How to Build Stronger Family Relationships

Do you wish you had a stronger relationship with your family? Particularly when you do not live close by, or you lead very busy lives, keeping that close contact and support can be very difficult. Maybe you have never been very close with your family, maybe even estranged, but are hoping to re-establish a bond. Here are some ideas that will help you build and strengthen your family relationships.

1. Establish Regular Contact.Whether it is a weekly phone call every Sunday night at 7pm, or even better, a weekly or fortnightly dinner (face to face contact is of course preferable), having a routine makes it easier to keep in touch.

Make sure the responsibility to keep up regular contact is shared equally between all family members so that none of you fall out of the habit. Take turns hosting the dinners or initiating the phone calls so you know everyone is taking it just as seriously.

2. Try New Experiences.Particularly if you aren’t very close, or do not feel you have a lot in common with some of your family members, trying something new together can be a great way to bond and break the ice.

It means family outings will be less awkward as there will be something different that you can also focus on or be distracted by. If you are already a tight family, new experiences will serve to strengthen that bond further, and create great photo opportunities for the family album!

3. Be on Call for Help and Advice.Make it very clear to your siblings, your parents or other relatives that you are there to help in anyway you can.

Whether it’s cooking your parent’s dinner if they are particularly busy one week, offering your services as a babysitter so your brother and his wife can have a night off, or even offering business advice such as recommending a debt collection agency if they are struggling to get money back from an employee.

Paying attention, offering advice and simply being helpful in anyway you feel able will mean you will hopefully soon be able to lean on them to do the same.

4. Show How Much You Care.Not just at Birthdays, Christmas or other such special occasions – but throughout the entire year.

Of course these occasions are important for a reason, but that doesn’t mean that they should be the only time you display affection or caring. Unexpected kind gestures go a long way and mean much more than you think.

It can be as simple as sending them a parcel with their favourite chocolate the next time you happen upon it in the supermarket. Think of how thrilled you feel when you receive something unexpected and pleasant in the mail – why not share that feeling around?

5. Don’t Force It.
If you try all these ideas and you still struggle to establish or strengthen the bond…remember it’s okay. After all, we do not choose our family. Turn to friends instead and spend that energy with those who truly care about you.

This doesn’t mean to give up if it is something that is really important to you, but it does pay to bear in mind that “family” doesn’t always have to mean blood relation.

Make sure to protect yourself: if your dad only ever seems to talk to you to borrow money, let him know you will look into debt recovery services if you do not get the money back. Think carefully about whether they are a positive of negative influence in your life. You might find, in the end, you would be happier if you let them go.

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How to Create Shade in Your Garden

Having a shaded garden will not only improve the look of your property but it will give you somewhere cool to be outside during the summer. It can also help shade your home, keeping it cooler too and reducing the need for you to use your air conditioning. Create a shaded entertainment area by having a veranda or retractable awning over outdoor pavers and your barbecue and this will give you the equivalent of an extra room on your house.

Trees
Planting trees that will produce a lot of shade is the most obvious way to create shade within your garden. Before you go to the nursery make sure you have all the information gathered regarding what your property is like. Things like soil type, whether certain areas get more sun or if your soil is well drained or prone to being wet are all things you should tell the sales assistant at the nursery so they can help you get the right plants for your property. They will also consider the climate of your location. You will find there will be a wide variety of trees to suit your property and from there you only need to decide on which ones you like the best.

Veranda
A veranda is a great way to create shade in your garden. It also has the added benefit of creating a shaded place for an entertainment area, making a great spot for the kids to play when it is too hot or when it is raining. Having a veranda around your home will also help keep the interior of your home cooler as the sun can not come in through the windows of your home and it will also keep your bricks cool, which will reduce the temperature inside your house.

Retractable Awning
A retractable awning works a little bit like a veranda with the added bonus that you can fold it away when you want to. A retractable awning will create a shaded area for your garden alongside your home and can be used to cover a paved area. The awning can shade the windows of your home during summer and throughout winter you can keep the retractable awnings closed so that the sun can warm the side of your house and come in through your windows.

Pergola
A pergola is a structure that is built within a garden. You can use it as an area where you can set up outdoor furniture if you wish and it is great to grow plants and vines over it to create a lovely leafy shaded area.

Umbrellas
Umbrellas look fantastic set up on a timber decking and will give you a shaded area to sit and enjoy your breakfast or lunch. A large umbrella set up on your lawn makes a great shaded area for kids to play on a hot day.

Shade Cloth
Shade cloth can be set up draped between poles to cast shade over a decking or paved area, put up over plants that need more shelter from the sun, or be put over a sand pit or play equipment for the kids.

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How to Furnish Your Home on a Budget

It is possible to furnish your home on a budget. If you have just moved away from your parents or if you are a young couple just starting out it can be difficult to buy furniture. Often you get a lot of hand me downs from friends and family, which is great, but often you do find that you need to go and buy furniture. As well as doing the rounds of the bigger furniture chain stores jump online and have a look around if you can get a better price. You may also find that if you pay cash for appliances, such as a Westinghouse fridge, that you might get a better deal. Whatever you do make sure that you have contents insurance. You would hate to get your home all fitted out and then lose the lot in a fire.

Look out for deals
Keep an eye on the junk mail that lands in your letter box, rather than just tossing it straight in the bin. There are a few furniture stores that have regular sales and deals where you can buy a few pieces of furniture to fit out a whole room at remarkable prices. You will also see advertisements on television for the same thing. It may not be the hand made quality of furniture that you are one day hoping to own, but it is a start and will see you through until you can afford the good stuff.

In store
There are a few bigger chain stores that sell furniture that offer great deals. Ikea is one place to visit, and if you can manage to find your way out of there, you should go home with quite a few pieces to make a start on filling your home. With this sort of furniture, however, make sure you don't lose the instructions on how to assemble it. You might also find that you might be able to get a better deal if you buy several items at once. For example often when you buy white goods you can get a decent discount if you buy your fridge, dishwasher and washing machine at the same time.

Online
Shopping online is becoming more and more common and you can buy furniture and appliances this way. You can also get some great deals so do your research. It is also an easy way to compare prices without having to trudge all over the city going from shop to shop. You might also choose to get some bargains by bidding for furniture on places like eBay.

Pay cash
Some stores will also do better deals if you offer to pay cash. This tends to happen a lot when it comes to buying appliances.

Opportunity shops and antique stores
Rather than buying new furniture you can find some great things that are pre-loved at opportunity shops and antique stores. Antiques may be a little dearer, but not always. Whether you choose antique furniture will usually depend on your style of home, but sometimes having an interesting piece of furniture makes for a good conversation piece. If you are really on a budget buying furniture from an opportunity shop means you can furnish your home so it is comfortable, then later on you can gradually replace it for items you really want.

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Inside a Train Station

Jakarta Kota station is located in the old city center of Jakarta (capital city of Indonesia). In 1993, this station was selected as a historical and cultural landmark.Built around 1870, renovated in 1926 and re-opened on August 19, 1926. The Dutch Governor General, A.C.D de Graeff launched formally on October 8, 1929. We use to call it BEOS station (an abbreviation from the Bataviasche Ooster Spoorweg Maatschapij or the Batavian Eastern Railway Company). The station design is a combination of Western Art Deco and local architecture styles. (data source:Wikipedia).

There are blue things inside the train station, but I’m not sure what it is.

My husband and I will travel again to Surabaya (East Java, Indonesia) next Wednesday, visiting my father there. It’s already low season, I can get low fare airflight tickets.

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Wooden and Real Owls

This bird has amazing big eyes!

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How to Secure Your Home While Away on Holidays

It is important when you are away on holidays that you put some steps into place to keep your home safe and secure. You need to be organised and sort out a few things before you go away. Installing security doors will keep your home secure as well as having screens on your windows. Don't forget to stop all the services during the time you are away, such as having the mail stopped and letting the commercial cleaning company that you won't be needing your home cleaned for a period of time.

Security doors and screens

A security door will not only make it harder for people to break into your home it will give you the flexibility of being able to keep your front door open but the security screen locked, which is great in summer because you can leave the doors open to let any cool breeze through. Intruders are also just as likely to break in through your windows so have security screens fitted on your windows. You will still be able to open your windows and see out of them.

Stop your mail

To save asking the neighbours to collect your mail while you are away have your mail stopped at the post office. All your mail will be sitting waiting for you at your local post office when you get home and it won't make it obvious that nobody is home. This service is known as the USPS  mail hold. 

Security alarm

Security alarms are designed to go off if they sense any movement in your house. It will alert the neighbours and the noise will disrupt the intruder, hopefully stopping them from taking any of your belongings and giving them no time to do any damage to your home. The security company knows when your alarm goes off and once they are alerted they will send round the police to investigate.

Neighbours

Your neighbours can collect your mail for you, mow your lawn to keep the grass looking tidy if you are going to be away for a while and can park one of their cars in your driveway so it looks like somebody is home.

Timers for your lights

Have timers set on your lights so that they turn on at a certain time in the evening and switch off around ten o'clock, or whatever you usual bed time is. This will make it look like someone is home.

Keep your yard tidy

If you are going away for a long while, such as on an overseas trip, then the front of your home can get really untidy, a dead give away that nobody is home. It might pay to hire a gardening service to come in and mow the lawn for you while you are away and do a bit of weeding. Either get the neighbours to clear the junk mail out of your letterbox or put a 'No Junk Mail' sticker on it so that it doesn't get cluttered with rubbish.

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Family Friendly Cars for Moms

The mother is often the unsung hero of a family. Transporting kids to school, sports practices and other extracurricular activities is a job all its own that requires excellent time management skills and expert driving techniques. Fortunately, the job of being a mom can be made much easier by way of an automobile that is designed to increase the ease by which they haul their precious cargo through a busy and sometimes dangerous city. Here are three automobiles that can make a mom's day-to-day life not only easier, but thoroughly enjoyable. 2011 Kia Sorrento
The era has arrived where crossover vehicles are designed to be large and roomy, and a handful of models are being built exclusively for road driving. The Kia Sorrento is the best of that bunch, offering a large third row seat that compliments an already roomy cabin. Child seats can easily be snapped and buckled in, taking the stress out of an often tedious process. Bluetooth connectivity allows for hands-free correspondence, something that is essential to moms that are getting information while on the go.

2010 Chrysler Town & Country
Any list of automobiles that are best for moms should include a minivan, and the Chrysler Town & Country is a worthy entry on this list. With a sleek and regal look that features a horizontal front grill, moms will bring a touch of class to any environment. The Town & Country is capable of handling steep climbs with the ease of a powerful SUV while creating an atmosphere that is reminiscent of a comfortable family room. Two bucket seats placed in the middle row pivot to face the back row, and a tabletop can easily be placed on a bar that is attached tot he floor, creating a large and flat surface around which several kids can do puzzles, play games or have a meal.

2011 Dodge Durango
The Dodge Durango has long been a Dodge bestseller, most likely as a result of the fact that it blends raw American power with the comforts of modern innovation. Although a Durango might not typically be considered a mom car, the truth is that it has plenty of room for youngsters of all ages, and has a very impressive track record in North America. The Durango is surprisingly easy to maneuver given its large size and substantial weight, making it the perfect full-sized automobile for a mom.

Bio: Matt is an expert when it comes to cars, as he has been working with them since his childhood. He currently operates a cash for cars service in San Diego, assisting people in receiving money for junk cars.

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