How To Make a Pandemic Party Special, or How to have a Fun and Safe Covid Birthday Celebration

There's so many hard things about today's current situation, and one of the biggest ones is that keeping safe can make it feel like a birthday is really sad and depressing, because you can't have the types of celebrations that you've had in the past. However, that doesn't mean that you can't celebrate! Yes, it takes some creativity, and your birthdays won't look the same as they have in past years, but you can still have a great time!

Here's a few suggestions on how to celebrate birthdays in a special way while keeping Covid safe. 

Building Finances: Things to Consider When Starting a New Business

For many, this period of time is one full of financial hardships. Many have lost jobs, many have lost clients. Some people, because of this, have decided to open a new business that can better serve people during these times, with the hopes that this can be a good source of income for them and their family. If you are starting a new business, here's some things from a reader that you should definitely consider.

There are two distinctly opposite approaches taken when starting something – anything – new. One is that someone will just begin, get straight to it. They will do the new thing and accept the mistakes, fumbling around, until it begins to make sense and a clearer solution and process is discovered or presents itself. The other is to commit to mastering the activity before it’s even begun. It’s achieved via reading books and articles of other people’s experiences and technical knowledge. The middle ground between the two is the ideal. This article cannot start the business for you. What it can do is provide knowledge about the things to consider about the financial-side of starting a new business. So, it’ll meet you halfway.

Don't Make My Mistake

Don't expect this post to be this long and full of deep insights that no one else on the face of this earth has ever shared before. I have some posts that I feel are really ground breaking, with really cool calculations and factoids that I figured out and am super excited to share. And then I have posts with lots of details ideas that most people don't know.

And then there's today's post. Today's post was about a flub up I made. And maybe it's something that most people know. Maybe people don't. But its a flop that I made and while I share my successes, I figure its also worth sharing the mistakes I make so people can be careful not to repeat them.

I take medicine daily. Its very necessary for my psyche, and I am grateful for my meds every day. I am also really grateful that I live in a place where most of my medical costs are covered by my very cheap insurance, something that I know many people around the world do not have. 

All You Need to Know About Forex Indicators

If you have money left over at the end of the month, instead of just letting it sit in your bank account, you might decide to invest it, so you can make money with that money. One way of investing is in Forex, something I am wholy unqualified to talk about. So for that reason, I turn this over to a reader, to explain things about Forex Indicators.

Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned trader, the challenge of finding the perfect moment to execute your strategy is both an exciting and fascinating process. And, as fascinating as it might be, it is important to know that there is nothing like a one-size-fits-all strategy in forex trading. Simply put, there are numerous strategies or market indicators you’d need to master to be able to determine the perfect moment to execute a trade. The excellent moment to buy or sell can be determined through these indicators. 

Forex trading and trading platforms have a handful of tools that aid you in trading, but this article will focus on 6 of the most effective indicators.

My Thanksgiving Gratitude Post

I don't always make a Thanksgiving post, even though most of my readership does celebrate Thanksgiving. That's because while I grew up in the US and Thanksgiving was a big part of my life there, I moved abroad, married a non American, and did not have Thanksgiving off, and not really many people to celebrate it with. Occasionally we made Thanksgiving dinners throughout the years, but not always. This year, we're going away for the weekend and having a Thanksgiving style dinner tomorrow night.

However, whether or not I'm having an actual Thanksgiving meal today, Thanksgiving is a time where I get reminded about how many things I have to be grateful for. And this year, more than anything, I am feeling the gratitude, and wanted to share some of what I'm grateful for with you. This isn't going to be in any particular order, its just on what came to mind first.

Top Tips When You Decide to Cook with Kids

Kids love cooking. At least every kid I've met. But the thing is, parents don't always like cooking with them, because it takes more time and makes more mess and sometimes it feels like it isn't worth it. But it is. The skills the kids learn and the fun times they have are worth all the mess. But if you can do it in a way to cause as few issues as possible, that's the best. These tips from a reader might help you out so your cooking time with your kids can be as pleasant as possible for everyone.

Children find kitchens to be fascinating. They regularly notice the grown-ups working there briskly. Many kids have the habit of smelling what is on the menu for lunch, and they find it intriguing to see the steam rising from the pots on your stove. You may see even the older kids get intrigued by the coming together of the baked goods and the meals. Of course, we understand that it may not always be convenient for you to invite your children to the kitchen, but you should do it whenever time allows.   

Younger kids always like to watch what you are doing. They even want to help out with small tasks, such as stirring the lentils or helping you set the table. If you have older kids, you can teach them how to measure the ingredients or crack open the eggs. At times, kids get excited if you tell them to pick their favorite dish that they would want to eat, and then you can make it together with them. 

Easy Mulled Wine Recipe- Paleo, Allergy Friendly, Refined Sugar Free

I'm not a hot drinks person. I mean, in the past I loved a good hot cocoa, but with my having dairy issues, that became so much more complicated. Then I started drinking coffee, but my psychiatrist banned that for me. I haven't been able to find a good consistent source of gluten free coffee substitute, other than the ones I make myself, but that is too much much work for me to do that on a regular basis. And I've never been a fan of tea (I only drink it when I'm sick). So if you ask me if I enjoy a good hot drink, my answer pretty much would have been a solid no. 

Until a few days ago.

I don't know why, but a few days ago, I was thinking about sitting in front of a log cabin with a roaring fire, snuggled up in a cozy blanket on the couch with a good book, and sipping mulled wine. I'd never even had mulled wine, but I knew that I had to try to make it.

I looked online for how to make mulled wine, and there are so many different recipes out there, each with their own unique twist. Most of them called for star anise which I didn't have at home, and while I probably could have used some fennel seeds instead (from the wild fennel growing in my backyard), I had a guest over who detests the flavor of fennel, so I wanted to try another variety. I had just finished making a batch of jaggery syrup and though I poured it into the storage container, there was enough syrup in the pot I used that I didn't want to go to waste, and figured that it was the perfect time to make that mulled wine, using whatever was left of the jaggery syrup to sweeten it. 

It was so wonderful, that I decided to make it a few times since.

Its the perfect combination of soothing warmth and comfort for a cold winter night. With Thanksgiving nearly upon us, and Christmas not long after that, many people are looking for the perfect beverage to serve. Why not make it be mulled wine, and give them that homey cozy feeling in a mug?

While I used jaggery syrup for mine, feel free to use whatever sweetener you like, whether honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, white sugar, or whatever floats your boat. You can play around with the spices, adding more or less. Just note that too much cloves will probably be overpowering, so down play it. There's no one right way to make it. Take your pick. My recipe is just a suggestion.

And yes, I can definitely now say I'm a hot drinks person. Make it mulled wine, please.

Easy Mulled Wine Recipe- Allergy Friendly, Refined Sugar Free

7 Life-Saving Tips for Parents in the New Normal

Times are tough. Many of us have no idea what we're doing with our own lives, let alone with our children. Here's some tips from a reader who seems to have some idea what to do in this new normal! Thanks for the tips!

The COVID-19 Pandemic is an unprecedented event in human history. We can no longer afford to be careless in how we carry out our day to day activities. This is especially true for how we raise our children. We live in a new normal, and they will have to adapt fast. Although kids are less vulnerable to the virus compared to adults, they will still need to be just as careful: they could infect the adults. Here are 7 life-saving tips for parents in the new normal to help out their kids:

Overcoming Homeschool Frustrations

Today I have a special treat for you. My friend, Yehudis Litvak, veteran homeschooler and owner of the Digital Homeschool Convention, is sharing some great tips on how to deal with some common frustrations that come up with homeschooling, but, to be honest, can be applied to most parenting situations if you aren't a homeschooler.

My son hates penmanship. He can build a chair, cook a gourmet meal, or set up a homemade water slide in the backyard, but the idea of putting pen to paper and writing neatly sends him running.

If you’re a homeschool parent like me, you’ve had your own share of frustrations. Sure, you’ve also spent time enjoying your children and building precious memories. But if your children happen to be human, their ideas of how they want to spend their days likely differ from yours. More to the point, it’s likely that there is something you want them to learn that they’d rather avoid at all costs.

Each child is unique, and each has unique strengths and weaknesses. As conscientious parents, while we want to give them plenty of time to develop their strengths, we also want to make sure that they are building up their weak areas. And that’s where the frustrations come in, because our children, just like us, would much rather do just about anything else.

Parenting for a Successful Future

A lot of times with parenting, we get so overwhelmed with it that we get caught up in the now that we forget to parent for the future as well. Here's some tips from a reader about how to encorporate future planning into your parenting style.

Being a parent means being responsible for your family in so many ways. As a parent, you provide a warm and welcoming home where your children feel safe and secure. You are the nurturer who brings nutritious and satisfying food to the table for your loved ones. And you do all you can to make sure their future is bright and full of promise. In a perfect world, bringing love into your home would be all that is needed for happiness and completion. Love would provide the perfect environment for your children to thrive and grow. There are so many other avenues to attend to and tasks to be done. We have to watch over our offspring and at the same time give them the room to learn and experience life.