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One of the most adorable things about children is the curiosity and keenness to know everything. The way they think is a mixture of fascination and unpredictability. It is also due to this very reason why they might sometimes unintentionally end up with a few battle wounds. Hence, the responsibility of keeping them safe should be our top priority.

As parents, the safety and well-being of our ward are always on our minds. We want to take every possible measure to protect them from any harm. The catch here is that this isn’t only be restricted to outside elements and factors, but it may very well start right at home.

Childproofing the home is a practice that is quickly gaining popularity. Even if you want to join the bandwagon, check out our list below that includes some essential pointers.

Protection against fire and shock

A child getting burnt or inhaling smoke is one of the most common child-related disasters that can be quite dangerous. For exactly this reason, you should also childproof your home against electrical shocks.

Keep your lighters and matches in places that are far out of the reach of your child. This should also include flammable liquids such as gasoline. Invest in a fire extinguisher while also installing smoke detectors around your house. This way, you will be able to prevent any fire-related mishaps.

Talking about shock proofing your home, whenever you are using hairstyling accessories such as curling irons or hairdryers, try to use these away from the prying eyes of your children to prevent arousing their curiosity. Again, don’t forget to unplug these appliances and keep them out of reach. If possible, conceal any exposed electrical outlets in your home. You also use outlet protectors or safety caps for this purpose.

Install safety gates and doorknob covers

Baby gates can be really handy to restrict the movement of your child which, in turn, will keep them protected from most of the accidents. Areas such as the top and bottom of your stairs, doorways, and any such similar areas could be appropriate for installing these safety gates.

At the same time, a doorknob cover can be a great device to keep your children away from rooms where they shouldn’t be entering without adult supervision. This can be the generator room or swimming pool and hence, is a wise investment. You can also put a doorknob cover on your bathroom handle as well.

Throwing away any potential choking hazards

Younger children have a tendency to put everything they see in their mouths – it is something that comes naturally to them and you really cannot do much about it. It’s the choking hazard here that becomes a problem. This is also why you need to be watchful of what goes into their mouths.

The first step to identifying the nearest hazard would be to inspect your kid’s toys. Generally, these toys have several small parts that can be easily unscrewed. Remove such toys from the reach of your child pronto. In addition to these, coins, crayons, and marbles can be potentially dangerous too.

Even food items such as popcorn, candies, raisins, and fruits can become a choking hazard. In addition to increasing your awareness, you should also warn other people who are trying to feed your child. Ask them to be vigilant whenever they are giving them any type of food.

Smart placement of furniture

As soon as you have a baby, you need to redesign your home to make it more baby-friendly. Firstly, keep your furniture like sofas and dining tables away from windows or any open space. This is an important adjustment because children can end up climbing the windows cell and then falling fatally. Another good tip would be to put corner and edge bumpers on your furniture.

Develop a timely replacement routine of your shades, blinds, and draperies. While this may sound like an unnecessary expense, it actually isn’t. Children can sometimes play with blind and draperies so they need to be fixed firmly. If you don’t, it puts them at a higher risk of getting injured.

Make your bathroom more child-friendly

As soon as a child enters the kitchen, every parent becomes hyper-aware. After all, there are many sharp objects that he or she can hurt himself. But, an equally important area that needs supervision in your home is the bathroom.

Toddlers nearly always enter the bathroom unsupervised. So, you need to keep an eye whenever they’re about to enter the bathroom.

Non-skid bath mats, keeping electric appliances unplugged and at a higher shelf, storing cosmetics and medicines in locked containers, and using toilet seat locks – are all useful tips for you to use.

Even during bathtime, always be careful and aware. Make sure that the water isn’t too hot that it can burn the delicate skin of your child. Please always be present whenever your baby is in the bathtub.

Avoiding any poisoning mishaps

As mentioned above, children tend to put random things in their mouth. This can include poisonous liquid and chemicals such as insecticides, rat killer poison, and bleach.

We would advise you to avoid storing such chemicals in your home and if you do, always store them in locked cabinets. This includes paint and medicines.

Though not many people are aware, even your garden or lawn may contain plants that might be poisonous. Hence, be aware of the plants inside your home and research to ensure that they aren’t potentially poisonous.

Takeaway thoughts

There, all done! You can use these tips to protect your child from the hidden and the not-so-hidden dangers lying around in your abode.

In short, you always need to be aware of your child’s wandering movements at all times. If you have a nanny, give her strict instructions asking her to never let the kid out of her line of sight.

Finally, here’s wishing you all the luck for childproofing!

Resources – Mum in the Mad House, Saint Luke’s

 

The term millennial is becoming increasingly popular in news and conversation, but not many know which age range it actually covers. For the uninitiated, Millennials are generally defined as being born between 1981 and 1996 and while there is fierce debate from older generations over how difficult life as a Millennial really is, one fact that is becoming increasingly apparent is that this group will suffer some of the worst retirement periods due to a frequent change of jobs and a tendency to cash out retirement benefits when this happens.

According to a report by LinkedIn, it is suggested that this generation will change their jobs at a much higher level than those previous, as in the past 20 years the number of companies that people worked for in the five years following their graduation has nearly doubled, while Viresh Maharaj, CEO of Client Solutions at Sanlam Employee Benefits says the statistics estimate Millennials having between 12-15 jobs in their working life.

He said: “Our contention is that the number one baseline, foundational reason people don’t have good retirement outcomes is a lack of preservation. It doesn’t matter what investment strategy you’ve got, what costs are in play, what type of advice is there, the counselling, annuitisation, nothing. Nothing else matters if you don’t preserve.” He also suggested that if a greater increase in changing jobs was due to an evolving nature of employment, Millennials were far more likely to risk non-preservation.

In addition to non-preservation, other factors contribute to the promise of a poor retirement, such as fear of financial services institutions which may have caused issues for their parents through hidden fees, confusing technical jargon, or a lack of financial knowledge.

One way this can be combated however is developing a greater understanding of finances which may help people to save, stay out of debt and generally develop a more robust level of financial literacy. We recommend checking out this guide for a 5 minute crash course to help you on your journey.

Despite representing more than 50% of the workforce, Millennials do not actively consider their later lives and associate retirement with the fear of aging and an idea of being old which planning for may not seem like a priority. Maharaj said of Millennial focus groups conducted as part of Sanlam’s annual retirement research, “Millennials do not relate cognitively [or] emotionally with retirement because of the negative associations… and therefore they don’t engage with the process.”

However, despite the pressure for Millennials to find stable long-term employment, build savings and plan for future retirement, the research also showed that the age range is one of the most optimistic with a strong belief in their ability to make their own plans. This is also despite the fact that they are often not targeted by financial advisors, further contributing to a lack of financial literacy which Maharaj believes is the perfect combination for creating future instability.

He said: “[Millennials] are typically left to their own devices. They don’t receive financial advice, are untrusting of financial services, have a low degree of financial literacy, are overconfident in their own abilities [and] are disengaged with the retirement fund. It is a perfect storm that we’ve got going on for 50% of our members.”

He believes that one of the ways to combat this issue is with techniques that work with the beliefs and benefits of this generation, rather than against them, such as accounting for the fact that they want to feel in control of their life choices and feel informed enough to make their own decisions, meaning the financial industry has a large role to play in engaging with them, providing help and instilling confidence.

If you work in catering or you are keen on spending time in the kitchen, you have probably noticed the packs of desiccated coconut on the store shelves. But you’ve probably also wondered what desiccated coconut is used for, and what you do with it. What is desiccated coconut? What does it taste like? And how do you get the best from this ingredient?

Here are a few hints and tips for cooking with desiccated coconut so you can create some standout dishes using this versatile ingredient.

Desiccated Coconut: Definition

Desiccated means to remove all moisture; to dry out. Many people think it means to shred, but the important consideration is the removal of water. The coconut is shredded – this happens before the drying process. You remove the coconut flesh and grate it finely, then dry the flesh in an oven or hot air. You can also find desiccated coconut in flakes or granules. Most desiccated coconut is pure flesh from the nut without anything added. However, some brands include preservatives or sweeteners so it is worth checking the label if you are concerned about these additives.

Desiccated coconut is found mostly in Indian and Asian cuisine. Manufacturers in the UK use it for topping desserts or in cereals. But it is also increasingly used in more inventive ways.

Desiccated Coconut: Health Benefits

Since coconut is technically a fruit and not a nut, there is a lot of goodness in the flesh. Desiccated coconut, as part of a balanced diet, provides some essential vitamins and minerals. Coconut does contain high levels of fat but so long as you don’t overdo it, you get the benefits of its nutritional qualities without having to worry about the fat content. Desiccated coconut is a potent source of manganese and it also contains copper. Food does not commonly contain these minerals, which makes coconut useful for optimum well-being.

Desiccated coconut also encompasses dietary fibre. Fibre is essential for digestion and a healthy gut. It is also useful for helping you lose weight. With plenty of healthful fibre, you feel fuller and you don’t get the frequent urge to snack that can blight a weight loss regime.

Desiccated coconut has lots of iron. You may not immediately think of it as an iron-rich food, but it is a potent source of this mineral, which is useful for maintaining high levels of oxygen in the blood. Plus, the fruit is a source of fatty acids that protect against bone loss and osteoporosis.

Desiccated Coconut: What to Consider

Of course, you need to watch where you sprinkle your desiccated coconut – it’s not going to help your diet if you’re eating it in high-fat cookies or cakes. It is important not to over-consume this fruit since it is a source of saturated fat. Desiccated coconut suppliers sell this product without any additives or added sugar, which is the best way to eat this raw ingredient. Search for a pure coconut product that does not have added preservatives or sweeteners.

A rig is a significant part of the drilling process. More so, it comes in various types, and each one is chosen depending on the precise requirements and considerations of the drill area. Since it is an essential piece for breaking new ground, significant concerns in the rig selection process should be prioritised. Some of these are noise, dust, and appearance.

Drilling rigs are categorised into two, namely, onshore, which is mainly utilised for inland projects; and offshore, which are situated in bodies of water and used primarily in marine operations. Here’s a breakdown of each type and their uses.

Directional drilling rigs

Directional drilling is most widely known as the non-vertical kind of drilling. These types mainly focus on installing underground pipelines, cables and service conduits through trenchless methods. It is used to drill along the chosen bore path accurately and back ream the required pipe. It might seem a little more complicated than other kinds. However, there are directional drilling companies which give a free estimate, 24/7 services and flat rate fees.

Rotary drilling rigs

A lot of drilling set-ups at present consider using rotary drilling rigs. They are flexible onshore and offshore options. Through this, the pilot hole is penetrated by spinning a bit and consequently applying a descending force. The core structures of land rigs are transferability and extreme functioning length. Different components are mounted so the apparatus can be transferred in units and linked quickly.

Jack-up Rigs

The jack-up rig elevates itself and is utilised mainly for offshore deposits that are small in size and near to the shallow part of the shore. Its floating platform is dragged to the spot by using barges, then sinks its back-up legs under the sea floor, raising the apparatus above the water’s surface. Once the depth of the water reaches 350 ft, jack-ups can be utilised. This kind is an underwater-supported rigs, through the use of metallic columns.

Submersible Rigs

An offshore type—a submersible rig showcases a posted barge that is larger in size and capable of 18ft-70ft water depths. It also consists of a floating drill unit which is composed of pontoons and rig columns that, if filled with water, cause them to sink to a predetermined depth.

Semi-submersible Rigs

Semi-submersible rigs are the most typical sort of offshore drilling rigs, integrating the vital elements of submersible ones with the capability to drill even in deeper water depths. Moreover, they don’t usually keep steady on the sea floor. Submersibles are floating platforms supported by sunken pontoons and kept stable through a set of mooring cables and anchors, and, in some cases, propellers. They operate in a water depth range of 20ft-2000ft.

Although drilling rigs differ significantly in outward appearance and method of deployment, they are the most visible part of a drilling project. Still, the most crucial part is how it operates underground. Study all of its types to be aware of which rig will suit your project best.

In earlier years, people simply had their trash burnt in their backyard after piling it up. Today, people handle their trash differently. They call in junk hauling companies to take charge of such a task. Property owners call professional services to get rid of various waste the right way, including commercial or demolition waste and hazardous materials.

Today, there are plenty of companies that offer such services. To find one which can best cater to your needs, you check some crucial factors.

Availability

Parties, social gatherings, revamp projects, and other similar things tend to generate large volumes of waste within a short time frame. Surely, you immediately want to get rid of the trash from your event or project. Hence, you should hire a company that can provide you the required service as soon as possible. A good junk hauler can respond to requests within 24 to 48 hours.

Resources

It’s also useful to ask about the available equipment, tools, and vehicles of your target hauling company. Knowing this will help you determine if they can dispose of your trash without any difficulty. You may need to throw out heavy and massive construction debris after working on a house renovation. Do they have large trucks that can transport your trash from your project site to the dumping area? Can they handle corrosive substances?

Outline any specific demands you have for your trash disposal needs and match these with the deliverables of your prospective hauling companies.

Certification and licensing

Aside from the key factors enumerated above, it’s also crucial to ask about their license and certification to operate. These documents will help you assess the credibility of a company. It will also help you determine if their staff has the necessary training and background to handle special types of waste, such as clinical and hazardous waste.

Policies concerning recycling

A lot of junk removal companies these days make use of eco-friendly processes in removing and recycling household junk and construction debris. Hence, you should consider hiring one that has clear and concise recycling policies. How do they handle recyclable waste? Do they have recycling centers? Read through their policies and ask questions when needed.

Quality of customer service

Make sure to hire a company that can provide a solid customer support service. Check out their website or social media pages and see if they have an active customer support number. You should also read through the customer reviews. Do they generally have positive or negative customer feedback? What do their customers say about their services? How fast do they respond to queries? How do they handle complaints posted online?

Handling trash correctly is no simple feat. It requires special skills, equipment, and industry experience. Hence, you should only entrust your trash removal needs to a professional service provider. There are hundreds of companies that offer garbage removal services in a city. Choose one that can best cater to your needs by using the factors enumerated above as your guide.

Image: https://pixabay.com/photos/plastic-cups-garbage-disposable-cups-973103/

 

Tree removal is definitely something that most people can do on their own, but may need a certified arborist for. Another common term that people use for arborist are tree trimmers, tree removal services, and even groundsman. While you may need to get ahold of a professional company for things like clearing power lines, and other areas that require a specific license, you can literally do some manual tree removal yourself. In this guide we’ll give you some tips that may help you.

Having the Right Gear

First off, you need to have the right gear in order to remove trees with the most efficiency. This requires proper PPE (personal protective equipment), which should always be safety glasses, leather gloves, and possibly leather sleeves. Also be sure to have right gear for the job you’re needing. And believe it or not, you might even want to have an axe handy for emergency situations. For cutting down trees, you’ll most likely want a standard 20-inch bar chain saw that is long enough to cut through most small to medium trees. This is how far the blade can penetrate the tree’s trunk.

How to Cut 101

First off, this is actually a special skill that takes some getting used to, but it’s a lot like riding a bike. Of course, you have certain things like different cuts, and how to handle the saw of course that are important. Most importantly, you need to know your gear works the way it should. You should never have to fight with a chainsaw while cutting a tree and it should just flow like butter. There are a lot of tricks that you can use when cutting as well. Here’s the best way to down the tree:

• Figure out the tree’s height.
• Decide the direction it should go down.
• Tie one end of a rope to the tree at the middle or above to help direct it.
• Have a friend hold the rope far from the fall-zone so they can pull the rope.
• Make the notch in the side of the “fall-zone” so your tree can pull that direction.
• Cut through the tree on the other side all the way towards the notch.
• When the tree starts to fall, walk away from the back of the tree off to the side about 45 degrees.
• Have your friends pull the rope in the direction you want the tree to fall.

Conclusion

The biggest thing you need to be concerned about in any tree removal situation is definitely safety first. You don’t want to stand in the wrong place and stand behind, or in front of a falling tree. If the stump snaps it can kick the tree back to you. Also, you don’t ever want to take a chainsaw to an already falling tree. If you do, the pressure could snap the tree causing all sorts of injuries, including kicking the saw back at you which can result in severe or life threatening injuries. All in all, though, if you don’t think that removing a tree yourself is the ideal way to go, don’t hesitate to call your local arborists for tree removal services Central Coast.

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Do you remember the zestful excitement of being a young child? Creating fantastical narratives with your bunch of soft toys, shouting and screaming until it was finally time for bed. Life was idyllic back then, there is absolutely no question about that. Many keen gamblers will argue that only spinning the online slots can really take you back to that level of happiness. Well, Fluffy Favourites does this and brings the nostalgic value of soft toys into the exhilarating world of slot-based entertainment. Click here now to play this classic online slot game.

Fluffy Bonuses for everyone

Fluffy Favourites is developed by the esteemed company Eyecon; they have always had a pungent for nostalgic and heart warming themes, so it’s no surprise what they have gone for here. The atmosphere here is definitely one of comfort and harmless fun – the colourful display makes use of soft tones, with a wonderful rainbow and sun streaks whizzing across the screen. And the inviting nature of this online slot does not just stop at the background, as you might expect, all the symbols are wonderfully reminiscent of the glory days of being a child. You will encounter a variety of toys across Fluffy Favourite’s reels – a lion, a turtle, a gorilla, a panda, a pink dragon, a blue rhino, some clown fish, a duck, and a purple hippo, to be precise.

Eyecon’s great example of a soft toy themed online slot doesn’t just stop at the wonderful aesthetics though. The game operates across a format of 5 reels and 25 paylines, and you can bet in between 1 and 20 credits per line, giving this slot a great nuance of customisation. The really exciting part of Fluffy Favourites, however, is the various bonuses on offer. For instance, the Gamble Bonus can be activated after a win; all you have to do is hit the button once you’ve won. This will take you to a different screen where you will be granted a 50/50 chance to double your winnings. Pretty good eh?

About NetEnt: Slot Developers

Any seasoned online slot player will have most definitely heard of Eyecon, the Australian Brisbane-based developers have been making serious inroads in the online slot world since their inception in 1997. With over 6 billion spins being completed across their various games every single year you simply cannot argue with their pedigree. Let’s take a look at some of their other titles:

•         Fae Legend Warrior
•         Riding Hood Riches
•         Sands Of Fortune
•         Fiddle Dee Dough
•         Secret Garden II

And we’re only scratching the surface there. Eyecon are without a doubt developers to look out for in 2019 and beyond.

The Verdict on Fluffy Favourites

This game scores immensely highly because of its wonderful nostalgic factor alone. But this should not fool you into thinking it is all this online slot has to give; there are a great number of bonus features that will leave your proverbial pocket getting heavier and heavier in no time at all. Who said soft toys were just for kids?  

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Ever wanted to go to the moon? Well now you can. Go deep inside space where no man or woman has gone before with the ultimate in slot games – Starburst, which you can play at DreamJackpot. Home to the place where you can explore a plethora of bonus games, symbols, scatters and wilds. With Starburst slot you can get inside your own rocket into space and into a whole new galaxy of gaming.

Renowned as potentially one of the best slot games out there on the market that any galactic gamer can play today, Starburst slots offers a whole new world of vibrant colours and bright bursts of joy that anyone can get their head around, making it a great choice for beginners and the more advanced players looking for something dazzling and easygoing that can still be enjoyed and transport you to a world of fun.

Bonus Features

Featuring multiple free bonus rounds, Starburst has set a standard for industry players in the gaming world across the globe, with excellent bonus features and humungous jackpots to be won, its a traditionalists heaven having been around for a long time now, it’s came back time and time again proving it has stood the test of time for loyal players everywhere.

NetEnt Slots

From the experts at NetEnt, Starburst slot game displays the regular 5 reels and it has 10 paylines, the inspiration behind a number of newer games, Starburst slot showcases a range of dazzling jewels and colours and combines this with a smooth and encouraging gaming experience.

The Gameplay

You can bet your amounts from between the value of 1p to £100, which makes the Starburst slot game ideal for all budgets. Match the jewel symbols to win huge jackpots and immerse yourself in a whole new world from behind the screen while you relax on your sofa with fun music featured whilst you play, but if this doesn’t appeal to you, you do have the choice to turn that off.

The Starburst Slot game hosts a range of special features, including the Starburst wild symbol which swaps between others to trigger a wider range of winning variants. Starburst has less symbols than most other slot games, which is a good thing, as this increases your chances of having them match up and winning.

Another fantastic feature from Starburst – get a square of four symbols in a cluster together and you’ll win a jackpot.

Over the years Starburst slots has proved itself to be one of the games out there with the most loyal playing fanbase to date, proving it can hold its weight in the gaming industry for years more to come – for a reason. It’s fun, glitzy and it’s dazzling, with a whole host of symbols and simple features making for the ultimate gaming experience and taking you to a whole new world of enticing excitement.

Starbust is part of NetEnt’s portfolio of successful and most established games, having left a leading mark in the gaming industry and stands as the guiding light for newer games due to the simple nature of the game and immersive quality.

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Blackjack is the American version of the popular banking game Twenty One, other names for it are Pontoon or Vingt et Un. This gambling game can be played with several players but the players compete against the dealer and not each other. The object of the game is to beat the dealer by not going over twenty-one and therefore being declared bust. The aim is to defeat the dealer and not be the one closest to twenty-one.

An ace is classified as either one point or eleven points and face cards, the King, Queen and Jack are each worth ten points. Every other card is as per their face value.

A Blackjack is the highest hand but has to consist of an ace and any ten-point card, which then in turn beats all other twenty-one combinations.

The dealer deals the players in a clockwise rotation a card at a time but initially stopping at two and then himself two cards, however, one of his cards is face up allowing the players to see one of his cards.

If players hands are short in terms of overall value then they can request for additional cards but it is usual to stand at seventeen as anything in addition to this may take them over twenty one and make them bust. However, this is not guaranteed and they may even find themselves still reaching twenty-one.

Once all the players have all their cards it’s the dealers turn to issue his cards. The dealer’s hand, however, will not be completed if the players hands have either busted or blackjacked in other words have exceeded twenty one or reached twenty one.

Remember the dealer still has a hidden card which at this point he will reveal and will continue to ‘hit’ in other words draw further cards until the total cards reach the value of seventeen or more and then the same rule applies as it does with the players in terms of drawing more cards. Again, if there is an ace within the dealer’s hand then this can be either a one or an eleven.

Some terminology around Blackjack:

Stand – Player remains with his cards and doesn’t draw any further.

Hit – Player drawers another card and more if necessary but if this card them exceeds his total points beyond twenty one then he declares himself bust and has then lost.

Double – A risky but adrenaline rushing move, allowing the player to double his bet on the draw on only one other card. If a low card is received you cannot hit again and therefore one usually loses.

Split – This is usually carried out when a player has a pair of cards and wishes to double his bet and separate his cards into two individual hands. The player then continues as normal hitting, standing or doubling.

Surrender – Exactly as it says and therefore not many players like this option as it is, in essence, stopping play. The player also then loses half of his bet and does not carry on playing.

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