5 Ways to Prepare Your Home for Fall

08/27/2021 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

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As the days get shorter and the nights become longer, you’ll soon be thinking of ways to keep yourself and your family warm and happy as you begin transitioning from the summer. Aside from that, you’ll need to carry out some fall-related chores in your home.

Doing so will ensure that your home and loved ones are ready for the cooler season and that you won’t have any household-related problems when you eventually transition into winter. Here are five ways you can prepare your home for fall starting from today:

1. Mow Your Lawn

It doesn’t matter whether you’ve got a small patch of grass outside your home or you have acres of lovely lawn you can admire from your abode. Even though it’s getting cooler and the days are getting shorter, your lawn will still grow, albeit not as much as during the summer.

With that in mind, it makes sense to keep your lawn trimmed until it gets to the point where it won’t grow much until next year. If you do not have a lawn mower already, now is the time to get one so that you are not falling behind with your grass cutting. You might want to think about getting a robotic lawn mower as it can be less work than using a traditional lawn mower. However, you will need to assess the size and positioning of your lawn before choosing.

2. Have Your AC System Serviced

If your home has an air conditioning system, there’s no denying that it will have been in constant use throughout the summer. As fall approaches, it won’t get used as much until temperatures start rising again next year.

It’s worth getting your system serviced; otherwise, you may need help from a 24 hour AC service if it suddenly decides to stop functioning as usual. Plus, getting it serviced now will be cheaper than potentially getting the system replaced due to a complete system failure.

3. Deep Clean Your Oven

It’s no secret that the oven is the least cleaned of all appliances or areas in your home. You undoubtedly use your oven on a regular basis, and you’ll likely use it quite a lot for cooking up feasts towards the end of the year.

The beginning of fall is one of the best times of year to deep clean an oven. That’s because it won’t be getting much use at the moment, giving you ample time to scrub any baked-on grease and food away and ensuring that internal components of your oven are also clean.

4. Prepare Your Fireplace

It goes without saying that when the darkness sets in early each year and temperatures drop, you’ll want to use your fireplace every evening. As you can imagine, you need to ensure your fireplace is in good condition and won’t cause any accidental chimney fires.

Have a professional sweep your chimney to remove any soot, and clean out your wood-burning stove so that it’s ready to use. Also, stack up some logs ready for use in winter or to use instead of your home’s heating system during fall.

5. Get Rid of Any Unwanted Junk

Last but not least, you’ve probably accumulated some items throughout the year that you’ve meant to discard.

One task you should do during fall is throw away, recycle, or sell any unwanted junk. Your home will feel more spacious, and you’ll have an enormous sense of achievement.

Life, Lifestyle, Parenting

Challenges Of Being A Stay-at-Home Dad

08/27/2021 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

stay-at-home, dad, father, parenting, at-home dad, family

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In many societies, men are seen as the financial support of the home, while women, in addition to several roles, are considered the primary caregivers where kids are concerned. This assertion lends credence to why 51% of Americans believe women should rather stay at home and not fathers. Therefore, eyebrows are raised when a man decides to go against the ‘norm’ to become a stay-at-home dad. Indeed, it does come with challenges, and that’s what you are about to read on. However, the objective is to work through these challenges and become a successful stay-at-home dad. Read further to gain insight on this matter.

Lack of support

Not many men are in the habit of becoming stay-at-home dads, and for this reason, there isn’t enough support out there to provide guidance. As a matter of fact, some opposition you are likely to face will come from members of the extended family who may have grown up in a different era. For example, elderly uncles, aunties, and grandparents usually do not understand why the roles should change where child care is concerned.

Their refusal to understand the role change inadvertently results in a blatant lack of support for a stay-at-home dad. Admittedly, sometimes it’s not a refusal; instead, it’s more to do with a clash of cultural expectations. Moreover, there aren’t many social groups that support stay-at-home dads compared to the opposite gender. Unfortunately, all these elements contribute to the utter lack of support (although sometimes minimal) for these dads.

Depression

Already, staying at home as the primary giver may build feelings of anxiety and, if left unchecked, can spiral into depression. However, child care experts say these feelings of depression can be dealt with when you take deliberate steps to resolve the problem. First of all, be conscious about taking breaks to relax when your partner takes over the care of the kids. Secondly, acknowledge your feelings and if it’s affecting daily routines, seek expert help. If you’re not yet at that stage, there are things you can do on your own to handle it. You can try managing serotonin levels in your body, and one way is with cbd oil.

Isolation

It’s not too surprising that fathers who become stay-at-home dads feel isolated at some point in their lives. They tend to feel lonely mainly because not so many stay-at-home dads are around to share moments. Moreover, it can be very uncomfortable planning playdates only to realize that everybody else is a stay-at-home mom and you’re the only dad among the group. Again, many parent groups are dominated by mothers, making feelings of isolation even more pronounced.

Indeed, raising a family is not the sole responsibility of one parent. Even though certain situations may account for why a man decides to become a stay-at-home dad, avoid letting others’ opinions affect your judgment. At the end of it all, the most important reason for doing it is to be hands-on in raising your children to become responsible people in the future.

Lifestyle

7 Options to Consider if You’ve Decided to Sell Your Harley Davidson

08/26/2021 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

Bikers the world over love Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Even individuals who don’t ride are familiar with this brand thanks to its popularity. Today, more than half of all Harley owners worldwide wash their bikes each week during the summer months. They want to ensure it is clean and shiny when they wish to take a ride. It’s their pride and joy and it shows in all they do.

Due to the love affair with this brand, Harley owners tend to keep their bikes longer than owners of other brands. Nevertheless, the time will arrive when they decide to sell the bike. They may do so because they are upgrading or they might need quick cash. Regardless of why they choose to do so, Harley owners find they have several ways to accomplish this goal. A good thing to keep in mind

Bike Traders

Many people find the easiest way to sell their bikes is to work with a bike trader. These companies buy and sell motorcycles, nothing else. Choose the bike trader carefully, as you want one with a proven track record. Men and women who choose this option find their bikes sell faster, as the people visiting these sites are in the market for a new ride. They aren’t simply browsing. Make sure to take motorbike transport prices into consideration when trying to stay in a certain budget range.

Before choosing a bike trader to work with, consider several factors. Look for a company made up of bikers and learn more about their customer service. Call or email the company and state you are looking for a bike. See how quickly they respond, whether you are redirected to multiple staff members, and whether the customer service representatives are friendly and knowledgeable.

Learn whether the company offers nationwide collection and ask about payment options. The entire process should be easy for the seller. If it isn’t, look for another bike trader to work with. Many individuals have great success using CleanHarleys.com.

Online Auctions

Online auction sites, such as eBay, serve as a great way to sell a motorcycle. Once you list the bike, sit back and watch people place bids. Another option involves setting a price for the bike and requiring buyers to pay this fee. People may attempt to haggle, but not all do. If you choose to use this option, check the listing regularly. Potential buyers may have questions, and the seller needs to respond in a timely manner. A failure to do so could lead to the loss of a sale.

Social Media

Close to three billion people make use of social media today, which means bikers have an enormous pool of potential buyers. Many users don’t ride motorcycles, but there are millions of individuals across the globe who do. In fact, more than 1.2 million men and women in the United Kingdom alone rode motorcycles in 2017. Imagine how many bikers there are around the world.

Experts estimate 85 percent of motorcycle riders use social media today. As a result, individuals looking to sell their bikes find they have a large audience when advertising their bikes. Facebook Marketplace, however, serves as the only platform that focuses solely on selling, and not everyone chooses to use the platform when they wish to purchase a bike. Anyone looking to sell a bike must consider this and recognize the need to find a way to get their motorcycle noticed.

Use the boost feature to generate more interest. Facebook Groups can be used to alert bikers to the sale. Don’t completely overlook other social media platforms though. They may be of help in selling the bike as well.

Auto Trader

When a person wants to buy a vehicle, the first place they often visit is Auto Trader. This site is similar in many ways to Facebook Marketplace but only sells vehicles and related items. Individuals using the site find they can sell the vehicle to a private buyer or trade it if that is what they prefer. Men and women use the site to compare prices and find the value of their bikes. Review the mileage, condition, and age of similar bikes to see their asking prices. This information becomes of help when you go to price your ride.

Gumtree

Many people remain unfamiliar with Gumtree, but it is an option that should not be overlooked when you want to sell your motorcycle. This site began as a way for students to sell items and has grown far behind its original purpose. Gumtree mimics Facebook Marketplace in many ways, but the platform has its own site. The site provides national exposure for any item a person wishes to sell.

Gumtree also becomes of benefit to motorcycle owners in other ways. An entrepreneur might start a motorcycle cleaning business. When they are ready to offer their services, they need to advertise. Gumtree allows them to do so. The same holds for independent mechanics looking to offer their services to fellow riders.

Forums

Countless individuals turn to forums when they want to buy or sell a product. Although most people don’t choose this method when they want to sell their bikes, it should not be overlooked.

Men and women visit this site when they want to purchase parts for a bike they already own. Advertise a motorcycle here, and the person searching for parts may choose to buy a new bike instead of the parts. This site also provides listings for upgrades and accessories, so check it out.

Family and Friends

Share your desire to sell a bike with family and friends. They may know someone looking to purchase a motorcycle and can connect you with this individual. There is no way of knowing if this is the case until you try.

Bikers may also want to advertise in local businesses, such as a dining establishment or at a local motorcycle parts store. Place the listing in social media groups designed for bikers to generate additional interest in the bike.

Don’t overlook advertising in your hometown. This could involve nothing more than placing a sign on the bike announcing it is for sale and going for a ride. Others will see the flyer as they pass and may contact the biker for more information or to purchase the bike.

Buyers will often haggle with a seller in the hopes of bringing the price of the bike down. As the owner, you have the final say on the offer and whether it is acceptable. Learn more today if you wish to sell your bike for quick cash. It may be easier than you imagine.