Making The Office Fun

 

Photo by Cadeau Maestro from Pexels

Running an office can be a tricky thing to do. Office jobs tend to be known and boring and monotonous, which causes those workers to battle hating their job. Here are some things you can do to make sure that this doesn’t happen to yours.

Paint

The way your office looks can really affect how it feels. If it’s dark and dreary, employees may be feeling down before they ever even enter the building for the workday. You can change this atmosphere by painting the office in brighter colors and giving it more light. Paint isn’t that expensive, and changing it could change the people in it, not just the colors of it.

Party

Offices who have regular parties and celebrations tend to have better employee attitudes. It gives them something to look forward to and show them that their leaders want them to have a good time and enjoy their job. Corporate gifts Pelham NY also help make the activities even more fun and exciting.

Proclaim

Although you are the boss, that doesn’t mean everything happens because of you. Take the time to publicly thank and commend those who are doing a great job. Without your employees, you may not be succeeding. Let them know you appreciate all they do and nothing would be as it is if it wasn’t for them.

Produce

You shouldn’t sit in your office all day and watch everyone else work. When things need to be done and projects could use some help, don’t hesitate to jump in there and work alongside everyone else. Employees look up to those bosses who show they are putting in labor and effort just like everyone else is.

Don’t let your office be known as the most boring place to work in town. While you do need to get things done and be productive, give your place the reputation of being fun, causing others to want to work there.

Feeling Confident And Owning Your Style

 Feeling confident and owning your style isn't something you’re born with. Some people exude confidence, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t work for it. Being confident and un-self conscious about your style can actually take a lot of self reflection and work. Are you tired of feeling like the odd one out, or like you have to blend in to be accepted? You’re in the right place! Let’s take a look at what you can do to feel confident and own your style right now:

1. Book A Therapy Session

If you have some deep rooted issues and you know it, trying to work through them alone can be exhausting. However, booking a therapy session could be the key to getting rid of those insecurities - or at least understanding them better and giving yourself the power to ignore them. Therapy is powerful, and more people could use it than they realize. 

2. Figure Out What You Love To Wear 

Wearing clothes you love to wear is key. Don’t wear the clothes you think you should wear. You need to know what truly resonates with you, your personality, and your lifestyle. Look back at pictures and figure out when you felt your best. Figure out when you didn’t like how you looked and why. Try to emulate the moments when you felt like the best version of yourself. 

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3. Have Fun With Accessories

Having fun with accessories can be exciting! However, you may want to look into things like earlobe repair if you can’t wear your favorite pair of earrings anymore. See if you can funk up your outfits by layering different pieces of jewelry. Have fun with different metals, sizes, styles, and more. There are no rules - just look at Iris Apfel! 

4. Walk Tall

Shoulders back, head high, walk tall. Don’t walk with your eyes to the ground. Not only is this better for your posture, it’ll automatically make you feel more powerful and confident. 

5. Change The Way You Talk To Yourself 

Pay more attention to the things you say to yourself when looking in a mirror, or the things you say about yourself when speaking to people. Changing your self-talk can be tough, but it’s important if you’re going to change your mindset and feel more confident. Do you talk to and about yourself like a best friend? No? Then start! It’s not silly to do so. You’re the one who has to spend the most time with you forever, so make your mind a nice place to be. 

Fake it until you make it if you feel like it’ll be a while before you have the confidence to own your style. With the tips above, you’ll begin to notice the benefits in no time. Don’t wait to dress well, either. Dress well now. Some people say, ‘I’ll dress well when I’ve lost weight/changed something else about myself’ but there’s no better time than the present to start treating yourself and wearing clothes you love. 

Do you have advice? Leave your ideas below! 

POGO Pass: $34.95 Gets You Into Tons of Different Activities #KansasCity #LasVegas #Dallas #Phoenix #holidaygiftguide

Welcome to the Holiday Gift Guide 2020!

*Update August 26, 2019 and I did not realize that the POGO Pass adds things to your existing membership! They added Pump it Up since we signed up and also some additions to the Paradise Park attraction!

*Update: went to Skyzone in Lee's Summit (this review is of Shawnee Skyzone, but they are both amazing) to celebrate Callie's birthday. One kid did not jump, but 4 kids would have cost $64 normally WITHOUT the POGO Pass. We have one more Skyzone jump, too! So that would be another $80 (5 kids) without the pass. I'm definitely signing up for a pass … that way I can jump at Skyzone and get into the other places free!

We went for our second Skyzone visit and the rules had changed there once again. They keep raising the prices! A few years ago it was $10 for on hour to jump and now you can only do 90 minutes and it's $22! Extortion! But with the POGO Pass you can jump one hour for free, and my receipt said I would have paid $80 for 5 kids to jump for an hour ($16 each kid). So the POGO Pass pays for itself basically after your two visits to Skyzone and the rest is icing!

This is a great deal because I have 3 teenagers who often count as adults in the price of activities. Let's see how much it would cost for me + 5 kids to do these activities normally. Then I'll take out the sports events because I'm not sure we'll do them, just to see if it's still a good deal.

Price of 6 POGO passes (not including tax) = $209.70
Price of all activities for a family of 6 = $1,673 to $2,825.

Price of the activities we will absolutely do = $610 versus $209.70 (scroll to the bottom to see updates on what we've done and what the cost would have been)

Here's the Kansas City list:

Adventure Oasis -- 1 visit ($42)

Black Bob Bay water park in Olathe -- 1 visit ($48)

Coco Key water park -- 1 visit ($60, but let's say it's a Sunday and we are actually paying to do something on a Sunday, which we won't be doing; then it would only cost $30)

Kansas City Mavericks Hockey -- 2 games. Not something I would ever think about but my  youngest is quite the sports kids and this would get us out of the house for something fun so why not? It's included. (Ummm, tickets to the specific games they want you to attend go from $46 to $150 so why wouldn't you take the $150 tickets? The catch = I am the one taking them and my name is on the POGO pass. We are not going to pay another $150 for my husband* to attend with us. Let's go with the $46 tickets.) ... ($552 for 6 tickets to 2 games at $46 each).

Kansas City Zoo -- 1 visit ($90)

Museum at Prairiefire -- 1 visit ($50)

National Frontier Trails Museum -- 1 visit ($21)

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum -- 1 visit ($52)

Paradise Park -- 2 visits ($96-$108 for two visits depending on activity we sign up for). I was wondering what Paradise Park entailed ... can they get into the little kid part or is it just a go-kart ride, rock wall, laser tag or bumper car ride. ONE ride is not going to be enough for our family so we would need to budget for more.

ROKC Climbing Gym -- 1 visit ($90 ... gear rental would be $10 per person for shoes, harness and chalk bag but we might also take turns on the chalk bag; Joel has a harness that might fit his brother and sister) ... so this one ends up costing a bit but is something we wanted to do anyway.

Science City -- 1 visit ($79.50)

SkyZone -- 2 visits (not available Saturday or Sunday) ($192 for two visits but you have to pay for socks unless you already have them from another time. SAVE THESE SOCKS.)

T-Bones baseball -- 2 games (tickets are $6.50 to $16 each; see Kansas City Mavericks Hockey for my take on this) ... ($16 tickets times 2 games and 6 of us = $192)

UMKC Roos games -- multiple visits (see Kansas City Mavericks Hockey for my take on whether to get the cheap or the costly tickets). WOWZA. Members can attend FOUR (4) games for EACH of these events, which is 20 games INCLUDED in your POGO pass. We are not a super sports family so we'll have to see on this one, but it's an amazing value! General admission tickets are $10. So if my family went to each event (5) and did all the games in each event (4), the cost would be $1,200. Let's say we just go to ONE game ... that's a $60 event.

• Men's Basketball
• Women’s Basketball
• Men’s Soccer
• Women’s Soccer
• Women’s Volleyball

Wonderscope -- 1 visit. Yes, most of my kids have outgrown this place, but nostalgia is strong and it's included in the POGO pass, so let's hit it, shall we? Even if I only drag along the youngest 3, it's still worth it. ($48 for 6 of us)

Go to this site to see all of the above, and click on each separate one to see specific details, like exactly which T-Bones or Mavericks or Roos games you can attend.

Bottom line: even if we have to pay for my husband to go (although I should get him a pass, seriously) and pay for some extras like food and drink, this is still a rockin' deal. If all we did was the 3 water parks, SkyZone, Wonderscope, PrairieFire, zoo and Science City, things we actually did have planned for 2019, it would have cost the 6 of us $470 versus the POGO passes at $209.70. But the climbing gym ... the boys love that stuff and it's $15 for a day pass even though, yes, you have to pay to rent the gear.

Honestly, I'm not sure how many of these we would have been able to do anyway since our budget eats so much money and we don't have a lot left over to do costly things like this. Thanks to my mom, the kids are getting these for Christmas! I'm definitely buying my own as well, then saving up for one for my husband.

*You are probably wondering at this point why I don't just get a pass for my husband, and I think I actually will!

If this is something your family would enjoy, please use my POGO pass promo referral code when you sign up!

Also check out 33 Things to do Indoors with Kids in Kansas City!

Here's what our family has done so far. My mom got them 5 POGO passes totaling $175.

Done:
Skyzone (4) $52 (estimating $13 per kid but I can't find a 60-minute jump price on their website now)
Wonderscope (5) $45
Kansas City Zoo (5) $74
Adventure Oasis (5) $39
Blackbob Bay (5) $35
Paradise Park miniature golf (5) $45

Need to do by mid-December
Science City (5) $
Coco Key (5) $
Skyzone again (5) $
Jump City (X) $

If we had done these things without a POGO pass, we would have spent $290

12/19/18 originally posted

4 Hidden Dangers That All Pet Owners Should Be Aware Of

 As a pet owner, it’s up to you to keep your pet safe and protect them from any potential dangers. A lot of these dangers are obvious, like poisonous foods and plants, or hot cars. However, there are some pet dangers that are less obvious and owners don’t realize that they need to protect against them. These are some common pet dangers that you probably haven’t considered. 

Image Source - Pixabay CCO License

Nicotine 

We all know about the dangers of secondhand smoke, which is why so many countries have banned smoking indoors in public places. But we don’t often talk about how dangerous it can be for animals too. The health effects on animals are just the same as they are on humans, so it’s important that you consider this if you are a smoker. Even using e-cigarettes around your pet can be harmful, so be careful about smoking them inside when your pet is around. If you are not a smoker, this is still something that you should be aware of when you are out and about. If somebody is smoking near your pet, don’t be afraid to ask them to be more mindful. It may be a bit of an awkward conversation to have, but you can’t take any chances where your pet’s safety is concerned. 

Coyotes 

If you live in a particularly rural place, there is a chance that you may have problems with coyotes in the surrounding area. Although this isn’t likely to be a problem in urban areas, any pet owners living in the countryside need to be aware of it because they can be very dangerous to dogs and cats. If you think that you have a problem with coyotes, it’s important that you find ways to ward them off. Check out howtogetridofcoyote.com for some ideas on protecting your pets from these dangerous pests. It’s important that you check the barriers around your garden and fix any holes in the fence, so coyotes cannot get inside. 

Bones

Bones are one of the most surprising entries on this list because we all associate bones with dogs. But even though cartoons would have you believe that they are a dog’s best friend, bones can actually be very dangerous. Bones are actually very good for dogs in most cases, but you have to be careful. Cooked bones, for example, can splinter into shards and get lodged in their throat, so only give them raw meat bones. Don’t let them keep the same bone for too long either because they can chew chunks off and these can get lodged in the throat as well. If you are unsure, visit akc.org for more information on the dos and don’ts of giving bones to your dog. 

Hot Sidewalks 

During the summer, you should be careful about where you take your dogs for a walk because hot sidewalks can be very dangerous. On a hot day, an asphalt sidewalk can reach 140 degrees or more and it will burn your pet’s feet. Before walking them on any surface, press your hand against it for 5 seconds. If it’s too hot to do that, it’s definitely too hot for your pet. If you do need to take them on the sidewalk, invest in some rubber shoes to protect their feet. 

As a pet owner, it’s important that you are aware of these hidden dangers and you take steps to protect against them. 

Out Of The Box Ways To Make Savings At Home

 

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When it comes to saving money at home, there are all the usual things you can do. 

You can cut down on your energy-wasting habits, and you can also switch utility providers in an effort to lower your energy bills. You can stop spending money on those items you don't really need in your life, and you can buy cheaper items from the supermarket when doing your food shopping. 

These are all effective ways to save money at home, but there are other things you can do. By thinking out of the box a little, you can also make savings, so consider the following and implement them in your life.

#1: Learn some new skills

If you had the know-how to do certain things in your home, you wouldn't need to waste money using the services of others. So, consider taking a course or two to improve your abilities. We aren't saying you should take something as grandiose as a building or plumbing apprenticeship program (unless you wanted to move into those careers), but you could still take those basic courses that would equip you with a few repair skills to maintain certain parts of your home. These skills could also come in handy when decorating or renovating your property. 

When you know how to do certain things yourself, you wouldn't need to call out the relevant professional to fix things for you, and you wouldn't need to outsource all of your home-based projects. You wouldn't make any costly mistakes either, so in all kinds of ways, you will save money.

#2: Unplug one day a week

Do you want to know why your electricity bills are sometimes so high? It's because of the abundance of electrical items in your home. There is your television for starters, and there might be video game consoles, laptops, tablets, and other such items in your home. Not only are these items responsible for running up your energy bills when they're plugged in and turned on, but they are also responsible for limiting the other things you could be doing.

So, set a day in the week with this one simple rule: No devices! This is easier said than done we know, but if it's possible, consider the option. For that one day a week, you would reduce your electricity usage. You would also have time to do other things with your day, such as spending time with your hobbies and playing board games with your kids. You could all go out for a walk together too, and you could plan other things to bond as a family. After a while, you might all become less reliant on electrical devices, so you might consider spending more of the week unplugged.

#3: Make your own household items

Here's one way to cut down your supermarket shopping list: Make your own household items. There are all kinds of things you could make, including household cleaners, beauty products, laundry detergents, weed killers, and more. For inspiration, check out this list of homemade products, and do what you can to create them yourself instead of buying them from the store. You won't only be saving money, of course, as by creating your own items, you will be doing your bit to save the planet too. Many store-bought products come overloaded with toxic chemicals, and these aren't very friendly to your family's health or the environment.

#4: Ditch the car

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Many of us are over-reliant on our cars. While they are a convenient way to get us from A to B, they also become expensive to run if we are forever using them. Not only do we have the cost of fuel to consider, but there is also the wear and tear (and the subsequent maintenance bills) that will inevitably come from too many trips out in the car. 

So, the next time you're thinking about getting behind the wheel, ask yourself: Do I need to use the car? If you're only going short distances, you could walk or cycle instead. And if you're using it for school or work, you could use public transport or car share with another. When you drive less, you will save money. You will also have the opportunity to exercise more, which is something we should all be doing. And once again you will be doing something to protect the environment as, without a reliance on your car, you will be reducing your carbon footprint. 

#5: Repurpose rather than buy new

Sure, you could spend all of your hard-earned cash on items both large and small, but if you already have items at home that could be repurposed, there is little point in buying new. Think of the plastic bottles you might throw into the recycling, for example. They could be used as reusable drink bottles for your children's packed lunches, or they could be used as watering containers for your garden. Here are lots of other ways to reuse plastic bottles, each of which will rule out the necessity to spend your money.

Then think about your pieces of furniture. When items become worn, you could replace them with something new, but it would be more cost-effective to reupholster them instead. Alternatively, you could give them a new lease of life by transforming them into something else. Check out these upcycled furniture ideas for a few examples, and keep them in mind the next time you're tempted to either throw old pieces away or buy something brand new. 

Consider all of those other things in your home that you might otherwise discard or put in the attic. Could they be repurposed into something else? Especially when it comes to those items you might think about buying, it might be that you have what you need at home already.

Finally

There are all kinds of ways to make savings at home, and we touched upon just a few. Continue your research online, and do what you can to reduce your usual expenses. With that extra money you save, you could put more of it away for Christmas, vacations, and your retirement. And you would have more money in your savings for any emergencies too! So, consider our suggestions, and come up with other ways to make savings at home.