Incredible Ideas You'll Love For Your Next Party

Throwing a party is a great way to celebrate some good news or a birthday. Sure, they can be hard work, and they may even cost a little, but a party can bring all your favourite people together. There are plenty of great party ideas that can help you throw the most memorable and fun event you’ve ever been to. Best of all, they’re not going to eat up all your budget or time to do.

To start, you need to decide if you’re going to use an event planner. Professionals that plan and manage parties for a living really know what they’re talking about. They have the industry contacts to get you the best catering and entertainment. When you choose to hire one, try to attend one of their events first so you can get a feel for how slick their organisation is. You want a party to feel organic and natural. An effortless feeling proves they’ve done their job well.

Next on your party list is the food. You might be more concerned with the drinks list, but providing some snacks, a buffet, or even a three-course meal can help keep the guests happy. A caterer is the easiest option, but you can still find plenty of great party food in good grocery stores. Pick a few favourite recipes and lay out a spread that your guests will love. As for the drinks, pick a punch or a few cocktails that you can do well. Don’t forget the extra glasses and plates.

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Taking Care Of The Kids As You Navigate A Divorce

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If your marriage breaks down it can be extremely painful, a huge knock to your confidence and emotionally draining. When children are involved, it is even harder. Moving them out of their family home or explaining that mom and dad won’t be living together anymore affects children in many different ways. Often people say if you know you are heading for divorce, do it before your children reach 3/4 or wait until they are in their teens. No matter when you choose to divorce, it will always be a sensitive matter for your children. Let’s take a look at how to take care of the kids as you navigate through a divorce.

3 Ways to Keep Your Marriage Vows

with ze Batman 😜

A photo posted by thelettersinnovember (@zenskulasa) on May 14, 2016 at 11:32pm PDT

Oh yeah, the hubby swears he LOVES me and that I am his PRECIOUS! (pronounced scarily LOL). He went on his knees begging for forgiveness weeks ago LOL. Yep, we have our share of drama-rama every now and then. Yet, we remain married because....

WE FORGIVE EACH OTHER

I can not claim to be a hundred percent goody goody wife! I have my shortcomings and he has his flaws. Yet, we look beyond those imperfections and choose to say okay, I FORGIVE YOU. 

Finding The Perfect Family Home

When your family starts to grow, there are a few decisions that you’ll need to make. You will need to decide whether to rent a place or make the big leap and buy. You’ll have to think about whether you want to live in the city or the suburbs. And you’ll have to choose a type of accommodation. On this post we’ll look at each of these decisions in turn and help you determine which ones are right for you.

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Renting Or Buy

The Secrets Of A High-Produce Vegetable Garden

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If you are redesigning your garden space into a place to grow vegetables, there are a few things you need to know. Unfortunately, to grow vegetables in your garden isn't easy as there are many variables. To succeed, you need patience, hard work, and an element of luck. To make sure that you have the best chance of succeeding, you also need a few professional secrets to avoid the pitfalls. These tips can be the difference between success and failure. So, study them carefully before you go ahead with your grand plans.

Cooking With My Junior Chefs

R is watching me us I type now. He describes the photo above as their "epic fail" fish recipe. It was a success as a sandwich though! I never thought milkfish would be tasty in between breads! :)

Home Sweet Home: Holiday Happiness and Clean Up Drive

Christmas Day! I woke up late and barely ate breakfast because I still felt so full from eating at midnight and so I got in the  mood for burning some calories and began tidying up our room. I started with our soiled bedding from sleeping with the kiddos the previous nights and eating while watching.  Next I finally was in the mood to fix our closets. I realized once more what a hoarder I am! I still have my short pants with lotsa holes and loose garters! They are now officially condemned and will be used as rugs.

3 Reasons To Watch "GOOSEBUMBPS" of Sony Pictures Entertainment

Theatrical Release Poster

Last Sunday was a "mandatory" movie date with my boys LOL. As teen-age peeps they are still hooked to watching the latest on widescreen. We live in the woods so they literally get all that nature has to offer every waking morning so on weekends, I feel guilty not allowing them to enjoy what modern life has to offer so off we went to the mall and agreed to all view Goosebumps. When I first had a glimpse of the official movie poster I quipped "ah, might just be another boring, trashy flick" but then my older son said it stars "Jack Black" and I was like "Oh, let's view it!" So here goes my recommendation....

The Homeowners Guide to Greener Living

As a homeowner, it’s easy to come up with ways that will let you embrace a greener way of life. Have a look at the following ideas, and see if you can use them to your advantage. These are an excellent way to achieve an eco-friendly way of life at home.

Recycle

The simplest place to start with greener living at home is to start recycling. You can do this easily, and with minimal effort. You need to set up a recycle bin in the kitchen, and outside the front of the home for collection. Then you should start encouraging the family to recycle as well. This is an excellent way to help care for the planet, and it’s minimal effort on your part.

Vegetable Garden

Your garden provides you with ample opportunities to embrace greener living. And one of the best things you can do in that respect is making your own vegetable garden. By having your own miniature allotment, you can grow your own fruit and veg. This saves money on having to buy things and also allows you to enjoy fresh produce.

Solar Energy

One of the best ways you can go green as a homeowner is to get solar panels installed. These solar PV systems are becoming more commonplace these days. You will have to spend to get them installed, but you should consider this an investment. Solar panels use the energy from the sun to help power your home. So you save money on your energy bills, and you help care for the environment. There are also financial incentives in place to encourage people to use solar energy. So try to take advantage of these as well.

Double Glazing

If you don’t have double glazing at home, you need to make sure you get it as soon as possible. Think about how cold and damp your home will get in the winter without it. Double glazing is amazing for several reasons. It adds extra security to the home, as well as making it look incredible. And, of course, it makes the place much more energy-efficient. The double glazing traps warm air inside and keeps cold air out. It’s an energy-efficient way of heating the home and cutting down on bills.

Change the Lights

Another fantastic idea would be to go around the home and change all the light bulbs. Get rid of the ones you already have. Instead, replaced them with eco-friendly LED alternatives. These light bulbs last much longer than regular bulbs. So you’ll save plenty of money in the long run, and you won’t need to change the bulbs as often. It’s little changes like this that can help make all the difference when it comes to greener living.

These days many of us are preoccupied with the concept of greener living, and it’s easy to see why. It’s important to look after the environment as much as possible. We need to protect Mother Earth, and we can do plenty at home to achieve this. Follow this post for some eco-friendly ideas that will help you get the best out of your home.  

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Get a Load of My Awesome Home Improvements

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As someone who owns your own property, you have carte blanche to do whatever you want. And you need to make the most of this. There are so many things you can do both in and around the home that will enhance it. It’s important that you’re proud of where you live, and that it looks as wonderful as possible.

But, as my partner and I found, it’s also helpful to think about the future. Presumably at some point you’re going to want to sell your home. So you need to think about doing changes that will make the property more appealing to buyers. And at the same time you’ve got to do things that will add value to the home.  Check out my awesome home improvements and try to use them where you can.

Awesome Tech You Can Buy To Improve Your Home

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Would you agree that most people have a slight phobia of technology? As a species, in general, we don’t tend to like change. Even when we do buy new tech, we want it to be as similar to the old devices as possible. That would certainly explain why Apple is so popular with the meagre updates released every year. But, the fact is that technology is improving every aspect of our lives, from in the office to how we socialise. So why not introduce some new tech into your home and see how it can change the way you live. If you are wondering what kind of tech, then here are just a few ideas.

Don't Forget To Prepare Your Home For Winter

It might be the summer right now, but in just a few short weeks winter will be upon us - a depressing thought, I know. If you own your own home, it’s crucial that before the winter sets in you ensure that your home is properly prepared.

The winter might seem a while off, but trust me, the cold weather will be here before we know it. Don’t make the mistake of leaving it until you see the first frost on the ground to prepare your home for winter, the sooner you prepare, the better.

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To help you with this, I thought that I would share my top winter preparation tips with you, below:

Things You Didn't Realise a Family Lawyer Could Help With

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No one really thinks about getting a lawyer until something bad happens. Like, a divorce or crime. However, there are so many more things an attorney can help you with. Especially those who specialise in family law. As some of you may know, I’ve recently made the decision to stop with law school for the time being. However, it made me think about all the times understanding the legal world could come in handy. Here are some things you didn’t realise a family lawyer could help with.

Want To Add A Little Sparkle To Your Home? Read This!

When it comes to our homes, we all want them to be as beautiful as possible. We spend hours obsessing over our decor choices every time that we choose to redecorate. We spend days browsing ideas sites online, to ensure that we have the best ideas for our home.

Everyone wants their home to look amazing and stand out from the crowd, but many of us struggle to achieve that. It can be difficult coming up with ideas to make your home’s interior stand out from that of everyone else's, but believe or not, it is doable.

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Weekend "Home-adventure"...

RAIN, OH RAIN

It's been a rainy week. For two days the boys and I just stayed home. I'm glad I did. I wish I could stay AT HOME more often. The pitter-patter sound of rain is a natural tranquilizer matched with the cool breeze and the kiddos' giggles.

Let's Get Your Home Looking The Way You Want

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If you are thinking about redecorating your home, the best way is to think about the functions of each room in your house. For instance a vestibule is the first place a guest well see, so it is important that it is clean and tidy, free from clutter. You may also want to think about having a coat peg or shoe rack to keep it neat. But you can do this for any room in your house and then buy the furniture to match.

Top Tasks For Spring Cleaning

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As the seasons change, it's time to do some spring cleaning and give your home a refreshing new look after the winter. During the colder weather, we have our doors and windows closed more often, turn the heating up, and perhaps get a little lax on regular cleaning around the house. Plus, the wintery weather can result in a less than pristine house exterior, and it can even drive pests inside. There are lots of jobs that you only need to do once or twice a year, and the beginning of spring is the perfect time to do them. Start preparing for brighter weather by doing these essential cleaning and maintenance tasks.

Silly Things To Do For Fun With Your Family This Month

When you are trying to plan things to do for the whole family, it can be a challenge. Trying to find something to suit all ages if just one of the obstacles you’ll have to overcome. You will also have to make sure everyone is around to enjoy it together. Then there is the budget. Most family days out wind up costing way more than you want it to. To commit to having a family day once a month, you may have to opt for cheap, cheerful and home-made.

Assuming you have all committed to the same date and time each month, and you are all keen to participate, we have three fun family activities to try:

1. Silly dress up and role play - This one is great for kids of any age. The costumes you choose don’t have to belong to a set or match. Grab anything you can. Pick something historical to tie in with school work, or something seasonal. Try some ladies wigs to get a sixties beehive or an eighties punk rocker. Keep the rules simple. All of you can get into character, and the grown ups can talk about what life was like. If you’re not sure about a particular historical period, do some research as a family online to boost those skills for the kids. See if you can find some themed recipes for one of your meals, and see if you can find an indoor activity for you all to try out that is relevant. The role play is great for creative minds, and for thinking carefully about a particular character.
2. Silly crafting and art - Grab some supplies from your local hobby store. Set yourselves a challenge to build something and decorate it. Work as a team, each building a different part or work in competition with some more free-spirited designs. Try to tie it in with school work. Perhaps build a British Navy ship and a Pirate ship to have a battle on the high seas of the bath tub. Try to build a hanging charm to decorate the spare room. Each member of the family can create one charm, and then work together to string it up as one complete set.
3. Silly Movie making - There are some great apps for kids to master video making skills. Start with writing a script and each of you can take an acting role and be the camera operator for one scene.

Family selfie from Flickr.com

Again, try to link the storyline into something being studied at school. Maybe something about the Romans or Native Americans. Once you have all your footage, edit it in an app or directly into YouTube. Upload it and watch it on the big screen. Once it is on YouTube, you can invite Grandparents to watch too. Maybe they will be the stars of the next Family Premier! This activity promotes creative writing skills as well as visual arts in several ways. Learning how to communicate using video is a very useful skill for school too.

Low Maintenance Pets For All The Family

A family pet can be a really good idea, as long as you make sure you look into things properly. If you have children then you are likely to get to the stage where they start to ask you if they can have a pet. This can be really fun and exciting, but make sure you think things through first!

Children are likely to lose interest within a few months which means that you'll be left with lots of the jobs involved with caring for your pet. One of the best ways to avoid this being a problem is to choose a pet that is low maintenance.

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Three Clear Signs You Need Alarm Monitoring

Many people tend to think that they only need alarm monitoring when they live in an area filled with crime. If you do not use monitoring with an alarm system or a home security system, you aren't using that system to its fullest. While those systems can alert police and fire departments, the systems only work when you're standing there and can talk to a representative. With home alarm monitoring, the company alerts help immediately after noticing a problem. If you aren't sure if monitoring is a good choice, check out some simple reasons why you might need this option.