Taking on a restoration project is not something to do on a whim. It is a serious undertaking and will take up much of your time. How much of your time will depend on various factors, including your skills and experience and the extent of the rebuild. No matter the project, there are a few key considerations that are wise to consider.

Pick the Correct Car

What car should you restore? That’s a big question; and one that can be looked at from a variety of positions. If it is your first attempt at fixing up a car, then something not too complicated, preferably not overly valuable, as any mistakes are not too costly. You may have a car in the family that you want to bring back to its former glory or are just looking to find the right project for you.

Assess the Work & Budget it

It would help if you made an initial assessment of how much work is needed with the vehicle and budget accordingly. Keep in mind that this is an estimate, and costs can change from this; the sad reality of life is that these estimates rarely end up lower than the original figure. Accordingly, we should keep a figure in mind for contingencies when we inevitably uncover additional issues.

Original Parts or Not?

Should you use the original manufacturer’s parts or not? There are no right and wrong answers to this question, and how we approach this depends on the project. For some older cars, especially from manufacturers who no longer exist, it may be impossible to source original parts. Even if we can find the original parts, they may be significantly more expensive, but if we are planning to sell the vehicle, those original parts may increase the car’s value. 

Engine

The engine is the biggest single challenge when bringing a car back to life. It is possible the vehicle has not been started in some time, and this will mean at least changing things such as oil and any fuel that may be sitting in the lines that have gone bad. There are so many mechanical issues it is impossible to list them here. But even choices such as using hi-temp engine paint to prevent rust and give it a polished look are essential.

Bodywork

After mechanical work, bodywork is one of the most apparent tasks to take care of with a car restoration project. There are two main ways we can repair bodywork. First, if we have small (or large) spots of rust, we can fix these; this involves scraping or sanding away the rust and applying a coat of primer and then two coats of paint. The other issue can be dents and damage to the shape of the bodywork. Dents can be beaten out with a set of panel beating hammers, although this is a tricky task for the beginner. We can also replace whole panels on the car; these may be bought new, if available, or might require a search of used parts from scrap yards.

Fuel

As well as replacing any old fuel in the system we can have other issues with fuel in old cars. Cars built before the 1980s ran on leaded gasoline; this was phased out due to environmental concerns but has left some older cars being unusable. You can have an old leaded gas engine converted to run on modern unleaded fuel. We can also use additives to allow older cars to run on unleaded, but this is only advised if the car has limited use.

Insurance & Running Costs

Insurance can be expensive for some classic cars; this is partly due to the value of some of these vehicles and the cost of repair, with parts, often being expensive or difficult to source. We should be aware of the details of our policy, such as the difference between comprehensive and third-party insurance.Running costs can be more in general, particularly fuel consumption, as, unlike modern vehicles, the average classic car uses a lot more gas.

Selling

If you decide to sell the car after it is restored, you should consider a few considerations. Only sell the vehicle if you are confident your repairs have gone well and left the vehicle in a safe condition to be on the road. You can put up an advert on social media or various car sites, but if you have a rare or specifically desirable car, it might make sense to advertise on an enthusiast’s site. 

Buying a new mattress is not something you do every day, and when the time comes, choosing the perfect mattress for you can be overwhelming. Many people find it challenging to decide on the right, so they decide based on family or friend recommendations. The downside to taking suggestions from other people is that their comfort and personal preferences may not be yours; so, take the time to try out different mattresses and brands, that way, you are in a better position to make the right choice.

When buying a mattress, you need to also consider your preferred bed frame height, between low, and standard bed frame height. The bed frame complements the mattress size and height. Here are some essentials to consider when it’s time to change your mattress. 

Understand Your Needs and Preference 

When it comes to choosing the best sleeping oasis, there is no such thing as one-size-fits-all. There are several factors that influence your buying choice when it comes to a mattress, and one of them is how firm or soft the bed is. How firm or soft a mattress comes down to personal preference, and this is one of the essential preferences you need to understand, including size. 

Are you interested in a reasonably sized mattress or a super large one? Sometimes this preference is influenced by our body types; for example, a heavier person may have a different choice to that of a lighter person.  

Your Budget

A mattress is one of those price-sensitive products, and two identical beds can vastly differ in price depending on the material used and the brand. Before you leave your home, ensure that you have a fixed budget you cannot go over; this will help you streamline your options by price while seeking to find the best mattress within your willing price range.  

The Firmness or Softness

The firmness of a mattress is not as simple as saying it’s firm or soft; they range from 1 to 10, 1 being very soft and ten extremely firm. Both these extremes can pose a threat to your health, so choosing your preferred balance somewhere in the middle is essential. A mattress usually has a label indicating its firmness or softness; however, it is recommended to feel the mattress firsthand and avoid relying on a label. 

Consider the Material

Several factors contribute to the quality of a mattress, and the material used is the most notable factor. Each brand uses different materials to be distinct, so do your homework on the various materials used there. It is recommended to test the material yourself before you purchase, comparing between innerspring, waterbed, memory foam, or natural latex.   

Longevity

One of the most important things you need to consider when shopping for a mattress is longevity. How long can the mattress last before you need to visit a bed shop to replace it? There are many reasons you’d need to change a mattress, including stains, worn-out material, and preference. One of the easiest ways to determine the quality of a bed is the warranty; this suggests the manufacturer’s confidence in their product. Remember, choosing the best quality will give you more years with the mattress.  

Designing and decorating the home of your dreams is always fun and exciting, but this can sometimes lead us into getting carried away. Furniture and home décor can be expensive and you don’t want to be kicking yourself 5 years down the line for spending hundreds of dollars on pieces that suddenly seem… yuck. It’s difficult not to fall victim to trends, be it in fashion or home design – but there are ways to feel trendy and up to date without running the risk of owning outdated pieces before you can blink. Here are some style tips for long-lasting style. 

Buy Quality

When you’re talking about long-lasting, you have to consider that in a physical sense too. Saving money is something that’s important to a lot of us, but it’s important to remember that sometimes skimping will only lead to more expenses further down the line – something that could have been avoided by spending a little more on a quality piece of furniture. Opting for better quality staple pieces, like a performance fabric sofaand a sturdy wooden dining set will ensure you’ll have them for years to come.

Buy Simple and Neutral

These staple pieces, like sofas, coffee tables, dining tables and beds, are the major focal points of a room and can easily function as foundation pieces for your designs. Keeping these pieces simple and neutral will allow you to change up the décor and accessories to keep up with trends and seasons (if you so wish) without having to spend loads of money or have regrets about expensive purchases that don’t last. When your biggest and most important pieces are neutral, minimal and classy, you can take your decorating in almost any direction you could imagine.

Go For Wood

Wood is not a building material that has ever gone out of style – and we don’t foresee that happening in the near future either. You can choose between light or dark woods depending on your personal style and preferences, but good quality wooden pieces are likely to last you for years to come, both in terms of their lifespan and their place in your on-trend home. 

Pick a Lasting Style

You might be into farmhouse right now, but is that still going to be something you’re into 20 years from now? Choosing your home design and décor based on a particular aesthetic can be a little dangerous if there’s a chance that your own preferences might change in the future – irrespective of trendiness. Going for styles that are likely to age better pairs well with the concept of buying simple designs and neutral colours. Minimalist, contemporary, traditional and modern are more likely to last the ages, and you can always add elements of other styles (like boho, country, or industrial) in decorative pieces that are more easily changed out.

Be Colour Wise

If you’re a person who changes their mind as often as they change their clothes, buying furniture in bold colours might not be the best move for you. Even if those colours seem to fit well with a neutral palette (like navy blue or emerald green armchairs), you might be better off buying scatter cushions, throws, vases or artworks in those colours instead. There’s nothing wrong with a pop of colour (in fact, it’s pretty important) but limiting that to pieces that are more easily changed or replaced is a smart way of incorporating colour trends and bringing life into your space. Nobody wants to be regretting an expensive pastel yellow sofa 3 years after buying it.

Keep it Natural

Wherever you can, opt for natural materials. Woven, wooden and cane furniture and décor is versatile and can be paired with so many different styles, meaning that it will definitely be able to last you throughout various trends and phases of your life. Natural pieces are also light and textural and can add something beautiful and interesting to an otherwise simple and neutral space. Think wicker baskets, wooden side tables and rattan mirrors – you can almost never go wrong. 

The Takeaway

The most important thing to keep in mind when shopping for your home is to tread lightly when it comes to trends. Much like the clothing industry, fast fashion is fast for a reason – itsseason doesn’t last long. You don’t want to be spending your hard-earned money on a trendy sofa that won’t be cool anymore by the end of 2021, in the same way, you don’t want to be buying embroidered flare pants that your kids will make fun of you for wearing. 

Although playing with food is usually something we discourage our children to do, play food made from plastic or wood plays an important role in a child’s early development. 

Toy food enhances fine motor skills, aids with visual recognition, and helps children develop vital life skills like working as a team and cleaning up after themselves. 

Here are seven ways play food can benefit your child and aid in his development.

1. Visual Recognition 

When your child plays with toy food items, they help him gain a better understanding of the differences and similarities in colors, patterns, and shapes. Play food also helps children sort items into types, sizes, and textures. 

While it’s easy to take the ability to recognize colors, shapes, and patterns for granted, this phase of visual recognition is vital during early development

2. Self-Confidence and Imagination

When your child begins to make the connection that he can combine food items any way he likes while he’s playing “kitchen,” it encourages his creativity. 

Playing with toy food and cooking in real life are both activities that reward experimentation. When your child puts toy French fries on his toy peanut butter sandwich and you applaud his effort, it bolsters his self-confidence. 

3. Teamwork and Social Skills

Toy food items and toy kitchen sets are great for promoting teamwork because they are ideal for co-play. The children will discuss what they are going to “cook,” how they will do it, and assign each other roles. 

Important social skills like cooperation, tolerance, patience, and compromise are hashed out while the play kitchen teammates work toward a common goal – and the excitement of pretending to cook may help introverted children come out of their shells. They will also learn how to share, take turns, and listen to the opinions of others. 

4. Responsibility

While children are very young, they probably don’t understand that the cooking process involves organization, preparation, and cleaning up afterward. 

Playing with toy food and cooking in a toy kitchen teaches children responsibility because they quickly realize that everything needs to be cleaned up and packed away when they are done. Instilling healthy habits like cleaning up after themselves benefits children in many areas later on in life. 

5. Motor Skills

When children play with toy foods, they are developing their fine motor skills. Picking up the toys, pretending to cut them up, and “eating” them with toy utensils develops their hand-eye coordination and fine-tunes the muscles in their hands and fingers.  

Playing with toy food and a toy kitchen set helps children gain dexterity in their fingers and hands – something that is vital to perform everyday tasks like writing, getting dressed, and feeding themselves.

6. Healthy Food Choices

When a child plays with toy foods like vegetables, fruit, eggs, and meat, it encourages them to make healthier food choices in real life. 

Children imagine the “food” they have prepared in appetizing scenarios, which usually encourages them to try new foods in real life, too. 

7. Language and Communication

Any form of role-playing is beneficial to a child’s development because it encourages them to engage in storytelling and express themselves creatively. 

A child will vocally enact the role they have given themselves, which promotes language development and effective communication. Playing with toy food also enhances their vocabulary as they learn the names of ingredients and foods.

Children are naturally curious; it is one of the most amazing things to witness when a young mind craves knowledge. This is what sets the human race apart from everything else, the constant desire to know more. It is true what they say – the smarter the child, the more questions they will ask. The same applies to adults. If your child shows a keen interest in the world around them and is a budding scientist in the making, then here are the top ten science experiments you can try with them at home. These experiments are perfect for the holidays, or even just on a weekend. Most of the items and ingredients needed are already in your kitchen and if not, they are readily available to purchase from your local drug store.

1. Crystalized Candy

Crystalized rock candy is one of the most entertaining forms of food science. All you need is water, granulated sugar, flavoring, and food coloring. Grab a few lollipop sticks or skewers and dip them in water. Then roll the wet stick in some granulated sugar and leave it on a plate to dry for 30 minutes. Boil the sugar, water, coloring, and flavoring together and leave it to cool. Fill jars with your sugary syrup and add your stick inside – make sure to leave a one-inch gap at the bottom of the jar. After a few days, you will have grown your rock candy which is now a tasty treat.

2. Homemade Ferris Wheel

Your little scientist can make a miniature Ferris wheel at home just by using Popsicle sticks or drinking straws. There are several different tutorials available online so all you need to do is find your favorite. This is a fun way to bring the carnival to your home and it will keep the kids entertained for hours.

3. Leak-Proof Plastic Bag

This experiment always amazes the kids. All you need is a gallon-size storage bag, water, and pencils. Fill the bag halfway with water and then zip-seal it closed. Your kids can now begin poking pencils straight through the bag from one side through to the other. The plastic bag is made from long, flexible chains of molecules, when the bag is poked these molecules spread apart and then seal themselves around each pencil. Simple science turns into such a fun experiment.

4. Egg Drop Challenge

This experiment is a fun one for older children. Challenge your little scientists to construct a protective casing for an egg; the trick is that it needs to keep the egg safely intact after dropping it from a height. Let your kids use objects they can find around the house, like bubble wrap, straws, cardboard, etc. This experiment can get a little messy until they figure things out, but it is a fun way for them to engage their little scientist brains.

5. DIY Solar Oven

Another tasty experiment to try with your kids is making s’mores in a DIY solar oven by using a pizza box, plastic wrap, and some foil. Gather your ingredients together and take this little party outside into a sunny spot. Cut a flap in the lid of the pizza box and then cover it in foil. Next, line the base of the box with black construction paper because black absorbs heat. Add your s’mores into the base section of the box and then cover them with plastic wrap. If it is a hot day, these will be ready after about 45 minutes.

6. Hydrogen Bubbles

To make hydrogen bubbles, your scientists will need the following; test tubes, iron nails, sandpaper, vinegar, rulers, and test tube racks. Start by adding two inches of vinegar into the test tube, and then placing it into the rack. Put the nail, pointed side down, into the test tube and let it sit for ten minutes. You will soon notice bubbles starting to form near the nail – these are the hydrogen bubbles.

7. Basin Marker Fish Race

Give each of your kids a dry-erase marker in different colors. Go to your bathroom basin and let each of them draw a fish on their chosen spot. Wait a few minutes after drawing them, and then start filling the basin with water. As soon as the water covers the fish drawings, they will seemingly come to life. This is because the marker contains ingredients that make the ink erasable. This is a great experiment for introverted kids.

8. Eggshell Chalk

Eggshells are comprised of the same ingredient that is in sidewalk chalk – calcium carbonate or CaCO3. Crush 5 clean and dry eggshells in a mortar and pestle as finely as you can. Mix a teaspoon of flour with a teaspoon of hot water until it becomes a paste. Add one tablespoon of eggshell powder into your paste, along with a few drops of food coloring. Mix until everything is combined and then shape the mixture into a log shape. Wrap your eggshell chalk in a paper towel and then leave it to dry for five days and then let your artists do their thing.

9. Coin Cleaning Experiment

Let your kids experiment with different ways to clean a coin. Fill plastic cups with a specific ingredient and then place a dirty coin inside. The trick is to let them guess which cleaning agent will work the best. Use soda, water, laundry detergent, ketchup, and vinegar. The coins will react to each set of chemicals differently so this will be a fun teachable moment.

10. Homemade Rain Gauge

Once the rainy season starts, grab a small plastic soda bottle and turn it upside down. Let your scientists use a ruler to mark off size increments on the bottle with a permanent marker. Then cut off the end of the bottle carefully with a box knife, making sure not to leave any jagged edges. Once that is done, you can screw the lid on tightly and hang it outside in a place where it will collect the most amount of rain. Compare your readings to your local weather department and see how accurate yours are.