Frugal living

Is Your Career Holding You Back from Having a Good Relationship with Your Kids?

The times when families could live off one salary and mothers could simply stay at home, looking after their family are over. You might spend more time at the office than at home, especially if you have to commute long hours to work. There are certain things you have to consider before you have kids and make them a promise to be there all the time. Your career choices are among these.

Your Shifts and Schedules

If you are working in the catering industry, or would like to improve your career in health care, you can get better shifts and improve your work-life balance at the same time. There are certain benefits if you embark on a training program, apart from a promotion and a pay rise. For example, if you are looking for the answer to the question why pursue dnp qualifications, you will find plenty of perks that can come with your new role you can get if you are qualified.

Your Job Satisfaction

If you simply feel like you are not happy with what you are doing every day and you are always stressed, underappreciated, it will have a negative impact on your relationships with your family members. Make sure that you are able to do the job that makes you happy and allows you to close the office door behind you, so you can switch off and concentrate on the needs of your loved ones. After all, you will need to be able to find the balance between your personal life and your work if you want to be happier.

Value Alignment

Before you start any change in your life, it is important that you are aware of what matters to you the most. If you have to look after your loved ones and want to ensure that you are there for them when they need you the most, or you have to care for a sick or long term ill family member, you will need to consider it as one of your main priorities. If you want to devote time to your hobbies or educate yourself, you should also make the most out of your free time.

Your Weekends

Spending time with the kids during the weekends is another thing you have to set as one of your priorities. If your current shifts don’t allow you to do it, or you have to catch up on office work at home, you should definitely make a career change. You will probably not realize how precious the times you missed were until it is too late, and your kids have grown up and don’t want to spend time with you any more.

Your Financial Goals

Is your job allowing you to take the kids on family vacations and give them the experience in life they deserve? If you constantly feel overworked and underpaid, it might be time to look elsewhere. After all, it is not all about the money, but having the financial background helps you make the most out of your time with your kids.

If you want to focus more on your family and build a good relationship with your kids, it might be time for a career change.

Ways to Avoid Expensive Car Repairs

Is there anything worse than a car repair? Those cars of ours help us get to where we are going. It’s a real bummer whenever they break down on us. However, as much as you hate your vehicle breaking down on you from time to time, there are ways to avoid expensive car repairs. Check out some of these ways you can avoid those repairs.

Oil Change Every 3 Months

No matter what, get that oiled changed. Some say 3,000 miles and some say 3 months. Oil is the lifeblood of your vehicle. Your vehicle needs it to stay going strong. You can avoid expensive car repairs by making sure the oil gets changed at least every 3 months.

Take Care of Your Vehicle

Some people don’t take care of their vehicle at all and then they wonder why it’s not working. Well, it’s kind of like your body, you don’t take care of it and it will break down. Take care of your vehicle by taking it into the shop when it has an issue, and your vehicle will last a whole lot longer.

Go with a Car Mechanic You Trust

No one wants to believe it, but there are mechanics out there who don’t care about your vehicle. In order to avoid expensive car repairs, go with a car mechanic that you trust. By going with a mechanic that you trust, you’re avoiding the chance of them doing something wrong. Sure, mechanics make mistakes from time to time, but you don’t want someone sabotaging your vehicle on purpose.

Keep Up With Your Vehicle

As soon as something goes wrong with your vehicle, get it looked at. You really don’t want to spend waiting in between repairs. By keeping up with your vehicle now, you will avoid expensive repairs later. For example, your car starts making a squeaky sound, take care of it now, rather than later. Be sure to check out Barkau Automotive for all of your car buying needs.

When it comes to avoiding expensive car repairs, do you have any tips to add?

Ways to Save on Rental Cars

When you have to travel, you may not want to put extra miles on your own vehicle or you may just need some extra seats and room. Maybe you are waiting for your car to get repaired and need a rental in the meantime. Whatever the reason for getting a rental car, you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg getting one. Here are several ways to save on rental cars:

Use a Rental Car During the Week:

Most people don’t travel or use rental cars during the Monday thru Thursday time period. This means you can get radical discounts on rental cars during the week. If you are traveling, try to travel during the week. If you need to get your car repaired, make sure it’s not on the weekend to save on your rental car.

Use Discount Sites:

Many sites like Travelocity, Kayak, and Priceline offer deals for bundling up your trips with a rental car and even offer discounted rates just for getting a rental car. Never pay full price for your rental, avoid airport hustles, and look for your deals online. If you can pick up and drop off your rental at the same location it will be cheaper for you in the end, but sometimes it just isn’t possible.

Promo it Up:

You no longer have to wait for the Sunday paper to come in the mail to get a promo or coupon. Hop online and look for promo codes and coupons that can go straight to your phone. When it comes to saving money, there is a slew of coupon sites and promo codes offering a certain percentage off of your car rental.

Stick to Off Brand Vehicles:

The type of car you drive may put you in a whole new class. Let’s face it; a Mustang, BMW, or another upscale car is going to run top dollar on rental fees. Avoid the upscale cars and stick to the off brands like Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep.

When it comes to your car rental, never pay full price because there is always a deal waiting for you somewhere else. What other ways have you found to save money on your car rental ?

Be sure to check out your local dealerships too, like MoranstChryslerDodgeJeep for all of your rental needs.

A Beginner’s Guide to Cooking With CBD

Cooking with CBD is becoming increasingly popular due to its associated health benefits. Cooking or baking with CBD oil can seem difficult for first-timers, but you’ll be adjusting recipes and creating your own in no time.

Whether you’re craving something sweet or savory, here are some easy ways to incorporate CBD oil into your daily diet and why you should consider it.

What is CBD and what does it do?

CBD (short for “cannabidiol”) comes from cannabis, the same plant used for marijuana and hemp. While some products of the cannabis plant can get you high, CBD does not — it’s a natural healing remedy and does not contain any THC. After extraction from the cannabis plant, CBD is typically diluted with carrier oils, such as coconut or olive oil.

Research shows that incorporating CBD oil into your diet can help relieve chronic pain by reducing joint inflammation. CBD can also improve sleep quality and has anti-anxiety and antidepressant effects. CBD is thought to activate serotonin production in the brain, and it even has the potential to slow and reduce the spread of cancer cells in the body.

How do you cook with it?

Recipes that incorporate CBD oil are primarily focused on sweets because of CBD’s inherent bitterness. Before using CBD in cooking, it’s recommended that you infuse the oil with a fat or oil-base ingredient, like butter. If you’ve never cooked with CBD before, start small — the taste of CBD oil is strong and it’s easy to use too much of it. It’s better to remake the recipe with a larger amount of CBD if you like it than to waste oil.

If you haven’t bought CBD oil before, you should do some research before spending any money. There are different brands and types of CBD to try out. Try starting out with something like Receptra CBD, which shows batch and potency information. Scientists and doctors consider CBD safe for human consumption due to a lack of serious side effects. However, it’s still a good idea to research the products you buy and ask a doctor if you have any doubts about incorporating CBD into your diet.

Basic recipes

Now that you’re familiar with all the benefits of CBD oil, how do you start? To test out different kinds of dosages without wasting too much time on preparing your food, try incorporating CBD oil into your smoothies. There are a ton of smoothie recipes which include CBD oil as an ingredient, but you can always try making your own. Smoothies are also a great way to mask the bitter taste.

For something sweeter, try making CBD oil-infused chocolate chip cookies. All you have to do is choose your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and add half an ounce of unflavored CBD oil to each cup of softened butter. For the best results, mix your CBD and butter together before adding any other ingredients.

Another great recipe idea to try is CBD-infused guacamole. Start by mashing three pitted and peeled avocados together in a bowl, and add the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, CBD oil, and lime juice. A teaspoon of CBD oil is recommended to prevent the guacamole from becoming too runny. Again, make sure to mix all ingredients thoroughly. You can add your guacamole to tacos, burritos, or just eat it plain with chips.

Incorporating CBD oil into your diet has been associated with numerous health benefits. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different recipes to start experiencing the benefits of CBD. And if you really want to test your skills as a chef, try making your own recipes.

2019 has come at last and while it’s still January we know that Valentine’s Day will be here before we know it. When Liz was little we made lots of last-minute runs to town to pick up a package of Valentine’s Day cards. But over the years we have learned to make our own as well as help my nieces and nephews spread the good cheer. While I’m enjoying the holiday as Empty Nesters you do miss those traditions like doing Valentine’s Day cards.

Email us today to secure your spot in the Valentine’s Day Gift Guide.

We have lots of great packages for you to choose from and each one has its own benefits as well as exposure for your brand! If you don’t see something you want, please let us know and we will work out a package just for you!

Check out all of our wonderful Valentine’s Day Themed printables and more!

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Valentine’s Day Gift Guide 2019

Teach My Products

Teach My are makers of award-winning learning tools that help your child get a head start! Our products teach babies, toddlers and preschoolers the basic skills, things like; the alphabet, colors, shapes, numbers, reading and even math! Our aim is to encourage early learning, parent-child interaction, self-esteem and help children to develop fine motor skills and excellent hand-eye coordination. Bond. Teach. Play… 20 minutes a day!

Coffee lover? Check out our Coffee Gift Guide that is updated regularly with new and fun things coffee lovers will love.

One of my latest fun finds includes the Melitta Pour-Over Coffee Maker. This durable, shatter-resistant Pour-Over is great for the coffee lover on the go. Made out of Tritan™ material, this design allows for gourmet coffee in just minutes, whether from a hotel room or the top of a mountain. $14.99

“Choosing a gift for Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be stressful. In fact, it can be easy and extra special if you add a personal touch. People think that personalization is expensive and takes a long time but we’ve perfected the model to make it fast, easy and affordable. We’ve introduced some fun romantic gifts and those that just say I love you so that you can spread the love on cupid’s day,” said Jim Tuchler, founder of Giftsforyounow.com

From customized apparel to personalized picture frames, each product is one-of-a-kind and is sure to exceed the expectations of your loved ones. The Valentine’s Day collection is full of options for friends, lovers, family or any special person in your life:

• Home Décor – from adorable “His & Her” throw pillows and pillowcases to custom picture frames and garden flags. Prices start at $22

• Home Accents – from acrylic keepsakes to engraved “I love you” puzzle pieces to custom coffee mugs. Prices start at $17

• Toys/Stuffed Animals– cozy teddy bears that can be customized with your loved one’s name. Prices start at $28

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