Journeys Are My Diary

So, you’ve had a great meal with friends and enjoyed some drinks, it’s ok to drive, right? What about drinks after a long day at work? You’re only driving around the corner to get home again…

The truth is that there are no circumstances where drinking and driving is acceptable or should ever be considered. If you’ve had a drink, you simply shouldn’t drive. A huge amount of road incidents each year, including fatalities are a direct result of drunk drivers, and the consequences for drink driving are severe – click here for more information about the Texas penal code. Sadly, despite this many people get behind the wheel of their car after they’ve drunk too much alcohol, putting not only their own lives at risk but the lives of others.

So, what’s the best way to avoid the temptation to drink and drive? Here we’ll look at some simple tips to help you stay safe.

Always pick a designated driver

If you’re heading out in a group, pick a designated driver. This person will be responsible for driving you all home at the end of your night and they’ll stay sober in order to do so. However, you should be vigilant – if your designated driver goes on to drink alcohol and subsequently becomes intoxicated then you shouldn’t get in the car with them. 

Call a cab

Getting a cab is a quick and convenient way of avoiding getting behind the wheel drunk. If you’re heading out for the night, make sure that you have enough money left over to get a cab. And only get in a registered cab or visit a taxi office to ensure you’re getting in a real cab. 

Pace yourself

When drinking with friends, it’s tempting to keep up with their drinking. However, you should pace yourself. Drinking too quickly means the alcohol will hit you faster and you’ll end up drinking more than you can handle. Know your own limits and don’t ever feel pressured into drinking more than you can handle.

Don’t drink on an empty stomach

Hungry? Or dehydrated? If you’re either of these things, then you’ll get drunker much quicker and may be tempted to drive if you think you’re below the limit. Always eat a good meal and drink plenty of water between drinks. 

Hand over your keys

Whether you hand them over to the bartender, or a friend to stop you from doing anything stupid. Make sure that they know not to hand them back to you if you appear inebriated. 

Going to the dentist can be a daunting experience, even for adults. There’s really nothing fun about the whole ordeal, but it’s a part of a healthy lifestyle. Your kids should have regular checkups and cleanings to ensure they develop good oral hygiene habits from a young age. Just as you don’t enjoy the dentist, your child may not either, but it’s your responsibility to change the narrative. Getting your kids excited about a dentist visit will make the process much easier and less stressful for everybody.

Your kids will follow your lead, and by using these tactics, you can make the dentist seem a little less scary.

Choose a child-friendly dentist

With children, it’s all about approach. Dental offices that know how to approach and speak to children are crucial to establishing a good relationship from the beginning. You want your child to feel comfortable and trust the dentist and the other staff. Having a waiting room with toys or tv shows playing will help to keep the calm leading up to the appointment. They don’t need to be a pediatric-specific dentist but visiting the office first before committing to an appointment will allow you to get a feel for the facility and the staff. A quality, well-rounded dental practise like SV Dental Centre, will offer a full range of services for the whole family.

Preparation is key

Kids may like surprises, such as a new toy or candy, but going to the dentist is not one of those. Preparing your children for the dentist will help them feel more relaxed and calmer when the time comes. Start with playing a bit of pretend at home. Do a roleplay of your kid having an appointment at the dentist. You can start by being the dentist and then let them have a turn checking your teeth. When you finally go to the appointment, they have an idea of what to expect and will be less likely to freak out.

Keep everything positive

From a young age, always maintain a positive attitude around oral hygiene. Make sure you focus on the benefits of brushing, flossing, and going to the dentist. Be over-the-top about your love for the dentist and how beautiful it makes your smile. Oral hygiene should not be something that you’re continually forcing your kids to do. They need to want to do it. Use fun songs or videos to promote positivity and optimism around oral hygiene.

Use a reward system

Children respond well to positive feedback and receiving rewards for their achievements. While it might seem small, a smooth-running trip to the dentist is something to be proud of. It’s not about bribing your kids but instead giving them something positive to associate with a dentist’s appointment. Maybe each time you go to the dentist, you go to their favourite restaurant for lunch after. If there is some specific place that they love, like the local park or going to see horses than include that on their appointment day.

 

Whether you’re taking the trip of a lifetime, cruising in luxury and sight-seeing around Norwegian fjords and mountain ranges, or whether you’re simply taking a well-earned weekend break in a secluded log cabin with nothing but a crackling log fire and a good book for company, the last thing you need on your trip is to be injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault. After all, travel is the one thing that unites us all – we all love to get away and experience new things, so any non-fault accident that results in our vacation time being cut short with a hospital trip, along with all the considerations over medical concerns, rehabilitation, and lost earnings, should always be dealt with to the letter of the law. See personalinjury.com for more details. For now, here’s what you need to know.

Speak to a solicitor as early as possible

Does your travel insurance cover your medical expenses in full? Does the way in which you booked your trip mean that any medical care and special considerations over your safe repatriation will be funded? How about finding out who was responsible for your injury abroad so as to bring a claim for personal injury compensation against them? This last point in particular could be tricky if your injury occurred in a public place (meaning correspondence with the relevant authorities) or on a private property involving a landlord or business owner that does not speak your language and is potentially elusive. A personal injury compensation solicitor can provide you with information on taking care of all of these things if you find yourself in the position of being injured while travelling abroad. 

Further unforeseen complications

Difficulties in establishing liability can arise on foreign soil where the procedure for dealing with personal injury compensation claims may be different to the procedures we are used to. For example, business owners and public authorities may try to deflect blame for your injury where the lines blur between potential liability and there is no legal statute in place to help decide such grey areas. Also, where you bring a claim for personal injury compensation while travelling, there is very little chance of your case being heard and processed in your own country – the case will likely be handled in the country where the accident took place (this presents language barriers and a need to understand foreign laws). That is why speaking to a solicitor who has experience in travel injury claims is essential. 

Welcoming your new puppy into your home is a joyous occasion for families and will come with plenty of fun, love, and cuddles. However, constant soiling on carpets, furnishings, and floors inside the home can often put a dampener on the whole experience, so it’s essential that when your family is preparing for the arrival of a new addition, they have done their research on how to best train your puppy to do all his or her business outside from the onset. 

Puppies are loving, playful creatures that have a built-in willingness to please you. This means that rather than punishment, puppies need to you communicate with them the actions that make you happy. Once this message has been received, they will continue to exhibit this behavior. The difficulty comes in making your new bundle of fun understands the behavior you like and the behavior you don’t; however, if you follow a few simple steps, you can have your new puppy house trained in a few short weeks.

Get a Solid Routine in Place

Much like children, puppies are only able to hold their bladder for a short period. This is even more so for small dogs, and there are certain times when your puppy is more likely to eliminate, such as when they first wake up, after eating and right before bed.

The good news is that they can last a lot longer when they are inactive, such as overnight, so it should not take long before you start seeing dry nights.

For the first few days, it is a good idea to take your puppy outside on an hourly basis and extend this time as and when your puppy starts to display good bathroom habits.  

If your puppy is displaying difficulty in holding their bladder, then it is possible there is a urinary tract infection, and you should take them straight to the veterinarianfriscotx.com for advice.

Keep an Eye on Your Puppy

The trick to stopping your puppy from soiling in the house is to catch them in the act. It is a good idea to restrict your puppy’s movement around the house and keep them within eyeshot at all times. As soon as you see that your puppy going to the bathroom in your home, you should immediately get your puppy’s attention with a sharp ‘No’ and pick them up to go outside, even if they have already started. Try not to frighten your puppy and definitely refrain from punishing them in any way.

Consider crating your puppy when you are not around. Puppies do not like soiling where they sleep, so this can help avoid accidents.

Praise and Reward

This is the most essential part of your puppies training, as this will teach them that you are pleased when they go to the bathroom outside. As soon as your puppy starts to eliminate outside, praise them verbally and give them a treat as soon as they have finished. Keep doing this until your puppy has stopped having accidents inside the house.

Whether you are one of the millions of grandparents serving as a primary caregiver for your grandchildren or just a concerned parent (as I am) watching from the sidelines, there are things you can do to make those you care about more smart-money.

As of this writing, the market is down roughly 30%, and it can be an emotional roller-coaster. However, as a parent or grandparent, there proven ways to be diligent about money growth.

Raising money-smart kids is no easy task, especially in this world of instant gratification and $1,000 smartphones. Everything, it seems, is stacked against financial responsibility, but you can help your grandkids for their future!

It does not matter whether your grandkids are still too young for nursery school or already heading off to college — as a grandparent, you can make a real difference in their lives.

Here are some smart tips to help concerned grandparents raise money-smart grandkids.

Avoid the Urge to Spoil Your Grandkids

It is easy for grandparents to be overindulgent with their grandkids, especially when they see them relatively rarely. But, if you are the kind of grandparent who always arrives with armloads of gifts, you might want to rethink your strategy. Every Target run doesn’t need to include a gift to your precious grandchild.

Spoiling the grandkids may be fun for you, but it could be bad for them in the long run.

Instead of spending your cash on gifts, they will forget tomorrow, make a real investment in your grandkids and their future.

Give Monetary Investments Instead of Cash

Cash from grandma is a staple of many a birthday party or Christmas celebration, and there is nothing wrong with an occasional monetary gift.

But, if you want your grandkids to grow up money smart, you need to look beyond those cash gifts.

Supplementing those monetary gifts with long-term investments will help your grandkids see beyond the now and give them the tools they need to fight the instant gratification culture in which they live.

Gifting a few shares of stock or funding an initial investment in a mutual fund is a gift that will be appreciated for many years to come — long after that tech gizmo has been forgotten.

Contributing to an education account, such as a 529, can be a great way to invest in their future success. Other options are setting up custodial accounts. However, this is not financial advice, and you will want to speak to your financial advisor for the best options that will work for your needs.

Talk With Your Own Kids

If you are the primary caregiver for your grandkids, you have direct responsibility for their physical well-being and their financial education. In that case, you can make all the decisions and use all the tools in your toolkit to make the grandkids smarter about money.

Things become considerably more complicated when your own kids are raising your precious grandchildren. In cases like this, your own kids’ attitudes about money and spending will have a profound impact on your grandkids and how they feel about finances and investing.

Even if you disagree with the approach your children are taking, you need to respect their rights as parents. You can express your opinion — and make a difference with gifted investments and money-smart presents.

Also, knowing when to step back is equally important, as not to overshadow the parents.

My late Father instilled values surrounding smart-investing in me from a young age. And my Mom, she always taught me other priceless life skills.

Leave a Lasting Legacy

You can also help your grandkids be money smart by leaving them a lasting legacy. Estate planning is an essential consideration for grandparents, and there are various ways to structure your inheritance.

Talk to your attorney or estate planning expert about how best to leave your grandchildren a lasting legacy. From passing your IRA on to the grandkids to the new laws of IRA trusts, there are many things to consider.

Raising money-smart kids is hard, and raising money-smart grandkids can be even harder. The instant gratification culture seems to be getting worse every day, and saving money often gets put on the back burner. If you want to protect your grandkids and their future, giving them the tools they need to resist this urge to spend may be the best legacy of all.

Making a real difference if your grandkids’ lives should be a top priority, and setting them up for financial success is an area they could definitely benefit from immensely.

For any homeowner looking to sell their property, there are several tried and tested methods to help you stand out from the competition and attract more buyers. Some quick and simple steps can help make your home appealing to future buyers. Remember: you are not just selling a building, but a lifestyle, so with that in mind, let’s look at some of the ways to help get your property sold quickly.

Hire a Quality Estate Agent

Getting the right estate agent is an essential first step towards selling your property. Letting agents Erdington will be able to give you a realistic valuation of your property and help you make your property more appealing to potential buyers. Remember that the estate agent is responsible for all the marketing of your property, so don’t be tempted to simply accept the one with the lowest rate. Instead, engage the services of an estate agent that has an excellent reputation.

Garden and Outdoor Space

The front and back gardens are an important aspect of any sale, as they are often the first thing that potential buyers will see when they come to your property. Therefore, it is crucial that your grass is cut, and your bins are hidden. Think of ways to make your outdoor space look appealing. Remember that you are selling a lifestyle. Comfortable chairs with cushions and throws can help bring an element of luxury to your outdoor space and have potential buyers imagining themselves enjoying a cool drink outside on balmy summer evenings. A lit firepit, ice bucket or even an outdoor table laid for alfresco dining will complete the image. Let your creativity run wild with your outdoor space.

How your house looks from the outside is equally important, so consider giving your front door a fresh lick of paint and having the windows all cleaned.

Inside Your Property

Some simple styling on the inside can also work wonders to create an inviting space that people can’t wait to live in. Firstly, it is important to ensure that your house is clean and tidy from top to bottom. Hide all the clutter, place shoes and coats in cupboards and make sure storage spaces are neat and orderly. Make sure all the beds are made to perfection (imagine a bed in a hotel room) and that fluffy, clean towels hang in all the bathrooms. Lay the table for dinner with your best plates, napkins and glassware and turn on lamps around the house to give a warm, inviting glow. 

Remember to appeal to all the senses and hide any unpleasant smells. Many sellers swear that baking bread or brewing coffee can help towards sealing the deal, but failing that, the use of scented candles and essential oils can certainly help to make your home smell welcoming. Bunches of seasonal flowers dotted around the house can also make the difference. If you have a fireplace, make sure it is lit in the winter months.

Deciding whether or not to spay your dog can be agonizing for owners. Many pet owners struggle with whether they should leave their animal as nature intended or help to control the ever-growing dog population by taking the necessary precautions. 

It is, after all, estimated that between 6 to 8 million pets are surrendered to animal shelters each year. 

Here we look at the scientific evidence that can help us make head or tail of this choice.

What Is the Difference Between Spaying and Neutering?

As a starting point, it is often helpful to have a firm grasp on the terminology. Neutering is the sterilization of male dogs and involves the removal of their testicles. Spaying on the other hand refers to the sterilization of female dogs and involves the removal of their ovaries and uterus. Both spaying and neutering are surgical procedures which should only be done by qualified vets such as those at heartandpaw.com.

Pros of Spaying Your Female Dog

• Your dog will no longer experience ‘seasons’ or ‘heat’. When female dogs come in heat, they release a scent that can be detected by male dogs over a mile away. This in turn can attract a lot of unwanted attention from dogs. There is also a greater chance of your female dog wandering off and getting lost while searching for a mate. The other consideration is the bloody discharge that is released during each season. This can make a mess of your home and furnishings.

• Spaying your female dog will prevent unwanted pregnancies from occurring. Any pregnancies can put a financial burden on owners and be a time-consuming exercise. Female dogs will require regular visits to the vet and there is a small risk of death during or after the birth of the puppies. Also, it is worth considering that with the already out of control population of dogs already in shelters, it may not be as easy to find homes for any puppies produced as you might think. Puppies will need to stay with their mother until they are at least eight weeks old, putting even more strain on your time and finances.

• Spaying your dog can help to reduce or eliminate certain diseases such as uterus, ovarian, or reproductive tract cancer. It is also estimated that one in four unspayed female dogs will develop a uterine infection at some point and spaying can in fact protect your dog from this sometimes-fatal disease. It is also worth considering the emotional and physical stress that phantom pregnancies can have on an unspayed female.

Cons of Spaying Your Female Dog

• Hyperthyroidism is when low thyroid levels lead to weight gain and obesity and this is a known side effect of spaying.

• There is an increased risk of deadly cancers such as lymphoma and hemangiosarcoma in spayed females. If spayed too early, dogs can also run the risk of developing uneven bone growth, bone cancer, and urinary incontinence.

• There can be complications relating to the use of anesthesia, or after surgery complications such as infection although these are seldom fatal and can often be treated.

You’ve made the decision to file bankruptcy, good for you. It wasn’t easy but you realized that it was the only way to resolve your untenable debt situation. You gathered all of the many, many documents you needed, compiled all of the information, filled out all of the forms, took your credit counselling course, paid your filing fee, and filed. 

Now what?

The good news is, the hard part is over. But in order to make your hard work pay off, you need to follow these five steps, according to David M. Offen, a busy bankruptcy attorney in Philadelphia.

Meet all of the post-filing requirements.

Once you file a bankruptcy petition, a trustee is assigned to your case and the 341(a) meeting of creditors is scheduled. 

What is the 314(a) meeting of creditors? It is a meeting the Trustee has with you and your attorney during which he or she confirms your identity and asks a series of questions about your financial situation. Your creditors also have the opportunity to appear and question you if needed, although this seldom happens and is something your attorney will know about in advance and prep you for.

If you filed Chapter 13, an additional meeting is held called the confirmation hearing. This is the hearing during which your proposed Chapter 13 plan is approved or denied, and again, your attorney will know in advance if there are any problems with your plan. This is a hearing you do not need to attend, but you do need to be prompt in supplying any information or documentation your attorney may request to support the confirmation of your plan.

Whether you file Chapter 7 or 13, you will need to take a second course, which is available online and over the phone. This is called the debtor’s education course, or the financial management course. As with the pre-filing credit counseling course, the course provider will supply you with a certification of completion which you will submit to your attorney for filing with the court.

Be sure to complete this course and give your certification to your attorney! If you do not, your case will be administratively dismissed and you will not receive a discharge of your unsecured debt.

Supply anything requested by the Trustee.

This is a must. The Trustee is charged with making sure there is no abuse of the bankruptcy process, and part of that responsibility entails checking every last financial detail. Whether it is the last 6 months of bank statements or pay stubs, a tax return from three years ago, a realtor’s appraisal of your home… get it to the Trustee. If you do not, the Trustee has the power to object to your discharge or to move to dismiss your case entirely.

Hold on to your discharge order.

Your discharge order will also have your docket number on it. In the months after your bankruptcy case closes, keep it handy in case any creditor calls you trying to collect a discharged debt. If one does, give them the case number and date of the discharge order and the phone number of your attorney.

Keep track of who calls you. If they call you again after you’ve provided this information, they are in violation of the discharge order and strict fines may be levied against them by the bankruptcy court. Call your attorney immediately.

Incorporate the lessons learned in your credit counselling course and financial management course.

While these two courses may seem like just another onerous requirement of filing bankruptcy, they will give you some excellent advice about how to manage your finances moving forward.

Tips on saving money by lowering expenses, budgeting, and how to create an emergency fund will help you avoid the types of things that forced you to file bankruptcy in the first place.

Enjoy your fresh start.

The hard part is over. But how do you move on?

Chances are you’ve had your unsecured debt, like credit card and medical bills, discharged – meaning, you are no longer personally responsible for paying them. That frees up some of your income to pay other things that you may have struggled to pay in full and on time in the past, for example, your mortgage or rent, your car payment, your child support or alimony payment, or your student loan payment.

Now is your chance to start fresh. You can rebuild credit and improve your credit score by paying your bills in full and on time and by perhaps getting a credit card that you pay in full each month. Car lenders will give you a loan, albeit at a higher interest rate than for someone who did not file bankruptcy, but paying that car loan off will help build credit as well.

Incorporating the lessons learned in your two financial courses, you can pay all of your monthly bills in full and on time and live comfortably within your means. 

About the Author

Veronica Baxter is a blogger and legal assistant living and working in the great city of Philadelphia. She spoke with David Offen, Esq. about this article.

If you’ve found yourself involved in a lawsuit, you’ll know that it can be extremely stressful. Whether your lawsuit is to do with illness (like this small cell lung cancer lawsuit), family matters or discrimination, being involved in a legal case can leave you feeling confused, emotional and burnt out.

It’s important to take time for yourself when you’re involved in a lawsuit and to not allow it to become all-encompassing. Check out the following tips for survival.

Exercise

It can be difficult to fit exercise into your routine at the best of times, and might feel near impossible when you’re involved in a lawsuit. However, if you’re spending much of your time sitting down in a courtroom, it’s important to make sure you move your body and get some fresh air. Exercise can also be a great way to channel stress and endorphins will make you feel more positive. So, whether it’s going for good long walks, hitting the gym or playing a game of tennis with a pal, make sure you find the time to get active. Your body will thank you for it, as will your mind.

Communicate

Humans can be, quite frankly, terrible at talking about their feelings. Many of us struggle to vocalize our concerns and this leads to worries escalating and becoming unmanageable. During a lawsuit, it’s important that we don’t bottle up our worries. We’ll be feeling tense, stressed and anxious and we need to be able to communicate that with another human being. So, make sure you take the time to speak to someone about what’s happening, whether that’s a partner, friend or relative. If you don’t want to speak to someone who knows you personally, you could consider speaking to a therapist or mental health professional. You also need to make sure that you’re communicating effectively with your lawyer.

Distractions

When you’re involved in a legal battle, it can feel like it’s taking over your life. You’re probably channeling most of your energy into it, and it won’t do you any good to churn over what might happen and fixate on the events of the day. So, alongside exercising and communicating, you also need to find engaging distractions. Things like watching a film or getting into a good book can be welcome distractions that take you away from the realities of your life, and into those of someone else. Likewise, finding a creative hobby like knitting, arts and crafts or writing will give you something else to focus on and find joy in.

Socialize

Whether you’re an introvert, extrovert or combination of both, all of us need human interaction from time to time. Whilst you might not love the idea of going out on the town after a day in court, it’s important to find time for loved ones when you’re involved in a lawsuit. Friends, family members and colleagues can provide us with excellent support when we’re feeling stressed and it’s good to know that we’re not alone.

Discovering you have a chronic illness, whether at the age of 18 or 80, is a serious and life-changing piece of news. Your immediate thoughts may drift towards desperation and disappointment — that your life is going to change, and you’re going to have to overcome obstacles to move on. Meanwhile, you’ll also have the physical symptoms to deal with and your health to maintain and upkeep. In this article, you’ll learn how to perfectly balance these new responsibilities so that you can continue living life with the same zest and gusto that you applied to it before you received your bad news.

Getting the Facts Straight

Your first key stage in understanding what your chronic illness means for you is to find out all you can about your own condition, as well as how the doctors would rate the severity of your illness, and what your prognosis is. This is a moment of cold hard facts, and learning how your life is going to be affected by the illness that you’ve discovered. Once you have all the information and you understand the nature of your illness, you’ll be better placed to make plans towards recovery and lead a continued fulfilling life.

Getting Medical Attention

You may need to seek medical attention and portion out time, energy and cash to help towards your treatment. As soon as you discover you have symptoms of a chronic illness, you should seek medical attention immediately. The more specific your malady, the more specific you should go with your medical care in order to get the best possible advice. If you have kidney issues, for example, you should find a kidney specialist doctor at Springvale Nephrology to help you work through your treatment. If you have a form of cancer, the same should be sought: specialist cancer doctors can help you treat the disease right away.

Dealing with Mental Health

Next up, you should turn back to yourself and consider how you’ve taken the news of your chronic illness. It can be a difficult period in one’s life as you come to term with news that is sure to change the way you live your life. But such news needn’t change your whole outlook on life — unless, of course, it’s for the positive. You should use this news to propel you into a new period of positivity, and if this feels too difficult to achieve alone, you should consider seeking therapy to help you through and beyond the darker thoughts you may be experiencing.

Making Positive Plans 

Now that you’ve taken responsibility for both your physical and mental health, it’s time to move away from seeing yourself as a victim, a patient and an ill individual, and begin to once again see yourself as someone with a world of opportunity at their fingertips. Your illness may limit you, but it doesn’t stop you in your tracks: as such, you should begin making fulfilling plans for the future now that you’re abreast of your illness, and the treatment that will keep it under control. 

When you discover you have a chronic illness, life can feel shattered irreparably. But through this advice, you’ll be able to channel your energies back into living your life to the fullest, treating your illness responsibly as you do so.