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8 Tips To Boost Recovery During And After Falling Ill

Falling ill can be a challenging experience for anyone. Whether it’s a common cold, flu, or a more serious condition, being sick can take a toll on your body and mind. While resting and seeking medical attention are crucial steps to getting better, there are other things you can do to boost your recovery and feel better faster. In this article, we will explore some tips to help you recover during and after falling ill.

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1. Stay Hydrated: 

One of the most important things you can do when you are sick is to stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water, electrolyte drinks, or herbal tea can help keep your body hydrated and flush out toxins. If you are experiencing vomiting or diarrhea, you may need to replenish your electrolytes with an oral rehydration solution.

2. Get Plenty of Rest: 

Rest is essential for recovery. When you are sick, your body needs more rest than usual to recover from the illness. Make sure to get plenty of sleep, take naps when you need to, and avoid strenuous activities.

3. Eat Nutritious Foods: 

Your body needs fuel to recover from an illness, so it’s essential to eat nutritious foods. A balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein can help provide the nutrients your body needs to fight off infection and repair damage.

4. Practice Good Hygiene: 

When you are sick, it’s important to practice good hygiene to prevent the spread of germs. Make sure to wash your hands frequently, cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze, and avoid close contact with others.

5. Manage Stress: 

Stress can take a toll on your immune system, so it’s important to manage stress levels during and after an illness. Try relaxation techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, or yoga to help manage stress.

6. Take Medications as Prescribed: 

If you have been prescribed medication by a healthcare professional, it’s important to take it as prescribed. Skipping doses or stopping medication early can make it harder for your body to recover. This includes visiting an Infusion Center for infusion therapy.

7. Stay Connected: 

Being sick can be isolating, so it’s important to stay connected with friends and family. Talking to loved ones can provide emotional support and help you feel less alone during the recovery process.

8. Follow Up with Your Healthcare Provider: 

After recovering from an illness, it’s important to follow up with your healthcare provider to ensure that you are fully recovered. Your healthcare provider may recommend follow-up tests or appointments to monitor your recovery.

There You Have It

Falling ill can be a difficult experience, but there are things you can do to help boost your recovery. Staying hydrated, getting plenty of rest, eating nutritious foods, practicing good hygiene, managing stress, taking medications as prescribed, staying connected, and following up with your healthcare provider are all important steps to take during and after an illness. By taking these steps, you can help your body recover faster and get back to feeling your best.

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7 Tips For Better Fall Skincare

This post has been sponsored by Diamond Bloggers. All opinions are my own. Thank you.

If your skin has been dry lately, you’re not alone. Unforgiving fall weather mixed with dry indoor heat work in tandem to leave your skin dry, cracked, and unhealthy this time of year. Cold weather and winds can also aggravate your skin, particularly if you’re already prone to dry or combination skin during the rest of the year.

If you need tips on keeping your  skin smooth and hydrated during the cold winter season, check out these five tips to stay looking your most hydrated best this season.

Shorten your time in the shower

Avoid taking long hot baths, showers, or using saunas during the winter months. Hot water can strip the skin of its natural moisture. Instead, bath in water for shorter periods of time. This will help you stay hydrated as well as lower the high cost of winter heating this season too!

Stay hydrated

Drinking 64-ounces of clean, cool, filtered water each day will help to keep your skin hydrated. This will also help ward off cold-weather skin fissures and chaffing too!

Lubricate your skin

Lubricating your skin with essential oils or pure cocoa butter after showering or bathing is one of the best steps you can take to keeping your skin hydrated this winter. Cocoa butter is a natural alternative to petroleum-based moisturizers, and when applied to the skin when slightly damp, will help create a protective layer to the skin. Trapping the moisture your skin desperately needs rather than letting those precious lipids evaporate into the dry, hot air of your home this season at home.

Exfoliate

Exfoliating dry, wintery skin is one of the best forms of self-care you can give yourself this season! Buffing away dry skin with a gentle body scrub 2-3 times a  a week is more than plenty!  Be sure to use a good quality scrub. Then, just rub the scrub mixture all over your body in gentle circular motions, and rinse off. You’ll be glowing and moisturized too! Need a great DIY scrub? I love DIY coffee scrub. It’s moisturizing and helps fight cellulite naturally too!

Use a humidifier

During winter, the higher the heat indoors, the less humidity there will be. Using a humidifier can help you keep moisture in your home and office air. Because it’s the humidity that helps keep skin from drying out. Looking for an affordable DIY? Try keeping a bowl of water on your radiators to add moisture to the air.

Know what in your skin products

Knowing what products you put on your skin is vital. Especially in the cooler months of the year. Making it imperative to know which ingredients you’re applying to your skin. Checking labels for cruelty-free measures and sensitive skin-safe beauty ingredients. Opting for products that contain less-drying ingredients such as witch hazel and plant glycerin.

Speak to Your Dermatologist

If there’s anything you’re not sure about, it makes sense to speak to your dermatologist as they’ll be able to give you the tailored advice you need in order to help your skin through the fall months. Find a nearby dermatology clinic if you don’t already have a dermatologist and book an appointment to get started.

7 Ways To Pamper Your Skin This Winter

Create your own moisturizer

If your budget prohibits more upscale skin care this season, opt for using nourishing, wholesome oils at home. And making your own 2-in-1 facial moisturizing cleaner and skin-nourishing oil couldn’t be easier

Friends, don’t be afraid of oil. It is your friend. Especially if you wash your face with something that strips your natural oils. As most of us do. Which makes replacing those oils with something nourishing the best way to nourish your skin, replace vital nutrients on your face, as well as to calm down irritates the skin. Which can actually help to not only balance your skin’s ph levels but help prevent blemishes too!

The best part? Natural facial moisturizing oil can be made with only 3 simple ingredients. Here’s how to make it.

Ingredient Number One – Your Base

Your base, or carrier oil, is your foundation oil. Your foundation oil helps incorporate your other oils and will essentially provide the bulk of the moisturization your skin receives from this washing treatment.

Here are the base oils you could choose from:

  • Argan oil: Great for dry, aging, or acne-prone skin
  • Jojoba oil: Great for oily or acne-prone skin
  • Apricot kernel oil: Great for any skin type, but especially for dry skin
  • Sweet almond oil: Great an all-around, slow-absorbing facial oil
  • Grapeseed oil: Great for oily or acne-prone skin
  • Avocado oil: Great for dry and aging skin
  • Hemp seed oil: Great for combination skin

When creating your base, remember that 2/3 of your blend will be your foundation oil. I make my face wash in 1-cup measurements so 2/3 cup of base oil will suffice. This amount lasts me 1 year with twice-daily use.

Ingredient Number Two

Nourishing Oils. Keep in mind that many natural face oils can also come with hefty price tags. Luckily, in today’s market, there are nourishing oils of various price points and since you need very little for each batch, you can really get a lot of bang for your buck. 

While these oils aren’t necessary, they are wonderful for the skin and in my opinion, useful during the winter season. Here are some ideas for the more nourishing oils:

  • Tamanu oil: Great for oily skin or skin with scars
  • Buckthorn oil: Great for aging skin
  • Rosehip seed oil: Great for aging and sun-damaged skin as its incredibly regenerating, firming, and hosts many anti-aging properties.
  • Carrot seed oil: Great for sensitive skin
  • Borage oil: High in oleic acids and great for most skin types
  • Evening primrose oil: Great for acne-prone skin
  • Emu oil:  Nourishing for dry or aging skin)

You will add 1/3 cup of your nourishing oil to your blend.

Ingredient Number Three:  Essential Oils

Ah, the essential oil Nature’s miracle elixirs. These highly customizable, concentrated gems really help take your oil blend to the next level. But like with all things in nature, a little can go a really long way. With 4-6 drops being all, you need for your final level.

Here are a few personal favorites:

  • Lavender: Great for acne, oily, or even dry skin
  • Peppermint: Great for aging or dry skin
  • Chamomile: Healing and soothing, perfect for sensitive skin
  • Rose:  Wonderful for aging, dry, or combination skin
  • Geranium: Great for dry, sensitive, aging, and normal skin types
  • Lemongrass: Great for brightening dull, dry skin
  • Rosemary: Great for cystic acne and pregnancy mask

Now that you have created your foundation and nourishing layers, add 4-6 drops of any combination of essential oils to complete your oil.  And that’s it! Making sure to store your facial oil out of the sunlight, to prevent oxidation and the separation of your essential oils. This blend will last an entire year’s use.

3 Natural Beauty Products To Gift This Season

When I make my blend I love to use avocado oil,  jojoba oil, and grapeseed oils. They are affordable, work well, and help support a mom-owned and operated company online. What’s more to love?

3 Natural Beauty Products To Gift This Season

I love making this blend and giving it to friends and family too! This past holiday season, this facial oil was one of my go-to holiday gift ideas for friends and family. I also managed to put back a jar for myself too!

when ready to use this oil, simply start with a semi-clean face. A face cleansed with water only clean, patted dry with a clean towel. then apply this oil cleanser to your face. Rubbing in circular motions. rinse with warm water and pat dry. Within days, you’ll start to see a noticeable difference in the tone and clarity of your skin all Winter long!

Friends, I encourage you to consider making this 3-Ingredient Winter Skin Oil for yourself this season. After all, the gift of self-care is the best gift you can give yourself. Every season of the year!

Be sure to check out Organic Bunny’s line of affordable natural care products, perfect all your DIY sin care needs.  Need other DIY natural beauty ideas? Check out my Beauty on a Budget tab for more ideas this season.

Now I want to ask, will you give DIY beauty products during the holiday season? If so, I’d love to hear about your gift-giving ideas below!

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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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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5 Sales Tax Compliance Tips For Fall

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

 

5 Sales Tax Compliance Tips For Fall

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:

5 Sales Tax Compliance Tips For Fall

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.

5 Sales Tax Compliance Tips For Fall

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. 

5 Sales Tax Compliance Tips For Fall

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. 

5 Sales Tax Compliance Tips For Fall

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. 

5 Sales Tax Compliance Tips For Fall

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7 Ways to Prepare Your Home for Guests this Fall

This is a sponsored post in Diamond Bloggers. All opinions are mine.

It’s almost that time of year again. Time to open our homes to entertaining and hosting family and friends this upcoming holiday season. While it can seem daunting to be able to accommodate guests in our homes, it can be done easily and on a budget. Check out these 7 tips for preparing your home for houseguests this fall.

7 ways to prepare your home for houseguests this fall:

1) Declutter and clean. First things first: give your home a good clean before your guests arrive. This includes clearing away as many of your personal belongings as possible from the areas your guests will be using, such as the bedrooms and bathrooms. Empty a drawer in the bedroom, make space in the guest closet, and leave space for your guest’s coats in a front closet. Make sure there’s space in a wardrobe or under the bed for guests to store their empty suitcases. This step is crucial before guests arrive but can be done days or weeks in advance of their arrival!

2) Always be prepared. When it comes to hosting guests in your home, being prepared is key. You’ll want to be as much done before your guests arrive to allow yourself time for doing what matters most when it comes to houseguests, the hosting! Preparing a shopping list, taking an inventory of guest essentials (towels, linens, and a laundry basket for dirty clothing), and planning your tablescapes and decor can be planned out weeks in advance. 

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3) Stock your home. Before your guests arrive, take the time to see if your guests will require any special foods or require specific foods to cater to food allergies while in your home. Then stock up on anything they might need – even if it’s something you don’t like. I like to go the extra mile and stock my home with holiday-themed teas, coffee, snacks, sodas, and breakfast items, including fresh fruit, they might enjoy. I then add them to my kitchen’s coffee bar, along with a framed printable letting them know they can help themselves to anything they might want. And for nightcaps, I like to add an assortment of beers, ails, sparkling waters, and ciders to my office mini-fridge. Some of my favorite brews include seasonal varieties from Melvin Brewing. This gives my guests a space to use nightly as a business hub, correspondence center, and place to unwind together. 

4) Give your guests plenty of information. One of the best ways you can prepare your home for guests is to give your guests the skinny on home your home works. Provide your guests with a bedside binder containing laminated sheets on all the information they might require during their stay is key. You’ll want to provide information on local pharmacies, doctors, vet clinics, local leash laws (should they be bringing their fuzzy family with them), and dry cleaners in your area.

Guests may also enjoy the information on local attractions, self-guided tours, coffee shops, and restaurants your guests want to visit or utilize during their trip. If your guests don’t have their own transportation while staying with you, provide them a $20.00 reloadable transit card, transit map, and number to your local taxi cab company.

Last but not least, share with your guests your personal schedule. Note your shower times, kid’s school schedules, policy for wearing shoes in your home, meal routines and, if you are working, what time you leave and expect you home each day. Don’t forget to let guests know what day a cleaner, pool service, or gardener comes to your home either. The last thing you want is a guest to be caught off-guard while alone in your home!

person wearing gray sock standing on stairs

5) Make them feel at home. For guests in your home longer than a few days, give your guests their own set of keys so they can come and go as they please. They’ll feel more at home if they don’t have to ring the doorbell every time they come in. Don’t forget to give them the code for any alarms you might have, show them how to work them, and mention where you hide spare keys in case of an emergency. You’ll also want to provide your guests with electricians, plumbers, security, your full mailing address (in case they need to quickly purchase something on Amazon), and other functionary information such as wi-fi passwords and codes for central air systems, as needed.

6) Give your guests a personal space. Giving your guests a small sitting room, use of an office during their stay, or an enclosed porch will give them a better sense of autonomy while in your home. 

7) Take a walkthrough. As a concierge is a key to a hotel, as are you to your guests while they are staying in your home. To ensure your guests have the best stay possible, you’ll need to perform a walkthrough of your home. Pretend you’re a visitor in your own home and spend a night in the guest room. Note your surroundings. Is the room too hot, too cold, how many beds or cots will your guests and their children need, and most importantly, are those beds comfortable?

That’s it, folks! Preparedness is key. Especially when it comes to hosting friends and family this coming fall. Friends, I hope these 7 tips will better help you prepare for guests in your own home this fall. Your house guests will appreciate you taking the time to make them comfortable in your home. Now I have to ask, do you have tips for preparing for houseguests each holiday season? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

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Better your morning this fall with the Keurig® K-Duo Essentials™ Coffee Maker

Please note, I received this product for free from Moms Meet. Compensation for this post was provided. All opinions expressed are my own.

 

Coffee. It’s never far from my mind when I wake up each morning. My mornings do not literally start until I’ve had my first cup of coffee. It helps me wake up and gives me the energy to kickstart my morning routine each weekday. My favorite pick-me-up before beginning work each day. Doubly so when cold weather sets in each fall season.  I’ve even been known to drink three or four cups on mornings when work deadlines come due.  Because there’s something truly gratifying about working from home, in my pajamas, while enjoying a nice hot cup of decaf coffee! 

Over the last few years, I’ve been on a mission to embrace simple living and minimalism at home. Especially when it comes to items that sit out on my kitchen counters. So when it came time to upgrade my at-home coffee station I knew I wanted something practical, easy to clean, and takes up as little space as possible in my kitchen. Which is why I went with the new Keurig® K-Duo Essentials™ Coffee Maker. This coffee maker features a great design, including both a carafe and single-serve option all in one.

It’s the perfect solution for my different coffee needs at home. I can utilize the carafe to make a large pot of coffee for guests and single serve k-cups for my morning coffee fix each day. 

What I love best about the Keurig® K-Duo Essentials™ Coffee Maker is how easy it is to use. Which you can see below:

Single Cup Directions: To make a single cup, fill the 60 oz. single reservoir to the max fill line. Place your mug on the drip tray and insert a K-Cup® pod in the K-Cup® pod holder. Press the OZ button, then select your brew size. Brew and enjoy!

Carafe Directions: To make a carafe, fill the 60 oz. single reservoir to the max fill line. Insert a 12-cup flat bottom paper filter into the filter basket and add the desired amount of ground coffee. It is recommended to use one tablespoon of ground coffee per cup. Place the carafe on the heating plate, press the CUPS button and select brew size. Brew and enjoy!

It’s also worth noting that the Keurig® K-Duo Essentials™ Coffee Make comes with a 12-cup glass carafe along with a heating plate to help keep your coffee warm between servings. It also features an auto-off feature for both your brewer and heating plate, contains a unique 60 oz. single reservoir that is shared between single-serve and carafe brewing and makes refilling easy–saving you time and simplifying your morning routine. And for busy working stiffs, the K-Duo Essentials™ Coffee Maker is travel mug friendly and can brew multiple sizes, including an 8-, 10-, or 12-cup carafe and an 8, 10, or 12 oz cup. Giving you the perfect brew each and every cup. 

Friends, consider gifting a Keurig® K-Duo Essentials™ Coffee Maker this holiday season for all your loved ones! They are perfect to use at home, the office, church functions, school lounges, group gatherings, and the like. The Keurig® K-Duo Essentials™ Coffee Maker is available to purchase for $99.00 exclusively at Walmart in the kitchen appliances and coffee maker aisles. To buy online, click here or visit the link here. Now I want to ask, would you make the switch to the Keurig® K-Duo Essentials™ Coffee Maker this season? And what are your favorite K-Cup flavors? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

 

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