Going back to school can be hectic and exciting at the same time, for both children and parents. Things may get chaotic sometimes, especially if you’re trying to complete tasks according to a schedule. However, with the right planning, anything is possible. Below are five back-to-school tips for parents that will help them set a regular schedule for their children.

• Have a designated study area
  It is vital to set up a special place at home to do all the school work including studying, assignments, and homework. Ensure that this place has no distractions nearby. Also, as a family, it is necessary to make education a high priority. It is also important to appreciate your child’s efforts and praise the work that he/she completes.

• Getting everyone to bed on time
  It is understandable that children are not always on a schedule, especially during the summers. However, proper rest is essential for a productive and healthy school year. You can ensure that your children get back on their sleeping schedule in advance before the school starts. You only need to make sure that they go to bed early and wake up on time.

• Going for a checkup
  Before the school starts, it is a good idea to take your child for a physical examination along with an eye exam. Most schools need an up-to-date immunization record, and you may also have to submit the necessary paperwork indicating that your child has taken all the essential vaccines and shots. Hence, it is crucial to check the immunization requirement according to your state of residence and maintain a comprehensive medical record for your child.

• Prioritizing homework
  Your child will have a lot of things on track if you help him/her complete their homework on time rather than at the last minute. Having fixed times for studying and completing homework will help your child become consistent and disciplined about his/her studies. If your child is facing any difficulties with his/her homework, you must book an appointment with the teacher to discuss the issue and find some solutions.

• Prepare healthy meals
  Various studies have shown that children who eat healthy and balanced meals do better in school as compared to those who don’t. It is essential that your child gets all the necessary nutrients and is not hungry all the time as hunger can make it difficult for a child to concentrate in class. Hence, it is imperative to prepare meals that nourish your child and make him/her feel full at the same time.

You are ready to redo your kitchen, and you are very inspired by a farmhouse or rustic vacation home that you recently spent time in. Fair enough! In this day of hi-tech gadgets and synthetic material that surround us, we have all felt that ache for a simpler time, of wood and stone, of charming rural homes from another era.

The first and central idea to bear in mind while recreating a rustic look for your kitchen is all-natural material. Think wood pallets, even old, re-purposed wood, metal typically wrought iron, copper and brass, stone, and natural fabric cotton, linen and jute. Now, how can these elements be incorporated into your kitchen?

You can upcycle pallets into cheap and easy open shelves in the kitchen. Use these for small items like spice jars, or even to display an antique kettle. Cross-sectioned tree trunks make beautiful side-tables, while thinner steak-style slices can make up an entire backsplash.

Think about making cabinet doors made of wooden pallets an old re-purposed fence will do wonderfully. Do not remove all of the old paint, leave some on to accent the distressed wood look. Find old brass or copper knobs for the cabinets, and if they are tarnished, that can actually be a look. Also, twine can be wound around regular door knobs and cabinet door handles to cover some of the metal, and create a pretty accent that is warm to hold in cold months.

Make sure your copper pots are properly displayed perhaps you can hang them from retro copper pipes from the roof, just over the island. Countertops must be wood or stone, with a wide, beautiful farmhouse sink for that authentic touch. Depending upon the look of your kitchen, choose stone, fireclay or copper for your farmhouse sink, and finish the look with a charming old-world faucet over the sink.

Get rid of all plastic jars, because plastic has no place in a rustic theme. Use glass jars for storage, and do bring in a hint of the kitchen garden by planting herbs in a bunch of repurposed mason jars on the window sill. Display fruit and vegetable prominently, in wooden bowls or beautiful white wicker baskets.

A rustic theme doesn’t require a big budget or major remodeling. You could take a year’s time to make each element by hand, and install it yourself. After all, DIY and handmade articles are at the very heart of a rustic home, where people invariable built things by themselves!

Do you usually have a runny nose and itchy, burning sensation in your eyes? Does this specifically happen around the time of spring? This could be a bodily reaction to pollen grains floating around with the breeze.

What is pollen allergy?
Pollen grains are tiny grain-like structures or powdered substances that are released by the male parts of the flowers. They are transported with the help of wind, insects, and animals to make reproduction possible.

Pollen allergies are common throughout the United States and this more common during spring.

Knowing the right source of allergy
There are more than a hundred varieties of pollen floating with the breeze. It is not necessary for one to be allergic to all pollen seeds. Determining which pollen causes an uneasy sort of a feeling is important.

You could be allergic to pollen from the cedar tree but still be fine around the birch tree. This is something known as specific allergy.

What causes allergies
Researchers and health experts are yet to find the exact cause behind any kind of allergies. However, science suggests that the immune system ducts become inflamed seconds after an encounter with any allergy-causing agent in the environment. Allergens exist in the environment in the form of proteins. They are found in plants, animals, insects, and certain foods.

Signs and symptoms
Some of the signs of pollen allergies include:

• Itchy and watery eyes
• Cough
• Congestion in the nasal cavity
• Sinusitis like sensation, causing pain around the facial region
• Decreased sense of taste and smell
• Scratchy throat
• Swelling and bluish color is observed around the eyes
• Wheezing or coughing

Over the counter treatments
For those runny nose days, take decongestants into consideration to make breathing easier with all those pollen grains floating around. Nasal sprays come handy to unblock the clogged nasal cavity.

Allergy treatment shots
These are prescribed when the basic medications don’t have any effect on your body. Visit an allergy specialist for the proper dosage of injections to reduce the allergies. Soon, the body begins to get used to the trigger shot and keep the allergens at bay.

Outdoor preventive measure
Wearing a mask that covers your nostrils is a good idea to avoid any allergies.

Home remedies

• Try to inhale herbs and extracts like spirulina and butterbur
• Wash the clothes regularly that you wore outside
• Use air conditioner indoors and in cars, if you’re on the run
• Use a vacuum cleaner, with a high-efficiency particulate air filter (HEPA) in the house for cleaning purposes
• A few safety precautions are all that you need to keep the allergens away from you.

The shrimp alfredo is a classic pasta dish, one of the oldest and the simplest to prepare. A classic variant of the shrimp pasta is the Fettucine Alfredo which features Fettuccine Pasta and Parmesan cheese emulsified with butter, to form a rich texture and coating over the delicious pasta. Although the classic is the preferred dish, the shrimp alfredo can be prepared using various ingredients and spice mix to give it that twist in flavor and looks.

Here are a few interesting ways to prepare the shrimp alfredo.

Using a Cajun spice mix to tweak the already delicious recipe sounds mouthwatering. The preparation method is pretty much the same as compared to classic alfredo sauce, with the addition of Cajun spice. Cajun is a general mix of most common spices used in cooking, a blend of different flavors in one mix from hot to mild mainly used as a seasoning in this version of shrimp alfredo.

Adding bacon and garlic to the traditional recipe will give it that extra fatty, salty, sugary, Smokey taste to the classic depending on the preparation method of the bacon. A preferred meat choice which will accentuate that flavor of parmesan cheese and fettuccine pasta topped with a sprinkling of parsley.

A creative alternative, but which does not necessarily make the dish vegetarian is adding spinach to the dish. It doesn’t reduce the fat content of the sauce but sure does enrich it with iron, since spinach is rich in iron content. It is a great way to make use of those leftovers in the fridge.
Adding escargot which is a French delicacy also commonly known as snails, gives it a unique twist in the taste. Escargot is chewy and will leave you with an overwhelming buttery taste, as that is the traditional method of preparing snails. Incorporating the snails with shrimp, gives you an interesting combination of flavor as well as texture.

Another way to prepare the recipe is to add the all-time household favorite, chicken. Who doesn’t love chicken, which is the most consumed and commonly used meat. Chicken itself can be prepared in a variety of ways from steaming to baking to deep frying, which adds an interesting twist to the classic shrimp alfredo recipe.

The process of aging is natural. From ancient days women have tried to reduce the degrading effects of age on their skin through the use of various methods. Although there are many natural ointments one can use to reduce the spots and wrinkles that come with time, these natural methods are not long lasting. It is only with modern science that we have achieved an array of products that can treat our skin and protect it from the signs of aging. In this article, we give you a list of skincare products that help remove age spots and a certain insight on the problem as well.

Why do age spots happen?

With time our skin becomes brittle and constant exposure to the sun leads to further weakening on certain spots which we refer to as age spots. These spots are known as Lentigines. Usually brown in color, they appear on faces, hands, and chests – the places that are exposed to sun the most. Although age spots are not naturally harmless any sudden change in the skin should require a visit to the dermatologist.

Anti-aging products have become a much required product in today’s fashion markets. Here are some of the best age spot removing creams.

Olay Regenerist Micro Sculpting Cream

One of the best age spot removers from the Olay anti-aging product series, the Regenerist Micro Sculpting cream helps remove all signs of aging such as spots, wrinkles, and scaly skin. Filled with hydraulic acid, vitamin B, and amino peptides, this cream can provide you with an instant anti-aging makeover.

The Better Skin Miracle Cream

This miraculous product by The Better Skin Co. helps you lose dark spots and regenerate your skin to its natural beauty. This all in one anti-aging product is made from beeswax, coconut oil, algae extract, and shea butter and is enhanced with hydraulic acid and green tea.

Retinol Surge Moisturizer (Body Merry)

This very wallet friendly product helps remove spots and wrinkles. It is one of the most affordable age spot removers and also helps moisturize your skin. Long term effects are even better.

Lancer Nourish

Filled with oxygen, this balm provides your skin with the complete makeover it needs to remove age spots. The avocado and olive fruit oils also help remove dullness.

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Night Cream

Although primarily used for treating wrinkles, this cream also has the potency to remove age spots. Although this is one of the best age spot removers, it requires long-term usage for solid results as it is a night time cream.

Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream

As per reports, this is one of the best age spot removers to have hit the market. Although a little on the costlier side, this product helps you retain natural beauty by stopping the effects of nature.

Algenist Genius Ultimate Anti-Aging Cream

One of the best age spot removers, this cream contains the patented Alguronic acid which is one of the best skincare components. Also contains blends of microalgae oil and collagen.

Sunday Riley Good Genes

Guaranteed to make your dark spots lesser with its licorice and lemongrass combo to help combat hyper pigmentation and to improve radiance. This lactic acid skin treatment from one of the topmost brands in the market.

Treating age spots at home

A common home treatment for age spots is the bleaching agent hydroquinone. It is a strong bleaching agent and should be applied with extreme caution. The bleaching effect helps remove the darkened pigment thereby allowing the normal pigment of your skin to come to the surface. Hydroquinone is available as a prescription medicine and should be used under careful caution after consulting your doctor.

A thing to be considered while getting an area rug for your home is the shape of the area rug. As it might be obvious that you will be using a rectangular area rug for your living room, don’t hesitate to experiment with shapes of area rugs. A circular shaped area rug at entryways might add a different effect than plain old four sided ones. If you have a round dining table getting a oval shaped area rug under the dining table might look aesthetically good. In such cases, make sure that you buy a rug that has a larger area than your dining table covers.

Color plays an equally important role in your selection of area rug for your home. Coordinating color with the existing color pallet of your home is a good idea. Follow the 60-30-10 rule. 60 percent of the room color is dominated by the color of the walls, 30 percent of it is dominated by the large furniture pieces in the room. 10 percent, that’s where the area rugs come into picture. Select an area rug that matches with the color pallet of the largest furniture in your room.

The overlying area rugs which will be smaller and can be matched with the rest of 10 percent which include small lamps and other small furniture sets. Selecting a proper pattern also makes a huge difference in terms of appearance of the area rug and how well it complements the room. Consider getting patterned area rugs if your home has got patterned walls or furniture.

Use durable and thinner area rugs in areas which are more frequented. Thinner area rugs are easier to wash and help covering tracks. Use thick area rugs near your bed and in sitting areas which are less frequented.

Rug pads are placed below the area rugs that prevent them from slipping. They also help in absorbing impact of feet and reduce noise and makes it easier to vacuum the rug.

The price of the rug is based on the material of which the rug is made of and the size of the rug. You can get a rug with a reasonable quality in under $100 and the prices can go up to $20000 based on their exclusivity.

You can buy area rugs online or from a local store near you. Comparing prices and pattern of area rugs online from different websites can seem to be a convenient affair but make sure whatever you buy online is authentic and not a knock off.