Karissa Tunis

Holiday Wish List: Toy Gift Guide For Kids

It’s almost the season of gift-giving. And if you don’t want to go through the stress of the holiday shopping rush, you might want to start early on stocking up on gifts. Before strutting to the malls, plan out first all the things you intend to give to each of your loved ones. You probably know from the countless years of gift-giving that adults aren’t that hard to please with gifts.

Finding the Perfect Gift for Kids

However, kids are a different case. Months after receiving a gift, their trinkets probably clutter up in a grimy room somewhere. If you want to give them presents that will draw out squeals of excitement upon opening, and can still maintain that reaction after years of receiving it, then you’ve come to the right place! We are here to help you decide among the abundance of overwhelming gift ideas.

In this article, we have collected a bunch of gifts perfect for kids of all ages. Gifts ranging from educational, to leisure, to creativity, and more! If you want to know what kind of kid-friendly presents you can give this holiday season, then carry on reading.

For more on this topic, check out the full Gift Giving collection

Toy Gift Guide For Kids

Clothes

We can only imagine the kids’ dismay when opening their presents only to find out that it is clothes and nothing that they can play with. However, it doesn’t mean that it has to be boring. You can opt to pick those with colorful prints or cartoons that they like.

There’s a wide array of clothing you can choose from. And we are sure you can pick one that’s their size, and that sports a graphic that they will surly like. Now that the cold season is approaching soon, it’s an excellent time to shop for your kids’ winter wear to keep them warm through the first snowdrops.

[Read: DIY Wrapping Paper Bows]

Musical Instruments

There’s no such thing as exposing your children too early to various musical instruments. You never know, your child just might be the next Beethoven. Letting kids learn instruments will make them develop not only socially but also academically.

It can also improve their memory and skills. And offer benefits like abstract reasoning if they start learning instruments at a very early age. It can also be an outlet to induce their innovative skills, and a great way to express their emotions. So don’t ever hesitate to check out musical instruments for kids, which we’ve heard are available on My Happy Helpers.

Wooden Toys

Not only are plastic toys harmful to the environment, but they may also be dangerous for your kids. Wooden toys are not only durable, but they are also PVC-free. And they do not contain such chemicals as phthalates.

We know that kids around the age of 7 months old will start to put everything in their mouths. So we have to make sure that the toys they are playing with aren’t toxic and are not a choking hazard. Wooden toys are usually created with suitable materials. So there is no reason to switch back to plastic ones. Look for ones that are sustainably sourced and have safety standards.

Educational books

The appropriate age for books to be introduced to kids is when they are about 3-4 months old. You can start with picture storybooks for toddlers. It is a good idea to expose them to colorful illustrations with a storyline. Books like that are typically the ones kids usually like to go back to and read again.

You can also opt to buy participation books where kids can interact with the book by following its instructions. There are tons of books out there that are perfect for each type of kid. So pick one that you know they will surely like to go back to again, and will not collect dust over time.

Gadgets

If you have the means to splurge more, you can choose to buy them gadgets. Of course only as long as the kid is at a certain age where they are ready to be exposed to this. It may be the right time to teach them about being responsible about the things they own. There are tech options out there with an educational interface where kids can only access specific sites that are usually just child-friendly.

[Read: 30 Best Video Games for Kids on the Nintendo Switch]

Art Supplies or DIY kits

Teaching kids to recognize their own creativity can do wonders to your kids’ social and emotional growth. Art is a great way for kids to learn how to manage their thoughts and feelings.

Letting them do all kinds of crafts will improve their motor skills and practice independence. They will take pride in their work, foster confidence, and patience, which is very much crucial for a kid to have.

Non-powered Vehicles (bikes, scooters, skateboards)

If your kid is between the ages of 4 to 8, they are probably capable of practicing agility and coordination on their own. If they can balance without the help of anyone, then they might be ready. As long as it is under the supervision of an adult that assists them in the process. Teaching your child how to ride a bike, or any type of vehicle, can be a fun experience!

Takeaway

Gift-giving has always been a tradition that almost everyone is practicing. And hopefully, this guide has been more than helpful to your dilemma. We also hope that the tradition of giving out presents will create a beautiful reminder of the holiday season for the kids.

For more on this topic, check out the full Gift Giving collection

Struggling With Infertility And Looking Forward To Having Kids? Check Out Your Options Here

It can be difficult for both women and men to discuss infertility issues openly since there is significant societal stigma and shame attached to the issue. For any couple looking to start a family, infertility often feels like an unexpected punch in the gut. It is painful. And can cause couples to feel as though their biggest dreams have been snatched unceremoniously from them.

However, infertility is no longer the death knell it once was. And now there are a few options available to people looking to become parents. If you, like so many others, are struggling with infertility and desperately want a baby, then the following information should help point you in the right direction.

For more on this topic, check out the full Tough Times collection

Look Into Fertility Drugs

One thing you can try, provided that you check with your doctor first, is the usage of fertility drugs. Now, these aren’t exactly a slam dunk. And it will often vary from couple to couple. In any case, a reproductive endocrinologist basically takes a look at the couple’s details to assess the root cause of infertility. Then based on that information, they will try to assign medication that will work to help increase sperm production, stimulate ovulation, and thicken the uterine lining. If you haven’t yet discussed this with your specialist, it may be worth checking into to see if this option would work for you.

Surrogacy

Another option that can be helpful to new couples struggling with infertility is surrogacy. While the term may seem familiar, you are probably wondering, how does surrogacy work? Well, it is primarily recommended for those who are unable to go through with the pregnancy themselves, mostly due to medical reasons. Although, it is a popular option for gay couples who cannot start families easily on their own. For an infertile couple, the surrogate would have the embryo implanted. The surrogate will then be responsible for carrying and delivering the baby for the new parents.

Adoption

Adoption is sometimes overlooked in discussions around infertility. However, it is often the perfect, peaceable option for couples eager to become parents. There are many children out there who need to be cared for. And providing them a home is not only wonderful in and of itself, but it can be an excellent learning experience for new parents. Of course, in this scenario, the adoptive parents are not related genetically to the family in question. There are several routes interested couples can take, from private adoption centers, to international adoption, going through the foster care system, and so on. This, of course, doesn’t cure infertility, but it is a significant way of addressing the issue and starting a family anyway.

Conclusion

In the end, there is always the option of simply accepting a child-free life. This sometimes isn’t feasible for people who have their heart set on becoming parents. But it might be worth considering. Sometimes things happen for a reason. And perhaps there are other plans for you on the horizon. Even so, there are a few solutions for you to consider as you make your way through this difficult time.

For more on this topic, check out the full Tough Times collection

Getting New Fish For Your Tank? Here’s How To Choose

November 24, 2021

Many people don’t realize the importance of choosing the right fish for their tanks. The process requires plentiful considerations and seamless preparedness. Because we know how overwhelming filling up your tank may be, we are here to guide you about how you can choose a new fish for your tank.

For more on this topic, check out the full Family Pet and Family Home collections

Tank’s Dimensions

Before purchasing fish for your tank, you need to keep in mind that different fish thrive in different spaces and tank shapes. Those that are more active like danios and barbs, prefer wider aquariums. Wider tanks provide them with sufficient space to spread out, which can help them interact more effectively. Some types tend to become hostile when packed closely to each other. Although tall and narrow tanks are aesthetically pleasing and offer a space advantage, they are not sustainable choices for active types of fish. If your tank resonates with this description, then you may want to look into species like gouramis, angelfish, discus, and other kinds that are less active.

Tank’s Size

Besides the dimensions of the tank, you need to consider its overall size as well. As we mentioned above, fish communicate and interact more efficiently when they’re spaced out. They can become easily distressed, and may even fight with their peers if they’re not granted enough space. As a general rule of thumb, you need a net gallon of tank capacity for each adult fish you have in your aquarium. However, keep in mind that territorial fishes require more space, and those that you purchase will likely grow in size. You also need to account for your decorations, internal dimensions, and gravel when it comes to the size of your aquarium. This means that a 50-gallon tank will not hold 50 gallons of water. Remember that what you consider a large tank doesn’t equate to the space they get in their natural habitat.

The Origin and Species of the Fish

Fishes communicate in numerous ways. In fact, research has found that those that come from different regions may communicate differently. This is why it would be helpful if you research both their types as well as their origins to ensure that they all come from the same region, especially if you’re purchasing territorial or highly aggressive species. Doing so will help them communicate effectively.

It’s important as well to identify which types of fish are compatible with each other. Betta fish, for instance, are often challenging to care for. And it can also be hard to find other species that are comfortable living with them. If you’re particularly interested in getting Ghost shrimp and betta, then before doing so you need to learn about them and how to take care of them so they can live a long and healthy life.

Researching and learning basic facts about whichever type of fish you end up with is necessary; aquarists at https://aquariumstoredepot.com/blogs/news/ghost-shrimp-and-betta suggest that you extensively read up on them before deciding. Species, like knife fish, cichlids, mormyrids, loaches, and other territorial species, don’t get along well with their own or with those similar to their kind. Although large tanks may help in this case, you still can’t guarantee that they’d safely coexist with each other. It’s better to surround them with types that aren’t closely related.

The Gender

Generally, male fishes are comparatively more aggressive and territorial than females, especially when mating. This is the case, particularly for cichlids. Make sure to research the gender differences in the species you intend to purchase. If you’re getting aggressive species, territorial fish, or cichlids, keep the male count to one at max. Livebearers should be kept at a ratio of around 3 females for each male you have. This can help keep the mating behavior under control.

Different Personalities

You can understand a lot about fish by reading about the general traits and characteristics of its species. However, keep in mind that these traits are overgeneralized, and just like humans, they too have unique personalities. Aside from ensuring that the types you have in your tank are highly compatible, you need to be ready to separate those that don’t get along individually, even when you least expect it.

Quantity

Some species, like some kinds of danios and tetras, and tiger barbs, are most behaved and at peace when they live in large schools. You also need to keep in mind that there are shy schooling fish. These types are less likely to be bullied when they are kept in a large group. Schooling fish should consist of at least 6 individuals.

Many people often overlook the fact that some fishes are not meant to share an aquarium. Forcing them to coexist can impact their well-being and result in fatal consequences. You may even be surprised to learn that some combinations that are widely believed to work may go incredibly wrong depending on several factors. Fortunately, now you can select your pet fish mindfully and ensure a peaceful tank environment.

For more on this topic, check out the full Family Pet and Family Home collections

Small Ways To Make Your Home More Comfortable & Inviting

November 15, 2021

Your home should be something that brings you pride. If people don’t like visiting, or look uncomfortable when they do, then that could dent your ego. Naturally, there could be multiple reasons behind that. Unclean and smelly houses will be some of the more notable. But if these don’t apply to you, then you could be at a loss for an explanation. How inviting your home is could play a significant role in this.

You should want your home to be somewhere that people want to be. Figuring out how to make your home more inviting will be a large part of this. You’ll need to keep a few things in mind when you’re doing so. Continue reading below for tips on small ways to make your home more comfortable and inviting.

For more on this topic, check out the full Family Home collection

How To Make Your Home More Inviting

Tackle That Entrance

Your home’s entrance will be the first and last thing people see at your home. You’ll need to make sure that this leaves a good impression. Picking an appealing color will be recommended. It’s also worth landscaping around the door, if you can.

If not, adding some potted plants could be recommended. It’s also worth placing an outdoor light above or close to the door. That’ll make it much safer when walking up, which will make it more inviting overall.

As minor as this might seem, it could make a big difference. A new lock might also be a suggested option.

Rework The Furniture

Your furniture will naturally play a significant role in how comfortable and inviting your home is. It could be worth updating some of your larger pieces, such as the sofa. You might want to go beyond this, however.

Changing some of the smaller things, such as bedside tables, can play a large role. These can be spread across different rooms to enhance the effect. You could consider going from room to room to see what furniture can be replaced.

You could always give new life to some furniture by repainting it or even by putting it somewhere else.

Brighten The Corners

Lights can make much more of an impression in a room than you might think. If you’ve got any dark areas or corners, then that’s especially true. Nobody wants to be in a room that’s dark and depressing.

Strategically placing lights or lamps around the home can make a significant difference. Outside of brightening up the room, it’ll highlight furniture that people will like. It’ll also make things feel much warmer, regardless of the actual temperature.

Subconsciously, that’ll make people feel more comfortable while they’re there. It’s worth spending some time comparing different options. It’s worth going for a high-end choice, as these can look much more stylish.

Wrapping Up

If you like having friends and family over, then you’ll need to know how to make your home more inviting. Once you do, you’ll have a place that people love spending time at. While you’ll still need to put effort into cleaning and entertaining, it’ll be much easier when your loved ones are comfortable.

With the holiday season coming up, you’ll be more than ready to host a few parties. What’s not to love?

For more on this topic, check out the full Family Home collection

How Can I Reduce My Auto Costs?

There are a number of costs associated with running a car that might need to be factored into your monthly budget. These costs may be exacerbated if you drive an exotic or classic car, which might require additional work completed. Or these special cars even raise the price of making it road-legal. By making some better choices regarding the way you use and look after your car, you might be able to decrease its outgoing cost, allowing you to enjoy its use that much more. Continue reading below for some tips on how to reduce your auto costs.

For more on this topic, check out the full Saving Money collection

Altering the Way You Insure

Insurance for your vehicle can be incredibly important to help cover any damages or medical bills that others may suffer should you be at fault for an accident. Likewise, comprehensive insurance can also aid you in protecting your own vehicle, possessions, and people. Historically, your yearly insurance premium may have been created using your driving details, vehicle details, and some assumptions regarding how much you will use the vehicle over the next 12 months. You may be able to pay a more accurate figure with pay-per-mile car insurance. This can reduce your costs by measuring the miles you travel each month, and then using this data to create your bill. Theoretically, this means that if you do less driving in June than you did in May, your next bill should reflect this. Therefor rewarding drivers for fewer miles covered.

Consider the Need

Many of us enjoy being behind the wheel of our car. But many journeys are unnecessary. While barely any gas is used on starting the vehicle itself, a drive for a few minutes to the local shop, then leaving the engine running while your partner nips in to grab a few bits, could actually be draining your fuel tank far more than you intended. Due to this, you might want to carefully think about the journeys you take. If a location is within walking distance, you might want to leave the car at home. Or consider riding your bike. Likewise, if you are going to be waiting for more than 30 seconds, it can be good practice to switch off the engine and restart it as required. – Rather than leave it idling and wasting precious fuel.

Maintain the Vehicle

A vehicle that is in poor condition may not only cost a lot of money, but it can put the safety of yourself and other road users at extreme risk. Taking the brakes as an example. Brake pads can cost around $200 to replace when worn. I know this may sound like a lot of money. However, you could end up paying over double if you continue putting this off. This is because further damage can occur to other parts of the braking system. Checking your vehicle for faults regularly can also help you to identify parts that may have a shorter amount of life left. This will allow you to budget for them in advance. And be able to replace them as soon as they are needed.

Looking after your vehicle correctly, and considering the ways you use it, can ultimately help to bring those costs down.

For more on this topic, check out the full Saving Money collection

How To Explain The Importance of Nature to Children: The Unconventional Approach

Nature is one of the most important things in the world. It’s not just something we can take for granted, because it can have a profound effect on our lives and how we feel about ourselves. It’s the trees, rivers, mountains, and oceans that fill us with awe and wonder. And it’s important for mental health to spend time away from city life. This article contains helpful advice about nature and how to explain its importance to children in a way they’ll remember for years to come.

For more on this topic, check out the full Helping Others collection

Keep The Nature Untouched

Nowadays, there is a growing need to build various facilities, which is increasingly destroying nature. It is very important that we and the children know how we must do everything in our power to preserve nature. One interesting way of doing this is the option of buying a piece of land, as seen at www.celtictitles.com, so the land will be owned by you. That way you can choose to do nothing and thus keep nature as it is. It is important that we preserve as much nature as we can as it is essential for the living world. Nature gives us air to breathe, food to eat, and water to drink. Without it, we would face a bleak future.

Don’t Pollute It

Another important thing we need to do is not destroy nature through pollution. This refers to throwing garbage everywhere, which leads to soil and water pollution. It is also important not to throw the garbage in the sea, where it kills fish and other wildlife. We need to educate children about how they can make a difference through recycling. You can do this by teaching them to separate their trash into three different categories: paper, plastic/glass/aluminum, and organic waste. Kids learn from examples. So it is important that we, as grown-ups, lead by example.

Respect Animals

The cycle of life is very important to understand, especially for children. We can explain that everything in nature is connected to each other. We should never harm any animals. Instead we should protect them from unnecessary deaths and injuries. That way we will help the animal kingdom by making a better place for them to live. Avoid pollution caused by throwing garbage everywhere, or harming them with plastic waste. This also applies to the things mentioned earlier in the text. Because if we destroy living habitats for animals, we endanger animals as well. The more we hurt the Earth’s equilibrium, the more pollution there is and the more the habitat is destroyed.

Importance Of The Bees

Your children should also know about the importance of bees and how we can help them with their work. Bees are essential for the living world because they pollinate food crops. In pollination, insects carry pollen from one plant to another. In doing so, they fertilize the plant. This allows it to produce fruits, vegetables, seeds, and more. If all bees die, it will disrupt the delicate balance of the Earth’s ecosystems. And this would affect the world’s food supply. We should all do our part in helping bees survive by planting more trees and flowers around our homes to provide them with a proper habitat.

Clean The Nature

Your kids should also do their part in protecting nature by cleaning up their own environment. They should gather any garbage they find around them and put it in one place. This will help the environment by keeping the place clean and reducing pollution. If they also make an effort to clean part of the land, meadow, or something else, they will understand the importance of throwing garbage in bins and recycling. This way, they can even influence their friends and point out to them the importance of throwing garbage in the place provided for that. Healthy habits are built from an early age.

As your children get older, they can join environmental organizations to help them with their cause. These kids will grow up to be great contributors to Earth’s well-being because of all you have taught them about protecting nature.

Eating Well

The composition of our diet also has a great influence on the preservation of nature. Our food choices should be made with caution. For example, if we eat a lot of meat, it will cause deforestation and habitat destruction because most of the animals will be on the farm. This way, the natural cycle of life is broken and there is not enough vegetation for all our needs. People have been eating meat from an early age because they were unaware of the damage it causes to the planet. We should all eat more vegetables and fruits to keep our bodies healthy without destroying the Earth’s natural habitats.

The Importance of Nature for Children

If you want to protect the world around us, start with your own children. Share this article with them and teach them how they can help keep our planet green by eating well, respecting animals, recycling, and taking care of bees so that we don’t lose their pollination services in order to grow food crops. These are just a few ways kids can do their part in protecting nature for future generations while also building healthy habits early on which will be good for both themselves and the environment!

For more on this topic, check out the full Helping Others collection

Want To Keep Your Child Healthy? Focus On These Areas

Every parent will worry about their child. There will be more than enough reasons why you would, though most of these will end up being relatively minor. However, some things will deserve a certain amount of attention and concern. One of the more notable is your child’s health.

Outside of the obvious, you might not know how to keep your child healthy. As there could be more involved in this than you might be aware of. But that doesn’t mean that it’ll be complicated. Chances are that it’ll be much simpler than you’d expect. So continue reading below for a few tips on how to keep your child healthy.

For more on this topic, check out the full Staying Healthy collection

Give Them A Balanced Diet

There’s a reason that a balanced diet and exercise are consistently recommended. Figuring out exactly what your child should have could be trickier than you’d first think. Typically, they’ll need three meals a day, along with between one and three snacks depending on their age and growth.

You should aim to keep these snacks as healthy as possible. You should also try to make sure that your child gets fresh and unprocessed foods. Some of the more notable of these include whole grains, dairy, fruits, and vegetables.

Take Them To Check-Ups

When it comes to keeping your child healthy, the importance of regular check-ups can’t be overstated. There are countless appointments that you might need to take your child to throughout their lives. Their medical professional will be one of the more notable.

That doesn’t mean that the doctor is the only qualified professional that you should take your child to. Instead, you might need advice on hearing health, oral care, eye care, and much more. If you are considering a holistic approach to your child’s health, you will still need to make sure that everything is covered.

Look After Their Mental Health

When it comes to keeping your child healthy, their mental health shouldn’t be overlooked. This can be just as vital as their physical health. There are a few tips and tricks for helping with your child’s mental health.

The more notable of these include:

Be open and start conversations early.
Stay on the lookout for behavioral changes.
Promote healthy habits.

With these, you shouldn’t have much of an issue maintaining your child’s mental health. Should they need help from a professional, then that’s worth doing as soon as possible. Don’t forget to look after your own mental health at the same time.

Keeping Your Child Healthy

Once you know exactly how to keep your child healthy, it can seem quite easy. Most of your focus will be on their daily habits and routines.

And as your child learns these life skills, they’ll be more capable of helping to keep themselves healthy as well. That could make each of the above tips mentioned much easier to keep up with than you’d initially think.

For more on this topic, check out the full Staying Healthy collection

How To Support Your Child’s Activities in School

If your child is in grade school, you may have noticed that they are involved in many different activities. These activities can include everything from music, to sports, to clubs. Parents need to support their child’s dreams and help them succeed. Here are some ways that you can help your child with their activities at school.

Customize Your Sporting T-Shirt

Creating custom sports apparel is an excellent way to show your support for any team or player. For example, when you order baseball mom shirts online, it’s easy to add text and photos to connect with anyone who sees them. Likewise, if you have children who play on a school football team, baseball squad, or basketball club, consider designing their practice jerseys so they can be part of the entire experience from start to finish.

For more on this topic, check out the full Sports collection

Get Them the Necessary Equipment

If your child is involved in an activity that requires them to have a particular piece of equipment, don’t forget to purchase or rent it for them. For example, if they’re playing sports, you’ll want to purchase their cleats and other gear as well, as the necessary sized baseball gloves or tennis racket. It’s also essential to buy this equipment and be sure it fits properly so that they can use it safely and comfortably. Getting them the right gear can help them feel confident when they take the field or court and perform their best.

Always ensure that your child is wearing the necessary equipment, even if they’re playing a sport at recess. If you have any questions about getting them their gear, or what type of equipment they need for an activity, speak with their teacher. They’ll be able to let you know exactly what’s required and where you can purchase it from.

While some kids’ activities take place outside of schools, such as music lessons, or dance classes- other ones require children to wear certain types of protective clothing like helmets when horseback riding, or goggles when swimming.

Sign Them Up for Extra Classes

It can be helpful for your child to sign up for extra classes regardless of their age. Classes like art, music, and sports are great ways to help contribute to what they already enjoy doing outside of school within the classroom setting. In addition, signing up children early on allows teachers to better understand individual students’ interests, which helps tailor specific lessons that might benefit that student over others. It is also an excellent way to support building ties with other parents at their school as well.

Encourage Them

Yes, as a parent, you want to support your child in their activities and schoolwork. Support doesn’t only mean showing up at the event or meeting. You can also encourage them from home. It would help if you always let your kids know that they are doing great. They need encouragement throughout different stages of life–their educational journey is one where they need to have someone cheering them on the whole way.

Conclusion

These are some things that parents can do to help their children succeed at school. Of course, it is essential to have fun while supporting your kids’ interests too. Remember what it was like being a kid? Try not to over-schedule them and let them be young if they can be.

For more on this topic, check out the full Sports collection

Summer Recipes: The Perfect Crispy Treats for a Hot Day

Summer Recipes: The Perfect Crispy Treats for a Hot Day

The hottest day of the year is just around the corner, and it’s time to bust out those ice cream sandwiches. But you don’t have to wait until July to enjoy a cold treat. There are plenty of summer recipes that will satisfy your sweet tooth, cool down your kitchen, and provide a little bit of comfort this season. Here are some desserts, appetizers, and main dishes that are perfect for these hot days ahead.

For more on this topic, check out the full Recipes collection

Waffles

Waffles are a great breakfast or brunch idea for a hot day. They are so versatile, and you can serve with fresh fruit, syrup, powdered sugar, whipped cream, and savory ingredients such as bacon and eggs. Of course, the perfect combination is waffles with ice cream topped with warm chocolate sauce.

For this recipe, you will need:

Waffle batter (prepared according to package instructions)
Two scoops of vanilla ice cream per waffle sandwich

Chocolate Sauce- prepare the chocolate sauce before serving time. It’s best to prepare it ahead of time because, after heating, the sauce hardens quickly when left at room temperature without stirring in additional liquid. In a small heavy-bottomed pan, combine butter/oil, cocoa powder, and sugar. Boil over medium heat while constantly stirring with a wooden spoon until all the ingredients melt together.

Remove from heat immediately when boiling starts, add vanilla extract or liquor of choice (bourbon is preferable) and stir well. If the chocolate sauce appears too thick, thin it out by adding milk before serving time if desired – some people prefer thicker sauces on their waffles.

Beer Battered Fish

This refers to any fish coated with a beer batter. The most common types are cod, haddock, or whiting.

To cook crispy, tasty baccala, you need to start with making the batter. The batter consists of flour, beer and often spices. Then, the fish can be deep-fried or pan-fried in a bit of oil. An excellent tip to get the perfect crispy coating on your fish is using self-rising flour instead of regular plain flour. Self-raising has baking powder added, which helps give that extra crunchiness when frying.

The batter sticks nicely onto the fish thanks to the carbon dioxide bubbles in beer known for their leavening properties.

Oven-Baked Squash

This is a great way to use up the squash from your garden.

Ingredients:

butter
salt and pepper, to taste
onion powder, optional

First, preheat the oven at 350 degrees F. Cut both ends off the summer squash, then cut into pieces that are about an inch thick or less if they’re very long. Place on a baking sheet with parchment paper; add butter, salt and pepper, onion powder, and bake for 30 minutes, turning once after 15 minutes.

Fried Chicken

Fried chicken is often a staple food that is eaten by most Americans year-round. However, for those of you who don’t want to spend the time frying chicken at home this summer, here are some alternative ways to make crispy fried chicken without an outside deep fryer.

A classic summer recipe that will give your chicken a delicious crispy texture is to fire roast it. Coat the raw chicken with breadcrumbs and spices before you place it in an oven on broil for about 15 minutes or until cooked through.

This technique works incredibly well if your frying pan has ridges like a grill since they help hold onto extra flour and create crispier edges. However, if you don’t have one of these types of pans, then try using aluminum foil (shiny side up) placed under your cooking rack to mimic its effect!

Strawberry Shortbread Ice Cream Sandwich

You can serve this as a dessert or even a sweet snack. It is straightforward to make, and you can make it with ingredients you already have in your kitchen.

Ingredients:

Strawberry shortbread cookies (store-bought)
Vanilla ice cream (ice cream of choice, softened at room temperature for 30 minutes)
Fresh strawberries (sliced thinly lengthwise)

Take one strawberry shortbread cookie and top it off with some vanilla ice cream. Top that with another strawberry shortbread cookie, then place the sandwich on an aluminum tray before placing this into the freezer until firm like a rock. Serve once fully frozen by thawing slightly for about 15 minutes before serving time so they won’t crack when bitten into them.

Conclusion

In conclusion, summer recipes are beneficial, especially in the summer. It is a great way to keep calm and enjoy your favorite dishes even though it’s scorching outside.

For more on this topic, check out the full Recipes collection

Need to know facts about your child’s eyes and vision

It is unlikely that you think too much about your child’s vision unless necessary. Many parents notice that there is something wrong with their child’s eyes, but are unsure of what to do about it or what it could be. For example, are you familiar with Chalazion? Do you know what it looks like, what causes it, and how you should treat it? You should be looking out for your child’s eye health as much as you are anything else relating to their wellbeing. So here is some advice on how you can get familiar with their child’s eye development, and how to face the common issues that may crop up as they get older.

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Babies Eye Health

Whilst a newborn baby can see, they are still forming those important connections between the retina and the brain. Their central vision is still developing during the first few months of their life, and you can monitor this by looking out for how they are moving and focusing their eyes. You should notice that they soon start to focus on objects in front of them. Although it is normal at this time for their eyes to appear crossed, or to wander a little bit as they are still learning how to coordinate and how their eyes can work together. At the age of three months old, babies should have much better control over their eyes. Or if they are still very uncoordinated, or wandering much more than they should, you should consult with your pediatrician and get them to take a look.

Three-dimensional vision develops at around five months old. This contributes to their hand-eye coordination and depth perception. So, you can monitor their progress by seeing how well they can reach for objects and how well they can determine how far the object is from them.

The color of your babies’ eyes may change in the first nine months of their life. However they should settle down at the nine-month mark. There can still be some slight changes in color or shade up until the age of three. But nothing as significant as you will see in the first year.

Toddlers Eye Health

The toddler stage is when your child is most likely to show signs of strabismus. So watch for any misalignment of the eyes or one eye that look straight on whilst the other one wanders. Measles is the leading cause of childhood blindness and the best way to combat this is to get your child vaccinated.

Children Eye Health

As your child gets older and you are starting to think about sending them to school. This is also when you should look out for signs of near or farsightedness. Spending lots of time in front of a screen can contribute to the development of nearsightedness and can cause digital eye strain. It is important for both you and your children to follow the 20-20-20 rule: for every 20 minutes spent looking at a screen look away and spend 20 seconds focusing on something at least 20 feet away.

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