All posts by Anne Younger

Anne is a 30-something full-time SAHM mom of 5 ranging from 3 to 17 and grandma of 1 who resides in Ashwaubenon (Green Bay) Wisconsin. She started blogging in 2008 as a way to regain her sanity. She enjoys coffee, chocolate, cheeseburgers and vodka along with spending time with her husband and kids.

4 Accessories for Office Workers

Technological advancements have meant that most companies now use computers and various software to complete their daily tasks. Because of this, office-based work has significantly increased in the past few decades.

Millions of employees work from an office nowadays. It’s where they reside for eight hours every Monday to Friday. It’s the place where they socialize with their colleagues and interact with their managers.

There are lots of essential pieces of equipment that every office needs. From the printers to the desktop computers, these items are key to the success of the business.

But aside from the large pieces of equipment, there are also lots of essential accessories that you will need to buy as an office-based worker. These are the smaller items that help you complete your work more efficiently or make you feel more comfortable in the office.

Here are four accessories that every office worker needs.

1. Large Bag

As an employee working in an office, there are probably a lot of different things that you need to carry to and from work. It might be your wallet or purse, your lunch, a bottle of water, or a change of clothes.

Having a high-quality leather tote is essential for you to carry your essentials to and from the office every day. Find a neutral-colored tote that is appropriate for the office, such as black or tan, and you’re good to go!

2. Portable Desk Lamp

No matter what time of the day you’re working, offices can get dark, especially during the winter months.

Investing in a portable desktop lamp ensures that your desk is well-lit at all times. This can help with concentration and productivity and will prevent you from overstraining your eyes in a dark environment.

You can also get desktop lamps that have multiple different color temperature settings, so you can adjust the lighting of your work area according to your needs.

3. Stress Ball

Work can get stressful. There will be days where you feel overwhelmed and your task list is never-ending. During these stressful days, having a stress ball to hand can be a life-saver.

You can squeeze your stress ball during online video meetings or in between calls to calm your nerves and relieve your anxiety. Stress balls come in all different shapes and colors, and they’re small enough to fit into your work bag.

4. Insulated Travel Mug

If you’re a hot drink lover, having an insulated travel mug is the perfect accessory for you. You can fill it up with your favorite type of tea or a milky coffee before you head into the office to sip on during your journey.

If your office has a kettle, you can also top up your mug throughout the day to keep you awake during long meetings.

Since the mug is insulated, you don’t need to worry about your drink going cold if you get distracted in the office. They will keep your drink steaming hot for several hours.

How To Add More Living Space To Your House Without Building An Addition

The housing market is very hot right now. If your house is feeling a bit too small, then buying a bigger one might be out of reach due to the high prices. It’s a seller’s market.

You have two choices if your house feels a bit small and not a good fit for you and your family. You can make an addition to it, or you can find some ways to convert the space that you already have to maximize the living space. 

It can be very expensive and incredibly disruptive to build an addition. The best thing to do before committing to building out, or buying new is to reconfigure your house and see how it goes. If it doesn’t work out, then you’ve added value to your home.

In this article, I will give you a few ideas on how to add more space without building an addition. 

Finish the basement

The first place to look when you need to add space to your house is the basement. Generally, it has the same footprint as the rest of the house so floorspace will likely be generous. Since many people often have their heating system and laundry rooms down there, you can even block off a section and use that as extra space.

finished basement can take on many different forms so it is possible to tailor it to suit your needs. Most often, it is used as an extra living room or TV room for the kids or for people to have some separate space. 

However, if you are happy with your living room situation as it is then it can easily be converted into another bedroom. In fact, it is also very common to set up an in-law apartment down there for when a parent needs to move in or even for an adult child to stay at home while saving money for their own house one day. 

The downside to a finished basement is that they can be rather dark since they are mostly underground. It’s important to paint it in bright colors and to try to get some natural light from whatever small windows are available. 

Convert the garage

The garage is the next logical space to convert, however, there are some potential complications. Before you can get started on the conversion, you will likely face some zoning issues that need to be sorted out first. To make it a habitable space there will have to be some permits pulled and certificates paid for.

Once you have that sorted out, then you can get to work on getting it livable. No matter how you plan to use the space, you have to get it insulated so it will be a comfortable temperature year-round. Then, figure out a heating system that can be as simple as a fireplace or even connect to the main heater from the house. 

Once you have that done, then you are free to use it as a spare bedroom or even set up as a man cave.

How to decide on a gift for pregnant women?

Parenthood is an amazing experience for both the expecting mother and her entire family. If there is a particular pregnant mother in your life, you will want to show her how much you care by showering her with affection, support, and, the perfect gift. 

This article will guide you on how to decide on a gift for pregnant women and the best gifts you can give to a pregnant woman. Check out https://club.yourbabyclub.com/entrypage/hellobabybox/ if you want to purchase interesting gifts for pregnant women in their baby showers. 

How to decide on a gift?

Three crucial aspects you must keep in mind when choosing gifts for a pregnant woman. Maybe your gift can even ideally make their new chapter a little less intimidating. When selecting gifts for pregnant women, you should keep these three crucial aspects in your mind — comfort, simplicity, and wellbeing. Anything that helps nourish the mother and the kid or alleviates the mother’s discomforts would be immensely welcomed and should be your top preference when deciding on a gift for a pregnant woman. 

Four unique gifts that you can give to a pregnant woman are as follows:

Yoga ball 

Yoga balls are an interesting and unique gift for pregnant women. Its utility during pregnancy is extremely high as it can help pregnant ladies tremendously during bending or exercising with a large belly. A large yoga ball can be very useful during these situations. Yoga balls can also be used as birthing balls. A yoga ball is a thoughtful gift. Providing a gift like a yoga ball will come in handy during not only pregnancy but also at birth, and during postpartum workouts as well. 

Harmony balls

Harmony Balls are a great choice as well. During pregnancy, women who are pregnant wear it on a long pendant so that the soft chime comforts the baby in the womb while they move. After birth, the mother wears it on a shorter necklace for the infant to play with while nursing. It is thought that the music relaxed the infant more since he/she associated it with his/her time in the womb. Go ahead and give your pregnant friend a harmony ball, she would definitely appreciate your present. 

Maternity Skincare

Your friend would buy maternity skincare anyway but how wonderful would it be if you were to give her this gift. A maternity skincare set will help the wonderful mom-to-be indulge and care for herself. The set comes with stretch marks cream and nursing balm, both of which are powerful products that assist in care for the changing skin of expectant mothers.

Make sure that the products are fragrance-free, produced with organic ingredients, and dermatologically tested. 

Journal

A pregnant journal is an ideal gift for her if she enjoys journaling or jotting down memorable recollections. It will help the soon-to-be-mom in reflecting on and writing about the crucial experiences and feelings associated with pregnancy. Giving a pregnant woman a journal as a gift is thoughtful and caring. 

Home Maintenance: The Most Important Tasks That Are Often Overlooked

Home maintenance is crucial to upholding the value of your property. But beyond that, neglecting maintenance will also have you paying hefty repair bills later on.

Five Cities Plumbing Company and other home maintenance companies provide services that will simplify the challenge of maintaining your home. Even though some home maintenance tasks can be tackled with a DIY approach, which will help you reduce your expenses substantially, you should still rely on professional services for risky tasks or require expert skills and tools. 

And while some areas of your home maintenance checklist are straightforward to prioritize, there are a few that are commonly overlooked. 

Flushing Out Clogs

It’s vital to keep your home’s plumbing system running perfectly; this will help you prevent damage from leaks and burst pipes. Neglecting plumbing issues can lead to some of the most extensive property damage.

And a part of plumbing maintenance is flushing out clogs instead of leaving them to fester and cause damage. There are tons of suitable drain cleaning products available to help you flush out clogs. And if these products aren’t working, you should call a plumbing service to assist as soon as possible. 

Draining The Water Heater

At least once each year, you should drain your water heater from the bottom according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Draining the water heater is essential for flushing out the build-up of minerals at the bottom of the tank that can lead to problems. Simply draining your water heater once a year will enhance longevity and save you from costly repairs.

Routine Pest Control

Keeping your home pest-free is vital for your health. But beyond that, pests can also damage your property, so you should include pest control measures on your home maintenance checklist if you haven’t yet. 

Because controlling infestations and keeping pests at bay is not easy, you should opt for a professional service to handle this for you. Even if your home does not have any pest issues, you should still invest in preventative measures that pest control services can put in place. 

Clearing Out Gutters

It’s pretty important to check and clean out routinely. Moreover, this is a vital task that you should do throughout the year to prevent debris build-ups. Neglecting this task can lead to clogs, rotting, leaks, and a few other costly damages. 

When inspecting gutters, you must clean them thoroughly and repair any issues that you notice, whether cracks, holes, or loose areas. 

HVCA Maintenance

Your home’s heating, cooling, and ventilation system helps regulate indoor temperatures and provides you and your family with ideal air quality, positively impacting overall health and well-being. So, maintaining the HVCA unit is exceptionally important, even though so many homeowners overlook this detail on their maintenance checklists. 

That said, it’s best to rely on a professional service for routine maintenance and repairs. Unfortunately, fixing an HVCA unit is not really straightforward enough for beginners.

Prioritizing all areas of home maintenance and preparing your home for winter is pretty important. Because your home is probably your biggest asset, there’s no doubt that you want to take care of it and uphold its value.

Choosing a gift for the girl who has everything

Whether you’re buying something for your niece or a family friend’s child, buying gifts for girls who already have everything can be difficult. But while some little girls might seem to have everything they want or need, that doesn’t mean the perfect present isn’t out there waiting for them. It doesn’t matter if it’s their birthday or a little treat for doing well at school, this blog will give you some great ideas.

Experiences

Giving the gift of an experience could be the perfect thing for the girl who has everything. While children don’t often ask for experiences as gifts, a trip to the zoo or fairground will give them a day to remember. But don’t forget, all kids are different and not every girl will want to do the same things. Consider her interests or whether she’s hinted at wanting to visit the local aquarium or water park. To avoid getting it wrong, sit down and spend some time with the child you’re going to be buying this very special present for.

Group gifts

If there’s a bigger, more expensive gift that would make this little girl’s day, then consider banding together with other family members to get something really unique. This could be her own camera, a trampoline, or a video game console. Whatever it is, it’s sure to be more exciting than yet another cuddly toy, doll, or board game.

Personalized books

Even if the little girl you’re buying for has everything her heart desires, gifting her a personalized book will never get old. It might even be the first one she’s ever received. Personalized books are more than just adding in a dedication, they involve having the child as a character in the story. There are lots of websites that allow you to customize the story and insert your child’s name so that they get to play the hero.

Lessons

Not unlike an experience, a series of lessons could allow the child in question to develop a new skill over time. These could be to do with music, swimming, dancing, or even painting. It doesn’t matter what this little girl is interested in, there are classes that will satisfy any one of her passions and it’s something that her parents might not have gotten around to doing yet. Giving a child the gift of lessons is something they’ll remember for the rest of life, regardless of whether they continue this new hobby after their initial course has finished.

Just ask

Even if a little girl seems to have all bases covered in her life, you never know if there’s a special dress or brand of coloring pencils she’s been eyeing for a while. Kids don’t always think like adults, meaning they want things simply because they like them, not because they have a need for them or see them as practical. While their parents might think buying them a second skipping rope is a waste of money, at the end of the day, a child’s birthday is all about them.