3 Kids and Us

5 steps to help you clean your home

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Cleaning your home is like going into battle with your own house. There’s cupboards full of surprises, coffee stains that will put up fierce resistance, problem areas that you thought were long gone and treacherous conditions caused by dust. It’s a minefield.

How to overcome it? Well, as any good tactician will tell you, the way to win the battle is to come up with a battleplan. A strategy that you believe is so good that your enemies – in this case, clutter and dirt – won’t be able to overcome.

That’s where we’re here to help. Here are five steps to help you clean your home.

Put some music on

First things first – get some upbeat music on. There is nothing more depressing than cleaning with just the sound of a vacuum cleaner and the thoughts of “This is hell” rolling around your mind. Have a look at this cleaning playlist which will help the time fly.

Set about decluttering

The temptation when cleaning is to simply pick everything up and throw it in a closet. Out of sight, out of mind is a technique that might work in some areas of life, but not when it comes to cleaning. Take the opportunity to declutter your home. If you come across clothes you no longer wear or toys that the kids no longer player with, then consider donating or recycling them. By getting rid now, you’ll be ensuring you have less to clean and put away next time the task rolls around.

Be methodical when it comes to dust

Dust is horrible, isn’t it? No matter how hard you try, you always manage to miss a spot. The best way to dust is methodically – go from left to right, top to bottom across every surface in the house, and not just those that appear dusty to you. Something may look clean, but once the sun shifts around or the natural lighting of a room is replaced with artificial lighting from a lamp, you’ll discover areas that looked clean earlier but now are covered in dust. For the faces of framed photos and screens, use glass cleaner to avoid streaking.

Invest in the right equipment for floors

If you are mopping a kitchen or bathroom floor, then start in the furthest corner of the room and move backwards towards the entrance, rinsing the mop after each four-square foot area you’ve cleaned. By working in that way, you’re taking yourself out of the area you’ve cleaned rather than marooning yourself in a corner, surrounded by wet floor. When it comes to carpets, a powerful vacuum or Dry Carpet Cleaner will produce the best results.

Don’t be afraid of what is down the back of your furniture

It’s not enough just to beat down the cushions of your furniture. Use a vacuum to suck up all the dirt and be sure to get right down the back of the sofa. Sure, the prospect of what you mind find down there is a scary one, but you might also be surprised. Who knows, there could be enough loose change for you to be able to hire a professional cleaner for next time? If that doesn’t encourage you to clean the sofa thoroughly, then what will?!

India Travel Myths Debunked

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India is an amazing country, with a superfluity of beautiful landscapes, diverse cultures, a rich history and an incredibly warm and welcoming population. However, those in need of passport renewal to travel to India will always be bombarded with a lot of myths about certain untruths about the great country of India.

It is imperative that if you want to have a great trip to India, you should learn to sift the truth from the lies and myths, or else you will be feeding up your mind and expectations with the wrong information. In this piece, we take a look at some of the myths, misconceptions, and lies you are likely to hear about India and we reveal to you the exact truth and what you should expect during your trip to India.

It is unsafe to travel to India

There are some publications that rate India as unsafe, especially for traveling by solo women or ladies. This is entirely not true and it is nothing but a malicious way to try to depict the country in a bad light to discourage people from visiting. The truth is that India is one of the safest countries for all types of travelers and you will always meet warm and welcoming population. But just as when traveling to any country, it is important to take the necessary precautions to stay safe. This includes being careful about the places you visit, the times you visit them, how you handle your money and all the basic things you would do to guarantee your safety in any country. India isn’t any different.

India is always hot

It is not entirely true that India is always hot. India experiences both summers and winters and so the climatic conditions vary. It is true that the summer months can sometimes get really hot until the tar on the tarmac roads begins to peel off, but it is also true that sometimes there could be snow in India, especially in the regions towards the north. So don’t buy the lie that India is always hot and when coming, you should prepare yourself for some sweltering temperatures and high humidity.

All foods have chili

One thing you have to appreciate about Indian foods is that most, but not all of them are spicy. Most Indians enjoy their foods with a lot of spices, and there are many places that serve such kinds of foods. But if you are not the type that likes a lot of chili in their foods, then you should not be afraid to travel to India because there are plenty of foods that don’t have chili. If you don’t want the chili, you simply request the cook or the service to not include chili in your meal and they will gladly oblige.

India is a poor country

The media has successfully managed to drill into people’s minds that India is a poor country and this is due to the ever-circulating photos of Indians walking barefoot, living in hut houses and begging on the streets. But if you to be asked which country doesn’t have beggars or people walking with barefoot, especially in the interiors, you would find that there are so many such countries in the world. If some Indians are walking barefoot, begging or living in poor houses, it doesn’t mean that the entire country is poor. Poverty is a global concern and you will find it in even very developed economies. So don’t allow yourself to be sold the poor side of India.

India is suffering from overpopulation

India is the home to about 1.2 billion people, and this makes it a fairly populous country, and in fact, it is the second most populated country in the world after China. However, it is not true that every state you will visit in India will suffer from overpopulation or that all the places in India are always full of people. Before you adopt such a line of thought, you should consider the landmass of India and you will find that it is a very big country.

Secondly, it is true that the urban areas are fairly populated, and this is just the major cities. But such is expected in most cities around the globe. If you move away from the major cities or towards the rural areas, you will surely discover that there is nothing like India suffering from overpopulation. 

Indians don’t eat meat, they are all vegetarians

If you love food and you are going for passport renewal to travel to India, then this myth would be a complete turn-off. But the truth is that it is just a myth – all Indians are not vegetarians and they actually do eat meat. You will be amazed at some of the meat, fish, chicken and pork dishes you will find India. The country is a foodie’s haven and there is always a variety of meals, including both for vegetarians and non-vegans. But it is true that due to certain religious considerations, some Indians don’t eat meat, especially beef.

Communication is a barrier in India

If you don’t understand the local language of the cities or countries you are traveling to, the communication will always be a barrier unless you get a local guide, so this is not a problem that is unique to India alone. However, most Indians can speak good if not fluent English and for most people, given that English is an international language, you won’t find any problem communicating in India. In fact, in high tourist areas, you will find the local speak other languages as well, with the major ones being French, Russian, and German amongst others.

There are high chances that you will be scammed

Again this is not a problem unique to India and is nothing but a creation of the media to paint India in a bad light. Scammers are everywhere and there are always high chances of getting scammed in any country you will ever visit. All you have to do is take the necessary precaution so that you don’t fall a victim. If you are not careful, however, the scammers are real and will you really hard when you don’t expect it, should you lower your guard.

Making Use of a Good School Design to Encourage Learning 

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One World International School is one of many excellent international schools in Singapore. But what sets them apart is how they have used the design for their school to enhance their student’s learning. Yes, all 32,000 square metres of campus is thoughtfully designed to support their world-renowned holistic education framework.

School design and layout is something some of us guardians tend to neglect when choosing an institution for our kids. A study made by the University of Salford and the architects at Nightingale Associates showed that student performance improved by 25% in well-designed schools.

It is hard to deny influence when the improvements are at a whopping 25%. So to understand the role of school design, let’s look into the campus of One World International School.

Adaptable learning environment

One World International School uses an holistic educational philosophy and a values-based learning model. It means that they focus more on encouraging a student’s natural curiosity through positive reinforcement. So most of their work, after discussion, is collaborative and highly practical.

Further, this kind of curriculum does not just expect them to memorise their lessons, but encourages them to share their ideas and theories in class. For this reason, their classrooms need to adapt to the kind of learning environment they are trying to create.

Each classroom is fitted with module furniture so that students can easily group themselves and face each other for their discussions. There is a 24-student limitation so that the noise level is manageable.

Other classroom design involved are the amount of natural light that comes in the room, temperature, and orientation.

Innovative technology

The school does not hesitate to make full use of available technology to improve the learning experience. From using tablets, interactive LED screens, to high quality speakers and access control lockers, One World International School as it all.

Vibrant outdoor school landscape

One World International School has 32,000 square metres of property, so of course it has an impressive outdoor landscape.

Their outdoor field can be accessed by all students and teachers. Well, actually they have 4 sporting fields, a miniature forest that has various flowers and plants, a Sensory Garden, and a Berms and Sand Pit.

The school wants to help students appreciate nature, as well as assist the teachers in teaching them about the importance of being mindful of the environment. It is truly a welcome break from the four walls of a classroom, for both teacher and student.

Additionally, making all sporting fields readily available promotes a healthy and active lifestyle to keep students fit.

Maybe the primary reason why we look over a school’s design is we forget that it isn’t supposed to be bleak and dreary. What you want is to look for an institution that promotes school-life balance. We want our kids to be ready for the future, but we want them to have fun doing so.

So let’s take a page from One World International School and start looking at proper school design.

Settling vs. Going to Trial: The Pros and Cons of Each Outcome

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Legal matters should be approached with all the thought and consideration in order for you to maximize the chances of reaching the desired outcome. No matter which path you take, a lawyer will surely be of assistance to you. For educational purposes only, we’re going to go through the pros and cons of each, so you’ll be equipped with the knowledge of what you can expect.

The pros of settling

If you decide to settle out of court, there’s probably going to be much less stress involved. The amount agreed on will be clearly and transparently laid out for everyone to see, and you’ll also be able to get your hands on it much faster then letting the case escalate to court. Typically, this shouldn’t be more than a month or so. The legal fees won’t be as high; for example, if you’ve been injured in a car accident, you won’t need to hire an automobile accident lawyer to represent you in court.

The cons of settling

Unfortunately, the negative side of settling outside of court is that you potentially won’t get compensated as much. Furthermore, the defendant is under much less pressure to admit to any wrongdoing on their part. Also, settling out of court tends to be much more private than letting things escalate, which might be a bad thing if your aim is to expose those who have wronged you.

The pros of going to trial

Going to trial means that you’re going to get multiple people involved; the judge, the jury, the attorneys, the witnesses… and the list goes on. If you believe you stand a good chance of winning, this may be worthy of pursuing, since the monetary compensation you can expect tends to be much greater than what you could ever hope to get by settling outside of court. If the jury decides in your favor, the defendant will get some bad publicity, which could yield plenty of personal satisfaction if this is what you’re aiming to achieve.

The cons of going to trial

The obvious con of going to trial is that the end result is uncertain and that nothing is guaranteed. Even if things look good for you on paper, you may still end up losing the legal battle. Furthermore, a lot of time can pass before reaching the resolution, which – apart from being a psychological burden – also means a hefty amount of legal fees. The longer the trial, the more expensive it can get. Finally, the inherent public nature of trials could be also viewed as a con if you’d rather see your legal battles stay private.

Conclusion

As you can see, you simply cannot interpret the world in terms of black and white, since everything has its positive and negative sides. This is especially true for legal matters. However, by understanding the pros and cons of settling versus going to trial, you’ll be in a much better position to take the best possible route in a given situation. No matter what you choose, however, you should always consult an attorney before proceeding.

7 Useful Tips on Raising a Healthy Family

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Raising a family is something that often takes determination, sacrifice, and time. It can be tough to find a balance, but the juggling act tends to get easier over time, or you get better at managing it. Every parent usually hopes that they’ll be able to raise a family that’s happy and healthy. This often means exploring different ways to ensure they’re eating the right things, staying active, and keeping an open flow of communication. There are several other ways that you can raise a healthy family, but it’s left to you to choose a method that works for you. This article is going to explore seven different ways that you can raise a healthy family.

Make Nutritious Meals

There are several components of health to consider when trying to raise a healthy family, and physical health is one of them. What your family eats is key as it can affect them in both the short and long term. Nutritious meals are a great place to start which means you may need to put careful thought into the meals you’re going to give them and take time to do a little planning. Some ideas for nutritious meals that you might want to consider are slow cooker chicken tortilla soup, homemade tacos with your own special recipe, and spiced oven-fried potatoes to avoid the oil in frying. You could also try oven-baked almond fish sticks, light chicken Caesar salad, garlic chicken, and potatoes, as well as lightened-up mac and cheese.

Don’t be afraid to try new recipes with your kids which include all of the nutrients necessary in a balanced diet. In case you forgot what that consists of, it includes healthy carbs, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and fibre as well. You can also consider cooking together as a family to make it fun as well as ensure everyone feels like they’re contributing to their healthy eating journey.

Spend Quality Time

Spending time together as a family can be a bit of challenge sometimes. This may be due to busy and conflicting schedules as well as tiredness after a long day for the most part. However, finding time to spend together is imperative when trying to raise a healthy family as it’s an important aspect of each individual’s wellbeing. There are several benefits of family time which include teaching children to interact with others, reducing the chances of your children getting involved in dangerous activities, improving their emotional well-being, and encouraging them to attain greater heights educationally.

Family time also creates the opportunity for you to bond and create lifelong connections with your loved ones. If you’re stuck in terms of ideas regarding what you can do for family time, perhaps consider designated family holidays which are tailored to each personality, planting and tending to a family garden, having devoted movie time, having a  family sports event, having family art time, or a book club. These are all great ways to spend time with one another as well as learn more about each individual. You should also remember that you don’t always have to spend money just to have family time as a games night, walk around the block or park day are also adequate enough to bond and enjoy one another’s company.

Teach Them About Drugs Early

Education goes beyond the classroom and can often be taught at home as well as in school. For this reason, alongside sex education, your family should be informed and educated regarding the effects of drug use on their body, mind, and general wellbeing. People often end up using drugs for a number of reasons related to peer pressure, low self-esteem, or depression amongst others. You should inform them regarding the impact that drugs have on the brain such as straining the essential areas of your brain and leaving you vulnerable to picking up addictive and harmful behaviours.

In addition to this, it has been found that most drugs flood the brain’s limbic system with a neurotransmitter called dopamine, causing the user to enter a state of euphoria. Going into detail and explaining how drugs affect the brain can help deter your family from being tempted to use. If you do, however, notice any signs that your loved ones may be using drugs, it’s best that you look for ways to get them help and stress the importance of them doing so. You should read more about the negative effects of drugs and share this information with your family. Seeing as in 2013, approximately 24.6 million Americans over the age of 11 used illicit drugs, you should also know that it’s never too early to educate your children on the negative effects of drugs.

Make Exercise a Lifestyle

Staying active as a family can be fun and it’s also very beneficial for your health. If you have young kids, you may notice that they’re considerably active due to their frequent rushes of adrenaline as well as mandatory school activities. Likewise, if you’ve got teens who are keen on sports they may also be pretty active. Nevertheless, encouraging fitness as a lifestyle is a great way to make a long-term impact. Seeing as it’s always good to lead by example, perhaps think about coming up with family workout routines and dedicating a day every week to exercising together.

Some fun exercise ideas you should think about doing with your loved ones that aren’t too stressful include making time to play games that will make you move like hide-and-seek, musical statues, or hopscotch. You could also walk or ride a bike as frequently as possible, plan active family gatherings, sing and play during chores, and make yard work a lot more fun. This should make exercise less of a strenuous activity and a lot more fun as well as give you the chance to bond along the way. Try your best to be as consistent as possible in order to make working out as a family more of a lifestyle than an activity.

 Encourage Honest Conversation

If you want to raise a healthy family, understanding the importance of open and honest communication is critical. As well as being physically healthy, mental health is also important, so creating an environment that people feel free to express themselves is key. Some ways to do this could be by having weekly family meetings where everyone is able to floor any issues they may have and discuss things that are bothering them. This can also help teach your children how to express themselves, not bottle things inside, and amicably deal with disagreements and misunderstandings. Asking your kids questions and showing a genuine interest is also a way to get them talking. Show them that you value both their time and opinion as a way of encouraging them to talk to you irrespective of the circumstances. Additionally, it’s an excellent way of building their communication skills which can be beneficial to them in various aspects of their lives.

Build Their Confidence

Confidence is important for both children and adults, so creating an environment that makes everyone feel confident and safe is key. There are so many ways to build confidence in your kids including speaking positive words of affirmation to them, always encouraging them and giving them the opportunity to be more independent. Other ways to build their confidence include letting them help out around the house, giving them the freedom to make their own choices in moderation, letting them take healthy risks, and also reminding them about how loved they are. Making sure their goals are within reach is also a good way to help build their confidence because they’re more likely to achieve those goals. Seeing as self-esteem is said to come from feeling loved and secure as well as competence, providing them with these things at home can go a long way in ensuring they’re mentally healthy and happy.

Teach Them Positive Values

Values often determine people’s behavior as well as their boundaries, so teaching them to your family should go a long way. Doing so can help teach your kids who they are and what they stand for as well as help put boundaries in place as a means of protecting themselves. Some positive values worth thinking about having in your home include kindness, hard work, authenticity, balance, boldness, and achievement. You can decide to write the values for your family somewhere that everyone can see it as living by them could result in a healthy life too.

Raising a family isn’t a job that can be done in single day. It is something that happens in an accumulation of days, months, and years and it requires both consistency and dedication, especially when you want to raise a healthy one. You will make mistakes along the way and sometimes your imperfections as a parent will show, however, the key is to be as transparent as possible and keep giving it your best shot. By doing these things, hopefully, at the end of the road, you’ll be able to boast of a healthy family.