Lilac City Momma

Lynn

3 Biggest Mistakes People Make When Getting Divorced

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No two divorces are the same. Each one has unique circumstances that cause each couple to end in divorce. Because of this, there is no one right way to go about a divorce. There are all sorts of variables that can throw people for a loop and cause them to make mistakes.

Unfortunately, some of these mistakes can lead to serious problems down the road. It’s in your best interest to learn from others’ mistakes so that you can avoid them yourself. Here are some of the biggest mistakes to look out for if you’re going through a divorce yourself.

Failing To Hire The Right Lawyer

 

Many couples make the mistake of believing that they don’t need a lawyer to help them through the process of divorce, or it doesn’t matter who they hire. However, the truth is that even if you plan on divorcing amicably, a good lawyer is necessary to help you navigate the ins and outs of the process.

Hiring the right attorney for the job can completely change your experience of divorce. It’s not necessary to hire the most expensive attorney out there; however, you should hire one that specializes in family law and has your best interests in mind. Hire an attorney because you know that they’re the right person for the job. Don’t hire an attorney based on price alone.

 

Taking Unsolicited Legal Advice

 

During the divorce process, you’ll hear all sorts of advice coming from friends and family. Perhaps they have a friend who did things one way or they think that things should be carried out another way. However, it’s important that you listen to your lawyer first and foremost. Don’t take legal advice from people who are not professionals. Even though friends and family may be well-meaning when they give you advice, unless they’re a professional, it’s only hearsay.

 

Allowing Anger To Be Your Guiding Force

 

Divorce is incredibly emotional, whether it was your choice to divorce or not. It’s easy to let your feelings get the best of you, and in many cases, allow anger to be your guiding force.

Litigation can bring out the worst in people, and lead you to take actions based on revenge. However, all this will do is hurt you in the end, particularly if you have children. The longer that you drag out a divorce, the more money and energy it will cost you.

Rather than allowing anger to be what guides you, focus on resolution and moving on in your life. Think about what it is that you ultimately want to accomplish and focus on that rather than shortsighted ambitions of revenge. Focus on the right details rather than the petty ones.

 

 

 

How Do I Choose the Best Joint Checking Account

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Are you looking into opening a joint checking account? It’s important to first understand what a joint checking account is. A joint checking account is essentially the same as a standard checking account; however, instead of the account belonging to just one person, it belongs to multiple people. All of the people on the account have access to the money and can deposit money, withdraw money, or use the money in the account.

Because of this, a joint checking account is extremely common for people who are married, people who are in businesses together, parents and children, and adults with aging parents. This is ideal, as it easily allows couples and people in business to use the shared account to cover the expenses they share, parents are able to monitor their children’s spending habits, and adult children are able to help their older parents manage their finances if that has become a struggle for them.

Joint checking accounts are important and efficient, and they work. However, you need to make sure to choose the best joint checking account for you and your family or for you and your business. How do you go about choosing the best joint checking account? Here’s how.

Do Your Research First

Different credit unions offer different incentives and fees when it comes to all forms of banking, and joint checking accounts are no different. It’s important to do thorough research first to see what these are. For example, if an account requires you to keep a certain minimum balance and you’re unable to do that, choosing that account might not be the best joint checking account decision.

Take a step back and think about the monthly income you’ll have going into the account, think about all the bills you’ll be paying that account, and so on. Once you’ve figured all of this out, find a credit union that will work for you and not leave you paying high fees.

Use an Online Comparison Tool

Doing your research is extremely important but can be overwhelming. There are so many different credit unions and options and numbers and incentives being thrown at you. How do you know which one really is the best joint checking account for you and your needs?

To make things easier for you, there are some online comparison tools you can use. It’s important to remember that these comparison tools do tend to show the larger, national credit unions rather than smaller, regional credit unions. However, it’s a good place to get a lot of information, side-by-side, in one place.

Find a Credit Union That Offers Joint Checking Accounts with Little Fees

One of the perks of having a joint checking account is that it usually results in fewer fees than having multiple accounts. However, joint checking accounts do still have fees, just as any sort of account can. It’s important to research different credit unions’ fees to see if they’re something that can potentially apply to you.

If there are fees associated with the account, see if there’s any way that it can be waived (e.g., by having a direct deposit go into the account). There are some credit unions that offer zero fees, so if paying a potential fee is a worry for you, you should look for one of these credit unions.

Choose a Credit Union You and Your Partner Trust

If you have a credit union you already know, trust, and have accounts with, it may be worth looking there first to see if they offer a joint checking account that fits what you’re looking for. A lot of credit unions offer incentives for members—new and established—who are looking to open an account with them.

If you have a credit union you already work with, reach out to them personally and tell them you’re looking to open a joint checking account and see what they can offer you. Explain the needs of the joint checking account (i.e., business, newly married, aging parents, etc.) and see what they recommend or if they can better assist you. Credit unions like to support their members, so it’s worth reaching out to a credit union you’re already working with.

Consider Everyone’s Needs and Ask Questions

Just like when it comes to any type of banking, it’s important to do your research before committing to anything. It’s important to keep your needs and what you need to get out of this new account in mind. This will better your finances overall. When it comes to a joint checking account, it’s important to consider the needs of all of the parties who’ll have access to this account. Remember, anyone whose name is on the joint account will be able to use the account at their liberty. That’s an extremely important component to remember when choosing the best joint checking account for you and your spouse, partner, or family member.

As always, it’s important to ask a lot of questions and to talk about the options with everyone who’ll be named on the joint account with you. If you’d like to speak to a professional, once you’ve narrowed down your best joint checking account options, visit with a representative at each potential institution about your needs and what you’re looking to get out of your joint checking account. They can guide you in the right direction.

Still have questions? Please feel free to give Rivermark Credit Union a call today or fill out our contact form, and one of our professionals will be able to help you out. If you’re in the Portland, Oregon, area, and near one of our branches, please feel free to stop in to speak with us in-person. Remember, what works for one person financially may not be the best for another. Let us help you figure out what’s best for you.

How to Spark Your Creativity in the Kitchen?

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Talk about a magical place of flavors and aromas which give the tongue a distinctive sensation, and you’d be talking about the kitchen. Just as it takes a lot of talent, expertise, and inspiration to make magic, creating magical sparks in the kitchen, too, also requires a lot of inspired creativity.

Dinnerly is a place where magic and creative juices flow from an utmost level of expertise and enriching original sense. Therefore, it is one thing to know how to cook; it is another thing to know how to stay on top of your game in the culinary department. The steps right here will not only help you tap into your creative side but also unlock the genius in you.

The following are the ways to help you reach within and spark your creativity in the kitchen: –

  1. Make the kitchen your shrine

A shrine is a place where to make things happen. As you are in the bid of creating your magic within the kitchen, try as much as possible to make the kitchen breathe you. For your creativity to come out to play as the master chef, you need to feel at home in the kitchen. You can do this by taking in the furniture or flower that inspire you. You can also do as little as getting your favorite cutleries into the kitchen. Do whatever will inspire you, as well as make you stay inspired enough to create magic.

  1. Mix things up

For you to ensure creativity, try as much as possible to be flexible in the kitchen. Flexibility here means that you should not stick to just one recipe or method of cooking a particular meal. Try to spice things up a bit. If there is a popular method of preparing a meal, try to mix things up in the kitchen – skip a step, add a new one. The bottom line is that you should not stay rigid to ideas or methods in the kitchen. Mess things up and start again. Just be unpredictable and creative with your dishes.

  1. Create a culinary notebook

For creativity sake, try to get a cookbook where you will write out ideas and methods of preparing different dishes. Having a journal will make it easy for you to refer back to the concepts and techniques you have once known.

  1. Make your ideas real

It is not just enough to think about plans for the kitchen; implementation is very crucial. Therefore, to bring out that creative spark in the kitchen, you have to bring your ideas to reality.

  1. Use others’ recipes to inspire yours

No one is an island of knowledge or creativity. Hence, it is not a crime to tap from other people’s wealth of creativity. Ask questions, read books, watch videos. Anything that will keep you inspired and creative in the kitchen.

Conclusion

Now that you know that creativity is the soul of every food prepared in the kitchen, you should also understand that serving the dish also requires a level of creativity and discretion.

 

How mobile banks make it possible to better keep track of your spending

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The mobile bank has been one of the major benefits of the Internet. With the aid of mobile banking, we can now bank on the go with our smartphones. There are several things we can do with mobile banking including sending money to people, paying bills and recharging our phones among others. Mobile banking has its advantages and disadvantages. However, its advantages far outweigh its disadvantages. One of the advantages of using mobile banks is that mobile banks make it possible to better keep track of your spending. Here are some of the ways mobile banks make it possible to better keep track of your spending.

You can easily pay with the mobile bank
 One of the ways that mobile banks make it possible to better keep track of your spending is the fact that you can easily pay with the mobile bank. The implication is that you will make most of your payments from your mobile bank and not with cash. With this, it becomes easier to trace every single thing you used the mobile bank to pay for. You would subsequently be able to account for every single expense you made. This would also make it easier to reflect on your spending for the month especially if you are trying to consciously spend your money and look out for unnecessary expenses you can cut down on. You can read reviews about Monese to know how those who use the mobile bank are able to keep track of their spending.

You can always retrieve your statement
 Retrieving your bank statement is very easy with mobile banking. At any point in time, you can check for your spending within the past week, month, or even year. Thus, you can regularly check your account balance and statement to be sure that you are on track with your spending plans for the month. When you notice that you are not within the plan, you would know to deliberately slow down and probably try not to make any new expenses within the next few days except it is extremely necessary.

It is easier to know when unauthorized spending takes place on your account
 One of the major fears of mobile banking is unauthorized spending. With hackers on the prowl and trying to see how they can have access to the account of unsuspecting individuals and use their money, mobile banks also comfortably solve such problems. The fact that you get alerts on your phone and mail for every transaction on your account implies that you can easily be alerted once there is an unauthorized payment on your account. You can easily confirm that on your mobile bank and instantly use the mobile bank to block the transaction. Your complaint will be investigated and your money refunded to you. Even if you missed the transaction when it happened, if you are fond of checking your mobile bank activities regularly, you are likely to get to know about the transaction within a day or two after it happened. You would be able to request for the money to be refunded 5and it would be refunded.

 

4 Ways New Moms Can Use Olive Oil

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New mums can often find themselves under a huge amount of pressure and stress, particularly when it comes to other peoples’ opinions. There are usually a number of things new mums have to think about once they’ve given birth, including their willingness to use only organic, natural products rather than artificial products that are commercially available, easily accessible, and affordable.

One of the most popular products used by homeopathic mums who want to use more natural products is olive oil and it can be used in a number of different ways. Although we hear a lot about the uses of olive oil with babies, mothers can benefit from using this product just as much. Here are some of the ways new mums can benefit from using or consuming olive oil:

As a Cleaning Agent

In most cases, we consider a clean home a safe home, but have you stopped to think about all the harsh chemicals you’re using in order to make your home clean? Both stainless steel and wooden items can be shined and cleaned using olive oil and a little bit of elbow grease.

It Can Help Reduce Insomnia

Many new mums can associate with the sleepless nights and anxiety that comes with having a newborn baby. These sleepless nights can affect our cognitive ability and concentration skills. In 2012, a report showed that women who consumed natural fats like butter performed worse in memory tests than women who ate more unsaturated fats like olive oil. So, consuming olive oil could actually improve your cognitive ability and concentration skills.

It Can Help You Heal

Olive oil has natural healing properties. Moms who are breastfeeding can benefit from taking olive oil supplements or consuming olive oil in their diet. You could even choose to rub some olive oil into your sore skin for relief.

For mums who have a c-section, olive oil can also be used to help reduce the amount of scarring you suffer from. Olive oil contains vitamins E and K, which has been shown to help heal the skin. Simply rub a good quality olive oil like the outstanding olive oil from GringoCool into the skin around your scar on a daily basis. Consuming this olive oil in your diet will also help speed up the healing process.

It Can Help Treat Ear Infections

Okay, so most mums won’t need this themselves, but we often find that new-born babies are susceptible to ear infections. A baby who is suffering from the pain of an ear infection will not settle, which will only put extra stress and pressure on a new mum. Olive oil has been used as a cerumenolytic for a number of years (an ear canal lubricant). It can help loosen wax and provide relief. All you need to do is put a couple of drops of lukewarm olive oil into your baby’s affected ear in order for it to work.

Being a new mother and finding out what works for you and your baby can be tough. There are a number of different products on the market for babies, but how do we know if they’re safe? Using olive oil as an alternative to some of these products can help reduce some of our concerns.