair Loss is a Reality for many Men – even the Rich and Famous

Your husband may take some heart in knowing that even some of the world’s most handsome, wealthy and respected men have contended with hair loss. Be aware that your husband may be drawing a parallel between bald and unattractive, and try to assure him that this is rarely true. It may be helpful for you to subtly say that men such as Andre Agassi, Bruce Willis or Michael Jordan look great (without trying to provoke your husband’s jealousy of course!).

4. Help your Husband Adjust to a New Look

It’s possible that your husband will adopt a new look in response to his balding head. It’s helpful for you to give your husband the freedom to decide on his new look and offer him support. Some women who have been in this situation recommend that you avoid suggesting that your husband wears hats but they do suggest accompanying him if he wants to go and have a look at some hats. Following your husband’s lead according to how he wants to deal with his hair loss can help to increase his confidence; offering unwanted advice will serve to make him more self-conscious, insecure and even embarrassed.

Many men struggle with the reality of hair loss and are very sensitive about the situation. There are some effective and confidence-inspiring ways that you can raise the topic with your husband and offer him support. Listening, being open and willing to support your husband in the approach he wants to take to his hair loss, is the best way that you can be there for him.

How To Help Your Child Control Bedwetting

Image by: James LeVeque

Bedwetting is actually fairly common amongst school-aged children. The kids can’t control it and most will grow out of it. But there are ways to can help to manage it, including bedwetting alarms.

The Facts About Bedwetting

Most children will stop daytime wetting by the time they are three and night wetting by five years of age.
Many children will grow out of bedwetting once they start school but there are primary school children who still wet the bed.
Bedwetting is sometimes referred to as nocturnal enuresis.

Why it Happens

Bedwetting isn’t about blaming someone – it’s nobody’s fault. Children wet the bed when they don’t have control of their bladders and don’t wake up when their bladders need emptying. These children tend to be heavy sleepers.

There can be medical causes too, so it’s always advisable to seek a doctor’s check-up. Many night time bed wetters have love levels of the hormone that controls how much urine is produced during sleep.

How You Can Help Your Child

Tell your child that bed wetting is completely normal and nothing to be embarrassed about.
Have your child drink the majority of fluids during the day and cut back at night. Stay away from caffeinated soft drinks which increased urine production.
Have your child empty his or her bladder right before bedtime.
If the bedwetting is causing your child stress, do pacify him or her and let them your child know that bedwetting will stop in time.
DRI Sleeper bedwetting alarms can help your child to wake up every three hours or so to empty their bladder.
Offer plenty of encouragement, especially after incidents.

When To see the Doctor

Seek medical advice if:

The child continues to wet during the day, by the time they reach school age.
The child has started to wet the bed again after having stopped for some time.
Your child is getting distressed with the bedwetting.

What You Shouldn’t Do

Firstly, never criticise or punish your child or tease him or her and don’t let others either. This can just make things a lot more anxious.

It’s also a bad idea to make younger children clean up after themselves as they might feel like they’re being punished for something they simply cannot control. Children tend to feel rather upset when they awake in a wet bed – it’s not their intention to upset their parents.

Do remember that behaviour change programs, like rewards and star charts, aren’t going to work in this case. Bedwetting cannot be controlled.

If Your Child is Older than Seven Years

If your child isn’t too distressed by the bedwetting, and you aren’t either, you both might be ok with waiting out the phase. But a lot of children will try to hide their unhappiness so do try to help them.
If your child is older than seven, try a bladder training program such as DRI Sleeper bedwetting alarms. Such solutions have proven highly successful.
Be sure to use a treatment that is not going to add to the child’s embarrassment or discomfort.
Help make sure you child feels as comfortable as possible about going to sleepovers and school camps but helping him or her with bladder training.
Reassure the child that bedwetting is completely common and not something to be embarrassed about.
Never punish, tease or criticise your child for wetting the bed. At the same time, don’t offer rewards. Your child just cannot control the bladder.
Seek medical advice and a check-up to make sure there are no physical causes.
Use a bladder training device to help your child if he or she seems anxious or is older than seven.

A Few Things to Remember

Bedwetting can be overcome. They key is patience and understanding.

Compromised Senior Care: A Nursing Home Staffing Dilemma

When you send a loved one into a nursing home or long-term care facility, you hope that he or she is getting the best care. You hope. The reality is that almost all facilities are understaffed. Patient care is an expensive and often thankless profession.

Low Pay As Part Of The Problem

One of the major difficulties and problems with nursing homes is often the low pay their staff are offered. For janitors and housekeeping, it’s not unusual to be paid a measly $9 per hour. Certified Nurse’s Assistants (CNAs), the staff responsible for the bulk of patient care, receive a little more, but are often still underpaid as well.

And, while LPNs (Licensed Practical Nurse) do receive higher pay than almost all other staff members, it’s not always commensurate with the work being done. Where’s the money? In the administration. Administrators can make upwards of $80,000 to $100,000 or more. Director of nursing positions are also in line, pay-wise.

But, at the boots-on-the-ground level, patient care sometimes gets sacrificed to low wages. CNAs, and other staff, tend to offer care that’s commensurate with the pay they receive. Kitchen staff, although typically indirectly involved in patient care, are responsible for making good and nutritious food for residents.

Unfortunately, the kitchen staff is usually comprised of low-paid high school students and retired people. The cooks and head chef is usually the only person that is paid a fair wage given the responsibilities he or she assumes

Unfavorable Patient To Nurse Ratios

LPNs are often overwhelmed with patients. There may be 15 to 25 patients assigned to an LPN – this person is responsible for dosing medication every hour or several hours, as needed. These nurses are often stressed with the patient load and simply cannot do what RNs can do, which is diagnose, assess, and treat patients.

Even if the number of LPNs were increased, there would need to be more RNs to manage overall patient care as well as the increased number of RNs. To make matters worse, Insurance companies do not always understand the increased level of care needed in these facilities, so reimbursements and payments from insurers don’t always facilitate more staffing.

Elder Abuse

Elder abuse is a huge problem in nursing homes. CNAs, and other staffers, unfortunately sometimes abuse patients by hitting them, treating them roughly during procedures, not properly assisting them with routine hygiene care, and even neglecting them.

Of course, an elder abuse attorney is the most common and obvious solution to the problem. An attorney, and an ombudsman, can help stop abuse. But, the problem must be discovered and proved first, which can be difficult. If you are unsure if someone you know is being abused, check out the infographic, “What You Need To Know About Nursing Home Abuse”,by Banville Law. And, once you remove the offending staff members, you’re still left with a staffing shortage.

The Solutions

Nursing home staff problems aren’t easy to solve. First, the system needs to change how care is given so that the operation runs more efficiently without sacrificing the quality of care. Second, pay must be commensurate with the job duties. CNAs need higher pay, more training, and better solutions for difficult residents.

Finally, administrators need to regularly audit patient to nurse ratios, adjust those ratios appropriately so that proper patient diagnosis and care can be done.

Laurence P. Banville’s law practice handles the recovery of compensation for elderly victims of neglect. For years he has dedicated his time to those who cannot represent themselves.

Hobbies for mums to relax and to fill their spare time

For new mothers the concept of having spare time to spend on hobbies and interests of your own can seem absurd. The good news is that as children grow older, start school and most importantly, become more independent; you will have much more time spare time.

In fact, many mums soon realise that they have more time on their hands than they have ever experienced before and some struggle, at first, to find ways to fill the hours between cleaning away breakfast and preparing tea.

If you are starting to notice that you have more spare time but cannot decide what you should be doing with it, here are some suggestions from some experienced mothers who have devoted decades of their lives to mastering the arts of pottering around, pursuing hobbies, socialising and generally keeping busy when there is little to do.

Be sociable

The most important first step is to become social early. Many mums have a very active social live when their children first start play school and go to primary school, however, as children become independent many mums find that their social networks start to wane.

To overcome this, arrange coffee mornings with old friends; start by hosting one yourself. Rather than buying in products, bake some cakes and bread for the home cafe party and learn to make real coffee with a grinder and espresso or filter machine. Hopefully, other mums will offer to do the same in following weeks and you will soon have something to occupy a whole day.

Evenings are often hardest for women; men have their pubs and many are happy to take a solitary walk to the local pub to sip ale all evening and chat with other locals. Many women find greater pleasure in joining social clubs such as the Women’s Institute, where ladies gather together to talk, discuss current affairs, teach each other crafts and sometimes receive guest speakers from all walks of life.

For an evening that is similar to a pub atmosphere but still has a focus on the social aspect, which women are in need of a trip to the bingo is a fantastic idea. Many women meet up with old friends at the bingo each week for some socialising. Some women that can’t or prefer not to go out use online bingo sites such as Mirror Bingo to get their weekly bingo fix.

There are fewer traditional bingo halls these days and many women live too far away from one to visit regularly. If you cannot get along to a bingo hall you should check out mirrorbingo.com/bingo, the games are great fun and there is opportunity to chat to other bingo fans. Many younger mums are already using online bingo rooms to relax and pass the time; this really is a great place to meet like-minded people.

Pursuing hobbies such as playing Mirror Bingo can be a rewarding social activity. If you have spare time on your hands use it to follow old creative interests. Whether it is writing, art, embroidery, music or making crafts, there are many cheap courses on offer where you can learn with like-minded people and make some new friends.

The key to filling your time is to find several different things to do with a variety of people. Weekly visits to relatives, attending craft classes, taking the time to read favourite books and taking more time over cooking delicious meals and cakes will all quickly fill your time. Before you know it, you will feel rushed off your feet again!

Safe-proofing your child’s room

When you’re decorating your child’s room, it’s not only design and comfort that you need to keep in mind. As they get a bit older, they’ll be spending a lot of their time in their bedroom, very often unsupervised. This stage between toddler and teen is when they gain real independence, but to give yourself some peace of mind – it’s best to continue to safe-proof the space to a reasonable level and here are some basic tips for doing just that:

Think carefully when deciding where to put the bed

It’s easy to prioritise other factors such as maximising space or whether there will be enough room for a bed side table, but safety is paramount. Don’t place it near the window, where it becomes within climbing distance. You never know when an excitable boy and his friends will want to experiment with throwing action figures out the window, so put in some means of prevention in now. Never put a bed directly next to a radiator, or below a shelf or unit that they could hit their head on or knock things off.

Secure windows

Back to windows, if possible it’s best to fix them with latches that prevent them from opening fully.

Avoid heavy pictures or mirrors

Some framed pictures can be quite hefty and it’s nice to start adding some personal touches when they’re old enough to have a favourite pop star or film. However, hanging them above a bed or in other areas under which your child might sit could result in a nasty accident if it were to fall. The same goes for mirrors or any other hanging feature.

Secure freestanding units

Tall, heavy furniture should be attached to the wall using anti-toppling devices like fixing brackets. A chest of drawers may seem sturdy but if someone is feeling mischievous and pulls out every drawer, it’s thrown off balance and can easily topple. A small wardrobe with its doors flung can present the same risk.

You may be thinking ahead for ways to adapt your toddler’s room, or perhaps you’ll be starting from a fresh canvas in one of the brand new home developments in Winchester. Either way, it is important to ensure your child is safe in their bedroom.

Decrease Your Stress by the Fire

Revolutionmother.com knows that stress comes with the territory when you’re the mother of a young child. Before the stress of running a household and keeping the children fed and clean you should try to take some time to yourself in some capacity. Curling up by a fireplace with some tea and nice book can melt away the stress of the day in just a few minutes if you give yourself the necessary time to relax. There are even reports that adding a fire to your routine can help stave off those winter blues.

While this stress relieving tonic sounds great, it isn’t feasible for every mother since not everyone has the luxury of a fireplace in their home. Thanks to modern engineering and science you can turn your home into a stress-busting dream home with a bioethanol fireplace. This is a revolutionary fireplace that requires nothing other than the proper fuel and a lighter. To find one of these gems, visit imaginfires.co.uk for bioethanol fires as it is a great place to start.

The Facts Behind the Fireplace

While bioethanol fireplaces aren’t exactly new, there are still questions about how they work and what they can and can’t do. Bioethanol fireplaces are stand-alone fireplaces that run purely on bioethanol fuel. The fuel burns clean and leaves no residue, like ash, behind. The fireplaces don’t produce smoke, either, making them permissible in areas that may be considered smoke controlled zones. There are also no harmful fumes emitted from the fireplace, so you don’t have to worry about harming your children’s health while you relax after a long day of cooking and cleaning.

The bioethanol fireplaces don’t require any additional construction or home modifications. The freestanding options can be placed anywhere in your home and are easily moved when desired. They come in a range of stylish designs that are sure to fit your personal style and existing home décor. All you have to do after purchasing a bioethanol fireplace is simply set it up where you like, add the proper fuel, and light the fuel with a normal lighter. There is no installation necessary and most fireplaces come fully assembled. If you’re short on space and would like to keep whatever floor area you have clear there are also wall mounted fireplaces available. These fireplaces mount to any wall and take less than an hour to mount properly.

These fireplaces don’t have any electrical or gas-powered components, either. This saves you money, too, since you won’t be adding to your utility bills in any fashion. All you need it the bioethanol fireplace, the recommended bioethanol fuel, and something to light the fuel.

Since there are no harmful fumes, smoke, or particles left behind by the bioethanol fireplaces there is no need for a chimney or any vents or flues. This means that you don’t have to modify your home in any way. The fireplaces are also safe as long as the normal precautions regarding flames and heat are taken and the product is used as the manufacturer advises. To add to the safety there is also an adjustable flame on the fireplaces. You can adjust the flame size as well as the heat output for your fireplace so you create the perfect setting for your needs. If you live in the Liverpool area have a look at www.chimneysweepliverpool.co.uk

If you’re ready to get cosy by the fire and are interested in getting a bioethanol fireplace for your home, you will be pleasantly surprised by the diversity of options in the online shops you search. There really are lots of styles.

Revolution Mother