Friday 28 February 2020

What I Learned Being Raised By An Addict


Everybody has a story and some are more dramatic than others. Reading about someone else’s struggles and being able to relate can create a connection to the author and reader that keeps you wanting more. Here are a few of my favourite life lessons I learned being raised by an addict.

Unlike many bloggers you see around the world I did not come from a wealthy family, I am not religious and I did not marry a doctor or lawyer and remain a stay at home mom with my kids. I worked my butt off for everything I have and I gained all of my persistence and drive from the mistakes I witnessed by my mother as a child. I was poor, and I mean standing in food bank lines, screening bill collectors and never having school lunches poor. 

So what good lessons did I learn from my drug addict mother? And how can you turn negative experiences into positive drive and motivation? Here is how I turned every frown I came across upside down. 

I learned excellent work ethic! My mom did not work for most of my preteen/teen years, she sat on her butt and collected welfare and left us to starve many days out of the year. She was addicted to cocaine and prescription pills for years and it was the only thing she cared about for most of my life. As a mother of 3 kids now, I can never imagine letting them go hungry due to an opioid addiction. working was never top priority, food bank line ups and stealing was an excellent way to provide in her eyes. Now I work hard to ensure all our bills are paid our fridge is stocked and we have funds to fall back on in an emergency.

I learned to take care of our health care and dental needs!
Every ailment we had growing up was a reason to go to the doctor and get pain pills. My mother would not take us to the dentist she would simply tell us to go to the doctor and get antibiotics and opioids. My kids see the dentist every six months and brush and floss regularly. Each of our kids is getting braces to ensure a beautiful smile as they get older and their health and well being is top priority.


I learned to keep an open dialogue with my kids!
My mom never talked to me about my life, how my days were, what my hopes and dreams were or anything that would want me to open up and talk with her. I keep things open and ask lots of questions about my kids lives and let them tell me things that concern them, scare them or simply cause them wonder. 

I learned the importance of education! 
I was never forced to go to school. My mom would prefer if I stayed home and watched TV all day with her so she wasn’t alone. When I look back at what I could have accomplished with my great grades and strong work ethic it makes me wonder what could have been. I try to show my children the importance of education and how having the right schooling can change your life for the better.

I learned amazing money management skills
We never had money growing up and when we did it was gone quickly and things were being pawned to get more. Not having money showed me how hard life can be without it. I am very careful with my budget, bill payments, grocery and entertainment habits to ensure we have all our money allocated properly to get us through each month without any issues. 

I learned how to be extremely resourceful!
Making things became a second nature to me growing up. If I didn’t have something I made it I was constantly crafting and building as a child. Finding ways to save money has become a fun game for me making it one of my favourite ways of using resources. Learning to create frugal meals, snacks, crafts, entertainment and more has lead me to creating this blog and helping others who aren’t financially satisfied and could use help making more for their families and themselves. 

I learned to work at my relationship! 
I hated when my parents split up it separated me from much of the family I loved my whole life. My whole life changed and it wasn’t for the better. I absolutely love being with my partner and I work hard on our relationship to make sure we are both happy. There is no one way street in a relationship and you both need to accept that. It takes a lot of work, dedication, positivity, honesty, sacrifice, and love to make a relationship work. 


Always remember, where you came from has no control on who you can become!

Great Ways To Save Money On Entertainment

As life begins to get more expensive it is easy to see why so many people are choosing to cut back on extras that are not a necessity. Cable prices have been jumping up over the years and with the amount we are already paying for everything else it just doesn’t make sense to keep those services. 

Luckily with all our technological advances we have come up with some amazing products to keep you entertained while saving you tons of cash!

Roku players are a great and economical way to smarten up (add the Roku Operating System) your TV. These players are an excellent last-minute gift that are also very affordable (MRSP from $40-$70). 

On the higher end of the scale, Roku also works with companies to build TVs that already have the Roku Operating System built in. These are awesome TVs that offer an amazing array of entertainment, so check those out.    

If you have someone that loves watching TV, Roku offers great gifts in a wide range of prices.




All Roku streaming devices in Canada provide access to thousands of free and paid streaming services, including: Netflix, Prime Video, The Roku Channel, Disney+, Apple TV+, DAZN, Global TV, CBS All Access, Acorn TV, hayu, Britbox, VMedia and many more. Additionally, Roku players and Roku TVs can be used with the free Roku mobile app for iOS and Android, to enjoy private listening, voice search and more. 




Roku Express – $39.99 
The new Roku Express is 10% smaller than its predecessor, is sleek and designed to blend in and disappear when connected to a TV. It can be fully powered by most TVs to reduce clutter around the TV. With the Roku Express consumers enjoy easy and smooth HD streaming. In the box a simple remote control is included with popular streaming channel shortcut buttons, a High Speed HDMI® cable and a power cord. 

I found the free channels on the Roku express to be ok but nothing spectacular. Once you add a few extra apps and subscriptions you are set with a very decent television package for much less than conventional cable. 


The new Roku Premiere is a simple way to start streaming in HD, 4K Ultra HD or 4K HDR. It features a powerful quad-core processor and comes in a low-profile form factor. In the box a Premium High Speed HDMI® cable is included plus remote control with popular streaming channel shortcut buttons and a power cord.



Powerful and portable, the Roku Streaming Stick gives the gift of entertainment on-the-go all in a powerful stick. Choose your favourite program with the Search function using the included point-anywhere remote, or just use the Roku app on your smartphone to control the action.

Stream. Watch. Play. Laugh. Listen. Enjoy. Repeat. With Roku TV, entertainment is everything and that’s why we’ve made it easier to get to all the things you love. No matter what TV you choose you’ll get the same great Roku experience. Here are just a few of the awesome brands that run on the Roku Operating System:

The RCA 32” Roku Smart TV features a personalized home screen that keeps navigation simple. Put your favorite broadcast TV, streaming channels, and devices like your gaming console and Blu-ray player in one place for easy access. Control your TV with a smartphone, the free Roku App lets you control your Roku TV from a phone or tablet with the same buttons you’ll find on the standard Roku remote.  

The Sharp 43" 1080p HD LED Roku OS Smart TV continually enhances your streaming experience with automatic updates for better viewing. The big 43" display gives you plenty of screen real estate to enjoy blockbuster movies, action-packed video games, and your team scoring the winning goal in overtime.

The Sanyo 50" 1080p TV is more than a TV. With the Powerful Roku OS, kick back with access to 150,000+ streaming movies and TV episodes across thousands of free and paid channels. Watch blockbusters, hit series, live news, kids' shows, and more. Plus, stream award-winning originals from channels like Netflix and Amazon Prime.

The Hisense 58R6107 Series 58” UHD Roku TV is an easy, convenient way to stream what you love. Watch just about anything whenever you want from free channels, paid subscriptions, or rent or buy — all on demand.

Westinghouse now produces Roku TVs and the 65” models are part of their UX Series of TV’s. The UX Series allows for beautiful HD and 4K HDR picture quality while viewing. Like all Roku TVs, users can access live channels that are available through the integrated over-the-air antenna. 

Simplify entertainment with TCL's 65" 4-Series Roku TV. The 4K UHD display with HDR support brings sharp, bright images to your screen in stunning detail while the 4K Creative Pro engine upscales HD content to near 4K quality. The built-in Roku OS provides access to all your favourite streaming apps right from your TV so you're never missing out.

Follow Roku on Facebook and Instagram for new product announcements, hardware updates, and more!

Factors To Consider Before Buy A Lawn Mower For Your Garden

Are you amongst those who love to maintain their surroundings effectively? Do you want your surroundings to sound perfect in every respect? Do you want to design your lawn area effectively? If your answer is yes, then you must buy a lawn mower.

Lawn mower is a machine that is used to clean the lawn and you can prune your lawn grasses with this mower. In the market, you will find out multiple service providers available who will assure you to provide the best lawn mower, but to get ensure whether you are buying the best or not, here are some factors mentioned which you can consider.

Factors To Consider When Buying A Lawn Mower:


Lawn Size:
These are the best ones to consider for the area having the size if around ½ acre or less. If the area is more than this, then it will become difficult for you to use it effectively, and it will consume unnecessary time as well and pushing the mower on such a huge land will prove out to be one of toughest task for you. In this case, you can discuss your requirements with the suppliers and they will assist you to choose the best lawn mower according to your lawn size. 

Power Supply:
These lawn mowers are available in two types. One can operate through electricity, and another one can be operated through the gas. The gas mowers are available with more power and can last for long. Whereas the electricity mowers are among those which are easier to use and quieter but are not as powerful as gas mowers. Thus, you can go for any of it accordingly.

Size Of The Deck:


The deck size indicates the size of the blades present in the lawn mower. If the decks are bigger, the bigger are the blades, and if the deck is smaller than the smaller is the blade. Some of the deck's available range around 20” to 70” or maybe larger and some of them are available with 30” and 60”. These smaller ones are usually considered by the homeowners. There might be chances you are having a query of whether the deck size creates a difference or not? Then the answer for the same is the larger the size, the more part can be cut on each turn. This clearly indicates that the process will take less time if you are available with the lawn mower with larger decks.

Grass Clippings:
When you are available with lawn mower, you can consider any of the ways to cut the grass. If you have a side discharge mower, then it will spit grass clippings back out into the lawn, and this is the least expensive option as well. Also, some of the people, especially homeowners, considered to leave these grass clippings on the yard as this will act as a fertilizer after disintegration. These will also prove out to be beneficial in cultivating lushes easily.

Attachments Options:

When you are buying a lawn mower, it is necessary that you are getting sure whether the same is compatible with other attachments or not. If it is compatible with other attachments, then it will increase the utility of the machine and will help you to use it with other equipment as well as. Attachments include lawn aerators, lawn rollers, fertilizer spreaders, and so on.

When all these are available with the lawn mower, you will be able to find out the best one compatible with your needs. Now you can search such lawn mowers online to choose the best one.

I am Anna Wrench, a knowledgeable and qualified blogger. Here you can see my skills which give you brief ideas on understanding all the concepts with different themes. I adore writing a blog on many topics, like Home Improvement, Automotive, Business, Health, Lifestyle, Entertainment, Pet, etc. 

Image Credit: https://Shutterstock.com 

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Thursday 27 February 2020

5 things to remember when pursuing a medical malpractice case


Everyone should be able to consult their doctors and receive the standard of care that is expected. Whether it’s a routine operation, a concern you have about your health or advice and information that could lead to a diagnosis, your medical team should be there for you every step of the way. However when that high standard of care isn’t reached, and you’re left ill, worried about the future and in a worse physical and mental state than you were before, that’s when medical malpractice comes in. 


If you think you’ve been the victim of medical malpractice it’s always best to consult a personal injury lawyer – for more information on medical malpractice settlements, click the link – but what else should you be doing? Going down this legal route isn’t going to be easy, so to give you a little guidance I’ve gathered 5 things to remember when pursuing a medical malpractice case.


Look after your health first

If your health has been compromised by the negligible actions of your doctor then your first priority is to look after yourself. Make sure you’re seeking medical help from a competent professional and follow the medical treatment plan that you’ve been given. Not only will this help you on the road to recovery, but it will also make your claim stronger. As desperate as you may be to seek justice for what has happened to you, nothing is more important than your health


Don’t blame yourself

You may have been hurt physically, but you should also be taking steps to preserve your mental wellbeing. Feelings of guilt, or despair, concerns for the future and worry about your upcoming medical malpractice case can have a huge negative impact on your mental wellbeing. Keeping a diary of your emotions and your mental struggles will help your case – e.g. loss of enjoyment, stress and of course inconvenience are all legitimate ways to enhance the foundations of your medical malpractice case. It will also help you come to terms with what has happened to you. Remember, if you’re really struggling then reach out to friends, family or a competent doctor. 



You can help build your case

Of course, your lawyer is responsible for building a case against your doctor. To know how a medical malpractice lawyer can help fight your case, visit yourpghlawyer.com. However, there are ways you can get the ball rolling. Even whilst you're recovering from your experience. You can start by requesting your medical records, write down in as much detail as possible, your experiences at your medical centre, who you met, who treated you, how you felt and whether or not you felt that your concerns were listened to and that your needs were met. Documenting as much as you can, will make your case as strong as possible. This can be a positive exercise too!


Make sure you’ve hired the right lawyer

The right lawyer can make or break your case. So, you must hire a lawyer who has your best interests at heart and has proof of experience in medical malpractice cases. 


Stay positive 

With the right treatment plan and the right legal team behind you, you will be able to get the justice you deserve. Stay positive!

Tuesday 25 February 2020

The best Leap Year sales!


7-Eleven
On February 29, get a whole pizza (cheese, pepperoni or extreme meat) for just $2.29 at participating 7-Eleven stores! The offer is valid in-store while supplies last (with a limit of five per order), or available for delivery through the 7NOW delivery app. Plus, if you’re new to the app, you’ll receive a $29 discount on any 7NOW delivery order over $50 when you use the code 29OFF50 at checkout.

Farmer Boys
Farmer Boys will gift leaplings a free Big Cheese cheeseburger to help them celebrate their once-every-four-year-birthday on Saturday, February 29. To get a free burger, simply show your photo ID at a participating Farmer Boys location.

Garrett Popcorn
Stop by Garrett Popcorn on leap day to get a free upgrade from small to medium for any signature or limited-time recipe, including Buffalo Ranch.

Hungry Howie’s
On February 29, visit a participating location to get a large one-topping pizza for $0.29 when you buy a large pizza at menu price and use the code LEAP29 at checkout.

Kwik Chek
The family of grocery stores is giving away free tacos all day on Saturday, February 29and will give away free tacos for an entire year to two special guests.

Lay’s
Anyone born on leap year who visits the Lay’s Facebook page on Friday, February 28, and comments on the brand’s leap day post, letting the chip company know that February 29 is their birthday, will have a chance to win a free bag of Lay’s potato chips.

Legal Sea Foods
Get two one-pound steamed lobsters and a choice of two sides for $29 at all Legal Sea Foods (except airport locations) on February 29.

Miller Lite
This Leap Day, Miller Lite is celebrating the extra 24 hours with a 24-pack of Miller Lite on them. On February 29, visit Miller Lite’s Instagram and Twitter to get a QR code, scan it and submit your receipt from your 24-pack to get a refund via PayPal.

Olive Garden
On February 29, bring home an Olive Garden $5 Take Home entrée for just $2.29 (get it?) with a choice between Fettuccine Alfredo, Five Cheese Ziti al Forno and Spaghetti with Meat Sauce. If your birthday falls on February 29, you’ll also get four free dolicini desserts.

Postmates
The food delivery service is celebrating leap day by delivering something extra from Popeyes. Anyone who buys a chicken sandwich from Popeyes through Postmates (with a minimum order of $15) between February 24–28 will receive a code for a free chicken sandwich via email on February 29.

Quiznos
Inspired by the leap day tradition in which women are encouraged to propose to their significant other, anyone that proposes to their lover—subbing a sandwich for a ring—will be entered to win free Quiznos catering at their wedding.

Leap Year Clothing Deals

Bare Necessities
Shop the site on Leap Day to get 29% off thousands of styles plus free 2-day shipping on orders over $70.

Reebok
Visit the site on February 29 to shop $29.99 Leap Year steals with code LEAP.

Topshop and Topman
Get 20% off sitewide and free shipping on orders over $20 with code LEAP20.

Leap Year Travel Deals

Great Wolf Lodge
On February 29, book a room for $29 per person at any of the 18 U.S.-based locations with code LEAPYEAR. The offer is good for Family Suites bookings between April 13 and May 21, 2020 with a minimum of two guests per room.

Hotels.com
This year, Hotels.com will reward 29 lucky people with Leap Day birthdays with a special discount code worth $290 each to use on a stay at a hotel of their choice. Eligible leaplings can tweet at @hotelsdotcom on February 29 to share the biggest struggle of being born on Leap Day. Hotels.com will pick the 29 best answers based on creativity and level of struggle and reward the winners! For those not born on Leap Day, you can still get 29% off on select properties for stays between February and May, 2020, plus an additional 8% off with the code LEAPYEAR2020.

Motel 6
Visit and book through Motel 6’s Leap Year page by March 2 to get up to 20% off rates for stays between February 29 and March 31, 2020 at participating locations.

More Leap Year Deals

American Social
Get dressed up in your best on February 29 for a Black & White ball to celebrate Leap Year at both Florida locations of the sports bar and restaurant. Sip on complimentary champagne from 9 to 11 p.m. and enjoy $5 Absolut cocktails throughout the evening. The Brickell and Las Olas parties are open to the public and free with registration.

Ashley HomeStore
Shop online or in-store on February 29 and save up to 29% off and get an extra 10% off with code LEAPYEAR.

iFLY Indoor Skydiving
The sports and recreation company is inviting the 187,000 leaplings in the United States to fly for free during Leap Year Week (Monday, February 24–Sunday, March 1). They’re also offering a special 29% discount on up to two additional flights added to a flight package during Leap Year Week for those not lucky enough to be born on the special day.

Monday 24 February 2020

How to Find the Best Deals on Amazon's Hidden Sale Section


The Amazon Outlet is a little known section of Amazon where shoppers can find discounts on overstocked or clearance items across all categories. Shoppers can find deals on just about anything from clothing to beauty to household appliances and pet supplies, and outdoors and automotive items. 

 

Similar to conventional outlet stores, Amazon Outlet also provides deep discounts on thousands of overstock items. For example, you can discover watches from Versace, Fendi and more, as well as dresses from Calvin Klein and BCBGeneration among others on discount. 

 

Sara Skirboll, Fashion & Trends Expert at The Real Deal blog, has some tips for scouring the Amazon Outlet to find the best deals: 

 

  • Search by category: All of the categories are laid out for shoppers to browse and click through. They even have an under $10 category that has a variety of items from kitchen appliances, clothing and even toys and games. 
  • Filter by your own size: The Amazon Outlet has such an abundance of items, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the options. Narrow down the search results and filter by your own size if shopping for shoes, apparel or other similar items.
  • Filter by store, brand, etc. if you’re looking for specific items 
  • Sort by the star ranking: To ensure quality, look at reviews and star rankings. Sara believes that anything over 4-stars is usually a good buy. 
  • Don’t overlook seasonal items: Amazon Outlet allows shoppers to get discounts on everyday items that were overproduced and under sold. Don’t overlook items that are seasonal like Christmas trees or holiday decor, because they work just as well for next year.
  • Use the price filter: This will remove any items above the threshold you want to pay, eliminating temptation to overspend.
  • Check out other retailers: While the products on Amazon Outlet are heavily discounted, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still price compare to ensure you’re getting the best bang for your buck. The product may be discounted across several retailers, and another may have a coupon code or cash back offer making it an even better deal.
  • Act fast: Similar to off-price brick and mortar retailers,  items on sale in the Amazon Outlet are often limited in supply.

 

 

BENEFITS AND TIPS FOR BABY MASSAGE




Babies are the most precious gift from God. Therefore as parents, it becomes our prime responsibility to take utmost care of these precious little treasures and make the most of their infanthood. Both the parents are extremely cautious for their child, but mothers usually share a closer bond with their children. Therefore they strive to go extra miles for taking care of every necessity of their infants, from buying cute little outfits to chemical-free baby products. Including baby lotions, baby soap, and baby oil etc. Among these essential products, the baby oil is usually used for providing massage to the baby. This is considered as an effective and essential thing for your baby as massage has significant benefits for your little one. 
Massage not only strengthens the bonding between the mother and the child, but it also increases the blood circulation and relaxes the muscles of the baby. Therefore parents who are extremely cautious for the health and well-being of their children should consider the best massage oil and other products for their baby, which are essential for their daily use.
 First-time parents are usually unaware of the delicate skin and organs of their babies; therefore, they should ask or consult health workers or a paediatrician before using different products for their babies. There are a variety of products available online as well as in outlets where you can find several chemical-free, and organic products for your children as the skin of the new-borns are extremely sensitive. To give a relaxing and comforting massage to your child, you need to have the baby massage oil, which can not only moisturize the skin of your baby but also provide the body with a nurturing effect with essential vitamins.
Here we will share with you some of the most significant benefits of massage as well as important tips and tactics for providing effective and relaxing massage to your baby.

BENEFITS OF MASSAGE
There are several benefits, which are related to the massage of the babies. Some of them are as follows,

Physical and health-related benefits
·         It increases blood circulation and stiffness from the bones and muscles of the baby.
·         It provides a relaxing and nurturing effect on the skin and bones of your baby.
·         It removes cramps due to the accumulation of gases in the body of the baby.
·         It strengthens the bones and ligaments in the body of an infant.
·         Improves weight gain, along with maintaining the heart rate of the infant.

Other benefits
·         The most amazing benefit, which is abundant with the baby massage is that it increases the bond between mother and the child and the child can connect and feel the touch of their mother which provides them with a sense of satisfaction and comfort which is extremely beneficial for the child.
·         Not only with mother but fathers can also create an amazing bond with their children by providing massage to them once or twice a week. This can increase their bonding and handling their children effectively.

BEST TIME FOR MASSAGE
The best time of massage is in the morning or the night when you are not occupied with any other work or responsibility. This enables you to concentrate completely on the baby as the skin and bones of the baby are extremely delicate, and a single wrong move or stroke, which is done in haste can bring severe consequences. Therefore it is always suggested that the massage should be done while the child is in relaxing mode before sleeping.
The comfortable feeling of massage oil relaxes the muscles of the child, and they can sleep peacefully after every massage.

IMPORTANT THINGS TO KEEP WITH YOURSELF WHILE MASSAGING
·         The baby massage oil
·         A warm and soft towel
·         A comfortable wrapping sheet for the baby
·         Tissues and cloth for cleaning your hands after the massage
Massages are usually performed over the bed. However, these things are essential to keep in the vicinity of yourself either at the side table or the other side of the bed. So that you do not have to leave the child in the middle of the massage to reach for towel or tissues in case you have an excess of oil on your hands. 

ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR PROVIDING THE PERFECT MASSAGE
There are various essential tips which are available online or you can consult your pediatrician if you are hesitant to start massage for your child. There are some basic techniques which should be followed while you are giving massage to your baby.
·         In case you are a first-time parent, you should first consult a pediatrician or doctor before you start giving massage to your child so that you can be aware of the delicate spots or sensitive skin of your baby before giving them a massage.
·         Always use a baby massage oil or an emollient cream, which provides a soothing and moisturizing massage to your baby.
·         While choosing the best massage oil, you must choose the one who has vegetable oils in their ingredients, such as Jojoba oil, Grapeseed and essential oils such as lavender oil so that they have a nurturing and moisturizing effect on the body of your child.
·         Before you start, take a small quantity of oil or cream at your hands and start applying the massage oil from the toes and legs of the baby.
·         Gently massaging over the legs, knees and thighs, gradually move your hands upwards towards the back of the child and gently massage over the back, until you feel it is sufficient for the baby.
·         Take precaution before rubbing the baby's tummy for massaging as the tummy is a delicate place and baby can vomit or feel pain if you will massage with more force.
·         After massaging the back and tummy area, the hands and neck should be rubbed gently. After neck and hands massage, now it is time for giving a warm head massage to the child so that they may get blissfully relaxed and get asleep if they have enjoyed your massage.
·         It is essential to massage your baby daily; however, if you have lesser time, then you can reduce the time to three or four times a week.
These tips are extremely effective and essential to consider before starting the massage. As the bodies and skin can differ from baby to baby, therefore, it is possible that your baby has more sensitive or delicate skin or maybe a certain oil is not suitable for them. Therefore it is essential that if you find any of the changes in the skin of the baby or the baby is continuously crying while the massage then you should immediately consult a health worker or pediatrician.

CONCLUDING REMARKS
Overall it can be summarised that providing massage to babies is an extremely beneficial thing when it comes to connecting and strengthening the bond with your children. Moreover, the physical benefits of massage for the baby are nevertheless extremely beneficial for the infants. Therefore it can be concluded that the most important thing which they can do for the strong bones and muscle strength for their child is to give them a regular massage. As parents go over the miles for their children, from shopping cute outfits for their children to buying baby products which are essential for their daily use; the parents want to do everything for their child.
It is also extremely crucial to make sure that the baby products, which you are buying for your child are completely free from any harmful and hazardous chemicals, as the skin of the babies is extremely soft and delicate. Lastly, it is suggested that massage should be provided gently and at a smooth pace so that the baby will not only enjoy the massage but also gets a relaxing and comfortable sleep after the massage.