January DIY Inspo for You and Your Kids

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January is notorious for its terrible weather. And it isn’t just getting frustrating for the kids who are stuck
inside. For many of us, the daylight hours are short, and it can feel like we’re stuck in perpetual night
time. Below, you’ll find some home DIY ideas to keep both you and the kids occupied while we wait for
spring to come.

While you might be cutting back in January after Christmas and watching the pennies, there’s no reason
not to use January as the opportunity to get some small things done around the house that generally get
put off the rest of the year. Take advantage of staying in and focus on the little things that will make a big
difference.

Framing – So often we are given or pick up beautiful prints and think to ourselves about how beautiful
they will look when framed. And then they sit in our homes for months and months, gathering dust until
we get round to it. Which is sometimes never. When you’re stuck inside for days, it might be the
opportune moment to get out those prints and devote some time to measuring and ordering frames for
them. With a hobby lobby coupon, you won’t even feel the pinch and will soon have new pictures
breathing fresh energy into your home.

Table and chair legs – These get the brunt of household knocks and kicks and can often become
scuffed. There are some easy ways to get rid of surface scratches though – and it’s something you can
enlist the kids’ help with too. Whether it’s getting a small pot of paint to touch up table legs, or using other
great crafting solutions, you’ll soon have furniture that looks good as new.

Soft-furnishing repairs – Again, often so small that they would be overlooked by anyone else, but we all
want our homes to be in tiptop condition and, if you take pride in carefully selecting pieces for your
interior, then it makes sense you want to keep everything well. Accidents do happen though and so
make a day of collecting all the little things that need mending. It might be a cushion cover, a throw or a
pillowcase. Teaching your kids how to mend things like this are great skills to pass on to them and will
serve them well for the rest of their lives. For younger children, how about giving them a sampler, or
even some embroidery thread and cardboard with a thick needle to practice on?

De-clutter – Having a sift through your things at the beginning of the year can make you and your
family feel refreshed and prepared to get stuck into the new year. Start by tackling small areas – you can
even make a de-clutter calendar for a different part of your home to do each week. Talk to your kids
about the importance of passing things on and getting organized. You can even take them with you to
charity stores to donate their old toys and clothes.

With so much to mend and do, January doesn’t have to be boring. Get your kids involved in helping
around the house and you’ll be set for 2020 in no time.

4 Family Health Mistakes You Could Be Making

t’s always important to look after your health, but when we are young, we don’t tend to think about it as
much. It doesn't seem like something that you need to worry about until you get older so a lot of us
make poor health decisions early on in our lives. But as you get older and you start a family, it’s a lot
more important to look after your own health and the health of your children. Kids learn by example and
if their parents get into bad health habits, they’re likely to pick them up as well. They won’t lead a healthy
lifestyle on their own either, so it’s important that you as parents steer them in the right direction and
show them how to eat well and exercise etc. 

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Unfortunately, a lot of families get it wrong when it comes to health and they end up making simple
mistakes that can damage their health. It’s easily done because there is a lot of conflicting information
out there about health, particularly when it comes to diet. If you start making these health mistakes now,
it could have a long lasting impact on your family as a whole, so it’s important that you avoid them.
These are some of the most common family health mistakes that you should watch out for. 

Choosing The Wrong Insurance Plan 

Having the right insurance cover is vital if you want to make sure that everybody is healthy and manage
your finances properly at the right time. But a lot of families make the mistake of thinking that they can
save money by going for the cheaper option when choosing a healthcare plan. Unfortunately, it’s not that
simple and you will probably end up spending more money in the long run. The cheaper plans won’t
cover that much, so if somebody in the family does need treatment, it’s likely that you will have to pay
out for it anyway. It’s actually far more cost effective to pay more each month for better coverage so
your bills are lower when you do need to visit the hospital. 

The other mistake that families make is that they void their insurance in some way so it doesn’t pay out.
Things like lying on your application or visiting a hospital that isn’t covered by your plan may mean that
the insurer simply refuses to pay out, and if you violated the terms of the insurance, then there isn’t
much that you can do about it. This leaves you in a difficult situation where you need to balance your
family’s health and your finances. It’s important that you spend some time finding a comprehensive
insurance package and you read the policy properly so you know exactly what is and isn’t covered. 

Neglecting Oral Health 

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When you are choosing your insurance package, you need to consider oral health as well, but this is
something that a lot of families neglect. It’s important that you teach your kids good habits and make
sure that they are brushing twice a day, but that isn’t enough to maintain good dental health. If you have
poor oral hygiene, it can lead to all sorts of different health problems like respiratory issues and even
heart disease, so you need to make sure that the whole family visits the dentist on a regular basis. One
of the most important things is choosing an honest dentist with integrity so you can be sure that your
family is getting the best level of care. You should also look for somebody that specializes in family
dentistry so you can all see the same person. This makes it easier to schedule appointments around
your busy family life and it means that the dentist can easily diagnose issues that are affecting the whole
family, like diet, for example. 

Eating Too Much Sugar 

You already know that eating too much sugar is bad for you and you may be thinking that you do a good
job of managing the amount of sugar that your family eats. Unfortunately, a lot of people slip up because
they eat foods that they think are healthy when, in reality, they’re packed full of sugar. It’s common
sense that you shouldn’t feed sugary snacks and drinks to your kids all the time and hopefully, you’re
already limiting those foods, but what about things like fruit juice? Parents often give this to their kids as
a healthy alternative to soda but it actually contains just as much sugar, so it’s not good for them. A lot
of foods that are labelled low fat and marketed as healthy options actually contain a lot of sugar and salt
to make up for the loss of flavor when fat is taken out. Breakfast cereals are another one that appears
healthy but is actually filled with sugar. It’s easy to get caught out here, so make sure that you check
the labels on all of the food that you buy and try to cook from scratch as much as possible. 

Lack Of Exercise 

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Regular exercise is so important if you want to stay healthy, and you probably tell your kids that when
you are trying to get them to stop playing video games or playing on their phone and go outside instead.
But are they really going to listen if you spend your free time in front of the TV as well? If you really want
to inspire your children to stay active and improve your health at the same time, you need to start
exercising regularly as well. If they see you doing it, they are more likely to follow your advice and stay
active themselves. The best thing to do is to exercise together as a family, so you can all live a healthier
lifestyle and you get to spend more time together. Going for walks or bike rides, or even playing sports
together is a great way to boost everybody’s activity levels. 

Looking for more ways to keep your family healthy? Don't forget to check out productadvisor guide
to air purifier for more ways to keep everyone in good health.

As a parent, you always try to make the right decision but sometimes, it’s not so easy. If you are
making some of these family health mistakes, it’s important that you make a change right away.

Awesome Homemade Pancakes

This is such an easy and tasty recipe for fluffy, old fashioned pancakes. They have a rich flavor thanks to the addition of brown sugar and come out so fluffy and irresistible.

Please pin this recipe to your breakfast board, of share it on social media.

My kids would have pancakes for breakfast every morning if I had the time to make them! When they have a 2 hour delay for school, I like to start the day off on a sweet note with this homemade pancake recipe. You can double the recipe and freeze the leftovers between sheets of parchment paper for an easy to pop in the microwave breakfast for busy days too.

I like to top mine with bananas and crushed walnuts. One of my kids goes with liberal butter and syrup, and my other kid loves them plain. Top them however you like. Enjoy them golden brown and warm for the best flavor.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions
Mix together dry ingredients.
Add milk, butter and egg.
Mix well.
Allow to rest for 15 minutes in the fridge.
Heat a griddle or skillet on medium high heat.
Butter the cooking surface and spoon pancakes.
Flip when they stop bubbling and are golden brown.

Find all of my pancake recipes here.
Reader favorites include:
Red Velvet Pancakes
Confetti Pancakes

Must Make Overnight Oats Recipes

I have a confession to make.
I never eat breakfast. Mornings are hectic here, and I am not a cereal for breakfast kind of woman. Who has time to actually cook first thing in the morning? Not me!

I resolved to change that in 2020, I am going to make this the year of breakfast! Especially now that I have stumbled into the world of overnight oats by mistake!

Since I am confessing things to you, let me tell you this. I have always hated oatmeal. I have held onto the opinion that it only belongs in cookies or cakes for years. I picked up a huge canister of oats for no bake cookies, and discovered that instead of quick oats, I got old fashioned. What a drag. This massive canister of oats has been taking up space in my kitchen for months now. I decided that I had to use it, and I started looking for ways to do just that.

I made a batch of overnight oats, intending to pawn 3/4 of it off on my husband, while patting myself on the back for eating breakfast. I had no idea a super easy batch of Brown Sugar Overnight Oatmeal would change my views on oatmeal and breakfast.

Now I am hooked and I can't stop making overnight oats! I have gathered some delicious recipes to share with you, and I know you are going to love these easy breakfast options!

Raspberry Almond Overnight Oats by Tastes of Lizzy T
Strawberry Vanilla Overnight Oats by Love Bakes Good Cakes
Cranberry Orange Overnight Oats by Hello Little Home
Banana Nut Overnight Oats by A Night Owl
Clementine and Cocoa Overnight Oats by The Foodie and the Fix
Banana and Peanut Butter Overnight Oats by Amuse Your Bouche
Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats by Happiness is Homemade
Chocolate Pudding Avocado Oats by Om Nomally

Which of these sounds yummiest to you? Do you make time for breakfast? If not, I hope you will join me in making 2020 the year of breakfast!

10+ Crafts for Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is coming up on January 25th, and these fun crafts are perfect for creating with the kids to celebrate in style!

We love Chinese New Year because it happens in the winter, and it gives us something to celebrate and learn about at a pretty dull time of the year for us. My husband is down because I will naturally make something awesome for dinner like egg rolls or peanut butter chicken over fried rice.

This list has something for everyone; literally! From the cute and easy paper fortune cookie to a stunning mason jar lantern; there is something for every skill level in this collection! I can't wait to hear which is your favorite craft!

Mason Jar Lanterns by Mod Podge Rocks
Chinese New Year Tangrams by My Craftily Ever After
Paper Plate Chinese Lanterns by In the Playroom
Rooster Craft by Crafts n Coffee
Egg Carton Dragons by Happiness is Homemade
Homemade Chinese Gong by Kid World Citizen
Chinese Take Out Box Craft by Create Craft Love
Chinese New Year Shakers by In the Playroom
Chinese Dragon Puppets by Crafts n Coffee
Paper Fortune Cookies by Mad in Crafts

If you have a fun idea for Chinese New Year, I hope you will leave a comment to share it!

You might also like this paper fortune cookie craft.