New Year's Crafts for Kids

New Year’s Eve is a fun time to reflect on the year before with your children. Here a few ideas you can do or use them to get your own creative juices flowing:

·       Create a book that you can print – these are a simple and fun task to put together. Include all of the fun things you did over the past year. Let your little one draw pictures that go with the activities they’ve done. These are also a good idea for early readers.

·       Write a Poem – Use the letters in the word “New Year” and write a poem about things you’ve done over the past year.

·       A New Year Essay – this is good for older children. Write an essay on the “The Best Thing That Happened to Me This Year Was…”

·       Entertainment over the past year – Make a list of questions about your favorite movies, songs, books, television shows, websites, photos, activities and why you liked them.

·       Keep the New Year In mind – make a list together of things you’d like to do, goals you’d like to reach in the new year. Include places you’d like to visit, books you’d like to read, things you’d like to learn, etc.

·       Create a scrapbook: Use photos and memorabilia from activities you’ve done, trips you’ve taken or other fun things and put it all into a scrapbook that your child can look back on for years to come.

There are plenty of ways to create fun reminders of the past year. Use your own creativity to create beautiful memories with your children. 

New Year's Eve with Kids

New Year’s Eve is an exciting time for everyone – the end of the old year and the start of the new is always a cause for celebration. However, if you have young children at home, it can be a challenge to find activities to do when a champagne toast at midnight isn’t an option. There are plenty of options to make New Year’s Eve fun even with young children – here are just a few ideas to help get you started:

1.     Make your own balloon drop: This is an easy and fun way to celebrate New Year’s Eve – create your own “ball drop” right in your living room. Get a drawstring garbage bag, fill it up with pretty balloons and hang it upside down. W

hen the clock strikes midnight (or earlier if you have REALLY young children) pull the draw string and let the balloons drop.

2.     Old movies: Pop some popcorn and cuddle up on the couch with your favorite movies from the past year.

3.     Have your own dance party: Dress up in your Sunday best, decorate the living room and dance the night – and the year – away in style!

4.     Make a time capsule: Pick some of your favorite things from the past year – photos, movies, books, toys – anything that reminds you of something fun or special – and put it in a container. Tuck them away some place where you’ll remember where they are and open them next New Year’s Eve.

5.     Bake a cake: The Greeks have a tradition of baking a “good luck cake” by putting lucky coin or other trinket right into the cake mix to bake it. The person who gets the lucky coin in their piece of cake is said to have good luck the next year.

6.     Celebrate midnight in another country: This is an especially good idea if you have younger children who won’t make it to midnight in your area. For example, if you’re on the east coast, you can celebrate at 6:00 pm  - it’s midnight in Paris.

So there you have it  - a few ideas of celebrating this fun holiday with young children. Use these ideas for your family’s celebration or come up with your own! 

Tips for Stretching your Budget

We know times around the Holiday Season are tight. Want to stretch that budget? We have four tips for you. 

     We know times around the Holiday Season are tight. Want to stretch that budget? The reality is that children are expensive. They like eating, drinking, living indoors and indulging in recreational sporting activities, all of which cost money and the costs add up for parents especially if they have more than one child. The good news however is there are methods of stretching that family budget.

Write out a list of your monthly expenses in relation to incoming cash so that you know exactly what you can and cannot afford. Another good tip is to stop paying fees. Little fees all add up into big fees, so cutting out using ATMs too often and avoiding late fees can end up saving you a surprising amount of money. Coupons are an old fashioned but still highly effective way to save money, with many websites offering Internet coupons for stores, and other sites such as Groupon offering product, restaurant and travel deals. There are other ways to make every dollar count, such as sharing an adult meal between two children when eating out rather than buying separate kids meals. 

Cheap travel tips

There are plenty of good tips around for those that want to be able to travel as cheaply as possible.

One good cheap travel tip is to get some work at the same hostel in which you are staying in return for food and board or at minimum a discount. Another good piece of advice is to walk everywhere that you can for up to thirty minutes. This will not only save you money but also help you to keep fit.

Another good tip is to take a tent with you when you go on vacation to Europe. Many cities in Europe offer excellent campsites that work out to be considerably less expensive than the price of hostels and many of them even provide a free bus to the local city center as well.

You can sleep for free on many night trains. If you were to go to northern Italy and spend a day there, you could then sleep for free on the train to the south of Italy, spend another day there and then sleep for free again going back up.

Social networking is good for teens

New technology always causes generation fear, and the advent of social networking has seen much the same, with many of the older generations fearing that the technology is making teenagers unable to deal with face to face contact. The reality however is much different – and much more positive.

Social scientists studying young people have found that digital use by teens is both inventive and beneficial in social and even educational terms. The Pew Research Center sees no evidence for the idea that networking is cutting down real world communication either, which found that those who text most avidly are actually more likely to spend real time with their friends. Rather than social networking replacing “proper” socializing, it is merely augmenting it. Children still spend plenty of time in face to face interaction, and as they grow older and receive more freedom from their parents, it is common for them to cut down on their online social networking. 

Stretching a family budget

The reality is that children are expensive. They like eating, drinking, living indoors and indulging in recreational sporting activities, all of which cost money and the costs add up for parents especially if they have more than one child. The good news however is there are methods of stretching that family budget.

Write out a list of your monthly expenses in relation to incoming cash so that you know exactly what you can and cannot afford.

Another good tip is to stop paying fees. Little fees all add up into big fees, so cutting out the use of ATMs and avoiding late fees can end up saving you a surprising amount of money. Coupons are an old fashioned but still highly effective way to save money, with many websites offering Internet coupons for stores, and other sites such as Groupon offering product, restaurant and travel deals.

There are other ways to make every dollar count, such as sharing an adult meal between two children when eating out rather than buying two separate kids meals. 

How to overcome financial procrastination

Financial procrastination can end up costing people dearly as they fail to organize their finances in ways that would be the best for their own future. The good news however is there are some simple tips that can help people to get organized and stop procrastinating.

Automating your bills is one such tip. These days the great majority of big companies will have automated billing systems via either credit card or debit card payments. Automating the most common ones such as electricity, phone and water bills means that you not only reduce the effort involved but also reduce the risk of being hit with late fees.

It is important to start saving the moment you are able. People often try to save only once they have paid their regular expenses but many of us often spend extra money if it is there, so organizing regular small transfers to a separate account is a good way to avoid temptation and begin saving right away. 

How to ease cramps from irritable bowel syndrome :(

Eating smaller and more frequent meals can help to ease the cramps caused by irritable bowel syndrome. Although changing how and what you eat will not cure you of irritable bowel syndrome, it can help to cut down on the number of flare-ups that you experience and there are some good tips to help you do just that.

One good tip is to eat small meals or snacks every three to four hours, rather than eating three big meals per day. You should also cut back on high-fat, greasy and fried foods, which are often responsible for the triggering of diarrhea and gas.

You should avoid dairy products if you are or believe you may be lactose intolerant, and reduce your intake of foods which are high in fiber, such as popcorn, corns, seeds, nuts and some Chinese vegetables.

If you are taking anti-spasmodic or anti-diarrheal medicine, you should consume them around twenty minutes before eating a meal. 

Advice about diet

Having plenty of fiber in your diet is a terrific first step if you wish to lose weight as it both aids digestion and also make you feel full, thus making you likely to eat less. There are a number of good tips that can also help someone on a diet. One such tip is to drink plenty of water as it helps to flush out any toxins in your body, while stocking up on healthy food such as the likes of fresh fruits, green vegetables and nuts can also work wonders.

You should never skip meals due to the fact that the body begins to store fat if it does not receive regular food and ends up making you consume more food at a later time than if you had stuck to your regular meal schedule. Nor should you ignore cravings altogether – it is alright to give in occasionally and have a small amount of the food that you desire, taking the time to savor it as you eat it.

Be smart working nights

Late night jobs and night shifts are now part and parcel of the global revolution, but if you are one of those people who work nights it is vital that you know how to go about doing this without comprising your health in the process.

One good tip is to make sure that you get some sleep during the daytime. Everyone needs their rest and you should never compromise your own downtime. If you begin sleeping in the day on a regular basis then your body clock will gradually become accustomed to this.

Keep chocolate on hand; while you obviously do not want to overdo it and end up putting on weight, the fact is that sugar provides you with an energy rush so keeping some chocolate in your drawer at work is a good way of dealing with unexpected night shifts.

Even if you are working at night you still need to take a break every now and then. Even just getting up from your chair and taking a short stroll can help you to alleviate drowsiness. 

How to Avoid Frostbite in young kids

Winter can be a fun time with your children – snowmen, snowball fights and igloos in the backyard can be a great time for kids of all ages. But it’s also important to dress your children properly for the cold weather to prevent illness and of course, frostbite.

Frostbite literally means “frozen body tissue.” This usually means the skin, however frostbite can also affect deeper tissue as well and should be handled quickly and carefully to avoid causing permanent tissue damage. There are actually different stages of frostbite and as parents you should be aware of each and the signs that come with each phase to be able to treat it right away.

Frostnip is often the first and most mildest form of frostbite. It will typically affect the areas most exposed to cold: cheeks, nose, fingers, toes and even your ears, causing the affected areas to become red, numb and tingly. Frostnip can typically be treated at home simply by getting your child indoors and warming the affected areas.

Frostbite itself will have much more serious symptoms and if you are allowing your child to play outdoors for extended periods of time in the cold, you should know what to look for: white, waxy skin, numbness to the affected areas or a hardness to the skin. Don’t try to treat the problem at home – medical attention should be sought immediately.

If your child has been affected by frostbite, a trip to the hospital is necessary. If the feet are affected, carry your child do NOT let them walk if you suspect their feet have been affected. Be sure you have put your child into warm, dry clothing before transporting them for treatment.

In the event that you can’t get your child to the ER right away or if you are waiting for an ambulance to take you, there are a few things you can do to administer first aid while you wait:

·       Put frozen skin into WARM not hot water. If you aren’t able to access warm water, wrap your child in warm blankets or use your body heat to cover the affected area.

·       Do not use a heating pad on the area.

·       Do not thaw the frozen skin if medical treatment is not immediately accessible – thawing skin that can potentially be refrozen can have serious, negative effects. 

Finance Tips for Young Adults

Heading off to college or into the armed forces is an exciting time for young adults and a gateway for them to become more independent. Learning personal financial skills is also an essential task to assist them on the road to success.

Having good financial habits should start early in life and helps to make sure of a sound financial future. One of the most important things that young adults should learn is how to set and maintain a budget. Effective budgeting and planning is one of the cornerstones of having healthy finances so goals need to be set, a budget needs to be created and young people also need to keep careful track of how much money they spend. Good spending habits and planning will last a lifetime.

It is also important to start saving as soon as possible. Financial stress can be eased by having a sound savings plan.  Even if your savings begins with a small amount, place it in a separate account so it will build up over time.  The sooner you start saving, the better.