Guest post by Annette Hines :

The holiday season is not an easy time when you’ve lost a child. It’s a time of year when you get together to celebrate family. And lots of things happen that accentuate that loss. You see people that you don’t normally see all year such as grandparents, aunts and uncles. You take time off work so you have more down time and time out of your daily routine to think about that loss. It’s also particularly time for celebration of children with gift giving and sweets!

In my world, it’s even more meaningful and charged with emotion because my daughter death anniversary is November 18th, so it leads off the holiday season with a bang! For me it has been six years now. Our new holiday traditions are evolving, and everybody’s new holiday journeys will be their own for sure. Also, I am not an expert and by no means am I trying to offer clinical advice. Although, in my law practice I have had the opportunity to speak with many families who have been through a loss like mine. It’s not an experience you want to share, but it is also comforting to not be alone, especially this time of year.

5 ways to remember and celebrate your child during the holidays:

1. Telling Stories of Remembrance

This is my favorite and best advice. I love love love telling stories of “remember when Elizabeth laughed so hard that the sweet potatoes came flying out of her mouth and then the dog ate them off the floor!?” Ha,Ha! Pulling out videos and photo albums can help with the memories. Some family members and friends may not have known your child that well, or at all, so this will help them enormously in both supporting you and sharing in your joys and sorrows. I love the idea that it keeps Elizabeth’s memory alive because I am always afraid of the idea that people are going to forget her and the world is going to move on without her.

2. A Celebration Meal That Includes Your Child’s Favorite Food Items

In our family, I still serve some of Elizabeth’s favorite things on certain holidays: Christmas breakfast has pancakes, and Easter will definitely have a ham. For many families, food is part of the tradition and food is love! It definitely is for us.

It also includes eating popcorn, pizza potato chips and onion dip while watching our favorite holiday movies: Christmas Vacation, and Planes, Trains and Automobiles.

3. Hanging Decorations That Your Child Made

Thank you so much to every teacher, aide and nurse who helped Elizabeth make every Christmas ornament, Mother’s Day Card and Thanksgiving Poem. I pull them out and go through them. Then I hang them throughout the house to have her close to me during the Holidays.

4. Doing For Others

During this time of sorrow – and it is always a time of sorrow for me – it really helps me to give to others. It’s a fact that getting up out of our own misery to help others can be just what we need to beat the holiday blues. Sign up to serve a holiday meal, deliver presents or warm clothes at your church or temple, or sing holiday songs at a local nursing home. Find some way to give back to your local community.

5. Self-Care is Very Important Too

Please be sure to take time for yourself as well. You may need time to be sad and grieve on your own. Be sure to seek counsel if that is in your self-care routine, get lots of sleep, exercise and eat well. The holidays can be stressful under the best of circumstances. Grief can be tricky and sneaks up on you!

Practice the art of saying no. Let someone else cook dinner for 20 people! It can be very stressful to do all that work, and as mentioned previously, seeing people that you haven’t seen all year who are naturally going to want to ask you about how you are doing. I used to get anxious for weeks before the holidays about what people were going to say or ask. And then I would be sleepless for days cooking and cleaning to get ready for the day.

It was a recipe for disaster! I was tired and sad and on edge. And of course, I would end up either being completely sad and withdrawn or blowing up at people. Not good!

This year, what is working for me is a change of scenery. My husband and I have decided to go the mountains with our puppy for a holiday getaway hiking extravaganza. I hope you find your way to both old and new traditions that work for you and your family.

Annette Hines, Esq., is the author of Butterflies and Second Chances: A Mom’s Memoir of Love and Loss. She is a powerhouse advocate for the special needs community. Not only has she founded the Special Needs Law Group of Massachusetts, PC, specializing in special needs estate planning, where special needs families compromise 80 percent of the firm’s clients, Hines brings personal experience with special needs to her practice, as the mother of two daughters, one of whom passed away from Mitochondrial disease in November 2013. This deep understanding of special needs fuels her passion for quality special needs planning and drives her dedication to the practice. For more information, please visit, https://specialneedscompanies.com/ and connect with her on Facebook, @SpecialNeedsLawGroup and listen to her podcast, Parenting Impossible – The Special Needs Survival Podcast.

Peptides (from Greek language πεπτός, peptós “digested”; derived from πέσσειν, péssein “to digest”) are short chains of amino acids (very small proteins) linked by peptide (amide) bonds.

Peptides serve a variety of functions within the human body. They can be extremely beneficial for your physical and mental well-being.

An experienced professional in the field, like Ryan Smith Lexington KY, can help you design a plan to use peptides in a way that makes sense for your body and lifestyle.

I love adding peptide powders to my morning smoothies and I can really tell a difference in my appearance and skin quality. My vitality is improved lately too!

Weight Loss

Peptides are a fantastic tool for losing weight, especially when you also eat healthily and exercise. Ipamorelin in particular works especially well to elevate your levels of growth hormone, and as a result, your body will become more efficient at breaking down fat. Improved body composition will, in many cases, lead to greater mental acuity as well.

Beautiful Skin

Are you looking for a way to eliminate fine lines and wrinkles? As you age, your body produces less collagen, which causes the skin to lose elasticity and become more fragile. This effect is exacerbated by factors including sun damage, the use of tobacco, and exposure to pollution. Depending on what you would most like to improve about your skin, you have a wide variety of peptides from which to choose. Acetyl hexapeptide-3, a common active ingredient in anti-aging skincare products, has an effect similar to Botox, smoothing out and greatly reducing the appearance of wrinkles. Palmitoyl tetrapide-7 and palmitoyl oligopeptide, meanwhile, are excellent choices to protect against damage from UV rays.

Lower Blood Pressure

High blood pressure, which affects a high percentage of the American population, can have harmful effects. People with high blood pressure are more likely to experience heart disease, stroke, and memory loss. Peptides can be helpful in reducing blood pressure, and they are most effective when the person using them also makes lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking and reducing the amount of sodium in his or her diet. If reducing your blood pressure is the main benefit that you are seeking from peptides, you should look into using milk-derived or fish-derived peptides.

No matter what your health goals may be, you can achieve them by making healthy choices and using an appropriate peptide supplement.

Do you use peptides? What’s your favorite way to take peptides?

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

The holidays are coming and that means parties, hanging out with friends over brunch or drinks, sweaters and boots, and celebrating!

Stella & Dot has all your holiday essentials from makeup, jeweled accessories, and pretty sweaters.

I love unique details that make sweaters POP!

Buttons, puff sleeves, and different fabric panels are like built-in accessories. Pair these lovely sweaters with unique and classic jewelry from Stella & Dot for the perfect look for any occasion!

My favorite sweaters:

The Side Button Sweater

55% Cotton, 25% Viscose, 20% Nylon

I love classic black and white that goes with anything. Buttons are a great detail!

The Puff Sleeve Pullover

Updated with an elongated sleeve cuff to create long, sleek lines and in a super durable and soft Scuba Knit fabrication. 

Just like Anne of Green Gables, I love a puff sleeve! The long cuffs are elegant.

The Chevron V Pullover

Front Panel: 77% Nylon, 23% Cotton, Back Panel / Sleeve: 50% Nylon, 50% Cotton

I adore V necklines and this pretty fuzzy feminine pink!

Feminine sweaters with fun details and designs make the holidays warmer.

Shop the Ultimate Edit Collection on Stella & Dot Today! Share What You Love! Get the Digital Access kit and become a S&D Ambassador for $99!

Every home needs a facelift every so often to help keep it looking and feeling fresh. If it’s been a while since you’ve freshened up your home with a new look, it may be time to start looking into different home decor and design trends that you may be able to try around your home. 

Go Gray

Gray is a timeless color for a reason. Its muted simplicity is a great way to pull together several different color schemes and can serve as a base color for just about any template. In addition to providing a calming effect, it can also provide a pop of color in just about any room when used correctly. If you’re tired of looking at the same, boring walls, try giving your room a fresh coat of gray paint and watch it transform into a beautiful, tranquil place. 

Be a Natural

Being in nature is a relaxing way to calm your mind and get in touch with your outdoorsy side. However, there are times when you simply can’t get outside as much as you’d like, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the outdoors from the comfort of your own home. Use plants as a natural way to bring a touch of nature indoors. Plants provide more oxygen in your home and can spruce up a space while giving it a calming vibe. Some people are even ditching the plastic tables and chairs in favor of natural woods, which make it feel even more natural and inviting. 

See the Light

Natural lighting is a great way to brighten up your space and make your home look and feel warmer and inviting. If you’ve been using the same, tired heavy drapes in your home for years, consider swapping them out in favor of something that will allow more natural light to filter into your home. If you’re concerned about privacy, you can invest in bottom-up shades, which allow light in your home while still providing you the privacy you and your loved ones need. You can find custom-made blinds by contacting Next Day Blinds professionals. At Next Day Blinds, you’ll find several options to suit just about all your needs and can be customized with several color schemes to fit your home’s decor scheme. 

Mix it Up

If you have an eclectic style and want to be sure your home showcases that style, consider mixing materials around your home. You can have metal furniture in the same room as natural wood and fur to give your room an interesting appeal and truly original vibe. You can even go retro with your choice and hit up local thrift stores to find truly unique pieces that will showcase your style while saving you money on your home’s decor. 

Paper It

Wallpaper is making a comeback as people are looking to breathe new life into their walls aside from traditional paint. If you’re looking to liven up your living space and love funky prints, look into using wallpaper in your home. You can find several prints that you could use for a statement wall to really make a statement and get people talking about your unique style. With so many great styles to choose from, you’re sure to find something that fits your personality.

Giving your home a fresh new look doesn’t have to be stressful or cost an arm and a leg. When you tap into your personal style, take advantage of the latest trends, and know where to look to find deals, you can make your home look and feel great without putting a major dent in your wallet. Give these home design and decor tips a try and watch as your home is transformed into a beautiful, trendy space for you to relax and enjoy your loved ones. 

For anyone who has faith, spiritual growth is often a goal. How do you grow with your spirituality? The answers are easier than you might think.

Consider these tips to continue your personal growth through faith.

Stay Open-Minded

When you close your mind off to your faith, you halt all of the progress. You need to be open to new ideas, to be provide yourself with a clear path forward. Consider groups like The Way International to open the door for you to learn new things. Religion, faith, and spirituality are not about remaining stagnant. The point is to grow as a person. You should open yourself up to teachings and to new interpretations. Do not be afraid to question and explore your faith. When you close yourself off to your beliefs for any reason, you can lose your sense of self. You may feel like you aren’t growing with your religion or faith. This is not the fault of the spirituality but instead a problem with closing your mind off.

Balance Your Life

If your life is unbalanced, you might find progress in all areas to be difficult. For instance, if you are never pushing yourself to learn, then you may find that you don’t progress. Likewise, if all you focus on is your work, then you are putting no effort towards your spiritual growth. If you have balance in your life, then you won’t burn out as quickly. You can focus on growing in your faith, without worrying that you are ignoring other areas of your life. In fact, your faith should be a foundation for all areas of your life.

Keep Learning

Along with staying open-minded, you want to keep learning about your faith. This can be as simple as attending studies or meeting with people to talk about your faith. There is always something to learn. The more time you spend learning, the more knowledge you will gain. It doesn’t matter if you’re seeking personal growth or spiritual growth. The second that you stop learning, you cannot grow more. If you want to continue down the path of growth, then you need to learn new things. Until then, do things to help maintain balance.

Don’t Try Too Hard

Do not focus all your time and effort into growing in your faith. It should come naturally. Your beliefs should shape your life and you should not focus on your goals. Instead, keep in mind that your faith is what teaches you and you will progress with your faith as long as you are open to progression. While you can make goals to treat people the way that your faith teaches or to live in a way that your faith gives you examples of, you should never stress yourself.

Don’t be afraid of spiritual growth. No matter how far along on your faith-based journey that you are, there is always room to grow. When you focus on opening yourself up for growth and to learn new things, you can continue your spiritual journey.

Home improvement projects can be good investments of your time and money, especially if you choose the right ones. While there are countless things you can choose to change or upgrade in your home, some projects offer more benefits than others. You may want to focus on projects that can increase the value of your home and improve your own quality of life. Here are some home improvement options that can provide excellent immediate and long-term advantages.

1. Install a Water Softener

You may not think often about the quality of your water, but it can have a significant impact on your health and the longevity of your home’s appliances and plumbing. The systems that water softener companies Columbus offer may reduce the wear and tear on your home’s pipes and eliminate the minerals that can leave deposits on laundry and sinks. Softening your home’s water can also reduce dry skin.

2. Build a Deck

Adding a deck or patio to your home can provide you with additional space to relax, cook and entertain. A deck can also improve your home’s resale value. There are several different deck materials to choose from, and each one offers unique aesthetic and durability benefits. You could improve your deck with unique features such as an outdoor kitchen, built-in seating or an awning.

3. Finish the Basement

A basement can serve many purposes. You may use yours to store boxes, access your furnace or do laundry. However, a finished basement can provide additional benefits and greatly increase your home’s value. The size and layout of your basement may provide many options, such as adding a bedroom, bathroom, recreational room or home office.

4. Renovate a Bathroom

Most bathrooms don’t take up a large amount of square footage, so renovation projects are often quick and affordable. You can completely change the look of a bathroom with a coat of paint, a new light fixture and an updated faucet. An upgraded bathroom can make your home more marketable if you ever choose to sell. Even if you don’t plan to sell your home soon, upgrading the master bath can improve your quality of life.

The right home improvement project can make you more comfortable in your daily life and increase your chances of getting a good price if you ever sell your house. Some projects that offer a good return on investment include building a deck, upgrading a bathroom, finishing the basement and installing a water softener system.

How much do you know about steel buildings? When it comes to choosing a building’s material, there are so many options that you might feel overwhelmed. There is a reason why some people choose steel, particularly pre-manufactured steel buildings. Steel tends to be a lot stronger and durable than other materials.

When you choose a steel manufacturing company with a solid reputation like SteelMaster USA, you can take advantage of several steel benefits. Here are some of those benefits.

Low Maintenance

Businesses come with a lot of different costs that you have to provide for. One of these costs is in the maintenance of the building. When it comes to saving money, you want to save money wherever you can. With steel buildings, you are able to save money on maintenance. The exterior of the building doesn’t call for much maintenance. With wood buildings, you have to paint every few years. This isn’t the case with steel. In addition, there’s no need for termite control or repairs due to rodents. Steel cannot be damaged by termites or rodents. Steel also can’t grow mold or other fungi. It won’t rot and it won’t warp as wood structures can. When it comes to steel, you spend a lot less money on repairs and maintenance.

Value Longevity

When you invest in a building, you don’t want it to be something that loses its value a few years later. Steel buildings remain valuable for years, if not decades. These are strong buildings that tend to come with long warranties. In fact, you may be able to achieve up to a 30-year warranty on your building. Given the strength of steel, you don’t have to worry

Recyclable Material

If you don’t plan to have your building forever or if you ever reach the end of your building’s longevity, that isn’t the end of it. You can recycle steel easily. If you’re concerned about environmentally friendly options, then steel can be a great alternative. Since it can be recycled without sacrificing its properties, it holds its value and usefulness indefinitely. You never have to worry about the steel being wasted.

Energy Efficiency

Several industries utilize metal buildings. Whether you work in mechanics, aviation, storage, agriculture, retail or any other institution, metal buildings can be energy efficient. In some industries, especially in milder climates, you may not need heating or air conditioning. This won’t be the same for every industry in every area, however.

Fortunately, steel buildings are extremely energy efficient. The wall cavities provide room for thicker insulation. With the right building, you can cut down on your energy bills. In addition, there are roofing panels that can help cool your building in extremely hot weather.

If you’re considering a new building, then you should give a lot of consideration to steel. There is a reason why people choose steel in a number of different industries. Choosing steel gives you access to low maintenance buildings with longevity, recyclable material and energy efficiency. Steel provides you with a strong building that can last for decades.