Lilac City Momma

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4 Tips For Keeping Your Home Clean With Kids

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Although keeping your house clean with kids is no doubt far from easy, it’s not impossible. If you have kids, it’s easy to find yourself in a pile of toys, clothes, and general clutter in no time. It can be overwhelming if you let it go too far!

However, by knowing the right tricks and tips, you can keep things under control despite your mess roommates. Take a look at some of the best ways to keep your house clean with kids around.

Keep Eating and Drinking In Designated Areas Only

Kids aren’t the cleanest eaters. All it takes is a few noodles and sauce for your floor to turn into some kind of Picasso painting. If you have finished floors, the last thing you want to worry about is damaging them from spilled kool-aid.

Therefore, only allow your kids to eat and drink in certain parts of the house where they can’t do much damage. Stick to a place that has appropriate flooring that’s easy to clean.

Stay away from carpeted areas or furniture that will be forever ruined with a few jelly handprints. You’ll not only reduce your own stress but also your kids’. Sometimes kids just need to be kids. Provide them with a space in the house where they can do that!

Do Your Cleaning While The Kids Sleep

Cleaning with your kids running around is a quick way to go nuts. It won’t take very long until you feel like you’re in the film Groundhog Day. You’ll swear you just cleaned something up, yet the mess reappears again.

Instead, wake up early and clean before your kids are around, or wait until they’re in bed for the evening. Take advantage of the time they’re not around to clean everything that has been piling up.

Teach Your Kids To Clean

Even though this may seem like a no-brainer, you’d be surprised how many parents don’t even consider this as a solution. Teach your kids to clean up after themselves so that you have less work to do.

Not only will it make your life easier, but it will teach them to take responsibility for their own messes.

While they may not necessarily be able to pick up a vacuum cleaner or wash a load of laundry, they can still learn to put things away after they take them out.

Buy Less

One of the biggest reasons why people’s homes are so much messier when they have kids is because they have more things. Try to stop buying your kids so much stuff if there’s no reason to. Not only will you have fewer messes, but your kids will appreciate what they have more.

 

4 Tips for Home Maintenance That Will Reduce Repairs

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Although most young families want to buy a home instead of rent a property, the largest issue when it comes to owning your own home is the number of repairs that you will have to carry out, especially as your home gets older. To reduce the number of repairs that your home needs, here are some top tips on the home maintenance that you can carry out to reduce the cost and effort of making reparis.

Invest in Wooden Flooring

If you have previously installed carpets or linoleum into your home, you will know that carpets generally last between 5 and 15 years on average, with even the best, high-grade carpets only lasting a maximum of 20 years. This can be expensive in family homes, as carpet replacements are generally extremely costly and disruptive, with most families replacing all of the carpets in the house at the same time. However, replacing these carpets with wooden flooring can help to reduce the need for this type of repair in the future, as wooden flooring can last throughout your family life, as long as you maintain it correctly, for example, by polishing the surface regularly. At woodfloors-farnham.co.uk, they can help you to find the best type of flooring for your home, with their engineered wood floorings offering a durable and high-quality option for family homes.

Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter Clean

However, one of the best ways to reduce the need for repairs and maintenance in your home is to clean it on a regular basis. Cleaning should not only be a spring activity, and monthly deep cleans can help to maintain your furniture and fittings. This is because dust can damage and scratch the surfaces of furniture, and the longer you leave dust, the harder it will be to remove. Dust can also increase the amount of moisture on furniture, which can soften wood and other materials. Not only this, but dust can also prevent appliances from working correctly, as it can interfere with their interiors.

Replace Grass

Family gardens are often one of the most neglected areas of the home, especially in the winter months when it becomes less appealing to upkeep them. However, it can be simple to maintain your garden easily, by replacing traditional grass surfaces with other materials. Many families choose to replace grass with patios, decking, or paving materials, which need much less maintenance than grass in the form of a sweep every so often. However, if you miss the green appearance of your lawn, why not try artificial turf, which can give you the natural look of a garden without the high maintenance?

Add Protective Measures

To end the need for repairs, you should also consider protective measures for the exterior of your home, such as storm doors and window frames, which are both attached to the outside of these fixtures in order to prevent damage from factors such as the weather. You may also consider adding PVC trim onto your roof in order to ensure that it stays like new for as long as possible.

Filed Under: DIY

3 Tips For Talking With Your Spouse About Issues In Your Marriage

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Every marriage has issues. But for those marriages that last, the couple has found a way to discuss and move through their issues in a positive and helpful way.

However, this isn’t something that comes naturally to all couples. Usually, a couple is going to have to put in some hard work in order to get to a point where they can work through any issues in their marriage without resorting to divorce.

So to help you and your spouse get to this point, here are three tips for talking with your spouse about issues in your marriage.

Show Respect Through Your Body Language

Before you and your spouse even begin having a verbal conversation, it’s worth mentioning that you need to begin by showing respect to your spouse through your non-verbal cues and your body language.

According to Sheri Stritof, a contributor to Very Well Mind, what your body is conveying to your partner is just as important as the actual words you’re speaking to one another. If you’re not showing respect through your body language, it can be hard to have a frank and productive conversation. To do this, make sure you’re maintaining eye contact with your partner and that you’re acknowledging that you hear what’s being said to you.

Don’t Be Afraid Of Being Vulnerable

Many times in a marriage, it’s hard for the couple to speak about difficult issues together because they individually haven’t been able to tap into their emotions surrounding the problems they’re having. Because of this, everyone might feel much more defensive than they should.

To combat these issues, Brittany Wong, a contributor to the Huffington Post, recommends that you learn how to open up about your own vulnerabilities when speaking with your spouse. Although this can be hard to do, speaking from a place of vulnerability will help both you and your spouse to see each other’s points of view more clearly and understanding the feelings that are behind your concerns.

Know The Best Ways To Express Your Concerns

Knowing the right ways to start a conversation with your spouse about any marital concerns you’re having can have a big impact on how the entire conversation goes.

To show you how this is best done, Dr. Susan Heitler, a contributor to Psychology Today, recommends that you start by saying how you feel, what your concerns are, or what you’d like. By using words that focus on yourself, you will be less likely to place blame on your spouse. And since the only person you can change is yourself, starting the conversation focused on yourself is ideal.

If you’ve been having problems talking to your spouse about issues in your marriage, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you work through this together.

 

Spark Your Imagination and Holiday Spirit at the Hello Panda Festival!

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Have you ever wondered how other cultures celebrate the holidays? If you’re a curious holiday lover, then it’s a rewarding question to ask. Learning how others celebrate and show gratitude can be so uplifting and inspirational.

China has celebrated the holidays for centuries, long before religious holy days and rituals came along. However, celebrations are all about the spirit, and no one does spirit better than the Chinese.

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From December 6 to January 26 in the Mets’ home stadium of Citi Field, the very first Hello Panda Festival will shine through the nights. It’s going to be the largest lantern festival in North America. Plan on attending and tell people you got to see the beginning of what we hope will be an annual festival.

Hello Panda

The CPAA is a state-run Chinese company that promotes Chinese cultural events and exhibitions. Its North American branch is putting on this holiday bash, hoping to together all people from all traditions. The “cultural” part embraces the fine art of Chinese lantern making, food, arts, music, and other aspects of the culture.

Lanterns

Lanterns have been the basis of Chinese symbolism and celebrations from time immemorial. Variously colored lanterns mean different things like joy, success, or social status. The colors are interesting, too, with red meaning joy, energy, and good fortune. Blue lanterns indicate illness or decreasing energy. The lanterns can be made of silk, bamboo, paper, and metal.

With that in mind, picture it: the tallest Christmas tree in the world made entirely of lit lanterns. Life-sized dinosaurs, wild animals, a castle from fairy tales, and a 98-foot illuminated tunnel. Oh, yes, and pandas. Lots of pandas. Lantern theme parks will be lit with 300,000 LED lights.

But wait! There’s more! You can’t walk through all the exhibits, interactive shows, performances, and lights without sampling foods from around the globe. Asian, Mexican, continental, and of course, Chinese foods will be available for those who want to sample the tastes of the world.

Six immense heated tents will house the traditional as well as modern live performances, art galleries, and holiday items in a market. Music and dance performances in Latin, hip-hop, pop, and more can be sampled along with exquisite global cuisine.

While you’re enjoying the culture, you can even try participating yourself. Instructors will show you how to do paper cutting, embroidery, make art out of cotton candy, and sugar painting. Be sure not to miss learning dough sculpting. Maybe you can take home your own stegosaurus.

Where To Stay

Here’s a tip for traveling to NYC: staying in Manhattan is actually the worst idea. It’s congested and expensive. Just across the Hudson River, there are numerous hotels in Jersey City, NJ. It takes essentially the same amount of time to get from Jersey City to many destinations, including Citi Field.

There are many great hotels to choose from. The Hyatt House Jersey City offers you breathtaking views of the Manhattan skyline. Large, modern suites, free Wi-Fi and breakfast, and a fitness center round out its amenities. The Holland Hotel is a great budget option. Located close to the Holland Tunnel and the PATH train, it’s quite convenient. And the newly-renovated rooms offer a nice guest experience.

Conclusion

There will be over 120 lantern displays for you to enjoy: tall, short, dragons, pandas, gingerbread houses, figures, trees, flowers, Santa and his reindeer — all of this in every color of the rainbow. The night will be alight with the wonder of a different culture in all its tradition and magic. Happy Holidays, Chinese style!

 

 

Steps to Take If Your Heat Pump Is Freezing Up in Winter

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During the coldest days of the winter, your heat pump can truly be a godsend. It’s the only line of defense between you and the freezing temperatures outside. Even a good quality heat pump is not itself immune to the cold weather, however, and you may notice a layer of frost that has built up overnight. While it’s normal for the pump to develop a layer of ice, if too much ice builds up, the heat pump itself will freeze up. Ultimately, this can damage or even ruin the pump. Fortunately, there are steps to take if your heat pump is freezing up in winter.

Learn to Identify a Problem

It is perfectly normal, and not necessarily harmful, for your heat pump to develop a layer of frost during the winter. This isn’t, in and of itself, a cause for concern. Indeed, heat pumps have built-in defrosting features, allowing them to regularly melt any ice that has accumulated before it becomes a problem. Usually, these defrosters work on a timer or a sensor, and they melt the ice off the heat pump by venting heat outward towards the frozen parts.

If your defrosting system is compromised or malfunctioning, however, ice will continuously build up until the whole system is frozen. This risks permanently damaging the heat pump and potentially leading to extremely costly repairs. That’s why it’s critically important for a homeowner to recognize the difference between an ordinary, harmless layer of frost and the beginnings of a frozen heat pump.

Recognizing a Frozen Heat Pump

There are several potential causes of a heat pump that’s frozen—or beginning to freeze—and is not simply frosted. Some are obvious, and others are less so. Regardless, you should learn to tell the difference between a simple layer of frost and a harmful build-up of ice.

The first sign that you’re dealing with something worse than a mild frost is duration. That is to say, your heat pump’s defrosting system can usually deal with a small buildup of ice within about ten minutes. If you notice ice that doesn’t seem to go away after a few minutes of running the defroster, that’s the first sign you have a more serious problem. The thickness of the ice is telling as well. If there’s a thick layer of frost that has built up on your heat pump, it’s a telltale sign your defroster isn’t doing its job.

What You Can Do

Although a heat pump freezing up in winter can be a very serious problem, sometimes it’s possible for you to take care of the issue yourself. This is especially true if the freezing is caused by external factors that you can control. For example, often a frozen heat pump is the result of water dripping into the pump from above. Frequently, dripping gutters are to blame for this.

As water drops onto the pump, the winter cold freezes it before the defroster has a chance to keep up. Over time, this can lead to a massive buildup of ice and cause catastrophic problems, but it is also an easy fix. Simply isolate the source of the dripping water and stop it up. In this case, preventing your heat pump from freezing may be as simple as a few drops of silicone sealant applied in the right spot in your gutter.

Leaves building up on the pump can cause similar issues. A layer of dead leaves will trap snow, ice, and moisture and eventually lead to freezing up. You can deal with this easily as well. Try to keep the pump clear of leaves, and if they do build up, clean them off regularly. If you notice there’s already a buildup of ice forming on the pump, you can often remove it yourself by scraping the ice away. Make sure the heat pump is turned off before you do this, however. You don’t want to risk injuring yourself or damaging your heat pump. And if at any point you’re uncomfortable with the task, it’s always best to contact an expert.

When You Need a Professional’s Help

While some of the causes of a frozen heat pump are easy to fix and require only basic skills, other issues are a lot more complex and will require the help of a professional HVAC technician. Any issues caused by malfunctioning equipment or by electrical problems shouldn’t be tackled without the proper training and certification a skilled technician has.

Indeed, not just any technician will do either. You’ll want to look for highly trained technicians who are NATE certified. NATE stands for North American Technician Excellence, and certification ensures a technician and well-trained and competent.

You’ll also want to read reviews, check references, and talk to other satisfied customers. A poorly handled job can further damage your heat pump and lead to more serious problems and great cost to you. If you live in the Portland or Vancouver area, your best bet is the technicians from Entek. They are certified, as well as highly recommended and experienced.

Problems a Technician Should Fix

A heat pump freezing up in winter is often caused by a small but potentially serious problem. For example, if the thermostat short circuits due to an electrical issue, this can lead to the defroster mechanism not activating when it should. So while the machine remains perfectly capable of removing ice, it won’t know when to do so and will eventually become further damaged from a buildup. Other problems with your heat pump may be more complex. For example, the reversing solenoid coil may have worn out and require replacement.

In either of these cases, you’ll require the assistance of a professional HVAC technician. Unlike with other systems in your home, fixing an HVAC system is not something you should attempt to DIY. Fortunately, if you have a good technician who is a mere phone call away, they’ll be able to provide the repairs you need, as well as perform maintenance so that you can avoid other costly repairs in the future.

Filed Under: DIY