Wellness Archives - Page 28 of 31

Own Your Mornings Again: Easy Ways to Wake Up Ready for Your Day

December 9, 2016 by Mandy

If you wake up in the morning still feeling jaded and lacking in energy, that is not going to bode well for the rest of the day.

There are numerous ways you can address that situation so that you give yourself a better chance of waking up feeling mentally recharged and ready to face whatever the day has in store for you.

Perhaps, when you have read through some mattress customer reviews, you might decide that it is a good idea to improve your odds of getting a good sleep by updating your mattress. That is just one of the easy ways that you can help yourself to feel like you own your mornings again.

You can’t beat the clock

Trying to burn the midnight oil might be ok every now and again but if you regularly retire to bed around midnight and rise again at six the next morning, that regime is going to take its toll.

There are some people who seem to be able to function on very little sleep, but if you are regularly feeling tired and more than a little sluggish after you wake up, you clearly are not one of those lucky people.

The best thing to do is figure out how much sleep you actually need to function properly, by noting the number of hours needed to wake up feeling refreshed. Once you have that figure cracked, don’t try to beat the clock, get the right amount of sleep every night.

Early dinner

It is always tempting to succumb to a few hunger pangs late in the evening and reach for another slice of pizza or something similarly tasty, but heavy on the stomach.

The problem with this is that you are giving your body a task to digest this food just at the point you are heading to bed. This will make it harder to get to sleep and enjoy a comfortable night.

Try to resist eating anything after about 7pm if you can. Having an earlier dinner time will give you more time to digest it and aid your sleep pattern. If you do want a snack, a glass of milk or maybe a banana, is certainly better than the pizza option.

Kick the caffeine habit

Giving up the coffee or the cola altogether, might be a bridge too far, but if you want to boost your chances of waking up ready to rock the next morning after a great sleep, you will need to consider kicking the caffeine habit, for the evening at least.

A good caffeine curfew time would be about 7pm, so make it your last cup of Joe alongside your meal, and you stand a better chance of unwinding more successfully when bedtime comes around.

If you want to feel like you own your mornings again, follow some of these simple tips and see if it makes a difference when you open your eyes the next day.

Daniel Humphreys is a lifestyle blogger who works in a furniture store by day in the role of assistant manager. He writes about a variety of lifestyle topics in his articles, usually with a self improvement or DIY focus.

Fall Tips for Nannies in Canada

November 1, 2016 by Mandy

Fall is always a busy time for families, and for full or part time nannies working with kids who are headed back to school or even starting for the first time, there are plenty of changes to deal with, not to mention getting ready for the changing weather. Whether you’re a full time or live in care provider or a part time nanny who looks after kids on evenings or weekends, these are some of the ways you can get ready for autumn and make sure your kids are safe and having fun while you keep their parents happy.

screen-shot-2016-11-01-at-16-11-00 Getting to School – For parents with hectic work schedules, a nanny who can handle school drop-off and pick-up is essential to their lifestyle, which leaves you navigating the busy school zone. Fortunately, there are some simple rules you can follow that will take the stress out of getting to school in the morning:

Leave early: nothing adds pressure and leads to forgotten lunches (or worse) like leaving behind schedule, so keep your morning routine tight and on schedule.
Crossing guards are king: always respect their commands, not only for children’s safety, but to teach the kids in your care about road safety and respecting the people who are looking out for them.
Exercise: Not every nanny drives and that can be a good thing in a world where children aren’t getting enough exercises; walk to school and take the opportunity to remind the children about basic street safety, like crossing at crosswalks and lights, looking both ways, and sticking to the sidewalk.

Dressing Right – According to online nanny service Canadian Nanny, there’s a really simple rule to getting children ready for the fickle Canadian autumn: add an extra layer to whatever you’re wearing yourself. Take a look at what you’re wearing to be comfortable as the air gets chilly, and add a layer for the kids; they can always take it off in the warmer afternoon and add it back in the colder evening.

Handling Power Outages – In many parts of Canada, high winds and rainstorms that come with the fall weather mean power outages, which can test the limits of your imagination. While board games are a nanny’s bread and butter in these kinds of situations, you can always liven a power outage up with more active games like charades or playing with puppets, both of which also help stimulate the imagination and get them moving. With the right active game, you just need to make sure everyone doesn’t get too worked up before bedtime.

For more great tips on adjusting to the changing seasons and being ready for all of the curveballs daily life can through at you as a childcare provider, check out the Canadian Nanny blog. Not only can you find back-to-school tips and advice about getting your kids ready for the weather, but also help on connecting with families looking for nannies like you. No matter where you are in Canada, there are families out there looking for childcare.

Find out what kind of credentials families are looking for, how to make an impression on your profile, and connect with families with the help of a service like Canadian Nanny. Keeping kids happy, healthy, and safe is your expertise – get help finding work and doing what you do best.

Money Should Make a Marriage Better, Not Worse

October 15, 2016 by Mandy

There is no stop gap for money in marriage. If a couple is not on the same page regarding their finances, it could be detrimental to the relationship. In fact, issues with money is one of the top reasons for divorce around the world.

That statistic seems discouraging for young couples, but while disagreements with money can be damaging, working together on finances can be extremely rewarding—and it’s really not that hard with a few simple steps. Whether you’re engaged, a newly married couple or just two people looking to start over with finances, these are the best ways to make money work for your marriage.

It Starts With Communication

Even the most financially-conscious people will encounter differences in opinion with their partner. Before marriage, or even engagement, sit down with your partner and have the crucial discussion about how to handle finances.

This is the time to start planning for your future, but more importantly, this is a chance to finally come clean about your financial past. Any debt, loan, collection, bankruptcy or financial vice needs to come out of the closet before the knot is tied. Anyone in a strong, loving relationship can forgive a bad financial past in the beginning, but to keep it a secret years into a marriage can cause serious problems.

Agree on Joint Accounts

This goes beyond a simple joint checking account. Married couples can share anything from joint retirement accounts to joint loans like auto and mortgages. Some couples share everything, while others decide to stay completely separate. While joint accounts do have technical benefits, there’s no right answer here. The common theme with each of these points is to communicate up front.

Figure Out Insurance

Insurance coverage is easy when you’re single—one policy for one person—but the system gets more complex when there’s a marriage involved. These are some of the coverages you’ll want to streamline as a married couple:

Health insurance, which usually comes with a full-time job. In a dual income household, only one person needs to hang onto his/her policy to cover their spouse.
Life insurance typically covers up to a person’s salary with the option to purchase additional coverage.
Long/short term disability will come in handy if one or both people are unable to work.
Home, auto and other large-purchase coverage is now more important that ever for joint assets.

Find Where Responsibilities Lie

There are so many factors that go into deciding on who, if not both you and your spouse, will support the family—that goes for married couples with or without children. It’s true that working couples who share responsibilities at home are more likely to enjoy a happier marriage, but even if the workload isn’t balanced, it’s important to know where the line is drawn.

Leave behind the all-or-nothing mindset of income by exploring new opportunities together. Whether it’s supplementing income in the gig economy, going into business together or letting one person work full-time while the other works part-time, there is a combination out there that works for every couple. Companies like TaskRabbit, UpWork or Amway are great avenues for exploring entrepreneurial possibilities. And after all, isn’t finding adventurous ways to build a career as a couple what it’s all about?

Enjoy Your Money

Listen, money in marriage is not a bad thing. The truth is that money is supposed to get easier, not harder, in a marriage. Housing, food and other joint expenses all get better when there are two people sharing the bill instead of one. All it takes is learning to responsibly enjoy your money together.

4 Cool Gadgets That Will Help You and Your Dog Stay Active

October 11, 2016 by Mandy

As the proud parent of a pooch, you know how important your beloved dog is to you and your family. Much more than a mere pet, your fur baby is a cherished and valued member of your household and you would do anything to keep them healthy and happy.

One of the best things you can do for the physical and emotional health of your pup is make sure they are getting enough regular exercise. As a major bonus, putting on your walking shoes and joining Fido for brisk walks around the neighborhood is also great for your fitness levels.

Now, thanks to some pretty nifty technology, there are more ways than ever to help your precious pet get the exercise they need and deserve. In many cases, these devices will inspire you to get moving too. Check out these canine-friendly exercise gadgets:

FitBark

If you have a fitness tracker, you already know the value of keeping tabs on your daily steps and workouts. Thanks to the FitBark, your dog can have their own fitness tracker device that will help you to keep them as healthy as possible. By seeing how much exercise your pooch is getting in a given day, the FitBark will help keep your pup as healthy as possible, and hopefully also lower your vet bills. In order to keep tabs on your dog and help you both reach daily fitness goals and monitor progress, you can get the FitBark app that will work on your smartphone; for example, the iPhone 6s can easily support the app.

Pet Cube

One of the hardest things about being a pet parent is that you often have to leave your dog behind to go to work. Unfortunately, some dogs keep themselves busy while you are gone with destructive habits like getting into the trash or chewing on the edge of the rug. To check in with your pup during the day and encourage them to exercise, invest in a Pet Cube. This handy device, which costs $199, lets you interact with your dog through its accompanying app; you can even play games with them by using a laser pointer. If you see your dog getting into something they shouldn’t, you can gently scold them from your work desk and then reassure them that you’ll be home soon.

Doggy Treadmill

On days when it’s too hot, cold or rainy to go out for a walk with your four-legged friend, you might still get your workout in on your home treadmill. Now, thanks to an innovative new doggy treadmill called DogTread, your pooch can also get his much-needed exercise. The DogTread is a fully functioning treadmill that comes in three sizes: small, medium and large. This way, whether you have a pint-sized Pomeranian or big Bernese Mountain Dog or something in between, everyone can enjoy an indoor walk. Set up your dog’s treadmill right by yours—you might be surprised at how quickly your pup learns to use it.

Automatic Ball Launcher

In a perfect world, you will exercise with your dog as often as possible. But some days, you might be too tired, battling a bad head cold or recovering from a sprained ankle. Or, if you have a dog who is obsessed with tennis balls, you may need a break from tossing a soggy ball for 20 minutes. In all of these cases, an automatic ball launcher is exactly the gadget you and your pooch need. The PetSafe Automatic Launcher from Amazon costs around $150 and can launch a ball between 8 and 30 feet—its nine distance and six angle settings allow you to safely set it up inside your home.

Children, Parents, Exes and Pets: Blending Your Family with the Loving Ties That Bind

September 12, 2016 by Mandy

If you and your most special someone have decided to build a life together, good for you! If either one or both of you already have children from a previous relationship, good luck! Blending families is done every day, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Uniting two half-families to create a new family entity can be a big challenge however; it can also be a whole lot of fun. In the interest of happy families of every description, we offer these helpful pointers that may help you build an amazing new family unit.

Respect the differences and find a way to deal with them

A newly blended family may be very different from the family you used to be part of. In some blended families, kids are closer in age than would be possible in a natural, two-parent family. Sometimes, a new step-parent is barely older than the oldest child of the other parent. When only one partner brings children into a blended family, the new step-parent might not have any experience with raising kids at all. Patience and humor go a long way toward building a happy blended family.

The Blended Family Success Network advises adults to behave civilly toward one another, despite their differences and any dislike they may hold for each other.

Kids adjust to blended families at their own pace

The younger a child is, the easier it may be for them to get used to the idea of having a different parent in the home. This is generally because very little kids tend to thrive in a cohesive family relationship, says HelpGuide. On the other hand, younger kids also need more attention than older kids, especially teenagers who’d just as soon be out with their friends than at home with mom and dad.

Adolescents older than ten may have a hard time demonstrating their emotions. Bear in mind that an adolescent who acts nonchalant may well be experiencing some deep emotion as pertains to the newly blended family. For this and other reasons, it’s generally a good idea for the birth parent to be in charge of discipline, at least until the youngster is well adjusted to being part of a blended family unit.

Teenagers may be aloof, preferring the company of their peers to any sort of family participation. At the same time, teens want to feel loved and respected, so be sure to let them know that you understand their growth, but still want them to be part of the new family.

Have fun as a family before moving in together

A friendly road trip can bring a potential family closer together. Put baby seats into your Dodge Durango as needed, pack a cooler chest with sandwich fixings and cold beverages and load up the kids and the dogs. Cruise to the beach or a local park to get to know one another while having a casual good time. It will give the kids a chance to “hang out” before they have to share a house –and their parent– full time.

Blending families may be hard work, but with plenty of patience, love, and respect, the resulting family unit can be a wonderful, happy group of people.

Phoebe Stevens is a Mom with a newborn baby and a toddler at home, with 2 step-children who visit at weekends and for holidays. She writes about parenting topics during her free moments, enjoying sharing her tips and thoughts with like minded Mom’s around the world.