Family Ever After Blog

Family Ever After Blog

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What should we do to live a healthy life?

A million-dollar question that many of us ask ourselves every day. People eat healthy, as they think that is what keeps them going. Well, honestly speaking, diet is only a piece in the puzzle. Many things complete the picture. For living a healthy life, one has to be disciplined. There are a couple of other things too that one needs to adhere to like the following:

Early to bed and early to rise– These are the golden words that have yield results for long. Having an early dinner and retiring to bed is one of the best things that you can do. You need to give time to your body to digest the food well and nice. It is also essential to rise early and go for a brisk walk in the morning as that is equally beneficial for your health.

Know what you are eating and the portions– One should be eating three meals a day, which includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Dinner should not be the most substantial meal of the day. Since what you also eat matters, include healthy food that includes vegetables, fruits, whole-grains, and fat-free food products. One’s diet should also include low-fat milk products. The menu should consist of poultry, fish, beans, eggs, nuts, and lean meats. As far as nutrient quotient is concerned, one should opt for food that is low in saturated fats, trans fats, sodium, cholesterol, and added sugar.

Give up on your bad habits– Refrain from having too much alcohol and if you are a smoker, try to quit smoking as fast as you can.

Start exercising- It cannot be denied that it is the best way to stay healthy. Physical activity and regular exercise help to promote an active lifestyle. Following are some of the reasons why regular exercise is beneficial:

With regular exercise, one can prevent and reverse age-related diseases. It can help in improving balance, flexibility, and endurance. Senior adults can be more stable on their feet, enabling them to live a life independently. It also helps to decrease the risk of falls. The chances of coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and obesity, high blood pressure can be reduced to a great extent with regular exercise.

Strength training exercises help build muscles and prevent osteoporosis. Building muscles is vital for those who are trying to lose weight. Exercise, as we all know, it also helps to strengthen the bones.

Exercise regularly can enhance one’s fitness level. If one is fit, then that can keep chronic arthritis away. Individuals suffering from this ailment will find carrying out their daily activities in a painless manner if they have exercise on their routine.

l Individuals who are obese can benefit from regular training and exercise. It helps to shed extra weight.

l Regular exercising can help increase self-esteem and confidence. It also decreases one’s anxiety, and stress levels help enhance mood and improve one’s mental well-being.

l Exercise should be carried out at least 3 to 5 days a week, but one should try to exercise every day, if possible. It should be broken down into 10-minute sessions for more effect. Those are just beginning, should progress gradually. That would help in avoiding soreness or fatigue. The time limit for exercise should range somewhere between half an hour to one hour. Start with all types of exercise like resistance, walking, swimming, weight training, yoga for an all-round effect. One should not exercise, however, if one is tired and sore. That increases the chances of injury.

Get Enough Sleep– Today’s hectic lifestyle leaves most of us to be sleep-deprived. According to experts, adults need at least 8 to 9 hours of sleep each night. That is the average time. In case you see that you are feeling drowsy throughout daily activities, is falling asleep, then you might not be getting enough sleep.

Drink plenty of water– Water is known as life, and one should have plenty of it. Most adults will need to have at least eight glasses of water every day. Keeping the body hydrated is very important. Even while exercising, says Garry Y Itkin, make sure that you are sipping a little bit of water during the resting period. Water also helps in losing weight quickly.

It is not very hard to live a healthy life. Individuals should follow a disciplined life, and a quick checklist to live a great life.

 

 

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5 Benefits Of Adding A Deck To Your Backyard

You want your backyard to be a nice place to relax and to entertain, but also need it to be a functional space for you and your family. Maintaining a backyard can involve a lot of hard work, such as mowing the lawn, planting seeds, fertilizing, watering, and landscaping. But sometimes it can still feel as though something’s missing. If you’ve never thought about installing a deck, you might want to consider it. Here are some benefits of adding a deck to your backyard.

Entertain Guests

A deck can be a wonderful place to set out chairs and tables for outdoor meals or drinks, making it a wonderful place to entertain. It’s also a great place to put a BBQ or a small fire pit.

Increase The Value Of Your Home

In most cases, adding a deck to your backyard will significantly increase the value of your home. Potential buyers will often view a deck as a family-oriented outdoor space. Especially if they have children, a deck might be one of the things they’re looking for in their new home.

Extra Space

Once you have a deck, you will be amazed at how much space is freed up in the rest of the yard. You can keep furniture, a grill, herb garden, and other potted plants – and more – on your deck, still leaving plenty of space for whatever else you may need it for. I’ve even seen people use their deck as an extra place to store items that won’t fit in their homes!

Inexpensive

Compared to other home renovations, a new deck is relatively inexpensive. The amount you spend on building the deck will likely be much less than the amount of value it will add to your home! Decks are also pretty quick and easy to build. Not only is it a renovation that will be completed quickly, but it’s also one that’s much less invasive and keeps the mess outside!

Aesthetic Appeal

Because of the wide range of style options available these days, you can choose whatever look you want for your new deck! You may opt for the unfinished wood look, or to paint it the same color as your house. Or you may paint it a bright color so that it really stands out. From paint colors to materials to different shapes and sizes, the deck design options are limitless. Another thing to consider is how high you want the deck to be raised off the ground. If you choose a low deck with fewer steps, you may start to think about landscaping around your deck. This might be a bit more work for you, but will help you beautify your yard even further!

So if a deck is something you’re considering adding to your backyard, what’re you waiting for?

 

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4 Biggest Causes For Home Buyers Remorse

More and more people find themselves with home buyer’s remorse in today’s day and age. Many people take the plunge with one of the biggest purchases of their lives and end up seriously regretting it later.

A recent survey revealed that as many as 60% of homebuyers regret their purchase within the first five years. So, what is it that leaves these homeowners wishing that they hadn’t bought their homes? Take a look at some of the most common reasons that people regret their purchase.

Not Identifying Problems Before Moving In

It’s critical that you perform a thorough home inspection before you move into a home. An inspector will give a details evaluation of all of the repairs that need to be made. They’ll go in and do everything from identifying termite infestations to pointing out foundation cracks. Based on this information, buyers can either negotiate with the seller to take this cost off of the price of the home or forgo the sale altogether.

However, many buyers don’t want to have to pay for the extra expense of hiring an inspector. As a result, they wind up cutting corners and inspecting their own home. Unfortunately, several years or even months down the road, they end up realizing that they are in over their heads in repair costs. Had they only paid for the price of an inspector earlier on, they wouldn’t find themselves stuck with the bill for the problems they failed to identify.

Focusing Primarily on Investing Rather Than Living

Nowadays, far too many people buy a house with the intention of making an investment rather than considering their home as a place to live. Later on, they end up sticking around for longer than they initially anticipated. However, since they didn’t make their buying decision based on the right reasons, they realize they have to live in a place they don’t love for the next few years, or even the rest of their life.

Underestimating Work

Owning a home requires a considerable amount of work. There is a lot that goes into it that people take for granted. People who have never owned a home before may find themselves overwhelmed with all of the responsibility that comes along with it. There isn’t a landlord to call or property manager to handle any issues. All of the work falls onto the owner, which a lot of people aren’t ready for.

Failing To Research Location

It’s critical that you know exactly where you’re moving before you tie yourself down to a location that could cause you problems later. Many people don’t look into the school district or crime rate, which leaves them regretting their location later on.

 

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Tips For A Successful Moving Day

Moving? This can be an exciting time but also one which can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety because it is a big deal packing up your entire life and moving to a completely new home, particularly if you have been in the same place for a long time. The key to a smooth move on the big day is planning, so you need to know exactly what you are doing and who is helping so that you can co-ordinate the move and make it as simple as possible.

Here are a few moving day tips which should help.

Enlist Helpers

It is important that you have a few people helping you on moving day so that the move is made much easier. Friends and family are usually more than happy to help, but keep in mind that too many people can complicate matters. A few helpers will be able to assist with moving items, staying at one property, looking after the kids and/or pets and anything else that might need doing – just be sure to reward them with something like pizza and/or a bottle of wine at the end of the day!

Get The Right Vehicle

You need to have a big enough vehicle that can make it easy to transport your furniture, such as a van – this will help you to keep down the number of trips that you have to make. If you are borrowing a van for the move, make sure that you arrange temp insurance for cars and vans that allows you to get coverage for anything from 1 day through to 3, which can be an easy way to get covered.

Keep Security In Mind

It is easy for security to go out of the window when you are undertaking such a huge move and switching between two properties. You should avoid leaving your possessions out unattended in the street and always remember to either lock up at one property when moving to the other or have a helper stay.

Set Up Your Bed First

It may be the last thing that you want to do after a physically and mentally challenging day, but getting your bed set up is the first thing that you should do so that you can enjoy a good night’s sleep in your new home. The other items and boxes can wait till the next day, but being able to sleep in your own bed which is properly set up is important.

Treat Yourself

Additionally, you are not going to want to cook after a big move, so it is a good idea to treat yourself and your helpers to a nice takeaway. You will certainly have worked up an appetite and it is much easier simply to get a takeaway than to have to cook which will allow you to chill out and enjoy your new surroundings.

Hopefully, these tips will help to reduce stress on moving day and ensure that everything goes smoothly and according to plan.

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Know the Top Resorts in Prime Metropolitan Cities

There are numerous hotels and resorts that you can book in all of the metropolitan cities if you know where to look and some of them come from FNP Gardens. If you are going to be looking for some of the top resorts, then you need to know what they are called and what cities they can be found in like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and even Chennai. Here are some of the top resorts that you should book in all of the metropolitan cities.

Top Resorts in Metropolitan Cities

You are going to want to ensure that no matter what city you are visiting in India that you are finding one that is going to be a top resort and that would be family friendly. Here are just some resorts that you can book for each of the metropolitan cities, including:

  • Mumbai – If you want to be close to the beach when you are in Mumbai so that your family can head over there easily, then the hotel to book is the Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach. It is a hotel that is on the beach front, which gives you not only the best views, but also easy access to the beach whenever you want to go.
  • Chennai – When you are travelling to Chennai there are so going to be so many options that you can book for your family. However, one of the top ones is The Leela Palace Chennai and here you can enjoy hanging out with your family in their spacious rooms and even heading to the fitness centre or enjoying the pool.
  • Kolkata – For those who are heading to the City of Joy you should ensure that you are looking for a family friendly hotel. There are plenty of those in the city, but one of the top ones is Vivanta where you can enjoy some great food, restaurants and even the pool with comfortable and large rooms.
  • Delhi – If you are heading to Delhi, then make sure that you are booking the Udman Hotel from FNP Gardens. This is one of the top resorts that you can find in the city and it would have everything that you are looking for, including a spa, great restaurants and amazing rooms to enjoy and it is perfect for your family.

You need to know what are the top hotels in every city that you might visit and these are just some of the most popular cities that people head to when they come to India.

Make sure that you are booking your hotels in advance and that you are finding one that you can bring your family to. If you want to head to the beach, then make sure to head to the Novotel Juhu Beach resort in Mumbai, while you can be centrally located in Vivanta in Kolkata with great food and rooms. Chennai and Delhi also have some of the best hotels, so make sure that if you are booking you are looking at what FNP Gardens would have to offer in your city.

 

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All You Need to Know about Luminox Swiss Army Watches

Nowadays watches have become a device that do more than just showing time to us. There is continuous evolution in the field of watches with new and updated technologies. Many brands are making so many watch types that will show more details to us and will endure for a longer time. Among such brands, Luminox is a very famous one. Based in Switzerland, Luminox manufactures watches that are very popular for its long – lasting luminescence and its best durability in any type of conditions. In this article, we are going to see about the specialties of these watches.

Luminox Watches

Made in Switzerland, Luminox Watches are used in many areas of applications, especially in the area of military and defense. For many countries like USA, UK etc., they are making customized watches for their military groups. Additionally, they are very much suitable for adventurous applications like trekking, sea diving, sky diving etc. due to its rugged construction and quality. Following are some of the factors that make the this watch a special one than other brands:

  • One Solution forAll – These watches are suitable for any type of person – a formal, business-oriented people or an adventure seeking guy. Since they are also manufacturing watches for military applications, they can withstand any type of rugged, hard conditions and will serve its purpose well. From the fact that they are the official sponsors of Icelandic Associations for Search and Rescue, whose workers will face the most dangerous situations and conditions in their work.
  • Fantastic Illumination – This property is proved by the business tagline of Luminox Watches – “Always Visible Technology”. The dial indicators of these watches are made of a high-quality element called tritium, unlike the phosphorescent marks used in other watches. With the many researchers conducted all over the world, it can be concluded that the watches can continuously operate for almost 25 years without the need for any external charging. Moreover, the tritium element offers better luminescent properties than any other brands, making it more suitable for any cases, right from the normal day-to-day life to any tricky conditions.
  • Wear Resistance – As previously mentioned, it is a well-known fact that the Luminox watches are able to withstand any type of heavy and delicate weather conditions. Due to such ability, they can also withstand the normal day-to-day life’s wear and tear easily. You can easily use this type of watches without worrying about any crack or breakage occurrence. Moreover, the watch glass is made of sapphire crystal which determines the hardness and durability of the watch.

Luminox Watches as Gifts

Due to the above-mentioned factors, these watches can be considered as a best choice for gifting to your beloved person. Watches are one of the most common choices of gifts all over the world due to the reasons that they are practically useful in day-to-day life. Also, the person will experience your love and concern for them whenever they see the watch. Due to these reasons and the properties of Luminox watches, they can make the best gift for your loved ones.

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4 Tips For Recovering After Giving Birth

After nearly a year of anticipating the birth of your baby, the big day finally arrives. However, despite the excitement and happiness that accompanies your baby’s arrival, there is a considerable amount of recovery to prepare for.

It’s incredibly important for new parents to know what to expect so that when the time comes, you’re ready to make your postpartum experience a positive one. By looking ahead and having an idea of what to expect, you will make a much faster recovery. Here are some of the best tips for a smooth comeback following birth.

Anticipate Ranging Emotions About Your Body

Your body goes through a considerable amount of changes during the time of your pregnancy. By the final weeks, you’re likely anxious to finally give birth. Many first time moms think that they’ll fit into their pre-pregnancy jeans the next day; however, it’s not quite that simple.

Your body took the better part of a year to get to where it was at on the day of your delivery. It will take a similar amount of time to go back to its original size. It’s normal to look at your body and feel strange about the changes you see. You may consider surgery, or be eager to start working out as soon as possible. However, it’s critical that you take it slow and trust your body’s process. Don’t rush into anything too soon!

Treat Yourself To Comforts

Your body will go through a lot during the birth process. The recovery will be a lot easier if you give yourself the tools that you need for your healing process. Make sure that you’re equipped with plenty of pillows, vitamins, nipple cream, and anything else that will help your body make a comeback from the birth. Whether you have a cesarean or a natural birth, your body will still go through a lot. Make sure you have what you need to make a full recovery! Your baby’s health and yours depends on it!

Get Plenty Of Sleep When You Can

It’s not uncommon to hear people advising new parents to sleep whenever their baby sleeps. Although this isn’t always realistic, it’s essential to keep in mind. You will need all of the sleep that you can get to be the best parent that you need to be for your little one.

Self-care starts with giving your body the sleep that it needs to function properly.

Eat Healthily

Your diet will play a significant role in how well you recover from your birth. Try to focus on foods that are made from natural sources, and low in processed ingredients and chemicals. You’ll feel better in no time!

 

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Car Expenses You Can Avoid

Cars are expensive, it’s as simple as that. From financing your car, to repairs, it can feel like you are always putting money into your vehicle. But the convenience of being able to jump into your car whenever you want and drive wherever you need to be cannot be beaten.

There are ways to curb the financial drain of owning a car. It does take a little planning and investing in the right tools and technology, but it can help ease the stress of yet another car repair.

Financing Your Vehicle

Your largest cost will be from the vehicle itself. With the proper planning and research you can find your best option for financing. Finding the right financial advisor will not only make purchasing your vehicle a breeze, but will save you a tremendous amount of money in the long run.

“Whether you’re looking for an auto loan for a new or used vehicle, finding a low-interest rate is not something that you’ll want to overlook. The lower the interest rate, the lower your monthly payment, so be sure to take the time to find what will be best for you,” advises Jade Beckman, Vice President of Consumer Loans at Mountain America Credit Union.

Find the Right Insurance

The second-largest cost when owning a vehicle will be your insurance. Always check for discounts on car insurance and check often.

Look into new insurance plans yearly because the insurance market is extremely competitive. You might find a deal this year that wasn’t available before. Be careful to make sure you’re comparing all the options. It’s even a good idea to print out the details of each insurance option and compare them side-by-side. While one insurance may come in cheaper, you might also be sacrificing some benefits.

Save for the Inevitable

You will need to repair your car at some point. Whether it’s regular maintenance or something more serious, the longer you have your car, the more likely you will have to take it into the shop. With some planning you can lessen the pain of having to pay for a car repair. Setting aside a little every month can help you not go into debt or be financially strained when your car is in need of some work.

According to AAA, the average monthly cost for car maintenance is $99. This includes things like tire rotations and oil changes. Setting aside a little more every month, even if you don’t use it, will keep you from going into debt for your vehicle.

Another way to save money is by doing the regularly scheduled maintenance recommended for your vehicle. This will keep your car running at its best, which will also save you money in gas and save you from unexpected trips to the mechanic. A little planning can go a long way in avoiding major issues with your car.

Install Helpful Add-ons

Your car may be equipped with the things you prefer, like a great sound system, but consider some additional add-ons, especially if your car is an older model.

No one wants to pay for cosmetic damage to a car — even worse someone else’s car. So many of us have been there, backing into another car with that sickening crunch that follows will make your heart sink. Even the slightest ding comes with a hefty price tag. The best way to avoid these types of accidents is by investing in a wireless backup camera.

You should also think about dash cams, Bluetooth audio adapters, or parking aids that allow you to park in your garage without having to guess the distance. All of these add-ons can help you keep your car in top shape for longer.

With a little planning, regular maintenance, and some extra tools you can stay safe on the road and keep more money in your wallet.

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Margaret Salmon MD – Reasons to Avoid Googling Your Symptoms Online

We’ve all been there before, you start to feel little sniffle, a pain in the back and you head to Google to find out what these symptoms mean. It is perfectly natural to be curious of course, but my physician, the great Margaret Salmon MD, is constantly telling me that this is a bad idea and something which I shouldn’t do. Here reasons for this make a lot of sense and whilst I do still check from time to time to see what my symptoms mean, I have certainly taken Margaret’s advice on board. Here then, is exactly why you shouldn’t use Dr. Google to find out what is wrong with you.

Reliability of The Source

The first reason why you shouldn’t do this is because in most cases we have no idea how reliable a website is or who is contributing the information. There are some great sites out there like WebMD which uses doctors to provide the information and facts, but most are not websites which you should trust. The key point here is that there isn’t a way to find out just how reliable a site really is.

You May Be Missing Out

There is a very real danger that you feel symptoms, check them online and then decide based on what you have found that there is nothing wrong with you. This may or may not be true but if you use the information you’ve read online to decide that there is nothing wrong with you when there is, you could be missing out on vital diagnosis and treatment. This is why it is always best to consult your local doctor before you decide whether or not there is anything wrong.

I’m Dying

The early symptoms for a huge range of diseases can be exactly the same and problems like headaches, nausea, fever and aching muscles could be a common cold or a brain tumor. Unfortunately if you start looking online to find out what your symptoms mean, you can very easily diagnose yourself as having some rare and incurable disease, when the probabilities are that you have something very minor. If you fall into the trap of Googling your symptoms then you won’t have to look for very long before you diagnose yourself with something extreme, in any case you will still have to make that doctors appointment.

Anxiety and Stress

If you have a doctors appointment next week and you start looking at your symptoms online now, you may very well give yourself a lot of stress and anxiety which isn’t necessary. If you think that you have something sinister because of the information that you have found online then you are going to spend the day in the lead up to your appointment very worried and scared, and in most cases this is going to be completely unnecessary. Even if you do have something severe, there is no point worrying about it until you know for sure.

The lesson then, as Margaret often tells me, is don’t look online for your symptoms.

 

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Alexis Fecteau – Reasons to Put Down a Book or Stop Watching a Movie When Your Not Enjoying It

F43E3R Young man sleeping. Image shot 04/2015. Exact date unknown.

Each week my buddy Alexis Fecteau and I have a movie night and over the years we must have watched over 100 movies together, of all different genres. Alexis and I are also avid readers and I really enjoy discussing books we have read together. Alexis and I have been locked in a debate recently about whether or not you should put a book down or stop watching a movie if you don’t enjoy it. My feeling is that you absolutely should, he of course disagrees. Here is exactly why I think that you should cut and run if you have given a movie or a book enough time to breathe, and you just aren’t enjoying it.

Why Continue?

The biggest reason why I think that you shouldn’t carry on is that there just aren’t enough reasons to continue reading through a book or watching a movie that you just don’t enjoy. Even if there is some massive plot twist at the end, do you really want to suffer just to see this bait and switch? The answer fo me is not at all and whilst many think that there is some kind of twisted nobility in continuing, for me the bravest decision that you can make is to stop, and move on to something else.

Time

We only live once and I always try to make sure that I maximize as many minutes in my life as I possibly can. With this in mind, I don’t want to waste my time on something that I am not enjoying, especially when I can use that time to watch another movie or read another book which I am much more confident that I am going to enjoy. This is another big reason why I’ll happily leave what I’m doing and try something else if I’m not having fun or if I find a book or a movie to be a struggle.

Reviews

A lot of reasons why people persevere even when they are not enjoying what they are doing is because a friend or a critic has given a glowing review of a certain book or movie, and people don’t want to go against the grain and say that they couldn’t get to the end. For me this is nonsense and even reviews should always be taken with a pinch of salt because everyone has different tastes and opinions. In fact some of my favorite movies have terrible scores on IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes, indicating just how far apart people’s opinions can be. Simply because someone has recommended something doesn’t make it good, and this is why it is pointless ploughing on with a movie or book, even if someone has recommended it.

The next time that you are reading or watching, don’t feel duty bound to finish the piece, give it enough time and if you just don’t like it, leave it alone and move on with your life.