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5 Ways to naturally minimize migraine symptoms at home

5 Ways to naturally minimize migraine symptoms at home

Migraines aren’t typical headaches. If you experience them, you’ll likely understand just how this particular fresh shade of hell experience, including pounding cranial pain, nausea, neck and upper back tension, and sensitivity to light and sound can be. You’ll also know that when a migraine strikes, you’ll do almost anything to make it go away.

I am also a fervent believer in trying to find a drug-free way to reduce migraine symptoms. Including natural at-home treatments that help prevent migraines, or at least help reduce their severity and duration. Keeping in mind, severe migraines may require treatment with prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medication.

As with any serious medical treatment, you should always speak to your doctor about a treatment plan that works for you. But for those looking to help alleviate your at-home migraine symptoms, here are few tips to help you get started.

Tips for preventing migraine symptoms at home

5 Ways to naturally minimize migraine symptoms at home

Avoid foods that may trigger migraine symptoms

Diet plays a vital role in preventing migraines. Many foods and beverages are known migraine triggers, such as foods with nitrates including hot dogs, deli meats, bacon, sausage (cured and dried), as well as chocolate. Other foods including cheese contain the naturally-occurring compound, tyramine, such as blue, feta, cheddar, Parmesan, and Swiss cheese, as well as other dairy products including buttermilk, sour cream, and yogurt. Chemicals commonly found in red wine, that have been known to accelerate migraine symptoms.

Other foods to avoid are that containing monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavor enhancer, commonly known to increase migraine. Other foods to avoid include extremely cold products, such as ice cream or iced drinks, and heavily processed foods.

A quick rule of thumbs when it comes to helping to alleviate migraine symptoms at home by way of food is to strategically start omitting specific foods, such as the above-mentioned varieties, from your diet as a method in helping you to decipher which foods and beverages trigger your migraines.

A great way to do this is by keeping a daily food diary. Record everything you eat and note how you feel afterward. Then, omit foods on a more consistent basis to help you further limit debilitating migraines at home.

5 Ways to naturally minimize migraine symptoms at home

Try holistic measures

When it comes to alleviating migraine symptoms at home, there are numerous natural, holistic methods to try. Including the use of lavender essential oil. As it has been found that inhaling lavender essential oil may ease migraine pain.

In a 2012 research study, people who inhaled lavender oil during a migraine attack for 15 minutes experienced faster relief than those who inhaled a placebo. Lavender oil may be inhaled directly or applied diluted to the temples, alongside a carrier oil, such as sweet almond oil, olive oil, or coconut oil. Ginger and peppermint essential oils have been known to help in a similar capacity as well.

Acupressure is another great migraine preventative. Acupressure, the practice of applying pressure with the fingers and hands to specific points on the body to relieve pain and other symptoms, has been used. Helping relieve stress, tension, anxiety, improve sleep, reducing digestive issues, helping to minimize headaches, and alleviating chronic pain.

According to a 2014 systematic review, acupressure is a credible alternative therapy for people in pain from chronic headaches and other conditions. A separate study found acupressure may help relieve migraine-associated nausea symptoms at home.

Consuming ginger products can help as well. Ginger is commonly known to ease nausea caused by many conditions, including migraines. It also has other migraine benefits including decreased migraine severity and duration as well as the prescription drug sumatriptan, and with fewer side effects.

Adding magnesium to your diet can also help. Magnesium deficiency has been linked to headaches and migraines. Providing evidence that a diet rich in magnesium oxide can help prevent migraines with aura and also prevent menstrual-related migraines. Foods rich in magnesium include almonds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, Brazil nuts, cashews, peanut, oatmeal, and eggs.

5 Ways to naturally minimize migraine symptoms at home

Practice yoga

Yoga utilized applied, varied methods of utilizing breathing, meditation, and body postures to promote health and an increased sense of well-being. Research shows yoga may relieve the frequency, duration, and intensity of migraines. While also thought to improve anxiety, release tension in migraine-trigger areas, and improve vascular health.

While it’s far too soon to say with complete accuracy that yoga could be a go-to, singular treatment for migraines, many who practice yoga believe it to be beneficial as a complementary therapy to existing migraine-relief methods at home.

5 Ways to naturally minimize migraine symptoms at home

Try biofeedback

Biofeedback is a relaxation method that teaches you to control reactions to stress. Biofeedback may be helpful for migraines triggered by physical reactions to stress such as muscle tensing.

While this therapy is generally given under the guise of a trained therapist, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a biofeedback device, Resperate, for reducing stress and lowering blood pressure. Resperate is a portable electronic device that promotes slow, deep breathing. However, the FDA doesn’t regulate many biofeedback devices marketed for home use to date. But such measures can certainly be worth discussing with your physician.

For those looking for a more techie route, there are also several app-based biofeedback methods available including:

  • Belly Bio: A great app that uses the iPhone’s accelerometer to monitor proper diaphragmatic breathing.
  • eSense Temperature: This app provides skin temperature feedback with guided practice for Android and iPhone. To use the app, the monitoring instrument, which connects to the phone, must be purchased.
  • My Calm Beat: A very nicely designed, inexpensive app for the iPhone or Android that personalizes and monitors paced breathing practice. Including relaxation-based games.
  • Breath Pacer: A simple, inexpensive, paced breathing app available for iPhone or Android devices.
  • Inner Balance: An app and a heart-rate sensor that plugs into your iPhone or iPad and guides you through paced breathing while providing you with feedback about your ongoing heart rate variation and stress levels.

5 Ways to naturally minimize migraine symptoms at home

Self-Massage

A weekly massage can help reduce migraine frequency, improve sleep quality, and aid in lowering cortisol levels that can trigger migraine symptoms at home. But often migraine symptoms occur at home without a window of opportunity to booking a massage. Which is why self-massage can be of help during the onset of early migraine symptoms at home. A few techniques to try include:

  • Using your thumbs, press firmly onto the bridge of your nose, just underneath your forehead. Point your thumbs in opposing directions (meaning one is a thumbs up, and the other is a thumbs down) Hold firmly, but gently, for 10 seconds, breathing deeply. Repeat the process 2-4 times as needed.
  • Place thumbs upwards, like in a thumbs up position, just below your eyebrows. Hold firm but not enough to cause pain. Take deep breaths and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat as necessary.
  • Using both hands, pinch skin tissue just below your eyebrows away from your face and hold. Hold for 5-7 seconds and repeat.
  • Use your middle three fingers and press firmly into the sides of your temple. Then slowly rub in a circular motion. Then hold still for 7-10 seconds using steady pressure.
  • If you’re suffering from sinus pressure, press into the sides of your nose and move your fingers firmly away from the nose, towards the cheekbones. Work on both sides at once and work multiple points along the bridge of your nose. Direct the pressure towards your face and move away towards your cheekbones. Flush away fluid as you go.

When a migraine hits my world seems to halt to a stop. But many of these natural methods have helped me to greatly reduce my migraine symptoms at home and may be of use to you as well.

As always, the best source for advice on treating your migraines is your own migraine specialist. These descriptions of natural remedies are provided only for informational purposes. You should begin no medication or supplement without first checking with your physician.

No, friends, I want to ask, do you utilize any natural methods to help control migraine symptoms at home? Share your methods in the comments below!

5 Ways to naturally minimize migraine symptoms at home

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Wear OS by Google + Fossil Smartwatch

Please note, this post was facilitated by way of compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card. Thank you.

Wear OS by Google + Fossil Smartwatch

Smartphones. They manage nearly every aspect of our modern lives. From ordering groceries to controlling household appliances, the trend in technology is enabling us to be more and more consistently. Including items as ubiquitous as our wrist watches. 

Healthier And Fitter Lifestyles With The Fossil Gen 4 Venture HR Smartwatch

While watches have traditionally served the purpose of maintaining time the newest wave of smartwatches aims to change all that.

Wear OS by Google + Fossil Smartwatch

In addition to giving you the time, smartwatches allow users to run apps, listen to music, use your camera, engage in social media, and more.

Some smartwatches can even help you with your exercising routines. Leading users to a more fit and healthy lifestyle at home. Especially helpful for us during the holiday cookie season!

Particularly for visually-driven individuals like myself who like to keep track of their burned daily calories. But with a smartwatch, it is easier to track if your workout routine is effective as possible.

Wear OS by Google + Fossil Smartwatch

I was recently given the opportunity to try out and share with you the Fossil Gen 4 Venture HR Smartwatch 40mm Stainless Steel in Rose Gold from Best Buy.

I’ve enjoyed that this smartwatch allows me to be able to not only have a better exercise session, it also lets you check emails, add integrated calendar notifications, and not miss out on any important messages or calls while working out at home! 

This Fossil Women’s smartwatch is not only sweet to look at but allows you to record information about exercise sessions and monitors your heart rate. Plus, the rose gold band blends with exercise wear but is attractive enough to wear when going out and about! 

No matter what kind of phone you are using, you won’t have any problems connecting the Fossil Gen 4 Venture HR Smartwatch. It works with both Android and iOS smartphones and can be connected to the OS by Google Messaging. they have thought of everything in this watch

Not to mention its practicaltiy. This smartwatch allows you to maximize your time by always keeping you updated with your day-to-day by syncing directly to your Calendar, SMS, email, and various social media apps. A necessity for influencers, vloggers, and bloggers. 

Another great feature- The Quiet Vibrate Alert. This watch quietly alerts you to a range of notifications. Including incoming e-mails, calls, and text messages.

Wear OS by Google + Fossil Smartwatch

The Fossil Gen 4 Venture HR Smartwatch is also compatible with iOS 9.3. and later Smartphones and Android Smartphones operating on Android 4.4 or later (except the Go edition).

This smartwatch also allows you to be more productive with help from google Assitant. As this watch helps you stay ahead of your day with proactive, practical, and personalized help from Google Assistant. From looking for the best restaurants in your area verifying your next scheduled physician’s appointment, this watch has you covered. 

As previously mentioned, the Fossil Gen 4 Venture HR Smartwatch gives you a comprehensive fitness monitoring system. Allowing users to track distances, calories burned, sleep activity, heart rate, exercise activity, steps that are taken, including steps climbed.

Get Smarter Health Coaching From Google Fit

Wear OS by Google + Fossil Smartwatch

You can also enjoy the benefits of a healthier life with coaching and activity tracking based on the guidelines from the American Health Association & World Health Organization this watches intigrated Google fit functionality.

Other Benefits

With Bluetooth 4.1 LE connectivity and NFC technology, you’ll be able to seemlessly pair your watch to your device with simple one-touch pairing.

You’ll also be able to pay more securely. You can pay with a wave at almost any place that accepts credit or debit cards.

Aesthetics

Wear OS by Google + Fossil Smartwatch

Featuring an elegant stainless steel case, this smartwatch is truly lovely in design. With its 18mm stainless steel watch band in Rose Gold that ensures durability, this smartphone is also waterproof up to 164 feet, and features a rechargeable battery that can be easily charged with the included wireless charging dock.

Friends, from working out to working remotely, this is the smartwatch to get this season. Be sure to check out the Fossil Gen 4 Venture HR Smartwatch from Best Buy this season.

Now I want to ask, do you use smartwatch or do you plan to purchase on this season? Let me know about it in the comments below!

Wear OS by Google + Fossil Smartwatch
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Better tips for caregiving at home this fall

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sam’s Club. All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you.
poise

When we’re busy growing up, we often forget our loved ones are growing older too! While we are finding our way in the world, they may find themselves trying to adapt to new and more difficult situations in life such as mobility, safety, and incontinence.

Difficulties with using the toilet, including accidents and incontinence, can be troublesome for the elderly. This is especially true for people living with dementia, particularly as the condition progresses. These problems can be upsetting for both the person coping with embarrassing health ailments and for loved one’s caretakers assisting them daily in these situations.

At the age of twenty-five, I became caretaker to my grandmother due to her early onset, stroke-induced dementia. This was a very difficult period in my life. And despite settling into our new normal as caregiver and care receiver, one issue we struggled within our caregiving journey, bathroom incontinence.

Consider a typical morning for us: My grandmother, an avid television binge watcher, would laugh at a humorous television program, have a little incontinence leak, begin walking to her bathroom, and then cry because she soiled her clothing in transit. She felt very sad, helpless, and embarrassed in those moments. In the early days, I would feel resentful she didn’t let me know when she needed help.  My grandmother would not understand my reaction. It was an unending drama in my home my first year of caretaking.

I soon came to realize that someone living with dementia is more likely to have accidents simply because they may not be able to react quickly enough to the sensation of needing to use the toilet, to be able to get to the toilet in time, or not wanting to let others help with issues of bladder leakage due to embarrassment.

It was through this knowledge that I was able to equip myself with the patience and understanding required to help my grandmother with her incontinence issues. And after lots of time and patience on my part, as a caretaker, we were able to work together to create a plan of action that best suited my grandmother’s incontinence needs. We were able to turn embarrassing, exhausting moments into lessons in time management, preparedness, and compassion.

Here are my best tips to help caretakers aid elderly loved ones this season:

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Promote good urinary health

Keeping the urinary tract healthy is a good first step to preventing toilet problems and incontinence; loved ones with overactive bladder symptoms should replace drinks that irritate the bladder, such as tea, coffee, cola, with water, herbal teas, and fruit drinks.

As caretakers, we must make sure our loved one’s drink six to eight glasses of fluids each day, being mindful that cutting down fluids for long periods of time, such as at night, can cause urinary tract infections and constipation. We must also help to keep our loved ones as mobile as they can. Walking every day helps with getting loved ones quickly prepared for quick trips to the bathroom.

Give gentle reminders for scheduled bathroom visits

Giving regular reminders to loved ones about using the can greatly help prevent accidents. For someone with urinary incontinence, the caregiver should ask loved ones every 2-4 hours whether the person needs the toilet in a calm, positive manner. Prompting needs to be done sensitively. Avoid patronizing. This can help reduce the number of accidents.

Look for signs

Watch for signs that loved ones need to go to the toilet, even if they cannot communicate this directly. Signs may include fidgeting, pacing, standing up and down, or pulling at their clothes.

Ensure good personal hygiene

Incontinence can lead to skin irritation and discomfort for loved ones. After an accident, it is important for caretakers to act quickly to make sure loved ones feels comfortable again by making sure they wash afterward with mild soap and warm water, laundering soiled clothing as soon as possible, and being aware of any irritating rashes that come about.

Create an environment of success

When dealing with a loved one’s incontinence issues as a caretaker, your best tool is to create an environment of success for your loved one. For us, this meant creating a bathroom that promoted proper hygiene and health. A few ways we did this were by dedicating an entire bathroom for my grandmother’s use only. This allowed her privacy, dignity, and autonomy over her own bathroom usage.

poise

poise

We also created a Daily Bathroom Usage Station. We placed a visible, easy-to-access basket containing the hygiene products I could anticipate as her caretaker she would need for each visit to the bathroom.  Her basket was placed on top of her bathroom toilet, which gave her all the tools for the success she needed to have successful bathroom visits at home each and every time.

In her basket we included:

We also included a clipboard mounted above the toilet with My Daily Bathroom Visit Sheet. The sheet listed just little reminders so my grandmother was able to be gently reminded of how she needed to best safeguard her own health while using the bathroom, and maintained more of her dignity and autonomy in the process, too!

Next, to her reminders sheet, we keep the second clipboard of paper and a pen to jot down any notes we need to mention on her next follow-up visit to the doctor, dealing with urinary or bladder symptoms.

Now, of all the products we stocked in her Daily Bathroom Usage Station, we could come to consider the Poise® Liners to be one of our ultimate tools in caregiving success. These awesome pads, which can be worn both day and night, help to draw fluids away from the skin, helping to keep my grandmother comfortable without chafing or leaking.

Another bonus? Should my grandmother have needed extra time in getting to the bathroom, Poise® Liners provided her with the extra absorbency needed to give you the confidence and protection for your Light Bladder Leakage to and from bathroom visits. And Poise® Liners come with absorb-loc® core technology, which quickly locks away wetness and odor, with Leak-block sides that provide worry-free protection leaving your loved one happy, health, and secure.

As any caretaker will tell you, sometimes the confidence in knowing you have just one extra minute in getting a loved one to the bathroom, can make all the difference in the world! This extra protection was a lifesaver for us both!

I cannot tell you how much of a lifesaver it was to equip my grandmother with Poise® Liners because they helped her to maintain her dignity, and it made my job as a caretaker much easier during our first few seasons of establishing my grandmother’s healthy bathroom habits schedule.

While my grandmother always preferred the Poise® Maximum Absorbency Pads we also used the Depend® Fit-Flex® Underwear for Women for overnight needs, so we always made sure to keep them stocked-up at home! What was really nice is that not only did my grandmother love using her pads, she would often request them by name.

For me, it was super simple just to pick up a pack of Depend® Fit-Flex® Underwear and Poise® Liners when I was in-club at my local Sam’s Club, during my monthly shopping trips. And when she saw me bring in the big, purple box into the house, she always knew just who they were for!

I appreciated being able to pick up my caregivers products like Depend® and Poise®, in club at Sam’s. Right by the pharmacy counter, I am also able to pick-up my other caregiving demands like wipes, sanitizer, and No-Rinse products at affordable pricing, making Sam’s Club my one-stop destination for all of my caregiving needs.

I was also able to pick up her other health products, including Ensure or Glucerna Shakes. As a diabetic, my grandmother relies on Glucerna to help meet her nutritional needs each day and Sam’s Club always provided our family with quality nutritional aids at a saving price point.

Also, our local Sam’s Club has a pharmacy, an optical center, hearing aid center plus offer free health screenings every month.  So when someone in our family, including my grandmother, needed any of these services Sam’s was always our first stop! Being a member of Sam’s Club saves me not only money but time. Valuable time that could be given back to my family and caregiving responsibilities.

Friends, do you know someone who could use a Daily Bathroom Usage Station? Then I encourage you to be sure and check out Sam’s Club Caregiving website for more ideas.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sam’s Club.

poise

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Dr. Elsey’s Clean Tracks Multi-Cat Strength Clumping Cat Litter Review

This post is sponsored by Chewy.com expressed here are my own.

 

Cats can be picky. Some cats will use nearly any litter. Others will refuse to use pelletized litters. Trial and error is the key to lasting litter training success.

From personal experience, I suggest trying several varieties of cat litter to find the best fit for your pet. We literally inundate our cats with their litter. One of our favorite tips for litter continuity is to leave your litter packaging about your home, to allow your pets to become acquainted with the scent of the litter.

Once you have found a litter that seems to be accepted by your cat, don’t switch to another kind. Even if it may seem more convenient for you. Litter brand continuity is uber important to cats. For us, we chose Dr. Elsey’s Clean Tracks Multi-Cat Strength Clumping Cat Litter. 

We find that Dr. Elsey’s is a low-maintenance, high-quality, affordable cat litter solution. We also love that it can be conveniently found on Chewy.com.

I also love that this litter helps to lock away odors that can lead to the face you make when your house indicates you have litter boxes nearby! You know, the super stinky litter box odors that can make even the most dignified person’s face look like a petrified tree! Luckily, Dr. Elseys offer consumers a wide range of products, so every cat owner can find the best litter for their cat’s needs, which means that you’ll never have to make another Stank Face again.

It is also made with paw-activated plant extracts that release a fresh scent on contact, which means that a hint of freshness will be released only when needed! Then the unique Carbon Plus technology clumps and grabs odors, allowing the powerful antimicrobial agents to eliminate odors entirely. Allowing out cats litter boxes to be clean and fresh whenever he needs them!

A few other things we love about this litter:

  • Made with paw-activated fresh scent and even more antimicrobial agent to fight even the toughest odors created by multi-cat households.
  • It features Carbon Plus technology and plant extracts help to destroy litter box odors
  • Has highly absorbent granules of clay form solid clumps to allow for an easy litter-box cleaning
  • Helps to reduce tracking throughout the house.
  • You can confidently enjoy up to 10 days of long-lasting freshness at home with each use
  • This is America’s first clumping cat litter made from a premium blend of natural minerals and clay

Which is why this litter is our go-to brand for all of our cats. So be sure to purchase Dr. Elsey’s Clean Tracks Multi-Cat Strength Clumping Cat Litter from Chewy.com. After all, your cats deserve it!. It’s the feel-good way to keep your homes fresher and to protect your cat’s urinary health. Even our other love bug, Shadow, approves this message too!

Now I want to ask, are you the adoptive guardian of a shelter cat? And do you pamper your pets with Dr. Elsey’s litter at home? Share your stories below!

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How to teach kids to be Internet Awesome

Disclosure: As a member of the Forward Influence Network, I’m sharing with you some ways to teach kids internet safety, how to spread kindness online, and what to do about bullying as part of the Be Internet Awesome initiative. #ItsCoolToBeKind #BeInternetAwesome 

 

If you’ve spent more than a few minutes on social media in the last few years, you’ll have noticed how more and more online sources are filled with negative messaging than you may be used to seeing, you’re not alone. Worse still, this pervasive social adversity is greatly affecting our children and students.

Which is why it is vital that we instill in future generations the necessity of being kind to others online. That by stopping the spread of negative on the Internet, we actively seek to promote good citizenship and social skills – something that will help safeguard our children from Internet bullying as a whole.

How to teach kids to be Internet Awesome

Facts about Bullying

Is bullying a pervasive reality for children online? Absolutely. In fact, according to the latest stats, 28% of school-aged students have been bullied and 71% have seen bullying happen each school year. Behaviors that often cascade to online platforms. With 11% of students in grades 2–8, 15% of high school students, and overwhelming 55.2% of LGBTQ students experiencing cyberbullying in the past year. Making internet safety, especially for children, a top priority for parents and educators the nation over.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month

October is also National Bullying Prevention Month. A month-long initiate started in 2006 by PACER to help create a world without bullying by providing information and resources for parents, schools, and communities.  With numerous resources on their website, you’ll find a lot of great digital safety tools for both homes and in the classroom at g.co/BeInternetAwesome.

Showing parents and educators the best way to prevent bullying is to equip our kids with proactive measures to enable them to handle online bullying. starting with teaching them how to practice kindness at home. Showing them how to be good citizens, in real life, and how these actions should be carried into their online life. By doing so, we can help stop bullying in its tracks.

And that’s why I’m excited to share three ways to teach kids to be kind online and to introduce a brand new, free online program to aid parents, educators, and homeschoolers how to prevent Internet bullying.

What is Be Internet Awesome?

How to teach kids to be Internet Awesome

International Society of Technology in Education is Google’s free multifaceted program designed to teach kids the fundamentals of digital citizenship and safety so they can explore the online world with confidence. The program is available in English and Spanish and consists of an International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE) standards-aligned curriculum.

Full of ready-made Pear Decks for each lesson, Interland – an adventure-packed online game about digital safety and citizenship.

Our five areas of Internet awesomeness:

  • SMART: Where we learn to share with care
  • ALERT: Where we learn not to fall for fake
  • STRONG: Where we learn how to secure Our digital stuff
  • KIND: Where we learn that itʼs cool to be kind
  • BRAVE: Where we learn that when in doubt, we talk it out

How to teach kids to be Internet Awesome

Take a look at how this curriculum can help kids become good online citizens. Here’s how!

Set the example.

If you want your children to be kind to others online and otherwise, you must first set the example of kindness in your own home. Modeling the path to compassion, empathy, and diversity you expect children to be kind online if they don’t see us behaving in a kind manner with those in our circles in our everyday lives. Let your children see you comment positively to others. Whether that be to an everyday situation, towards other family members, to service workers, and on online platforms as well.

This is an especially useful tool when discussing current events and human interest stories with children. Instead of avoiding speaking about negative topics, speak life and hope into online reports by explaining topics to children. In lieu of avoiding heavy topics, try discussing human experiences by way of news stories. Sharing with your children better and more proactive ways that such situations could be better executed in the future. Empathizing the aspects that being a truth teller, and speaking truth to power can be done in a kind and compassionate manner.

Speak about safety.

Encourage your children to openly, and safely, comes to the aid of fellow classmates, friends, and community members who are bullied or they witness being bullies. Help them brainstorm possible responses to witnessed bullying and help them brainstorm ways to report bullying of peers. While simultaneously encouraging them to seek out positive, uplifting, age-appropriate media sources to visit online.

Explaining that it’s better to surround yourselves with sources of information that encourage you to think and grow while avoiding sites that do not. When we give children positive things to consider, we make it easier for them to spot bullying and equip them with the fortitude to handle such situations in an appropriate manner.

Show them how to thoughtful online.

A helpful resource for modeling kindness online is Be Internet Awesome, a comprehensive curriculum from Google that helps educators, homeschoolers, and parents share with students how to be good Internet citizens. This program features ready-made curriculum and class activities to teach with kids, both at school or home, how to practice the arts of encouragement, kindness, empathy, and safety. Relevant information for their tech-savvy, internet-inspired generation moving forward.

Want to make learning about Internet kindness fun? Let the kids play Interland, where they can make their way through the Kind Kingdom, a virtual environment that shows them how to make thoughtful decisions when interacting with others.

Teach your Child to be an Upstander, not a Bystander

In any situation, a bystander does little more than watch situations unfold. Including bullying. In contrast, an upstander is someone who tries to help make it better. Not everyone likes being in the position of being an upstander.  It’s hard. Often uncomfortable and awkward. But it’s a necessary stance to take. Which is why children should be taught ways to be an upstander though kindness and everpresent showing of compassion by:

  • Tell an Adult. This is always my number one rule.  Encourage your child to tell a trusted adult what is happening.  Speak with your kids about who might be a trusted adult in different situations, such as at school, in aftercare, or online.
  • Be Kind. The target of bullying needs friends. Talk with your children about finding ways to be that friend and to spread kindness to those affected by bullying. Including inviting those being bullied to hang out with them at lunch or to act as a listener to their situation.
  • Never Engage with Bullies.  Remind your child that it’s okay to call out bullying behavior without fighting back. That will most often make it worse and negate their position of compassion and kindness.

Internet Safety Tips for Parents and Guardians

A few last tips for promoting internet safety for kids includes parents and guardians setting expectations for internet use.  Starting by showing your child appropriate online behavior and what sites they are allowed to visit.  Then as your children grow, internet safety rules will need to be modified to grow with them. Here are a few tips to get started with young children:

  • Monitor your child while they are online.
  • Keep all devices in common spaces and collect them before bed.
  • Use parental controls on your browser.
  • Install mature content filtering software and add-ons.
  • Know the game ratings for games your children play (check out these game rating sheet).
  • Teach your kids internet safety basics.
  • Make a general rule of now allowing your children to shop online without you.

More Internet Safety for Kids Resources:

How to teach kids to be Internet Awesome

For me, ending childhood bullying starts with equipping children with the skillset is requires to be a kind, empathetic person into adulthood. For me, those lessons came from my grandmother. Who taught me that when it comes to dealing with others, always ask yourself the question – “Would Grandmother fell proud for the way I am speaking to people right now?” This has been a cornerstone of my adult life and I believe it is also a great way for kids to think about their behavior towards others as well. Both online and in real life.  After all, If they wouldn’t want Grandmother to hear it, they probably shouldn’t say it! Am I, right?

Friends, you can learn more about how to Be Internet Awesome at g.co/BeInternetAwesome and tell your kids’ teachers about the online curriculum so they can introduce these activities in the classroom. Now I want to ask, have your children been the victims of bullying? What are your best tips for combating this at home?

Google for Education Online:

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Clean, Fresh and Bright: Touching Up Your Home on a Budget

Maintaining a happy household can be pretty expensive at times; there is always a new cleaning product to invest in or a fashionable interior design statement to make. When you’re working with a small budget it can be very difficult to keep on top of the latest trends.

The truth is, keeping your home in good condition will save money in the long run. If you invest in cheap furniture then it is likely that you will have to replace it more often, which will cost you more over time. Here are a few ways that you can uphold your household without breaking the bank, from discount designer furniture and terrific tidying techniques.

Designer Discounts

Believe it or not, you can discover amazing designer furniture for just a fraction of the price, as long as you are looking in all of the right places. If you are a bargain hunting expert then you will probably know the best places to find discount designer products.

Check out these discounts for designers, from stunning dining tables to beautiful bed frames, you can truly have it all if you are looking in the right places. Buying high-quality furniture will ensure it lasts for longer so that you don’t have to keep investing in new bits and pieces every time something breaks.

(Image Source)

Keep it Clean

One of the best ways to maintain your household is to keep on top of the cleaning as often as you can. When dirt and grime build up over time it can be very tricky to reverse the damage. If you can do small daily jobs to keep on top of the cleaning duties you will soon be able to boast a perfectly maintained home all year round.

Good quality cleaning products don’t have to cost the earth either; you can probably find all of the ingredients you need to clean your surfaces, stainless steel and drains in your own cupboards. Use baking soda and boiling water to clear out a blocked drain and use a squeeze of lemon juice to bring a natural shine to your taps.

Get Creative

You can keep your home looking fresh and bright on a budget, by making your own home accessories. As the seasons change you could create a new addition for your home each week. One of a kind home decor is something every homeowner deserves to enjoy, so why not give it a try? Whether you’re creating the perfect candle arrangement or sewing your own design onto a pillow, you can use your creative flair to decorate your home little and often.

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Terrific Tidying

Keeping your home looking minimalistic and tidy will help you to enjoy it much more. You might find tidying up a huge chore, especially if you have little ones that seem to make a mess wherever they go. Invest in cheap and cheerful storage solutions to keep your home spick and span all year round.

Having a beautiful home doesn’t need to be expensive. As long as you know where to find good deals and how to create the illusion of a well-kept home, you will never have to worry about breaking the budget.

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Making Education Heroic: Legends of Learning Site Review

Please note, this post was sponsored by Legends of Learning. All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you.

 

Legends of Learning

As the wife of a Project Lead the Way, Stem, ICT teacher, I am always on the lookout for ways to better equip our family and husband’s classes with better learning materials each academic year at school.

Particularly when it comes to finding fun ways to approach, engage, and reinforce tested subject areas including science, math, and engineering to students in the classroom. Which is why our family has loved using the Legends of Learning website this semester.

Legends of Learning

Legends of Learning is an education-based website that provides custom-built games organized by learning objectives. Teachers can create customizable objective-driven playlists, curated learning-based game, that encourage their students to access curriculum objective while engaging in fast-paced online games, all while teachers can monitor their learning progress online.

Through science-based learning games, which often included embedded learning suggestions, students are able to expand their knowledge of unit-style learning while gaining valuable knowledge of subject matter that allows students to work independently, too!

Legends of Learning

Legends of Learning stands out in the gigantic, marketplace of educational software by understanding a basic principle: Most learners are great at video games. Utilizing the pervasive nature of computers in the classroom, this site uses tech games to focus on 3rd – 8th-grade science games. All categorized by different lessons. As an added bonus for teachers, the lessons follow the guidelines set under the Next Generation Science Standards, a nationwide set of policies for K-12 science classes.

The site allows teachers to make playlists for the games they want to be included in the day’s lesson plan, as well as to create individual daily plans customized for each student based on what they’re struggling with and where they’re excelling.

With over 1,000 NGSS-aligned games and science-based simulations, Legends of Learning offers an enormous range of engaging, informative activities that students can play through, provided they have an internet-enabled device. Perfect for accelerated students, those with IEP’s, and homeschooling curriculum, too!

Another great aspect of this site is its developers contribute their own games after a throughout vetting process, to suggest changes to existing options. Thus far, the marketplace includes over 1000 games for 150+ lessons. An aspect that my long-time gamer husband appreciates greatly!

Legends of Learning

Do people actually learn from this site? Greatly! From our experience, of my husband utilizing the software, sharing it with colleagues, and testing the site our with his students, he found that the immediate result of the site was that his students and colleagues both loved the games.

My husband specifically liked that the games were shorter, making them easier to integrate into the classroom with an only minimal explanation from himself.  With students more engaged, he was allowed to spend more time monitoring classroom behavior and to be freed up to give those in need of assistance more one-on-one in-class help.

Legends of Learning

To get started, teachers can create a free account in order to see the types of games that are available. Games are broken down by earth science, life science, and physical science for both elementary and middle school levels.

Legends of Learning

Within each subject area, you’ll find categories of games related to each of the NGSS learning objectives. Teachers can pick the specific objective they’re interested in exploring based on the simulations available. Typically, each learning objective has ten games associated with each learning level.

Legends of Learning

Each learning objective will have a highlighted game, based on current teacher and student reviews. Teachers can utilize reviews to chose games to connect weekly and daily objectives in-class. Or utilize vocabulary words, suggested questions, and concept boards for each game to choose selected games.

If the highlighted game isn’t for you, there will be other options available to choose from at the bottom of the screen. All of which are still connected to specific learning objectives. Best still, teachers can also hit the Try Game button to test all of the games before students play.

Legends of Learning

Once games are selected, teachers simply add them to curated student playlists. From here, you’ll also be able to decide how much time you want your students to have available to play each game and insert assessments within the playlist as well.  Assessment comprised of multiple choice questions automatically generated based on the learning objectives.

Legends of Learning

Then after you create your playlist, teachers are given a link and a login code that you can share with students. Which can be scheduled as needed. Teachers can also create differentiated groups. Great for individual student learning plans. This also helps maintain district objectives and lesson plans while proactively incorporating students learning accommodations and ability levels.

Legends of Learning

One of my favorite features is that you can get detailed analytics pertaining to student performance. Including details on actual time spent in-game and assessment answers. All helpful in monitoring the engagement levels of students in real time.

Teachers can also access past data to study how students have done with the site over time. Data that can be downloaded into an Excel file. Making it incredibly helpful for parent-teacher and IEP meetings. Allowing educators and parents to access areas in learning where students have excelled and may still be struggling with daily tasks and objectives.

In terms of affordability, teachers can sign up for free to see if Legends of Learning is a good fit for their classroom needs. A district can buy an upgraded version that allows for custom assessments, rostering, and homework features.

Legends of Learning

Legends of Learning

Legends of Learning

Legends of Learning games are an incredible way for educators to actively engage a student in the classroom. While providing educational support and accentuate the lessons teachers are already implementing in their classrooms overall.

Coupled with an in-depth teacher and student rating system, for which educators can easily select which games will be the best fit for their classrooms all while actively collecting data that can help teachers and parents create a more customized environment to foster positive, proactive, futuristic-minded classroom learning, district standards, and beyond.

Legends of Learning

For 3rd – 8th-grade science and technology-based teachers looking for fun new ways to increase classroom engagement, Legends of Learning is a must-have for your classrooms this academic year and I encourage all educators, both traditional and homeschooling, to sign-up or a free account and try it out for yourself this year!

Friends, have you checked out the Legends of Learning site or do you plan to incorporate these games into your curriculum this year? Leave me a comment and let me know what you most like about this awesome gaming site!

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Legends of Learning

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