3 Healthy Changes You Can Make Today

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It is never too late to make a change. This is important to remember. While the end of the year might feel like a good time to look back and the beginning of next year might feel like a good time to do something new, the reality is that tomorrow is as good a time to start as any. 

Making changes can feel hard. We are all creatures of habit and bad habits are often difficult to shake. However, you might find that your bad habits are easier to replace than to stop altogether. So, instead of trying to stop something, why not simply reframe the issue as starting something new?

Learn to Care For Yourself

For some of us, taking care of ourselves seems to be harder than anything else. If you are the kind of person who never feels quite in control or always seems to manage to do the wrong thing, you might consider that it isn’t a personality trait set in stone, but simply an opportunity to learn to take better care of yourself. 

You might like to start by addressing any current issues you have. For example, you might like to check out sober living homes near me if you have a problem with alcohol. Equally, you may find that a therapist could help you to identify where the problems are and begin to unravel your difficulties. 

Learning to care for yourself is like an oxygen mask - you have to do this before you can help anyone else and sometimes you need help yourself.

Start Working Out For Fun

There are lots of reasons to work out: your health will improve, your stamina will increase and you will probably get the release of endorphins you have been seeking elsewhere. But if you are struggling to get motivated to go to the gym, you definitely need to stop thinking about your fitness and start thinking about your fun. 

There are all kinds of ways to workout and have fun at the same time. When exercise is fun it is usually social, competitive or ridiculous. Sports like curling embody all 3! The key is to figure out what you are looking for. If you have long enjoyed the party scene, going to an early morning dance session in a club might not be too far from your radar, though going sober might make you wonder where the appeal was! 

Make New Friends

One of the best things you can do throughout life is making new friends. As we get older, it feels a lot like opportunities for hanging out and being social dry up. And yet, there are so many different ways to make friends and meet new people. 

If going to a bar isn’t your thing, you might like to try going to a cultural activity group or signing up for a class to learn new skills. Equally, asking your friends to introduce you to new people is a good way to broaden your social circle. When you view making friends as a daily activity, it’s suddenly not as hard as it looks. 

Worlds of Fun Winterfest 2019

Last year I posted about how Winterfest is the ultimate family experience! Also please check out my post from 2017 when we got to first experience the wonder of Worlds of Fun Winterfest! Worlds of Fun transforms into a winter wonderland, with over 500 million lights and miles of festive décor and family activities!

Once again, Worlds of Fun was so gracious and sent my family free of charge to experience their amusement park entirely transformed for the holiday season. What a great way to get in the Christmas mood! I also want to add that we received a couple of tasting cards so we got to try some yummy things: truffle bomb hot chocolate, those amazing loaded yams, shepherd's pie, winter egg roll, and holiday donut nachos. We even got a cool ornament, some saltwater taffy, and a scarf, which came in handy as it got more chilly that night.

We were super sad that my husband could not come this year, as he was working in Kuwait :-( We really enjoyed some of the seven live shows … super fun characters walking through the park as well. Definitely something you want to attend more than once this season! Don't forget about the ice skating, carriage rides, and cookie decorating! There is just so much to do = season pass would be a great Christmas gift for someone on your list!

Speaking of shopping, Artisan Alley features more than 20 KC vendors and artisans with tons of unique gift ideas. My girlfriend got herself a fuzzy Snoopy coin purse and a vinyl Snoopy purse. Did I mention she loves Snoopy? You'll see below!

We had our friend take this at the end. Perfect photo opp!

This is how the night began: with my son all decked out for the 50-degree weather in his Worlds of Fun Santa hat!

This year since we couldn't take Daddy, we took a bunch of friends and met others (my girlfriend with 8 kids and 2 grandkids) there! Lots of the kids have a Season Pass, which I highly recommend.

The little girls loved the standing snow angel cube.

Me and one of my besties, Katie!

Yams, Shep Pie, and Winter Egg Roll. Festive sauces!

Michael and Callie. Joel went off with friends.

So many great photo opps here!

Planet Snoopy is always a hit. The place cleared out by 9 and we got to just keep riding the rides; it was a blast!

My friend flipped out when Snoopy came around. Can you say FAN GIRL?!

Had a hard time getting Sam out of Planet Snoopy! So much to do!

The promise of the Holiday Donut Nachos did the trick!

Callie and longtime bestie, Ciara.

My own basketball team, the McKids, growing fast and having a blast.

You can get a tasting card for $25 and choose which 6 items you would like to try. Then if you love it you can purchase a larger size.

Thanks a bunch, Worlds of Fun, for a most amazing family night out on a lovely winter evening! See you again this year... or next year!

Fall Starbucks Dates with My Kids

Yes, these are fall dates even though the weather is cold and it has already snowed here. Ah, but then the next day it might be 60 degrees and you are breaking out the shorts. Welcome to the Midwest!

I'll post these as we go on the dates; we're trying to do one per day for five days. We chose Starbucks since they all love coffee and want to try new flavors. It's a great place to go and chill in the middle of the day, listen to some good music, and chat. Also you can play Pokémon Go every 5 minutes there to get your digital goodies (I do it for Sam!).

Here is a post from 2015 about when we used to do dates.

Up first: the middle child on a Thursday afternoon. She got the toasted white chocolate mocha and I got the egg nog latte. We sat in comfy chairs by the front window and she answered some of my date questions. Then I asked her the Love Languages questions for teens so we could determine her love languages: first was Quality Time and second was Acts of Service. Later that day she did one of her favorite things: went to the eye doctor. She loves picking out new glasses frames each year!

Friday I picked up Sam from a sleepover and we headed out for some lovely coffee and Pokémon Go. He wanted the egg nog latte like I got, but he didn't like it. The barista then made him a Pokémon Go Frappuccino for free because they want to make sure everyone likes their drink. WOW! So I took home the extra latte for the other kids to devour.

 

Sorry about the wonky formatting. You would really think Blogger would get their crap together after 12+ years of me blogging here, but nope. They are pretty much the same as the day I started my blog, unfortunately. If I had the time to learn WordPress, that's where I'd be.

So here is Michael's Saturday date below! We headed out and figured the place would be packed but we found a table no problem. He took the Love Language test but got 8 on THREE different things! He's not into words and he's not into touch, but he likes time, gifts and acts of service. We talked about his work and some other things. It was great to spend time with him (and play Pokémon Go). He got a mocha frap and I got a straight mocha. It was a chocolate kind of day.

Normally we don't do things on Sunday that involve paying money (kind of a fast from spending and a focus on God), but today I made an exception so we could get all the dates done before Daddy got home from Kuwait. Eva and I headed out after church for a nice chat and coffees.

The final date was with Joel, my oldest. We went out on Monday and spent some time together figuring out his personality type as well.

Preparing The House For A New Baby

Welcoming a new baby is an exciting time in life. You’ve come together with the person you love most in the world and created a new life, and now you’re starting a new chapter of your lives together. You’re about to have a little person who’s a little bit of the both of you to take home and care for, and you’re ready to make sure your world revolves around them! 

But of course, this doesn’t just happen overnight. If there’s going to be a new baby in the house soon, you’ve got a lot of work to do! Of course, if you’re pregnant yourself, make sure you take it easy during this period, but take advantage of all the free time you have right now too! 

And if you’re not too sure where to start with your baby proofing efforts, we’ve got a quick and nifty list for you to look through. Why not check all of the points off as you go through them?

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Get Down to Baby Height

Your baby is going to be at a different height to you, obviously, for quite a while. They’re going to be a lot smaller, and it’s going to take quite a few years for them to see eye to eye with you. And that’s why it’s important to get down to their eye level, for the time being, and take a look around your house. Get down on your hands on knees and crawl around like a baby would - what do you see? 

Do you see a bunch of wires on the floor? Do you see a whole load of uncovered plug sockets, the perfect size for little fingers to poke their way in? Do you see sharp table corners, or splinters coming out of the chair legs? Because if you do, now’s your chance to put some safety measures in place! 

Babies explore their environments; they’re naturally curious, and like to get to know the world around them. Of course they’re going to be touching things they shouldn’t, and they’ll go through a phase where they want to put everything they can pick up into their mouths! 

So get some corner covers, to protect their eyes and soft heads from bumping into sharp and hard surfaces. Get plug protectors to stop any potential electrical accidents or fire hazards from occurring. Get a cable tidy box to store all those wires in, and try to store the box itself somewhere higher than the floor. All it takes is a bit of preparation now, from your baby’s point of view, to make sure your home is as safe and sound as it should be. 

Research the Best Baby Products (and then stock up!)

Before the baby is born, you’re going to need to have a whole stockroom’s worth of diapers and infant milk, as well as plenty of cute little clothes and accessories to keep your baby warm and insulated. After all, the better stocked you are, the less your chances of needing to find a 24 hour supermarket at 3 in the morning when your child has woken up for a nightly feed. 

It might take some time, seeing as there are a lot of them on the market, but not every single product is going to be made to the same standard or quality you want them to be. You might want to start with a list like this, just to kick things off, and see what’s been popular so far this year. It could act as a great hint for what will work well, and be good value for money, in the new year coming. 

And when your baby is actually born, you’ll find that your little one is going to have a preference for certain baby products other overs! So don’t worry too much now about buying just the right products, but be sure to do your research ahead of time, and find out which ones have the best reviews and most goodwill behind them. 

Get the Nursery All Dolled Up!

And of course, now’s the best time to get the nursery out of the way. Being able to decorate an entire room for your new little one is a creative and exciting venture all on its own, and you deserve to revel in that for the time being! After all, a baby will appreciate whatever interior design you come up with for them, and they’re going to develop through the next few months learning just how hard their mommy or daddy worked for them. 

You could go neutral here with your design choices; a lot of parents these days like to leave color schemes out of it, and go with more neutral toned or fun design schemes for their little one to lay their eyes on every day. Something like zoo or farmyard animals painted on the wall, or forest scenes with fairies and goblins to add a touch of magic to the space! 

But you could always subscribe to more traditional design schemes for your little girl or boy. Indeed, the internet is filled with baby girl nursery ideas, with hints of pink and white on the walls, and a lot of fluffy blankets and cuddly toys in the cot for the baby to get used to. Or if you’re having a boy, streaks of reds and blues on the walls might prove popular to you? It’s up to you! 

Ready to Bring a Baby into the House? 

Often enough, new parents never feel quite as thought they’re ready to do that. You can feel like there’s always something more to do, or there’s a hazard somewhere that you’ve forgotten about. 

But this post is here to tell you to relax! You’ve done a lot of leg work, and the nursery is all finished, and now’s the time to live in the moment with your little miracle in your arms. And you’re a new parent, you’re allowed to make mistakes. 

What Water Filter Is Best For Your Home?

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https://www.remodelingexpense.com/costs/cost-of-water-filtration-systems/

Is the water we drink everyday fit for our consumption? Many different factors such as rapid industrial development, growing population, misuse of water bodies and overall environmental degradation may or do lead to water pollution. Industrial chemicals like heavy metals, pesticides, pharmaceutical residues, etc. are increasingly finding their way into our water supplies. Even some ingredients that water supply bodies use to treat water (such as chlorine, chloramines, fluoride) can cause certain health problems.

This is why using a whole house water filter for your home, or at the very least one good water filter in your home has become absolutely necessary. However, before you go to purchase any particular water purifier, you might first like to know what harmful ingredients are there in your water. We strongly recommend a home water test for this purpose that will help you to know exactly what harmful ingredients are found in your home water supply and need to be removed therefore.

Choosing the Right Water Filter for Your Home
Once you know what contaminants are present in your water, it will be easier to make an informed decision about what kind of filter to buy for your home---and also, what model. Since, not all models and makes of a similar type of water filter (e.g., a pitcher filter) remove the same ingredients and contaminants.

You may often find people querying what is the best water filter or best countertop filter. However, you'll hardly come across models that fall in the 'Fits All' category. What is best depends on what your requirements are. For this reason, it is important that you carefully read the fine print whenever you are buying a specific water filter item for your home  and get to understand exactly what sort of contaminants the product is able to remove.

That said, we can still have a quick look at the most common types of water filters that are available for home use and discuss their advantages as well as the downsides.

Pitcher Filters
Pitcher filters are a simple and cost-effective option. However, bear in mind that they are not as effective at removing contaminants as they are when it comes to improving the odor and taste of your water. Some of the recent best filter pitcher models will effectively remove both chlorine and chloramine. However, remember that in a pitcher filter, the water sits for a long time in plastic and can thus absorb a number of still poorly understood compounds that can be harmful to your health.

Faucet-mount Filters
Faucet-mount filters again are easy to use and make for a relatively inexpensive option. More importantly, however, a majority of these models are able to remove a good number of contaminants. However, again pay attention to the fine prints and get to know exactly what contaminants a specific product will remove. Also, one telling disadvantage of a faucet-mount filter is that you will probably need to fit these filters at more than one location and that augments the cost. Also, although replacement filters do not cost much, they may prove to be expensive in the long run since this type of filters requires more frequent replacements than the others.

Countertop Water Filters
The countertop filters can be used as standalone gravity-fed filters or you can attach them to your faucet (if you happen to have a spacious countertop). If hooked to a faucet, you won't have to refill the filter container manually. Usually, these filters are excellent in removing a good number of harmful ingredients and pollutants from the water. The countertop filters are also low-maintenance and do not require frequent replacements. A replacement filter is able to purify 3,000 gallons of water and the price of the replacement cartridges have come down, too, from what they used to be, say a couple of years ago. The cartridges are currently available at around $60.

Undersink Filter
An undersink filter works in much the same way as a countertop model and requires little maintenance. People normally settle for these models when there is not enough space on the countertop to hook up a filter to the faucet.

Reverse Osmosis (RO) Filters
RO filters use a multi-stage filtration process by combining particle filtration with active carbon. The water is made to pass through a membrane fitted with the tiniest of holes that help remove microorganisms and minerals present in water. Of all other kinds mentioned above, Reverse Osmosis filters perhaps perform the best job in removing contaminants. Additionally, the filters are also good at improving the taste of the water. We especially recommend RO filters if the water source in your locality contains a high amount of dissolved salt in the water. However, since these filters remove all microorganisms and bacteria from the water including those that are beneficial for our health, consuming RO water long-term may lead to certain health issues.

UV and UF Filters
These water filters make use of the latest and most advanced technologies to purify water. UV or Ultra Violet filters, for example, eliminate the microorganisms in water by using a powerful UV lamp. The UV purifiers also does a great job in removing pesticides found in water.

UF or Ultrafiltration filters, on the other hand, uses a high-tech hollow fiber membrane to remove microorganisms as well as chlorine, sand and dust from the water.

All of these last three types of water filters (RO, UV and UF) do a better job in removing contaminants from water as compared to other types of water filters and as you can imagine, they are the most costly options, too. However, as we mentioned, since these filters kill all the bacteria in the water, including the beneficial ones, they may not be ideal for long-term use.

Finally, besides water filters for drinking water, you may also consider installing a Shower Filter or a Whole House Water Filter for added protection.