Valentine Gifting From Companies that Give Back #ValentinesDay #Sustainable

January 20, 2019 by 1 Comment

If you want to shop sustainably this year, support small business, or like to avoid big box stores, I’ve got a shop for you. If you just like unique and high quality products at a reasonable price- this is a shop you will love. Marketplace Africa has clothing, bath and body products (and I’m in love with some of these already), purses, bags,- really, gifts for everyone on your list. Thoughtful gifts anyone would love to receive.

African body works

This website lets Africans can sell their one-of-a-kind handmade goods to the entire global market.  Anyone looking for a unique gift for the holidays can feel as good as the products they are buying, since they are purchasing directly from the source. Buying from small business owners in Africa boosts not only the store owner, but also the economy.

For more information on Marketplace Africa and to choose some fantastic gifts,  visit www.marketplaceafrica.com

Sudara creates ethically and sustainably sourced clothing for men, women, and children. This brand came about because of a desire to help women escape sex trafficking in India. 12 years ago, Sudara’s founder partnered with a sewing center in India and taught six women how to sew a pattern for pants.The year prior, she had been to India and heard story after story of women who were sold into sex slavery or were at high risk of being. The company was created to give woman the chance to have an education, a job with livable wages, and to be free.

ethical clothing

Sudara is a Certified B Corps company, which means they meet “the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability, and aspire to use the power of markets to solve social and environmental problems”. You know, the best of the best- the “good guys”.

The clothing is beautiful, as well. High quality, unique designs with fun colors and patterns, lots of options available. If you have not yet shopped with Sudara, I hope you take the time to give them a look now. Check them out on social media while you are at it, see what they have to offer- sudara.org  facebook  twitter  instagram

ethical clothing

Peace Frogs is a brand that encourages you to get outside, enjoy nature, and practices what they preach. They are helping to preserve the environment and giving back with purchases. Peace Frogs has been around for more then 30 years, and have “a long track record of giving back to charitable causes” while creating eco-friendly clothing and gear.  They have also  launched a #spreadthepeacecampaign that looks to bridge a divided nation. As per the company, “Today, in America, the country stands more divided than ever before, with constant fighting, name calling and general unrest, with social media and the news not doing anything to slow down the chaos. The Spread the Peace Campaign is a way for Peace Frogs to motivate people to be kind to one another and stop the hate, fighting and lack of tolerance. Peace Frogs wants to bring a sense of calm, peace and community back to a tense country that has forgotten how to love thy neighbor.”  The fun clothing, gear, stickers, and more promote joy, living in harmony, a healthy environment, and peace. For more information on Peace Frogs items or to purchase #spreadthepeace stickers, please visit: www.peacefrogs.com

ethical jewelery

Statement Peace (no relation to Peace Frogs) creates their “high vibration wooden jewelry” line designs and hand produces all of their “pieces of peace” in their South West Florida studio.  The company believes that energy is transferable, and that when you operate out of peace and love, that it is felt by all and creates a statement of peace. They want to transfer “passion, high vibrations and good juju with the intention that you feel our vibes” into the items they create. Each piece of jewelry is considered to be a work of art, and they convey this by including a custom designed wooden display stand with each item purchased. There is something special for everyone (men and women), from yoga lovers to outdoor enthusiasts. Rings, bracelets, and more are available. For every item purchased, they plant one tree.   Check out options at https://www.wearstatementpeace.com

show the love

Show the Love offers items that are each designed to showcase and inspire a specific sentiment. The jewelry is meant to inspire and to uplift the person who wears it. From feminist inspiration items to those inspiring others to speak up, to beautiful animal inspired themes, there is something everyone will love. Give a gift that is not only lovely but also inspiring and show the recipient that you are really thinking about them. Whatever they love, or perhaps would like more of in their life (happiness, calm, passion, etc) you can find something that will show your sentiment.

This company cares, and they show it not only with their designs, but also with the materials they use as well as the donations they give. Show The Love jewelry is made with recycled metals and ethically sourced stones. They also donate 25% of their proceeds, which they give to humanitarian and environmental causes. There are items for every budget, from $50 to a big splurge. These are fun, funky, unique, lovely items that your Valentine will cherish always. Visit the site at https://showthelove.com and see what you like best.

Filed Under: charity/notforprofit, clothes and shoes, environment, gifts, Holiday Gift Guide, review Tagged With: , , , ,

5 Essential Travel Tips For Contact Lens Wearer

January 20, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Contact lens is inevitably a boon for people with vision defect. To improve their vision and for the sake of fashionable appearance, more and more number of people prefer wearing contact lenses rather than traditional spectacles.

Especially when you’re on vacation, contact lenses are very practical. As these are invisible, you do not have to remove them while sporting or enjoying your night trips.

However, remember that your contact lenses can ruin your vacation if you do not take precautions. Here are some simple steps you can take to prevent this from happening to you. Check them out before backpacking your contact lenses for your vacation.  

  1. Make sure you have a pair of replacement lenses and sunglasses

Even if the lenses you wear are not frequent replacement lenses, it is always advisable to purchase replacement parts while traveling with contact lenses. A lens may be lost or damaged and replacements may be difficult to find. If you wear disposable lenses, take the amount of lens you need for your vacation and many more, just in case.

Most modern contact lenses, like all Focus lenses block hurtful UV rays. However, only the lens can protect the covered area, which does not represent the entire surface of your eyes. In addition, contact lenses do not reduce glare. It is, therefore, safer to wear sunglasses with high UV protection on your lenses and a sun hat.

  1. Take good care and carry your lens case, solution and cleaner

Most branded solutions can be purchased in smaller bottles, which is great for travel. You can also get a case that clips on a bottle of a solution so that the parts do not separate in your luggage. It is also a best option for you to carry an ultrasonic contact lens cleaner machine to make sure that you clean your lenses safely without getting them damaged.  

If you are tired after a day of sightseeing, it may be tempting to fall asleep while carrying your contacts. This is not a good idea – unless you wear long-wearing lenses, of course. No matter how tired and relaxed you feel, take out your contact lenses for the night.

If you do not want to take care of your contacts during the holidays, ask your doctor if long-wearing contacts are right for you. Lenses like Acuvue can be worn without withdrawal for up to 7 days and Focus Night and Day for up to 30 days; they are perfect for the holidays.

  1. Do not leave the water in your eyes when you swim

Contact lenses are ideal for swimming and all water sports, but it is best to prevent their contact with water. However, water contains a myriad of bacteria that can enter your lens and cause keratitis.

It is, therefore, best to wear goggles to swim. In any case, if seawater comes in contact with your eyes, you should remove your lenses as soon as possible and clean them before putting them back in place.

  1. Avoid contacts and wear glasses on long flights

During long flights, most contact lens wearers feel depressed. Indeed, in an airplane, atmospheric pressure and humidity are low. As a result, your soft contact lenses dehydrate and absorb moisture from your eyes.

Many people also nap during a flight, and sleeping in contacts is not recommended. If you can wear glasses as well as lenses, it’s a good idea to do it on the plane. If glasses are not an option, use special eye drops and be sure to drink plenty of water during your flight.

  1. Be careful with insect repellents and sunscreens creams

Be very careful not to put sunscreen or insect repellent in your eyes. If this comes in contact with your eyes, it can cause severe irritation. If this happens, take out your lenses and clean them well.

Keep these 5 simple rules in mind when traveling with contact lenses. We are sure that your contacts should not be a problem to prevent you from enjoying your vacation if you follow them out!

Filed Under: health Tagged With: ,

Upgrading Your Kids’ Room – How Often is Too Often?

January 18, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Living with kids often means having to adapt your lifestyle to certain changes that you may not be prepared to deal with. For example, the way you handle your own rooms might not necessarily work too well when it comes to the rooms your kids will live in, especially if you live with more than one child. You’ll want to plan ahead when it comes to upgrades and possibly even repairs, and you should always evaluate each situation carefully to figure out whether it’s appropriate to disturb the child’s current life.

Kids Don’t Like Frequent Change

One thing you should understand as early as possible is that kids simply don’t enjoy having their environment changing too often, especially in major ways. You might like thinking about upgrades and other changes to your own room, but when it comes to the ones your kids live in, you should not be too quick to spring into action.

Room improvements inevitably mean having to rearrange things temporarily, and even if it’s for a short while, that might seem like quite the long time to your kids themselves. It’s not just about finding an alternative room for them to stay in during the repair – this kind of disturbance is going to affect their mood more than you might like.

Don’t Postpone Repairs

On the other hand, repairs are not something you should put off. Even little things can add up quite quickly when you’re living with young children, and small issues in their day-to-day life can easily reflect back on you and make your own experience miserable. If something goes wrong, you should take the time to repair it as early as is convenient.

As long as you stick to what we mentioned above about avoiding any too frequent changes, you should be fine. If possible, group repairs together so that you can get more done in one go and not disturb your kids’ lives too much. Also, consider the option of setting things up in a way that minimizes potential damage in the first place. Invest a little more into sturdy furniture that will be resilient to damage, and this can make a big difference.

Quality of Life Upgrades

There are some things that your kids are definitely going to appreciate though, even when it means having to wait a little to get back into their room. Some kinds of improvements can matter a lot, especially to younger children. Giving them the ability to sleep better is one of those things, and even something as simple as taking the time to seek out the best mattress on the market can make a huge impact in the long run. There are various guides available on the Internet that can assist you with this, and it’s in your best interest to familiarize yourself with them as early as possible.

Don’t underestimate the amount of thinking and planning you should be putting into this though, as sleep is easily the number one factor that affects the moods of children on a regular basis. Ensuring that they have a comfortable time each night when they put their heads to rest is going to make a huge difference.

Keeping the Room Flexible for the Future

Don’t forget that this isn’t always going to be a kids’ room. Whether you want to accept the fact or not, your children are going to grow up one day. And even if you have new ones at some point, and they take over that room, it’s still going to be temporary. The point is, it’s not a bad idea to start thinking about what you could do with that room once the kids have moved out, even if it seems like it’s going to be a while until you get there.

The truth is, time flies when you’re raising children, and before you know it, that day will already be here. It’s much better to have something planned and know what you can do, rather than having to think about a solution on the spot. You might enjoy the idea of having an in-house office for your work though, so it might not be as bad as it looks. And if you want to make the transitional process as smooth and quick as possible, you should start setting things up from early on.

It’s true that you’ll have to change your way of thinking in some ways if you want to live with kids, but it’s not as difficult as some people make it out to be. All it takes is a little advance planning, knowing what’s available on the market, and of course, the right kind of communication with the little ones. The rest mostly comes down to common sense and having access to the right kinds of resources for each idea that pops up into your head.

Filed Under: home Tagged With: , , ,

Living a Healthier Lifestyle Now

January 18, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Living healthy is something that’s definitely within reach. That said, this is also something that’s more than simply a fad, it’s a way of life and often takes time to reach your goals. However, there are things that you can do right now that will make you healthier today than you were just yesterday and will set the course for a healthier tomorrow as well.

Here’s a quick look at some tips for healthier living that can give you a jump start.

Put the Fires Out

If you’re aware that you have a chronic health issue, whether it’s something like arthritis, depression, diabetes, heart disease, or any other condition, one obvious priority for healthier living is to get treatment for it. The same goes for behaviors that are risky, like smoking, mixing antidepressants and alcohol, or using drugs. Seeing a professional and starting on a treatment plan is the best start to a healthier you.

Take Stock

One of the best things that you can do to get yourself as fit and healthy as possible is to get a grip on your current health status. You should make appointments with both your dentist and your doctor. Catch up on things like immunizations and routine screenings. Make sure that you ask your physician any questions that you may have.

Other things to do in this category include things like:
• Take stock of your weight and BMI
• Assess your activity levels
• Begin and keep a diary for what you eat
• Check your energy and mood

Use these things to set goals to meet on your way to healthier living.

Manage Stress

There are a couple of ways that you can get a handle on your stress. One of them is routine maintenance. To that end, you should develop skills for coping that are positive, like visualization and meditation. You can also be on the lookout for different activities like exercise or yoga that will maintain your baseline stress level.

Then you have to deal with breakthrough stress, which comes from situations that can happen without warning. For example, if you have a stressful meeting during your workday, you may want to run up and down the stairs a couple of times in order to burn off any anger. You might also just take a trip to a quiet stall in the bathroom so that you can take a few deep breaths and get focused again.

Get Better Sleep

This should be on everyone’s list of ways to live healthier. Not all of us can fall asleep as soon as our head hits the pillow and remain asleep all night. If you fall into that category, there are a few things you can do that might help you.

• No screens for a minimum of 2 hours before going to bed
• Don’t exercise too close to the time you hit the hay
• Take a relaxing, hot bath
• Set a regular schedule for sleeping and stick to it
• Don’t count on catching up on sleep on the weekends
• Pay attention to chronic sleep issues
• Make good sleep a priority

All of these things are things that are easy to do. However, you can easily overwhelm yourself if you try to tackle them all at once. Pick a few to start with and add others gradually, and you’ll be on your way to a healthier life.

Filed Under: health Tagged With: ,

Best Places To Take Paid Online Surveys

January 15, 2019 by Leave a Comment

This is a fact that having more money makes you feel more secure. You will also sleep better at night. But sometimes, employers hate giving raises, or maybe overtime at work has become scarce. If this is the case, then you need to look for unorthodox ways to earn money in your spare time. And one of the best ways to earn money is through paid online surveys. Taking paid online surveys is totally free. It is easy as well as completely flexible. You can take these surveys at any time and anywhere with your computer, tablet or mobile phone. Believe me, if you enjoy doing the crosswords or puzzles, then taking such kind of surveys could be a form of entertainment for you. Probably the reason why you have landed on this page is because you are looking for the best places to take paid online surveys. Believe me, you are reading the right article. Nowadays, there are various sites that are offering paid online surveys for money. That is why this article tends to highlight a brief review of some legitimate paid survey sites. For more in-depth details of these best places, read on.

1- Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie hits the top position in the list of the best places to take paid online surveys. This platform is quite straightforward as it tells you that you will not get rich instantly from taking paid surveys for money. We all know this fact, but people say that it is quite refreshing to see some transparency!

This great platform works on a points system. These points can be converted into cash. Moreover, Survey Junkie offers 1000 points as the payout threshold which is equal to $10. To use Survey Junkie, first, you have to create an account. You can also sign up with Facebook. After creating an account, browse different categories and pick a survey that you like. Once you have completed the survey, points will be added to your account which you can cash out via PayPal after reaching the $10 threshold.

2- Swagbucks

Swagbucks is one of the largest and most reliable paid survey sites. It is a great platform that offers rewards for playing games as well as watching videos. At Swagbucks, the amount per survey is 70 points. You can receive cash, vouchers and prize draw as rewards. After completing a survey on Swagbucks for around 10 minutes, you can earn around £2.40. This paid online survey site also offers to complete surveys from multiple providers. Moreover, it gives consolation points as well when you do not qualify for a survey.

Swagbucks is, in fact, the most respected company in the online survey space. People love Swagbucks and they have positive remarks about it!

3- Toluna

Toluna is another website that is working on behalf of leading companies. Actually, these companies want to know what people think about their products, services, and issues. In return, people get rewarded with PayPal payments, Amazon as well as high-street vouchers. At Toluna, you can get 2000 – 50000 points by completing one survey. A single survey on this site takes about 15 minutes to complete. In this way, it will take approximately 4 hours to earn a £15 voucher.

4- InboxDollars

InboxDollars is a survey site that offers free $5 bonus just for signing up. You simply have to answer a few basic questions such as income level, race, education, and health. After some time, you’ll have $5 into your account. That’s pretty cool, isn’t it?

Just go for any of the above-mentioned site to get the most of paid online surveys.

Filed Under: lifestyle items Tagged With: ,

How to Use Walkie Talkies When You Travel

January 15, 2019 by Leave a Comment

travel with kids

Walkie Talikes—or two-way radios, if you want to be “technical”—offer a variety of uses when traveling. While many regard these little beauties as relics from the 90s, walkie talkies actually still possess great relevance for today. 

1. Children 

Do you remember being a kid? You didn’t have a cell phone. Maybe your parents were strict. Maybe it wasn’t in the budget. Maybe mobiles didn’t even exist! But for whatever reason, if your family was using the internet, you had only 3 methods of communicating with your friends. 

There was: the fake telephone, A.K.A. two cans on a string; running to their front door; and of course your handy dandy walkie talkies. 

Now obviously many kids today have cell phones, but what happens when your family is hiking in the woods and little Timmy takes a wrong turn? 10 times out of 10 there will be no service. Why? Because your service is spotty? No. Because service ALWAYS disappears whenever you need it most. Remember Murphy’s Law. 

The invariable solution to this potential issue is the walkie talkie. Not only are these items battery powered, but their functionality is not relegated to clear skies or corporate efficiency. Since walkie talkies are their own little entity, you have much more control over how you stay in contact with your children while you’re traveling—whether they forget their phone, you’re in the woods, or the labyrinth of a resort is just so stinking huge. 

2. Abroad 

The second greatest use for walkie talkies while traveling is if you’re going abroad. Whether you’re backpacking across Europe or lounging on the Japanese coastline, walkie talkies are the ideal way to avoid expensive roaming costs. 

Walkie talkies are an excellent way for you to stay in contact with your traveling partners. Keep in mind though, these little devices do not offer a way to stay in contact with authorities or other entities abroad. Walkies are best used in hiking or site seeing 

3. Road trips 

Lastly, walkie talkies are the perfect traveling companion for taking long-distance road trips with a caravan (or more than one car). Walkie Talkies provide a quick, easy access way to contact your traveling companions in the other car to coordinate directions, warn of accidents, ask questions, and of course, hold car-to-car competitions of the Alphabet game. Using walkie talkies also keeps you from fumbling with a touch screen on your phone while you’re driving. This promotes safety and security for you and your passengers. And of course, it sets a better example for your children. 


Walkie talkies offer a variety of influential ways to enhance your travel experience. While walkie talkies cannot replace cell phones entirely in their functionality, walkie talkies do provide several advantages to cell phones in short-range travel. The convenience of reliable service alone makes them the ideal addition to any travel pack. Ultimately, having walkie talkies in your travel arsenal provides you with safety, convenience and a fun way to stay in contact with your travel companions.

Filed Under: traveling Tagged With: , ,

MEDIEVAL TIMES PARTNERS WITH THE COMMUNITY FOODBANK OF NEW JERSEY TO LAUNCH POST-HOLIDAY FOOD DRIVE TO HELP RESTOCK THE PANTRIES FOR THOSE IN NEED

January 15, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Medieval Times begins the New Year with a

post-holiday food drive in partnership with the Community FoodBank of New Jersey as

part of their “Chivalry In Action” program.  The food drive, which runs now through

February 3, encourages patrons to drop off non-perishable food items in one of the

collection bins located at the Lyndhurst castle.  As a thank you to those patrons who

donate food items, they will be eligible to receive a 40% discount on Medieval Times

tickets.

The holiday season is typically one of giving, and food pantries and other charitable

organizations often receive generous donations in the final weeks of the year.

However, once the holidays have passed, there is often a lull in donations and that can

be challenging for food pantries who rely on the generosity of others to assist people in

need.  To address that situation, Medieval Times is hoping this food drive can help

restock the shelves at the Community FoodBank of NJ.

“Chivalry In Action” is an ongoing program by Medieval Times that encompasses a wide

range of community outreach, volunteerism and educational programming both in and

out of the castle.

Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament was founded in 1977 in Spain. It launched in North America

in 1983 and has since opened nine castles across the United States and in Toronto, Canada. It has

been performed for 65 million guests in its 34 years. For more, visit www.medievaltimes.com.

The Community FoodBank of New Jersey was founded in 1975 and today distributes over 56.5 million

pounds of food and groceries annually to more than 900,000 food insecure people in New Jersey.

The FoodBank serves 16 of New Jersey’s 21 counties.

For more information, visit MedievalTimes.com or CFBNJ.org.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Staying Healthy when Traveling Abroad with a Baby

January 15, 2019 by Leave a Comment

family travel

When you have children and become a parent, you definitely don’t have to stop doing things that you did before. One of those things in particular is travel. There can be a bit of an idea that your wanderlust and travels has to stop when you’ve got a baby. But travel with children can be a really rewarding thing to do, as there are some amazing memories that you can make, as well as fun experiences that you can all do together. It isn’t always easy, and will be different to what you are used to, but it can most certainly be done.

One of the biggest stressors when traveling with a baby is that you want your baby to be healthy when you are away. The thought of having to visit a doctor or a hospital when you’re in a place that you don’t know, or where you don’t speak the language, can be stressful and not something that you want to do. So making sure that you are able to keep your baby well on your trip is such a good idea, to make sure that you can have the best trip possible. With all of that in mind, here are a few ideas and tips to help you be prepared and keep baby healthy and well when you travel.

See a Doctor Before You Go

 

If you are unsure about anything before you travel, then speaking to your doctor or pediatrician is a really good idea. It could be a good idea to talk about your travel plans, as well as checking on things like vaccinations, especially if your baby is young. Sites like this one could also help if you’re looking for information about vaccinations and travel with young children: https://www.fitfortravel.com/general-travel-health-advice/child-travellers. Your doctor might even give you some suggestions to keep your baby healthy as you go and travel.

 

Choose Flights Wisely

 

In order to keep your baby as healthy as possible, it is a really good idea to get flights that will fit in with their regular schedule and routine as much as possible. The logic behind this is that when your baby hasn’t had enough sleep, they can feel more run down and susceptible to germs, as well as just making them more unhappy. One day of sleep deprivation can impact their immune system, so it can be a small thing to do to make sure that you can reduce their risk of illness.

 

Take Your Own Products and Food

 

Depending on where you are going for your trip, it can be a good idea to take your own products, as well as food. If your baby is eating food, then having them keep eating foods that they are familiar with is a good idea. That can reduce the chance of them getting sickness, as well as something like being constipated. As for products, taking the usual things that you use for your baby, like wipes, shampoo, and any other medication is a really good idea. You don’t want to start using something that your baby isn’t used to as it could lead to something that you don’t want to deal with when away, like cradle cap. This site could be a good place to look if you need some advice on cradle cap, though: https://www.mustelausa.com/tips-for-preventing-and-treating-cradle-cap. Stick to what you (and the baby know) and then it can help to reduce your risk of getting sick.

 

Sun Safe

 

Staying safe in the sun is normal at home, but when you’re away, especially in a warm country abroad, then it can be something that is much more heightened. The sun can be much more intense and harmful when you’re in a hotter country. So as well as sunscreen, you need to think about keeping baby in the shade, keeping them cool, and avoiding things like blankets over a stroller that can make them overheat. Be sensible in a hot country and it will keep things much safer and healthier for you all.

 

Food Safety

 

Like packing your own food, there will be some things that you need to get from a store where you are. It could be fruit, vegetables, or somewhere that you choose to eat out at. But make sure that you are keeping food safe and only serving foods that you’re happy with. You should also check if you can drink the local tap water or if you need bottled water instead, and so on. Then you can reduce your risk of sickness.

Filed Under: baby, traveling Tagged With: , ,