How to choose a playset for your kids
How to choose a playset for your kids

Play time is an important part of your child’s developmental and physical growth. And as a parent you should be proactively aware what kind of options they should be exposed to. So, to positively engage them in outdoor activities, you can add a playset in the backyard.

A play set can be a great way to get your kids to learn, enjoy and socialize. But before choosing a playset, there are certain factors that you should keep in mind, so that your children and their friends could make the most of their childhood adventures.

Here are a few features that you should look for while buying a playset for your child.

Safety
The first thing you do while purchasing a playset is to thoroughly assess the safety arrangements. This is because it’s very common for kids to get hurt while they are in a playground. Usually playsets comprise of wooden and plastic materials, which are better than a rugged material like metal. Also, remember that a playset requires a plain, leveled surface so that it doesn’t tumble or shake. So, if you are planning to get one, evaluate if your backyard is evenly flattened out or not.
If your children are too young then you should have a rubber matting or loose fills placed under the playset, to avoid any risky injuries. Check the playset for any ragged edges or hooks that can hurt.

Structure
As a parent, you know what kind of play combinations your kid will enjoy. There are a variety of blends in a playset. For instance, you can find a swing set, slides, tunnels, a fort, monkey bars, etc. in one playset. Which structure you choose also depends on the area of the backyard as well as your budget.

Quality
The playset you are buying should be sturdy and long-lasting. So, scrutinize its quality. Ask questions about its material and durability to the dealers. Also, read up reviews online about it, to gain more perspective.

Price and Size
The next most important stage is to figure out the size of the playset and whether it will fit in your backyard or not. You will find both small or big options according to your convenience. After you have shortlisted the alternatives, compare them in terms of cost and other additional utilities to finalize.

Installation
Setting up the playset by yourself can take a while. Check if the dealer is providing you with a professional installation service post purchase. Also, if a professional technician sets it up, you don’t have to worry about any ill fittings or mismanagement.

  • Things you should know about microwave carts and wall ovens

    If your microwave is taking up a lot of counter space in the kitchen, you can consider using a microwave cart. A microwave cart or stand is a multi-utility piece of furniture that has a cabin to hold the microwave in place. It also has a few extra features such as drawers and shelves for further storage. A microwave cart may come with wheels for convenient movement or can be an independent standalone piece. Since compact microwave carts fit in any section of the kitchen, they are perfect for confined spaces.

    Similarly, another option to free up space in the kitchen is to get a wall oven installed. Before deciding on a gas or electric wall oven, it is essential to know that electric ovens are cheaper initially, but tend to be expensive in the long run because of the price of electricity. Most brands offer the following range of wall ovens:

    Single wall oven – This is the most basic and inexpensive category of wall ovens that is characterized by only one cooking zone. It can be placed either over the counter if you do not want to bend or under it if you are facing space crunch. If your cooking requirements are not too high, a single wall oven will be suitable.

    Double wall oven – As the name suggests, this wall oven contains two cooking zones that help you multitask simultaneously. One of the zones may work as a microwave oven so that you don’t have to purchase a separate appliance. A double wall oven is the most convenient and preferred category.

    Triple wall oven – This oven is enabled with a wide variety of features and works well for those who are involved in professional cooking. However, it comes with a premium price tag especially if it is equipped with the convection feature.

    The importance of wall ovens and microwave carts in the kitchen cannot be denied. You can find many options for microwaves cart to assist both professional and everyday cooking. Therefore, identify your cooking requirements, study the spatial distribution of the kitchen, and plan your budget before taking a decision.

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  • Types of health insurance plans available

    Getting a health insurance is undoubtedly a must have. When you are searching for the best health insurance quotes or scouting for popular health insurance plans, it is crucial to compare various policies. Here are some of the health insurance plans that are available in the country.

    Health insurance plans fall under the following categories:

    • Health Maintenance Organization (HMO)
      An HMO plan requires you to avail of health care services only through a specified network of medical professionals, thus limiting greatly your choice of doctors. You would require a primary care physician to refer you to a specialist if necessary.
    • Preferred Provider Organization (PPO)
      Under the PPO plan, the flexibility with regard to choice of medical professional is more. If you consult with a doctor who is not on the network, then your costs would be higher.
    • Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO)
      Under an EPO plan, there would be no option of consulting a doctor who is out of the network, as such a physician’s costs will not be covered under the health insurance policy. However, you do not need a primary care physician’s referral.
    • Point of Service Plan
      A Point of Service Plan covers the HMO and PPO plans giving you a moderate degree of flexibility with regard to choice of doctor. You would be assigned to the care of a primary care physician who could refer you to an in network practitioner in which case, costs would be covered. You could consult an out of network doctor but have to pay those costs out of pocket.
    • Catastrophic Plan
      A catastrophic health insurance plan can be applied for if you are under the age of 30, which comes with a lower premium and requires a minimum of three visits to the primary physician before the deductibles will apply.
    • High Deductible Health Plan
      The advantage of the Highly Deductible Health Plan with Health Savings Account is that you can put aside money at intervals into this account to pay for your health care needs so that when the policy does not cover your expense, you have this savings account to fall back upon.
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  • Common types of multiple myeloma and their treatments

    Multiple myeloma is a plasma cell cancer where abnormal cells start multiplying in number and overpower healthy body cells. This affects the body’s organs and degrades the immune system, which makes the body more prone to foreign elements such as bacteria, virus and other microorganisms that adversely affect the health. However, the good news is that there have been rapid advances in the research for myeloma treatments.

    Types of multiple myeloma
    There are two types of multiple myeloma:

    • Smoldering myeloma: Patients with smoldering multiple myeloma will either have plasma cells making up 10% or more of the blood cells in the bone marrow or more than 30 g/l M-protein level in the blood. M-protein is an immunoglobulin that is produced by abnormal cells. More the quantity of M-protein, higher will be the risk.
    • Active myeloma: People expected to have active multiple myeloma will either have M-protein in the blood or plasma cells making up more than 10% in the bone marrow. The tumor might occur in the soft tissues and cause anemia, kidney failure or osteolytic lesions.

    Treatment of multiple myeloma
    Multiple myeloma cure therapy for each of the two types is different. These treatments are often intricate and require intense medical surveillance for long hours. Often doctors prescribe multiple myeloma drugs, but the results of these vary from case to case. Generally, multiple myeloma treatments include the following therapies:

    • Chemotherapy: It involves the use of a drug to treat cancer.
    • Bisphosphonates: It is a particular class of drugs that is used to prevent the loss of bone mass.
    • Radiation: This involves the emission of energy in the form of electromagnetic waves and helps reduce abnormal cells.
    • Surgery: This is recommended only for severe cases.
    • Stem cell transplant:  It involves replacing all unhealthy cells with healthy ones.
    • Plasmapheresis: It involves removing plasma cells by withdrawing blood from the body and then separating the plasma and cells.

    Myeloma treatment is a bit expensive, but it aims to remove all abnormal body cells restoring health back. Early myeloma treatment is always the best option, as it stops this life-threatening disease at the initial stage.

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  • Advantages of tablets in your day to day life

    Tablets have become an integral part of one’s life. It is commonly found in every household. Most people prefer to use tablets instead of desktop computers, in fact, laptops as well. There are various advantages of this device which is making it more attractive and its use more often.

    Find out the benefits of tablets:

    Portability: It is by far the most useful portable computing device designed. You can use it for any work that you normally do on desktop and laptop. It is so compact that you can carry it in a handbag.

    Lightweight: Laptops are portable too, but their weight deters people from taking them everywhere. However, the same does not apply it comes to tablets. They are extremely lightweight, slightly heavier than your smartphone. Thus, you can carry them anywhere you go and work on it.

    Screen size: Tablets come in varying screen sizes. You can choose one as per your requirements. Moreover, you can adjust the screen resolution and aspect ratio whichever way you feel comfortable to be able to work on it. Just like your smartphone, the tablets have the option of screen rotation.

    Battery life: Most tablets have impressive battery life, and if you take care of the same, the battery life is enhanced.

    Make presentation: Just like laptops and desktops, you can use it to make presentations and project the same onto a big screen as well.

    Audio recording: The audio recording ability of tablets is one of a kind. It is far better than any consumer grade recording device available.

    GPS navigation device: You can use tablets to guide with precise directions owing to its GPS feature, which you cannot get in laptops.

    Comfortable usage: Due to the relevant size of the screen, you can use tablets comfortably unlike smartphones that feel cumbersome to use at times.

    Organizer: Professionals use tablets as an organizer. Thus, you can organize your day to day schedule and everything else without having to carry a pen, paper, and notebook everywhere.

    Learning enhancement and teaching tools: Tablets are used in educational institutions as a means of learning and education device, a job at which it has no competition.

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  • Best providers of low-cost personal loans

    If you are on a lookout for a low-cost personal loan, then there are plenty of options for you in the market. You need to look for the origin fee and the annual percentage rate (APR) along with the term of the loan. Also, when you are looking for a personal loan with a low interest rate, remember to match the eligibility criteria. On the basis of your financial worthiness, you would get the best rates. Some of the best providers of low-cost personal loans are listed as follows:

    Lending Club
    A peer-to-peer lending platform, Lending Club has some of the best options for personal loans with low interest. You may borrow a loan for marriage, financing a car, home furnishing, travel, or for any purpose where you need financial help. The rates vary from 6.16% to 35.89% depending upon your creditworthiness and the amount you need to borrow.

    SoFi
    You may borrow a loan for any amount between $5,000 and $10,000 for a term of three to seven years. They come with an Autopay option, and the APRs vary between 6.58% and 14.87%. It comes with no origination fee, and one of the most significant benefits of borrowing from them is that you get employment protection. All of these features make it an excellent option for a personal loan with a low interest rate.

    Freedom Plus
    Definitely one of the top options for procuring a low-cost personal loan, the APR rates for Freedom Plus vary between 4.99% and 29.99%. There is no specific term mentioned in the borrowing conditions, which means you may borrow money for as little or as long as you like. The origination fee is anywhere between 0% and 5%. It is also one of the best personal loans with low interest because there is no amount for prepayment mentioned.

    Discover
    Discover is an excellent option to consider for a low-cost personal loan for various reasons. To begin with, you may borrow it at zero origination fee. It also offers you fixed rates, which stay stagnant throughout your loan tenure, and you may make monthly fixed payments. The APR varies between 6.99% and 24.99%, making it a viable choice. It may seem like the interest rates are higher than the other options for personal loans with low interest, but the absence of origination fee evens that out. You also have the options of paying off your creditors directly and get a same day decision for most of the applications.

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  • Top 5 outdoor furniture cushions you can buy this season

    Do you have a lot of furniture at your home and need furniture cushions to spruce them up? You’ll be glad to know that you can find them without much hassle.
    Outdoor furniture cushions can maximize comfort and add to the lifespan of your furniture. It can save you money and protect your furniture from various environmental elements such as rain, dust, snow, hail, and other forms of external degradation. They can help prevent rusting and keep your furniture safe for many years to come.
    If you need some pointers or want to know how to go about getting furniture cushions, here’s a few that you can take a look at to see if they fit your requirements.

    Pillow Perfect Outdoor Seat Cushions
    These solid red wicker outdoor cushions can be a great addition to your standard indoor and outdoor seats. They’re made from a comfortable polyester fabric. They’re light and durable, so you don’t have to worry about wear and tear destroying them.
    Fade-resistant, water-resistant, and stain resistant, they are very easy to clean. They can also brighten up other areas of your house. If you’re looking for something that works for a long period of time, then this is something that you should take a look at.

    Greendale Outdoor Swing/Bench Cushion
    Suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, these cushions from Greendale have a knack for being the one of the best outdoor swing cushions you can get. Very popular among customers, these cushions come with appealing summerside themes in different color schemes, have UV-resistance, and prevent fading, are stain resistant, and don’t easily get wet when they’re left outside in the rain. They’re secured with a drawstring closure. The best part is that they’re pretty affordable, so you don’t have to worry about shelling out a ton of money to get them.

    Bossima CGDS001PX11 Outdoor Cushion Set
    This is a complete cushion set, featuring a striped cushion in grey and damask along with 100% polyester-filling construction. This cushion set is durable, provides water resistance, and comes with a soft luster which helps prevent skin irritation. This cushion set is also very supportive and can be easily spot-cleaned too with soap and water. To add to this, theyre ideal for use on a wide range of furniture. They can even be used indoors and outdoors, so you can match your indoor and outdoor furniture with these.

    Greendale Home Fashions Outdoor Bistro Chair Cushions
    This is another signature offering from Greendale. These cushions pack 18-inches of seating space and are made from 100% recyclable poly-fiber. This ensures that they’re long lasting and easily maintained. They’re ideal for use on a wide variety of furniture. They can be used for both indoor and outdoor seating. The round shape and spacious seating area make them a comfortable fit for any furniture that you may have.

    Pillow Perfect Carmony Bench Cushion
    This bench cushion can be easily cleaned with water and mild detergent. Besides being a highly affordable, these cushions are also comfortable, durable, and made from 100% polyester. The surface is coated with UV-ray protection, which provides protection against skin irritation. This makes it ideal for use, both indoors and outdoors. Another feature that makes this a great buy is the fact that they’re water resistant, so you don’t have to worry about getting them wet in the rain or snow.

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  • Choose from the best three functional budget laptops

    An advanced or expensive laptop may have many features you don’t need or use. For those who need a basic functional laptop, you can choose from a range of brands that make devices at economical price tags to meet your needs. Before buying one, compare multiple laptops’ processor speed, memory, durability, and storage capacity. Ensure that even though you are buying a less expensive laptop, you get value for your money.

    Top three recommendations for low-cost laptops

    Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2
    The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 is an affordable laptop, a touchscreen convertible with stylus support (which is not included with the laptop). It is lightweight, weighing 2.71 pounds. It has a solid aluminum body and is available in red or gray colors. It has a stable, easy-to-use lattice keyboard that has large keycaps and smaller gaps between the keycaps, reducing wobbling. The keyboard has a backlight, and you can work in low-light surroundings comfortably. It is best suited for light office work, browsing, watching movies, or listening to music. It has two USB-C ports, a micro SD slot, and a headphone-mic jack. Other specifications of the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 include a 10th-gen Intel® Core™ processor, OLED display, 7 hours battery, two USB-C ports, microSD slot, and headphone jack.
    Its base model costs $549, and for that, you can fulfill all your needs. Comfortably work with productivity tools like documents, spreadsheets and presentations, edit photos and videos, watch movies, and listen to music and podcasts without any buffering or lag.

    HP 14” Touchscreen
    The HP 14-inch Touchscreen is one of the few notebook laptops with a touchscreen. It weighs 3.25 pounds, making it portable and convenient for carrying to college or work without any difficulty. It has 2 USB ports, an HDMI port, a multi-card slot, and a headphone and mic jack. The touchscreen is sensitive and works well. Other key specifications of the HP 14” Touchscreen laptop are an AMD Ryzen 3-3200U processor8 GB ram, Radeon Vega 3 graphics128 GB storage14-inch displayWindows 10 Home OSand 7-hours battery life. One of the top three budget laptops, this costs approximately $400 and is great for basic productivity tasks and streaming media. 

    ASUS Vivobook 15 (F512JA-AS34)
    Asus uses the term Vivobook to refer to a selection of Asus laptops. ASUS Vivobook 15 (F512JA-AS34) is a thin and light laptop. It is portable, easy to carry, and can be in your backpack or office bag. A large 15.6-inch display, smooth performance, and ergonomic design are the key features of this laptop. It has a stylish design and weighs 3.75 pounds. It has a backlit keyboard that allows you to work or study in a low-light environment. Its fingerprint sensor provides additional security for the system, and the exclusive Ergolift design helps in better typing.
    Other specifications of the Asus VivoBook 15 (F512JA-AS34) are an Intel® Core™ i3-1005G1 processor, Intel UHD graphics, 15.6-inch 1920×0180 display, 128 GB SSD, 8GB ram, and Windows 10 Home. Priced at $419, it is best suited for students and those who want a functional laptop for browsing or sending emails and watching movies. Except for serious and multiplayer gaming, the Asus Vivobook is a competent laptop. You can work comfortably with word processing, spreadsheets, and photo and video editors without difficulty. 

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  • Top 5 features of the Samsung Galaxy S7

    The Samsung Galaxy S7 has been one of the most popular phones. It belongs to the electronics giant, Samsung’s flagship Galaxy series. It soon became the favorite of its many users. Whether you talk about the Samsung Galaxy S7 or the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, both models are packed with some amazing features. Take a look at the top five features of these phones:

    • Sleek design

    The Samsung Galaxy S7 comes with a seamless slim design. It fits into your palm comfortably. It has a large screen and a Quad HD SuperAMOLED display that lets you see more and have a great viewing experience.

    • Sharp camera

    The phone boasts of a 12MP rear camera. It is one of the first smartphones to be equipped with the Dual Pixel technology features. With its sharp and upgraded cameras, you may bid a goodbye to blurry and dark pictures. The phone lets you click detailed pictures even in low-light and high-motion conditions.

    • Fast charging

    With this unique feature, you need not sit beside the switchboard and wait for your phone to charge. The phone’s fast charging capabilities and wireless charger allow it to charge the battery from zero to full in no time. This feature offers you the power to keep going all day.

    • Water resistance

    Do not worry about spilling and splashing water over your phone as the Samsung Galaxy S7 is water resistant. It has an IP68 rating, which means your phone can repel 5 feet water up to 30 minutes. Your phone is protected against water even if you do not have a protective case over it.

    • High storage

    With the Samsung Galaxy S7, you can never run out of memory. If the 32GB internal storage is insufficient for you, then opt for an external microSD card with a capacity as high as 256GB. With so much space to store, simply forget hard drives and clouds.

    Apart from these, there are a number of other wonderful features in the Samsung Galaxy S7 series, too. All of them are integrated to ensure an outstanding user experience.

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