Having a dog is like having an extra furry member of the family, and it’s likely that you want to know more about how you can take great care of them. There are many things that you can do to make your pup's life a little easier, and they’re sure to appreciate every change that you make! So, if you want to find out more about how you can look after your dog, then read on to uncover some of the best tips and tricks that you can make the most of today.

A Nutritious Diet 

One of the most important things that you must do to take great care of your pup is to provide them with a nutritious diet. Buying the cheapest dog food you can find is unlikely to offer them a healthy balance of vitamins and minerals, and the ingredients that go into making such a product are usually of the lowest quality. Though dogs will eat just about anything, it’s important that you can make a conscious design to upgrade their meals to maintain optimum wellbeing for as long as possible. There are many great brands which offer natural dog food made from the best ingredients available, and these brands can even provide unique recipes to suit your dog's personal needs. Always be sure to do your research before investing in a new brand of dog food as reliable sites always provide feedback, like the positive Freshpet reviews by pet owners who have bought through this platform. It’s a good idea to buy a few small batches of different foods to identify which one best suits your pup, as their taste and digestion is completely unique. 

Regular Exercise 

Dogs need regular exercise to ensure they can stay physically and mentally active, as they need to have the freedom to run and play at least once each day. Taking your dog for a walk can be a great bonding experience too, as pups love to go outside and will thank you kindly for the privilege. Do some research and look into any natural parks or walkways in your local area, as it’s much more enjoyable for your pup to explore through the grass than simply walk on the pavement. 

Social Interaction

Your dog needs to have social interaction with other dogs (and humans) to make sure they do not develop any kind of behavioural problems, as confinement and loneliness can have a huge effect on your pup. If you have any friends or family members that have a dog then it’s a wonderful idea to introduce them, as a regular playmate can encourage your dog to build positive relationships with others too. It’s important that you stay vigilant whenever your pup is interacting with an unknown dog, as you can never predict their behaviour. Stay calm and allow the pups to sniff each other, taking note of your dog's body language - if they become stiff or begin to growl, slowly take your pup away from the situation without showing signs of stress. Making it clear that you are nervous by shouting or yanking your dog away will only cause their feelings to worsen, so maintain a cool head and remove your pup from any danger.

If you think about the room where your family meets, your friends hang out, and you make the best memories, automatically the kitchen comes to mind. No wonder why it is called the heart of the home! However, a kitchen that is small, uncomfortable, and unsafe becomes a threat to anybody and can make your life much more uncomfortable. 

While a complete remodel can undoubtedly be costly, there are some inexpensive additions and details that you can implement next time you think about redesigning your family home's kitchen and dining area!

It's Not All About Remodeling

Remodeling or entirely redesigning a kitchen is among the most expensive projects any family goes through. It can be disruptive towards your daily life, time-consuming, and heavy on the budget. It is undeniable that the benefits of such remodeling are evident: having a modern kitchen in which to try new recipes at no expense of the planet and where everybody can gather is every home owner's dream. 

Nonetheless, suppose you are not in the position of going through such a significant experience yet. In that case, there are still some implementations that can completely transform your kitchen's look and feel. These include fresh painting, small fixes, or new wallpaper. The sky's the limit!

Create a Dining Room for the Family

The dining room is an essential aspect of the kitchen area, and this is where most of the action happens. Whether you prefer candlelit dinners with your other half or you prefer the dynamicity of a table full of family members and friends, here is where you will all gather. 

Of course, a table and some chairs are enough to get started, but the potential of your dining room is endless. You could opt for an energetic design, sophisticated features, or a spacious room that can double up as a home office. In any case, hand-picking each piece of furniture and detail is the only way to design the dining room you have always wanted. If you are looking for redesign inspiration, check out Dining Rooms Outlet for unique furniture and designs.

Use Inspiring Materials and Designs

If you are building your new family home's kitchen from scratch, you have the freedom to pick the design of each corner without having to compromise. In this case, opting for designs that are not just convenient, but also inspiring is crucial. Natural designs, large windows, and high-quality details are what will make the overall design more user-friendly and comfortable.

Even if you are remodeling the kitchen on a low budget, picking fewer details that are of fine quality is crucial. This won't really make a huge difference to the overall cost, but it can significantly increase the value of your kitchen. 

Make It Eco-Friendly

When breathing new life into an older kitchen, you might not have much choice regarding the appliances and materials used. Indeed, if you are only superficially redesigning this space, you might have to limit yourself to sprucing up the cabinets, adding modern details, and deep cleaning each corner. 

However, even in this case, you can still implement details to make it much more eco-friendly than it was. Start by introducing a recycling corner, and swap your disposables for reusables. Sustainable materials such as recycled plastic and paper can also be exciting details.

Instead, if you are redesigning or remodeling a kitchen from scratch, you can now think forward and designing an entirely eco-friendly or self-sustainable space. Start by opting for a minimalist design that will only require you to shop for timeless, high-quality items. These are more likely to last you for many years to come, and you won't have to think again about a costly makeover for a while.

Additionally, you should only pick appliances with the lowest environmental impact. While they can seem more expensive at first, these can last you much longer than second-hand, low-quality items. And they will help you save on the cost of your monthly bills!

Choose Safe and User-Friendly Details

The kitchen should be an accessible and welcoming space for the whole family. So, especially if you have kids or young teenagers, it is essential to introduce some safety features to help you achieve that peace of mind you deserve. 

Cabinets with locks, secure storage areas for knives, and soft closing installations are only the start! However, safety can also be enhanced through the kitchen organization itself. Since most accidents to kids in the home happen in the kitchen, you should avoid storing heavy items in overhead cabinets and keep all dangerous tools away from your little ones' eyes or hands. Of course, under your supervision, you should always encourage a family cooking session every once in a while!

As a homeschool mom, I love to make unit studies and lessons out of pretty much anything. That's how we learn the best here so normally I will go and find all kinds of unit studies for Mary and let her pick which one we focus on. It makes learning so much more fun that way. And so far I have always been able to find the unit studies that I need, until now.

Mary and I love to play the Nancy Drew PC Games. We have been playing together since she was four years old and she turns thirteen in a few days! And since there are a lot of educational opportunities inside the games, I have always loved them. So I thought that somewhere online, there would be some unit studies for the PC games for homeschooling parents. But I was wrong! I can't find unit studies for them anywhere!

So for the first time, I am going to give a go at writing a simple unit study. And this first one will be for Nancy Drew The Captive Curse. I am going to attempt to do unit studies for all the games that Mary and I play so make sure to subscribe so you don't miss them! They will all be listed in the Our Homeschool tab as well!

I hope you enjoy this simple but fun unit study!

Nancy Drew Captive Curse Homeschool Unit Study

Geography: 

• Learn about Neuschwanstein Castle
• Play with German Paper Dolls
• Germany printables

• Watch Geography Now! Germany.

• Read facts about Germany at Ducksters.
• Have your children find Germany on a map or globe.
• Kids World Travel Guide: Click Here!
• Download a free Mini Germany Unit Study

Music: 

Cooking

Literature

Science

There’s no denying that South Africa is a troubled country. However, it is also a beautiful one. If you plan carefully with the help of travel agents who know the area, or by doing your own independent research, Cape Town could be the perfect spot for a destination wedding and a once in a lifetime vacation into the bargain!

Gorgeous Beaches

Cape Town is a port city located on the southwest coast of South Africa, and as you might expect it boasts an array of spectacular beaches. It benefits from a Mediterranean climate, meaning that the summers are warm and dry, perfect weather for a trip to the sea.

Check out Llandudno if you’d like a secluded beach surrounded by boulders and filled with white sand. It’s a fantastic beach for surfers, and a gorgeous location to watch the sunset. Be warned though; the water is very cold so you may want to wear a wetsuit! It’s also quite a way from anywhere, so if you’re planning to be there for the day, it’s a good idea to bring a picnic.

If cold water puts you off, then Muizenberg beach is probably the one for you! The water is warm - perfect for longer swim or surf sessions. It’s also a little closer to civilization than Llandudno, and you’ll be able to take surfing lessons there too.

Excellent Wine

South Africa is known for its delicious wine, and you’ll be able to buy enough wine for your guests much more cheaply if you’re in the country!

You could also make a visit to South Africa’s oldest wine estate Groot Constantia part of your time there, where you can take part in a cellar tour and of course some wine tasting.

It’s Budget Friendly

The pound, euro and the dollar are all trading strongly against the South African Rand, so you will get a great deal by having your wedding in South Africa. For example, if just you and your partner were wanting to elope to South Africa and stay in luxury accommodation in Cape Town for five nights, you would be looking at around R15,000 to R70,000 which is about $800-$5000.

Save yourself even more money by buying everything you can while you are there, the wedding dresses in Cape Town are just as stunning as their counterparts in the US and the UK or Europe, but a fraction of the cost.

Stunning Landscapes

Cape Town is nestled beneath the iconic Table Mountain, a stunning backdrop for any wedding. Alternatively, you could choose to get married to one of her many beaches, or you could get married right on the harbor front in the town. The choices are almost limitless!

Easy Communication

Most people in South Africa speak excellent English, which makes planning your wedding there much easier than some other locations for destination weddings and removes some of the stress of organizing such an important day!

For the legal side, all you will need is to obtain a Certificate of No Impediment from your home countries home affairs office and make sure that you bring a valid passport with you along with three passport ID sized photographs.