Journeys Are My Diary

Is having a phobia normal? Of course, it is! It’s very common for adults to suffer from phobias, and it’s even more common in children. It could be clowns, a fear of the sea, a fear of fire, snakes or spiders! But for some, it’s the dentist. Having a fear of the dentist is also quite common but it can get in the way of ensuring your child maintains their good oral health. So, what can you do?

Well, here you’ll find a few helpful tips and ideas of how you can encourage your child to tackle their phobia.

Communication

The key to tackling your child’s dental anxiety is a good line of communication between you and your dentist. Dental practices like, docklandsdental.ie, pride themselves on being open and honest with their patients, and recognising that some patients need a little more help and encouragement than others to get into the chair. Before any visit, make sure that the dentist is aware of your child’s anxiety. Dentists are trained to deal with situations and will always do their utmost to ensure the visit goes smoothly and doesn’t make things worse.

Play

Got an appointment looming? Don’t worry, why not try a little role play with your child before you need to go? Let your child play at being the dentist and then change roles, this let’s your child see that a trip to the dentist can be fun.

Be prepared

Did you know you could actually visit the dentist prior to the appointment? This might help your child get used to the sights and smells of the place, which can be quite daunting. Let them see that the staff are super friendly, let them play with the toys in the waiting room, or better still have one of their own favourites from home on standby for a little comfort.

Positive reinforcement

Compliments and encouragement go a long way. Make sure your child knows that they have been brave, let them know that you’re pleased with how well they’ve coped with their visit to the dentist.

Be careful

It can be easy to accidentally tell your child about an unpleasant dental experience you’ve had, even the slightest thing could be enough to frighten them. You also need to be wary of them listening in to your phone conversations too! If your child is asking you about the dentist, then always avoid using words such as “hurt”, “injection” or “painful”, even using words such as “only a little bit” can make anxiety soar, so just be careful!

Don’t give up

You may begin to dread every six months when the family appointment comes around again – you may think it easier just to avoid taking your child to the dentist until they’re older and they’re “over” their phobia. Where it’s true that many childhood phobias fade away over time, not taking your child to the dentist will be detrimental to their oral health. So always try to keep their appointment. Hang on in there!

Many people dream of traveling around the world, but few actually ever get the opportunity to do so. Sometimes it’s the expense of being able to travel for months on end and other times it’s just that you have gotten so busy with everyday life that time just slips away from you. Before you know it, you have a family and a fulltime job and there simply isn’t time to take an extended trip. Actually, you could take the family with you because there are plenty of things you can do online to earn an income. Why not take your work with you? You could always work your way around the world, one blog at a time. Here are some important things you should consider before setting out on your journey.

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words

One of the best ways to document your travels is photo journaling. So many people are just like you. They have always wanted to take a hiatus from work (or school!) to make their way around the world to see and do things they might never get another chance to experience. While you may have a monetized blog and you may sell your articles as a source of income, photo journaling actually helps you sell more articles.

Great photos of exotic locations and off-the-beaten path treasures are hard to find. Do yourself a favor. Before heading out, invest in a good camera with a variety of lenses. Great equipment doesn’t need to cost a small fortune, and you can find everything from cameras and lenses to accessories on sites like sigma-rumors.com. You will also find all the information you need on the equipment available. When writing travel blogs, a picture really is worth a thousand words.

Traveling Solo

While many bloggers do travel with their families, it really is simpler to travel solo. You have a wider variety of places you can stay at low costs. Hostels are available throughout much of Europe and if the seasons are warm, you could even backpack the continent with a lightweight tent, a camera and a few emergency supplies. The object of writing about your travels is to document things other bloggers probably haven’t seen in the same way you will be seeing them. Plan on staying enough time in any one location to get a real feel for the people and places you visit. Authenticity is the key to effective writing, and only time will give you the ability to get that real feel.

Don’t Miss the Opportunity of a Lifetime

One of the things traveling bloggers lament is passing up on once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. Nothing is forever and if you don’t get it on paper in words and pictures, that opportunity may never arise again. For example, in March 2017 Gozo’s Azure Window crashed into the sea during a storm. This amazing natural rock archway jutting off the land is no longer. For years tourists were attracted to Gozo to see this natural phenomenon and now they will never have a chance. Many videos and photographs are out there, but wouldn’t you have loved to be the one who shot that perfect exposure? Wouldn’t you like to have your before and after pictures on the cover of a popular magazine, online or in hard copy?

When you are young, time is on your side. Travel the world, documenting every step of the way. Sell your stories. Sell your pictures, all the while seeing sights you may never have an opportunity to visit again. This is a journey you’ll never forget, and why should you? Your words and photos will last a lifetime and they are meant to be shared.

Whether you love it or loathe it, there’s no denying that Facebook plays an integral part in modern culture and is shaping the internet as we know it. Billions of people around the world rely on the service to browse, communicate, relax, and even run their business. The growing development team has subsequently worked tirelessly to implement as many features as possible to keep users coming back.

This constant influx of updates and features has resulted in many going unnoticed, remaining hidden or only being utilized by professionals and industry insiders, even though they’re all available to the public. A lot of these features are really useful and can boost your enjoyment as a casual user or productivity as a business owner.

So, without further ado, here are four useful Facebook features that you can utilize right now to increase your social media game.

Use Messenger As A File Transfer Service

Just like most messaging services, Facebook offers the ability to send virtually any type of file you have stored on your phone over their Messenger service. Take advantage of this opportunity by using the app on your phone to send files wirelessly to other devices that you’re logged into Facebook on. It’s a great alternative to Bluetooth or physical media such as SD cards.

Facebook Notes

This lesser known feature is perfect for those who love to type paragraphs. Facebook’s Notes service acts as a personal blog that you can use to share large bodies of texts and multiple images, all within the Facebook ecosystem. You can also find notes from people on your friend’s list in this section.

Dealing With Unknown Messengers

This relatively new feature makes dealing with people who claim to know you a little less stressful. If you’ve used Messenger for some time, chances are you’ve received a message from someone claiming to know you, but you cannot remember. With a recent update, the app now gives you a little more information than a profile picture. For an insight on what exactly you can find out about strangers who message you, head over to Midday Daily.

Saving Posts

Sometimes, you’ll be mindlessly scrolling through your feed while waiting for your coffee to brew or for your coworker to stop talking and you happen to come across something interesting. Fast forward a few hours and that post has been buried under dozens of new updates, lost in the abyss of Facebook’s archives.

But worry not, Facebook has you covered with the post saving feature. Simply click the small arrow at the top right of any post and select the “Save Link” option from the dropdown list. Then, head over to your favorites bar and you should find a section for saved posts, allowing you to access them at any time.

Conclusion

There are tons of other useful features hidden within the works of the social media giant that is Facebook. Take a minute to explore and test out every nook and cranny of the ever-expanding website. You might just find a hidden feature that makes you internet-famous for a day or two.

Birthdays are a time to celebrate and kick back and relax with the ones you love. One way to mix it up for your spouse this year is to throw him or her a surprise birthday party. It’s definitely a challenge, but if you can pull it off the event will be amazing!

You should understand the ins and outs before diving in and committing to going forward with a surprise party. You’ll have to accept that there will be extra pressure on you. Planning an event is hard enough, but you’re also going to have to go behind their back. Learn what it’ll take to make it a successful surprise birthday bash.

Select a Date & Venue Early

It’s important to get the event date on the calendar and to do so early. Decide if you’ll be renting out a venue or hosting the party at your home. If you are going somewhere else, then you’ll want to reserve the space well in advance. Make sure your spouse keeps their calendar open for the date you’ve confirmed the surprise party to be. One idea is to schedule an outing with them for the same date then you will know they’re free.

Be Picky about the Guest List

Remember that this isn’t a party for you. It’s for your spouse, and you should invite people he or she would want present. This also isn’t a time to invite guests who you hardly know and that will make your spouse feel uncomfortable. When in doubt, it’s best to keep it small and intimate. The fact is that the more people who know about it, the more likely it is that the secret will get out. Be picky about who you invite so that your party is a hit.

Figure out the Details

You’re going to want to start a checklist for all the tasks you’ll need to complete before the event date. It includes securing enough food and drinks and launching a gift registry using our wishing well. A gift registry makes it easy for guests to go online and purchase exactly what your spouse wants. You know them best and what they want so you can do this part yourself. It’s better than guests having no idea what to bring or not knowing to bring a gift.

Have an Entry Plan

Know how you’re going to get your spouse to the scene of the party without them knowing anything beforehand. As noted earlier, one idea is to make plans with them on the event date so you know their calendar is blocked off. Then figure out what you’re going to do with them to not look suspicious. Everyone will be relying on you to stick to the plan and make sure your spouse arrives at the surprise party without any clue of what’s going on.

Conclusion

This is all you need to know for throwing a successful surprise party for your spouse. It’s a lot of work but will be worth it when you see the look on their face as they enter the room. Remember to relax and have fun on the date of the event because your work will be done!

Running a household costs money, and when you add children into the mix, you can feel that you are on a never-ending merry-go-round of earning money to spend money. Many families live month to month and must stretch out the monthly pay cheque to make ends meet. Yet, it is important to try and save money, no matter what your income is. Here are 4 ways to show you how to start saving money and make a realistic saving plan.

 

• Open a savings account

 

You need to open a bank or building society account that you can move money into each month. Some months you will be able to transfer more money than others, but the benefit of having a separate bank account to your current one is that you won’t draw money out. There are many bank accounts available to you, so research one that meets your needs. It is a good idea to choose one that has an associated app so that you can easily transfer money from your smartphone without the need to visit a branch.

 

• Record your spending

 

To be able to save money, you need to know how you currently spend it. You can do this by creating a simple spreadsheet to record your expenditure. Do this for three months. Three months’ worth of records will give you enough information to get a picture of where you are spending money on necessities, and where you are leaking cash.

 

• Make a budget

 

Your first step to creating a budget is to record the family income. Remember to use the post-tax figures: the net figure! You have already recorded your expenditure for three months, and so you can use this data to identify your fixed expenses: direct debits and mortgage or rent payments, etc. You will then have variable expenses; these include groceries, travel expenses and leisure and entertainment costs. Your variable expenses are where you can make savings. Deduct the fixed and variable expenses from your net income, and if there is money left over, that figure is the start of your saving. You need to set goals as to what you want to save and review your lifestyle to reach them.

 

• Alter your spending habits

 

You may be in the habit of seeking promotional codes or online vouchers when you buy big-ticket purchases, but you should also apply your online savviness to day-to-day purchases. Items that you regularly buy can be bought online at reduced prices, for example, discount toiletries and cleaning products. Use online price comparison sites to review your utility provider’s rates and to save money. You don’t need to live like a hermit to save money, you just need to make wise decisions as to how you spend it!

By saving money, you are creating an important safety net for your family. You do not know what the future holds, and your family’s lifestyle can be seriously impacted by challenges such as a redundancy or ill health that restrict your household’s ability to bring in a wage. Set yourself a realistic goal, and regularly transfer any money that you can to help reach it.

Before looking at the best locations in Brighton to buy property, the first thing you need to consider is the kind of property you are looking for and, of course, it’s ultimate use. Are you looking for a single-family detached home or are you in mind of finding a flat in what is considered the “Bohemian” area of Brighton? Perhaps you are looking for a commercial property where you can open a shop or restaurant and then again, maybe you are looking for ‘buy to let’ properties simply because of the nature of this amazing seaside resort area. In any case, you probably should contact conveyancing solicitors in Brighton even before looking at what is available. In the meantime, here is some of what you might want to know about the area.

A Popular and Very Busy Seaside Resort

Just about an hour to the south of London, Brighton is a very busy place for holiday goers from literally all over the world. Those who want to visit London but don’t actually want to stay in a city quite as large, often book lodgings in Brighton so that they can enjoy the shore but take a train to the city on a moment’s whim. If you are looking for a holiday self-catering home or flat, this would be the perfect place to buy property. However, which area of Brighton would best suit your needs?

Three Areas of Interest

When looking for the right property in Brighton/Hove, there are actually three areas which strike the most interest. Whether you are looking for investment properties or a lovely dwelling for yourself and your family, most conveyancing solicitors and estate agents suggest Kempton, Preston Park, or The Lanes. Each area has something attractive to buyers, so perhaps it would be wise to take a day trip to Brighton to view each of the areas.

Kempton

If you are at all familiar with the area, you may have heard that Kempton wasn’t really the nicest area of town. However, massive renovations have restored much of the area and now Kempton is home to a number of trendy pubs and boutiques. This is an area for the younger crowd, so if you are looking to cater to holiday goers, Kempton may be your best bet.

Preston Park

If you are looking for a lovely backdrop to your property, the more than 60 acres of Preston Park is where you’ll find what you are looking for. Although a lovely spot to live, this wouldn’t make for an ideal holiday property, but it would make for an ideal location to settle down amidst the natural beauty of the area.

The Lanes

Being close to the beach, The Lanes is composed of narrow alleyways and streets where you’ll find an abundance of shops. If you are looking for commercial property or an area for buy to let storefront, this Bohemian neighbourhood is the perfect solution. With a high amount of seasonal traffic, shops do well in this part of town.

In close proximity to the nation’s capital and the allure of the seashore, any location in Brighton may have exactly what you are looking for. Take the time to scout about, contact a conveyancing solicitor and, before you know it, you’ll be the proud owner of prime real estate in Brighton.

The idea of camping is a great one. The fresh air, the time to spend in nature, the time to spend with your family and friends; it all adds up to something that many people love. However, there is a lot more to camping than simply enjoying it (although that is hugely important). Camping has a variety of other health benefits too. Here are some of them.

Brain Training

There will be challenges faced when camping – it’s not like booking a hotel room and letting someone else do all the hard work. Before you even set off, there is plenty of things to arrange such as how much food to bring with you, which tent is going to give you the most protection and checking out bestsplittingaxe.net to make sure you have the best tool you can get for chopping up wood. When you get to the campsite, those challenges will increase, often because they aren’t issues that you’ll come across on a daily basis. Working out how to solve these challenges is a great exercise for your brain, and a healthy brain leads to great well-being in general.

Better Sleep

It may seem odd to think that sleeping in the ‘wild’ in a tent is going to lead to a better night’s sleep than you would get at home in your lovely, comfortable bed with a proper duvet and heating. However, it’s true! Camping has been found to re-set our biological clocks, allowing us to go to sleep at the correct time, sleep through the night, and wake up feeling refreshed. It’s all due to finally being able to adjust to natural light (or lack of it) instead of relying on electricity to give us a false timeframe and confuse our circadian rhythm. As it’s unlikely that you’ll need or want an alarm clock, you can sleep naturally and peacefully too.

More Vitamin D

Everyone needs a certain amount of vitamin D for their bodies to function properly. The problem is, in normal circumstances we don’t tend to get enough because we spend a lot of time indoors, hunched over computer screens or watching TV. Camping forces us to be out in the sunlight, and that’s where our main source of vitamin D comes from. Having the right amount of vitamin D means better moods and clearer mental ability amongst other things. Make sure that you also use protection against the sun if you’re out in it for extended periods of time though.

More Exercise

Most of us don’t get enough exercise, and the exercise we do get is contained in a gym or workout class. When camping, however, exercise is par for the course. When you go off exploring the area around the campsite, you should go to the woods, head off to the beach, or wherever else you choose to go. You should also do it by foot, and you’ll find that not only do you see a lot more than you would from behind a car window, you’ll also get a lot more exercise than you ever normally would. You might even decide to do a spot of (small) mountain climbing or go for a swim. It’s all good for you, so enjoy!

Murder mystery parties were once only enjoyed by the elite because they often required expensive props to create the perfect atmosphere and set the stage for the night’s events. However, there are inexpensive ways to host the perfect murder mystery party without spending a small fortune. It only takes a good theme, some good friends to invite, and a lot of creativity.

Getting Ideas for the Plot

Every good mystery party needs an equally good plot as the backdrop for the evening’s entertainment. Here is where many people struggle and why they spend so much on those mystery kits online or in your local novelty shops. Actually, what you can do is look back at some of the old Agatha Christie movies or watch an old episode or two from that now-famous series of days gone by, Kojak.

For any who may not remember, Telly Savalas played the lead homicide detective in the hugely popular American television series. Whatever happened to good old-fashioned crime dramas anyway and for that matter, whatever became of Telly Savalas? You might find what you are looking for on sites like richestlifestyle.com, which offer highlights and tidbits about the net worth of famous celebs.

How to Create the Invitation

Perhaps the most important aspect of a murder mystery party is the invitation. This is where you give guests the plot and assign characters, so you may want to make each invitation a bit unique. You can list the characters on the invitation template but keep ‘secret’ details pertinent to each character separate. You don’t want to give away too much or it wouldn’t be a mystery!

Begin with a Themed Dinner

Since hosting a murder mystery party usually begins at dinner, you will want to make your dinner thematic as well. For example, if set in a different era, prepare foods that would have graced tables of the day. Some foods simply didn’t enter our diets until recent years when the Internet and global travel became such a big part of everyday life. Stay away from international foods, which wouldn’t have been eaten by the average household of the day, and if you are hosting a party set in High Society, do make sure to assign a butler and a serving maid. Who knows, maybe it really was the butler who did it!

Costumes Add that Extra Bit of Authenticity

If you are going to do it, do it right! Costumes are an absolute must! However, you don’t need to rent a costume in most cases or buy a vintage dress or tux. Simply visit your local thrift shop to find used clothing you can alter to fit the time period. Your costumes don’t have to be expensive, but they should be as authentic as possible to the era and backdrop of your plot.

Murder mystery parties are a fun way to get a group of friends together for dinner with a glass or two of wine. As a friendly caution, go easy on the wine at dinner because your guests must be on their toes without revealing too much about the character they play! Remember, you can host a mystery party which isn’t going to cost much more than the food on the table, but what you will spend a lot of is time. Developing the plot and printing personalized invitations will take some doing, but the fun you’ll have is well worth every moment. Enjoy and remember – it isn’t always the butler!

This is a sponsored post.

In 2018 I turn 39, which means next year I’ll be 40. This has gotten me to thinking about my “40 before 40” ideas, a post I have been mentally writing for over a year. The truth is, I’m fairly content with my life and so the idea of accomplishing 40 specific things before I turn 40, actually seems like a huge amount. I don’t actually think I can get to more than about 10 so far. That said, one of the top thoughts is buy a new car as believe it or not, this is something I have never done.

My first ever car was a Vauxhall Nova and my dad bought it for me. My brother and I effectionately named it Shitty Shitty Bang Bang, as it was a pretty rubbish car but it was my first and because of that it was special. My second car was a cheap second hand car, costing no more than £500, my third car was the same too. I actually don’t remember the makes, I just know that one was red and one was green. Each car I drove till it died and then paid out a tiny amount to get another relatively rubbish car. After that, I got a car passed down from my then husband. He was buying a new car and so I got his (and then we separated actually!). I loved this car and had it for several years but then it got stolen from outside my house and was found days later, totally burnt out. I briefly had another rubbish car, before the Citroen C5 I have now – which my mum bought.

Anyway, you get the point. Something I would absolutely love to do, would be to buy myself a car. And not just a cheap £500 run around, a nice decent car. It doesn’t have to be brand new though, it can be second hand. I’d just like a car that I completely pick myself, with functions suitable for the family. Cars.com is a great site to check out when looking for a new car.

So what would I be looking for? Well even though I’m a woman driver and stereotypically we like small cars, I don’t. I would definitely need 5 doors and a good size boot. I have two kids who I drive to and from school every day. We seem to have a lot of bags each day, not to mention I take parcels to the post office almost every day and when we go on family holidays, it’s usually my car we take. That said, my current car is really quite long and so perhaps it’s a bit too big, but I loved my Ford Focus so something that size would be good.

I’d need something economic – I’ve only owned diesel cars so far and I don’t know if that’s the best way forwards, but I’d like a car that does quite a few miles to the gallon. Within the budget I would also need something that would be a resonable price to fix when broken. I know certain makes are often easier and cheaper to get parts for so that would be a consideration too.

There are silly little things too of course. Electric windows. A rear window wiper. Central locking (with a key fob). Don’t ask me why but over my years of driving, these are just things I would want. Last but not least, would be the colour. Okay it’s lame but it’s important to me. In that sense, I’m a typical woman driver – ask me to describe a car and the colour is the first thing I think about, not it’s make or model. Above all else, it has to feel right when I sit in it. I think I would just KNOW which car I wanted, when I started looking.

Cross your fingers for me, I hope to make this dream come true before 40!