What You Should Know About Getting a Puppy in Florida

 

Image by Viveka Rosin from Pixabay 

A new puppy can be a wonderful addition to your family. If you live in Florida and you’re deciding whether to bring home a new puppy, here are some things that you should know.

You Should Choose a Breed That’s the Right Fit for You and Your Family

When you’re deciding what breed of puppy to get, you shouldn’t base your decision on looks alone. Research a breed thoroughly to determine what energy level and character qualities would be a close match with what you’re looking for. For families, retrievers and shepherds tend to be a good fit. If you’d like to find out about German Shepherd puppies for sale Miami FL, reach out to an experienced breeder.

#WorldsofFun — the Perfect Family/Fun Day! Find Your Amazing!

So I initially titled this post "Perfect Summer Day" ... but we've been to WinterFest and it was a Perfect Winter Evening. How about The Haunt? That would be a Perfect Autumn Evening! Carnivale? The Perfect Summer Night! We are so fortunate to have Worlds of Fun here in Kansas City, and it's no wonder people come from all over the country in all seasons and in all types of weather to enjoy it!

All photographs you see in this post that are of my family on a ride were taken while others were still loading onto the rides. We did NOT take any photos while a ride was being operated. You are not allowed to do this, and we did not do it!

*I need to start by sharing how great the Worlds of Fun/Oceans of Fun park app is. It stored all of our tickets and passes, including meal and drink passes. It showed wait times of rides and had a map of the park. It also made it quick and easy to get into the park.

Overview of the Procedure for a Root Canal

Image by Paul Brennan from Pixabay 

Ensuring that you take good care of your teeth is very important. While most people will try to brush and floss a couple of times per day and go to a dentist for checkups and formal cleanings, they will also likely require additional dental work at some point. One procedure that you may need to receive from a dental care provider is a root canal. This is a relatively common procedure that will help to alleviate tooth infections and help the pain subside.

Signs that You Need a Root Canal

There are several signs that you will need to have a root canal. Some of the most common symptoms associated with the need for root canals are if you have persistent pain in your teeth, if your gums are swollen, or if there is a pain in your jaw and ear. While these are common symptoms associated with other dental challenges, they could indicate that you have an infection that will require a root canal. You should visit your dentist as soon as you can to determine if a root canal is right for you.

What is a Root Canal?

If a tooth has suffered trauma or decay that has gone untreated, it could start to expose the root of your tooth. This can then cause an infection in both the nerve and pulp of your teeth. This can cause a serious amount of pain and sensitivity in your teeth, gums, jaw, and even ear. Waiting too long to have it taken care of will also make the symptoms worse. 

When you see a professional for a root canal, the procedure will focus on removing the infected nerve and pulp. Once that is done, the tooth will be fully cleaned out to remove any debris before being filled. The professional will then place a crown on the tooth to keep it protected going forward. You may be prescribed antibiotics and other pain medication to use for some time following the procedure. Having a root canal is often a preferred method when compared to full tooth extraction as you will continue to be able to use the tooth and will not have to replace it with expensive dental implants. 

Do you have tooth problems? If so, it is important to visit a dental care provider as soon as you can to determine what is causing your pain and discomfort. Waiting too long to have your tooth checked out will cause serious problems in the long run. When you come in to see a professional, you can find out if your issues necessitate a root canal and you can also learn more about the procedure before receiving the care that you need to feel better.

Last Friday Night (parody about a Scout campout) ...

Lil Scout Joel with his baby brother Sam. Scroll to the bottom to see the outcome.

*This post was originally uploaded October 1, 2011.

Set to the tune of the song I HATE by Katy Perry (I love the melody but hate the words!). It's about a little campout we had once when my oldest was just 10 years old. 

There's rip in my man's jeans

Must've eaten too much beans

Kids are all over the place

Runnin’ up and down the berm

I smell like a coffeebar

Sam is passed out on my lap

S’mores are on the barbeque

Helping Your Kids Through the Pandemic

 

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We’re still in the midst of a pandemic and many of us are starting to consider how we can make this time as easy on our kids as possible. Here are a few suggestions that should help you to provide them with the best and to keep a smile on their faces!

Education

Many of us are finding that our main concern for our children during this pandemic is their education. At the end of the day, they’d usually be in school every weekday learning all the things they need to advance. But while many schools are closed, the responsibility of teaching has fallen harder on parents’ shoulders. While there may be video classes for little ones, many are finding that they want to educate their kids further. Try getting in touch with their school to find out the curriculum they would usually be studying or consider an online christian homeschool curriculum. Just make sure not to put pressure on yourself. All kids are in the same situation and all kids will be able to catch up together when schools reopen and teaching and learning recommence as usual.

Keeping Them Occupied

Of course, learning shouldn’t be the only thing your kids are doing at home. In usual times, they only spend a portion of their day at school. The rest of their days are usually filled with clubs, activities, and fun. Right now, hobbies and extracurricular activities are going to have to be home-based and away from others. So, you may find yourself looking for new things for your kids to do that they will enjoy. Here are a few suggestions that might help!

Arts and Crafts

The vast majority of kids love getting involved in arts and crafts. It helps them to express their creative side and - at the end of the day - is downright fun. Now, some ideas to get the ball rolling include helping them to make mosaics. Encouraging them to create sculptures with clay or plaster of Paris. Drawing. Supervised sewing or knitted. Painting. The list goes on. Simply provide them with the materials required to let their creative sides loose and they’ll be occupied for hours.

Baking

Another fun supervised activity for your kids is baking. So many little ones love getting involved in the kitchen and baking could be a fun and safe activity for you to all enjoy together. Plus, you all get a delicious treat at the end! Look up simple, child-friendly recipes or you could even consider pre-packaged and prepared baking kits specially targeted at kids. While you should take care of anything to do with the hob or oven, they can enjoy mixing, decorating, and all of the other fun and safe parts of the process.

Storybooks

When it comes to the evening, if you want to help your little ones wind down, try reading them a story. This will help them to drift off to sleep. You could also try out kids' audiobooks if you’re not great at reading out loud yourself.

Hopefully, some of this information will help to make the whole pandemic a little easier on you and your children. Each suggestion can really help to keep everyone engaged and occupied, bringing smiles to everyone’s faces on a daily basis!

The Importance of Counseling

 Have you been stressed as of late and want to reduce such stress? Counseling is the best way you can do so. The good news is that you can easily get a counselor. Thanks to the internet, you can access groups, such as Centennial counseling, to offer you the guidance you need in life. Below are some benefits you will get from counseling sessions.

Improve reflection in personal relationships

Sometimes, people can be caught up in challenging relationships and fail to know the best cause of their actions. For instance, an individual might find it challenging relating with their parents, siblings, or spouse. If such happens to you, groups such as Centennial counseling will offer you the necessary guidance on how to go about the situation. Once you have attended several counseling sessions, you will realize that you can reflect and make important decisions regarding the challenging relationship. People who attend counseling have reported a huge improvement in how they reflect on personal relationships.

Improves self-esteem

Counseling enables an individual to appreciate their flaws. This makes it easy for them to love and appreciate themselves more and hence, raising their self-esteem. However, through counseling, people can learn how to appreciate themselves, and this raises their self-esteem. According to Central Park Counseling, people living with low self-esteem deserve counseling regardless of what caused the low self-esteem.

Improves decision-making

The counseling process makes it easy for an individual to improve their decision-making abilities. Through the counseling process, an individual gets to learn important skills that enable them to view life from a clear perspective. It is such a perspective that enables an individual to make better decisions than they used to make before the counseling process. According to Central Park Counseling, people should seek counseling often, whenever they feel like they are not in a position to make the right decision. The counseling process gives someone the insight they require in making such decisions. 

Encourages self -awareness

Counseling helps an individual in understanding their feelings and character. A substantial number of people do not have self-awareness, and this affects the manner in which they react with other people. Some people tend to increase their self-awareness through yoga and meditation. However, counseling is considered to be the most effective strategy for improving self-awareness since the counselor helps you understand your character. Other methods of increasing self-awareness will only help you understand your feelings. If you are seeking better results, it is advisable to find a counselor near you, and you will not regret the results.

Enhances how you understand other people

The best part about counseling is that it enhances how you understand other people. If you had a certain perspective about an individual, counseling might make you understand their character better. It gives you a better understanding of other people’s behavior by changing your views about life. An example is a case where you tend to judge someone based on their actions. If you attend counseling, the chances are high that you might understand why they behave so.

Going for counseling is not a decision that other people can make for you. It comes to a situation where you feel the process is necessary since it will help you live a happier life. It is also advisable to seek counseling even when you feel that you do not need it. You might have issues that need resolving through counseling and fail to know it.

Creating the Best Retirement for Your Parents

 As your parents get older, the tables turn and you start to think about how you can best care for them. While it's not guaranteed, you know that they're likely to experience some health problems as they age. They're going to slow down and they might need extra support to help them. Even before that happens, though, you want to make sure that they are able to have a comfortable retirement. After working and raising a family, it's their turn to get some rest - or maybe spend some time having as much fun as possible. So how can you help your parents so that they can have the best retirement?

10 Ways To Keep Busy In Quarantine

 

Photo by kike vega on Unsplash

If you are having trouble finding ways to fill your time throughout quarantine then take a look at our suggestions below.

1. Start a journal or blog

If you like writing, then why not think about starting a journal or blog. Writing down your thoughts and feelings can be very therapeutic. If you have an interest or hobby that you think other people would love to hear about then creating a blog online for people to read is the way forward.

3 Ways To Cut Back Spending And Bump Up Family Income

 Extra money in any family's pocket or piggy bank is always a blessing. It allows parents to save for important events in their kids' future, such as funding driving lessons or paying for college. And it also gives them more room in the budget to spend on vacations and experiences to spend to build lasting memories.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels - CC0 Licence 

Money has a whole host of benefits for you and your family. But if you feel like there's not much room in your budget right now, don't worry; there are three ways below, you can either cut back on spending or bump up your income. 

Benefit Entitlement

Many people in America are unaware that they are entitled to some benefit to help with living expenses. 

There is a range of circumstances that could qualify you for a bump in your income from the government. For instance, if you're on a low income, if you've recently lost a job or if you or someone you live with has a disability. You could be eligible for extra financial support.

And there's help on hand to help with your claims too. For example, if you're struggling to file a disability claim for benefits. The San Diego Disability Law Group can guide you through the process and help you get the funds you are entitled to.

The Entertaining Disasters To Avoid This Season

 

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At this time of the year, stresses can be high. Even without a pandemic on our hands, Christmas and the holiday season can be busy and quite chaotic. When you’re trying to get everything done and make it perfect, please everyone, and enjoy yourself, tensions always run high. But that’s not really what you want to happen. Because the more stressed you are, the more likely it is that things are going to go wrong. And when you want to be able to make sure that things run seamlessly, it’s also a great idea for you to be aware of some of the disasters that could potentially take place so you can avoid them. If ever you’re able to stop anything stressful from happening, it’s a great idea, right? So let’s take a look at what you should avoid and how.

Running Out Of Food

Now, one of the very first blunders that you’ll want to avoid is most certainly going to be centred around food. When you have plans with others and you know that you have a set amount of meals to make for a range of people, you’ll always want there to be enough food. So this is when you need to be able to plan ahead and work out exactly how much you need to buy.

Unexpected Guests

From there, you may also then find that you end up having unexpected guests. Of course, you can find that this is less likely to happen this year compared to others. But, should that happen, you’ll then want to make sure that you have nibbles and drinks ready to go – even if it’s something in the freezer.

https://unsplash.com/photos/0hAdietsUrE

Spillages

As much as you’d like to hope that your home is going to be able to stay safe, you may also be at risk of spillage, stains, and broken pieces of crockery or glassware. Ideally, this isn’t going to happen – but are you prepared if it does? If one of your guests’ skills wine around the house, you’ll want to know your upholstery cleaning options to save things pretty quickly. It’s best to be prepared, just in case.

Guests Clashing

When you have a range of people over for dinner, it could be that they won’t always get along. This can be fine in some circumstances, but if you are worried that they might clash and it causes an atmosphere, strategic seating has to happen. That way, you can avoid any unwanted awkwardness.

Messed-Up Meals

 

Finally, it could be that you’re worried about some of the meals being a little bit messed up. Do you worry about ruining Christmas dinner? Are you afraid of burning something or overcooking something? It could be that you’ve never made something in particular before and you’re a bit worried about that? When that’s the case, it could be that you want to do a trial run or really allow yourself enough time to do all of the prep work so that you’re not in a rush and the risk of things getting messed up is low.

The Tiny House Movement + I Want to Live at IKEA

 A post came up on my Facebook feed recently reminding me that we bought the four acres adjacent to our home a few weeks after the insane and stressful process of selling our old home and moving in to our new one. I had forgotten about that entire stressful process, kind of like a mini-house-buying negotiation session complete with more papers to sign. Thank goodness for Docusign so we didn't have to do everything in person!

I was thinking I probably need to check into getting a building permit to build a tiny house on this "bonus property" for my mom to live on someday. Or I also dream of a little office back in the woods so I can get creative and write my memoir series. But that's a long time away! I still have around 8 more years of homeschooling :-)

So let's go back to September 2017 for a moment and a trip I took to IKEA with my kids...

Remember that movie from the ’80s where the guy and the girl got lost in the Target and had so much fun? Well, I prefer IKEA. They even have the food of my people, the Swedes. Food, coffee, chocolate, lots of space for running. The ultimate hide-and-seek space. Bathrooms. Did I mention amazing food?

Look! You can even get in your exercise at IKEA!

I like these storage solutions, but always fear I'd bonk my head on them.

Can you imagine living in 590 square feet? Have you ever had to, such as in a
dorm room or tiny studio apartment?

Callie's ideal office, complete with Eiffel Tower prints.

Time to go.

When we got home later, my son put on the song "I Wear My Sunglasses at Night" and trotted around in time to the beat like a super cool guy. When I was 13 years old, I sure didn't think that someday my kid would like my music. I know my dad has the same thoughts.

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

(Unsplash CC0)

 

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.

Spirituality: 5 Common Hindrances to Spiritual Growth

 Growing spiritually is often a hard task for many people. It doesn’t just happen overnight; for beginners, growing spiritually is not just being righteous or being able to memorize the entire Bible question and answers.  Instead, spiritual growth is growing nearer to God and becoming more mature in accepting God and yourself.

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Why Do People Stop Growing Spiritually?

We really need to put aside the entire burden that is hindering us in running the spiritual battle. But, how can a person grow spiritually, how can they identify the hindrances to their spiritual growth? Many things in a person’s life can deter them from growing spiritually as a Christian.

Unspiritual company

When your company is made up of graceless people, you fail to grow spiritually. This is the case, especially if you live close to them or have not confronted or even tried to instruct them. The company of such people only disperses their poison and taints and turns your soul carnal. PSALM 1 Says that prosperous people do not involve themselves with the destructive, wicked, or controlling people; instead, they delight in God’s liberating word.’

Desire and distractions

Your desires have a significant impact on your spiritual growth. The world that we live in is full of distractions that can highly influence our spiritual growth. Matthew 13:1-23 (The parable of the sower), we learn that God’s truth fails to take root and cultivate because the cares of the word and the dishonesty of the wealthy chock out the word that has been seeded. To conquer this battle, you must keep reminding yourself that this world is not your home, but you must be truthful to pray for those who are confused by the world.

Neglecting silent prayers

Lack of direction and sensitivity in your life is usually due to the lack of an effective prayer life. Prayer is two-way communication with the Almighty Father; it is not one way.  Praying is not just a chance to talk to God; it is also an opportunity for Him to talk to us.  By spending more time praying to God, you become more spiritually closer to Him.

The fear of change

Have you ever got that wish to do something but never did it? The truth is that it can be very difficult to step out of your comfort zone. However, God calls us to combat our fears and do wonderful things. Fear is just going to deter your spiritual growth until you overcome it. Start by making some small changes, step by step.

Dangerous satisfaction

Having a partial vision of what your life will look like in Christ, not believing in God anymore, and saying you are comfortable with how your life is, is very dangerous contentment. Positive satisfaction comes from inside and is the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. It all begins by fixing your eyes and heart in God and acknowledging all that He has done for you. Contentment is silent and is only seen through your activities and not from your words. After realizing that you have a perfect life and a Heavenly Father who cares for you, praise and gratification should follow.

Conclusion

Spiritual growth components can be the most bewildering thing when you try to put them all together. Normally people like to live a life of purpose and meaning. When you achieve all your spiritual goals and overcome all the hindrances to spiritual growth, harmony is put in your life. More so, you get the chance to develop your family’s spiritual side.

Mistakes To Avoid When Planning A Funeral

 

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Planning the funeral of a loved one can be difficult. When coming to terms with loss, many of us struggle to think straight. As a result, even the most organised and meticulous people can make mistakes when planning a funeral. Below are just some of the biggest mistakes to avoid when making funeral plans. 

Not taking the time to shop around

There are many funeral homes out there to choose from. Shopping around allows you to find the right funeral home for you. If you simply go with the first funeral home you find, it’s possible that you may not get the best deal. Rates can vary a lot from funeral home to funeral home. It’s worth also factoring in the reputation of a funeral home and the range of services they provide. Carry out this research with a friend or family member if you don’t have the energy to do it alone.

Not asking necessary questions

There may be questions that you need to ask a funeral director while planning the funeral service. To ensure that you don’t forget these questions it could be worth writing them down on a notepad. This ensures that no important details of your loved one’s funeral are overlooked. Questions could include inquiries into individual costs, inquiries into laws or rules surrounding certain types of funerals or even definitions of terms such as ‘viatical’ and ‘gasketed casket’. 

Not keeping to a budget

Whether your loved one has put money aside or you are paying for the funeral yourself, it is important to have a budget in place. The costs can easily mount up if you don’t have a budget and you could end up spending more money than you can reasonably afford. Your loved one likely wouldn’t want you getting into financial trouble just to fund their funeral - be realistic about what you can afford and keep within this spending limit. 

Not personalising the service

If your loved one made no funeral plans, you may find it convenient to simply opt for a traditional funeral service. However, there are likely to still be small ways in which you can personalise the service to make it a more meaningful tribute to their life. Allow yourself time to think of all the ways you could personalise the service such as creating a collage of photos, playing their favorite music or serving their favorite food/drink at the wake. You don’t want to be kicking yourself after wishing you’d added these personal twists. 

Not planning in advance

You don’t have to wait until someone has passed away to plan their funeral. You could help a dying relative to plan their funeral, working with them while they are still alive to arrange the service that they want. You could even plan your own funeral in advance to ensure that your service goes exactly how you want it to. You don’t even have to wait until you are old and ill - in fact, you can start planning your funeral at any age. On top of planning the service, you could consider paying into a prepayment scheme, opening a trust fund or making life insurance contributions, allowing you to pay for your funeral in advance so that your loved ones aren’t burdened with the cost. 

Some Ways to Make Life’s Everyday Frustrations More Bearable

 

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No matter how much of a positive disposition you might naturally have, it is always going to be the case that, from time to time, things just become frustrating and feel overwhelming.

Frustrations can arise from all sorts of different sources. It might be that a job you thought you were about to be offered suddenly evaporates into thin air, or it could be that you’ve got a leaking pipe in your home that needs some urgent repair, or maybe you’ve had a fender bender.

More recently, huge numbers of people around the globe have been experiencing more everyday frustration than usual, as a result of the global pandemic.

Here are a few tips to help make life’s everyday frustrations feel more bearable.

Remember that there are often solutions to things that don’t immediately meet the eye

Every time a frustration arises in your life, it’s a good idea to take a deep breath, step back, and consciously remind yourself that there are very often solutions to things that don’t immediately meet the eye.

In other words, your first reaction to an event may be to become deeply frustrated, because you can’t think of an easy solution to whatever problem has just arisen.

Often, however, simply taking a deep breath, taking a step back, and spending a while thinking things through and doing a bit of research can yield solutions that you might have thought weren’t there at all.

If you get a traffic ticket, for example, and want to contest it without making a court appearance, a service like GetDismissed could certainly help.

Set yourself big goals that genuinely excite you, so that the “small stuff” becomes even less significant

Everyday frustrations are likely to seem much bigger and more frustrating if you don’t have much else in your everyday life to invest your attention in instead. These frustrations can then seem to grow dramatically out of proportion, and can become a lot more irritating than they otherwise would be.

A great way of altering the situation is to set yourself goals that genuinely excite you, so that the “small stuff” becomes even less significant.

Make sure that there is always some project, task, or point you are moving towards, and that you are enthusiastic about, so that you don’t get sidetracked.

Be sure to allow some time each day for fun

It’s very difficult to deal with and defuse everyday frustrations, if you are burning yourself out, and aren’t allowing at least a bit of time each day for fun, laughter, and entertainment.

If, on the other hand, you have some time set aside each day for fun activities – whether that means playing a sport, reading a good book, watching a film, playing a videogame or any number of other things, you will likely be significantly more resilient when it comes to meeting the general frustration of everyday life head on and tackling them, rather than letting them have a disproportionate impact on you.

Of course, this also means that you need to cultivate the skill of detaching yourself from things when it is time, and of “switching gears” when – for example – the work day is done.