From One Home To A New One

Making the transition from one home to a new one is a stressful situation. But it is also the
chance for a new beginning. Think of moving from one home to a new one as an adventure,
and one that can be explored and enjoyed with the whole family. Don’t get us wrong, considering
a move when you’ve got a family in tow is just adding to the stress. But to try and make your
new little adventure a bit less stressful, we’ve got some stress busting tips for you and the
whole family.

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Find A Time That Suits You

The main reason why so many people struggle with a home move is because they just don’t
pick the right time to do it. Sometimes there is an urgent need for a move. It might be the need
to move for work, family issues, or something as negative as being evicted from a rented home
due the landlord not wishing to rent it out any more. But often moves are pre planned, and
there is no apparent reason for moving other than the fact a change of scenery is needed, or
because a new house has been found that looks bigger and better. But, rushing into a move
like this can just be one of the worst things you can do. It isn’t just a case of packing a few boxes
and moving down the road. It’s a very long, costly, and stressful process. A move should always
be done at a time that suits you to reduce stress. It could be when the kids are off school, once
you’ve had time to save and prepare, or once you know for sure that a move is the best idea for
you and you’re not just doing it out of greed for a bigger house.

Find A Company To Support You

Half the hassle that people have with a move is the companies they chose to help them. There
are multiple different people that are going to be involved. You’ve got the ones involved with
moving to begin with, and any delays in having your items delivered can be an absolute
nightmare. What you need to do is check out companies such as shiply, make sure they can
deliver on the exact days that you need, and make sure that they have a good enough reputation.
Then there’s going to be the solicitors that will help you with the paperwork. Again, these can
just be an absolute nightmare for timings and making sure that things are done right. Plus, a
lot of them charge an absolute fortune! So just make sure you’re doing your research and
everything should be fine.

Find Inspiration For Decor

The last thing you need to think about is what you want the house to actually look like. It’s
rare that you’ll go into a home and actually find decor that you like the look of, and so you’re
left with the task of stripping it all down and going again. Use websites to give you inspiration,
and even check out showrooms to see what the latest styles are.

Runs/Walks in Kansas City: Rock the Parkway April 14, 2018

Get ready for this half marathon or 5K walk/run on April 14, 2018 along scenic Ward Parkway. I love love love Ward Parkway and have ever since I was a kid in the 1970s. The gorgeous, historic houses, Meyer Circle, Ward Parkway shopping center all hold memories for me. My dad used to deliver mail along and off of Ward Parkway and I always loved driving over to find him to surprise him on his route.

Unfortunately, I can't make this one, although I am about ready to dive back into a half marathon sometime this year (walking, not running). 

I'll be posting upcoming walk/runs in Kansas City as I find them. This does not mean I'll be participating in all of them, so don't show up expecting me to sign autographs or anything. I MIGHT or MIGHT NOT be there, depending on household funds at the time (it costs to enter a race), Mr. Kerrie's travel situation, my sanity level, etc. Enjoy the race info, and go out and find some in your town!

What: Rock the Parkway

When: Saturday, April 14, 2018

Where: Burns and McDonnell start ... 9400 Ward Parkway ... the map shows the race only going to 83rd (the 5K) while the half marathon goes to 51st Street. Man, I wish I could do a 14-minute mile but my current best is about 20 

Click here for race details and to enter to participate.

I get much of my info from KC Running Company

On a personal note, here's my walking story for National Walking Day a couple of years ago with an update.

When you're all done, you'll be hungry! Grab a copy of my Tater Tot Casserole Cookbook and whip up a batch of happiness for dinner!

Mementos To Show Your Love

Mementos are thoughtful gifts to give to friends, family, or significant others. There are certain moments in life when giving a memento will help show your love for that particular person. This is an item that serves as a reminder of an event or a person but can also be something that is given as a gift for a particular occasion. It shows that you care, are listening, and how thoughtful you are at other times. A few factors to consider are the age of the person receiving the gift, their personality, the usage out of the gift and the thoughtfulness of the keepsake. Certain occasions call for funny gag gifts, whereas in others it is inappropriate. The gifts must always be tailored to both the person and the event at hand.

For different ages

Different gifts or keepsakes will be given at different ages. Different age groups and different occasions call for different gifts. A baby wouldn’t use a cellphone, just like a young adult wouldn’t require a baby bottle. Younger children love receiving toys, whereas the adults may prefer useful gifts.

To different people

In addition to keeping age in mind, different people will receive different gifts. For instance, something you would gift your sister or brother would be different to something you would gift to a niece, nephew, child, or even significant other. Keep your audience in mind when purchasing a memento or gift.

Tailoring to personality

Everyone has a different personality, thus it’s important to tailor a memento or gift to a particular personality. Consider what the receiver likes and dislikes. This will further show that the gift was thought out and that you even listen to the other person. For instance, if they have a fun and bubbly personality, then they would enjoy something lighthearted.

The usage

Will the item you are gifting be used? When it comes to birthday celebrations and even holiday parties, it’s beneficial to the receiver to get a gift they will use. Think about practical presents, such as an umbrella, cookbook, slippers, and so on.

Thoughtful keepsake

Not all moments in life are happy. Life is made up of a lot of events, some happy and joyful, and others sad. It’s all a part of life. During the hard times in life, showing you care can go a long way. This can be demonstrated through how you act, but can also be shown in the form of a keepsake. Should someone you know have lost a loved one, you can gift him or her a Paint Your Life memento. Keeping the memory of a loved one forever alive, you can have a custom hand painted portrait be created. This will keep their spirit forever immortalized in a painting, and it is a good gesture to make.

Little or big mementos can show your appreciation for a person and that you care. While something as simple as a nice gesture can show your love, so can gifting a thoughtful gift during particular situations or events. There is no need to break the bank, either, to give a memento that your friend, family or significant other will love.

5 Tips to Make Your Bedroom Look Great

Surprisingly, the bedroom is often an overlooked room when it comes to making your house a beautiful, striking place because generally, no one else sees it except you! On the contrary, it should be the exact opposite as bedroom is like the heart of your house where you recharge yourself, where you finally feel like home after kicking off your shoes and retiring to bed.

In order to alter your bedroom into an inspiring one, you don’t need to go bankrupt. All you have to do is go through your priorities again with a creative outlook and change your design strategy. Here are some tips and tricks to follow in order to make your bedroom look great:

1. Handle Furniture & Accessories Placement Wisely

As explained on wifeknows.com, the most common reason for a bedroom to look cluttered and all chaotic is its furniture's disordered size and placement.   Take a step back and have a good look at your room! No matter if you like a king size bed or have seen appealing two chairs with a table on the corner of a room in a magazine; go with what suits best in your room according to its size, whether it’s a queen size bed or double bed or just a cute vase on a small corner stand.

The tip is to hold yourself back from overcrowding your bedroom with furniture and accessories. Give a spacious feeling to your room by creating more space and you will be amazed at the difference it makes.

2. Don’t be Oblivious to the Ceiling

Overall, your bedroom has 5 walls and the fifth one is obviously the ceiling. First thing you see while you lie on your bed is that bland and blank surface, right? Try to change it! The easiest thing to do to it is the addition of a soft color; a little lighter version of the wall color or give a subtle pattern or stencil on the ceiling.

If your room is spacious, then you can also opt for some architectural stuff in the form of moldings, beams or a chandelier.  For enhancing luxury, add a canopy, all the way from the ceiling to your bed, giving a relaxing aura to your overall bedroom look.

3. Dress-up Your Windows

The easiest way to enhance colors, pattern and softness in a bedroom is to cover the windows beautifully with the draperies. It will not only help to frame the windows but will also give a complete look to your room. Add sheer curtains along with opaque roller blinds to pull down so that your privacy could be maintained along with a pretty presentation of your bedroom.

4. Add Lighting

The best thing you could do to your bedroom is to layer the lighting throughout. This would make your bedroom look more vibrant and spacious. You can use different sort of lights like the ambient one, which would give light to the whole room, accent one which would give the soft illumination to the walls and finally the small lamps which would give a focused light for all your workings.

5. Give NO Room to the Clutter

Nothing is more distasteful than to have a cluttered, messy bedroom. Here, a tip is to make room for everything which is possibly in use within your bedroom so that the room does not get disorganized. Keep the laundry bag, toy box, hangers, and extension cords all in place to avoid untidiness in the room.

Remember, a chaotic room can never look luxurious so work on it as much as you can!

Four Tips to Remember to Make Your Divorce Less Stressful

The end of a relationship is never easy, and the prospect of living on your own is something that scares many people. But, if things have become difficult between the two of you, then separation and ultimately divorce could be the only option. However, just because your relationship is ending, that doesn’t mean you cannot be as civil to each other as possible. Here are some tips to make your divorce less stressful.

Respect Your Children’s Feelings

Even though you may have some bad feelings toward each other, it is important that you try to be calm and respectful, especially if you have children. In some cases, children think that what’s happening is their fault, so you need to present a unified and loving attitude towards your children. It can become difficult to do if there are custody issues, but you shouldn’t make your children a weapon to use against each other. You need to be open and honest with your children from the beginning, so they understand what you plan to do and who they want to be with.

Don’t Put Your Kids Through the Family Court

There are a lot of couples that spend time and money arguing their way through the family court. However, this doesn’t have to happen, there are better ways to resolve these issues. Try to be sensible and honest about your custody and child support problems. Don’t try to get out of paying your child support, the only people you are hurting is your children and their opinion of you. When it comes to custody, you need to come up with a sensible and practical resolution for you both.

Keep Communicating

The essential part of any separation is to keep communication. It is probably the last thing you want to do, but it is important, at least until things are resolved. If you have no children, then you don’t need to communicate once the divorce is over, but if you do have kids, then you should stay in touch. There are many things that your children will go through as they grow up and it is vital that you are a part of them as much as possible.

Choose the Right Lawyers

There are many lawyers out there, but it is important that you choose one that has you and your children’s best interests at heart. For example, you should find a divorce attorney serving Cook county or one near to you. It helps to choose one close to you because there will be a lot of information going back and forth, especially in the early stages. You should also give them all the information they need to help make things easier and allow the divorce to complete as quickly as possible.

If you find yourself in this regrettable situation, then you need to try and think moving forward in a rational way. Keeping your kids happy and loved, is one of the most important things you need to achieve in any separation.