Posted on April 17, 2018 by Emily Thompson — No Comments ↓

2018 is the year of getting better, of being better, both physically and mentally. I’m a mom of 3 children, and I’m very determined to stick to my new year’s resolution of being and doing better.

I want to be the mom that does as she says she will, and I don’t want my kids to see me do any different. Children pick up on everything, even those moods you think you’re hiding so well, and it affects them.

We all want our kids to grow up to be happy and healthy and, though this took me a few years to realize, a lot of that is looking after yourself. It’s strange way to think at first. It’s almost selfish. I’m a mom, I’m so used being the caretaker to others that being the caretaker for myself made me feel like I was taking away from my children.

Instead, I’m helping them by helping myself be the healthiest I can be. Mindfulness has improved all aspects of my life, including my work life and my home life.

Here are the 4 simple things that have changed my life 18 days into the new year.

Read more ›

Posted on April 17, 2018 by Emily Thompson — No Comments ↓
Posted in Living & Lifestyle, Personal Growth
Tagged: , ,

Posted on December 14, 2017 by Tyler Clark — No Comments ↓

I remember a few years ago I was watching a news program and it offered a list to teach parents about decoding texting slang they claimed teens were using. Among some of the more colorful gems were:

– LHS – Let’s have sex

– IGTD – I got the drugs

– PIRDTAS – Parents in rooms don’t talk about stuff

– SMH – Satan makes me happy

These were so ludicrous that I have never forgotten them. Have you ever seen those used anywhere? Can you imagine your teen doing it? Of course not, it was so out of touch that I was sure it must have been a joke (spoiler: it wasn’t).

Slang is a normal part of communication, especially for young people as they assert their independence. Each generation has their own and in the digital era it is a little different than the “boss” and “sick”’s of our own decades.

Read more ›

Posted on December 14, 2017 by Tyler Clark — No Comments ↓
Posted in Living & Lifestyle
Tagged: , , , ,

Posted on November 28, 2017 by Tyler Clark — No Comments ↓

Not too long ago, I saw a Facebook comment on a George Takei post. A man from the Baby Boomer generation was going on a rant about the Narcissistic Generation & Millennials and how they were useless, lazy, didn’t know what they were doing, didn’t have real jobs, didn’t buy houses and more. It was quite a list of sins.

One particular thing which stuck out to me was his vehement claim of narcissism. This online stranger claims that millennials are selfish, self-absorbed narcissists.

Narcissistic Generation or a Value-Shift?

I don’t normally engage with random people on the web; however, his passionate rant rubbed me the wrong way.

Read more ›

Posted on November 28, 2017 by Tyler Clark — No Comments ↓
Posted in Living & Lifestyle
Tagged: , , , , ,

Posted on October 24, 2017 by Jackie Edwards — No Comments ↓

We spend more than 90% of our time indoors, yet how often do we consider the air quality of our homes? Polluted air is often linked to traffic filled streets and coal burning factories, but pollutants released outside will disperse easily. Our homes lock in dirty air and contribute to the onset of asthma and even lung cancer. You can improve wellbeing by spending time in nature, but for when you are home, here are some steps you can take to clean up the air.

Remove Toxic Chemicals

The list of products that pollute the air in your home is endless: cookers, cleaning products, moisturisers and air fresheners all mean that the air indoors is dirtier than outdoors. Luckily, there are natural alternatives for most of these things.

Read more ›

Posted on October 24, 2017 by Jackie Edwards — No Comments ↓
Posted in Living & Lifestyle
Tagged: , , ,

Posted on October 11, 2017 by Jackie Edwards — No Comments ↓

We live in a society in which we connect with technology hourly, but sadly don’t have much time or inclination to connect with nature. We’re missing out! Being in nature is good for the mind, body, and spirit, with research showing how it can make us happier and boost physical recovery from illness. Best of all, reaping the benefits of nature doesn’t require a weekend getaway in the mountains. You can achieve them with some light gardening. Here’s how gardening can help you reconnect with nature, which will make you a better person.

Have you ever experienced being in nature and feeling better about life and yourself? Perhaps feeling the sun on your shoulders and watching the beauty of the sun filtering through the trees made you feel more alive? It’s not your imagination to experience these things. Here’s how gardening benefits you.

Read more ›

Posted on October 11, 2017 by Jackie Edwards — No Comments ↓
Posted in Living & Lifestyle
Tagged: , , , , , ,

Posted on October 5, 2017 by Gal Baras — No Comments ↓

Social media is ubiquitous today. Almost every adolescent is on at least one platform. But many of them fail to realize how oversharing personal information on social media can put them at risk. Cybersecurity experts have found that posting personal information can give hackers the tools they need to answer security questions and gain access to a victim’s profile.

Part of the “oversharing dilemma” stems from the parents. If a child has never been taught the risks of oversharing, they will come to view it as normal. Especially if all of their friends are constantly Tweeting their location and posting info about their families on Facebook, an adolescent will be likely to behave in the same manner.

Read more ›

Posted on October 5, 2017 by Gal Baras — No Comments ↓
Posted in Living & Lifestyle
Tagged: , , , ,

Posted on September 11, 2017 by Rebekah Carter — No Comments ↓

Let’s face it, we’re all facing more chronic stress and anxiety these days than we did in years passed. That’s because competitive workplaces, long office hours, and countless personal commitments are all contributing to a higher amount of emotional strain. The good news is that you can treat these problems just like you would any other health condition – with the right healthy habits.

While things like meditation, therapy, and exercise can all contribute to giving you a more positive mindset, juicing could also have a part to play when it comes to minimizing cortisol levels, and giving you the emotional strength you need to thrive. It turns out that juice is great for a lot more than just reducing the excess fat around your stomach. With the right ingredients, and a little creativity, you can banish sources of depression, eliminate anxiety, and take control of your mood.

To help get you started, here are five incredible juices that will help you to say sayonara to chronic stress!

Read more ›

Posted on September 11, 2017 by Rebekah Carter — No Comments ↓
Posted in Living & Lifestyle
Tagged: , , , ,

Posted on August 16, 2017 by Tyler Clark — No Comments ↓

Building teen trust can be hard at times. Your teenagers are experiencing a transitional stage of life, enjoying more freedom than they had during childhood, and the taste of freedom can be addictive. As the parent, you place a certain amount of trust in your teen, hoping they will not abuse their freedom. But sometimes poor choices are made and that trust is broken.

I understand dealing with the shifting dynamics of trust between parents and teens can be difficult. As I have advised many parents of troubled teens, I have compiled some advice for you parents out there who are struggling with trusting your own teens.

Read more ›

Posted on August 16, 2017 by Tyler Clark — No Comments ↓
Posted in Living & Lifestyle, Personal Growth
Tagged: , , , ,

Posted on August 10, 2017 by Gal Baras — No Comments ↓

Being a parent is not easy and this is especially true in the age of social media, smart phones and the Internet. More than ever, parents need to monitor their children and what they are looking at online. Plus, there is the added challenge of talking to kids of all ages about gender roles and discipline in the home.

Eric Gati, the founder of CynicalParent.com, has published the results of a new study that touches on the above subjects. Gati says he “learned a lot in this study, like the fact that there are more than a handful of very common fears that parents have about their kids using smartphones and social media, either from too young of an age or for too many hours per day. We also learned that 98% of parents find it important to monitor this, we were amazed at how conscious parents are of the inherent risks of social media”.

Read more ›

Posted on August 10, 2017 by Gal Baras — No Comments ↓
Posted in Living & Lifestyle
Tagged: , , , , , ,

Posted on June 27, 2017 by Tyler Clark — No Comments ↓

Depression is hard to deal with while you are trapped in a depressive episode. However, once you have identified that you struggle with depression, you can find your triggers and begin to create a plan with how to deal with your personal depression triggers. Below is a list of the common depression triggers with a suggestion on how to deal with each one.

Read more ›

Posted on June 27, 2017 by Tyler Clark — No Comments ↓
Posted in Living & Lifestyle, Personal Growth