5 Christmas Catastrophes -- And How to Avoid Them

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Christmas, as we all know, is the most wonderful time of the year. But despite all the holiday cheer, it can also be a minefield of potential stress over delicate family situations and gift-giving etiquette. Here are just some of the scenarios you may be dealing with – and how to handle them:

Sorting a Secret Santa

Many of us take part in a Secret Santa with co-workers or friends at this time of year, but knowing what to get can be tricky. Making a standout Secret Santa gift needs some research. If you aren’t that close to the person, tap up people who are for clues on their interests and what they may like. If you’re connected on social media, look at their feed for clues as to how they spend their spare time and what they enjoy doing.

Renovating Your Country Home—Give it a Rustic Style and Feel

 Renovating your home is a great way to add some extra personality and style to your living space. So if you're looking to give your country home a rustic makeover, we've got some great tips for you! This blog post will discuss the different ways you can renovate your home to give it a rustic feel, provide guidance and focus on everything from flooring and furniture to decor and lighting. So if you're ready to give your country home a facelift, read on for some inspiration and fun ideas for you and the family!

1) Flooring

The flooring is key when it comes to giving your home a rustic feel. For the ultimate country look, opt for wood flooring made from natural materials such as oak or pine. Wood will not only add charm and character to your home but also provide warmth and texture. If wooden flooring isn't an option, vinyl planks are an affordable alternative. Vinyl planks come in a variety of styles and can mimic the look of real wood at a fraction of the cost. Floors can make or break the ambiance of a room, take your time to choose what to do.

2) Furniture

Choose furniture pieces that have been crafted with traditional techniques like hand-carving or woodworking—these types of furniture items will help create a cosy atmosphere in your country home. Sturdy wooden dining tables, chairs and cabinets are popular choices that will stand the test of time and give your home a timeless, rustic look.

The Real Cost of a Kansas City Pogo Pass

 

Over on this blog post where I rant and rave about how much we have loved our Pogo Passes for years, I mentioned that so far this year (2022) we have been to the Jazz Museum, ROKC, Kansas City Zoo Boo at the Zoo, and the Beach at Lake Olathe, which would have cost $57 alone just for those 4 places. 

Pogo Passes are good for one full year from redemption, normally cost $80, but you can get them for just $35 using my referral code and doing it during the Pogo Pass Black Friday Sale, and here's the current list below with prices from lowest to highest in Kansas City alone. You can also see my graphic above. Lower prices are if you're a resident of Olathe or Jackson/Clay county, purchase online. I created the graph based on a 5-year-old child, a 14-year-old teen, and an adult. Links to venues are below and also on the Pogo Pass site! 

Don't live in Kansas City or want to purchase for someone else in another spot? Traveling within the next year? You can get passes to Dallas/Ft. Worth, South Central Texas, Phoenix, and Las Vegas!

1. American Jazz Museum ($6-10)
2. Beach at Lake Olathe ($8 resident/$10 nonresident)
3. Black Bob Bay Waterpark ($10 resident/$12 nonresident)
4. Fort Osage National Historic Landmark ($4-8)
5. Kansas City Zoo ($8.50-20)
6. KC Mavericks hockey games -- 2 ($12 general admission? Reserve in advance through the Pogo Pass site, then Events.)
7. Level Up Arena 2-hour gaming pass ($10)
8. My Play Cafe ($10 ages 6 months to 6 years)
9. Negro Leagues Baseball Museum ($6-10)
10. Northland Rolladium Skate Center (complicated fee structure depending on the day/time of day and sometimes includes skates/sometimes not; $6-10)
11. Powell Gardens ($4-10)
12. Prairie Fire Museum ($5)
13. Pump it Up ($? open play; temporarily closed while they move)
14. Rainbow of the Heartland ($10 open play)
15. ROKC Climbing Gym ($18 for a day pass, which includes gym equipment)
16. Science City ($14.50)
17. UMKC sports events -- 1 ticket to each: men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, women's volleyball ($10 each)
18. Wonderscope ($12 ages 2-15, $9 over age 15)

Also check out 33 Things to do Indoors with Kids in Kansas City!

Your Guide to Home Maintenance: A Checklist for Every Season

 No one likes to deal with repairs, but they are a necessary part of life. Whether you're a new homeowner or have been living in your home for years, it's essential to develop a routine maintenance checklist and stick to it. In this blog post, we will provide an overview of the different types of maintenance that need to be carried out regularly, as well as tips on staying organized and keeping track of everything. Let's get started!

Photo by Ksenia Chernaya

Understanding Home Maintenance

There are two main types of home maintenance: routine and preventative. Routine maintenance, as the name implies, is a regular task that needs to be carried out regularly (usually annually or biannually) to keep your house in good condition. This can include checking the roof for any damage, cleaning gutters and drains, inspecting exterior walls for signs of wear and tear, testing smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, etc.

Preventative maintenance is a bit more involved—it's about taking proactive measures to reduce the chances of significant repairs down the line. These tasks might include changing air filters regularly, replacing plumbing fixtures that have become worn out over time, replacing old windows with energy-efficient ones, and much more. Unfortunately, home plumbing typically gives more issues than anything else in and around a house. So, having a plumber in your back pocket is always a good idea, and Cathedral Plumbing is one plumbing company that will never disappoint you.

Helping Our Children Eat Healthier for Little Extra Money

 

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All parents want the best for their children. But of course, it’s not always feasible (or sometimes truly necessary) to give ‘the best’ in all things. For instance, it might be that goose eggs are some of the tastiest and largest eggs you can buy, but instead of finding the right purveyor to order them from, odds are you’re happy with free-range chicken eggs to fry and place on toast for them in the morning. This isn’t ‘the best,’ as a pedantic person might point out, but it’s certainly good enough.

This makes us wonder - especially as it relates to food - could we ensure our children eat better and more healthily at home without overextending ourselves in the kitchen, or spending that much more on our grocery bill? Times are tough for many people at the moment, so spending more on a higher quality supermarket may not be feasible, nor may purchasing or growing everything fresh be a realistic part of our lifestyle.

While that kind of best may not be available, you can certainly do the best you can. Let’s see how to go about that: