Can You Still Progress In Your Career As A Work At Home Mom?

When you start out with any career, you’re often always thinking ahead. Even when you enjoy your studies and you then go on to enjoy your everyday work, you’re always thinking about the next phase. From starting out to getting a promotion and finally reaching the top of your game - because a huge part of climbing that career ladder is always being at your best. And to know that you’re at your best, you have to progress. But what about when you work at home?

Working at home can offer you so many wonderful benefits, as we already know. But can you still see yourself as progressing in the same way as when you were out in the working world? Sometimes, it’s hard to see any kind of career ladder at all. Yet it still exists. By setting your own goals, you’re able to carve your own path. Whether you’re a consultant or a blogger, and entrepreneur or freelancer, here’s how you can progress within your chosen work at home career.

Floodplain Living: What You Need To Know

So you have finally found your dream home. It’s the ideal size, is in the perfect location, and it is styled exactly how you have always dreamed your home would be. In every single way it is perfect, and then the realtor drops a bomb - it is on the floodplain. That’s one thing no one wants to hear when buying a house, after all, floodplain means that the property is at constant risk of flooding, doesn’t it? 

The fact is that one in six homes is located on a floodplain, so it’s a much more common occurrence than you would think. In the US, flooding is the most common natural disaster to impact homes, which is why it is taken so seriously. Admittedly, it may not seem all that appealing buying a home on a floodplain, but it is a lot more common than you probably realize. 

The question is, what does it mean if your home is on a floodplain and what is the impact, aside from the risk of flooding, of course? For everything that you need to know, have a read of the below guide. 

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3 Convenient Home Improvements Everyone Should Perform

There are many ways in which any family could improve their properties for convenience. However, the suggestions mentioned here today should provide more benefits than almost everything else. Regardless of the size or shape of the house, most people could perform these jobs and reap the rewards. Of course, in some instances, it might make sense to employ professional assistance. Sometimes it’s worth investing in specialist services to ensure the job gets done properly. 

1. Switching to a better water heater

At the moment, most American families use huge tanks to provide hot water for their homes. That method works well, but it isn’t convenient because people have to switch their furnaces on and wait for the liquid to reach a reasonable temperature. That uses a lot of energy, and it’s often a wasteful approach. Luckily, residents in Europe use an alternative that is slowly becoming popular in the US. Anyone who wants to find the best tankless water heater on the market just needs to read some online reviews. There are also suppliers all around the country, and so there is always someone on hand to offer advice. The advantages of those devices are:

• Instant hot water (the water heats as it passes through the system)
• Reduced energy bills (it does not require as much power to heat the water)
• Automating as much as possible

2. Automating as much as possible

There are lots of home automation tools that anyone can purchase and install these days. Most of them help to provide a level of convenience unmatched in previous times. While there isn’t anything that will clean the house on the homeowner’s behalf just yet, there are some excellent products out there. Indeed, with the right items, families can automate things like:

• Locking the doors
• Switching the lights on or off
• Turning the TV on
• Opening garage doors before arriving home

Buying A Gaming System That's Right For The Whole Family

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Moms are always wary when they know their kids want a gaming system. You hear all the same whines - “my friends have one,” “I’m the only one that doesn’t play that game,” “Billy’s younger than me and he has one in his bedroom.” You can’t switch off the pestering like you can switch off the console! Of course, we moms might be overly cautious here. Gaming can be a good way to spend quality time together. And many games are educational. Ultimately, you’re the boss, so you can decide where it goes and how often it is played.

Console Brand

First, you need to decide which platform to use. This might depend on your choice of smartphone! Sony phones like the Xperia Z3 were launched to work with your PlayStation games. This won’t be the last time this happens, so think about what other things you would like to do with it. Most of the consoles play regular movie DVDs and Blu-Rays. Some of them are also compatible with emerging technologies like VR and home 3D gaming.

Where To Put It

Now you need to consider where it’s going to go. If you’re buying it for all the family to use together, then the living room is probably the best place for it. You already have seating in there, and you probably can hook it up to your TV. However, if you have a playroom or den, it might be better to have it in there. That way it is out of the way when you have people over so you can engage in other activities.

You’ll need a good seat that is comfortable for the player. Kids of different sizes need seats of different sizes. Of course, they might be happy on the floor or on a bean bag chair! What about the grown-ups though? You’ll also need a monitor that you can all see. Check out some gaming monitor reviews before you choose one. This will give you a good idea about the different refresh rates, sizes, and aspect ratios that you can buy.

How To Play It

Controllers are often included in the box with your console. You might choose to buy one for everyone though. This makes sense if you’re playing multiplayer games like the Mario series. There aren’t many controllers that are suitable for very small children. Consider holding it yourself while your child presses the button. Alternatively, pop it on the table surface with a sticky mat to stop it sliding away.

Pick A Game

Finally, you’re ready to choose the games to suit the ages of your children. When you’re looking for any games, start with the rating. Like movies, games must be ‘certificated’ as age appropriate. These vary from region to region, so have a look in store for the kid-friendly games. There are literally hundreds of different titles. You can select educational games that include solving puzzles with literacy or maths. Or you can choose entertainment titles that are lots of fun.

If you’re worried about how long your kids spend gaming, then why not set a time limit of thirty minutes? You could even restrict play to the weekends when everyone is home to play together. The choice is yours. Happy gaming.

5 Positive Qualities of Video Games

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Since video games started to become popular amongst kids, they have always gotten a bad rap. Various commentators have claimed that they are a waste of time and can harm your child’s development. But more recent studies have started to highlight the positive aspects of video games in helping kids to develop various emotional and intellectual skills. So, let’s take a closer look at five ways that video games can help kids.