Nicole

What To Do When A Family Member Is Going Through Something Difficult

Life is pretty darn hard at times. It’s not always sunshine and rainbows, unfortunately. It would be nice if we could just have nice things thrown at us every single day, but the real world has a lot more balanced than we’d like. When the rough parts hit us, they can really hit us hard. Sometimes we can shake them off; other times, we struggle to do so.

Things can get pretty tough for us personally, but it’s even worse seeing a family member go through terrible times. This is someone you love so much and would do anything for. It’s horrible seeing them suffer due to something that they probably can’t help. Seeing it happen isn’t nice, but knowing you can’t really do too much to directly change things is just as bad. The frustration of it all can really take its toll on everyone involved.

While, for the majority of the time, you cannot directly fix things, you can still have a positive impact on their lives. In this world, there’s always SOMETHING you can do – even if it all seems futile. What kinds of things can you do to help out a close one? Well, here are a few:

Be Present

Simply being there for someone makes a huge difference. You might think this point is too easy, but it’s absolutely massive. Think about it: if you’re not doing great, and you have absolutely nobody to turn to, then you’re just going to feel so much worse. If you had a shoulder to cry on or someone to vent to, then you’d feel a lot better about a potential recovery or about digging yourself about the abyss.

Listen

Following on from the previous point, if you just sit down and listen to what’s being said, you could solve a lot of problems. Firstly, because when somebody opens up, it removes a huge weight from their shoulders. Bottling things up is a terrible thing for anyone to do, strangely enough. Listening will also help someone out because you’ll be able to learn about what’s going on – you might even be able to help them out.

Get Them Professional Help And Guidance

Sometimes you won’t be enough – in fact, you won’t be enough a lot of the time! That’s not a bad thing; it’s just that the mind and body are super complicated, and it needs attention from people that know exactly what they’re talking about. An outpatient addiction treatment center, a simple therapist, or a hypnotist will probably do a lot more than you. Consider getting in touch with someone like this – it’ll be worth it.

Keep A Cool Head Yourself

If you’re stressing out over your close one’s life, then that’s only going to make them suffer even more. There’s literally no point in going crazy around them – all it does is make things worse. Keep a cool and calm head around them, even if alarm bells are going off upstairs. That positive and happy aura will be necessary.

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The 9 Best Halloween Podcasts for Fall

October, the season for all things spooky, and what better way to do it than with a good podcast? So whether you love spine-tingling fiction to bone-chilling true crime, or are eagerly waiting for new episodes of your two other favorite podcasts, Misfit Minimalism (insert shameless self-promotion) and Lore, here are other 9 podcasts to help you enjoy October nights ahead.

The 9 Best Halloween Podcasts for Fall

The No-Sleep Podcast

Fans of scary movies might enjoy NoSleep, a fiction podcast that comes with a warning: “[NoSleep] is intended for mature adults, not the faint of heart. Join us at your own risk…” NoSleep started as a subreddit devoted to original horror; in 2011, member Matt Hansen proposed a podcast, and David Cummings signed on to host and produce. The stories are brought to life by voice actors, sound effects, and spooky scores. NoSleep is currently in its 13th season, which it promised “has 16 candles we hope you can handle, with five tales about nasty nature, terrifying transformations, and malicious malls. This one might sting.” If you’re not sure where to start, the team has assembled a handy list of sample episodes to get you started. Check out this podcast, here.

Pretty Scary

Listeners who love My Favorite Murder will likely enjoy Pretty Scary. While the overall vibe of this podcast isn’t exactly creepy, but it’s well-produced and it’s hosted by comics Adam Tod Brown, Caitlin Cutt, and Kari Martin, who brings humor to the podcast in such spooky, awesome ways. Pretty Scary covers everything from true crime cases to conspiracy theories to the unexplained. Past episodes have explored the chupacabra, the ghost ship Mary Celeste, the effects of nuclear explosions, and, of course, various murders that happened on Halloween. Find out more about this podcast, here.

Into the Dark

This podcast, just 23 episodes long, is hosted by Cooper B. Wilhelm, and it’s the perfect pre-Halloween listening: It features “friendly interviews with practitioners and scholars of witchcraft and the occult arts, as well as answers to listener questions on occult subjects.” Wilhelm is excellent at getting the witches and wizards he interviews to open up. Check out this episode, which features a discussion about Satanism versus American Devil Worshiping celebrations. Or whatever that is. To find out more about his podcast, click here.

Unexplained

This podcast, which drops bi-weekly, takes on events that defy explanation, “the space between what we think of as real and what is not. Where the unknown and paranormal meets the most radical ideas in science today…” Host Richard MacLean Smith explained to TVOvermind that he has three criteria for selecting stories to feature: “One, that it has a human element at the heart of it; two, that it is actually a story and not just an event (for example, like just saying, “this person was abducted on this day, and that’s all they can remember”); and [third], that the unexplained mystery has never been sufficiently debunked.” In past episodes, they have covered the Stocksbridge Bypass, Operation Cone of Power, and the disappearance of the Eilean Mòr Lighthouse Keepers. Season 2 already shaping up to be ever greater than its premiere season, you’ll not want to miss this podcast at home. To find out more, click here.

Here Be Monsters

Created by Jeff Emtman in 2012, Here Be Monsters is a podcast self-described as “a podcast created by and for people interested in pursuing their fears and facing the unknown.” Emtman told The Guardian in 2015 that “What I do—and encourage the people who produce for the show to do—is take our fears and those moments of discomfort and pursue them. You poke around until you feel repulsion and then break it down into its constituent parts and chase each of those. Here Be Monsters has covered everything from a Satanic prayer line and a three-legged arctic fox to crow funerals and ASMR; each episode features an unsettling soundscape and is accompanied on the website by eerie art. To find out more about this podcast, click here.

Haunted Places

The premise of this podcast is self-explanatory: In each episode, host Greg Polcyn takes listeners to a new haunted location around the world. So far, it’s featured infamous tourist destinations—think the Winchester Mystery House and Paris’s Catacombs—alongside places like Vermont’s Bennington County Courthouse and Austin’s Driskill Hotel. Each episode’s storytelling is a blend of real history and creepy lore and regional legends supplemented with spooky sound effects and narration. New episodes are released every Thursday. To find out more about this podcast, click here.

Stuff You Missed In History Class

This uber-researched podcast, hosted by Tracy V. Wilson and Holly Frey, has covered plenty of horrifying historical events, and its Halloween episodes—of which there are several every year—are no exception. In the past, Wilson and Frey have covered the Villisca Axe Murders, the mysterious disappearance of Aaron Burr’s only daughter, and Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion. Click here for details.

Dr. Death

Doctors are supposed to make sick people better, and in fact, they all must take an oath to do no harm. In the event they ignore that oath, the medical system is supposed to protect patients—but that doesn’t always happen. Dr. Death follows the crimes of neurosurgeon Dr. Christopher Duntsch, who cut a path of destruction through the spines of his patients. It was preventable destruction that his various employers, and the medical system, simply did not do enough to stop. What could be scarier than that? To find out more about this podcast, click here.

Snap Judgement Presents: Spooked

Featuring true stories straight from people who say they’ve experienced paranormal phenomena, SPOOKED—which launched its second season in August—is hosted by Glynn Washington. The grandson of a seer, Washington saw his first exorcism as a teen. “There’s nothing scarier or more mesmerizing than a real-life ghost story,” he said. “The encounters in SPOOKED will stay with you beyond each episode and leave you questioning your understanding of reality.” With its scary stories and spine-tingling sound backing, SPOOKED is one you won’t want to miss this season and beyond. Favorite episodes, including, season one, episode six, “The Shadow Men,” which features two tales: one about a house haunted by a malevolent spirit, and one about the things that went bump in the night for one border patrol agent. To find out more about this podcast, click here.

Friends, those are my 9 favorite fall-themed, spooktacular podcasts for October. All perfect additions to your online hygge music and podcast libraries this season. Tell me, have you listed to any of these? If so, which are your favorites? Shares yours in the commend below.

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The 30 Best Places To Find Free Audiobooks Online

Since childhood, I’ve loved being read to. From my earliest memories of my Uncle Danny reading to me each night to me learning to read to him to help him fall asleep, to quicken my unsupervised nightly prowling sessions around his home office and computer builds, to listen to comedy cassette tapes, I have fond memories of them all. But ass it turns out, listening to the written word provided my life with numerous benefits far into adulthood.

This is why, despite being a bit of a book snob, I love audiobooks. As they help me bring some of the favorite books of my childhood to life by way of amazing actors, voice-over artists, and often the authors themselves. Listening enjoyment that can be enjoyed on long commutes or doing household chores like nightly dish duty. There’s also the added benefits of listening to audiobooks while multi-tasking at home, listening to audiobooks helps make performing chores more fun, they also turn hours of my day into fun that would otherwise be rather unenjoyable. As scrubbing the bathroom, putting laundry away or dusting is always easier when my audiobooks are on the play.

Did I also mention how perfect audiobooks help me get to sleep, calm anxiety? There’s that too. This is why I have come to think of audiobooks as vital parts of my self-care routine at home. Especially during the cold weather months each year. The only drawback? It can sometimes be difficult to enjoy the benefits of audiobooks if they don’t fit into your book budget. Which is why I’m sharing today some of my favorite ways to enjoy free audiobook titles.

Please note: The following resources are all free, legally-obtained audiobook sources. TheLadyPrefers2Save.com does not advise the illegal download of audiobook files. The theft of intellectual property is not only criminal, but it is also immoral. As it takes advantage of the authors, publishers, marketing teams, influencer reviewers, booksellers, distributors, shippers, and agents that work untold hours to bring your favorite stories to life. So when it comes to downloading free audiobooks, download legally. Authors deserve to be compensated for all the good they give to this world. And, of course, enjoy the following sources. Then, when you find a gem, share it online via GoodReads or your favorite review site. Pass your finds forward. And as always, enjoy the freedom and privileges of literacy and education. By way of the history of the spoken word.

Websites To Find Free, Reduced, or Inexpensive Audiobooks Online

Librivox

Librivox is a non-profit, online initiative that records and provides public domain books, released as free audiobooks. The site boasts over 10,000 projects, with a diverse set of titles ranging from War and Peace to Leaves of Grass to The Dream of the Red Chamber to Anne of Green Gables. You can find a free audiobook by searching by title, author, genre/subject, or language. You can also browse all the titles in the catalog, view only the most recent audiobooks, and subscribe to new releases as podcasts. Once you reach a book’s description page, you can read more about it and even listen to the chapters individually without having to download each of them. You can even volunteer to read sections for books-in-progress! Find out more about them, here.

Lit2Go

Lit2Go offers audiobooks, plays, short stories, and poems that have been tailored for use in classrooms. Along with each free audiobook, you’ll get citation information, playtime, and word count. accompanying PDF that can be used to read-along with text. Available as well on Android and ios. Find out more about this service, here.

Loyal Books

Loyal Books shares free audiobooks from titles in the public domain. You’ll find options like John Milton’s Paradise Lost and Sir Author Conan Doyle’s The Return of Sherlock Holmes, among others. Users can also submit reviews and read what others have had to say about each of the titles. Find out more about this service, here.

Mind Webs

Mind Webs is a hauntingly-good old-time radio dramatization of over 150 of the most classic science fiction short stories. You’ll find free science fiction stories from Ursula K. Le Guin, Kurt Vonnegut, and H.G. Wells, among others. Find out more about his service, here.

Open Culture

Open Culture’s site brings together high-quality cultural along with educational media to provide kids of all ages with a comprehensive lifelong learning community. With hosts of intelligent audio and video content to choose from, this site’s free choices make it fun to use as it is enriching for listeners of all walks of life. You can gain access to this high-quality content by clicking here.

OverDrive

OverDrive provides access to the most ebook and audiobook content you’ll find on this list, by pairing with local libraries. With over two million books and videos, and partner with more than 30,000 libraries nationally, you’ll find the newest audiobook releases through OverDrive. All free of charge through your local library’s Overdrive access for 7, 14, 0r 21-day loans. Books can also be downloaded by specific chapters alone, too. The app can also be linked to Android, desktop, and iOS services. To find out about this service, click here.

Scribl

Scribl provides users with a great option for newer releases, with many of the books read by the authors themselves. These free audiobooks are provided in a serialized form, so you can listen to small chunks that fit into your commute. My favorite site feature? Podiobooks encourages listeners to donate money directly to the authors of the books, with authors receiving 75% of donations. Including indie authors and artists. To find out about this site, click here.

Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg is the Cadillac of sites for free books that are in the public domain. Since they use books no longer under copyright, most of the books on the sites were written before 1923. So keep that in mind when searching for something to listen to. Including their section on human-read free audiobooks offers an even wider collection of books. Stand-outs include Marion Zimmer Bradley’s The Colors of Space and Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. Project Gutenberg also offers computer-read audiobooks too. To find out more about this site, click here.

Spotify

No one loves Spotify more than me. So if you too are a playlist junkie, be sure to check out Spotify’s audiobooks playlist for a list of audiobooks that are always being added to by the service. Spotify is free to listen, or you can go premium if you don’t want the ads. Spotify’s list currently features The Great Gatsby audiobook, as well as 1984 and Pride and Prejudice. To find out more about the service, and its apps, click here.

Storynory

Storynory offers free audiobooks for kids, with a mix of classics, fairy tales, and original stories for kids. But for the kid at heart, you’ll also love classic titles like Brothers Grimm folk tales, Aesop’s fables, or stories from 1,001 Nights again. To find out more about this site, click here.

Sync

Every summer, readers looking for YA audiobooks can head over to SYNC, a free summer audiobook program for teens, sponsored by AudioFile Magazine and delivered by OverDrive. Also worth noting, each summer the site gives away two free audiobooks every week in the summer. Users can also sign up for alerts to know when new audiobooks are available. To find out more about his site, click here.

Bound

The Bound app, which downloads your audiobooks directly from a DropBox account, or other cloud-based services, onto your Bound app, for both iOS and Android, allows users to use bookmarks and can remember where you paused your book. And it’s simply prettier and easier to use. To find out more about this app, click here.

Google Play Books

Google Play Books allows you to listen to your purchased audiobooks across platforms and devices. That enables listeners to pick up where they left off on their Android device, iPhone, or desktop PCs. Audiobook controls allow you to skip ahead or scroll along the timeline, jump to chapters, and configure playback speed and a snooze timer. Unlike other audiobook services, Google Play Books doesn’t run on a monthly subscription, instead of allowing users to preview audiobooks and then buy what they want over the Google Play Books marketplace. However, you just pay monthly after the trial to keep downloading each of your enjoyed audiobooks. To find out about this app, and service, click here.

Digitalbook.io

Digitalbook.io is a free audiobook directory that makes it easy to find public domain audiobook downloads. Browse titles by the most popular or recently added audiobooks to find one you might like to listen to or look through the list of genres or authors. and even by specific quotes or chapters, too. You can also see trending audiobooks at Digitalbook.io’s homepage. There are currently over 100,000 items at Digitalbook.io, and while some are audiobooks, others are regular eBooks. To find out more about this site, click here.

Light Up Your Brain

Light Up Your Brain’s audiobook site is geared towards tech-savvy kids aged 5-15 and a free text version is available with each audiobook. Most audiobooks are under 10 minutes and most titles will provide PDF transcripts of the audiobooks as well. Including classic audiobooks, ready-to-be-steamed directly from the website. Keep in mind, all titles must be downloaded individually, as there is currently no group downloader available and all audiobooks must be downloaded by right-clicking on each title to be saved as Mp3 files. As the site does not host stylized download or hover buttons. To find out more about this site, click here.

ThoughtAudio

Thought Audio is another classic-minded audiobook site featuring classic works of literature and philosophy books available for download as free audiobooks. You can browse the whole list or search for books, as well as see them in order of those that were most recently added to the collection. To get these audiobooks you have to either listen to them on the ThoughtAudio website or download them in installments by right-clicking each part that you want to save. PDF transcripts for these audiobooks are also available for download. Some audiobooks are available in multiple audio formats. The perfect place for classic audiobooks for writers, college students, and seminary students alike. To find out more about this site, click here.

Learn Out Loud

LearnOutLoud’s self-development focused free audiobooks allow users to find practical information by way of thousands of free audiobooks, categorized by genre, including documentaries, courses, speeches, and more. Keeping in mind, a free user account is needed for some audiobooks and other titles may be subject to trial offers. Most titles can be sorted by recently added, random, most popular, or alphabetically. There are also specific categories that you can choose to find only those types of free audiobook downloads, such as Science, Technology, Self Development, Languages, Business, and Travel. To find out more about this site, click here.

Hoopla

Hoopla, much like OverDrive, provides users with various digital media services offered by local public libraries. Allowing users to borrow movies, music, audiobooks, ebooks, comics, and TV shows to enjoy on your device of choice. Including various computers, tablets, e-readers, or smartphones. Even on your TV or smart tv and other iOS and Android devices as well as Roku, Chromecast, Fire TVs. With Hoopla, there’s no waiting for titles. As selections can be streamed immediately or downloaded to phones or tablets for offline enjoyment later. Featuring hundreds of thousands of titles to choose from, with more being added daily, this site brings the best of your local library into your home. With tons of titles at your fingertips, anytime and anywhere. As with the OverDrive app, users need a valid library card, and your local library must be signed up to use the service in order for users to get started renting titles from home. To find out more about the site, click here.

NewFixtion

NewFixtion is in a category all to itself. It doesn’t have many titles, but what it does have are original stories delivered in daily episodes, much like daily radio shows of the 1940s. With each episode is voiced by trained actors, which gives it a more rounded feeling. It’s really more like listening to an old-time radio drama than simply having a book read to you. You can’t download titles from NewFixtion, though. Titles are listed through your desktop or mobile browser. To find out more about the site, click here.

ejunto

Fans of American history will love ejunto’s library of historic media. Users can access, download, and listen on iTunes or download as an MP3 through a podcast library of resourcing links. While titles cannot be downloaded in bulk, rather on a chapter-by-chapter downloading basis, the site is still a great resource for history lovers of all ages. at a time. To find out more about the site, click here.

YouTube

Similar to Spotify, YouTube is not primarily a good source for audiobooks because most of the content is music and videos. However, you might have luck finding some really great free audiobooks on YouTube if you know how to search for them. Such as searching for a title name followed by “audiobook.” Users can also try Reddit. Which hosts genre-specific directories for finding YouTube-centric audiobook files. Specifically for sharing which videos on YouTube are actually audiobooks. Once you find an audiobook you like, and so long as you know it’s public domain or is legal to download, you can download just the audio from the video with a YouTube to MP3 converter. Browse YouTube audiobooks, here.

Digital Book

DigitalBook, formerly Librophile, lets you search through a database of public domain books from places like Librivox, Gutenberg, Open Library, and also includes books from Amazon and Audible. Although not all books are free, a large number of them are, and they boast a catalog of over 100,000 free audiobooks and eBooks. If you sign up for a free membership, you can save books on a personal bookshelf to read later without having to download. Click here to find out more about this site.

Audio Archive

Internet Archive is a non-profit archive of internet sites and other cultural artifacts, made available to users in digital form. It’s one of the larger and more well-known sites out there for access pretty much anything in the public domain. Providing free access to an archive of over 4 million audio recordings, 11 million books and texts, and 3 million videos. To find out more about this site, click here.

RBDigital

RBDigital offers an extensive collection of audiobooks, magazines, and eBooks, with the largest independent collection of unabridged audiobooks. To find out more about this site, click here.

Your Cloud Library

YourCloudLibrary is an application for Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android that offers access to millions of ebooks and audio to download. cloudLibrary by bibliotheca works with a huge range of eReading devices, and we’re adding support all the time. Right now, you are able to view and download content on iOS and Android recognized devices. To find out more about this service, click here.

Amazon Audiobooks

If You’re an Amazon Prime Subscriber, you can get free audiobooks there, too! If you’re an Amazon Prime member you can get unlimited access to a selection of free audiobooks each month in addition to Prime eligible Kindle ebooks. Keep in mind, Amazon doesn’t make it particularly clear where to find the list of audiobooks currently free to borrow for Prime members. This means you’ll need to download the ebook before you can get the audiobook from separate lists of available audiobooks, downloading each individually.

To get started, here’s the list of Books with Audible Narration free for Prime members in 2019. Prime eligible ebooks show a Prime logo in the buy box that says, Included with your membership. Books that also have a matching Prime-eligible audiobook will show a box that says, Read and Listen for Free. If the audiobook isn’t part of Prime it will just say, Read for Free.

When searching for free Amazon audiobook titles, be sure to search and select Prime-eligible books. Including titles with matching audiobooks available with Prime, as it will automatically be available once you borrow the ebook. Fire tablet users you can easily find Prime audiobook content from the menu of the Audible section where it lists Prime Benefits.

Audible Channels are another way to get free audio content with Prime. Audible Channels include original short-form audio content (podcasts), along with playlists, and a selection of audiobooks to stream anytime. All options to help you find free audiobooks from Amazon.

Kobo

Kobo, known for its e-reader services and devices, is also home to 5 million ebooks and audiobooks with an ever-growing catalog. Kobo might be one of the biggest competitors battling Amazon’s Kindle line. Free 30-day trial, cancel anytime. $12.99/month for an audiobook subscription after that point. Kobo’s audiobook player covers your basics, with a timeline scrubber bar, time skip buttons, chapter navigation, playback speed configuration, and a snooze timer. The app provides cross-platform syncing, a customizable ebook reader, and a dedicated audiobook player. New users can sign up for a $5.00 additional discount on their first ebook purchase. The site also offers many new, free selections, too. To find out this site, click here.

Bookmobile

Bookmobile is a service, for both Android and iOS that specializes in DRM-free audiobooks and DRM-locked content from iTunes and Audible, as well as DRM-free content, ripped from CDs or downloaded, including M4B and MP3 audiobooks. This app features a control panel designed to keep you from easily losing your place and includes drive and sleep modes, as well as supporting background playback. Extra features include a custom bookmarking feature that can automatically remember where you last stopped, playback speed controls, and AirPlay support. The free trial lasts for 60 days and allows you to import three audiobooks; iOS users will be charged $3.99 after free trial if not canceled. Users can even weekly free audiobooks for users who utilize their sign-up newsletter service. To find out about this app, click here.

Public Libraries

No longer do you need to leave the house in order to borrow a book from the library, as you can now even borrow public library books from your kindle, but you may still want to. As going to your local library can still gain you access to varied titles as well as the opportunity to request new releases by way of interlibrary loans from other branches. Local libraries also host a litany of other free services open to the general public, too! To find a library near you, click here.

Audiobooks, no matter if you’re listening to them on your commutes, while we’re cleaning the house, running, or, even while cooking, it’s always worth your listening time. Thankfully, these 30 websites, apps, directories, and sources can help offer thousands and thousands of free audiobooks for you online this season. That’s a lot of books. Get to listening!

Finally, be sure to share your favorite places to get audiobooks in the comments below. Or just say hi. That’s fun, too!

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5 Tips on How to Stay Healthy During Fall Allergy, Cold & Flu Season

Please note, this post is sponsored by MomsMeet.com. All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you.

When it comes to fall allergy season as well as cold and flu season, the old adage is true, that an ounce of prevention is always worth a pound of cure. So are we are currently in the midst of one of the worst flu season’s on record, it’s more important than ever to find ways to prevent flu and cold symptoms in our lives, especially in our homes this season. With this in mind, here are seven tips to help you prevent at all season long:

Wash your hands often

Let’s face it, the effort is key when it comes to protecting your family this germ season. You have to do better than a quick rinse under the faucet. Do this by rubbing your hands together with soap and warm water vigorously for at least 20 seconds. Paying attention not to forget the areas between your fingers and under your nails, and then pat your hands dry. And remember, keep your hands away from your nose, mouth, and face to help to prevent illness.

For times when you cannot use soap and water to wash your hands, then I recommend Desert Essence Probiotic Hand Sanitizer. It is a pure, potent hand sanitizer that kills 99.99% of germs while delivering good bacteria courtesy of probiotic-packed Kefir, which nourishes and conditions the skin. It uses a combination of botanical extracts including Tea Tree Oil, Thyme, Elderberry, and Echinacea to help reduce bacteria.

Using patented “membrane” technology that creates a “membrane,” or protective screen, a Desert Essence Probiotic Hand Sanitizer formula’s probiotic-rich formula, providing users with sanitization and the added benefits of gut-building flora. This one-of-a-kind sanitizer neither kills the probiotic, nor neutralizes flora, but rather helps facilitate the removal of harmful bacteria from hands while ensuring that gut-friendly flora thrives.

You can find Desert Essence Probiotic Hand Sanitizer available here for purchase and you can use promo code DEprobioticpower to get 30% off Desert Essence Probiotic Hand Sanitizers. You can also check this store list to see if a retailer carries Desert Essence Probiotic Hand Sanitizers near you. Or use promo code DEprobioticpower for 30% off Desert Essence Probiotic Hand Sanitizers when visiting desertessence.com.

Sanitize surfaces

Stopping the spread of germs doesn’t stop with our hands. Making sure you clean and disinfect hard surfaces such as countertops, tables, refrigerator handles, doorknobs, and faucets in your home is a must this season, too. Including the surfaces of our most-used items, including TV remotes, computers, laptops, tablets, toys, and phones, too. Some germs can live in these spots, in small creases for up to 24 hours, so make sure you clean with a disinfectant or disinfecting wipes, or 1/4 cup of vinegar mixed with 1 gallon of water and 10 drops of lavender essential oil.

Steer clear of the sick

It can be tough to completely avoid a sick person in your house, especially if you’re a caretaker. But sometimes the best thing you can do to stay well is to keep your distance. If you can, give the sick person their own room for sleeping and relaxing. Stock it with the items they’ll need, like tissues, a trash can, medicine, and bottles of water. And limit their guests, so that the only person who should go in and out of the sick-room is the person taking care of them.

Pamper your immune system

Your body does a remarkable job protecting you from illnesses most of the time, eating lots of fruits and veggies, and making sure you get plenty of rest, can help you out as well. Also making sure to add daily exercise, keeping stress in check, and limiting alcohol as well.

Close your toilet lid before flushing

You really should put the toilet seat down. No really! While it may put some household arguments to rest, the real reason to close the toilet lid is a phenomenon known as a toilet plume. When you flush a toilet, the swirling water that removes your waste from the bowl also mixes with small particles of that waste, shooting aerosolized feces and urine into the air. Low-flow toilets have decreased this risk but have not eliminated this and as aerosol plumes can reach as high as 15 feet, closing the lid is a must!

Get a flu shot

While this may be controversial to some, it’s also worth noting that getting a flu shot is still one of the surest ways to stay well each cold and flu season. Flu vaccines cause antibodies to develop in the body about two weeks after vaccination, antibodies provide protection against infection with the viruses that are in the vaccine. The seasonal flu vaccine protects against the influenza viruses that research indicates will be most common illness this season. As the vaccine is different every year, so it’s vital to make sure yours is up-to-date each season.

Don’t overshare

One of the best ways to prevent cold and flu at home is by not sharing food or drinks, cups, utensils, or towels with people who are sick in your home. Also, don’t forget to throw out toothbrushes after everyone gets well and to keep a sick person’s toothbrush separate from the rest of your family’s. They can be a breeding ground for germs. A great tip? Trade out plastic toothbrushes for naturally antimicrobial, compostable toothbrushes. As well, don’t let anyone share pillows and blankets with anyone who is sick, and they should have their own bedding, in their own space in the house. Then, once he’s better, wash everything he used. The same goes for toys and playtimes, too!

Friends, those are 7 tips to help prevent germs at home this fall allergy, flu, and cold season. While you may not be able to prevent every illness under the sun from coming into your home this season, these tips may be able to help you and your family stay healthier at home just the same! Also, make sure to follow Desert Essence on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more product information, sales, and giveaways. So, now I want to ask, do you have any tips for preventing germs at home this fall? I’d love to hear about them below.

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It’s Okay If You Don’t Know What You’re Doing When It Comes To Your Baby Sometimes!

There are few times in any person’s life more exciting than the arrival of their first baby. When that day arrives, you probably find yourself wrapped up in a whirlwind of excitement, confusion, stress, and euphoria. You’re probably going to find yourself feeling plenty of things that you’ve never felt before. You’re going to be amazing that you could love something so much but you’re also going to find yourself worrying more than you ever thought possible as well. Sadly, that’s just something that you’re going to have to get used to. Part of being a parent means coming to terms with the fact that you’re always going to be just a little bit worried about your baby all day long. And most of the time there’s no reason to worry at all, and you can just get on with enjoying your time together. However, there are plenty of occasions where parents panic and feel as though something is seriously wrong. However, there are plenty of occasions where the cause of that panic really isn’t that much of a big deal. In order to help you avoid feeling more stressed than you already are, here are a few incredibly common issues that might crop up with the new baby that is likely to leave you panicking, but really shouldn’t.

Fussy feeding

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Trying to feed a baby at any stage in their development can be a seriously stressful experience. It’s the kind of thing that can start from birth as well. Many mothers end up feeling incredibly anxious if they’re not able to breastfeed perfectly right away. There’s so much stigma around it that it can lead a lot of women to feel as though they’ve already failed as a mother or that there’s something wrong with them. THIS IS NOT TRUE. It’s incredibly important that you understand that there is nothing wrong with having trouble breastfeeding. It’s an incredibly common issue, and there are plenty of things that you can do about it. It might simply be a matter of patience and letting things run their course, but you might also decide that it’s best to switch your baby to formula from a bottle. Don’t let anyone tell you that there’s something wrong with formula feeding, it’s specifically designed to have all of the nutrients that your baby needs and exists to help mothers who are struggling to breastfeed. There’s nothing unnatural or unsafe about it, and there’s nothing wrong with you for needing to use it as the method of feeding your baby. Plus, it offers you the chance to share feeding duties between both parents incredibly easily.

Nightmare bedtimes

If there’s one thing that can leave a lot of parents pulling their hair out when they have little ones, it’s bedtime. For some parents, it can feel like an absolute breeze. They put their little ones down and then just walk away for the rest of the night. However, for many other parents, it can be a battle of wills that can last for hours. Luckily, you’re not alone. Plus there’s the stress of accidents in the night waking your little one up as well. Few things are more stressful than having to clean your sheets at one in the morning. Something like a Newton Baby waterproof crib mattress pad can make sure that your baby is comfortable and that accidents aren’t going to cause huge problems. Sure, it won’t solve all of your sleeping problems, but it makes a difference.

Screaming tantrums

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There are few things in life that make you feel like you’ve failed as a parent than when your baby just won’t stop screaming. You’ve tried everything: feeding, burping, playing, napping, singing, dancing, driving in the car, everything, and nothing has made even the slightest bit of difference. The most important thing to remember is that this is completely normals. There is nothing wrong with you or your baby. This is just something that happens sometimes. Sometimes babies will cry because they want or need something, and sometimes they’ll cry for seemingly no reason whatsoever. It’s important to remember that if it feels like things are getting too much for you, you can just set them down in their crib and leave the room for a while. It can be tough to listen to your baby cry in the other room, but it’s not going to do them any harm, and it will prevent you from going completely insane. Plus, as stressful as it might be, the moment that they stop and give you a big smile you’ll forget all about it.

Development speed

Having as much clear information about your baby can be incredibly useful. It can let you know which things to look out for and what things are normal, as well as giving you an idea of how your child is developing. However, one issue that it can cause is that a lot of people end up panicking when their baby doesn’t perfectly line up with developed expectations that they have for them. It’s crucial that you remember that all development milestones are vague estimates. Just because your child isn’t walking or talking or doing anything else at the same speed as other babies, that doesn’t mean that there’s anything wrong with them. In reality, most of the time those kinds of things make no difference whatsoever to your child’s future development.

Being a new parent can be scary a lot of the time. The old saying that kids “don’t come with an instruction manual” might be a serious cliche, but it’s also incredibly true to the experience of trying to take care of a baby for the first time. In the exact same way that they’re learning to understand the world around them, you’re learning how to take care of them. So cut yourself some slack. Sure, you’re not going to be the perfect parent, because no one is! And sure, you’re probably going to make a few mistakes along the way, but that’s just a natural part of life. The best thing that you can do is just to try and relax and enjoy the experience of taking care of your little one as much as possible. Over time you’ll find that you get better and better at being a parent and it will all be second nature to you before you know it.

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5 Sales Tax Compliance Tips For Fall

Please note, this post is sponsored by Diamond Bloggers. All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you.

With the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping just around the corner ongoing debates over online sales tax, and related statutory rules and rate changes, remain more divided than ever. With annual vaulted sales projecting higher than normal turnarounds for small businesses this fall, and constant debate circling the Wayfair Act passage of 2018, making being versed in proper tax compliance important to nearly every savvy businessperson’s action list all sales tax holidays long. But sometimes understanding how to implement safeguards and systems, monitor ever-changing statutory laws, and finding easy and efficient ways to remit the right taxes can be tricky for even the most compliance-minded business person.

Making having an easy-to-follow starting point key for addressing sales and use tax compliance. With this in mind, here are five tips to identify steps your business can take to address your particular challenges this season with your small businesses at home:

Determine taxes by analyzing changes to nexus rules

Nexus means connection. The term nexus when used in tax law to describe a situation in which a business has a tax presence in a particular state or states. A connection between a taxing jurisdiction, like a state, and an entity like a business that must collect or pay the tax.

While most businesses have some concept of nexus—what connects businesses, both online and in brick-and-mortar retail, per each individual taxing jurisdiction, as to what is required for sales tax collection and remittance, this complex system can leave many unaware of dramatic changes to nexus proposals happening this season. As there are numerous developments on the federal level, focusing on current state proposals that that are currently underway is key. These rules change significantly over time and have the most direct impact on online retailers and at-home small businesses.

To stay compliant, review where you currently have nexus and identify applicable rule changes. Most important in light of recent Wayfair sales tax case changes. Which can be found from looking online on your state’s tax office page. As well as making sure your business is registered in states where it’s required and determining whether your business might have unknowingly created nexus in a jurisdiction. Particularly is you employ or utilize traveling salespeople, contract labor, leasing real or personal property in a state, participate in trade shows, or other nexus-creating activities. Making sure to avoid practices that put you at risk for audit including having out-of-date rates and rules and failing to recognize new tax laws and rates.

Never ignore consumer tax

Consumer tax is defined as a tax on the use of a tangible personal property (TPP) not otherwise subject to sales tax. Generally speaking, a purchaser owes consumer tax and sales tax compliance on items purchased on which they paid no sales tax or less tax than the applicable sales tax rate. Unlike sales tax, the remittance responsibility lies with the buyer, by way of either the business or individual. In some cases, as in most small businesses and online businesses, the purchaser would be a business, such as a developer or a distributor, who regularly buys goods, mostly online, to use, or consume as TPP. Including remitted taxes for businesses as they withdraw goods from inventory for its own use, particularly if the sales taxes were not originally paid at the time of purchase. It is the responsibility of all properly run business to self-assess their owned TTP, and if and when necessary, including changes to Wayfair tax policy, when you remit to your state what has been accrued on your next tax return.

This can be done by maintaining a written use tax policy leger spreadsheets, filing exemption certificates, when needed, for more complicated multip-purchase and shipped orders, creating an audit trail for certificates of ongoing purchases spanning multiple seasons, keeping accurate records of service exemption rules in each jurisdiction in which you do business, and creating quick-to-be-accessed, printable, nonexpired exemption certificate summary reports.

Know how to remit sales on tax returns

Even companies that ensure every possible step to diligently track and update changes in sales and use tax rules, sometimes inadvertently fail to remit their accused taxes correctly. Which is why knowing which form to use, where to file, and what to include in your returns, paramount each tax season at home.

This can be most easily done by review whether your filing schedule has changed as relates to your business revenue, at least ninety days prior to remitting for your annual or quarterly taxes each year. This can help you determine if new ore implemented e-filing laws will affect your business in each current season. This also will help businesses to avoid filing errors that increase your risk of audit. Including failure to prepay or establish payment plans, remit late payments, or payment to incorrect jurisdictions or states.

Affiliate Sales

Some online retailers sell directly through affiliates. This style of marketing involves the selling company to advertise and sell goods provided by another company. Some states have adopted laws that require online marketers to collect and remit sales tax on products purchased from affiliates based in states where the law is in force, regardless of where the selling company exists or where the products are sold. Similar legislation in other states may follow, so always be sure to keep abreast of sales tax laws for online concerns in your state.

Get help when needed

No matter how versed you are with sales tax law, even the savviest of businesses might need help. Including Wayfair nexus. A site designed to help businesses better understand sales tax nexus and sales tax laws. As well as enabling small business owners better understand other tax-centric topics including, various sales tax software, sales tax filing, sales tax regulations, sales tax act, in a post-Wayfair Act world.

Resources to help you understand the ins and outs of sales tax nexus and sales tax laws. Including other tax-centric topics including, various sales tax software, sales tax filing, sales tax regulations, sales tax act, and specific Wayfair act procedures for overall Wayfair sales tax nexus laws compliance. Helping thousands of business owners stay focused on their core businesses by providing automated end-to-end compliance service information best related to your current business needs.

Staying sales tax savvy is paramount for your small business at home this season. Are you ready to take on sales tax compliance this holiday season at home? Leave your thoughts below.

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Quicken Your Debt-Free Journey with Derby Advisors

This post is sponsored by Diamond Bloggers. All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you.

When you start a family, you’ll be given different pieces of advice and indeed warnings. You’ll be told that kids keep you up all night which they do. That your personal time is seriously cut down which it is. How incredible it is to have children and to love someone more than you ever thought possible. What people won’t talk to you about is the cost of having a family. That information they’ll let you figure that one out all by yourself.

Have you seen people driving around in expensive sports cars and planning luxury vacations? You can feel fairly certain those people don’t have kids. Or, if they do they have discovered the best ways to make your finances work for you when you have a family. That’s what we’re going to explore today, and we’ll start by looking at the right way to manage your budget.

Setting Up Your Big Monthly Budget

Everyone should have some sort of budget that they stick to each month or year. It will help ensure that you don’t spend more than you should and that you are able to keep those costs under complete control.

With a budget, it’s also possible to make sure that you have money in savings and that’s important. Most young couples don’t even have a thousand in savings, and that means they have no money at all for unexpected costs such as the potential bills they might have to pay. So, how do you set up your family budget the right way?

Well, you need to think about all the money you make. Include everything in this sum such as side hustles and investments. We’re going to look at both these options a little further down. Now that you have your total you need to look at your outgoings.

If you’re not sure of this, take a peek at your monthly statements. Look for patterns to give you an idea of what typically leaves your account each month. This will include food bills, energy bills, gas for the car and the list goes on.

Once you have a substantial list subtract them all. Now, take a third of the total and mark that as savings. What you have left is roughly the amount you have to spend on luxuries, unexpected costs and little things for your kids. It should be a fairly substantial amount, and that probably makes you wonder where your money goes. You definitely don’t have that much left at the end of the month do you?

Stop Overspending

It’s so easy to overspend and let’s look at the food shop as an example. By looking at your statements, you should be able to see how much on average you spend on your food each month. You want to work to cut this down as much as possible, and it’s easy to do.

One of the best ways to reduce your monthly food shop is to not be a slave for brands. We all have our favorites brands, but when you take a good hard look, you’ll see they aren’t really special at all. Offering more or less the same and when you realize that you’ll be able to look for the cheapest one every time you shop. Then, you can think about looking at vouchers and coupons online.

There are plenty of sites online like Coupons.com that provide great deals for parents looking for cheap deals on products that they buy regularly or even every time they head to the superstore.

Of course, food shopping is just one of the areas that you might be overspending where costs can be easily adjustable. Another example would be your energy bills. If you have a home full of kids then you might find it’s difficult to keep the energy bills under control.

That’s particularly true when you think about the amount of technology that you are probably using on a regular basis in your home. If you have teenagers, it’s possible that there’s a TV in each room along with a games console or computer. How do you keep the electric costs down when we’re all this tech orientated?

Well, you should be checking out the tech you purchase carefully. All tech on the market today has energy ratings. If you want to keep your energy bills low, you just need to make sure you’re buying tech with the best ratings on the market. In no time at all, you’ll find your bills are reduced down to size.

You might also want to think about getting a smart meter. With a smart meter, you’ll be able to find out exactly what is costing you the most money. That way you can replace it or take more control over how much that device is being used. But be careful of false economy saves.

For instance, if the dryer is costing you more money, don’t stuff it with clothes for fewer cycles. Ultimately, this will just lead to you needing to put it on, again and again, to get clothes dry anyway.

Kill Fixed Costs

What about the costs in your budget that are fixed? Are there ways to reduce these such as car insurance or even medical plans? Both will be essential for a family to guarantee that you have the resources needed to protect and take care of your children. The answer is that you can reduce these costs.

All you need to do is use price comparison sites. This will help you find the best deal each time you get the chance to renew these plans. For instance, you can use Gomedigap for more info on the best Medicare insurance companies to guarantee that you do get the greatest deal for your money every time. It’s important that you look at this coverage carefully to get the best savings and everything you need for your family.

Boost Your Budget

If when you look at your total that you have to spend at the end of the month, it’s less than you’d like there are ways to boost your earnings. Investments are a smart choice here, and the basic option would be a savers account that provides a high level of interest. That way a little money will be added without you even needing to try. You can look at the best savings accounts on NerdWallet.com.

Or, how about a side hustle. There are lots of choices here including working at home. When you look into these, you’ll find that the market is wide open and there are lots of available opportunities to help you make more money.

Debt Consolidation services with Derby Advisors

Sometimes the best way to better your family finances at home can be with debt consolidation services. Financial services strategies to help families with their finances by paying off one or more lines of credit in exchange for a loan that’s better suited to complement your financial goals.

Reasons to consolidate debt include allowing families to be able to more easily pay off your credit card balances with a personal loan that could help you save on interest, increase your credit score and change your debt from revolving to installment debt, among other benefits. As revolving debt in the form of debt that many credit card use. Most consumer credit cards are categorized as revolving credit, and the amount you use has a considerable effect on your utilization ratio and credit score. Using consolidation services, families can more quickly pay off these sums in order to better their financial situations at home.

Debt consolidation services, such as with Second City Advisors, can also help borrowers to more quickly be moving towards paying down installment debt, such as a mortgage, auto loan or student loan. By paying off your debt with a personal loan and moving your balance to a consolidated payment, families could see an increase in your score and the payment plan could help you get out of debt for good. Consolidation services can also help consumers to lower monthly payments and shorten payment terms as well. By moving all of your unsecured debt onto a personal loan, you’ll only have a single payment to make each month.

Although consolidating debt isn’t the right option for everyone and all situations, it could significantly improve your finances when it does make sense. Get started by doing your research. find out with consolidation services you may qualify for.

In order to see if your family qualifies for consolidation services, be sure to have information on-hand including the balances and rates on your credit cards so you can compare your current rates to your new options. You should also check your current debt interest rates and decide how much you want to consolidate. You don’t have to consolidate all of your cards for the convenience of a single payment. However, if all of your cards have a higher rate than your new offers, you may be able to save by combining them all. When choosing your amount, remember to check the origination fee on your loan.

With this information in mind, you can apply for Derby Advisors consolidation services and options you like, finishing the last steps of your process is simple: after you’ve applied for the loan you desire, just verify your info and sign your loan! Once your loan is signed, you can receive your money sometimes as soon as the same day.

If you think you meet the minimum qualifications and want to pay off your credit cards or other high-interest debt, you can get started and see your options, such as Interstate Associates consolidation services.

Friends, while family finances generally no picnic, utilizing the tips listed above can help make your finances easier to manage this season at home. And if you have any tips for bettering family finances yourself, feel free to leave those suggestions in the comments below.

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