Creative Christian Mama

God bless all Mothers

Miriam Dunning

Finding a Vet

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If you have a pet, or you’re considering getting one, then it’s important that you find a vet. As a responsible and compassionate owner, it’s important for you to know where to get the care your pet needs when it needs it and to build a relationship with a trained expert who will get to know your pet over time and learn what the baseline for normal is, and spot when something changes.

It’s also your legal responsibility! As part of the provisions of the UK’s Animal Welfare Act (2006), pet owners have a legal responsibility to protect their pets from pain, suffering, injury and disease. The best way you can do that is to register your pet at a vet as soon as possible so you know where to go for help if you suspect your pet is suffering. The regularity of check ups isn’t mandated by law, but if you want to know where you have to register your pet at the vet, uk pet owners have to.

The Right Vet

Finding a vet can be a bigger challenge than simply going to the nearest one. You need a vet you can trust, that can treat the animal you’ve chosen for a pet, and that meets the right price point for you – some vets practices can cost more, and registering won’t do you much good if you can’t afford the treatment.

The first step to finding a vet is to see what’s in your area: don’t default to the nearest one. Check for online reviews, and most important ask around amongst your pet owning friends. A personal recommendation can make all the difference in helping you feel like you’re choosing a vet who’ll understand your pet and its needs.

Exotic Pets

If you have a less than usual pet, whether it’s a snake, a tropical fish or a parrot, you might need to look further afield for a vet that can do everything you need.

Many vets are qualified to practice only on the common animals in their area. It’s easier to find an equine vet in the countryside near lots of stables, for example. If you’ve got a pet that needs specialised care, there are lots of ways to find the right vet. You could look at professional bodies, for example, like the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, groups or clubs of owners or breeders like the UK Parrot Society or ask a local vet for a recommendation.

Style Your Whole Family in Vintage, Nostalgic & Retro Fashions!

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Teach your family and friends alike about the 20th-century heyday of pop culture.

Swinging 60s

Right from the explosion of the mini skirt to the ‘out there’ mod-inspired styles, the fabulous 1960s will always be one of the most impactful eras of fashion. Not only that, but the 60s are also the decade that consistently influences modern-day fashions and trends. They were arguably the most fashion-forward decade. Think Bewitched with less hairspray. Think The Brady Brunch with a more complementary color.

60s fashion was kaleidoscopic, colorful, tailored yet relaxed, and, essentially, a complete floaty free-for-all. The 60s are experiencing a tremendous revival, and dressing like this is even more fun this time around.

Sensational 70s

There was a lot more going on in the 1970s than just bell-bottoms and fitted shirts, although this was the ultimate classic look for the era. In 1970, Vogue announced, “There are no rules in the fashion game now!” The early part of the decade was still consumed with the Hippie look but, a few years later, a more casual, everyday style emerged. Women began entering the workforce; tailored blazers and midi skirts began sweeping the fashion houses. Men’s suits, however, took on a more European feel, with slimmer cuts, tighter waists, and a much straighter pant leg. Embrace your inner ‘70s star with flannel shirts, bright sweaters, light blue jeans, khaki chinos, leather jackets, and, of course, the obligatory oxford shoes.

The 1970s were known for their bold colors and even bolder patterns. Shirts got shorter, boots got taller, and anyone who was anyone sported a headscarf.

Epic 80s

The 1980s were all about cheap fabrics, gawdy fashion accessories, and clothing completely covered in sequins and diamonds. Fake, naturally. An era of striking style, colors, and silhouettes to match, the 80s were definitely one of the most eclectic decades in fashion we’ve ever seen. Fabulous.

Throughout the 80s, t-shirts were worn with absolutely everything, from jeans to suits. Usually crew-neck, nearly all designs featured some kind of slogan, logo, or bold placement print. Check out 8ball.co.uk for a huge selection of t-shirts representing and celebrating the fabulously gaudy 1980’s, including slogans from all the best 1980’s movies and tv shows.

Naughty 90s

Saving, in our opinion, the best till last, why not consider revamping your family’s closet and becoming bang on trend at the same glorious time? The 1990s were all about relaxed, sporty, and downright cool as chuff fashions, with the low-key style comfortable and easy to wear.

The most iconic fashion pieces of the 1990s were, in no particular order:

Pleated skirts (we own some), cargo pants, bike shorts (available everywhere right now), oversized blazers (just like the shorts), and the incredibly useful and surprisingly practical claw clips.

Go on, treat yourself and take your whole family on a journey through the fashion world of the 20th century. If it doesn’t suit you, well, at least you had a laugh and tried something new style-wise.

The Best Things To Do In Southern California

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Southern California

Sunny, rainy Southern California is renowned for its dramatic Pacific coast. San Diego, just north of the Mexican border, is renowned for its surf spots and Balboa Park’s world-renowned zoo and museums. 

The city of Coronado lies across the bay. Further up the coast is Los Angeles, home to Hollywood studios, the Getty Center, Griffith Park, and the high-end shopping district of Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.

Newport Beach

In Orange County, couples love visiting the beach. They can bask in the sun, swim, and surf. There are many places along the beach where they can do so.

View sea creatures in their natural habitat with the M/V Sea Life Discovery boat. After that, join whale watching tours to see the numerous species of whales.

Orange County is the region of Southern California directly south of L.A. County that is ideal for kicking back and soaking up the sun. Its beaches include more than 40 miles, epitomizing the Golden Coast’s surf, sand, and sun. 

Look out for the best in movers orange county if you plan to move here.

Big Bear

Located in the San Bernardino Mountains, the mountain resort town of Big Bear resembles Lake Tahoe in Northern California. It is a great place to go any time of year.

Snow Summit in the summer is a great place to hit the slopes at the Bear Mountain and snow summit in the winter. If you plan on bringing the little ones click here to deck them out in warm baby clothes.

Sledding is the cheapest winter activity in Big Bear. It complements both skiing and a mountain-side that transports fun to another region. also serves as an alternative for people who aren’t sure if “hitting the slopes” is for them.

When the weather warms up and the snow melts, take advantage of Big Bear Lake. The lake is seven miles long and offers plenty of space for swimming, fishing, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and even parasailing!

San Diego

There is nothing more beautiful than having the ocean right next to you in San Diego. The area emphasizes the city’s beach vibes with skyscrapers and sand right here, companies such as Ignitedigital.com loved it so much they called it home. 

There is a lot of fun to be had at Balboa Park, which includes the world-famous San Diego Zoo and more than 17 museums covering all different disciplines. Balboa is a lot of fun. It covers nearly 1,200 acres!

At Mission Beach, visitors can skate along the waterfront, visit one of the many restaurants, or ride the (recently restored) 1925 Giant Dipper Roller Coaster.

San Diego Zoo

There is no better way to spend time with your kids than visiting the San Diego Zoo. There are thousands of animal exhibits to explore as well as many activities, tours, and events geared toward families.

You can get your children involved in a fun program called Kinderzoo, where they can make arts and crafts, participate in story time, meet zookeepers, and make art with animals.

Looking for more ideas? Check out this article.

Tips For Remodelling Your Bathroom

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When it comes to renovating or modernizing the family home, it is likely that the biggest single projects that the homeowner will undertake will be within the kitchen and the bathroom.

A good bathroom design must not only be practical and functional, but it must also be in keeping with the tastes and styles of the homeowners to endow it with a sense of comfort and peace.

Here are a few tips to assist in crystallizing ideas for the perfect bathroom renovation.

Customizing your renovation project

Of all the rooms in the house, the bathroom is that singular room where each member of the household focuses on themselves. As such, the bathroom should not only be practical, but it should endow the user with a sense of privacy, serenity, and comfort.

Each person is unique, and a well-planned bathroom remodel should also underscore that sense of uniqueness. Consider engaging with a professional planner such as the Bathroom Specialists in Bedfordshire, Woodstone Bathrooms, to bring the project to fruition.

Consider the purpose of your remodel

Begin by considering the purpose and the scale of your intended remodeling project. Is the plan to gut and modernize the entire bathroom? In many cases, particularly with older homes, the plan is to remove all fixtures and fittings and undertake a complete facelift of the bathroom.

In other cases, the intention may be to retain certain elements of the existing bathroom – the bath or existing floor and wall tiling, for example – and install or blend new fixtures into the existing décor.

Perhaps the bathroom is too small and needs to be expanded to accommodate the needs of a growing family.

Considering the purpose of the project will give both the homeowner and designer a clearer idea of what is required.

The bathroom floor plan

Dependent on the scale and extent of the remodeling project, the plan and layout of the bathroom may perhaps vary from that of the original bathroom design.

A good professional will assist in the best layout, taking into consideration the location and the serviceability of existing plumbing and wiring.

As a general rule, it is advisable to keep new plumbing fixtures and upgrades as close as possible to the existing plumbing if intending to keep costs of demolition and renovation to a minimum. However, the world is your oyster with remodeling, and with the upgrade giving the bathroom an extended lease of life (not to mention increased property value), the homeowner may consider a more radical re-fit to be worthwhile.

Creating a sense of space

Many older-style bathrooms are typically small and cramped affairs and may benefit from some simple renovations to give the room a more airy sense of space.

Changing the room décor to lighter colors is an obvious first step. This can be further reinforced by switching to a clear glass shower door rather than a shower curtain which blocks light and gives the visual impression of a solid barrier.

Switching to pedestal sinks cuts down significantly on space and gives the impression of a more spacious room.

Using a well-positioned large mirror can add a finishing touch to add a further sense of space.

Summary

The bathroom renovation is typically one of the biggest single-room projects the homeowner will undertake.

Following a few early steps and then engaging a professional bathroom specialist will ensure a rejuvenated bathroom that will not only satisfy comfort and luxury but add significant value to any home.

4 Ways To Create An Eco-Friendly Backyard

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The environment and taking care of it, are hugely important, and it’s something we should all think about more in our everyday lives. Many people are doing a great job in being more eco-friendly and using sustainable products, but if you’re wondering what else you could do, perhaps it’s time to consider your backyard.

When we think of being more environmentally friendly, it’s our homes’ insides, or maybe the transport we use, that comes to mind. However, there are also a number of ways we can make our backyards more eco-friendly; here are some ideas so you can implement the changes as soon as possible.

Eco-Friendly Fencing

One of the best ways to incorporate sustainable products into your yard is by installing eco-friendly fencing. First, the fact that this kind of fencing is made up of composite recycled and sustainable materials means that it’s already better for the planet than standard fencing. Yet there are more great reasons to use this kind of fencing too.

One of these reasons is that eco-friendly fencing will last longer than standard fencing. It’s stronger and more durable, and that means fewer repairs and a longer life for the fence; you’ll have to replace it much less. This is great for the environment as there is less waste.

Conserve Water

Conserving water is an essential part of being eco-friendly, and your backyard is a great place to ensure it happens. Look for every downpipe you have and install a water butt at the bottom of it. In this way, you are collecting any rainwater, which can then be used to water the yard rather than using water from your hose.

With the right setup (which you may need an expert to help you with), you can even use this collected rainwater within your home to flush your toilets. However, if you choose to use this water in your shower, it will need to be treated first.

Don’t Use Chemicals

When you use chemicals in your yard to combat pests or to help your plants grow better, those chemicals will leach into the soil and water systems, and cause problems for the environment. This is why they should be avoided as much as possible.

Instead of using chemicals, there are many natural ways to remove pests from your yard and to encourage better plant growth. You can try ‘companion planting’, for example. When you plant certain species of flowers or vegetables close to one another, they can ward off the pests that would normally plague their partners. Another option is to erect bird boxes in your yard; this will help to keep your slug or caterpillar problem down since you’ll have more birds around.

Encourage Wildlife

We’ve already mentioned how to encourage more birds into your yard is a good idea, but encouraging other forms of wildlife is also eco-friendly. The more wildlife you have in your yard, the more eco-friendly it will be.

Bees are especially useful, and since they are becoming endangered, if you can make a safe space for them in your garden, that’s a positive thing. To do this, choose flowers that have large, ‘open’ faces and are brightly colored. You can even install a bee hotel.

How To Raise Active and Health Kids

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Physical activity participation decreases with a child’s age and grade in school. Physical activity is important for families. Here are some tips to keep your children active and healthy.

Getting the entire family moving

Researchers have found that lifestyles learned in childhood are more likely to stick with an individual into adulthood. If children take an interest in sports and other physical activities as a family, they will lay the foundations for good health.

Be an Active Role Model

Engage in physical activity as a way to take care of your body and health, instead of a chore. Find activities you enjoy and spend at least 30 minutes five days a week being active. 

Children will be more likely to copy their physical activity habits when they see you enjoying time being active. It’s also a great way to build a lasting bond with your kids. 

Include Physical Education

Healthy lifestyles require children to both be able to engage in free play and be properly instructed in specific physical skills. An easy way for children to achieve this is to participate in physical education as part of their regular schoolday, while attending school. 

Whenever there is time when children are at home due to school being out or an event like a snow day, block off a certain time each day for them to participate in physical activity. The most effective approach would be age appropriate and fun.

Organized Activities

Active play can be organized by either a parent or a child. There are games such as Simon Says, which are played indoors, and dozens of outside games such as hopscotch, jump rope, dodge ball, Frisbee golf, badminton, volleyball and the list goes on.  

Consider taking the kids to a bowling alley, a surfing school such as Aquasurf,com, basketball park or skating rink depending on the season.

Make Fitness Part of Your Child’s Day

If your children are old enough, they can walk or bike to school every day, and they will get the many physical and mental benefits of being active. Get them engaged with a hobby that involves fitness such as hiking. 

You can include fun new ideas such as using a disposable camera to take cool pics with. Don’t have a camera pick one up from Analogcc.com.

Make the most of not being at school by walking or biking with your kids when possible as well as organizing family walking or biking trips.

Playing tennis, bowling, or baseball can maintain physical activity at a time when going outside is possible. Active video games can also be used to promote physical activity on ‘physically-active’ television when the weather is bad out. 

Get Help With The Household Chores

Make active chores feel fun with upbeat music, so your children will be motivated to help out with the chores. Make sure they help by joining in with your chores as a family and offer some pocket money to really get them motivated. 

If your kids are old enough encourage them to get a casual job such as a vegan meal delivery rider, lawn mowing or paper delivery. 

5 Tips for Staying Healthy as a Busy Mum

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It can be difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle when you are a mum. In fact, even adults who do not have children often struggle. However, as mothers, the added worry of being responsible for young children while also trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle can seem almost impossible.

Staying healthy requires much more than simply going to the gym once or twice a week. It also requires huge amounts of dedication, strength, and hard work. While this may be true, there are lots of simple things you can do to make your lifestyle healthier. Here are some of our top tips to help you:

1. Eat Clean

Choosing to eat clean means eating foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. Try eating lean meats, fresh produce, natural sugars, and sugar-free alternatives and avoiding processed foods and artificial ingredients. There are lots of benefits of eating clean. Not only does it help to keep our immune systems healthy to fight off sickness or disease, but it also keeps our bodies functioning properly.

2. Stay Hydrated

Drinking water throughout the day will help you to avoid becoming dehydrated. Dehydration can affect your body in several ways. It can leave you feeling tired or worn out and it can also cause headaches. Drinking water is a simple way to stay healthy as a mum.

3. Take Vitamins and Supplements

While it is important to make sure you get enough nutrition from the food that you eat, vitamins and supplements are a good way to fill in any nutritional gaps you may have. There are lots of amazing supplements and vitamins for you to choose from, CBD gummies from sites like Herbal Health CBD and vitamin D capsules. There is no easier way to keep your body healthy than taking vitamins and supplements.

4. Involve the Whole Family

Another brilliant tip is to include the whole family in your lifestyle change. Do not try and do it on your own; include your partner, and your children too. Talk to your children about the importance of a healthy lifestyle, so that they understand why the changes are necessary, and lead by example. Children are much more likely to eat healthily and stay active if their parents are healthy and active.

Exercise does not have to mean getting up at 6 am to go to the gym before work. Instead, visit the playground with your children, or have a dance party at home. Make it easy on yourself and it is more likely that you will stick to your healthy mum goal and enjoy it too.

5. Prioritise Sleep

Sleep is more important than you would think. Sleep recharges and repairs your body both emotionally and mentally, helping you to reach your goal of being a healthy mum. Sleep also plays an important role in metabolism, immune function, memory, mood, learning, happiness, and long-term health.

It can be difficult to make taking care of yourself a priority when you have young children running around. There are always jobs to do, toys to be cleared away, sippy cups to fill up or children to be consoled. While it can be difficult to make healthy choices when life’s a little bit mad, it is extremely important to take care of yourself properly so that you can take care of your family too. There are lots of simple ways you can incorporate healthy habits into your routine, no matter how busy you may be. Why not try out some of the suggestions listed above?

Why Your Business Needs Outside Support

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You can’t do it alone. This is the first thing to understand about starting a business, running a business, and making it viable. You can try to do everything yourself, but for the very best results and to ensure that you are successful, you will eventually need some kind of help. Sometimes you’ll even need that help right from the start; it just depends on how much you already know and what needs to be done.

Once you acknowledge that help is the best thing you can ask for when it comes to your business, you’ll open up a whole new world of support that will take your business to the next level and give you the success you’ve been looking for. Read on to find out exactly why your business needs this outside support so that you can start looking for it right away.

You Can Focus on the Core Business Process

When you are running a business by yourself, you’ll have to work on every aspect of it, from accounting to marketing. This means that you can become distracted from the core business itself and become so tangled up in the admin and other important issues that you aren’t able to complete the work you need to do, thus alienating customers and even getting a bad reputation.

You can focus on what you’re good at and let others work on what they are good at. If you need to make pots or paint portraits or carry out plumbing work or teach someone to swim, that’s your core business. So hiring an expert for support with your IT or marketing or branding means you don’t have to worry about that, and you can concentrate on other things. It’s efficient, makes for a better business, and helps you get ahead of your competition.

Reduced Costs

Once you know that you can’t run a business productively and successfully all by yourself, you might start to consider hiring an employee, or a group of employees, to take on some of the work that you don’t want to do yourself. While this is a good idea – as we’ve seen this will free you up to do other things and is a much more efficient way to spend your time – it is also a costly one. Paying employees is expensive, and they will need to bring in at least what you are paying them to make the exercise worthwhile. Can you afford this large expense?

If not, you can look at outside support instead. Although you will still have to pay for expert consultants to help you, you won’t have to pay anywhere near as much as you would have if you had hired someone. The cost savings will be huge, and there are no tax implications or additional employee benefits to think of.

Managed Risk

When you outsource some of your business processes, you are effectively managing the risk that would come with hiring someone. Every time an employee leaves, the time, effort, and money you put into their training and their job goes with them, leaving you out of pocket, especially when you have to hire someone new.

When you outsource instead, you can build a good level of consistency within the business because the work will always be done by the same person (or at least the same company), plus the risk is much smaller. If you decide to part ways with the company you’ve chosen to outsource to, you won’t lose anything, unlike when an employee leaves.

Medical Conditions Caused By Bad Oral Health

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Our teeth can show much more about us than the quality of our oral hygiene routine, and it may surprise you to know that there are many health problems your dentist can diagnose. Our bodies are finely tuned; significant health problems can manifest in our mouths, and our oral health can have an impact on our overall health.

Below are some of the health problems caused by inadequate oral hygiene routines which may surprise you.

Heart Disease

It may surprise you to know that your dentist can help diagnose when you have heart disease, also known as cardiovascular disease. If you suffer from periodontal disease or another inflammation of the gums, the bacteria can enter your bloodstream and be taken around your body. When this happens, it can cause Atherosclerosis, which is where a plaque-like substance builds up on the arteries’ interior walls.

The substance build-up reduces blood flow and increasing the chances of a heart attack or stroke. You can also have the inner wall of your heart become inflamed through this condition. A Mudgeeraba dentist or one in your local area can help you diagnose this life-threatening condition. If you’re located elsewhere, you can search on Google for reputable dentists near your area.

Respiratory Infections

Research shows that people suffering from gum disease can contract respiratory infections such as pneumonia. When you have gum disease, you can continuously breathe in airborne particles of bacteria and take these into the lungs, which is how your infection can spread. The longer you leave the condition, the worse it can get, so you will want to ensure that you seek assistance from your dentist at the earliest signs of gum disease.

Dementia

Scientists have also researched the link between gingivitis and dementia, and studies have shown that if left untreated, it can help conditions such as Alzheimer’s forming. The bacteria can enter your bloodstream or be taken into the brain through the nerve channels. With the significant impact that Alzheimer’s can have on a person’s life, you must address conditions such as gingivitis immediately and seek assistance from your local dentist.

Diabetes

Your dentist can also help diagnose you with diabetes, as the first warning signs will often present in our oral health. When you suffer from inflamed gums or periodontal disease, you can find it much more difficult to control your blood sugar levels. For those who already have diabetes, suffering from periodontal disease can make it harder to control your diabetes, so you must adopt an excellent oral hygiene routine.

Harmful To Babies

When a woman is pregnant and carrying an unborn child, if she suffers from gingivitis conditions, this can affect the health of the unborn baby. The changing hormone levels can contribute to this condition from developing, and the use of contraception can also increase the chances of this due to the hormones used in it.

These are some of the more significant health conditions caused by inadequate oral hygiene or that can show themselves in our mouths, and there are plenty more besides these. For more information on this subject, there are plenty of useful information you can find online. If you are concerned about your oral health and the implications it can have, make an appointment with your local dentist today.

3 Creative Ways to Reuse Your Old Clothes

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Plenty of us has a heap of clothing sitting at the back of the closet that never sees the light of day. Often, these are items we’ve outgrown or simply fallen out of love with as the trends and seasons change over the years. However, those old clothes don’t need to sit there gathering mothballs for all eternity – with a little creativity, you can give them a new lease of life. Read on for some fun ideas to inspire you.

Turn favorite t-shirts into a comforting blanket

If you’ve collected t-shirts over the years from your favorite vacations, sports teams, or other past events, you probably have a whole pile of them in your collection. When you have so many, it can feel like you never get around to wearing them – or maybe you’ve simply fallen out of love with them.

Rather than throwing them out, you can treasure your past memories by turning your t-shirts into something new and practical, and blankets made from shirts are often a great solution. Not only can an extra blanket on the couch or bed be a lovely, comforting addition, it’s also a great way to revisit your memories or create a fun talking point in your home.

Get crafty and create something new

If your old clothes are made with unique or well-crafted textiles and fabrics, then a great way to repurpose them is by getting crafty with a needle or sewing machine and turning them into something new. There are infinite ways you can repurpose a piece of clothing, and the great advantage is that you’re preventing adding to an ever-growing pile of landfill, saving from contributing to even more environmental damage.

If you’re not sure where to get started, try turning a shirt you no longer wear into a cushion cover or simple tote. Sturdier fabrics like denim or tweed are ideal for making small coin purses, while oversized men’s shirts can be turned into a cute dress or top. For a very simple hack, try turning old jeans into a pair of cut-off shorts with an easy snip of the scissors.

Use them as practical cloths

For clothes that have really passed their expiration date and are beginning to fall apart or look worse for wear, another simple creative fix is to turn them into practical cloths that you can use around the home for cleaning surfaces. It’s a straight-forward way of turning a ratty old t-shirt that is riddled with holes into something new – simply cut up along the seams to make it into a well-sized cloth, that can be used for everything from wiping up spills to cleaning windows.

As well as using old fabrics for cleaning, they can also have many other practical uses, such as keeping out cold air or even providing cushioning for pet beds and containers. To get inspired, simply look around your home and think about what needs a little extra comfort or improvement.