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A Quick And Easy Style Guide for Busy Moms

July 26, 2017 by Momstart Leave a Comment

A Quick And Easy Style Guide for Busy Moms

A sneak peek into a mom’s routine, and you will find everything but the luxury of time. They sprint through life juggling house chores, kids, office work, and all that comes their way. If you are a mom, you must be familiar with the load. A hectic lifestyle slowly takes a toll on your image and style, and you may end up stressed out and overwhelmed.

If you already find yourself cranky and gloomy with your looks, these are signs you should start caring about yourself. To feel better you should look good to yourself, and here are a few quick and easy style tips to help busy moms like you revisit your fashionable college days.

1. Pick Comfier Versions of Dress Clothes

With kids around, you’d love something that’s quick to slip into and easy to move in. You can ditch those skinny cigarette pants for breezy culottes while a `pleated peasant blouse could be a chic substitute to that constricting button-down.

2. Bag Fuss-free Single-piece Outfits

Instead of fretting over which top teams up with which pant, keep your wardrobe ready with some fuss-free single-piece outfits such as jumpsuits or swing dresses. They will be your stylish saviors on seriously busy days.

3. Solids, Neutrals Are Versatile

Ensembles in solid, neutral colors such as beige, white, brown, navy and black easily gel with accessories and can be sported in multiple ways so that you don’t have to worry too much before repeating them. Spruce up your wardrobe with fashionable basics, such as white large shirt, medium knit, slim pants, denim jeans, leggings, booties and team them up with what you already have.

4. Gear Up With Some Athleisure

For a trendy look on those casual outings, get a pair of sneakers, leggings and sweats. You can put them on in a flash and ace a sporty look without breaking a sweat.

5. A Nice Loose, Tousled Hairdo

You may not have the time to primp and pin every strand of your hair, and you don’t always need that. A loose, tousled updo will work for all kinds of buns, ponytails or braids. You may want to get a dry shampoo, which will be really handy if you are running far behind your schedule.

6. Go Light On Makeup

You can easily cut down on facial makeup steps. Apply a light blush and contrast it with black mascara to get a sharp look in no time. For a more fresh and glowing skin, you can layer it up with tinted moisturizer to look great and feel great.

7. Go Bold With an Accessory

Simply jazz up an outfit with a bold accessory when you are hard pressed for time. For example, you can wrap a scarf around but be careful it isn’t overwhelming to your ensemble. For that matter, a straw hat and a pair of cool sunglasses with a tee could be a modish way to look hot in summer.

8. Bag a Right Mix of Footwear

Tottering on high heels may not be a practical idea for busy moms. Instead, go for black and nude pumps that easily pair up with almost anything in your wardrobe. On casual outings, you can step out in ballerinas and flats for a simple and stylish look.

Moms are always divas, and these style success tips just bring out the best of them. So, don’t let the madness of everyday life weigh on your personality, image and style. Try these tips, hit the streets and see if the heads turn. If they do, savor the moments of your comeback and keep having fun!

Author Bio:
Experiencing fatherhood changed Ankit’s life for the better and he realized how one’s life starts revolving around the baby; everything in life changes after becoming a parent, especially the lifestyle. He noticed a great change in the wardrobe on his lovely wife, which inspired him to pen down his first-hand experience of how his wife managed to look stylish even after all the extra work and stress.

Ankit is the managing head at ExportersIndia.com, and to read more of his creative and unique write-ups you can follow him on his Google+, LinkedIn and Twitter handles.experience of how his wife managed to look stylish even after all the extra work and stress. Ankit is the managing head at ExportersIndia.com, and to read more of his creative and unique write-ups you can follow him on his Google+, LinkedIn and Twitter handles.

10 Foods That Cleanse The Liver

July 24, 2017 by Momstart Leave a Comment

The modernity of our lives has spared us so much pleasure and fun, why not? With so much pleasure, we unconsciously have cultured habits that could be detrimental in any aspect of our life, the liver. Since it is a primary need for survival, with the emerging fads in food and drinks, we indulge in them that unknowingly contain lots of toxins in our body. Tolerance, that’s what it is and just because our tongue felt savory while feeling ecstatic to try new tastes, we thought that’s cool. Blame it to our taste buds, then! We consume so much that we fail to look deeper into our food and drink intake. Below we will share 10 Foods That cleanse the liver.

Worst case scenario, we’ve gotten some common and a little bit serious health problems you can imagine. First attack goes to our digestive system, namely- diarrhea, constipation, bloating, nausea and vomiting, etc. If further tolerated, worst may extend to become worse! Over time, minor becomes major.

Our body is such a wonder creation because it has countless ways to fend away those agents of diseases. We have our own immune system which does most of the job, but little do we know that other organ in our body can actually also help fight through cleansing or detoxifying toxic chemicals that we intake daily through our food and drinks.

This one is not just a whole systematically working, but just one organ, multitasking, but still makes a very well-done job in cleaning chemicals just unnecessary for our body, like cleanse the liver. Being renowned as the largest gland and among the four organs that excrete wastes such as the kidneys, intestines, and skin, the liver has multiple roles in sustaining the body’s overall wellness like synthesis and storage. Setting them aside, one of liver’s main functions is detoxifying.

How does it detoxify? First, when intestines finish digesting our food and as products flow through the blood, blood rushes to the liver then takes over in filtering that blood out. It takes 4 liters of blood every minute for the detox which eventually goes to the heart to be distributed every part of our body.

How Does the Liver Detoxify?

Whatever we eat contains chemicals that are either helpful or harmful to our body. The liver does the aftercare for cleansing out harmful chemicals, especially from food additives, food coloring, preservatives, flavor enhancers, sweeteners, agricultural chemicals in the foods we purchase in the markets, alcohol and medications. Surprisingly, it also detoxifies fumes, air pollution, drugs and many other factors.

All the sources of toxins mentioned can only be dissolved with fats, the liver then converts them into something easily dissolved with water to be easily excreted out of the body. There are two phases in detoxification. Phase 1 neutralizes toxins for phase 2. Phase 2 converts it into less toxic materials. During these two phases, antioxidants like glutathione, and substances like cysteine, glycine or sulfur help counteract toxins to be harmless. Consequently, they become water-soluble then become incorporated to the bile (which makes the color of the feces) or urine.

There are a hundred other antioxidants and chemicals that help neutralize these toxins. Now that we know how toxins are washed away by these friendly chemicals, let’s look at the top 10 high sources of detoxifiers.

10 Foods That Cleanse The Liver

1. Garlic

Garlic is rich in allusion and selenium- the two richest sources of nutrients for the liver, which activate enzymes that cleanse the blood during detoxification. Ellison can drive off invaders of the immune system that lighten up its load. Not just that, garlic can also help lower cholesterol and triglycerides that, like the heart, it destructed with such faults may impede normal functioning.

Use garlic cloves in your dishes if possible, preferably raw and not processed.

2. Beets and Carrots

Both are fully-loaded with beta-carotene and plant flavonoids that boost liver function at full blast! Carrots are rich in glutathione, which is helpful in detoxifier as mentioned while beets are rich in antioxidants, fiber, and more which are blood purifier from toxins.

Make a salad that includes these two as you mix it with olive or coconut oil and lemon juice.

3. Apple

It is high in pectin, known to wash away toxins in the digestive tract, making liver worry less when it purifies blood. It also contains malic acid, which is good at removing carcinogens and other toxins out of the blood. Simply munching on apples is already a good way to indulge in its nutrients and taste. However, make sure that they are organic otherwise they might have come from commercialized farms. Thus, they use harmful pesticides.

4. Avocados

Not only are good source of healthy oils, but they also contain high levels of glutathione, which as discussed, is a neutralizer of toxins for the proper functioning and for a lesser damage to the liver.

Eating 1-2 avocados a week may help reduce liver damage.

5. Lemon and Limes

Lemons are widely known to be rich in Vitamin C and that is true! In fact, its role in liver-cleansing is to boost mineral absorption by the liver. They are also rich in antioxidants such ass D-Limonene. Moreover, despite its acidity, it can also neutralize toxins or wastes as a head start for the whole digestion.

Simple lemonade can be your daily detoxifier by adding 1 lemon to a liter of water. Chopped lemon and/or honey can be added.

6. Leafy Green

Leafy and green veggies like spinach, lettuce, arugula, chicory, mustard greens, kale, and etc. possess chlorophylls that give a hand to the liver in neutralizing toxic chemicals like pesticides and heavy metals. Including them in your diet will increase bile production- the substance that aid removing waste from organs to blood.

Just add any of these veggies in your salad or meal. Also make sure that they are organic or, if any chance, produced from your own backyard because market sources could be at risk from chemicals.

7. Turmeric

The spice is known to have various health benefits including the liver through producing more bile. It also detoxifies by activating enzymes that continually eliminate carcinogens we might intake in our diet.

There is powdered turmeric available in the market. Mixing it with hot water added with honey is already good to enjoy your cup.

8. Healthy Fats

Healthy fat sources like avocados, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, almonds along with Chia seeds, flax seeds, olives and coconut are great for enlarging bile production. Prevent moist oils as they can make your liver function less. Cold-pressed organic oils like the olive and flax seeds are good lipid bases that anchor absorption of toxins.

The mentioned nuts can just be eaten raw or along with a salad as well as olive or coconut oils.

9. Green Tea

They are rich in antioxidants called catechins that improve liver function. Catechins also help in breaking down lipids in the liver and especially crucial for those with the accumulation of fats in their liver. Lastly, green tea is also a good purifier for alcohol.

Drinking 2-3 cups a day is satisfying enough. Honey can be added if desired.

10. Alternative Grains

If your diet is gluten-rich grains such as wheat or rye, it actually escalates your liver’s detox workload and enzyme production. It is better to make his job a little bit less hard, isn’t it? Other alternative grains like quinoa, millet and buckwheat sure make his job a little bit easier.

A gradual switch to these kinds of grains like eating them once or twice a week while surrendering or lessening intake of wheat and the likes would give a difference in your liver health.

There you have it! There is a handful other food sources which could be just a hand-reach to you. Generally speaking, for your overall health, it is just wise to take more care of your liver. Consuming foods that are rich in fiber, antioxidants, glutathione, and healthy oils are what gives joy to your liver. It’s also good to remember to choose wisely of these kinds of food, for instance, that they should be organic. Loving liver is a lifer.

Jennifer Moran

Jennifer Moran is the author and the social media manager at HealthandFitnessVitality.com. She has been working and passionate with writing for over four years. When she isn’t glued to a laptop screen, she spends time playing tennis, practicing yoga, and trying very hard not to sleep in the meditation. You can reach her at jennifer (at) healthandfitnessvitality (dot) com. HealthandFitnessVitality.

5 Hidden Benefits of Playing Board Games

May 17, 2017 by Momstart 2 Comments

5 Hidden Benefits of Playing Board Games

Weekends are perfect occasions to pull out your favorite board games and get the entire family to join the table for a great game night. The cherry moments of playing together can be a wonderful learning experience for everyone – be them kids or adults or senior citizens. The magical power of board games benefits you in several ways even without your knowledge.

Aren’t you interested to know the hidden benefits of playing board games?

1. Keeps Your Mind Sharp

Don’t sit relaxed thinking you’re keeping yourself active by physical exercise. Your brain too needs exercise to be active, especially in old age, to reduce chances of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. No, no, you don’t need to go back to school or tuition to boost your brain power. Reminisce old board games, which you would love to play in childhood. It’s time to start with them again to let your brain practice important skills. If you think it’s kiddish, let me explain this to you.

Old, retired people often run through depression because they suddenly find themselves to be too free and cannot cope with the situation and feel miserable. Board games drive away their feeling of insecurity by taking them in a joyful play ride where they can spend unlimited hours with co-players interacting. It aids them to continually brush up their STEM, social, intellectual, and creative skills that start fading away in old age.

2. Brings Different Generations Together

The best way to spend time with children is to join them in play. You can burn all your stress spending some happy hours of playing board games with them. Kids always seek for company to play. Old family members also wonder how to pass the time.

How about a board game table and three generations, grand parents, parents, and kids, sitting together to spend some amazing moments together? If kids get the opportunity to interact with grand parents through board games, they will learn great values. From other aspect what can be the better way to develop a feeling of existential security among elders?

3. Aids in Child Development

Board games have immense contribution in overall child development. These games not only build educational skills in them but also inculcate valuable life lessons for their good mental health. Children continually practice logical and reasoning skills, negotiation skills, STEM Skills even without their know in the enjoyable, playful experience. They get to taste the flavor of losing and realize the meaning of true sportsmanship and team play. Moreover, the space of their strategical thinking broadens through this board game.

Children always feel warm and safe in the company of parents. You can quite easily zeal with kids in a board game table. These fun-loving hours in your company excite kids and they never feel ignored or not being loved.

4. Teaches Us to Be Calm and Patient

Usually, we all sit in a circle in a board game table and wait for our turn to come. This turn taking and waiting sometimes become difficult even for adults. This is a great lesson for everybody how to be patient. Board games also involve being interactive and strategic. It teaches us to observe initially, then judge, and finally act. Also, we get to practice good listening habit, which guides us all through our life.

5. Benefits Your Health in Several Ways

Board games carry a great therapeutic effect to cure us from several health problems. It helps our immune system to function in a much better way. You must be wondering how? The happy hours of playing board games evoke positivity in us and release stress, hence boost our immune system to function strongly. The wonderful moments of playing together make us laugh driving away any possibility of depression. Board games make us laugh, and laughter releases endorphins, which aid our muscle to relax and blood to circulate well. Proper blood circulation maintains balance in our blood pressure level.

This New, Unique Game Is Great

Do you know about the new squirrel game that is going to be launched in a few days? This tabletop game ‘It’s A Squirrel’s Life’ is going popular day by day because of its fresh theme. It will take you on a journey to a tree squirrel’s world. The unique part is that Randy Hecht’s animal loving nature inspired him to invent this game. He even intends to donate a certain percentage of proceed to local animal charities. The fund-raising campaign of this game is currently going on Kickstarter.

This educational game is for all generations to enjoy together. This game will not only grow STEM, negotiation, social, and creative skills in kids, but also will contribute in overall child development. Isn’t this a good idea to be a help to the creators of this board game? After all they’re giving back to the community in a positive way.

A Final Takeaway

You often face hardships in managing multiple responsibilities of a domestic life. Think how it will be if you don’t need to worry that much about kids and elders. Your task will be almost half.

As discussed, board games can truly contribute in shaping the personality of children and in giving positive motivation to elders. So, when are you planning to start playing?

How To Make Clock Cookies

February 28, 2017 by Momstart 3 Comments

Clock Cookies
Teach your young academic about counting and clocks with a tasty treat! Part math lesson, part recipe, these yummy cookies are a delicious way to talk about Roman numerals, telling time and using measurements.
What You Need:

½ pound butter, softened
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon corn starch
½ cup sugar
Food processor
Non-stick cookie sheet
Fork
Colored sugar crystals
Roman numerals worksheet

What You Do:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
While the oven heats, show your young helper the worksheet about Roman Numerals.
Help your child place the butter, flour, sugar and corn starch in the bowl of the food processor.
Let him pulse the food processor until the mixture is well blended. It will look crumbly unlike bread dough which forms into a ball.
Dump the mixture out on the baking stone or cookie sheet.
Encourage your child to pat it into a large circle approximately 3/4 inch thick.
Now use the fork to prick the Roman Numerals into the dough. Shortbread is traditionally pricked with a fork before baking; this time it is simply being done in a set pattern. Don’t forget to add the hands on the clock.
Let your child sprinkle colored sugar into the holes left by the fork.
Bake the shortbread in a preheated oven for 30 minutes or until it begins to lightly brown around the edges.
Once cooled, shortbread can be cut or simply broken apart to be shared with family and friends who have gathered together to celebrate the luck of a New Year.

Wonster Words is a Great Phonics App for Your Kids!

December 21, 2016 by Momstart 18 Comments

This is a partnered guest post.

The app markets are exploding with life enhancing ideas and entertainment. If you just got a new phone or tablet, then adding educational games for your child to enjoy is a must have. With so many apps it may seem a little daunting trying to decide which to download to your new device. If your toddler is ready to learn their ABC’s and phonics then Wonster Words is for you.

Inspired by childhood classics like Sesame Street, Super Why and Word Girl, Wonster Words is an ABC, phonics, and spelling game that is loved by parents and adored by kids. Wonster Words has won numerous awards including Dr. Toy’s 10 Best Picks, Mom’s Choice Gold, NAPPA Gold, iKids, and others.

Interactive word puzzles made up of silly animated letters introduce your toddlers to the ABCs and the 44 most common English phonemes. Put the animated letters where they belong as they sound out ABCs, phonics, gliding vowels, and consonant. This fun yet educational game is designed to help both school age and preschool children learn the skills needed to be able to spell out new words.

Once the word puzzles are completed, children will enjoy cute, whimsical animations headlined by the lovable Wonster crew. The animations reinforce the spelling and pronunciation of the words, while teaching kids the meaning of these words.

In addition to the animations, kids will occasionally be reward with surprise mini-games. Unlike other educational games that can’t seem to keep your child’s attention, Wonster Words is sure to engage and educate your child!

Wonster Words is free to download and play. It comes with 15 free words for your child to play, along with a free daily “Word of the Day.” If you would like more words, an additional 100+ words are available through in app purchases. All purchases are locked behind parent gates to block accidental purchases by children. With regular updates, Wonster Words provides endless learning and fun for children. Download today to your new smartphone and tablet!

*SPECIAL*

The Google Play Store is having a year-end promotion and Wonster Words is a key part! Between December 28 and January 6, the Wonster Words All Access Pass is 33% off, just $9.99! (This offer is only valid through the Google Play Store)

Here is what users are saying about Wonster Words:

• “This is an amazing app! We use it all the time at school and home. Hours of entertaining learning!!“

• “This has been a great app for my almost 3 year old to learn letters and sounds. She loves that she is playing games and I like that she is learning. Overall a great app!”

• “I really love this app. So does my two and a half-year-old girl. There are tons of different options and she doesn’t realize how much she’s learning while she’s playing. One of the best apps I’ve found so far!”

• “My 3 year old has been playing this app for over a year and does not get tired of it. The animations are fun and engaging. He loves learning new sounds and words. Must buy for all toddlers!”

• “As a retired teacher, who looks for the educational value in each app my children want to purchase, I was delighted by their choice in Wonsters. From its clever name to its playful content that teaches phonics and blends, while expanding their vocabulary, Wonster keeps my children laughing and learning all at the same time!”

3 Places Moms Can Learn About Recalls

November 4, 2016 by Momstart Leave a Comment

As a parent, the safety of your child is the most important thing in your life. You want to stay informed about anything that could jeopardize their health. You don’t expect the products you buy to become a threat. That’s why awareness of product recalls is so important. Here are three places moms can learn about recalls.

Government Websites

Image via Flickr by photosavvy

Federal laws require companies to notify the government when their products fail safety regulations. Federal employees also perform routine safety checks to verify that businesses comply with these laws. One of these inspections revealed that an ice cream manufacturer sold products that contained listeria.

Parents who read FDA.gov were among the first to know about Blue Bell Creameries. They knew that feeding this ice cream to their children could sicken them. A daily check of official government sites is a great way to learn about recalls as soon as possible. Foodsafety.gov is actually the best of them if you’re worried about what your child eats. Its Recent Recalls section should become one of your first internet stops each morning before your kids eat their breakfast.

Tech Websites

You weren’t raised in an era of internet connectivity, but your children are. They expect to have access to smart devices at all times. For this reason, you need to monitor tech sites each day. Otherwise, you could miss critical information such as the recent revelations about the Galaxy Note 7. Have you heard that it can catch fire and explode? Imagine if your child was holding one of them! He or she could suffer burns or much worse.

To avoid danger with smart devices, read technology websites each day. A great site like Android Headlines will alert you to any potential dangers. Plus, you can learn about the best smart devices for children while you’re keeping them safe.

Parental Websites

You may already have several of these sites bookmarked, but are you using them for safety alerts? The best sites like Parents.com include recall notifications. You’ll find these invaluable as you try to protect your child.

Toy malfunctions are the most important recall notices on these sites. The items you purchase to entertain your children sometimes have unintended side effects. For example, a small part may dislodge when your kid holds the toy. It could fly into their mouth and choke them.

The recall section of Parents.com will inform you about all of these flawed products. It’ll list which items are no longer on the market as well as the reason the item malfunctions. It’ll even explain the potential dangers and the ages of children most susceptible to such situations.

The final reason to visit parental websites is the internet itself. Your child will want to have plenty of apps to play games on their smart device. You want them to play games that are kid-friendly and at least somewhat educational. Every great parental site will offer reviews of the best and most popular apps for kids.

Protecting your children requires due diligence. Get in the habit of visiting the websites listed above to safeguard your kids about life’s avoidable dangers.

3 Steps to Keep Your Kids Safe Around Light Sockets

November 4, 2016 by Momstart Leave a Comment

Light sockets are typically found a foot above the floor, right at eye level for children. That means as soon as your children can sit up on their own or crawl around, they’re seeing light sockets and wondering what these devices are. While parents try to keep an eye on their children at all times, it only takes a few seconds for kids to find the wall and start exploring. Keep your kids safe around light sockets with these three methods.

Install Kid-Proof Covers on Easy-to-Reach Light Sockets

All parents worry about their children sticking a finger inside a light socket and getting electrocuted. There are so many small toys that can easily fit into outlets and make contact with electric currents. If your kids are on the go and running around the house, consider installing child-proof light socket covers that turn these dangerous eye-level slots into harmless bumps in the wall. You can either invest in covers that allow you to flip them out and plug something in or use latches that only adults can maneuver.

Tuck Your Cords Away

Image via Flickr by trekkyandy

To your children, electric cords look like fun toys. Kids can wrap cords around things, pull on them, and even chew on them. That means they’re only a few good bites from danger, especially if they have all of their teeth. Even if your baby isn’t a biter, one strong pull could cause your monitor to fall from the desk above and cause serious injury.

Look for ways to hide cords outside of your children’s reach. If there’s nowhere to tuck them, invest in floor tape to secure the cords against the table or on the ground where kids can’t grab them. If possible, unplug devices when they’re not in use, and close the light socket with a cover. That way, even if they do chew on the cords, they won’t be in serious danger.

Teach Them Electric Safety at a Young Age

In past generations, electric safety started with light sockets and ended with avoiding water. However, today’s kids spend a lot more time playing with electronic gadgets, from learning with educational video games to playing on their parents’ iPhones. As such, electric safety is a lesson parents should teach as soon as children can navigate a tablet.

Sit down with your kids to discuss the dangers of light sockets, and show them the proper way to plug in a device to charge it. You might even restrict their outlet access and have them ask you to charge something when necessary. You can also use this time to talk about caring for breakable objects so they understand not to throw your iPad or other smart devices down the stairs.

You can’t protect your children from everything, but following these tips reduces the risk that they’ll be injured by something you could have prevented easily. Depending on how curious your children are, you may have to take additional steps to protect them from the dangers of live light sockets.

Fundraising Ideas for Schools That Want to Have Fun and Make a Difference

September 6, 2016 by Momstart 19 Comments

By: Wayne Elsey

Fundraising ideas can be a lot of fun. You don’t believe me? Well, I’m here to tell you that I’ve been in your shoes. I’ve had to sell candy and cookie dough. When my daughter was young, I happened to be in sales in the footwear business. Let me tell you something, I didn’t want to do it – and I knew how to sell!

My life was destined to change. And, ultimately I had the chance to help thousands of schools, youth groups, boosters, music bands and others. My journey started the day of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. I saw a single shoe wash ashore on the television news. That single shoe and the life it represented haunted me.

It’s been more than a decade since that natural disaster, and others. In that time, I’ve led efforts that have shipped over 17 million pairs of shoes to disaster areas and developing nations. I found my calling.

All those experiences taught me something. I learned from my daughter’s schools and clubs that there was a need for creative fundraising ideas. And later when I became a global philanthropist, I learned about “donor fatigue.” I came to understand that people wanted to support a good cause, but it had to go beyond being asking for money over and over again.

All those lessons are the ones I’ve poured into Funds2Orgs with my dedicated team of professionals. We live and breathe shoe drive fundraisers – each day. And, it’s our commitment to excellence and service that’s helped us earn an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. You don’t have to take my word for it. Please check out what others have to say about us.

Our shoe drive fundraisers have helped thousands of schools and youth groups raise money. All they’ve had to do is collect gently worn, used and new shoes. The formula is simple: More shoes = More money. We issue a check with 24 hours of the shoes being received and processed at the Funds2Orgs depot.

I’ve been in the philanthropic sector for a long time. I know how cash-strapped many organizations are, and that’s why I made sure there were no out-of-pocket costs with our shoe drive. I also know we’re the shoe drive experts, so we made sure to give everything necessary for success.

Ø A team of fundraising coaches to work with you from start to finish.

Ø The shoe collection, marketing and promotion materials.

Ø Pick up of the shoes from your location.

Ø A check issued by us within 48 business hours of processing the shoes.

Our team at Funds2Orgs operates on three core principles that help shape our work.

1. Our shoe drive fundraiser is a creative way to help our partners raise money and engage people. We believe when schools and others partner with us that they’re joining our shoe drive movement.

2. In the years since I started, I learned micro-entrepreneurs (small business owners) all over the world want a hand-up out of poverty. Charity is good, but the need is so much deeper. We provide a solution for them out of poverty.

3. A shoe drive helps all our communities be socially responsible. Over 600 million shoes are discarded in landfills. That’s only in the United States. We have to do better for the sake of future generations. Our shoe drive fundraisers are a start.

Do you think the time is right to spend a few minutes to see what our creative fundraising ideas from Funds2Orgs are all about?

Earth Day Concerns: 3 Toilet Problems & How To Solve

April 8, 2016 by Momstart Leave a Comment

You may wonder how this can be considered an Earth day concern and it’s because some of these issues cause a lot of water waste. Toilets are an important necessity in every home, but with use over time, problems can occur. While larger issues require a plumbing professional, smaller problems can be fixed easily without complete overhauls to your toilet. Find out how to resolve the top three problems plaguing toilets on your own without the expensive repairs.

Continual Running Water

Image via Flickr by LMRitchie

“The toilet won’t stop running.” You’ve probably heard this expression before. Several factors could cause a constantly running toilet, but if you follow these steps, you should be able to solve the problem. First, take the lid off the tank. Locate the fill tube, the slim tube that carries water into the tank. Make sure the tube is firmly connected.

If the tube connects firmly, check the float. Attached to an arm that moves up and down, this piece measures how much water has filled the tank, stopping the water flow at the correct amount. If this piece isn’t functioning properly, the tank won’t fill correctly.

If you notice after you flush that the water is reaching the float and arm yet the water is still running, you may need to replace the piece. If the water isn’t reaching the float and arm because the parts are too high in the tank, adjust the arm and float height to the correct level.

If the flapper isn’t closing completely, adjust the chain length. Many toilets have only a clip that holds the chain in place. Make sure you flush the toilet several times after making this adjustment: adjusting the chain too high will not allow the toilet to flush enough, but making the chain too loose can lead to a weaker or nonfunctioning flush.

Weak Flush

When the bowl of your toilet is emptying slowly, you’re facing a weak flush. Clogs in the small holes around the rim of the toilet that provide water to the bowl can be the culprit. To unclog the holes, carefully thread a piece of strong wire into each hole to remove any residue, being careful not to scrape the bowl.

If you’re having a difficult time reaching the small holes, a dental mirror can help you find them. If the buildup is over the tops of the holes and a wire is too fine, consider using a wooden paint stirrer. This object is stiff enough to remove the buildup, but isn’t abrasive enough to scratch the porcelain.

Phantom Flushes

Accompanied by the sound of water filling the bowl, or the toilet turning on and off by itself, phantom flushes are among the easiest toilet problems to address. When the flapper or flapper seat in the toilet becomes old or degraded, slow leaks can develop in the tank and run into the bowl.

To correct this problem, either replace the flapper unit or adjust the chain so that the flapper is flush to the drain.

While toilets are one of the hardest working units in any home, a few simple fixes can help you develop solutions to common toilet problems.

How is The Air: 4 Heating and Air Conditioning Services You May Need

April 7, 2016 by Momstart Leave a Comment

Lots of people don’t believe in annual furnace and air conditioner checks, but this preventive maintenance ensures that your family stays safe and comfortable through the hot and cold seasons. In addition to regular checks, there are all sorts of other services that can improve the efficiency of your heating and cooling systems. Take a look at these four heating and air conditioning services you didn’t know you needed.

Air Duct Cleaning

Image via Flickr by Frederick Md Publicity

Many heating and air companies offer air duct cleanings as an additional service. It’s actually a useful service that improves the air quality in your home and the effectiveness of your furnace and air conditioner. Sure, you can vacuum out the vents in your home yourself, but HVAC professionals have access to much more powerful equipment to really clear out the dust and debris that gets stuck deep inside your air ducts. This isn’t a service that you need to have performed every year, but once every two to three years will help you maintain better air quality in your home and a more efficient heating and cooling system.

Home Air Quality Testing

Your furnace and air conditioner have a lot to do with the air quality in your home. You probably didn’t know that you could get the air quality in your home tested. This could show you pollutants that are making your family sick and then getting circulated throughout your home. Home air quality testing can help you determine the best air purifier for your home. Sometimes, changing the air filter doesn’t help the air quality of your home much, and you need to do something else.

Air Duct Sealings

Another heating and air conditioning service you didn’t know you needed is air duct sealing. Over time, it’s possible to get air leaks from your duct work. This is because as houses settle, ductwork can shift or get old. When you pay for an air duct sealing service, a HVAC professional will search your duct work for leaks and make sure that no air escapes where it shouldn’t. Comfort Services says that leaks in air ducts can circulate dust or carbon monoxide into your home, which is why you should get your duct work sealed.

Yearly Furnace and Air Conditioner Tune-Ups

Lots of people neglect to get their furnace and air conditioner serviced every year because they think it is a waste of money. After all, it can cost anywhere from $50 to $100 for a technician to check your units. However, preventive maintenance can actually save you money in the long run because it prevents problems like breakdowns and toxic carbon monoxide leaks. A HVAC professional can assess the effectiveness of your units and make sure they are running safely.

These are just a few heating and air conditioning services you didn’t know you needed. If you have any suspicion that your furnace or air conditioner is not running at prime efficiency, you should have it assessed. This will help you save money and ensure your family is happy and healthy while in your home.