Stay at Home Wife and Mother

Home and Family from a SAHWM's Perspective

3 Ideas to Keep Your Kids Off Their Screens This Summer

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Summer is a great time to experience family bonding, but with the increased popularity in tablets, it can be difficult to get kids away from screen time. The kids are out of school, and you want to keep them active, but finding an activity that everyone enjoys isn’t easy. Try one of these ideas to get your kids up and moving this summer.

1. Backyard Camping

Backyard camping can be done as a twist for a sleepover party, or you can do this activity as a family. Pitch a tent, grab some flashlights and be ready to tell scary stories. You can even set up a small fire pit to roast marshmallows on.

2. At Home Cooking Classes

If the weather outside isn’t cooperating, you can try an indoor cooking class with your kids. This can involve making their own pizza, baking cupcakes or teaching them about different healthy options. Just make sure your air conditioner is working right to keep you cooled off in a hot kitchen. You can always call an AC company Harris County TX to come check it out if need be.

3. Do it Yourself Water Park

Taking your kids to a water park is always fun, but it can get expensive to go on a regular basis. Creating your own water park at home can be a great alternative. You’d be surprised how excited kids get just from you turning on the sprinklers. Usually, you can find slip n slides or other at home water inflatables for relatively cheap prices online or at one of your local stores.

You can find tons of other ideas online if you are looking to keep your kids off the screen as much as possible this summer. Buy some chalk or other outdoor crafts to get them into the sunshine. Talk to your neighbors and see if you can come up with a playdate system so that your children can interact with others, and you just might end up getting a small break this way.

What To Consider When Choosing a Dentist for Your Kids

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When you think of your last trip to the dentist, do you grimace or grin? While you may not feel strongly either way, it might be a completely different scenario for your kids. Good dental health is essential, and there’s no better way to ensure your kids’ teeth remain healthy than by fostering a good attitude about visiting the dentist while they’re still young. Choosing a great kids dentist Jacksonville can help with this.

Do You Need a Pediatric Dentist?

One of the first things you should consider is whether the practice you choose provides specialized pediatric dentistry. While most dentists can care for anyone, it’s a great idea to find a dentist who focuses on kids. Pediatric dentists are highly trained in how to deal with children in what could potentially be a nerve-wracking experience, and they are experts in pediatric dental health. A good pediatric dentist should be described as the following:

  • Friendly
  • Calm, but maybe a little funny
  • Able to communicate well with children
  • Patient

Does Ambiance Matter?

Just as it’s important to ensure your child’s dentist is friendly, you should also make sure the office is inviting. Adult dental offices can be stark and tame, but you’ll find pediatric dental offices are often colorful and aimed at making kids feel welcomed. Many dental office websites have photographs online to provide a glimpse into their ambiance. In your research, check to see if the office looks like it will make your child feel at ease. You’ll be thrilled to see many pediatric offices have toys and murals of fun animals. These touches may help make your child less fearful of dental visits.

What Services Should Be Offered?

Just like when you go to the dentist, your child’s visit should consist of standard dental hygienic practices. While a child’s first visit may likely just be focused on introducing them to dentistry, a kids’ dentist should offer X-rays, cleanings, fluoride treatments, and sedation. You should also find out what kind of emergency care is available.

You should have virtually no trouble picking out a kids dentist when keeping these things in mind. Making the right choice could help encourage a lifelong healthy attitude toward dental visits.

Jumping From Walk Benefits for Your Horse

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Most of the time when horses are jumping, they are jumping from either a gallop or a trot. While this is a great and easy way for the animal to make it over horse jump gates, it is not the most beneficial when it comes to maximizing exercise.

When a horse is forced to jump from a walk, there is no predetermined amount of speed going into the jump. By jumping from a walk, there is more strength demanded from their hindquarters. There is also the fact that the horse is taught to think before jumping and to be careful while doing so. This gives a much-needed sense of confidence to not only the horse but to the rider as well.

Studies have also shown that jumping from a walk over horse jump gates can help to relax a horse which is too excitable. A horse that cannot calm itself can actually be very dangerous to ride. By helping the horse to relax, the horse becomes safer to be around and becomes more of a joy to ride around.

Let your horse practice a few times before attempting to jump over horse jump gates while in a walk. If you force them to go all-out the first time around, you run the risk of injuring the horse and making them fearful to try the jump again. It is much better to ease into it so that there is a greater chance of a successful outcome.

As you can see, there are great reasons to try the jump from a walk with a horse. Why not let your horse exercise in the best way possible by letting them try jumping from a walk instead of the traditional way. They will thank you for it.

5 Surprising Things Your Homeowners Insurance Can Protect

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Law often requires homeowners insurance if you are still paying on your mortgage, but you probably did not know that the policy could cover much more than just the physical building of your home. Here are five surprising things your homeowners insurance can protect.

Your Home

You probably know your home is covered by your homeowners insurance Lodi CA, but did you know that all attached structures could be included in that coverage? That can include decks, garages, and storage bungalows.

Your Family

Sometimes the unexpected happens, and another person’s property can become damaged by you or one of your family members. When this happens, the liability clause in your insurance policy can help pay legal fees and medical bills.

Your Friends

If you have guests visiting your home and one of them is accidentally injured while on your property, the guest and visitor medical protection in your insurance can help protect you from liability. The policy can often pay for any medical bills the guest incurs due to the injury.

Your Property

When structures are not attached to your home but are still considered part of your property, the other structures clause in your policy may cover them. The coverage could include replacement or repairs of fences, sheds, and barns.

Your Personal Items

When a covered loss occurs, such as theft, fire, or water damage, the items considered personal property can be covered under the personal property section of your insurance policy. This can include electronics, furniture, and clothing.

Having a homeowner’s insurance policy may not prevent you from dealing with a broken pipe or hailstone damage, but it can provide you with the security of knowing your home and belongings are protected if the unexpected occurs. Having insurance protection can help you get your house restored, and you and your family back into your home more quickly.

Enjoy Your Backyard More With a Few Simple Additions

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People often view their homes as a haven from the world, a place of safety and comfort for themselves and their families. Frequently, so much time and effort is spent on designing the indoor spaces that it can be easy to run out of motivation – and ideas for the out of doors. However, a backyard can become a stimulating and invigorating extension of your home by implementing a couple of simple ideas.

A Sense of Privacy

Most people enjoy grilling with family and friends, but not necessarily being watched by neighbors while doing it. Tall wooden fences would certainly do the trick, but you may find it cozier and less costly to surround a smaller area with a wood or stucco gazebo or patio enclosure where you can grill in relative privacy. Get creative and add some interest and artistic flair with a decorative fire screen near the grill or fire pit.

Somewhere to Sit

After a bit of active fun, family members and any friends that may be visiting your home need a comfortable place to sit and relax. Sit in a chair before buying – If you don’t feel comfortable, chances are your guests won’t want to sit and visit either. Choose seating with washable cushions. You may find pieces that recline, rock or swivel, or have wide arms where a drink and plate of food can rest securely.

Options for Activities

Make a place in the yard where family can readily find something to do. A tree house is a great option and can last into the kids’ teen years and beyond. Set up areas where adults can enjoy a game of horseshoes or lawn darts. Purchase or build a large bench where the various required equipment can be stored close by.

Add pots of colorful flowers or some hanging plants – maybe even a gnome or two. However you package it, the outdoor space can be enjoyed by your family as much as the indoors and provide opportunities for making great memories.

Learning a Musical Instrument: Rent or Buy?

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Learning to play a musical instrument is like learning a new language: it’s easy to say that you want to; it’s harder to take the plunge and actually do it. Research shows that learning an instrument is good for your emotional and mental well-being; it can improve your memory and can even help treat certain learning disorders. Whether you’re just getting started or picking it up again after a long break, acquiring an instrument is an investment of money as well as time. You’ll need to decide whether you’re going to buy your instrument or rent it.

Benefits of Buying

Practically speaking, owning your own instrument means that you can learn and play in the comfort of your own home. All instruments have their little quirks, and the best way to learn those quirks is by practicing. Be aware that owning your own instrument can be expensive, especially if you’re new to music. The more complicated your instrument, the more upkeep it requires. Ownership means that you’re responsible for all its care and maintenance. Make sure to find a store that does instrument repair Boston or your nearest major city before making such a purchase.

Benefits of Renting

Renting is especially common for young students taking music classes in school, and for people who only plan to play at special occasions like weddings or parties. Instruments are expensive; if you’re not certain whether this instrument is right for you, renting might be the more cost-effective option. However, thinking long-term, the cost of renting may just be something to add to the eventual cost of buying.

Well Worth It

Whether you’re a student in a school band or orchestra, or an adult taking up music for the first time, there are countless perks to learning an instrument. If you stick with it, the benefits will be well worth the cost.

Light Your Landscape From the Ground

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If you have a yard that’s dark or dimly lit at night, then you know the unpleasant feeling of not knowing what you might be stepping on or what might be lurking around the corner. The clear solution to this uncertainty is to install landscape lighting overland park. Moreover, if you want to light up your yard without hanging lights on strings or exterior walls, then consider the following options for lighting your landscape from the ground.

Lights in the Ground

In-ground lights are a great way to light up your yard without obstructing passage. One can use these lights to light up a walkway with no risk of somebody tripping over them. In-ground lights are also a great way to highlight landscape features such as fountains or statues.

Lights Above the Ground

Bollard lights are another way to light up your yard. Each light is mounted on a short, thick post. Bollard lights are especially useful if you’re trying to prevent people from stepping off the walkway and onto your freshly planted bed of impatiens, for example.

Lights Powered by the Sun

Solar path lights come in bollard and in-ground styles and are an increasingly popular form of landscape lighting. These lights convert the sun’s energy into electrical energy and are easy to install. However, they tend not to be very bright, so they’re most suitable for marking an area without calling undue attention to it. You might use solar lights to mark the border of your driveway. You’ll have your headlights on while driving at night anyway, and the solar lights will serve to guide you to the driveway without showcasing it.

These are just a few of the things you can do with lights that illuminate from below. You’ll find yourself enjoying evenings in your yard much more often with landscape lighting that is functional and attractive.