Friday 31 December 2021

9 WAYS OF HELPING A TEENAGER COMBAT DRUG ADDICTION



Drug addiction is a biopsychological disorder that negatively impacts the human brain and the user’s behavior. Due to this disorder, a person can’t stop using drugs despite knowing that it could cause severe harm to their mental and physical health.

The reason for developing substance abuse disorder may vary from person to person. However, some common causes include curiosity, enjoyment of getting high, trauma, pressure, grief, etc.

Irrespective of the reason, drug addiction can significantly affect a person’s quality of life.

Drug abuse among teenagers is a serious public health concern since at least 1 in every eight teens is abusing illicit substances. Moreover, by the time teens reach 12th grade, around 62% have abused alcohol.

Consider yourself lucky if your kid hasn’t fallen victim to drug addiction, as any addictive problem causes a lot of distress to everyone in a family.

But if your kid has a drug problem, you can’t just sit back and turn a blind eye to the issue. You must take action to ensure your teen is safe from all kinds of addictions and living a good, healthy life.

If you’re looking for ways to help a youngster combat drug addiction, read on to know more:

1.       SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP

At times, despite your endless efforts and good parenting, your child might still resort to using drugs. Don’t be upset or give up. Instead, consider professional intervention to help your child recover from drug addiction.

Get in touch with the Palm Beach Institute for a tailored treatment plan to help your kid quit drugs and start a new life.

The facility has decades of experience in offering long-term recovery and treatment plans for medical detox and drug addiction. You can also receive access to online suboxone clinic.

2.       OPEN COMMUNICATION IS THE KEY

You might think your teen has grown up and wants nothing to do with you since they’re busy with their friends or are constantly on their phones.

The truth is, however, far from it. Keeping open conversations can help build a stronger relationship with your teen.

3.       BE INVOLVED IN YOUR TEEN’S LIFE

Keeping a close eye on your teen’s day-to-day activities is essential. Keep a clear stance with your teen about why their whereabouts and actions matter to you.

It doesn’t have to be because you are nosy; instead, because you’re worried and care about them.

Spending quality time with your teen without any distractions will help instill trust in them and help you understand what they’re going through to offer support when they need it.

4.       ESTABLISH STRICT RULES

It might seem a harsh step at your end, but drawing some ground rules is necessary for your teen. Be careful not to confuse your strictness with meanness.  

Establishing ground rules will help your teen learn what they can and can’t do. However, make sure to let your teen know there will be consequences if they break your established rules.

5.       BE THEIR ROLE MODEL

Leading by example is one of the most critical aspects of helping your kid with drug addiction.

Show your kid ways of dealing with stressful or challenging situations. Be a source of inspiration by giving them advice and going out with them.

They need you and your support during these times, so be there for them before they resort to illicit means.

6.       YOUR SUPPORT GOES A LONG WAY

The best way to help your teen avoid drug abuse is by building a solid bond with them. For this reason, you must continue to support your child whenever they do anything well.

An appreciation for their efforts and words of encouragement can improve your relationship with your teen.

7.       DON’T HIDE YOUR HISTORY

If you were addicted to drugs and then recovered, don’t hide it. You might feel guilty seeing your kid struggle but use your experience to bring them to terms with reality.

Your kids might rub it in your face if you were into drugs but be strong and don’t let their words distract you or put you into depression.

Remember, this is the time for action, and you should share your experiences rather than hide them.

8.       GET TO KNOW YOUR TEEN’S FRIENDS

Often, teenagers experiment with drugs to look cool in front of their friends. Some might even use drugs to fit in with their friends.

As a parent, observe who your kids hang out with, and if their friends encourage them to use drugs, it’s time to speak to their families. It might get messy, but you have to save your family before it’s too late.

9.       EDUCATE YOUR TEEN ABOUT DRUG ABUSE

There is no right or wrong time to educate your teen about drug addiction. But, before educating your child, you must first educate yourself.

Learn about the latest addictive substances and their prevention methods. Also, teach your teen how to refuse when someone urges or entices them to take drugs.

CONCLUSION

If your child is reaching adolescence, they might already be at risk of developing a drug addiction disorder. Fortunately, there are multiple options as a parent you can adopt to prevent them from abusing drugs.

While it is entirely natural to worry about your child, there’s nothing more stressful than seeing your child waste their life by harming their health.

Stick to actions and spend time with your kids to prevent them from using drugs for relief. Drug addiction in teenagers stems from stress and anxiety, often for not achieving what they wanted in life.

Remind them how much they mean to you and help them when they need you the most. A life that’s full of drugs will only end badly for you and your kid.

Wednesday 29 December 2021

How to Start Saving for a House

Purchasing a house is one of the most significant expenses anyone is likely to have throughout life. Even if you have prior experience with it, it is still stressful. Doubly so when one of the only ways to afford it is to take out a mortgage or a loan. If you want to avoid this, your only choice becomes relying on your savings. The question, then, becomes: How to start saving for a house? Read on and find out!

Decide what your budget will be

When it comes to saving for a house, you need to have clear goals in mind. After all, even if you are planning for something as simple as deducting business moving expenses, you need to know the minimum amount of money you need. The same logic applies when looking to buy a home. What is the price range of the homes you might be interested in? What are the down payment amounts? Other expenses you can expect during the process of buying a home and moving? Until you can settle on a somewhat definitive amount, you will feel discouraged. It’s more difficult to continue putting aside money for some unknown, potentially colossal sum. A clear goal both motivates you and offers you something to strive toward. Similarly, remember to figure out how much money you could put aside monthly.

Setting a budget can be difficult, but once you do, the rest is a breeze!

Settle any debts you may have

The moving experts from Simple Moving warn that the expenses of a move can be unexpectedly large. And, in such a situation, you might be forced to take out a loan to cover the cost of everything, even if you had thought you’d saved up enough money. And what would prevent you from taking out a loan in such a scenario are standing debts or unpaid loans, including former mortgages, which you might have to your name. This is why it is always best to first save up money to pay off such prior commitments. Only then can you really focus on saving for a house without additional worries looming over you?

Cook your own food

Cooking your own food is an excellent way to start saving for a house. Ingredients are often much more inexpensive when compared to buying the final product, especially if you have a habit of eating out in restaurants. It might take some time to get used to, and you should likely look into clever ways to reduce energy expenses if you are running an electric stove. But it will, in the long term, be much more beneficial for your finances to transition to home cooking. It would also offer you a chance to eat healthier meals!

Cut down on luxuries

If you are dedicated to saving for a house, then giving up on unnecessary luxuries should be acceptable to you. This includes looking into avoiding unwanted moving expenses so you can dodge extra expenses following your home purchase. For example, would you really need to pay for packing services? Sure, it would be helpful and spare you some inconvenience. But it would also stretch your budget much thinner. Follow this logic in every area of your life. Professional cleaners? You should start cleaning yourself for a while. Expensive clothing and food brands? There might be quality yet cheaper alternatives. It will be a path of denying yourself creature comforts, but the final result will be well worth it.

Organize fun, inexpensive activities

You do not necessarily need to go to expensive locations or buy things to have fun. Instead of a trip to the cinema or a restaurant, go on a picnic or a walk. Or organize a game night with your friends. When was the last time you got together, played a board game, and had a chat? Similarly, encourage your kids to pursue such activities as well. They can be surprisingly fun and are an excellent bonding chance for the whole family.


Refrain from going on vacations

As a natural extension of our previous point, you should also consider suspending vacations and family trips while saving for a house. While they are fun, wholesome activities that provide some family bonding, they are still expensive. Quality vacations have always been, and will always be, a severe drain to one’s budget. As such, while it will likely sadden you somewhat, suspending them for a bit is only logical. Besides, once you have your new home, you’ll be free to once again plan all the trips you like! And you could even extend your savings and afford yourself a truly spectacular vacation.

Cut out bad habits

Do you smoke? Or like to indulge in alcohol? While the latter is fine in moderation, it is still a mild addiction and a significant expense when saving for a house. And, if you go through the effort of denying yourself expensive dates or looking for clever ways to save money when you run a home-based business, then you should go all the way and kick your bad habits as well! This would allow you to save a surprising amount of money and provide you a chance to kick the addiction and lead a healthier life.

Final words

Now that you know how to start saving for a house, you are ready to begin! Just remember that, while it is good to save, you should not overdo it. There are some expenses you cannot do without. Events you should cherish despite everything. You wouldn’t want to ruin your kids’ Christmas just to save a bit more, right? Remember - everything should be done in moderation! 

Photos used:

https://unsplash.com/photos/SoT4-mZhyhE

https://unsplash.com/photos/Ok76F6yW2iA

https://unsplash.com/photos/xDSD3Vmzh70


Tuesday 28 December 2021

5 Incredibly Easy Ways to Crush Your Utility Bills


The purpose of saving money is to have some there for when you really need it. One of the best places to find extra cash is in the savings you get from making your home more energy-efficient. If your utilities are adding up and you're ready to do something about it, read on. This article will give your three quick tips to save money on your monthly payments.

Make the Most of Time With Cast Routing

The longer you wait on your computer's load times and slow WiFi, the more power you're using just for the sake of buffering. Fortunately, it's relatively easy to get your computer up and going. Cast routing technology can shorten your connections by routing them through a firewall and CDN, which results in faster loading times and less wasted electricity.

Unplug From Technology at Night

Many people use their smartphones and computers at night. But at the end of the day, you can benefit from taking your eyes away from your screen. For one, most devices today give off blue light which is harmful to the eyes over long periods. Not only that, if your goal is saving money, you're only doing yourself a disservice if you're up late with the television on.

Use Cold Water Whenever Possible

It's understandable to want to take long, hot showers during the winter months. But hot water requires gas and electricity, which can hike up your utility bills if you're not careful. Consider taking warm, rather than hot, showers and using cold water while doing your laundry. Not only will laundering your clothes in cold water save on utility bills but it'll also prevent any color bleeding.

Clean the Filter On Your HVAC's Heat Exchanger

If your heating and cooling bills have been hiking up, the problem could be that your HVAC filter needs to be changed. The filter on your heat exchangers helps to prevent dust, dirt, and debris from kicking up into the air around your home. When the filter becomes clogged over time, it can prevent heat or cool air from efficiently making its way through your home.

Switch to All LEDs

LEDs make up 53% of the global lighting market as of 2019 and for good reason. LEDs began replacing halogen lights because they last longer and they're more energy-efficient. However, some homeowners are still using halogen lights throughout their homes. If you're still using halogen lights, consider making the switch to all LEDs to help save on your energy costs.

Making your home more energy-efficient is guaranteed to save you money. Try some of the tips above this season to crush your utility bills once and for all.


Monday 27 December 2021

How to Improve Your Home's Air Quality Without Spending a Fortune

Striving for the best in air quality means you'll come home and breathe in a refreshing mix of clean air with your preferred fragrances. But unless you make frugal living decisions, there is a risk you'll live with poor indoor air quality for long enough to jeopardize your health. If you're hoping to avoid that scenario, then keep reading, because there are five important steps you want to take to improve your home's air quality without having to spend a fortune.

Find the Best Household Supplies

The best household supplies mean you won't have to use large amounts to get the job done. Whether you're working on cleaning or simply freshening up the house, remember, excessive use of aerosols, bleach, and ammonia is bound to do your family great harm. Whereas some chemicals might irritate your lungs, others might burn your skin, so either way, the experience is uncomfortable. To avoid the dangers surrounding household supplies, limit your use of the products and be sure to follow the instruction manuals precisely. Many injuries come from people simply overusing the products and then being unable to ventilate their homes in time.

Clean Regularly

Cleaning your home from top to bottom is an important part of being a homeowner. But even skipping a week or so of dusting and vacuuming can open you and your family up to unsafe living conditions. Throughout the home, there are bacteria, dust mites, and other contaminants. A person will also shed about 1.5 million skin flakes in 60 minutes, with most of the skin flakes getting embedded into the carpeting. So, vacuuming your carpets alone won't do the trick. Instead, you need to adopt the phrase 'deep cleaning' into your vocabulary. The more you scrub and clean, the more likely you'll reduce the risk for mold and other harmful contaminants that will pollute your air.

Improve Airflow Year-Round

You can increase ventilation better by opening up your windows to get some fresh air into the home. Turn on fans several times a day around the same time as you open the windows. Then, position your fans so air flows throughout your home. Not only will this feel and smell refreshing, but you'll also be filtering out any indoor air pollution in the process. Consider the fact that 38,900,000 households own cats. Imagine living in a household with a cat and never opening up the window. Even if you don't have animals, it's safest to look for ways to improve ventilation year-round. That means don't give up on getting air inside your home for the winter. Just be sure to turn your heater off if you plan to keep the window open for any length of time.

Use Air Purifiers

An air purifier cleans the indoor particles in your household that are harmful to your health. Unlike an air filter, which only filters the air in a room, an air purifier will capture the particles and then push clean air back out into the room. These devices aren't as expensive as you would think and can go a long way toward keeping a household safe. If you find that anyone in your house is sneezing, coughing, or suffering from congestion, it might not be allergies or a cold. During different parts of the year, some people are even more susceptible to indoor air pollution. That's why purchasing an air purifier is a worthy investment to make. Keep in mind that air filters can also be especially helpful for people with asthma or other lung problems.

Have Your HVAC System Serviced Regularly

Did you know that only 42% of homeowners call a professional to perform routine maintenance on their air conditioner? Air conditioners that go through regular maintenance last 40% longer. Not only that, but HVAC systems that undergo regular maintenance can contribute to cleaner, safer air within your household. If there's a lot of dust and dirt in your HVAC system, then that's what will be circulating around your house and in the air. Don't wait to schedule an HVAC inspection and cleaning.

Now you have all of these ways to protect your family from indoor air pollution. You should feel confident about breathing easily from this day forward.

Smart Ways to Conserve Water at Home

Water is our lifeblood, we as humans have to have water to be able to survive. Water is precious, as such, finding great ways to easily conserve it can help not only save water, it can also help lower our water bills. There are a few different ways you can conserve water at home that can make a big difference in the water consumption of your home.

Pay Attention to How Much Water You Use

The first thing that you need to do to start conserving water is to pay attention to how much water you use in a day. Think about how much you turn on the faucet, how many times you flush the toilet, if you are doing dishes or loads of laundry, and how long you stay in the shower. There is no real way to conserve water if you are not paying attention to how much water you are using in the first place. One in 10 homes across the United States has leaks in their plumbing lines and may not even know it. Even a small leak can waste up to 90 gallons of water a day.

Check Your Faucets

The most common household leak is a faucet leak. A recent study done by the EPA found that a leaky faucet can waste more than 3,000 gallons of water a year. Take the time to go around your home and look closely at each faucet. If you find that you have a leaky faucet, never fear, this is a fairly common issue that can be fixed relatively easily. A plumber can come out and fix a leaky faucet in a matter of time and help you save water.

Showerheads also fall into this category. A leaky showerhead that drips no more than ten times in a minute can waste over 500 gallons of water a year. That is the total amount of water that it takes to run your dishwasher 60 times. Check your showerheads as well and if they are leaking, get them fixed pronto to help save water and lower your water bill. Leaky faucets, showerheads, and pipes are the most common cause of water waste in homes, and paying attention can help with your frugal living.

Watering Your Lawn and Garden

Though we all want a beautiful green lawn and a lush green garden, you should be paying attention to how you water them as well. Watering your lawn can be a huge waste of water. You also need to pay attention to drought notices, to any sort of city ordinance that might limit the amount of water that you can put on your lawn and pay attention to the time of day that you are watering as well. Watering in the evening is going to help your lawn hold onto moisture which means that you may not need as much water.

With your garden, if you live in a state where it is legal to collect rainwater, this may be a great option to help water your garden. Rainwater is rich in nutrients and is often better for your garden anyhow. If you can collect rainwater, do, it can help your plants grow without wasting a huge amount of water and encourage frugal living.

With any water conservation, you want to pay close attention to any regulations and any rules that have been set forth. Your city infrastructure is not going to put out water restrictions for fun. If there is a water restriction, make sure you follow it closely. It is not only going to be better for you, but also for your community and for the planet. Water is such a precious resource and it is our job to ensure that we use it responsibly and that we take the time to save water where we can. These are just a few ways that you can do that and that you can make a difference.

Sunday 26 December 2021

Finally, A DIY Home Project Anyone Can Do



You just relocate to new home and you are out of budget to hire the professional to meet the home decoration requirement. Well this blog surely going to help you in this task. Instead of hiring interior decorators you can flow your creative juices and make your home look like you want. We know it’s a time consuming process but if you really want to achieve something that is out of ordinary you really need to put in your efforts. Here we are going to add some beautiful DIY home makeover tricks and tips to get the home decoration you dreamt about. So let’s get it started. 

Think About the Theme of Home

You might have an idea about which color and which pattern will suit to your home look. 

So Before making any plan use technology like youtubeand home makeover inspirational contents to find the color scheme and patterns Once you decide the color and style of home you will instantly get the idea about how to upgrade the other areas like kitchen, closet doors, and balcony and bed room. 

Use Wallpaper instead of Painting

Yes that would save lots of your bucks. Temporary peel and stick wallpaper are easily available in super marketand you can easily fix them on your own. You just need to select the wall paper design that suits your home style. This way you can save lots of bucks on painting walls. Wallpapers are readily available to fix on the wall, so it saves lots of time, money and efforts.

Use Antique Things to Get the Ultimate Ethnic look

Worry not if you are not able to go and buy home decoration things. You can use wine bottles as a hanging lamp. Use antique cups to decorate live flowers in it. Use antique things like small rustic bycucle, antique pieces like Krishna sculpture, Buddha idol to enhance the look of corner. You can also use ceramic mugs to repot succulents. So this is how you can upcycle those unusedproducts and give a rustic look to new home.

Use Engraved Photo Frames to Add Some Emotions on Wall

Well engraved photo frames easily available in online store. So you can buy them to add some family photo or memorable photos in it. No matter you live in long distance relationship the picture will speak about the story of unity and harmony in family.

Add Some Greens Instead of Faux Decoration

We know there is a need of houseplant in homes. Houseplant just not elevates the beauty of home but also help in removing the toxins and impurities from home. On the other hand it’s a cheap version then those costly artificial plants. You can choose houseplants like snake plant, boston fern, miniature bonsai tree, spider plant, peace lily plant, succulents to add some tropical beauty in homes. 

Use Spray Paint to Upgrade Old chairs

Some dining chairs lose its charm and polish after some period of time. You can easily find the wooden spray paint or spray paint in the market. You can re-polish the wooden chairs and make them look like they are just brought from the market. Instead calling sofa cleaners you can clean sofa using sofa cleaning agents. This can help saving lots of your money. 

Make Kitchen Garden 

If you have good space in kitchen you can elevate the space by growing herbs in kitchen garden. This is a new concept arrived in the home improvement. You can grow your herbs so it makes you healthy. Herb garden also bring some spice scent in homes. 

Use Scented Candles to Improve the Air quality

You can learn the techniques of making scented candles at home. Scented candles spread heavenly fragrance in homes. It removes the stinking of peel and stick bathroom wallpaper or new paint smell in home. If you wish you can buy that earth friendly diffuser to improve the air quality in home. This can help bring the positive vibes in homes. Also it ignites the mood for making love. 

So here are some thoughtful and inspirational tricks about home makeover. There are so many creative ideas you can do to transform your simple home into home of dreams. But we have limit of words. But I am sure these tricks surely going to help you in showing your style statement. Hope it helps.

Thursday 23 December 2021

These Simple Tricks Could Extend Your Roof's Lifespan


Many homeowners take pride in their roof, and with good reason. This is because the roof serves an important purpose, keeping you and your valuables safe from extreme weather. Regardless of whether your roof is brand new or if you've had it for a while, read on to see five simple tricks you can use to extend your roof's lifespan and maintain frugal living at the same time.

Have it Inspected Annually

In order to make sure that your roof is in a good state, schedule to have it inspected at least once every year. This should be regardless of whether there's been a big storm in your area or not, because you may uncover something that was otherwise unnoticeable. With 65% of homeowners saying that they're most likely to repair their roofs after weather damage in a consumer survey, you need to make sure that you don't wait for such situations to motivate you to have it checked out because a roof may have other reasons which necessitate its maintenance apart from weather damage.

Trim Trees Near it

If there are trees growing near your roof and have branches overhanging it, you should keep them trimmed. This is because they not only pose a serious hazard during extreme weather and storms, but they also deposit a lot of debris on your roof. Fallen leaves and branches, if left on your roof for a long time, may give rise to serious issues such as enabling ice dams to form easily if you live in an area that experiences snow. Pests and rodents can also build their homes and nests in this debris and add extra weight to your roof, damaging it in the process.

Keep Your Gutters Well Maintained

Another part of good roof maintenance is making sure that your gutters are always clean. Since the gutters serve the purpose of draining water off your roof, it's imperative that they stay clear of dirt and debris that can cause blockages. They need to be able to drain all the water off the roof and direct it into the drains and away from your home's foundation, where it can cause serious damage to the structural integrity of your house. Keep in mind that once your roof reaches the age of 25 years, you should start considering a replacement because it is nearing the end of its lifespan.

Fix Damaged or Missing Shingles

If you have a shingle roof, it's good to know that strong winds, pests, and other things can damage them. If you can physically inspect your roof and you see any shingles that are missing or that appear broken, curled, or damaged in any way, get them replaced right away. This will save your roof from further damage and keep your ceiling and other parts of your house in good shape. This is important for aesthetics as well because your roof can affect your home's overall curb appeal.

Keep it Clean

Finally, whether your roof has just been installed or it's almost at the end of its lifespan, you need to keep it clean. Check your roof for debris every time after a storm and clear off any dirt that you find to make sure that no mold and moss start to form. If there's any moss or mold on your roof, scrub it off with a bucket and brush, and you will have a presentable roof that's less likely to develop serious issues. With over five million roofs installed every year in the U.S., yours may be one among them at any given time. Just make sure that it's not due to neglecting your precious roof.

With these five tips, you should find it possible to extend your roof's lifespan and enjoy having a strong and well-kept roof over your head in all seasons.

Tuesday 21 December 2021

How to Start an Embroidery Business from Home



Imagine working every day on something you love. Would you even consider what you do 'work'?

As the famous Marc Anthony quote goes: "If you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life." And if your passion happens to be embroidery, doing it for a living won't just be enjoyable; it can be highly profitable, too.


Embroidered goods are everywhere – especially in businesses. Think uniforms, corporate logos, merchandise, the list goes on and on. The embroidery industry is massive, and it's still growing.

So, what skills and equipment do you need? Should you invest in embroidery machines or embroider by hand? Read on to find the answers to all your questions and more.

What Skills Do You Need?

Before you start your embroidery business, you'll need to assess whether you have the necessary skills. It's not the end of the world if you don't; it just means that you'll need to hire staff members to handle the work for you.


Although there are no qualifications needed to produce embroidered goods, you will need to know how to operate machinery to streamline your production. You'll also need to have knowledge of stitching and fabrics because the stitches you use will depend on the material and how it behaves.


Design is another aspect of your embroidery business – you'll need to know how to create designs and translate your customers' ideas into embroidered pieces. Working with machines means you'll also need to have basic computer design knowledge and know how to operate the machine's software.

When you start your company, you'll need to know how to open and operate a business from home as well. You'll also need communication, management, and planning skills. Strong time-management skills are also preferable because embroidery jobs need a fast turnaround time.  

What Equipment Do You Need?

Purchasing the right equipment right from the get-go will facilitate the growth of your business, which means you'll see your return on investment faster.

An embroidery machine is at the top of every embroidery business' list of priorities – it's the business' greatest asset. Although you may feel overwhelmed by all the options on the market, choose the highest-quality machine you can afford.

You will also need materials on which to embroider your designs. The materials your business will need largely depend on what kind of services you will offer.


The most popular items in the embroidery industry are sweatshirts, jackets, caps, shirts, polo shirts, and t-shirts. If you have the budget, consider purchasing these items in bulk so that you can have them ready for jobs faster. When deciding on what items to buy in bulk, consider who your target market is – for example, fast food restaurants, sports teams, and charities often require embroidered items.


You'll also need a computer and a printer to finalize your embroidery designs. Digital design software is also an investment because it will ensure that your designs are at a professional standard.   

What Are The Legal Requirements?

As with all business startups, you'll need to comply with your state's laws and legal requirements.

Although you don't need a license to start an embroidery company, you must decide on the legal structure and register it as a legal entity. Making sure your business is protected by business insurance is also strongly advised.


If you are hiring staff, you'll need to adhere to the labor laws regarding payroll, pensions, and National Insurance tax in your state, and you'll need to make sure that your business meets health and safety regulations.

Spotting Quality Toys That Your Children Will Cherish

 

The holiday season is also known as the season of giving. Each year brings the need to come up with amazing gifts your loved ones will cherish for years to come. This can sometimes be tricky—especially when the loved one in question is a kid.

When you're shopping for your (or someone else's) child, the first thing you want to make sure if that any toys you give them are of the highest quality possible. But good quality toys can be difficult to spot.

This gift guide will help you to pick toys they will love and toys that last. Read on to learn everything you need to know about choosing a toy they'll play with for years.

Make Sure Its Age-Appropriate

If you want to choose a toy they'll really love, first and foremost you'll need to make sure it's something that's suitable for the child in question's age. It won't matter how good the quality of the toy is if it's not age-appropriate they aren't likely to love it.

The great thing about children's toys is that they are often labeled with the age range they're most appropriate for. Use the recommended age of toys to guide you in your search. Another thing you can do is to consult with other people who have children in the age range you're looking within for advice.

Avoid Fads or Trends

If you want to choose a toy that will stand the test of time, it's best to steer clear of any toys that are trending at the moment. For example, Furbies, fidget spinners, the list goes on and on.

Instead, choose a toy that's timeless. This might include a plush teddy bear, a cow stuffed animal, or a baby doll. These are the kinds of toys that children have been playing with for decades, and will continue to do for many years to come.

Think About How a Toy Benefits Your Child

Another way you can measure the quality of a toy is by looking at what benefits it can offer for your child. Yes, toys are meant to be played with, but this doesn't mean they can't also serve other purposes at the same time.

Ask yourself: does this toy educate my child in any way, or help to expand their imagination? If the answer is yes, you're already off to a good start.

Look at the Toy's Workmanship

Sometimes it's possible to discern the quality of a toy by looking at it and holding it in your hands. Assessing the workmanship of a toy is a good way of predicting how long it's likely to last your child. You want to look for how good the quality of the materials is and how robust the toy seems.

Choose the Highest Quality Toys for Your Little One

Your kids deserve only the best quality toys this holiday season, so use these tips to ensure that's what you give them. Buy the perfect gift every time with this kid's gift buying guide. For more tips and tricks check out the rest of our content now.

Monday 20 December 2021

A Quick and Interesting History of the Barbie Doll

 


If you've ever played with Barbie dolls, it was probably a part of your life that you didn't give much thought to. It's one of the most popular and best-selling kids toys' of all time, and the doll remains a $1.35 billion industry to this day. 

Learning a bit more about this doll will add context to your childhood and also help you learn more about toys for children as a whole. 

Here are some things that you should know about the history of Barbie. 

Barbie First Came Out in 1959

The first Barbie doll was released by toy giant Mattel in 1959. Even though it closed out the decade, Barbie immediately jumped to the top of the list of the most popular toys of the '50s. 

The doll was the brainchild of Ruth Handler, and it debuted at the New York Toy Fair. While her background details aren't as heavily touted and stressed today, Barbie was said to be from a fictional town in Wisconsin. 

Part of the reason that the toy took off so much is that it coincided with the growth of television. The first run of commercials aired during episodes of the Mickey Mouse Club. 

Ken Was Released 2 Years Later

Barbie's boyfriend, the Ken doll, was released 2 years later in 1961. 

Barbie and Ken have been inseparable ever since. Well, except for that time they broke up in 2004, but they eventually reconciled in 2011. Coming out with a boy option assisted with the popularity of the doll and their relationship has consistently been a pivotal focus. 

Barbie Has Held Plenty of Jobs Over the Years

The best Barbie doll from your childhood was most likely a special edition. Many of the releases coincided with the type of job Barbie worked. 

Barbie has held down more than 150 jobs in her lifetime, with everything from nurse, dentist and astronaut to president of the United States. These jobs were helpful in teaching kids to expand their imaginations and dream what they want to be when they grow up. 

Barbie Smiled for the First Time in 1977

Every Barbie doll you've probably ever had smiled, right? Well, you'd be shocked to know that it took Barbie 18 years to find her smile.

Yes, Barbie didn't smile until 1977. Something so small made a huge difference to the franchise and has helped it continue its iconic run. 

Learn All About the History of Barbie

The history of Barbie is a rich part of American history. In learning all about these toys, you will come away with a better understanding and appreciation of them. 

With Christmas right around the corner, your shopping trips will feel more informed now that you've done some background researching into the toy giant and its humble beginnings. 

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