Hopefully, for most of us, the answer would be we have no idea. And that is because, for many people, our families are what made us who we are today, for better or worse, and we don’t even want to have to think about how our lives would be without them.

And there are many social and economic reasons that show the benefits of a thriving and healthy family unitand the positive effects it can have on an individual, but most don’t need any scientific evidence to know that is true.

From giving us love and people to rely on and teaching us skills to live in the world, your family is what made you who you are today.

Here are four reasons why your family is probably the most important thing in your life, and hopefully will always be.

They help you feel safe

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The world can be a scary place filled with so much uncertainty, but thanks to your family you learned you could live in it despite those fears.

Your family made you feel that whatever happened at school, work, or with your friends, you could come home and relax in a place where you knew people loved you and wanted to see you thrive.

It helped you to understand how to be that way for them and other people as well, and you want to pass that along to your own family someday.

They help you make the right decisions

Ways to Bring Your Family Closer Together

Life is full of so many choices, and not all of them are good ones.

Luckily, if you had parents and siblings who helped lead you down good paths and influenced you to make the best decisions for you and your life that definitely steered you in the right direction.

The great thing about family is they most likely taught you how to have success and be happy, but let you choose along the way how to get there. And when you made mistakes, as we all do, they were there for you too and helped pick you up and get you going even when it felt like you couldn’t do so.

They taught you important habits

Adulting

Thank goodness for parents who taught us important hygiene, grooming and health habits, or who knows where we all would be.

Things like going to the doctor every year, or visiting Family Dental Health Center to get your teeth cleaned and a check-up, or even that showering every day is important.

Sadly, not every person had someone to teach them these things, so if you have parents or other family members who did, it’s good to remember that and be grateful for it.

They showed you love

We sometimes take for granted how great it is to know there are people, sometimes several, in the world who love you exactly the way you are and always will.

Having a family who loves you can a bring a person such comfort and peace, and help them to be a confident and emotionally healthy person.

This is why when you have your own family, or if you have one now, make sure to love them as much as you can.

The post 4 Reasons Your Family Is the Most Important Thing in Your Life appeared first on InstantELLA.

It’s hard not to want to spend all you can on friends and family. And when you go over your list of all the people you want or need to give gifts to it can feel like more of the season of spending a lot of money than giving.

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But there is a way to be Santa’s little helper without spending an arm and a leg. For the sake of the rest of the year, here are a few ways to stick to a budget and not overspend during the holidays.

Be aware of the retail tricks

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If it seems like a deal that’s too good to be true, it most likely is.

A lot of stores will try to fool you with sales, money back offers, and incentives to come back and shop but be aware that those are big ways they get you to spend money that you don’t necessarily need to spend.

Stick to your budget at all costs

9 Expert Tips to Avoid Overspending During the Holidays

Early on try to make time to create a budget and make sure that you account for all that you need to spend. Then when the time comes to buy your presents stick to that budget like glue.

Don’t allow yourself to make exceptions and you will find that you will spend the amount you allotted and nothing else.

Don’t buy for yourself

5 ways to avoid overspending this Christmas

When you are out looking around for presents for everyone else it can be pretty tempting to buy a thing or two for yourself as well.

But as tempting as it may be, resist picking up things for yourself because it will add up really quickly. If it helps you can buy online or pick out the things you want and trust that your loved ones will get those things for you.

Use cash

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One great way to stick to a budget is to withdraw the amount of your budget in cash beforehand, that way when you run out of money you know it’s time to stop the spending.

Resist the urge to open credit cards or overspend the money in your bank account so you don’t give creditor’s rights to start blowing up your phone and keep your money in the account where it should stay.

Assign gift duties

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As your family grows it can seem like the number of presents and therefore the amount you spend seems to grow as well.

In cases like this, you can do a draw for presents or a secret Santa that way everyone gets a present but you don’t have to overspend by worrying about getting each individual family member a present.

Something else you could do is split some of the more expensive gifts between a couple family members that way you are each contributing to the gift but also keeping costs low.

The post How to Not Overspend This Holiday Season appeared first on InstantELLA.

It may seem like yesterday you were taking them home from the hospital, but the reality is that the tomorrow of taking them on their first day of preschool education in Montgomeryville, PA, or wherever in the world you may be, is fast approaching.

Part of your anxiety may stem from thinking about your baby leaving you for the first time, but probably another big part of that anxious feeling stems from the fact that you are not sure if you have done everything you can to prepare them properly.

Whether it is a year, a few months, or a week away there are actual several easy ways that you can begin to prepare your little one for that next big step – heading to preschool. It may seem overwhelming, but getting your little guy or girl ready for school is a lot easier than you think.

Here are six of things that you can do from home that will leave both you and your child pretty confident when it comes time for the first day of school.

Read books about school

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Books are a great way to introduce a topic to a child and to help them learn about it in a gradual and non-overwhelming way.

There are plenty of books out there most likely featuring characters your child is familiar with and showing them on their first day of school or going to school.

Read and discuss regularly with your child the characters in the books who are going to school and how they will go to school and likely do the same things your child will do. This will get them excited for when their time comes and help it seem a lot less intimidating.

Teach them to be independent

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Teaching your child little tasks each day to make them feel more independent will be a great way to help them prepare for a school where they will be doing a lot more independent tasks.

Ask them to help you to do little tasks throughout the day, and as time goes on make those tasks a little bigger and a little bit more difficult.

Let them figure it out on their own at first, then take the time to teach them how to do it, and then stand back and let them complete it.

Adjust your routine

If you know which preschool your child is going to go to, find out their schedule. And if you can, learn how their day-to-day is run and match your at-home schedule to it.

Adjusting your daily schedule to match theirs will help your child to adjust easier once school time runs around, such as getting up earlier than they normally do, taking a nap at a different time, and eating their meals at certain times.

Talk to them

Ways to Bring Your Family Closer Together

One of the best things to do with your little one is to be open and honest and allow them to express their feelings about going to school and being without you most of the day.

Talk about how you will have to leave them, but that they will have their teachers and friends there with them so they won’t feel alone or won’t have someone to help them.

If they are nervous or scared let them express it or be observant and watch for abnormal behaviors that could have to do with their anxiety and try to help them with it to the best of your ability.

Buy school supplies

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A fun way for you and your child to prepare for school is to go out together and gather the supplies they will need for a school, such as a backpack, Branded Notebooks, pencils, and paper.

Let them pick out what they want and help them to know what they will be using it for.

Show them how they will pack everything and how they can write their name on it so they will know which is theirs versus their friends.

Find the place that fits both of your needs

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This step is as much to prepare you as it is your child but look for a place that fits both your needs and the needs of your little one.

If you work for example and need both a daycare and a preschool, look up places such as loloschildcare.com which is both a quality preschool and daycare. Or if you want one that is just a preschool, drive around or look online for one that fits that criteria in your area.

Ask around and see what friends with your kid’s same age are doing and discuss possibly sending your kids to the same school.

The post 6 Easy Ways to Prepare Your Toddler for Preschool appeared first on InstantELLA.

Check out these three garden types and how they can work for you and the natural wonder you have in mind.

Urban Garden

10 steps to start an urban garden

Bringing your urban garden to life is all about getting creative with your space. You can use sections of your patio or balcony, your rooftop, and even the railings of your deck or fence (Pressure washing can clean them up if they aren’t at their best). Use pots, hanging baskets, and window boxes to house your vegetation while still leaving room for you to move around and spend time in those outdoor spaces at home.

Flowers always work beautifully in these areas, usually being places that get plenty of sunlight while still getting protection from the harsher elements like wind and hail. They also add to your curb appeal in a way a new coat of paint never could.

Looking for something a bit more practical? You can pair up things like beans, carrots, and squash or lettuce and herbs in the same containers. You’ll have fresh vegetables for dinner without being overrun. Need some seeds or garden supplies? No problem, you can usually find some good deals here at your local store.

Family Garden

How to Plan a Farm and Garden to Feed a Family

While this garden may not technically be meant for a large family of parents and children, I like to call it a family garden because it can take up a large space in the yard and function as a place everyone can work in and benefit from.

You have the option of making a fun design statement here by planting straight into the ground or putting in some beautiful raised beds to keep the yard looking tidy and your garden easy to navigate. With this garden space, you also have more options in what you can plant. For instance, if you like to bring summer out in your garden, planting a palm tree is an ideal choice. Look for palm trees for sale online to find one that fits well in the space you have. Palm trees also provide a lot of shade for flowers, plants and produce in your garden.

You can keep it simple with a few rows of carrots, tomatoes, and green beans, or you can dream big with rows of corn and tiers of strawberries. Not into edible plants? Stock up on some fun trees and bushes to compliment your blossoms. With a big garden like this, you’ll get big results, but you’ll also need to manage the weeds carefully and consistently.

Community Garden

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If you live in the big city where you don’t even have a porch to place a potted plant on, a small plot in a community garden is exactly what you need. There are a variety of community plots with a variety of rules, but many of them are free or have a minimal fee for use.

You can still plant whatever fruits and vegetables you would like, but you have the added perk of interacting with a fun gardening community. You’ll be rubbing shoulders with gardeners who can give you the best advice to grow beautiful flowers or delicious cucumbers–advice you might not get anywhere else.

This is a fun place to not only bring your ideas to life but get inspired by the ideas around you. It will get you outdoors in a way you could never get back in your seventh-floor apartment.

The post What Goes in Your Garden Space? appeared first on InstantELLA.

See how many of these things you can do before the summer ends.

1. 1. Go camping off the grid. Don’t go to a well-groomed campground. Pack up your gear and hike out into a forest to camp where no one else has been.
   2. Spend an entire day at a water park. You always wanted to do this as a child. Now you’re an adult and can do whatever you want! So go for it!
   3. Play slip’n’slide kickball. Get a few tarps, some kiddie pools, a beach ball, and a bunch of friends and you’re set! Just be careful not to knock out a tooth or you may be paying a visit to the dentist.

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1. 1. Sleep under the stars. Take a hammock out or just some blankets on a warm night and sleep under the stars. Find someplace quiet and dark where you can enjoy the serenity that a calm night offers.
   2. Do a fun-run. There are tons of fun 5ks everywhere throughout the summer. Whether you want to do a color run or an obstacle course, get a couple friends and sign up for one before the summer is done.
   3. Live like a tourist in your hometown. Visit all the touristy hotspots in your town. Maybe you’ll finally see the appeal in why all these people visit.
   4. Go white water rafting. If you’re inexperienced, make sure you find a location where a guide can take you out on the water to be safe (trust me, it’s still just as fun).
   5. Have a water balloon fight. Water balloons are not just for kids. Find an open field, put up some cardboard or wooden “bases” to hide behind and bring a couple hundred water balloons.
   6. Spend the day at a lake. Go swimming or fishing in the lake. Have a campfire and roast hot dogs and marshmallows. Just enjoy a break from the busy world.
   7. Go on that fair ride that you always chicken out on. You know the one I’m talking about – the one on the bungee cords that shoots you up into the air. You’ll regret it if you don’t.
   8. Learn something new. Take a cooking or pottery class. Learn to ride a motorcycle. Get chickens for your backyard and learn how to take care of them using an automatic chicken feeder. I don’t care what it is, just learn to do something you’ve never done before.

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1. Go on a biking trip. Back a light bag, get a couple friends to do the same, and just take off on your bikes and see where the road takes you.
2. Spend a day thrift shopping with a budget of $50. See if you can find any real treasures worth keeping.
3. Build a sand castle. Go to the beach, whether it’s at a lake or on the coast, and build the biggest sand castle you’ve ever seen. Make it a group effort or have a contest with your friends.
4. Spend a day reading in the sun. Make some iced tea or lemonade, lay out your beach towel or lounge chair, and relax in the sun while enjoying a book you’ve been meaning to get to.

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Don’t wait for the summer to pass you by. Start making it count now!

The post The Ultimate Summer Bucket List for Adults appeared first on InstantELLA.

Beholding The Golden Green Goose That Hatched One Of The Richest Counties in America

Teton County, Idaho has an abundance of fun recreational activities for the whole family to enjoy, and we want to share some of our favorites with you.

Kotler Ice Arena in Victor, ID

Kotler Ice Arena

The Kotler Ice Arena holds public open skating every Friday, Saturday and Sunday for all ages to enjoy. Whether you’re a pro skater or just beginning, all are welcome to participate in the fun. You can pay daily or purchase a season pass, which are also good for their “Stick & Puck” sessions to practice your hockey skills.

Check Teton Valley Foundation for times and prices.

Geotourism Center in Driggs, ID

Experience the West Side of the Tetons

If your family enjoys museums, then you have to visit the world’s first geotourism center in Driggs. Explore the beauty of the Teton Valley all in the exhibits of the Teton Geotourism Center and learn to love it as the locals do. This is a great place to bring the family for a day trip. Learn all about what makes the Tetons and Yellowstone so unique.

Yellowstone National Park

Snowmobile & Snowcoach Tours

Of course you can’t go wrong with Yellowstone National Park. It is the first and oldest national park in the world. Your family can enjoy an experience fully immersed in natural wonders, from the thousands of geysers to the wildlife that lives there. Just be sure your dress for the weather.

National Elk Refuge in Jackson, WY

National Elk Refuge in Jackson Hole

Take your family on a sleigh ride through the National Elk Refuge this winter. Find yourself within 20 feet of thousands of elk. Dress warm and get ready for an experience of a lifetime. You might even encounter other wildlife, such as eagles, coyotes, foxes, bison, and swans.

Grand Targhee Ski Resort in Jackson, WY

Winter at Grand Targhee Resort

As soon as the winter season starts, you can take your family snow tubing at the Grand Targhee Ski Resort. Enjoy the thrill of speeding down a snowy hill and then the convenience of being pulled back up the hill by their conveyor surface lift. Reservations are recommended because the tubes can sell out quickly.

The post 5 Fun Family Friendly Activities in Teton County, Idaho appeared first on InstantELLA.