Tips to Create the Ultimate Garage Man Cave

Many men need a space to call their own. Enter the man cave. But where do you put it? With a few key tips, you can turn your garage space into the man cave you’ve been dreaming about.

Floor

Who wants to look at that cracked and stained concrete floor? Fear not. Garage floor epoxy can easily and affordably transform the garage floor to handle whatever you throw at it. Whether you want to work on your next woodworking project or have a beer while watching the game, epoxy provides a beautiful covering that can handle your mess. Drop a tool or spill some grease without worrying about damaging the floor. Even if you do mess up one spot, you can easily patch it good as new. You can pick from a variety of colors to suit your style.

Organization

Organize your space for your tools and other items. Put in some cabinets, over-the-head storage, pegboards, workbench or shelves. Customize the space to have the organization you need for whatever project you want to work on. A rolling cart is handy for working on vehicles. Pegboards offer easy access to key tools you use regularly. Good organization makes working in the garage fast and efficient. Plus, when your spouse comes through the door, they have minimal to complain about.

Décor

Place your favorite companies, logos and sayings around the room. Outfit the space with a couple of recliners or a couch to enjoy a game or movie. Have some folding chairs available for when the guys come over and you need extra seating. Match the floor color to that of the cabinets and wall or purposefully mismatch it. Add a neon beer sign in one corner or that mounted deer head your spouse won’t let you have in the bedroom. Whatever décor you want up, the garage has plenty of wall space to mount it. Avoid putting anything beyond stickers on the door to keep the garage door properly functioning.

Extras

A true man cave needs a space for your drinks. Incorporate a mini or full-standing fridge into the garage. There’s plenty of space and you have your beer, water and snacks right on hand. You never even have to enter the house to keep the party going. Set up a big-screen TV in one corner to watch the big game. You keep the noise in the garage without interrupting the family inside. Those later games are no problem any more now that you have a place to watch them.

               

Easy Ways to Get Your Kids Moving

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When you were a kid, one of your parent’s chief worries might have been your safety when you were out playing with your friends. You might have spent hours exploring your local area, kicking a ball around in the park, or running around the community. All in the days before mobile phones, when your parents had no way to reach you, or you them. Little did you know at the time, but your parents were sitting at home, likely checking the time, wondering where you were, what you were doing, and who you were with. 

Today, one of our main concerns is quite the opposite. Most of us are worried about how much time our children are spending online, in their rooms, on their own. We’re afraid that our children aren’t getting enough exercise, that they aren’t building social connections and skills, and that they don’t get enough fresh air. 

It’s thought that 75% of teens have their own smartphone, 91% regularly go online and that even children as young as two and three are spending time playing games on tablets and other devices, and watching videos on YouTube. As a parent, it can seem so hard to get them interested in exercise and activity, when the pull of the internet is so great. Here are some of the easiest ways to get your kids moving more, which can have enormous benefits for their physical and mental health. 

Make it Fun

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Some kids are motivated by competition. They love entering events, improving, and facing their peers. Others aren’t. If your kids have no interest in competitive sports, but you still think that sport is essential, try to make it fun instead. Look at cool sportswear from Cisco Athletic, let them try new things, and try not to put any pressure on them. 

Move with Them

If you want your kids to move more, you need to start moving with them. Find fun things that you can do as a family. For very young kids, this might just be playing in the playground and going for walks in the park. If your children are older, you could try new sports and activities together, go for bike rides and hikes, and head to the swimming pool.

Set Screen Time Limits

Screens aren’t the enemy. In fact, there are many benefits to your children having access to technology. But, as with everything else, moderation is important. Set family screen time limits, and everyone will move more. 

Invite Their Friends

Older kids might not want to do as much with their parents, so tell them to invite a friend to the pool or on a bike ride. You might have to be their taxi driver, but at least they’ll be more willing to exercise. 

Never Say No

We’re often just as guilty of sitting playing on our phones instead of exercising. If you say no when your kids ask to go to the park or swimming, because you’ve got too much to do, stop. Stop saying no. If they want to exercise, give them everything that they need to do it. 

3 Upgrades for Your Garage

If you are considering making some changes to your garage, it may be difficult to know what is best, depending on your budget and needs. Here are some great changes that will improve the appearance of your garage, as well as increase your security and productivity.

Install New Shelving Units

One of the main issues that you may have with your garage is the lack of organization. This problem can be easily remedied by putting in shelving units that can be stacked or mounted against the walls. This makes it much easier to be able to view all of your tools, sporting equipment, and renovation supplies at once, which will save you plenty of time in the long run when you do not have to dig through piles in order to find what you need. Make sure to put heavier supplies closer to the ground to avoid the shelves bowing.

Put in New Floors

Depending on what you use your garage floor, you may want to have a different type of flooring than your standard concrete. Whether you want to completely replace the floor with something like linoleum, or simply install epoxy floors as a barrier to keep your concrete from chipping and staining, your floor will thank you for the improvements. If you like to work on your vehicle in your garage or you conduct business that can be messy, a sealant to protect your floor may be a better option for your needs. This way, you can spill all you want without fear of permanent damage.

Invest in an Automatic Garage Door Opener

There is a reason most garages now come equipped with a remote control mechanism that opens your garage door for you. Automatic openers have a myriad of benefits, aside from the obvious of being able to open your door without getting out of your vehicle and manually lifting it. For increased home security, especially if you keep expensive equipment or possessions in your garage, you may want to add in a keypad, where the user must enter the correct code in order to gain access to the garage space. A small change like this can have a domino effect and make your life much easier in many different ways.

It does not have to be a hassle to make your garage the space of your dreams. With these tips, you are sure to have a garage that works for your needs.

               

Things Worth Knowing When It Comes To IVF

There are different options when it comes to having children that don’t have to happen by natural conception. IVF is certainly still one option that many are opting to try when it comes to the attempt of being able to conceive yourself. So here are some things worth knowing when it comes to IVF. 

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The Cost Of The Process

The cost of having one bout of IVF isn’t cheap, and many of those who are trying to get pregnant will have to think carefully about whether they can afford to get this treatment without it causing financial problems. A lot of IVF treatments will have some impressive pregnancy rates, but not everyone is going to have the same results. So what might work for one person, might not work for you. Consider the financial factors involved and really think about whether this is something that you can afford at the moment or whether it’s going to need a bit of saving firstly.

What The Treatment Involves

Everyone has heard of IVF, but not everyone may know what the treatment and process involved. That’s why it’s a good idea to do plenty of research before committing to it and putting your money into the hands of those who’ll do the IVF. IVF assists the success rate of pregnancy by combining the sperm and egg together in a laboratory dish and then placing that fertilised egg back into the uterus. It’s recommended that if a cycle doesn’t work, it shouldn’t be something that you rush straight back into. Either way, you should certainly prepare yourself for what is needed from you and what the whole process will be like. Don’t forget you can get plenty of advice online from previous users of IVF treatment.

Are You Physically And Emotionally Ready?

Doing IVF isn’t a walk in the park, and for most, it can be a very physically and emotionally draining process. Ensure you’re ready for it and that you’ve prepared you and your partner for the process and what will be required from you in a physical aspect. Emotionally, it can be quite traumatic, especially if it doesn’t work, so you want to go into it with a good emotional state of mind. 

Preparing Yourself For The Worst

No one wants to be negative, especially when it comes to a procedure as important as this. However, you do want to prepare yourself for the worst because it doesn’t work for everyone. You want to be able to go into it with confidence and hope that it will work, but you must have a discussion with your partner about it not working. It’s good to be positive, but having a back-up plan is definitely something you should have ready for when the time comes if it does.

IVF isn’t for everyone, so be sure to do plenty of research and to think about what the cost implications are on your finances. Prepare for the worst but also don’t forget to hope for the best.

Organize Your Freelance Career Finances

As a freelancer, you understand that you need to keep an attentive eye on your expenses. Indeed, when you don’t work in an office, it can be difficult to differentiate essential work-related expenses from everyday costs. Typically freelancers track their tech costs as part of their professional activities. Other expenses, such as the purchase of equipment for your home office, can also be added as a deductible amount on your tax return. 

However, for freelancers, the difference between social and professional investments is sometimes challenging to make. Should your recent haircut before meeting a critical client be part of your professional cost, or is it just vanity expenses for your own pleasure? When the lines are blurry, it’s best to stay on the safe side and avoid extensive communication with the tax authorities to justify your choices. 

However, there is room for interpretation. These are the three types of private expenses that can be put under your business activities. 

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Do you need to commute to meet your clients? 

If you need to drive extensively to meet your clients and to perform your services, you probably need to consider taking on business car insurance cover to protect your vehicle during your commutes. More importantly, vehicle-related costs are deductible, as long as you can justify that the car is used for your business activities. Additionally, travel costs, such as fuel, parking tickets, and even food on the go can also be listed as part of your professional expenses. In other words, if you don’t use your vehicle outside of to meet with your clients, it’s a good idea to consider commercial cover. 

Are fashion expenses work-related?

Every stay-at-home freelancer can confirm that working in your PJs is the worst thing you can do for your motivation. You need to get dressed for the day to get yourself in the right mood to work. Depending on your career choice, you might need to invest in specialist clothes. For instance, if a corporate company has recently contracted you for a long-term project, you might find yourself forced to buy a suit to blend in the office environment. If the item is required as part of your day-to-day job, you can put it under your professional expenses. However, casual fashion items to feel more confident when you’re staying at home are not suitable for your tax return calculations! 

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Do you need a business grocery list?

As a freelancer, you can’t put grocery shopping on your list of deductible expenses. While businesses can maintain a filled kitchen for their staff, as a freelancer, you don’t have the opportunity to claim that food expenses would be work-related. There are, however, two exceptions to the rule. Firstly, if you’ve bought food as part of business travel activities, you can keep your receipts and use them to cut down your taxes. Secondly, if you are inviting clients to your premises – whether you home or a local office that is rented for the occasion – you can also claim your grocery shopping list as part of your business-related taxes. Making a cup of coffee to a client, for example, can become tax-deductible.

As a freelancer, you have to be attentive to the expenses that can change your tax return and the money you owe the IRS. While there are many exceptions, you can, in certain conditions, claim back your car, outfit, and food costs.