Everyone deserves a treat now and again, especially after a tiresome week or so. You don’t have to wait for someone else to treat you, either, as there are plenty of ways to reward yourself without help from anyone else. So, whether you have been overrun at work or you’ve had a tough time looking after your kids, here are some simple ways to treat yourself after a busy week.

Go for a Facial

Facials are the perfect way to relax while doing something good for your body. Busy weeks often result in less focus on skincare, so catch your skin up on any hydration it needs by going to dermani Medspa for a deeply cleansing facial. You’ll feel much better at the end of it!

Take a Shopping Trip

A shopping trip isn’t just about purchasing new items – it’s also about spending some time doing something for yourself. So, whether you’re thinking about getting a new mirror for the bathroom or you want an outfit for a party, get out there and peruse the shops.

If you don’t like the idea of bustling crowds, take your shopping trip home by browsing for new items online instead.

Have a Movie Night

Treating yourself doesn’t have to be difficult. When you’re busy, it is easy to talk yourself out of the simpler pleasures like watching a movie, but you mustn’t do this. So, the next time you’ve had a long week, and you want to treat yourself in a relaxing way, schedule a movie night with your family, friends, or even just yourself.

Order Takeout

There is something so exciting about ordering takeout. Not only does it mean you get delicious food, but it also means you don’t have to cook or do any dishes! So, once the weekend rolls around, let yourself order from your favorite restaurant and eat in front of the TV.

Spend the Day Away from Social Media

Spending a day away from social media might seem like more of a punishment than a treat to some, but it actually is a positive thing to do. While you might miss it at first, allowing yourself to do activities that don’t involve scrolling through endless posts will give you a sense of peace you might not have experienced in a while.

Visit a Local Nature Spot

Spending time in nature cleanses the soul, so look around for somewhere beautiful nearby and take a drive to get there. You could take a book, your headphones, a picnic, or a sketchbook to sit for a while in peace. You might even see some interesting wildlife while you’re out and about!

See Your Friends and Family

When was the last time you saw your friends and family? It’s easy to forget to check in with people when you’re busy. So, to treat yourself to some fun socialization as well as catch up with your loved ones, make plans to see your friends and family this weekend.

If you need a few ideas for treating yourself this weekend, start with the above suggestions and make your time off count.

 

Buying gifts for people gets harder and harder each year. After all, some people you’ve been buying gifts for, for decades – how can there be any good ideas left? Well, one thing that’s forever changing is fashion. And if you’re ever stuck for gift ideas, new things to wear are always welcome.

But finding the right thing for your friend or relative can be tricky. That’s why we’re here to give you all the tips and ideas you need.

Buying clothing gifts: The basics

Before you get too excited, you need to get the basics of buying clothes for other people down.

For one, do you know their size? You could land yourself in hot water if you have the cheek to buy a size up. And a size down will equally make them feel rubbish. Buying clothing that requires you to know their fit is really only for those people you know really well (or someone you can distract while you check the sizes of clothes in their wardrobe).

Secondly, if you’re buying online, make sure to check delivery times. Clothing like socks or t-shirts can often be a last-minute gift idea, but there are tons of sites online that print to order or ship from China – meaning you might not get your gift on time. For last-minute options, it’s best just to stick to the high street. If you’re more organized, you’ll have a little more flexibility for bespoke designs or wholesale sites.

Another thing is to always check reviews. Reviews often give you more information about how the piece looks on your average person. You’ll typically find people recommending different sizes if the fit is too tight, and you also get a better feel for the fabric that’s been used. We’ve all seen online shopping expectation vs. reality posts, so don’t fall victim yourself!

Lastly, always be sure to get a gift receipt. Even online stores usually have the option to mark the item as a gift, so that if you’ve really messed up on style or size, the receiver can return or exchange it.

Easy clothing gifts

Socks & Underwear

Unless you know the recipient’s style intimately, novelty socks or underwear are always a good shout. Usually, high street stores offer deals like 3 for 2 so you can put a little thought into the designs and styles you choose.

T shirts

T shirts are good choice if you don’t want to get anything with a specific fit. Because everyone looks good in a t shirt. You can find quirky and unique t shirts online so that the receiver can see you’ve put effort into the gift – rather than just buying something from a generic store.

PJs

If you’re really stuck, nobody can ever have enough comfies, making PJs a great get-out-of-jail gift.

Accessories

Lastly, accessories are easy to find and buy in pretty much any store. Avoid bright colors and go for plain metal options that can be worn with just about anything.

The most important thing is to not overthink it! And if all else fails, a gift card for their favorite store will work just fine.

 

Puppies are brilliant bundles of fun. They are full of energy, and they are joyous to have around, so are you ready to have your home and life turned upside down with a furry bundle of joy. As most people know, puppies can be slobbery, chewy, and a bit naughty eating those things they shouldn’t and having little accidents here and there, but apart from this, what else do you know about puppies, and what else should you consider when getting a puppy?

Costs and Time

Puppies of any age require an investment of both time and money. You will have to buy a lot of things to get started with a puppy, such as a new bed, food, bowls, leads, a collar, and puppy training pads, and as you can see, costs can soon mount up. As well as the physical costs of getting started you need to be aware of how much time a puppy will take up. Puppies will need housetraining to ensure that they do not wee or poo in your home. Toilet training your puppy can take hours each day, and the whole process can last several weeks (sometimes months). Do you have this time to commit to a puppy? Not getting toilet training sorted when they are young can cause other behavioral problems as they get older, so time invested early on is well spent.

Health and Care

More costs come in the form of vet bills which can be both one-offs for things such as vaccinations and boosters, and they can also be long-term if your puppy develops an illness or suffers an accident. At easyvet, you will be able to establish roughly how much vet bills cost, and this is good as it is always advantageous to know roughly how much a puppy will cost you over their lifetime as they grow into an adult dog. In addition to vet care, your puppy may also need behavioral classes and training to help them transition from becoming a boisterous puppy into a well-behaved adult. If training is not undertaken with puppies and followed through, then you may find yourself with a bored and subsequently destructive dog on your hands.

Breed, Size, Temperament

Puppies come in all breeds and sizes, but what breed would you like to own. Small puppies do not always turn out to be small dogs, so think about how much space you have to offer within your home. Puppy’s temperaments can often be high octane up until they are around one year old, and after this, they tend to settle down. Certain breeds are known to be more wired than others; for example, a Jack Russell or Yorkshire terrier may be small, but don’t be fooled as they are feisty breeds, and they like to be on the lookout all the time, which could make them barky or yappy, this may suit you fine – but, what about your neighbors? If you are after a bigger dog, then Labradors and retriever puppies are adorable, and they can be lovely family dogs, but they need stimulation and work to ensure that they do not become bored.

There are certain phases of life that cause a huge shift in the way you are used to living. From leaving home to starting a family, these changes take some getting used to, and retirement is no different.

It’s a time of mixed emotions for many – happy at the new-found freedom, worried about what the future holds, fear that you’re not useful anymore after leaving your job.

Sometimes the best way to deal with things concerning you is to tackle them head-on, so if you’re approaching retirement age or if you recently retired, here are five things you should give some thought to.

Your Finances

It’s a good idea to get your finances in order when you retire as you don’t want to overspend, but at the same time, you don’t want to live a very frugal life if you have the funds to be a bit more frivolous.

Get an idea of roughly how much you will have to come in from pensions, investments, and any other income.

Calculate what your current outgoings are and see if you can continue like this or if you will need to tighten your belt.

With this information, you can create a rough budget to make sure you live within your means.

If you think you might struggle and you can free up funds from elsewhere, such as downsizing your home, it might be something worth considering.

Care Options

You might feel fit as a fiddle right now, but it’s worth considering what help you might need in the future.

You might have considered independent living vs assisted living and wondered what the difference is. In a nutshell, when you start feeling you need a little extra help, assisted living is often the answer as you get to keep your independence but with the bonus of help being available at all times.

The final option is a care home that is suited to people who need round-the-clock care, possibly because medical conditions mean they cannot take care of themselves.

Staying Well

It’s important to stay active and to carry out some low-impact exercise to get your heart rate up too.

Swimming, Pilates, dancing, and yoga are good options but seek medical advice before embarking on any kind of new exercise regime.

You should also make sure you’re getting a healthy balanced diet. A variety of fruits and vegetables, proteins such as fish, eggs, and beans, wholegrain foods, and dairy products are a good mix.

Keeping Busy

Finishing work doesn’t have to mean you have to sit around getting bored. Stay busy by picking up a few hobbies, volunteering, and taking time to travel to new places.

Family and Friends

Without the routine of seeing people at work, it can be easy for seniors to become lonely and isolated so staying in touch with friends and family is vital.

You can have the grandchildren over to stay or spend time visiting people.

It doesn’t always have to be seeing people in person; a phone call or even video call can really help to lift spirits.

So if you have some concerns about your retirement, simply make plans, take good care of yourself, and have as much fun as possible. You can’t go back, but you can make sure you get everything possible from life now and in the future.

You have most likely heard the saying “you only have one life” – especially in regard to thinking about whether you should take a leap into something new or take a significant risk. Plenty of things in relation to this will probably pop straight into your head, and one of the classics is, and probably will always be, considering living somewhere new.

It is not always sunshine and roses when we move somewhere new, and it is good to be realistic about both the positive benefits and more of the difficult factors which might come into play. That being said, this piece is here to talk about why you should just go ahead and do it anyway!

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

Nothing says snug like staying in your comfort zone indefinitely. It feels cozy and familiar, but it is also something you know extremely well.

We grow and learn from the challenges we face and experiences we go through, so what better way to give yourself a challenge and a new experience than to up and move to somewhere brand new? If you have already been thinking about moving somewhere new and just need a sign, you can consider this your green light! Just be sure to plan properly and get everything in order, such as booking a long distance moving company. Nobody said you can’t take some of your comfort zone with you!

Encourage Independence

One of the fastest ways to become independent is to put yourself in a situation where you have no choice but to do things for yourself. This does not mean that you will not ask the help of strangers or pool resources when you need to! But it is about learning to navigate the world on your own terms without necessarily having the close-by support or local options we could fall back on. Depending on how big of a change you are making will determine how much your change will encourage independence.

Learn a New Language

One of the best ways to learn a new language is to move right into the heart of the country of which language you are learning! Immersing yourself in the language and the culture can give you access to nuances in communication and culture that you would not get from a learning app or classroom. It gives you the chance to throw yourself in at the deep end to be able to connect.

Appreciate What You Have

This might sound like a strange point – If you appreciate what you have, why would you go anywhere else? Sometimes we do not really understand the full extent of our fortune until we have walked in someone else’s shoes, which can really help you understand a part of your life that perhaps has been taken for granted. And, if you end up moving back from moving away, it can give you a fresh perspective on what you love about it, with broadened horizons from living somewhere else – it is all part of the adventure!

 

College is an amazing time. You’re surrounded by friends and like-minded people on a daily basis. It’s an opportunity to strike out on your own after years of living at home with your family, and it’s a great time to develop your own sense of self. You spend your days studying with friends, drinking coffee, reading, and listening to music, and your nights are spent dancing, drinking, and having fun.

Life after college can feel like a big adjustment, and it’s another big step. If you’re worried about life after you graduate, here is a guide to help you get settled into the world of work.

Finding a Job

Finding a job straight out of college is hard. Nearly everybody graduates at the same time, and the job market gets saturated with college grads every year, with everyone vying for similar positions.

A lot of people end up having to do unpaid or low-paying internships to get their foot in the door of a career or a company they like the look of. It’s not for everyone—many people simply aren’t in a financial position to work for free.

If you’re struggling to find work and get paid, consider taking a part-time volunteer role or internship and working in a bar or coffee shop to support yourself. It’s hard work, but hopefully will be a temporary solution to get you the experience you need to get hired elsewhere.

Keep in Touch

Post-graduation life can be a shock to the system in terms of your social life. If you moved away for college, the majority of your friends might be dotted around the country. It’s hard to go from seeing your friends every day to being hundreds of miles away, but make the effort to keep in touch.

Schedule regular phone calls and video chats with friends, and plan road trips—you can always meet halfway.

Be an Active Alumnus

If you’re missing campus life, consider getting involved with your former college’s alumni scheme. Universities love hearing from former students.

Why not organize a fundraising drive to help your alma mater raise money? There are many types of effective college fundraiser, and schools always need the extra cash.

Once you’ve found a job, you could also consider becoming a mentor for current students. Get in touch with your favorite professor to see if anyone has questions you could answer about your new line of work.

Don’t Get Burned Out

The world of work can be hard, and post-college burnout is real. If you’re trying to maintain an active social life, find a job, go on dates, see family members, and pay your rent on time, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.

Make an effort to take care of yourself as often as you can. Eat healthy foods, get enough exercise, and aim for eight hours of sleep every night. Stress can easily overwhelm even the most level-headed people, so don’t be too hard on yourself.

The important thing to remember after you graduate is that everyone’s going at their own pace. Some of your friends will find well-paying jobs straight out of college, move into a gorgeous apartment, and get married. Others will take years before they get to that stage, if they ever do. Set yourself achievable goals and work hard, but don’t beat yourself up if things aren’t panning out well as quickly as you’d hoped; life isn’t a race.

 

It might be really exciting for you when you bring a new pet home, but for them, the process can be really scary.

From the car journey to the cat basket to exploring their new surroundings, your new pet has a lot of stress in its first few days. It’s important as responsible pet owners that we do everything we can to minimize the amount of stress put on them during the adjustment period.

If you’re new to owning a pet and have decided to welcome a cat into your family, this guide should help you to navigate the first few days.

Take time off work

Taking time off work is often something people do when adopting dogs, but it can be just as helpful for cats. Being at home while they explore will help put them at ease as they familiarize themselves with their new family and home.

It’s often assumed that as cats are more independent, they don’t need supervision. But providing this support and comfort during their transition phase will help them recognize who you are and reassure them that they’re safe. Leaving them in a new surrounding alone for long periods – especially if they are a rescue animal – may leave them feeling neglected once again.

Create a safe space

During the first 24 hours, don’t be too concerned if your new family member hides away for most of the day. They’ll quickly find a safe space and stay put until they are more comfortable and ready to explore.

To make the move less intimidating, it is important to provide your kitty with a smaller, quiet, safe space before introducing them to the full house. For example, you might want to close the doors to one room, so they are safe to explore. It’s also worth mentioning that if you have other pets or small children, you should allow the cat to settle in more comfortably before introducing them.

Help them navigate

This is particularly important if you are bringing a kitten home. Whether they are newly litter trained or need a few more lessons, you should be available to navigate them to the right places.

If you leave your new pet unsupervised, they can often cause mischief while distressed. This could be anything from tearing something apart to scratching the sofa or going to the toilet in the corner of the room.

By taking time off work, you can redirect your cat to where the litter tray is, their food bowl, and where they can use a scratching post.

Keep supplies close

Once they’re ready to explore, wait for them to create contact with you rather than the other way round. It can be easy to assume that once they’ve come out of their hiding space, they’re ready to snuggle or play. But bombarding them with toys could be three steps back in progress.

That said, a bag of tasty treats could help them feel more relaxed around you and even lead to a little cuddling.

Make sure you’re equipped with all the supplies you might need over the first few days. You can get everything from litter trays to treats, food, and supplements at exceptionalpets.com.

Taking things slowly and working at a pace that suits the cat will ease the transition period. Within a few days, your new pet will be snuggling, playing, and exploring.

 

It can be extremely frustrating when something you rely on every day suddenly stops working and even more so when you don’t immediately know how to remedy the situation. This is one of the reasons why you should always know the number of a good repair service. However, with so many different devices, machines and tools being vital to your day-to-day life, it can be difficult to know what kind of emergency repair services you should be memorizing. To help with this problem, this guide explains exactly why these three repair services should be in your contacts.

1. Car Repair

There are very few people in the modern world who can afford to get by without any kind of transport, and if you have your own car, then the chances are you are going to be pretty dependent on it in your everyday life. That dependence is exactly why it is so disruptive when you do run into car troubles. Suddenly, you are going to be dependent on either public transport, private hire vehicles or a rental car to get around, none of which are going to be cheap.

This is one of the reasons why a good car repair service is so beneficial, especially if your car was put out of commission by some kind of accident. Services such as San Diego Auto Body and Paint should definitely be saved into your phone’s contacts, for just such occasions. Having a service on hand that can bring your car back from the brink of destruction is incredibly useful and could save you quite a bit if you don’t have to buy a new car.

2. Computer Repair

With the exception of your phone, there are likely very few things you use more than your laptop or desktop. Being such incredibly versatile devices, there are any number of things you rely on your computer for, from entertainment to work. This makes it especially devastating when your device suddenly stops working. In these situations, time is often of the essence to ensure that, at the very least, the data on your computer can be salvaged, which is why having the number of a service like Geeks on Site to hand is incredibly beneficial. Having easy and quick access to this service means you won’t have to try and find one on your phone, while your spilled drink is seeping deeper into your precious electronics.

3. Boiler Repair

The last, but certainly not least, annoying issue on this list is your boiler. Having a functional boiler is incredibly important, especially if you are a fan of nice hot showers. Having an unexpected issue with your boiler can be especially irksome as it will inevitably only be noticed when you are trying to use the hot water that you no longer have. In these situations, it is supremely useful to have a number saved on your phone that you can simply call and arrange to have a professional from a company such as Service Experts come to deal with your boiler problem.

You may still have to boil your bath water with a kettle or on the stove until the technician arrives, but the process will be quicker and less painful than if you hadn’t of saved the contact.

Although you might not believe that it is not possible to be in a good mood every day, if you are constantly waking up on the wrong side of bed, there are many steps that you can take to boost your mood and to ensure that you can feel good about yourself every single day. Here is a list of some of the best steps that you should take when life is getting you down.

Wear Fragrance

Although you might think that spraying a little fragrance on yourself will not make any difference to your overall wellbeing, there is evidence to suggest that both men and women could benefit from wearing scent. Not only can it boost your mood, but it can also increase your self-esteem and remind you of happy memories. This is because scents can release endorphins in your body. Therefore, if you want to boost your mood every day of the year, scentmagic.com offers a range of subscription boxes that can cater to any taste.

Start Your Day with Exercise

If you take one step to boost your mood before the day has even begun, it should be making exercise part of your morning routine. Starting your day with a little exercise can get your heart pumping and can help you to feel more energized as the day wears on, even if you have slept badly or if you have a lot on your mind. Why not try doing a couple of press-ups or sit-ups before you get ready for work?

Take Time to Unwind

On the other hand, it is also important that you take time to unwind and to do an activity that you enjoy every day, even if this is just for a few moments. Instead of feeling guilty about playing video games or watching television after work, you should make these activities part of your schedule as a way to relax and to prepare your mind for the next day.

Socialize With and Help Others

Although you might feel too weary to speak to anyone when you are down, socializing and helping others can immediately boost your mood. Although socializing is hard at the moment, you should stay in constant communication with your friends and family, making sure that you check in with a loved one as often as possible, even if this is just to share a funny meme or to ask how they are.

Wear Comfortable Clothes

It can be impossible to feel good about yourself if you are wearing clothes that you are uncomfortable in. You should consider swapping tight, ill-fitting clothes for loose, tailored items that can allow you to love your appearance and present your best self to the world. Not only this, but wearing colorful clothing has also been shown to boost people’s mood, while women might also consider wearing make-up when they feel under the weather. Both of these actions have been proven to boost people’s mood when they are feeling a little lower than usual.

As our eyes grow more open to conservation and preservation methods, we look for ways to embrace sustainability. We want everything sustaining life right now to continue doing so for future generations. One of the many strides we’re taking is gradually transitioning to eco-friendly means of consumption.

The word “consumption” sounds like it goes against the principles of sustainability—conservation and preservation of our resources. But in this article, we’re going to discuss how we can consume the most important sources of our lives—food.

It’s a human need to consume them but consuming them in a way that leaves nothing for the future isn’t the right way of doing it.

To gradually ease you into eco-friendly food consumption, here are five easy ways you can start doing:

1. Get your produce from local farmers markets

If you have a local farmers’ market near you, you better start looking at their produce. Why? They’re fresher than retail ones and contain more nutrients. Another plus is that they don’t go through chemical processes that retail produce do to get them ready for transport and storage.

By buying from farmers’ markets, you don’t only support your community’s producers, but you also introduce yourself to better quality produce.

2. Eat more greens

Going by the principles of eco-friendliness, chemical emissions are prime enemies. Did you know that meat production and subsequent consumption contribute to the United States’s 42 percent greenhouse gas production?

A key to helping reduce emissions is to consume more plants. They require fewer resources and emit less harmful chemicals. If you’re looking for an alternative for meat’s protein load, consider consuming more beans, soy, and nuts. They offer high levels of protein, are plant-based, and cheaper.

3. Base your diet on your location

Think about it really hard—if you opt for food that isn’t accessible to you, you’d have to rely on imports. Imported food require transportation to get to you. The problem lies in transportation being a notorious fossil fuel producer. You also risk your health by purchasing from unknown sources.

To help yourself and the environment, curate a diet that can be supplemented by what’s locally available. Research your location’s top food commodities and use that to create a meal plan that won’t require you to source your ingredients from long-distance imports.

4. Opt for reusable and minimal food consumption items

This tip applies to food packaging, spoons, forks, straws, cups, and other necessities you’ll need to consume food properly. These materials are known for being one of the most popular pollutants. They’re typically made of plastic, Styrofoam, and other materials that take a long time to decompose.

A way to avoid wasteful packaging and food consumption materials is to bring your own reusable container, use reusable spoons, forks, straws, or if you’re not a fan of reusing, you can use paper straws that are made out of paper and safe liquid glue.

5. Make your food last longer

If you’re someone who likes preparing food in big batches, you’re either wasting or preserving food. Fermenting, dehydrating, and freezing are ways to keep food for a long time.

Seasonal food can also be preserved through those methods. How you prepare, eat, and store the food should be geared towards long-term storage if you’re thinking of reducing waste. If you’re left with no choice but to dispose of, compost.

As more people innovate ways to reduce wasteful consumption, we’re becoming more open to preserving what we have for the future. It may not be the easiest thing when we’re so used to consuming as much as we like, but now that we’re more aware than ever, little steps count.