Category: Uncategorized

One of the first things you should think about when getting a hot tub for your garden, is where is it going to go?

You will need to have quiet a big garden for one, and will have to think will you use it enough.

For an outdoor tub, you need somewhere that is level and solid so that the tub can sit nicely on it. You will also have to have power nearby to plug it in. Also, the logistics need be thought about. Hot tubs are big, and will you be able to get it to your back garden. Is your gate big enough? What if the only access to the back garden is through the house?

Something to solve all these issues is to look at an inflatable hot tub as these can be stored away easily, are cheaper and are a lot more realistic for people to own.

 

 

Having a baby for the first time is such an incredible and unique experience for any woman. Even though it can be traumatic at times, a lot of women will choose to do it all over again to have the joy of raising another beautiful baby.

The conception part may have seemed easy the first time, but it is not uncommon for women to experience a little trouble getting pregnant the second time around. This can be frustrating, to say the least, so every woman will want to do what she can to make things go as well or even better than the first time. Here are some helpful tips for a second pregnancy.

Get new tests done

It is common for women to get a lot of tests for diseases, genetic disorders and other common issues before their first pregnancy. Even though it can seem redundant, and many results might be the same, it is a good idea for women to get a new infertility workup done to make sure they are still healthy enough to conceive.

Address new fertility problems

Once the workup has been done, women might find out that they have some new fertility issues to deal with. This can range from problems such as age or irregular ovulation. It is important to address these issues right away in order to find the most effective and healthiest way to get pregnant again.

Find a healthy weight to maintain

Weight gain is common during any pregnancy. Some women will be able to get back to their normal weight faster than others, some women may never fully reach the weight they were at before they got pregnant. Either way, it is a good idea to talk with a healthcare professional about what weight goal would be most healthy for a mom to maintain when she wants to get pregnant again.

Determine the best gap to shoot for between children

This is often an overlooked item for women, but it is important to try to consider what age gap might be best between children. Even though it may not happen exactly as planned, having a general age gap to shoot for can help mothers be most comfortable with their new addition. For most women, this is at least 2 years after the first baby is born.

Start back up on prenatal rituals

They may seem insignificant at the time, but small prenatal rituals can actually do a lot to help ensure a healthy pregnancy. Many women will stay on their prenatal vitamins and continue other practices to increase their fertility and overall health.

Be patient

No matter what happened the first time around, every pregnancy is different and women need to remember to treat them as such. It is important to be patient while trying to conceive and understand that this pregnancy can feel and look a lot different than the first one did. These tips can help anyone get the most out of their additional pregnancies.

Image: https://pixabay.com/en/pregnant-pregnancy-mom-child-775036/

 

Sleeping is a big issue for a number of people all around the world and sleep apnoea is something that ruins the quality of sleep – something we struggle with time to time in our household.

We were reading about a recent study in the US by scientists in a research project around Alzheimer’s disease that focused on a group of people who experienced sleep apnoea. This is defined as a condition where muscles around the throat block airways when relaxed – hindering breathing.

Apnoea causes people to snore loudly and wake up in the night repeatedly. The research checked results from a medical database of 2,400 people over the age of 55.

The researchers found that people with this condition were also more likely to report memory loss and had trouble thinking clearly compared with others in their age bracket. The concept proposed was that perhaps oxygen may not have been getting to the brain adequately and was therefore causing these cognitive problems.

A portion of the patients who received treatment via a continuous positive airway pressure machine (CPAP) reported no such symptoms – probably because the airways are kept open and there is a constant supply of oxygen to the brain.

Dr Simon Ridley from of Alzheimer’s Research UK, was reported to say in reference to the paper: “This adds to growing evidence that disrupted breathing during sleep could be a risk factor for memory and thinking decline in older age but it doesn’t prove one causes the other. A good supply of oxygen to the brain is vital to keep it healthy, and it is interesting to see that treatment of sleep apnoea was associated with a trend towards later memory and thinking problems.”

A larger study is now underway to explore the hypothesis that CPAP machines are indeed making the difference and preventing people from suffering from induced memory loss. The elderly commonly have issues with sleep and cognitive ability so this is an area that requires much more research for definitive answers on any treatments that can help.

We have recently invested in some CPAP machines and they definitely seem to be working, and our quality of sleep is much better. It is interesting to see more added benefit from these machines too.

Finding fun activities for a day indoors isn’t always easy – you’ll need to be creative in order to keep your kids from climbing up the walls. But from magic tricks and cookery tips, to how to make paper mache or host an indoor Olympics – we’ve got five fab activities, to help kids of all ages make the most of any rainy day.

1. Cooking

Food always comes first for kids! So why not bring them into the kitchen for a few cookery lessons? Get them to cook their favourite meals and experiment with new flavours, providing them with basic recipes for cookies, cakes, and savoury dishes such as homemade pizza and pasta bakes. Homemade pizzas are a fun idea for kids of all ages – younger children will love choosing their own toppings, while older kids can have a go at making the pizza dough themselves.

2. Crafting

How about unleashing your child’s creative side with an afternoon of crafting? You don’t need to be an expert on how to make paper mache, or even know how to thread a needle to get started – simply give your child the freedom to make a mess and watch as they turn their imagination into creation. Crafting with recyclables is always popular with parents as it’s easy, fun, and you don’t need to leave the house – empty jars, cardboard boxes, egg cartons, and toilet rolls are all great crafting materials. There are thousands of child-friendly crafting ideas online, so get inspired and soon you’ll know how to make paper mache, playdough, and all manner of Pinterest-worthy creations.

3. Home Cinema

While limiting the amount of time children spend in front of screens is important, we all need a bit of downtime, and there’s nothing wrong with allowing your children to watch their favourite films or shows in moderation. Treat the television like a special treat by dimming the lights, popping some popcorn and sitting down to your own Home Film Festival: Hollywood-style. Animations are always popular with both kids and adults, while musicals, classic rom-coms, and feel-good comedies will help you while away the hours from the comfort of the couch.

4. Show Tim

If your kids love to sing, dance, or put on a show: why not set up a stage and turn the spotlight on them? From magic tricks and puppetry to theatre, clowning, and even stand-up comedy – every child has a talent, and chances are they’ll love having you as an audience. Just give them enough time to prepare their act, help them with their costumes, and make tickets for all your guests. Then simply clear some space for a stage in your hall or living room, line up chairs or pillows for seating, and crank up the music – you could even film the performance for a later screening in front of the whole family.

5. Indoor Olympic

Just because you’re stuck inside doesn’t mean you can’t be active, and there’s nothing like holding an Indoor Olympics to get your little ones running around and burning off all that excess energy. Assign each child a different nation to represent (fancy dress and face paint will really help them get into the swing of it), and prepare your stadium of events! Pillow sack races, hallway hopscotch, and the standing long jump are all great ideas for small spaces – the kids will love competing for a special prize (e.g. chocolate coins). Let the Games begin!