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It’s soup season! As soon as the weather begins to drop a little colder, many of us are ready and rearing to go when it comes to making delicious, warming and wholesome soups. It really is the perfect time of year to enjoy a bowl of this delicious dish. Of course, there are endless types of soup out there, with different flavours and methods favoured in different areas around the world. Whether you’re following a traditional, family recipe or looking for something new, here are some top tips and suggestions that should help you to create delicious soups to fill you on those chilly days!

Top Tips

Before we get started, here are some top tips for making the best soups possible. Each can really make the difference, whether that’s simplifying the process for yourself, getting as much goodness in each bowlful, or knowing how to store your soup properly!

• Invest in a Good Blender – you’re going to need a good quality blender for smooth soups. This could be an immersion blender that you are able to use directly in the pot of hot ingredients, or a stand alone blender that you use after allowing the ingredients to cool.

• Flasks and Thermos – taking your soup to work or out on a long walk with you? Put it in a flask or thermos. This will retain its heat and allow it to stay warm, even when you’re on the go.

• Freeze – make sure to have plenty of tupperware on hand to store your leftoever soup in. Sure, it can stay in the fridge for a couple of days if you’ll make use of it for lunch, but often, it’s best to freeze, as this will allow you to eat your soup at a later date.

Leek and Potato Soup

Leek and potato soup is warming and filling, perfect for the fall and winter months. It’s a simple recipe, but will really bring a smile to your face with its wholesome flavour and nostalgic scent. Follow a reliable potato soup recipe and do any prep work in advacne. This will save you time when it comes to actually creating the soup. Once it’s ready, sprinkle with plenty of black pepper and have a wedge of crusty bread ready for dipping.

Butternut Squash Soup

Who doesn’t love butternut squash soup? This soup combines roasted butternut squash with vegetable broth, onion, carrot, ginger, extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper. You can choose to have a completely smooth soup with a drizzle of cream on top, or you could opt to have larger, butternut chunks floating around for stodginess and to make the dish more filling.

Cream of Tomato Soup

Cream of tomato soup is a firm favourtie and one of the best selling flavours of soup in tins and cartons. But why not try making your own? For this recipe, you’ll generally need plenty of tomatoes and cream. Many people also choose to incoporate onion and carrot for depth of flavor. Follow video tutorials on how to remove the tomato skins for a smooth finish.

These are a few suggestions that should help to get the show on the road! Enjoy your winter soups!

It’s fair to say that many kids avoid going outside at all costs, choosing instead to spend their days cooped up in their bedroom playing video games and browsing social media. However, spending time outdoors can be of great benefit for both your body and mind, and it’s essential that your little ones can take the opportunity to get outside every single day if they want to feel happy and healthy.

Fortunately, figuring out how you can effectively encourage your kids to want to get outdoors doesn’t have to be as difficult as you might initially expect. This guide contains some of the best steps that you can follow to ensure your family is inspired to spend as much time in the sunshine and fresh air as possible! So, what are you waiting for? Read on to discover more! 

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Create A Beautiful Garden Space

One of the most important steps that you must follow if you want to encourage your kids to spend time outside involves creating the most beautiful garden space. Your outdoor space can either heal and grow their relationship with nature, or discourage them from ever wanting to step foot outside again! The difference between an overgrown and unruly garden with mountains of grass and weeds, and a pristine, manicured garden that has clear functional sections is like night and day, and it can be so easy to achieve your goal or creating a beautiful garden space when you can take the time to reach out to a reputable, reliable team such as masterscapes lawn care and landscaping. 

Your garden space should have a few main areas if you want to entice your kids to use it as often as possible. Start by building a play area that you can fill to the brim with fun items and equipment such as a swing set, a slide and even some monkey bars. If you have enough space, then you can even choose to build a trampoline if you think your kids would go crazy for such an addition. It’s also a good idea for you to create an al fresco dining area that you and your children can use to eat your meals during those lovely light summer evenings. Add a table and chairs, and consider including your own outdoor barbecue grill or other outdoor cooking options to take it to a whole level. 

Explain The Benefits 
If your children are aware of the fact that going outside can provide them with a whole host of health benefits, then they are going to be more inclined to want to get outdoors into the sunshine and fresh air. It’s no good trying to force them to get outside if they don’t even know why you want them to, so take a few minutes just to explain the importance of immersing yourselves in nature. You’ll get vitamin D from the sunshine and be able to exercise and burn off some steam while you breathe in the fresh breeze, rather than sitting inside the same 4 walls staring into the darkness with nothing to keep you inspired or awake. You can teach some important lessons while you’re out there, too!

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A mother-daughter relationship is one of the most special bonds a woman can have. It’s a bond that is often built on trust, respect, and love. Though this bond can be difficult to maintain, there are certain things that can help strengthen it.

1. Communication is key

The best way to maintain any kind of relationship is communication. This is especially true for a mother-daughter relationship. Daughters need to feel like they can come to their mothers with anything, whether it be good news or bad news. Similarly, mothers need to be open and honest with their daughters. When communication is present, both parties feel valued and respected.

2. Spend time together

Spending time together is another way to strengthen the mother-daughter bond. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to spend every waking moment together. Instead, try to do things that you both enjoy. This could be going for a walk, cooking dinner, or even just sitting and talking. A Mother Daughter Necklace can be a great gift to celebrate one of these moments. The important thing is that you’re both present and enjoying each other’s company.

3. Respect each other’s opinions

It’s normal for mothers and daughters to disagree on things from time to time. What’s important is that you respect each other’s opinions, even if you don’t necessarily agree with them. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and it’s important to remember that in a mother-daughter relationship.

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4. Be there for each other

There will be times in both of your lives when you need someone to be there for you. Whether it’s a difficult day at work or a personal crisis, being there for each other is an important part of strengthening the mother-daughter bond. It shows that you care about each other and are willing to support each other through thick and thin.

5. Avoid gossiping

Gossiping can be destructive to any kind of relationship, but it’s especially harmful to a mother-daughter relationship. When you gossip about others, it creates an atmosphere of distrust and secrecy. This can make it difficult for daughters to feel like they can confide in their mothers. If you want to strengthen your mother-daughter bond, avoid gossiping at all costs.

6. Be honest with each other

Honesty is another important part of any relationship, but it’s especially important in a mother-daughter relationship. Daughters need to feel like they can trust their mothers, and mothers need to be able to trust their daughters. This means being honest with each other, even when it’s difficult.

7. Cherish each other

Last but not least, cherish each other. This doesn’t necessarily mean buying each other expensive gifts or taking lavish vacations together. Instead, it simply means taking the time to appreciate each other. Let your daughter know how much you love her, and take the time to tell her why she’s important to you. These small gestures can go a long way in strengthening the mother-daughter bond.

There you have it

A mother-daughter relationship is special and unique, and it’s worth working to strengthen it. By following the tips above, you can create a bond that will last a lifetime.

Your environment can have such an impact on your mood and well-being. However, sometimes it can be a challenge to invest time and effort into the look and feel of your interior space, especially when you’re busy juggling family life, work, social commitments, and the list goes on! Luckily, there are some simple and straightforward ways to create an enjoyable living space at home, full of your style and personality. And, you might just love doing it so much that you start tackling each and every room!

You’ll need a starting point though. So, the following are some tips and ideas for those wanting to make a home for themselves so that they can begin enjoying it more and making memories.

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A Clean Slate

Whether you’re focussing on one room, or your whole apartment or house; they’ll be clutter, junk, and even old pieces of furniture, that just don’t serve you anymore, and say nothing about you or what you love. Therefore it’s time to get a little ruthless with a clear-out so that you have a fresh and clean slate to begin adding the fun stuff! Whether is a case of dropping some boxes and bags off at the charity store, or you need to check out www.evergreenjunkremoval.com for all the things you don’t know how to dispose of; make it your mission to declutter and clean, before anything else.

Once you have some new space, clear and clean surfaces, and an idea of how you’ll be using the room; it’s time to inject that personality!

The Power Of Pictures

Whether you favor comic book cover art, old family photos, or the renaissance period in artwork; framing images, art, photos, and pictures that hold meaning, or scream your personal style, are an ideal way to make a space your own. They’re also pretty non-committal; you can change what’s inside a frame with ease, and you picture shelves so that you’re not constantly knocking nails into the wall when you’ve found something new.

It might be worth dedicating one or two spaces, or having a gallery wall within a room, to your pictures. This will ensure that they’re a feature, and however eclectic your collection is; they’ll speak volumes about you and can really change the atmosphere of the environment.

A Soft Touch

Another excellent way to bring in pops of color, or specific patterns and prints, are soft furnishings. Cushions, rugs, and throws, are an ideal budget-friendly method to have fun with your interior space. You can sway your couch cushions seasonally, or perhaps you want to fill the floor with your favorite color in rug form. 

You can even get photos and images printed onto your soft furnishings now, so there really is a way to bring who you are and what you love, into any interior space. These are great methods for rental properties too, especially if you’re unable to paint or screw anything to the walls! Just remember to not overthink it all; it’s time to let loose, allow your personality to shine, and most of all, have some fun!

Now is the time to ask yourself some very important life questions. How have you been treating yourself? When did you last do something for yourself? Not for your job, not for your family, and not even for your friends, but just because you wanted to? If you can’t remember, you might want to take some time to think about yourself. We’ll look at some ways to feel better about yourself in this post. Because when you feel good, you can be your best in all other parts of your life. So let’s get started!

Photo by Daniel Xavier: https://www.pexels.com/photo/two-women-smiling-908602/

Get Yourself Moving 

Getting moving is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Endorphins are made when you work out, and they make you feel better. Plus, it helps you feel better about yourself and your body. Don’t worry if just thinking about going to the gym makes you break out in a cold sweat. There are a lot of other low-impact ways to get moving that are easy to get to. Start by taking a brisk walk around your neighbourhood or taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work. If you want something a little more organised, you can find a lot of great at-home workout programmes online or on demand.

Spend Quality Time With Friends And Family 

Making time for the people who matter most is another way to start feeling better about yourself. Spending time with loved ones has been shown to make people feel less stressed, less anxious and depressed, and happier overall. It doesn’t have to be anything special. Just hanging out and catching up over coffee or dinner can make all the difference. And if you can’t meet in person, you can stay in touch by texting, using social media, or video chatting.

Do Something You Love 

Lastly, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to do things that make you happy just because you want to. Do something that makes you happy and makes you smile, like reading your favourite book, taking a dance class, playing with your pet, ordering some  CloudCoverCannabis, or going on a nature hike. Life is too short to do things that don’t make you happy all the time. So, try to set aside time for yourself on a regular basis so that you can re-energize and get back to what’s important to you.

Taking Care Of Yourself Better 

Self-care is very important, but when life gets busy, it’s often one of the first things to go. If you feel like you need to take some time to focus on yourself, we hope these tips will help you get started on the path to feeling better about yourself. Remember that when you feel good, you can be your best in all other parts of your life. So try to take care of yourself, body, mind, and soul.