One and Co

One and Co

Archives for December 2019

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Dr. Kami Hoss – Tips on Getting Your Kids To Care About Their Dental Health

It took me almost 10 dentists before I was able to find one which the kids didn’t hate, and that man was Dr. Kami Hoss. Sadly, just after we found Dr. Hoss, he relocated his offices from Los Angeles to San Diego, but that didn’t stop me. In fact San Diego has a great dental community and because of how the kids felt about their new dentist, we would make the 6 monthly trip from LA to SD so that they could get their dental checkups. Just after I found Dr. Hoss I asked him how I could get the kids to care more about their dental health, and the tips he shared with me worked a charm. If your kids aren’t too interested in dental health, here are the tips which helped my 3 kids to get engaged.

Information

We can often be guilty as parents of telling our kids what to do without actually explaining why they should be doing it. When it comes to brushing their teeth do your kids actually know what they are doing and why? Once you explain this to them you may very well find that they become a lot more engaged in what they are doing.

Routine

Kids love doing things as a family and that includes brushing teeth together! My husband and I decided that we would all brush our teeth at the same time morning and night, and the 7 o clock club was born. Within just a few days of setting this up the kids would start shouting us 15 minutes before 7, to give us an early warning that it was almost time to brush our teeth. I was stunned at how engaged this got the kids and with regular brushing came more questions from them about their dental health, mission accomplished.

Ownership

Kids love having their own things and one great piece of advice which Dr. Hoss gave me was to let the kids choose their own toothbrushes, something which I hadn’t done previously. This worked incredibly well and the kids could’t wait to get their new brushes out of the packaging and get started on their teeth. So simple yet incredibly effective.

Marks Out Of Ten

If you have a friendly dentist who is good with kids then ask them to mark your kids’ teeth out of ten when they go for a checkup. We did this with my 3 and it became a real competition to see how could get the highest marks. I even decided that there would be a trophy for the winner, and they could keep it until the next 6 month checkup. This was easily one of theist ways in which we got the kids more engaged about caring for their oral health and it is a tip which I am sure can work very well for you and your kids.

Give them a try and see what works best.

 

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Ali Ata on What to Important factors When Investing in Real Estate

If you want to start investing in real estate then we have some great tips for you which can help you to ensure that you make the best success from your investment. Ali Ata has spent our 30 years in the real estate industry from real estate agent to investor and he has learned a vast amount during his career which he wants to pass on to anyone out there looking to get started in real estate investment. I asked Ali what his top tips would be for those investing in real estate, and here is what he had to say.

Understand Communities

Something which Ali says many real estate investors overlook is the wider community when they are buying property, particularly crime rates. This stands to reason of course that someone who is buying a home for their family is going to want to live in a great community and not just a great property. When you find a property that fits in with what you are looking for, you then need to look outside the property to the wider community in terms of amenities, safety and other important aspects.

Crossing State Lines

Something which Ali spoke at length about was that many investors don’t look beyond their own locality when they start investing. Whilst this makes sense given that an investor is going to feel much more comfortable in their own neighborhood or city, there can be a lot of value to be found if you look further afield.

Burgeoning Opportunities

Ali is a big fan of looking for new and burgeoning communities that will grow in the coming years and he recommends that you also learn about how you can leverage this to find more success. Keep your eyes on the news to see if there are large scale projects taking place which are going to attract a lot of investment and jobs into a certain area. This can give you the upper hand and buying properties in these areas can give you a great deal of value.

Fix It First Time

Ali concedes that he has made oversights throughout his investment career and one of those was not repairing something in a property of his prior to renting it out. Because of this one of his big tips is that if you buy a property and there are things to fix, get them done before you even consider renting out the property. Failure to do this could easily come back and bite you at a later date, which is why it is so important to get it out of the way first.

The final tip which Ali gave was to understand customer trends and what types of property are the easiest to sell and rent. Once you are able to grasp the customer trends you are going to be in a much better position to make your investment really work for you.

 

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3 Signs That Your Home Has Foundation Problems

While it’s never fun to realize that there’s something wrong in your home that needs to be fixed or replaced, what can make this matter even worse is if this issue stems from the actual foundation of your home. When something’s wrong with your foundation, the very safety of the structure and your family who lives there could be in jeopardy. But if you’re able to catch these issues early on, you could save yourself a lot of money and hardship in getting these problems fixed.

To help you realize when there’s an issue that needs to be addressed, here are three signs that could signify to you that your home has foundation problems.

Visible Cracks

One sure sign that there’s some kind of issue going on with the foundation of your home is if you begin to notice visible cracks throughout your property.

According to Gordon K. Hurd, a contributor to Realtor.com, the most common places that you’ll begin to see these cracks are on the walls, the floors, any columns that support the structure, and around door openings. When the foundation of your home is failing, these areas will start to shift, which is what causes the cracks in the first place. So if you see cracks in these areas of your home, there’s a good chance that it’s because your foundation isn’t holding up as it should.

Faulty Doors and Windows

Another sign that your home could have problems with the foundation is if you notice that your doors or windows either won’t open or close. And if they do open or close, they might not stay that way for long.

Just like the with cracks mentioned above, Jeanne Huber, a contributor to HouseLogic.com, shares that changes in the structure of the foundation can make it harder for doors to latch or for windows to open and close. This is because the way the doors or windows were initially laid out in the home have now moved.

New Gaps

Along with cracks and sticking doors or windows, foundational issues can also appear in the form of gaps.

Terri Williams, a contributor to Freshome.com, shares that if you can look around your home and you see gaps between the floor and the walls, between the walls and the ceiling, above any of your cabinetry, or between your closed garage door and the pavement, it could mean that your home has shifted on its foundation. Especially if you know those gaps weren’t there before or have noticeably gotten larger, you should definitely get a professional in to look at the foundation of your home.

If you have seen any of the above signs or symptoms around your home, it could mean that you’re having issues with your foundation that need to be addressed sooner rather than later.

 

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Downtown Las Vegas & Other Surrounding Areas

North of the Las Vegas Strip, in the heart of the city and as the oldest area of ​​the city, is the so-called Downtown, whose main artery is Freemont Street. This area, before the birth of the Las Vegas Strip, was the most visited. Although it has lost boom, it still maintains great tourist and cultural attractions. One of them is the large Freemont Street Experience shopping center, a vaulted space and part of the mentioned street, completely pedestrianized, with about four blocks of area and with all kinds of shops, restaurants, attractions and even two casino-hotels. Just behind this center there is a museum for the little ones, the Discovery, and to the northwest, a series of museums to get to know the city as the “The Mob Crime Museum.” Natural History Museum of Las Vegas and the Neon Museum that stores and exhibits all the historical icons that have made this city popular. In the area you can also enjoy nightlife in bars such as Longbar and Atomic Liquors, or shop in a multitude of outlet stores in the rest of Freemont Street. Sleeping in Las Vegas in this area also has its advantages since high prices are in the middle strip. You can also choose to stay in the popular Downtown Grand Las Vegas.

Within a 10-minute walk of Greyhound Bus Terminal, Downtown Grand Las Vegas is easily accessible, making it the perfect place to experience Las Vegas. Rooms have air conditioning and free Wi-Fi. Hotel guests in Downtown Grand Las Vegas can take a refreshing dip in the outdoor pool or relax on the rooftop terrace. Staff available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, will help you book tours and attractions. There is also a gym with a pool. The Downtown Grand Las Vegas rooms are well thought out and offer wireless internet access in the rooms. Some rooms are communicating, specially designed to accommodate families and groups. While staying at the Downtown Grand Las Vegas, guests can enjoy a unique dining experience in the property’s restaurant, which is ideal for those wishing to dine on site. In the late afternoon, guests can go to the cozy bar to relax. Popular Las Vegas attractions are within easy reach of the hotel, including Fremont Street Experience and Las Vegas City Hall, which are a 5-minute walk away. Its central location allows easy access to major cultural and leisure venues.

Surrounding the Downtown area are three points of interest that are the East, West and North Las Vegas, which are without doubt, very residential. In the case of North Las Vegas, southwest of the Nellis Air Force military base, many of its residents are military, making it a quiet area. It stands out for having, almost out of the city, the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where NASCAR races and other international speed competitions are held.

Despite this, the area also has casino-hotels such as Cannery and Texas Station. As for shopping and leisure, like any residential area, there are numerous small restaurants and bars, and the main shopping area is North Las Vegas Boulevard.

To the southeast of the aforementioned area, it is also recommended to visit the East Las Vegas Strip. In this area there is also the university district, with the University of Nevada complex as the main attraction. Also, other places of interest like the Hard Rock Hotel Casino; The Boulevard Mall, and the Paradise Road shopping street, parallel to Las Vegas Boulevard and ending at McCaarran International Airport.

As for West Las Vegas, this is considered the western zone to the Strip and maintains the essence of the great tourist area, but it is not as luxurious and is more frequented by the local population. Even so, it is also a feasible option to stay in Las Vegas.

In fact, the casinos are smaller, in the case of the Orleans Palms; there are streets with small cinemas and bowling alleys, and the most famous bars are the Ghostbar, in the Orleans Palms casino, and the Bodo Lounge, in the Rio casino.

 

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Why indoor plants are a natural mood booster

Indoor plants, while being aesthetically pleasing for a room, they have various health benefits. They help to improve air quality, boost oxygen, remove pollutants, reduce stress and enhance productivity – an essential for any office desk or bedside table. But before you head off filling every part of your home with a plant, carefully select the ones that have a proven benefit for that specific room.

Bedroom

The bedroom is one space in the house that needs to be considered more carefully than other rooms; sleep is as important to us as eating, drinking and breathing. Think about how you use space in the room. Base all your decisions around the perfect bed, consider investing in one that offers extra storage space so you can create a clean and minimal theme in your bedroom, with a splash of greenery. Divan Beds Centre’s bed designs feature a large amount of storage space, reducing the need for extra drawers or shelving, giving you more room to enjoy a statement plant like the Pothos.

 

Once you have considered the furniture, it’s time to add the finishing touches. Lavender is the best plant for a deep sleep. It’s proven to aid relaxation and it is recognised that it lowers heart rate, blood pressure and stress levels. While you can get a range of lander-scented products such as pillow sprays and candles, the most-effective is a real lavender plant by your bedside table – looking pretty and aiding your peaceful night’s sleep.

 

Living room

As one of the main rooms in your home where all of your family and friends come together, you need to choose a plant which makes a statement. The spider plant is a little wild looking and will liven up the simplest of décor. It’s one of the easiest indoor plants to maintain and comes with a number of health benefits. Spider plants are said to reduce stress and produce oxygen while absorbing carbon monoxide, formaldehyde and xylene. They’re also perfect for the busiest part of the house thanks to them being non-toxic making them safe for pets and young children.

 

Kitchen

The aloe plant is not just there to soothe sunburn, it also has some other fantastic health benefits such as purifying the air of formaldehyde and benzene, two chemicals commonly found in household cleaning products. Place it in the kitchen; not only will it help to filter the air of the toxins found in cleaning products, but it will also be handy if you ever burn yourself while cooking (simply break off a stem and apply the open flesh of the plant to the burn). Place your aloe on your windowsill where it can soak up all of the sunlight easily.

Office

The majority of plants help to purify the air. Formaldehyde, which is in many synthetic office furnishings, has been found to irritate the eyes, nose, and throat – so filling the area with a variety of plants could help ease the symptoms. Green spaces and nature have been found to help people who feel stressed find a positive state of mind. Placing hardy plants (like the snake plant or cactus) in offices that have poor ventilation, or low natural light can help improve satisfaction and increase efficiency – great if you work from home or have a side hustle during the evenings.

Indoor plants can really help boost your mood and create a pleasant environment to enjoy with your loved ones, consider how each type of plant can benefit each room and add a touch of greenery to your home.

 

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4 Tips For Potty Training

When the time comes for your little one to start using the toilet, it can be a messy experience. Even though you may be ready to stop changing diapers, that doesn’t mean your toddler necessarily is.

There will likely be some resistance and plenty of accidents. It’s going to be work for everyone involved; however, with a little patience and a lot of baby wipes, you can successfully potty train your toddler.

Here are some of the best tips for ensuring success.

Time It At The Right Time

There is no one correct age for all kids when they are magically ready to start using the toilet. Therefore, start looking for signs that your toddler is ready. Usually, they are about two years old and start showing an interest in the toilet.

In addition to making sure you choose the right timing for them, you should also choose the right timing for you. For example, doing it while on vacation is probably not a great idea. If you co-sleep, you want to make sure that you prepare yourself for potential messes. Your adored bed doesn’t need to be ruined by nighttime accidents. Even if you don’t co-sleep, you want to make sure that you get mattress covers for every bed in the house.

Schedule Potty Breaks

The whole process is a lot easier if you schedule times to go to the potty. Ask your little one frequently if they would like to go to the bathroom. Since it’s easy to get distracted and you may forget to ask occasionally, it’s helpful to set a timer.

Every 30-45 minutes is usually a good rhythm for getting them to sit on the potty.

Make It Fun

To ease your kid’s resistance to using the potty, you should try to make it as fun as you can. It helps to use colorful potties and even a song that you associate with going to the bathroom.

Some parents choose to use a reward system to get their little ones to use the toilet. You may find that they’re more likely to give going on the toilet a try if they know that there’s a treat promised to them at the end.

Always Be Prepared For Accidents

It’s important to always stay equipped with whatever you need if there’s an accident. Always have an extra pair of pants and underwear packed with you, and of course baby wipes,

Even though you may be frustrated when they have an accident when you least anticipate it, you shouldn’t lose your patience. Encourage them to keep trying, and eventually, they’ll get better at it. Instead of pressuring them or getting angry, stay positive, and they’ll be more likely to cooperate!

 

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4 Ways Anyone Can Benefit From Going To See A Therapist

A lot of people are under the false misconception that the only people who go to a therapist are “messed up.” However, the truth is that therapy isn’t just a means for “repairing” something. Regardless of what you’re facing in life, anyone can use a little extra support.

Therapists use their knowledge to help you handle the challenges that life can throw your way and consider managing your obstacles in a new way. Before you decide that therapy isn’t for you, take a look at some of the ways that you could benefit from it.

Better Well-Being

Seeing a therapist is good for your overall well-being. Just as you can practice daily self-care by doing things like taking a shower, shaving your face, and combing your hair, you should also do the same with your mind.

Therapy is self-care for your brain. It balances out anything that’s going on in your brain that needs to be sorted through. Going to a therapist means quite the opposite that you’re “crazy” or that there’s something wrong with you. In fact, people that regularly see a therapist are much healthier overall!

Improved Relationships

A lot of relationships suffer from being dysfunctional. When two people come together who don’t have the best tools to manage their emotions, emotions can run high.

However, therapy can help you get rid of bad habits and improve communication. By strategizing methods to handle conflict, you can improve not only your marriage but also your friendships.

You Can Find Your Purpose In Life

Just because you have a career doesn’t mean that it defines you. Therapy can help you discover the roots of who you truly are. Have you ever stopped to ask yourself what really drives you?

Sometimes life can get so busy that you don’t take the time to uncover your true self and passions. A therapist can help you do that.

Self-Acceptance

Some people may have never suffered any traumas in their life, nor have they ever really gone through anything particularly distressing; however, they struggle with accepting themselves as they are.

Even though you may not necessarily be depressed, you may suffer from being self-critical and low self-esteem. A therapist can help you find practical ways to appreciate who you are and love yourself just the way you are.

Therapists come in all shapes and sizes. Some lean more on the side of life coaches, while others are full-fledged psychotherapists. You may choose a different kind of therapy, depending on your specific set of needs.

The idea is to make yourself a happier and healthier person. Who couldn’t benefit from that?

 

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Will Today’s Smart Home Gadgets Be Tomorrow’s Robots?

Run a Google search on smart home devices and you will have 2.7 billion results to look at. Despite home automation not being as ubiquitous as some companies would like, smart home information is. Everywhere you look you will find news articles, product reviews, and videos talking about smart home technology.

That leads us to a 2015 Fox News article written by contributor John Brandon. The article touched on what the future of smart technology would look like. It predicted everything from cryptocurrency replacing fiat to each of us having robots tasked with protecting us. Science has a lot of catching up to do if Brandon’s predictions are to come to fruition.

Nonetheless, the article does raise an interesting question: Will today’s smart home gadgets be tomorrow’s robots? There is plenty of optimism in this particular area of science. We have already seen a lot of progress in robotics since the turn-of-the-century. It is quite possible that we will live in a world filled with robots within the next 25 to 50 years.

Home Automation’s Current State

Bringing robots into the home is something that used to be relegated to science fiction and children’s cartoons. And yet, here we are today with robotic vacuums and lawnmowers. You can buy a robotic pool vacuum that keeps your pool clean year-round. And of course, there are all sorts of smart home gadgets capable of doing amazing things.

Vivint, a Salt Lake City company that is considered a pioneer in home automation, explains what they do at integrating heating and air-conditioning, appliances, security devices, and other systems managed by a centralized control panel. It is a workable definition that would apply to almost all home automation systems.

A fully integrated system could automate just about anything that is normally operated electronically. You might start with the smart thermostat and then add sensors and software to control lighting. Then you would automate your smart windows or window blinds, your home entertainment system, and so forth.

Much of the technology we need to create truly smart homes is already available. So why are smart homes not the norm? There are a couple of reasons, beginning with compatibility. Vivint is just one of many companies working in the smartphone arena. Unfortunately, proprietary hardware and software makes it very difficult for unrelated systems to work together. This lack of compatibility is depressing the market.

The Future of Home Automation

For today’s home automation gadgets to become tomorrow’s robots, something profound has to happen: hardware and software makers have to come to agreement on some sort of standardization. That is when things will really take off. When your automated lights can talk to your voice assistant, and both can talk to your vacuum cleaner and lawn mower, you’ll have a system capable of accommodating many more robots than we currently utilize.

The future of home automation looks pretty good by all measurements. The more we come to know about deep learning and artificial intelligence, the more we are applying that science to home automation. Today’s a smart vacuum cleaner could become tomorrow’s smart dishwasher. Both could give way to a robotic maid capable of cooking dinner and cleaning up after itself.

If you are worried about robots taking over the world, don’t be. The future looks a lot more like the robots from Star Wars than their evil counterparts from The Terminator and I, Robot. They will be advanced enough to operate on their own but not so advanced as to be capable of rational, abstract thought.

A Taste of the Future Today

For those of us who love smart home technology, it represents an opportunity to get a taste of the future today. For example, did you know you can install both smart thermostats and lighting systems capable of ‘learning’ your regular schedule? It’s true. And as they do so, the systems can self-adjust to accommodate your lifestyle. A good system can save you quite a bit of money by adjusting both lighting and temperature so that you are not wasting energy unnecessarily.

Will today’s smart home gadgets become tomorrow’s robots? It’s possible. But don’t expect an entire robot population capable of taking over the world. It will not be like that.

 

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HMB: The Most Trusted Hard Money Lender in Philadelphia

When it comes down to needing money quickly, it’s hard to find a faster solution than Hard Money Bankers. The company, based in Maryland but serving individuals across the mid-Atlantic, has made the process as fast as possible. This allows people to pounce on real estate investment opportunities before the competition track things down.

Not only is speed important, but trust is important as well. A lot of people believe that Hard Money Bankers might just be the most trusted lender in Philadelphia right now. That’s a huge statement for a city that size, but their track record backs it up.

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A simple, efficient application process

No one wants to have to fill out form after form when getting money for and investment opportunity. Wasting just a little bit of time can be the difference between capitalizing on a great deal and missing out. That’s why HMB has made sure that they have the most simplified application process online.

Anyone searching for Philadelphia hard money lenders will see that they just need to fill out a few answers to get started with HMB. From there, some individuals prefer to contact the company and get information that way. Others want to do as much as possible online, and that is also available.

Outstanding reviews

Take a look online, and HMB has some of the best overall reviews in the industry. That’s saying a lot since there are a fair amount of companies offering money in the same way. The only problem is, some Philadelphia hard money loans have hidden terms and fees, which is going to kill their reputation.

All details are available for any person to sift through before signing with HMB. The goal of the company is to be as open as possible. Any company that does not try to stay open with their customers should be considered shady.

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Easy repayment process

Just as the application process is straightforward and easy to accomplish, the repayment process is very easy as well. Everything can be done online, which saves time and effort. Anyone who works in the real estate industry always has a pretty hectic schedule, and it can sometimes be hard to keep up with all the different payments. There is an auto payment option for people who want to pay back the money if they wish.

Building trust with every location

With a presence in a handful of states, Hard Money Bankers is attempting to grow into areas all the time. Philadelphia is one of the major markets in the United States and getting more and more people to sign up is going to build up its reputation. As long as the company continues to stay strong and offer something that provides great value, customers will continue using them. It’s hard to find a company to truly trust when applying for hard money loan, but once it is found, everyone should be holding onto it as much as possible.