At the Fence

File Any parent will be familiar with the following conversation, usually held in hushed voices with a fellow parent: "I love him, I do. It's just... he will not eat what's good for him! I don't know what's wrong!" "Oh, I know. Mine are all like that. I've tried everything, but they're so stubborn..." Before you have children you look at other people's, see what they are eating and are mystified. "That can't be good for them!", you mutter to yourself as you see the child eating chips, or peanut butter and jelly. So why are they being given it? As any harassed parent will tell you, it comes down to one simple fact. While what your kids eat is important, it's not as important as their need to eat something. You might want everything to be nutrient-rich and healthy. But sometimes your kids will disagree. Before you get too frustrated with them, take yourself back to when you were their age. Did you eat

Keep cosy this holiday season ... it's good for you Home maintenance is one of those things that we're all guilty of letting slip from time-to-time. There's a lot of it - that big new house isn't seeming like such a good idea now, is it? - and to try and keep on top of it all isn't realistic. In the midst of juggling a busy family life, work and everything else - something has to fall by the wayside. Now, I'm not about to start castigating you for that. It's easy to see how it happens, and yes, in a perfect world it wouldn't be the case. But given the year that 2016 has been, I think we can all agree we live in far from the perfect world! With that said, a word of caution might be necessary. If you are limited on times and funds, there are particular areas that you have to ensure you focus on. Not for the sake of your home keeping up with the latest trends or anything so silly - but for health. There are some areas you just can't afford to

Hey neighbors! Do you have children who like to color?  Any who have ever colored on the walls?  If so, check out Pirasta !  Their coloring pages are AMAZING!  I received a Funny Farm Coloring Poster. (63" x 36")  My walls all have grooves, so instead of hanging on the wall and coloring, we spread this out on our puzzle table.  It hangs over the edges! This coloring poster is so huge, it will take hours of work to finish.  I love the detail and just the fun things you find on this coloring page.  Many animals are wearing clothing.  A dog is playing cards.  A horse is wearing sneakers.  There is a cow wearing sunglasses.  A horse is driving a pickup truck!  All funny things for kids to color. Good, clean, fun play, especially for snowy or rainy days. We had a friend, a young boy, visiting us for a week and he spent quite a bit of his free time working on the coloring page.  He really enjoyed seeing the different animals and what they were doing.  He had been

A large number of us don't know the people we live near. It's probably one of the things that has changed most about life in the last 100 years. Before now, it would have been considered unusual to not at least be on first-name terms with your neighbors - now most of us don't even recognize them by sight. Some TV shows still depict a world in which everyone knows everybody else, but nothing shows further how unrealistic this is than this detail. Whether you think this is a change for the good likely depends on your personality type. For an introvert , not knowing your neighbors is a blessing. You revel in the anonymity, the lack of forced small conversation and the complete absence of gossip. For an extrovert, it probably seems like a shame - your desire to talk, be around people, naturally includes those you share a street address with. No matter which way you see things, there are benefits to clubbing together as a group. We all know about Neighborhood Watch s

Moving to a new home can be an expensive process. But most people could actually have saved a lot of money had they made sure they’d done a few things before the moving date. Want to know what those things are? Lucky you - they’re listed for you below. Downsize before you move Don’t be tempted to put the process off until the last minute. Yes, I know it seems easier to just throw everything into containers and deal with it at your new location. But not only does this usually induce more stress, but it also induces more cost. Let’s face it - you probably don’t need to move everything , do you? You should find time to downsize before the moving day. This will, of course, greatly reduce the amount that you need to move - and the more you have to move, the more you’ll have to pay! It will also make your home more manageable in the meantime. Be smart about packing Do you really need to send so much money on all those ultra-strong plastic boxes? Seriously, cardboard boxes are a

Most families - wherever they are from - have at least one pet at home. In the main, we're talking ones that bark and miaow. (The pets, that is, not the families. Although you'd be surprised how many people end up "talking" to their pets.) You'll get the occasional group who stray from the beaten track with snakes and lizards, of course. But in the main, we're talking four legs and fur. Cats and dogs are fantastic, of course. Especially if you have one of each and enjoy watching the dog - a supposed predator to the cat - finding itself on the wrong end of feline mischief . But you could instead - or also - look to feathered friends to brighten up your home. If you're looking for a pet that brings entertainment, beauty, and character, then you can't go far wrong with a bird. The question then is, of course, what kind? Birds are relatively low-maintenance, as long as you clean out their cage regularly. So it depends on what you really want from a

https://www.pexels.com/photo/black-ceramic-mug-beside-black-hardbound-book-on-brown-wooden-coffee-table-29748/ In today’s modern world, we do it all. Not only are we raising children and working, but we’re also trying to run a home and keep it all together. It can be a lot to manage in one go. But, it’s not impossible. Whether you lead a busy life, or you’re trying to get back on your feet after an illness , it’s always a good idea to seek to make life easier. And who wouldn’t like to make their jobs around the home easier to manage? If you’d like to hurry things along, these hints and tips might just help you out. Have A System One of the best ways to make your home life manageable is to have a system in place to get it done. Sometimes, it’s not that easy to stick to a schedule, but by having one in place, you’re more likely to accomplish things than not. So, why not start by working out the different chores that you have. This can include anything around the house, like l

Image Credit If you’ve suffered from an acute illness, you’ll know just how hard it is to get back into the swing of things. Being unwell can be really draining, so it’s important that you take care of yourself and ease back into everyday life. Take it easy It takes time to get back to your previous self, and it isn’t going to happen overnight. You’ll have days that you feel fine, and days where you feel like getting out of bed is akin to climbing Everest. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to get back to everything straight away, you don’t want to set your recovery back by overexerting yourself. Take each day as it comes, and don’t expect too much for yourself. Set goals If you try to get back to normal in one day, you’ll end up setting your recovery back. Set goals throughout the next weeks or months for where you would like to be, including when you would like to return to work , start up your hobbies, and restart your exercise regime. This gives you something