Mommy Has to Work

Carer’s Considerations – 7 Tips For Getting Your Home Baby-Ready

September 13, 2017 By Marijean

Carer’s Considerations – 7 Tips For Getting Your Home Baby-Ready

If there is one true statement you can make about babies, it’s that once your back is turned, they seem to develop super human abilities. A three-month-old baby who hasn’t yet learned to roll can magically appear on the other side of the room. Keeping babies safe when they are infants is one thing–by the time they start crawling and then walking, watch out!

For those soon to be blessed with the joy of a little one in their home, preparing ahead of time will save you headaches in the long term.

Firstly, let’s take a look at some of the risks and solutions surrounding safety issues for small children, both immobile and mobile.

Equipment

Organising your travelling equipment is a priority because simply getting your baby home will involve transportation of some kind. The key point here is to buy new. Australian safety standards have changed over the years and using secondhand equipment which doesn’t meet those standards is both dangerous and illegal.

Many people don’t realise that strollers and prams are also covered by Australian safety laws. Purchasing from a reputable company with quality brands will cut out the guesswork. For those looking for the peace of mind of buying from an award winning supplier, you can shop for a huge range of prams here and find assistance with fitting car seats and harnesses.

The above information can also be applied to:

Car seats
High chairs
Cots and bassinets

Corner protection

Babies are poorly designed. They have large unwieldy heads, out of proportion to the rest of their bodies and, until such time they grow into it, they are prone to falling. Through the use of simple rubber corner protectors, you can negate or minimise injury incurred through falls.

Cupboard, drawer, fridge and window locks

Whilst preventing baby from accessing places where dangerous goods may be stored–the ideal solution would be to also ensure, where appropriate, poisonous, sharp or hazardous items are stored away from the home in a locked shed.

Within the home, the use of baby and child safety locks on doors, drawers and windows is a godsend. There are a number of effective options on the market including adhesive and magnetic types.

Curtain cords

The hanging danger caused by long curtain cords is a very real one. Ensure long cords are tied up high and kept well away from cots and bassinets. Better still, if possible, replace the blinds completely with cordless operating mechanisms. Keep this issue in mind when visiting or having small ones baby sat by friends and relatives.

Stairs and doors

The stair guard has evolved and developed over the years but the basic design is still effective. Have a guard at both ends of the staircase to prevent littlies from climbing up the stairs and tumbling down. Stair guards are also effective at zoning off your home–confining children to rooms where they can be safely monitored.

Baby walkers and anything with wheels should be restricted to downstairs and within a confined, flat area.

Stove

Ideally, keep small children out of the kitchen unless they are confined to a high chair. As a precautionary measure, make a habit of turning pot handles towards the back of the stove. Oven locks are available but since the glass of an oven heats up when in use, it is more effective just to keep them clear of the kitchen when cooking.

Bath time

We all know babies and small children should never be left unattended in the bath due to the risk of drowning. However, we can often forget there are other hazards involved in bathtime including:

Slipping and falling
Flicking on or touching the hot tap. (Modern flick taps make this easier than the old turn knob handles)

When using flick mixers, always move the handle on to ‘cold’ when not in use. Have your hot water system thermostat set to a lower heat setting.

Unfortunately, the above list is far from comprehensive but it is a place to start. Taking the time to audit and rectify your home safety is time well spent. Providing little ones with interesting, interactive toys can go some way to keeping them engaged and safe. Don’t leave it until it is too late to protect the most vulnerable members of your household.

Marijean

My name is MJ. I have two wonderful children and work part time as well as volunteer at my children's school.

The Break-Up Bible: 10 Commandments Of Amicably Ending A Relationship

September 13, 2017 By Marijean

The Break-Up Bible: 10 Commandments Of Amicably Ending A Relationship

Image via thinkstockphotos.com.au

Breaking-up is not an easy thing to do. The emotional, mental and physical toll it can take on the involved parties is enough reason to put off ever having ‘the chat’ in the first place. The following 10 tips are designed to help you get through the process, without the vitriol or doom.

1: Do The Right Thing

When the time comes to have the all-important conversation, tell the truth.

Make sure you make an effort to listen to how the other person feels and to respond in a sensitive, direct way. Keep the conversation civil (as civil as possible) and keep it realistic. If you’re intending on making a clean break, don’t lead the other person on.

2: Keep It Professional

Once you’ve made the decision to separate, it’s time begin untangling yourself from your former partner.

This can be a tricky process (especially where there are children or significant assets involved), so it’s wise to arrange for the help of a trusted professional.

An excellent way to simplify the process is enlisting a family lawyer in Melbourne. A qualified family law specialist can help you navigate the legalities involved in dissolving your relationship, while ensuring a trouble-free settlement for you and your former partner.

3: Turn Down The Heat

A barbed remark can appear from nowhere in the heat of the moment, causing further damage between you and your former partner. To stop this from happening, write out and outline what you would like to say beforehand, and then stick to your talking points. Keeping yourself in-check is a useful way to create mutual respect and productive dialogue in an otherwise tension-filled process.

4: Neutral Mutuals

This point can not be emphasised enough: don’t poison mutual friends against your former partner.

Keeping any mutual friends neutral is important if you’re ever likely to attend the same gatherings as your former partner, or if you keep a similar social circle. When speaking of your relationship to mutual friends, keep your comments free of vitriol or spite (no matter how tempted you may be to speak otherwise).

5: Take Your Time

While it may be tempting to try to heal yourself by moving on quickly, jumping immediately into another relationship can be a bad idea for many reasons. First of all, it can send the wrong message to your former partner. They may assume that you don’t respect their feelings, or that you’re trying to hurt them.

If and when you do decide to become involved with another person, consider whether it’s necessary to let everyone know immediately. Details like these are best introduced slowly, and with sensitivity for any feelings it might bring up between your former partner and yourself.

6: Space & Time

Giving your former partner space and taking space for yourself is another way to help create an amicable environment.

Do not force your way into their private space without an invitation. If you know that they enjoy being at the gym at a certain time, wait until later to go, The same goes for other social routines. Make your own way.

7: Disconnect & Reconnect

Resist the urge to track or stalk your former partner on social media. It may be the ideal time to take a sabbatical or temporarily deactivate your accounts if you can’t control the urge to sneak a peek.

Why not try instead to take the opportunity to reconnect with friends and family. Invite friends to enjoy a meal or a drink, and visit your relatives. Some human contact can help to reinstall and reset your mind into your community outside of your newly-ended relationship.

8: Child’s Play

If there are children involved, make sure to include and explain to children how they will be affected by any changes. As with mutual friends, don’t succumb to the temptation to be negative about your former partner in front of your children.

9: Be Present

A simple way to make sure you’re not fostering any resentment in your former partner is to conduct any important conversations in-person.

Face-to-face communication is the most respectful, immediate way to have a conversation with someone you’re in a relationship with. When the time comes to dissolve this relationship, there’s no reason why this too shouldn’t be handled face-to-face.

Above all else: don’t be the person who initiates a break-up via social media or digital messaging. It’s cruel, and won’t be easy forgiven or forgotten.

10: An Even Split

Finances, bills and other regular payments may also need to be carefully meted out.

Make sure to agree to split these evenly, and to create a payment schedule. If it’s possible, transferring shared accounts and bills to a sole account holder may help when one party has to find new living arrangements.

It’s not impossible to amicably end a relationship. With enough care, sensitivity, and mutual respect, you can maintain a sense of trust and friendship with your former partner, making your life (and theirs) less complicated in the future.

Marijean

My name is MJ. I have two wonderful children and work part time as well as volunteer at my children's school.

Planning for Natural Disaster Safety

September 13, 2017 By Anne

Although they are rarely something that you want to think about, natural disasters seem to happen constantly across our country. From small lightning storms that destroy trees to major hurricanes that wipe out entire neighborhoods, natural disasters are common occurrences every year. These four suggestions will improve your safety and give you guidance for how to react to catastrophes in your home or business.

Know Your Area

First, be aware of which natural disasters are most common in your area of the country. If you live in the southeast, hurricanes may be common. Throughout the Midwest, tornadoes are often common during the summer months. Blizzards and ice storms hit throughout the mountains and in the northern Midwest. Wildfires can pop up during the dry summer and fall months in the southwest. Severe thunderstorms can occur most anywhere. Once you know what type of event is most likely to affect you, you can create a plan that will keep you safe and that will help you evacuate quickly from an affected area.

Make a Plan

Your plan should involve all the members of your family or all of your employees if you head a business. A plan should include evacuation information or plans for safe hiding places to ride out a storm. Consider what the quickest route would be to evacuate from your city. Plan for how you will communicate with family members who are not at home. For example, if cell phone service is down, you might still be able to use social networking platforms to communicate. Additionally, designate safe meeting spots.

Have Supply Stocks

The supplies you need depend on the natural disaster most likely to occur in your area. However, food and water are necessary for survival. Always have a stock of bottled water and food with a good shelf life. You will also want to have a permanent stock of flashlights, batteries, basic toiletries, cbrn gas mask and first aid supplies on hand. Consider keeping an extra AM/FM radio and cell phone charger in a safe place in your home, and keep important paperwork in a fireproof file.

Be Aware of Cleanup Issues

After a natural disaster, you will need to take precautions before reentering damaged buildings. If you own a business, consider hiring a disaster recovery team, such as DKI, to help with cleanup. Never reenter a building until you have been assured that it is structurally sound. In addition, get out of a building immediately if you smell gas or feel the floors shifting. Wear safety glasses and a helmet when in damaged buildings, and never use lighters or matches until you know that there are no gas leaks.

Even the strongest buildings cannot withstand some of the natural disasters that sweep across the country. Therefore, it is wise to have a plan for protection during bad weather and to ensure that family members are aware of this plan. As your children age, you can continually give them increasing responsibilities during bad weather, such as gathering supplies and staying in touch with you when they are away from home. While you may not want to think of a natural disaster destroying your home or business, it is best to be prepared for these events to mitigate loss and damage should they occur.

Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

How To Hire Someone To Build A Garage

September 13, 2017 By Anne

Whether you are having a new garage built or are looking for a contractor to remodel the one you have, finding the perfect builder to meet your needs can be difficult if you don’t know where to begin looking. In most cases, it makes the most sense to start looking at the profiles of metal buildings contractor to see who might be the best fit. A reputable garage remodeling contractor like the ones found at remodelingcontractor.com will make you feel confident about your decision. To help you find the perfect garage builder for your project, below are some tips for hiring a contractor.

Create A Budget

Even though you may have a dream garage in your mind that you would love to have built, it is best to create a budget for the project and stick to it. Having a budget laid out will help you to avoid spending too much money here and there without realizing it. It can be easy to overspend on a project such as building or remodeling a garage.

Know Purpose Of Garage

The best way to get a garage built is to know what you intend to use it for. Are you wanting a carport? Do you want a full garage with room for working? You will also have to decide on things like whether it will be attached to the home or detached. Create a list of essential components of your new garage before you talk to a contractor.

Get Multiple Estimates

It is not wise to go with the first contractor you hire. It is a rule of thumb to get at least three estimates from different companies. Doing this can give you the opportunity to compare costs, completion estimates and more. A project as big as a garage being built or remodeled is an important one and choosing a contractor you are comfortable working with is essential to being happy with the finished product.

Check Credentials

Never hire a contractor who cannot or will not offer proof of insurance and licenses. All contractors should carry workers compensation, property damage and personal liability insurance. Additionally, reputable contractors will offer you references to call and talk to. When you speak with their references, do not just ask about their overall satisfaction. Find out specifics such as if the job was completed on time and close in cost to the original estimate. Also, ask if there were any issues during the process and how they were handled.

Customer Service

You should feel comfortable and confident working with your contractor. They are going to be around for days or weeks building or remodeling your garage. When you initially meet potential contractors, pay close attention to your first impressions of them and gauge if the interactions were positive or negative ones.

It can be exciting having a project completed by a contractor. The key to you being happy with the finished project will be based on finding a quality garage remolding contractor who is competent and offers competitive estimates over the rest. Hiring a garage contractor is essentially about entering into a temporary partnership with someone and it is essential to hire someone you enjoy working with. Doing this will ensure you get the garage that you hoped for and within your budget.

Anne

4 Reasons to Visit Canada in the Summer

September 13, 2017 By Marijean

When you see pictures of Canada, they are normally ones with snow covered mountain tops which evoke that winter feeling. Yes, Canada is a popular place for travelers to visit in winter, but the fun doesn’t stop once spring rolls around. In fact, it is a year-round destination that has plenty to offer whenever you decide to land in this diverse, enticing country.

With that said, and as the title spotlights, this article will be focusing specifically on the summertime in Canada. After all, it is the direct opposite of winter – so it is the ideal way of pointing out why the country isn’t just a one-off seasonal stop each year. Read on for four reasons to visit Canada in the summer.

Warmer weather for exploring

Firstly, it is important to start with the most obvious aspect of visiting in the summer: the warm weather. While Canada is a popular place to visit in winter, that doesn’t mean every traveler is comfortable with going on holiday during cold temperatures and snowy conditions. If you are in that situation, going during the summer is the perfect solution – the snow might not be so prominent (you’ll still find it atop the most elevated mountains), but everything else that makes Canada so special remains.

Countless things to do

UNESCO World Heritage sites, 42 national parks, museums, wide-open spaces ripe for exploring, wildlife to observe – there’s so much to do in Canada, that you will probably regret not booking a longer trip! As for summer-specific things, you obviously have the chance to participate in more outdoor activities. While hiking is still possible during the winter, the summer allows you to do things like biking, rafting and playing a round of golf in comfort.

Affordable prices

Perhaps surprisingly, Canada is a country that is amongst one of the most inexpensive places to visit on the planet. Sadly that doesn’t include airfare if you are traveling long distance, but the price of entering attractions, going to festivals, and so on is usually an inexpensive affair.

Plus if you are keeping a close eye on your finances, why not book a self-catering accommodation option like Tremblant Sunstar in Mont-Tremblant? That way you can cook in your very own kitchen, helping to avoid eating out for every meal during your journey. If you’re traveling across the country, the option of camping is also a possibility – which is not something that would be all that viable during those freezing winter conditions.

Summer festivals

During the summer months, there are plenty of Canadian festivals to choose from. Of course, festivals rarely pop up during the winter months, however, when the sun and warm arrives so does the music, art and culture.

When it comes to these annual festivals and events, there are many of them that are suited for visitors of all types. This is an ideal point if you’re traveling as a family. Plus these shows and celebrations are diverse in what they offer, with everything from the well-known Montebello Rockfest music extravaganza to Freezer Burn – the latter being a Burning Man-sanctioned, artistic expression of freedom.