Safety First: How To Be A Better Driver

If you had to give yourself a score out of 10, how highly would you rate your driving skills? Many of us think that we are good drivers, but over 90% of road accidents are caused by human error. Safety is crucial when heading out onto the roads. Even if you think you’re a great driver, it’s worth taking these tips on board to minimize the risk of injuries. 

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Don’t drive if you feel tired

Many of us have days when we feel lethargic and our energy levels are low. If you’ve not been sleeping well, or you work shifts, and you’re tired after a busy night at work, avoid getting behind the wheel. Driving tired puts your safety at risk, but it could also have implications for others. When you’re exhausted, your reaction times are slower, and you might not notice hazards around you. Instead of trying to battle through and keep your eyes open, take a nap or get out of the car and stretch your legs in the open air if you’re already on the road. Listening to music and having a cup of tea or coffee can also help to make you feel more alert. A National Sleep Foundation survey revealed that 20% of drivers have fallen asleep at least once in the last year. 

Keep your eyes on the road at all times

We tend to be multi-taskers these days, but when you’re driving, trying to do more than one thing at once is a bad idea. Keep your eyes fixed on the road at all times. The environment around you can change in an instant, and hazards can appear from nowhere. If you’re not looking at the road, you might not notice a cyclist traveling alongside your vehicle or a child run out from behind a car parked on the side of the street. If you can’t react quickly enough, the consequences can be devastating. If you need to make a call, use a voice-activated system or pull over in a safe place. If you injure somebody through negligence, you could face legal charges and the injured party may seek advice from serious injury attorneys. It can be tempting to pick up the phone and send a quick text, but you could end up regretting that action for the rest of your life. Wait until you stop or reach your destination to respond to messages, or find a safe place to park. 

Be patient

Road rage can get the better of even the calmest and most measured driver. If you’ve had a bad day, or you’re desperate to get home and there’s a huge line of traffic, it’s very easy to get frustrated and lose your cool. Try and stay calm and don’t take your anger out on other drivers. Driving aggressively can make others feel threatened, and it will also increase the risk of accidents. 

Take the conditions into consideration

Driving on a clear, warm day is very different to trying to navigate your way to a destination in snow showers, fog or torrential rain. If you’re driving in the winter, or there’s a storm coming, take extra care and alter your speed. Even if the speed limit is 70mph, it’s unwise to drive at this speed if conditions are treacherous. Slow down, stay well back from the vehicle in front and give people plenty of notice if you’re stopping, pulling over or changing lane. If there are weather warnings, postpone your journey. 

Most accidents are caused by drivers making mistakes. Take these tips on board to stay safe and protect other road users. 

Essentials for the "New Normal"

This is the third time the Enhanced Community Quarantine or ECQ has been extended in Metro Manila and adjacent provinces. We have named it "Season 3 of ECQ" to make it sound less stressful.

Everyone seems to be calling this "the New Normal," but honestly, I cringe when I hear people mentioning that term. This thing isn't normal at all!  Public transportation has been suspended and since I don't own a car, I have to walk 1.6 miles to get to the supermarket. Walking back home with two heavy bags of groceries is not easy. So I decided to buy myself a trolley.

This is a big help for when I need to go to the wet market for meat, fish and vegetables. The wet market is only half a mile from home, so that's easy peasy for me. For the first few weeks of the Enhanced Community Quarantine, I also used this trolley when I needed to get stuff from the supermarket. However, this trolley can only carry about 55 pounds (25 kilograms), and if I bought items that would weigh more, then I would still have to carry another bag over my shoulders.

Although it has been my family's goal to live frugally during this uncertain time, I took out part of my savings and bought a bike.

Yes, I did. And I named it "Quarantino." I made sure that the bike I bought was sturdy but light weight. It did cost me quite a bit of money, but now, it is easier for me to get the stuff I need, when I need it.

My bike is a Clifton 27.5 rim, alloy frame, Shimano 21 speed mountain bike, and I am glad that I chose this model. I can just shift gears to adjust to the inclination of the road to make pedaling easy. I now can go to the supermarket, get the groceries I need, stuff it in my backpack and ride home. It is good exercise too, so it is a win-win for me.

I also added a bike rack rear carrier if in case my groceries won't fit in my back pack. I just put them in a reusable bag, strap it down, and off I go!

I have no idea if there will be a "Season 4" of this Enhanced Community Quarantine. Hopefully not. But if we do get another extension, I am ready for it.

Giving Your Children The Best Start In Life

If you ask parents what they want for their children, this is what most people will say: that they want them to have the best start in life possible. But it is one thing wanting that, and quite another knowing how to actually make it a reality. If you are keen to try and ensure that your child has the strongest start in life, then there are many things that you might want to consider. In this article, we are going to take a look at some of the things that you can do to ensure that this happens. That way, you can have faith that your children are going to have much better lives.

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Show Them Honesty

Children are very attuned to dishonesty, more so than a lot of adults seem to think. It is important that you are attending to your children with absolute honesty if you want them to feel loved and secure. If you are constantly dishonest, they will never quite know where they stand with you, and that will mean that they are going to grow up with a feeling of insecurity that they find hard to shake. If you can show them a good deal of honesty, however, you will find that you are going to have a much better chance of allowing them to grow up happier and more secure in themselves.

Keep Them Out Of Your Relationship Battles

It can be easy or tempting to draw your children in to your battles with your partner, whether or not that partner is the other parent of the child. But this is never a fair thing to do, and it runs the risk of making the child feel as though they are at fault if there are any problems in the relationship further down the line. That is the last thing you want to happen, and you will find that you will want to do everything you can to avoid that happening at all. You might sometimes need some outside help to make that a bit easier, such as using child custody lawyers if you are divorcing. With the right help you can avoid making your children feel that they are the problem when they are not.

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Encourage Their Strengths

If you manage to identify a strength that your child has early on, then you can work towards encouraging that strength as much as possible, and in so doing you will find that you are going to have a much better chance of letting them develop and grow as they should. By encouraging their strengths and not ignoring them or trying to make them good at other things, you will ensure that they are happier with who they are, and that they understand that they are able and allowed to pursue whatever dream they might want to pursue. That also means that they will be much more successful in terms of their career and related elements too.

3 Quarantine Gifts That Invest In the Future

What is your idea of a gift that keeps on giving? 

More often than not, you’d come across such a description underneath the photo of a particularly funny t-shirt or a cupcake that – oh miracle of culinary technology – hides another cake in its heart. Perhaps, we tend to rely too much on clichéed sentences to fill our conversations and minds. At the end of the day, the gift that keeps on giving becomes a meaningful piece of junk, at best. 

However, in challenging times such as during a lockdown situation like now, gifts that go above and beyond and that are looking toward the future can brighten up someone’s day significantly. Why does it matter? Because in uncertain times, a present that can make both today and tomorrow better can be a life-changer. Not sure where to start? Here are some ideas to fit every budget and help you create a meaningful present: 

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Start gardening with your relatives

Children are the first to struggle with self-isolation. Now that the weather’s getting warmer, you can seize the opportunity to spend an afternoon in the garden. Indeed, gardening is a breath of fresh air, both figuratively and literally, under lockdown. Spending quality time with your children and your partner to prepare your quarantine garden is guaranteed to boost your mood and your pantry! With this in mind, you can also visit relatives who are self-isolating and offer to prepare a vegetable plot for them. In an afternoon, you can plant plenty of veg and fruits that will give delicious and fresh crops in the weeks and months to come. It’s a nice way of being there for them without putting their health at risk. 

Forget jewelry, settle for gold

Is someone’s big birthday coming? As tempting as it can be to buy a beautiful piece of jewelry, you can break up with traditions and consider purchasing gold directly? You can find exquisite nuggets By Grant Gold Nuggets, which come primarily from Australia, Alaska. But you can also find exotic gold locations around the world. Gold can act as a good luck talisman. It is a reminder for someone who struggles during the pandemic isolation that things can get brighter once this is over. While you can find gold pieces to suit all budget sizes, it’s fair to say that your friend may not be able to replace their pre-pandemic income through your gift. But it can be a source of motivation. During the Wild West conquest, finding gold nuggets was a lucky sign. It could do the same thing today!

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Give time as much as you can 

Spending time with the people you love is a gift that doesn’t cost any money. You can make distant relatives feel valued and help them cope with isolation. All it takes is a little planning, as per The Financial Diet. People who are self-isolating can rely on digital meetings to come together and even plan common activities online. You could play games or have a family video chat. Don’t let other technologies distract you as you do – aka no checking your text messages when you’re in a Zoom meeting with your cousins. 

Meaningful gifts can help someone cope with self-isolation pressures. It doesn’t have to be much, from fixing a vegetable garden in a relative’s backyard to scheduling video chats with friends, you don’t have to break the bank to give someone that will be a token of love and appreciation during those challenging times. 

A Few Tips for Fuelling Creativity at Home

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Currently, a huge number of people from all around the world are being forced to exist in a state of more or less 24/7 homebound quarantine, due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

For many people, this time spent at home – while being stressful and filled with uncertainty in various ways – is also a potential opportunity for working on side projects and business ideas, investigating various hobbies, and checking in once more with dreams, chores, and plans that have been lurking in the background for some time.

If you have a decent plot of land at your disposal during this period, your circumstances likely seem more upbeat and promising. But even if you are confined to a small apartment, there are various ways that you can use this time in a positive way.

For many different potential projects, it would be a great help to fuel and enhance creativity while stuck at home. Here are a few suggestions on how to do that.

Allow enough leisure and “fuel” for your creative fires

Creativity is an interesting thing, because on the one hand it typically happens, or at least as expressed, through “work.”

On the other hand, though, you can’t exactly “grind out” creativity on demand. Rather, creativity needs to be fuelled by a series of internal motivations, interests, and the ability to engage with ideas and projects in a relaxed and “fresh” way.

One mistake that a lot of people make when they’re trying to be as productive as possible with their businesses, is to simply not allow enough time for leisure. And yet, there is evidence to show that when people do allow for sufficient leisure time – such as by taking their full annual vacation allowance, for example – they are more productive, and perhaps more creative as well.

Work hard when you’re working, but ensure that you also have plenty of time for simply relaxing, having fun, and building your motivation and interest in an array of different manners.

Work on several different projects and hobbies at a time, that interest you

It can be very easy to fall into a state of “tunnel vision” when you are too focused on one project, for long stretches of time without any variation.

One solution that has been suggested by several entrepreneurs and public figures is to always be working on several projects and hobbies at a time, all of which interest and motivate you in a significant way.

That way, when you start to run up against a dead end with a particular project, you can draw insight and inspiration from the other projects you’re working on at the same time. Or, you can switch over for a while and focus your energies on something else – and when you return to the original project, you will often find that new approaches and solutions have occurred to you that you hadn’t originally foreseen.

Generally speaking, your creativity is likely to be higher when you have a greater variety of experiences and information sources to draw on when tackling problems and coming up with approaches to things.

Try things out in a spirit of play

The famous Nobel prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman argued that his great breakthroughs were only possible at all because he had been allowed by his employers to essentially “play” in an undisturbed manner, which might have seemed like time-wasting to casual observers, but which ultimately ended up providing him with invaluable insights.

Creativity largely comes out of a spirit of play – and the ability to try different things out, experiment with different ideas, and simply have fun with the process of discovering what might be possible, and what might be interesting, without being held ruthlessly to various performance metrics such as KPI’s.

So, try things out in a spirit of play. In other words, try taking a more light-hearted and “fun” approach to your various projects and interests, with no pressure or expectations – or at least as little as possible – that you will actually have to churn out a finished project by a set time, or that you will have to share the results of your experiments with anyone else.

The thing about “good ideas” is that you only discover which ideas are good through a process of trial and error, which involves generating many ideas that may not actually work for your original intended purpose.

That’s fine. Just play around and see where your own creativity takes you after a while.

Get Your Adventure Going!

Driving a motorcycle is an exhilarating experience. You don't get into so much traffic and parking is never a problem. It is also great for driving along country roads, especially in places where larger vehicles, like cars, cannot. 

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It doesn't also cost much to own a motorcycle. Should you consider owning one, choose one from the leading manufacturer - choose a Yamaha. It is a favorite choice among motorcycle enthusiasts. I am positive you have also noticed that this Japanese company also manufactures other top of the line products - musical instruments, off road vehicles and sporting gear, just to name a few.

If you are an owner of a Yamaha motorcycle or any other sporting vehicle (watercraft, snowmobile, or ATV) you may think of where to source authentic parts and accessories for it. As a rule of thumb, you must only purchase from reputable sellers, and Yamaha Parts Nation is the place to go to for all your needs. They not only offer genuine Yamaha parts, they also have sporting gear and other accessories to level up your game. 

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One of my future goals is to move out into the country and enjoy a laid back lifestyle. Should that become a reality, I would most certainly purchase a motorcycle and an all terrain vehicle. It would be so nice to explore the great outdoors on trusted off road vehicles that would not give out on me during those adventures. 

Personally, I do not think age would be a factor. For me, it would be the experience that would count. As long as I am a responsible driver, and remember to wear safety gear while riding, I will be fine. Oh did I mention safety gear? Yamaha Parts Nation has them too! Be sure to check them out and recommend them to your family and friends.

Worried About Your Aging Parents? 4 Care Options That Can Help

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As your parents get older, your relationship will start to change. Shifts may be small at first but, over time, your roles may reverse. You have become the caretaker. The responsibility and extra work that comes with caring for aging parents are things that you may take on willingly. However, you don't have to do everything yourself. Learn about services that are available so that you can help your parents live their best lives. 

1. Companion Services

Social withdrawal and isolation is a big problem for older adults, especially those who are largely homebound. Combat loneliness by having someone come in to offer companion services on days you can't physically be there. Trained professionals like those from a home care agency Westchester County can play games, prepare meals, offer medication reminders and serve as a friendly face to brighten your parents' days. 

2. Housecleaning Assistance

Physical housekeeping tasks like changing sheets, scrubbing bathrooms and washing floors can be difficult for some older adults. They can also pose safety hazards that might result in a fall. Limit risks and take some of the burden of home care off your parents by tackling the larger jobs for them. If they don't want to put you out, offer to hire a service as a holiday or birthday gift. 

3. Respite Care

Are you a primary caregiver for a family member? Avoid burnout by seeking respite care. This gives you a chance to head out and practice some self-care without worrying about leaving a frail parent home alone. Look for resources in your community that support and assist caregivers. 

4. Transportation Assistance

Sometimes all an aging parent needs is a ride to and from the store, senior center or doctor's office. Offer a ride yourself, or connect them to an area church or senior services organization that can help. 

The best way to know what your parents need is to ask them. If they aren't forthcoming, or if they are unable to communicate their needs, take the time to observe them and the situation before rushing in to help. You'll be better prepared to meet their needs and possibly avoid a confrontation.

Navigating The Grieving Process: How To Protect Your Mental Health

Life is full of ups and downs. One of the most challenging and distressing obstacles we face is carrying on when we experience loss. Grief can be incredibly painful, and it can take a long time to reach a point when you start to notice glimpses of recovery. If you’re navigating the grieving process, here are some tips to help you protect your mental health and wellbeing.

Image by https://pixabay.com/photos/window-view-sitting-indoors-girl-1081788/

Allow yourself to be emotional

Nobody knows how they will react to losing somebody close to them. If you’re coming to terms with losing a partner, a parent, a friend or a family member, it’s crucial to allow yourself to experience and express emotions. If you feel the urge to cry or shout, go with it. If you can’t talk, and you want to be quiet and spend time alone, don’t pressure yourself into going out or making calls before you’re ready. Let your natural responses and reactions come out, don’t suppress them. It’s important to understand that there is no manual for bereavement and there is no right or wrong way to deal with loss. People go about dealing with this situation in different ways, so be kind to yourself and don’t put too much pressure on yourself to behave in a certain way. 

Stay connected with your loved one

When you first lose somebody, it can be very difficult to come to terms with the fact that they have gone and you won’t see them again. Many people talk about waiting for a friend or relative to walk through the door and hearing their voice. It will take time for these feelings and experiences to subside, and it’s natural to go through these processes, especially if you’ve lost somebody you spent a long time with. It can be difficult to think about that person at the beginning, but connecting with them and keeping their memory alive can be reassuring and comforting. When you’re ready, look through photographs, watch video clips and talk to that person if you want to. For some people, spending time at the cemetery or burial ground can help them to feel close to the person they’ve lost. Choosing cemetery grave marker stones that represent your loved one and laying flowers enables you pay tribute, to keep memories alive and to feel like you’re never too far away. 

Seek help

We all go through tough times, and losing a loved one is one of the most difficult challenges we encounter. If you are dealing with loss, you don’t have to do it on your own. Don’t be afraid to reach out to friends and family members, to seek advice from charities or to join groups that can provide support and guidance, or to see a therapist. Sometimes, being able to talk, cry and open up can help you manage your emotions and get through the pain grief causes. 

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Losing friends and family members has a profound impact. If you’re in the process of trying to navigate your way through the grieving process, it’s essential to look after yourself and to understand that there is help and support available. 

7 Simple Ways To Prepare Your Home For Sale

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Moving home is an exciting venture, the chance to start again and make a return on your current investment. Of course, there is so much to do! To start prepping your home for sale, begin with these seven simple tips.

1 . Deep Clean

First things first, if you’re preparing your home for sale, you need to give everything the deepest clean your home has ever seen! Some like to hire a professional to do this for them, while others prefer to do it themselves. Leave no corner unturned which means dusting every high shelf; sweeping every crevice; and making every surface shine! If you’re looking to do a green-clean, try products by eco-cleaning brands like Puracy or Ecover.

2. Paint neutral

When you are preparing your home for sale, it’s best to paint your rooms in neutral colors. Remember, buyers need to view the house as a blank canvas so that they can visualize their own decor styles and belongings. An overbearing or bright color scheme can be a little too distracting. It may even mean (subconsciously) that the buyer cannot picture themselves living here. This is because if you don’t like a color scheme, it can be hard to get too excited about that house. Neutral color schemes are a safe bet to keep everyone happy.

3. Simple decor

For the same reason, it helps to keep your decor simple. The buyer needs to get an impression of the size, style, and atmosphere of the home. An elaborate decor scheme could mean lots of items are competing for visual attention in the space. With a simple decor scheme, you’ll help your visitors to see the true potential.

4. Remove personal belongings

When you are prepping your home for sale, you need to think ‘show home’! Store your personal belongings out of sight and to give your home a neat and minimal look of perfection. When you are choosing the items for decor, choose the bare minimum. For instance, one plant, one neutral painting, and a set of luxury cushions. This year minimal interior design is still trending!

5. Natural touches

To beautify any home, natural touches are essential. Choose plants, flowers, or decorative shells in bowls, but remember to keep it simple. It’s also vital to make the best use of natural light when showing people around your home.

6. Curb appeal

Don’t forget about the outside of your house when you are preparing your house for sale. Sweep the yard, replace the paving stones, paint the front door, and the fences too. 

Get some lovely new flowers for your front garden, and think about creating that perfect first impression. When you improve your home’s curb appeal, you’ll start off on the right foot with every single prospective buyer.

7. The right fragrances

Last up; the right smells can do wonders for creating an appealing atmosphere in your home. Choose candles like rose, mint, or lavender to create a relaxed and peaceful environment.

Selling your home can be a long process, and some prefer to get it done fast. One of the ways that you can speed up the process is by choosing a cash buyer for your home. For more details on the ins and outs of choosing a cash buyer, check out the Gem Homes website.

Quarantine! 5 Things To Keep You And The Kids Occupied During Lockdown

For several weeks now, we have been living in crazy, unprecedented times. And while most of us are getting to grips with the way things are, adapting to video conferencing with the boss in your sitting room while trying to keep the kids out of the way, queuing up for grocery stores and keeping the required social distance away from strangers and people on the street – it really does not stop things becoming a little boring, especially if you have young kids to keep amused at home.

Spending more time at home means you need plenty of tricks up your sleeve to keep the kids occupied and entertained. However, after several weeks, even the best set out plans and ideas can get get a little dull and boring. Here, we look at five activities that will keep you all occupied and happy.  

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Coloring

It is very rare to find someone that doesn’t love a few quiet minutes of coloring. It is relaxing, peaceful and creative, which is why people of all ages enjoy it. Gone are the days where you are limited to kids coloring books - these days, you can buy books for all themes and all ages, including some rather rude adult ones! You can also if you have access to a printer, print some from the internet. There are some really intricate mindfulness ones that encourage you to relax.

Gaming

Gaming is not just a geeky teenage activity. It is something that the whole family can enjoy, whether on their own or as a family. Dig out the console and some old school multiplayer games or wait until the kids are in bed and try your luck at some Lucky 7 slots.

Write letters and postcards

In an age where almost all communication is digital, a personalized piece of mail can be very well received and appreciated. After all, most of us only ever get bills and junk mail through the mailbox! Why not draw some pictures or send a ‘wish you were here’ postcard from your sitting room to a family member or a friend? You could even draw or paint some pictures and mail them to a local senior care center - many have stopped visitors and the residents would be cheered up by receiving something lovely in the mail!

Grow your own vegetables

If you have some outdoor space, maybe a plot in the yard, an allotment or even a window box, use this time to plant and start growing your own vegetables or herbs. They don’t take a great deal of upkeep, but it is good for children to see how and where their food comes from.

Create a family newspaper

Keep your family up to date and create a record of this rather unusual time by making a family newspaper. Include pictures, dates and a breakdown of what you have been doing. Send them digitally or by mail to your loved ones, and don’t forget to print off a copy for your quarantine scrapbook!