Mistakes You’re Doing to Your Home Appliances

Buying the best appliances doesn’t immediately guarantee that they will last for a long time. There are a lot of common mistakes that people do that shorten the lifespan of their equipment. Here are some of them and their effects:

Washing Machines

-       Placing heavy objects and standing on it as well as washing clothes with objects in their pockets will damage the unit

-       Using hand-washing detergents instead of washing machine detergents will create too much foam which will break the unit

-       Not cleaning the rubber parts and dispenser of the machine encourages mould to grow inside.

-       Not removing finished loads right away damages the drum.

-       Not performing cleaning cycles or using the automatic cleaning cycle function causes grime to form inside.

Refrigerators

-       Not making sure that the refrigerator stays upright during the delivery or turning it on less than 15 hours from the time of arrival will make the compressor oil leak.

-       Placing it too near a wall will make the coils dirty which will reduce its effieciency

-       Not defrosting it twice a year deteriorates the interiors.

-       Placing too much items inside prevents air to flow properly inside

Slow Cookers

-       Using it while the outside walls of the pans are wet or leaving the inside of the lid wet after usage will break the unit.

-       Rinsing grains with the pan scratches the pan.

-       Going over capacity with ingredients will overwork the unit.

Dishwashers

-       Positioning dishes right-side up is an inefficient way to use it.

-       Putting unclean plates inside and not removing stickers on dishes and cups will clog the filters.

-       Using the washer while the dishes inside are touching each other will hinder the rotations of the water sprinkler.

-       Using dish washing liquids instead of powders and tablets causes malfunctions.

-       Not making sure that small objects are placed in the unit properly leads to them to scatter which could block its rotation parts.

-       Not putting salt and rinser in the dispenser tray prevents a long life for the unit.

-       Not cleaning the filters makes the unit struggle.

Microwaves

-       Not putting a class of water inside while heating lightweight consumables allows more microwave radiation.

-       Blocking the ventilation grills when in use make the unit inefficient.

-       Using the microwave while it is empty damages the magnetron.

-       Placing items above the maximum weight capacity inside will damage the interiors.

-       Heating unsuitable material could cause a fire.

Toasters

-       Using it near water and flammable objects could cause hazardous events.

-       Using it to cook scones will break the unit.

-       Not cleaning the inside from crumbs once a week causes mould.

Blenders

-       Blending hot food will break the unit.

-       Not keeping the motor housing dry could cause a short circuit.

-       Leaving a submersible blender plugged in when not in use causes overheating.

-       Blending dry ingredients like crackers will directly damage the blades.

Although you use these items every day and they feel like tanks, not maintaining them well could shorten their lifespans and even cause hazards at your home. Be safe and smart and don’t make these mistakes.

About the Author:

Esther Diaz

A 22-year-old graduate of graphic design, DIY enthusiast, make-up lover and has a love-hate relationship with desserts. I dream to be soon one of the known bloggers.

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Healthy School Lunch Ideas

Bento boxes

By using mini personalised bento boxes inside your child’s lunch box, you can make it fun for them to open up their lunch. During the spring and summer, fill one pot with their favourite salad items, and you could even make a smiley face with the ingredients! Add in some pasta for a yummy pasta salad, and your child will be thanking you when they get home. Use your bento box to include natural yoghurt with honey, some cherry tomatoes, or a honey-mustard dip for carrot and cucumber batons.

Sandwich Alternatives

Sandwiches can get boring, and they’re also not too healthy! They can contain up to 20% of your daily intake of sodium, plus the choice of fillings may be upping the calories and fat percentage. Choose wholemeal bread with healthy fillings, or go for a wrap! They are quick and easy to make - just pack with plenty of salad and some lean protein for an extra tasty school lunch. Bagels with low-fat cream cheese make a delicious alternative to sandwiches too.

Tacos

Use whole-wheat tortillas with low-fat refried beans to create healthy mouth-watering tacos. Just add some lettuce and grated cheese, and there’ll be smiles all round. Perhaps a side of salsa might go down well too!

Healthier Versions Of Foods

Instead of giving your children crisps in their lunch box, try sweet potato chips, vegetable crisps or other savoury snacks. They still taste great, but they’ll be so much healthier than your usual brand. If you want to stick with your kid’s favourite crisps, you could give them half a packet emptied into a container, therefore decreasing the amount of junk food they are consuming.

Fruit & Veg

A piece of fruit is vital to any healthy lunch. Don’t let it get boring though – give your child a new piece of fruit every day or every other day in their lunch box so they can look forward to trying it! This is also a great way to get 1 or 2 of their 5 a day consumed within one meal. Strawberries, cherries, grapes and slices of apple are great additions to any lunchbox.

Sweet Treats

Alternatives to high-sugar chocolate bars can include popcorn or flapjack, each with a drizzle of chocolate on top. It will satisfy their sweet tooth while being a lot healthier for their growing bodies.

Mix & Match

Fill a bento box with pre-cooked pasta, and other smaller containers with the toppings – for example, tomatoes, chunks of mozzarella, yummy fresh basil, chicken and a healthy pasta sauce. The kids can then be in-charge of which toppings they choose to add when lunchtime comes around. They’ll also be enjoying the taste so much that they won’t even notice it’s healthy!

Need more ideas? Read this also : 111 School Lunch Ideas

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Useful Tips For Traveling With Kids

Do you know that children under two years old can be granted free tickets by all airlines? So, why don’t you seize this opportunity to start a trip together with your family? If you are worrying about the inconvenience you may face when traveling with children, some tips below I draw from my own experience may be helpful.

1. Take a note of what you possibly need to use for your trip a few weeks before your departure. It includes the items you use every day or every week, especially babies’ clothes.

2. Make a good preparation of a cloth band so that you can carry your child pick-a-back or right in front of you. This helps reduce the amount of time you have to spend holding your child in your arms while moving, so you can do other things by yourself instead. Remember to choose the type of cloth band with waterproof liner.

3. Don’t forget to bring a small blanket or a piece of thin cloth with you to cover in case you breastfeed your baby on the plane or a crowded train. This may make you feel more comfortable because of your protected privacy. In addition, such item also makes your baby feel warmer.

Don’t forget to bring a small blanket (Image via http://foter.com)

4. Get ready to confront with the situation when your baby cries because he or she may suffer an earache. This is a result of the pressure change during the process of takeoff and landing. To solve this problem, you can breastfeed your baby or use baby bottles or rubber nipples at that time.

 

5. Get ready to cope with the weather

A simple advice is that children should be dressed comfortably depending on the terrain and weather. This helps them adapt better under any circumstance. With the availability of all the items, it will be totally blameworthy if you forget toddlers’ gloves, dress them in four-sized ski-suits that seem too large, or cover their feet with nothing on a beach with lurking sea urchins.

 

6. Make preparation for travel potty

It is really terrible to travel by planes and means of public transportation when you are participating in the potty training days. However, the best travel potty will make everything become easier.

With the compact design, you can fold travel potty down to save room for other items and put them in the bottom of the diaper bag or your car's trunk. Generally, travel potty is used for a short period and accompanied by a potty chair or potty seat.

 Travel potty (Image via http://foter.com)

7. Underwear and diapers

These items are a little delicate, so there are a few things you have to notice. It is necessary to bring enough such items and two extra backups for everyday use. 

In addition, before traveling with your children, you should consider how many diapers in a day your baby needs because you may not buy them at the destination. 

 

8. Cameras and digital cameras

These are also indispensable things for each trip to take photos. For example, you can take a photo of a parking spot at the airport, so you can find that place quickly and easily when you come back.

Some types of mobile phones are equipped with cameras with high resolution, so you can save room for other items in your suitcase instead of bringing with a camera.

 

9. Medicines

The first thing parents have to prepare for your children when traveling is drugs or pharmaceutical products for the emergency.

In addition to prescriptions, you should also bring with the first aid kit including bandages, painkillers, and antimicrobial lipids.

Medicines (Image via http://foter.com)

10. Cleaning solution

If you can’t spend 20 seconds washing your hands with soap and water, it is advised that you should bring cleaning solution. And one notable thing is that you have to read the instruction manual carefully before applying it to children.

 

11. Paper bags

Clean plastic bags are very useful because you can use them to contain leftovers, waste, dirty clothes as well as swimming costumes after a whole day of full joy at sea.

Family travel is supposed to be an exciting and important opportunity for parents to raise their children’s awareness of the world as well as gain more experiences. Therefore, it is really necessary for fathers and mothers to make a good preparation before traveling. 

 

12. Travel High chair

If you intend to go on holiday with children at the age between 6 months and around 3 years old, one of the important pieces of travel kit you should definitely bring with is a travel highchair. With the help of such tool, feeding children is not a difficult task anymore. Also, you won’t have to face the dirty floor every day because of your children’s naughtiness while eating.   

Author bio:

Emma is the founder of ShrewdMommy, where she and associates blog about pregnancy advice, parenting insights, tips for mommy. Those experiences will somehow help you in your search for questions about pregnancy and baby tips.

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Comparison of Online Shopping Trends Between Men and Women Globally

Ask your parents and grandparents if they had thought that something like online shopping was ever possible. Today with technological and scientific advancements, e-commerce is a blooming and flourishing industry. Innumerable online stores are now available where almost all kinds of items are available. The most interesting thing that drives men and women towards online shopping is the amazing deals and discounts that are offered by the various brands and the stores. Right from grabbing attractive branded shirts online offers to great deals and discounts on various kinds of electronic items, online shopping comes with many benefits.

Comparing online shopping trends for men and women

For growing and developing online business, it is important to target customers in the right manner. They have to study statistics and data and understand which kinds of products are bought by which category of people. Marketing and sale strategies are decided accordingly. For instance, with online shopping trends, both men and women are seen to purchase products. But there are differences in buying styles and patterns. Understanding these varying trends can help in making the right online business plan.

Here are some common things that are noted for online shopping for men and women separately:

• As per statistics, about 72% of women in US shop online on regular basis. The percentage is 68% for men in the US.
• Shopping from a mobile platform is on the rise; people buy things from the smartphone or the tab even on the move. 22.2% men are seen shopping on a smartphone, while 20.4% men use a tablet for online shopping. The figures are on the lower side for women. About 18.2% women use their smartphone for online shopping and 16.9% women use a tab for the same.
• When compared to men, women spend 20% more time in online shopping. Women just love shopping and invest lots of time in the same, whether online or offline.
• When it comes to saving money while shopping online, women have a clear upper hand. Statistics reports prove that 71% women who buy things online use various kinds of coupon codes for availing deals and discounts on products. The percentage of men in this regard is 59%.

For instance, if there are discount shirts for women available at any leading online store, women are sure to grab the opportunity at once. There is also another way of saving money while shopping online and this is applicable for both men and women. Shop with a cash back credit card and save money on clothes, accessories, shoes, paying restaurant bills, airline reservations, flowers etc.

Who buys what online?

We have got some clear data on shopping trends for both men and women. There are some segments in which women purchase more than men and vice versa. For instance, when it comes to clothes, shoes and accessories, women buy 29%, while men buy 17%. Mentioned below are the percentages of purchasing done in different segments:

·         Books – women 18%, men 13%

·         Music – both men and women 11%

·         Furniture and home items – women 10%, men 6%

·         Travel – women 23%, men 20%

·         Airline reservations – women 15%, men 12%

·         Cosmetics – women 11%, men 3%

·         Auctions – men 13%, women 10%

·         Drugs and remedies – women 12%, men 10%

·         Computers and hardware ­- men 10%, women 4%

Seeing the trends, it can be said that time is not far when online shopping will be the ultimate place for shopping for people who love fashion, design and trendy things.

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