Keeping An Eye On Eye Health As We Age

Like just about the rest of us, our eyes can start to get a little funky as we get older, and can begin playing up on us in new and not-so-exciting ways. Your eyes are the keys to one of the most important senses of all and, as such, it’s important to be aware of what can affect them and how you can protect them.

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Mind your screens

One of the dangers that are relatively unique to modern life is our exposure to blue light. This type of light is predominantly produced by digital screens, including your PC or laptop monitor and your smartphone. This blue light leads to digital eye strain, which can lead to discomfort, dehydration, and even endanger your vision.

A healthy body leads to healthy eyes

By taking care of our bodies, we’re taking better care of our eyes. People who are less active, for instance, are more likely to experience vision loss as they age, so finding time to exercise is crucial. So, too, is ensuring that you eat foods that can reduce the chances of developing macular degeneration, like dark leafy greens, carrots, wild salmon, and turkey. You need to give your body the nutrients it needs to fuel the eyes.

Irritation and dryness are a serious risk, too

Dryness and irritation of the eyes can be caused by all kinds of issues. Getting dust and dirt particles in the eyes can lead to irritation. Blue light, as mentioned, can lead your eyes to dry out. It might present as just irritation alone, but you might also get more than normal eye discharge. This might not mean you’re at risk of losing your sight, but it can definitely get in the way of your ability to function normally, but it can be treated with eye drops.

Take care after injury

If you have had an eye injury due to trauma or due to getting something stuck in your eye, then it can lead to genuinely dangerous conditions. An untreated eye infection can lead to a corneal ulcer, which causes pain, swelling, and other painful symptoms, and can also lead to total vision loss if not treated. If your eye is painful, red, swollen, or produces thick discharge, make sure you see a doctor immediately.

Organize that vision test

If you want to make sure that you’re taking care of your eyes and protecting your vision, then you need to know how good your vision is in the first place. Schedule an appointment with your optometrist to get the low-down on your eye-health. They will help you layout a schedule of when to get your eyes tested and help you address any changes in vision loss. Early detection is essential, as treating changes in your vision early can stop it from changing further.

We need to protect our eyes as we age. Not only can we help ensure the health of our sight as time goes on, but we can live a much more comfortable life if we’re not always dealing with dry, irritated eyes, too.

Getting Out Of Debt Without Declaring Bankruptcy: 3 Essential Actions

Are you drowning in debt? If so, bankruptcy may seem like the life raft that you so desperately need. However, there are significant disadvantages to declaring bankruptcy, including the fact that it can leave a nasty stain on your credit score for years. Bankruptcy can even impact your employability, and so your the opportunity to earn and stay out of debt in the future. Fortunately, there are some strategies for getting out of debt that do not require taking such a drastic step. Read on to find out what they are. 

Reduce your outgoings 

If you are to get in control of your debt, the first thing you need to do is to reduce your outgoings. The reason for this is if you have less to pay out for, more of your money can be spent on clearing your debts. 

In fact, there are two things you can do that will help you here. First of all, set a limit for all the essentials you need to spend money on during the month. Such as groceries, utilities, travel, and the like. In fact, you will often find that by doing this, you will start to think more carefully about what you are purchasing and therefore spend less.

Secondly, it's also vital that you don't allow yourself to get into any more debt during this time. Otherwise, you will be just making things much more difficult for yourself. With that in mind, do not take out any credit or loans or invest in any large purchases unless absolutely necessary. 

Debt relief

Of course, even with more money coming in and less going out, clearing your debts completely can be tricky. Especially if things have gotten really out of control. The good news is that there are options available apart from declaring bankruptcy. 

One of these is to choose to consolidate your loans. This involves working with a provider that will buy up all of your debts. They will then put them all together into a single sum. The advantage of this is that they can offer a more favourable rate, and it's much easier to keep track of your debts. Something that means you won't end up incurring fines and fees for late or missed payments. 

The other debt relief option to consider is an attorney negotiated debt settlement. This is when an attorney negotiates a significant reduction in your debts without bankruptcy. In fact, this can be a beneficial option for many people. This is because it allows them to get their debts into a manageable position without increasing all the disadvantages of full bankruptcy.

Increase your income 

Another smart move is to increase the money coming into your household. In fact, the more you have coming in, the faster you can use it to pay off your debt. 

Fortunately, there are many ways that you can generate extra income and so avoid bankruptcy. From starting a side hustle to taking on additional overtime. Many people even choose to lease out spare rooms in their homes or other properties they own for this purpose. Something that can help them to raise the additional funds they need without going into bankruptcy. 

Tips To Avoid Being Fined On The Road

When driving on the road, you don’t want to intentionally cause any problems while you’re in the driver’s seat. However, there’s one element of driving that can often leave a bad taste in your mouth, and that’s being fined. Here are some tips to avoid being fined on the road.

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Don’t Use Your Phone

Remember that your phone is a distraction and whether you have it on your lap or you’re using it to call people, even hands-free, it poses a danger. You can also get fined for using your phone while driving if you’re spotted by a speed camera or police on patrol. For the sake of your safety and that of others, it’s important that you don’t use your phone when you’re on the road. Try to switch it off when you’re driving or at least have it out of the way so that you’re not distracted. It’s helpful to have it on silent, and if you’re trying to use it as a Sat Nav, then it’s worth turning off your notifications so that you don’t have them constantly popping up on your phone.

Always Be On The Lookout For Speed Limits

Speed limits can always be a problem when you’re on the road because they are likely to change quite often. It’s important that when you’re driving, you are always keeping an eye on your speed, even when you’re familiar with an area. If you’re driving in a new area then you might want to consider looking up the roads you’ll be driving on or the route you’re taking and highlight those areas where your speed will need to change. You can tailor reminders on your phone or Sat Nav to alert you when necessary.

This is important because speeding is one offense that can land you in a lot of trouble. In some cases, this is one of the easiest ways you can possibly lose your license, and that’s the last thing you want. In some rare instances, you can get out of things using a hardship license, but not everyone can, and it’s not something you should bank on as you are driving. It is far better to simply drive safely, pay attention to the speed limits, and ensure that you are not going above them at all.

Use A Professional Service If Fined

Getting fined is annoying, especially when you feel like you’ve been put in a situation where you didn’t deserve it. There are ways to challenge the fines, and one of these might be to fight your traffic ticket using a professional service. It’s better to have a company or individual on your side that can help you in being more successful. Do have a look online to see who could help and go for one that’s highly reputable within its industry.

Check Your Vehicle Before Driving

It’s always a good idea to check your vehicle every time before you go on your travels. It doesn’t need to be anything extensive as it could be just a quick check to see all the lights are working and that your tires are well pumped. It’s simple checks that could stop you from getting fined while on the road. The taillights are something to always check as these can often go out without you knowing.

Being fined on the road is something you certainly want to avoid as much as possible. With that in mind, try to make all the necessary changes to stop yourself from falling into a trap that’s going to cost you a lot of money.

3 Amazing Benefits Of Homeschooling Your Children

Recently, I published an article on homeschooling during COVID-19. It contains lots of information on what you can do to teach your kids while they’re stuck at home. However, I realized that a lot of people are experiencing homeschooling for the first time. As such, you may start to wonder if this has a future for you even when schools open again. You might have already started seeing a few benefits compared to the school teaching system. 

Well, the truth is that homeschooling can be extremely good for your kids. If you’re on the fence about whether or not you’ll carry on after this pandemic, then here are a few of the advantages you will see: 

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Control over the teaching methods

A drawback of the schooling system is that you have absolutely no control over how your kids are taught. Teachers within schools have their own methods, and while some schools may call upon the latest teaching technology, others are stuck in the past. This is a problem as the way your kids are taught will determine how engaged they are. If the methods don’t suit their specific learning style, then they’re missing out. When you teach at home, you control the methods at play. This allows you to tailor lessons to your child based on their learning style. As a result, they’ll get far more out of your teaching than they would at school.

Dedicated attention

Similarly, homeschooling puts your child in a unique position where they are the center of attention. Granted, if you have multiple kids, then you’ll have to distribute your attention across all of them. Still, there will always be way fewer kids at home than in a school. Some school classes are big and have around 30 students in. How will your child get the attention they need in a class that big!? It’s impossible, but you can provide as much attention as they need all the time. This means you can pick up on things they’re struggling with and make them feel more supported. Again, this can help them flourish. 

A more flexible approach to lessons

Most kids struggle with the strictness of school. It’s incredibly hard to concentrate for an hour at a time, only to move on to another lesson after that hour. This is why kids look forward to recess all the time. In effect, they’re constantly subdued and distracted when they’re supposed to be studying. Homeschooling puts you in charge of the schedule, meaning you can take a more flexible approach. This means shorter periods of learning, more breaks, and a schedule that appeals to your child. In turn, this can help your child concentrate for longer and stay focused on their work. 

All in all, homeschooling puts you in a position to take control of your child’s education. Instead of putting them through a system that takes a very general approach to teaching, you can create a school program that’s specifically designed for your child. It will bring out their strengths and allow them to truly reach their potential.

11 Ways to Keep Your Kids Busy and Maintain Your Sanity While Quarantined!

As plans are cancelled daily due to the COVID-19 virus, we are all feeling a little disoriented. I truly believe that boredom can be a gift for our kids because it forces them to get creative (and get along!). It never hurts to put a few fun suggestions in front of them to get them started, so some of the following ideas kids can do on their own and some you’ll want to get involved in.

1.     Lego Masters. Break out the Legos because kids of all ages can get in on this one. Start by taking turns tossing out ideas for things to build (if you’re stuck, there are some great ideas for printable cards online). For example, you might tell the kids to build a refrigerator, then everyone tries their best to build that. Everyone’s creation will be different, so it’s not really a competition, but it’s fun seeing what everyone comes up with! Then pop some popcorn and turn on Lego Masters (Hulu).

2.     Art show. Kids love to draw and color! I have tons of artwork on my fridge, but how about REALLY showcasing their special artwork of the day? All you need is a long piece of thin rope or yarn hung from one end of a room to another. Then hang finished pictures using clothespins, pretend you’re having a grand gala opening, serve some snacks and you have an art show! (Bonus activity: get some canvases, paint and a variety of paintbrushes and you have art to hang on your wall that can be switched out with other pieces they’ve created.)

3.     Restaurant. I loooove when my kids play restaurant because I get to be the diner sitting at the table reading my book while they serve me different foods and drinks! They get to play waiters, hostesses, managers and cooks (depending on age and what they are making, of course, but what a great opportunity to do some cooking and/or baking with them as well!). 

4.     Play-dough. This one just takes a few minutes of your help and then the kids are off on their own, creating for hours. You could always just buy the stuff, but here’s a simple recipe, as well. Pair with a rolling pin and cookies cutters for even more fun!

1 cup flour
½ cup salt
1 cup water
1 T. oil
2 t. cream of tartar
Food coloring

Mix all ingredients except food coloring on low heat in a pan. Once the consistency is of play-dough, take pan off heat, let cool, then add food coloring a few drops at a time. Knead until the color is all mixed. Grab some cookie cutters and other kitchen items and let the fun begin! Store in air-tight containers or baggies.

5.     Write and illustrate a story. Kids are full of stories, but some aren’t old enough to write them down. That’s where you come in! Have each kid tell you a story that’s been running around in their mind and you can either write it out or type it. Then have your child illustrate it! If you’re creating the story on the computer, you can go to free photo sites like Pixabay to grab images for the story!

6.     Scavenger hunt. Take out a piece of paper and write down different items in the house on it (if you have two teams doing the scavenging, write the same items down on another piece of paper). Ideas include: a winter glove, a cotton swab, a doll shoe, a pie pan, etc. Now send the teams off and whoever gets back with the most items from the list first wins a prize.

7.     Board or other games. There are so many to choose from it’s insane! Depending on the ages of the kids and how much time you have, great games include: Clue, Bananagrams, Tenzi, One Night Ultimate Werewolf, Apples to Apples, Ticket to Ride and so many more!

8.     Play with your food. Break out the mini marshmallows and spaghetti noodles and have the kids construct creations like houses, bridges, towers and more! If you have rice around (and you should right now!), put a bag into a large baking pan and let the kids play around in it on the kitchen floor. Excess can be vacuumed up, and the rest can be put into a bag to play with later.

9.     Perler beads. You may know them as those things that go crunch when you vacuum, but kids recognize them as hours of fun! Using flat, plastic shapes with spikes, kids can create all sorts of things by placing Perler beads in different patterns. You can turn creations into necklaces, magnets, cool things to put inside school binders! Once the beads are in place, you’ll need to place parchment paper over them and iron on low until the beads melt together. Flip it over and do the other side, then they are stuck together and ready to go!

10.  Salon. This is another one of my favorites because I usually can get a 5-minute back or neck massage while playing this. It’s also a blast to have the kids do my makeup, wipe it all off and start again. Then I get to do their makeup or, for my boys, tattoos on their arms using washable markers. Then it’s time for a bubble bath for the kids to wash off makeup (and germs — for the parenting win!).

11.  Marco Polo. No, I’m not talking about the swimming pool game! I’m talking about the smartphone app that lets you leave video messages for friends and family. Depending on the age of your child, let them make all the video messages they want for their friends, and especially for grandparents! My own dad and grandma love to see what we’re up to each day indoors and in our backyard.