5 Ideas To Keep Your Kids Happy On Car Journeys

 

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Let’s face it car journeys with the kids can sometimes be a bit of a nightmare! If you don’t keep your kids happy and entertained in the car, they’ll quickly distract you and cause a scene! Thankfully you’ve got plenty of options to keep them happy and relaxed on car rides. Why not give these five a try on your next family car trip?

1 . Watch a movie

Before you head off on your next car ride with your children, download a movie on your Ipad. A fun kids' movie will have your little ones glued to the screen so that you are free to focus on the roads. To make things a bit more fun, provide popcorn and choose a movie with plenty of sing-a-long songs! When the movie is over you can always let your children play on some apps for kids.

Securing Your Family’s Financial Future

There’s a lot of things we need if we’re going to be happy and thriving as a family. We’ll need everyone to be healthy, we’ll need strong communication, and, yes, we’ll need to ensure the family’s finances are in order. This may not be the most exciting thing in the world, sure, but it is important -- after all, having a healthy financial landscape will provide the platform that allows you and your loved ones to lead the best life possible. 

Having a sound financial future isn’t easy, necessarily, but it’s not impossible either. In this blog, we’ll look at a few useful tips that’ll push you in the right direction.

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Job Security

Everything might be all well and good right now, but what about the future? It’s worthwhile taking a second look at your job security, because it’s possible that your position isn’t quite as secure as you thought it was. The next decade is going to see drastic changes in the workplace. The rise of automation and AI will cut around 40% of positions, it is estimated. There’s not much you can do to prevent that, but you can at least ensure that you’re not taken by surprise.

Invest In Yourself

And what do you do if you think your job might be at risk? You can invest in yourself. Sometimes, you can have to spend more to make money. Taking courses that’ll allow you to apply for the better-paying jobs is one of the best moves you can make, even if your job isn’t under threat. Studies have shown that there’s a strong correlation between a person’s level of education and the amount of money they earn. You could study for a master’s degree, or simply top-up with a course. If your job is under threat, then you could even retrain for an entirely new career. Don’t forget: you’re never too old to do something new. 

Get What’s yours

There’s a lot of money out there in the world, and one of the best ways to secure your family’s financial future is to simply get what’s rightfully yours. Are you leaving money on the table somewhere? If you’ve been involved in an accident, then personal injury attorneys can ensure you get compensation. Or it could be that you haven’t received a salary increase in years, in which case, isn’t it about time that you speak to your boss? There could also be tax breaks and other benefits that you’re not making the most of, either.

Investing

While it’s important to save money, it’s important that you’re not just leaving your money sitting in the bank all the time. You can put your money to work. What about investing, for example? This is a way to get your money to increase over time. Of course, this isn’t something that you should just jump into. Things may go wrong if you do that. Read up on what you’re investing in, or put it in the hands of an auto investor service.

Putting Your Academic Foot First

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In the past, it was possible to leave school at the age of sixteen and get a job straight away and work your way up the career ladder. However, nowadays this is extremely unlikely and you will find it very rare to come across someone who is able to gain a credible career this way. In this current day and age, it is essential to put your academic foot first and get a university degree.

Of course, there are some careers whereby you can graduate from school - whether a physical school or one of the online high schools - and walk straight into a trainee position. It does really depend on what career you want to have.

However, it is worth considering the current economic climate. Because of the recession, a lot of people have been made redundant and jobs are extremely hard to come by. Therefore, you need to make sure you have something that makes you stand out from other individuals and a university degree is just that. In fact, when it comes to most jobs you will not even be considered for the role if you do not have some sort of further education in your locker. 

A university degree in any field will give you a great platform to further yourself in life and get a great job and obviously consequently earn money. In this day and age it really is the only way to go, so put your academic foot first and better yourself for the future. 

Keeping your options open at university

If you want to further your education but you are not one hundred per cent sure what you want to do in the future this is not necessarily a big problem and it should by no means deter you from applying and going to college or university.

You need to research and think about what you can really see yourself doing, instead of trying to pick a job for the future, you should rule out jobs that you certainly can not see yourself doing. This will eliminate any options that are one hundred per cent not suited to you. Once you have done so you can then take into careful consideration all of the options left.

Obviously the chances are that you will not be left with just one course you want to study because if this was the case you would not have had the problem deciding in the first place. Instead, you will probably have a few potential options. Now what you should do is try to find a course that entails as many aspects of the choices you have picked as possible. For example, if you have decided you like the idea of advertising, but you also like the possibility of managing events, and perhaps even public relations, then the best option for you would probably be a business-related course that allows you to specialise in something later on. This gives you time to think about what you really want whilst acquiring other key skills.

Create High End Interiors Without The High End Budget

 

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We all want to create a home that we can truly be ourselves in. But how often do you find yourself browsing through Pinterest or the latest interior design magazine and lusting after all those beautifully put together homes? Then you check your bank balance and realize you’ll have to stick to just looking on in envy.

With a bit of research and creativity, you can make your home more stylish than you ever imagined. 

1. Use the voucher sites 

Sign up to some of the better-known voucher sites and you’ll receive emails with all of the latest deals every day. Products on there are sold with up to 75% off and you can find many great brands. You can find furniture, garden accessories from Frontera.com, home furnishings and linens on these sites. 

Products stocks are usually limited and sell out fast so get ready to pounce on an offer when you see it. 

2. Use furniture hacks

YouTube and Pinterest are filled with inspiration on turning basic items of furniture into unique centerpieces for your home. You may have to roll your sleeves up and get into DIY mode, but you’ll save yourself a lot of money. 

3. Look for high street dupes

Designer items often end up inspiring products sold elsewhere, usually for a lot less money. So if you see something you love, but can’t justify the price tag, then do a little digging and you’ll find something almost identical elsewhere.

4. Be your own interior designer

Some people have a great eye for interior design. They know exactly which colours and products work together. If you don’t have that talent, or the patience to come up with the perfect look for your home, then hiring an interior designer might seem like your only option.  It doesn’t need to be. You can study interior design techniques through online courses. Many of them are very inexpensive, and you’ll get an inside look at what an interior designer thinks about when creating the perfect home. 

An easier option? Copy a style you like. Those magazines you’ve been looking at, they are already styled by an interior designer. The hard work has already been done for you. Just copy it, making any tweaks your need to along the way. 

5. Look for pre-loved items 

How often have you seen someone throw out old furniture when they’re redecorating, only to think ‘that’s really nice’. Well, why not give a pre-loved item a home? There are many places online that you find free or cheap furniture.  Often, the furniture has some history to it, meaning that there won’t be too many of them around. 

Final thoughts

Not many people have the budget to hire an interior designer. Yet we all want our homes to reflect our personality and sense of style. When our budgets don’t match our aspirations, it’s easy to get discouraged, but by following some of these tips, you can make your money go much further and create a truly stylish home. 

3 Outdoor Event Essentials

 

Most people love getting together with their family and friends to celebrate different occasions or simply because the weather is nice and they want to have a gathering. Like all events, outdoor parties take preparation and planning to go smoothly.

1. Music

Music can serve many purposes at a gathering. It can be useful as background noise while people eat and socialize and does not have to be turned up too loud at any point. At more lively events, it can become more prominent as people are encouraged to dance or sing karaoke. Having a live band play can be fun too, so check out stage rental prices Nashville TN to get a quote.

2. Food

One of the most important things to do when planning an event is to consider the food. Guests should be asked if they have any dietary needs and accommodated if possible. The menu can match the theme of the event to make it feel more cohesive. There are many great ideas for food that can match any type of event, from a circus theme to an underwater motif. The spread can be as fancy or as simple as desired; the most important thing to remember is that there should be enough for everyone in attendance.

3. Seating

Even if people will be milling around and interacting or dancing for much of the time, there should still be adequate seating should the majority of people decide to sit down at the same time. Chairs can also serve as a place for guests to place jackets, hats or other items without having to take up space on tables or be carried the whole time.

Spending time with family members and friends can be a great way to relax after a long day. Hosting an outdoor event may take some work, but it can be a rewarding experience for everyone involved.