Life is extremely stressful at times and the range of pressures that you will experience can be overwhelming. It is important to take time out from your hectic life for yourself so that you can relax and be comfortable in yourself. Whether this is taking a holiday or finding a hobby that you can enjoy, it is essential to make time for yourself so that you do not push yourself too far. Herein we consider how you can best take time out from your stressful life to recuperate and find some happiness again.

Stay Healthy

The most important way to reduce your stress levels is to make enough time each day to keep yourself healthy. Having three meals a day that consist of healthily balanced foods is vitally important in enabling yourself to manage your stress levels properly. Finding time to exercise once a day, or at least four times a week is also essential. The endorphins released by a run or even a lengthy walk will help to give your body the boost that it needs in between stressful periods. Unhealthy food and a sedentary lifestyle, however, can compound the stress that you experience and lead to problems with depression.

Talk About It

The power of conversation can also be wonderfully helpful in improving your state of mind. Having someone that you can talk to about your stress and your worries will significantly improve your ability to vent and relax. This person can be a partner, a friend or a family member. Alternatively, seeking counselling can aid you in dealing with your daily issues and help you to put your sources of stress into context.

Free Time

If you have children that you have to care for in addition to your working life then it is very easy to become overwhelmed. It is important to take some time without your children so that you can relax without the worries of responsibility. Leaving your children with your partner whilst you go out or finding a sitter so that you can get away with your partner is vitally important. Without finding time free from work and your children it is very difficult to deal with the stresses of daily life.

Simple Pleasures

Simple pleasures can also go a long way in relieving your stress levels. A simple purchase of a bouquet of flowers can actually dramatically improve your outlook and having flowers in your home has been shown to actively improve your mood. Other simple pleasures can be found in enjoying a tv series or eating some excellent food.

Find a Hobby

It is also important to find interests outside of work and family that you can enjoy. A hobby will have a very beneficial effect for you because it will allow you to focus on something that you enjoy instead of focussing on stressful obligations. A hobby can be anything from arts and crafts to gardening, but it is important to find something else that you can find peace in.

The choice of how soon to return to work after birth is one that mothers and new parents need to carefully consider. After giving birth, you should give yourself plenty of time to rest and recuperate. Here are some of the key steps to consider when deciding when and how soon to return to work after welcoming your new baby home.

Six to Twelve Weeks

There is no fixed recommended period of time for women to resume work after giving birth, but many people return after at least six to twelve weeks (or longer). How long you decide to stay home after giving birth is up to you. You should take into account how much support you have at home and with babysitting services, the demands of your job, and your financial circumstances.

Seek Medical Advice

Another essential factor to take into account is the advice of your obstetrician. You should obtain confirmation from your doctor that you can handle the hours at work. Additionally, you should ask your doctor about recommended work hours and how often you need to take breaks.

Leave Entitlements

You should find out your leave entitlements when planning to have a baby and working out how soon you want to return to work. In Australia, both parents can usually claim up to 12 months of unpaid leave.

You may also be able to claim a period of paid leave under the Paid Parental Leave Scheme for up to 18 weeks, provided that you meet the basic eligibility requirements. Working fathers and partners may also be able to claim paid leave. Having access to pay during your leave period could make it easier for you and your partner to delay your return to work if you need to.

Considering the Demands of Your Role

New mothers need to give themselves plenty of time to recover after giving birth. Follow your doctor’s recommendations in terms of work hours. If your job is physically demanding (for example, requires you to be on your feet during the day), ask your doctor about whether this is okay.

Check with your employer about how often you can take breaks and how willing they are to accommodate your needs and requirements as a new mother. You could also think about telecommuting, casual hours, job-sharing opportunities, or otherwise easing back into your role with flexible or part-time hours where possible.

Arranging Childcare

Prior to the birth date, in the midst of setting up a nursery for your new baby and receiving countless baby gifts, you should make time to arrange for a babysitter or childcare services. You might enlist the help of family members, nannies, au pairs, day nurseries, or a combination of these.

Cost, time, and convenience will probably factor into your decision about childcare, and discussions with your partner will be important to ensure that whatever you decide matches with time commitments for both of you.

Looking for a provider or a nanny ahead of time will help with planning and can ensure that you end up with a quality childcare provider that meets your requirements.

Having a baby is a special time in your life, and you will want to make sure that you capture all the special moments and memories at each stage. Keeping a record allows you to reflect and look back on the most special moments of your child’s birth. It will also mean you can share these moments with family members and friends. Here are some of the times and things to keep and retain for the future.

1. Mementos and Gifts

You and your partner will probably be flooded with a mountain of baby gifts well before your child’s actual birth day. Most parents probably keep common gift items such as baby hampers, jewellery, and supplies in the nursery. Keep your child’s mementos and gifts safe and well organised with the following tips.

• Nursery. Suppliers and other baby gifts that can be used or worn by your baby can be kept in a special area of your nursery such as a drawer or shelf.
• Jewellery boxes. It’s not uncommon for babies to be gifted with jewellery and other precious items. Keep these safe in a dedicated jewellery box for your baby.
• Storage box. You can use a dedicated storage box or chest for special gifts that are not to be used straight away. These items can be kept safe for your baby’s use when they are of the appropriate age.

2. Before Birth

You will value the photos and videos of the pre-birth stage, when you or your partner is at different stages of pregnancy. You could annotate these photos or videos with a journal of your thoughts during this stage.

3. Nursery

Setting up the home and nursery for your baby’s arrival is another aspect of your child’s birth to record for the future. You can take snapshots of different stages of setting up your nursery, from painting the walls and applying the wallpaper to adding furniture times and toys. You might also want to keep mementos of the things you purchase for your child such as clothing.

4. At the Hospital

Capture your pre-delivery and post-delivery moments with photos and videos. If you have time, you and your partner can also record your thoughts in a journal or even an online blog to share with friends or family.

5. Welcoming Your Baby Home

The moment when you welcome your baby home after delivery will be a joyous event, and you will want to have your camera ready to record the moment. Whether this is a big welcome home party or a quiet affair, make sure you take a photo and capture the moment for the future.

6. Outings and Gatherings

Capture the moment when your child meets his or her grandparents, aunts, and other family members. Special gatherings with friends and family members after birth can make for special memories in the future.

7. Sharing Your Memories

There are many different ways you can record and share the special moments associated with your child’s birth. For example, you can use photo albums, digital photo albums, blogs, and journals to keep a record and to make sharing easier.

A baby may not be able to play complicated games, but you can still have a lot of fun with them by playing with their baby gifts. Playing with your baby is also an important step in the development of a baby’s brain, so the more time you can give to them the better. Herein we consider how everything from baby flowers to music can help your child to develop.

Learning About the World

When a baby is born they have spent the past 9 months floating in water in their mother’s womb. This situation is obviously very different from the reality of life and a baby will need to learn about the world around them step by step. Sensory stimulation is the trigger for this natural learning and you will notice babies staring at lights and touching whatever they can.

Bright Colours

Bright colours are common on all gifts for babies and there is a key reason for this. Colours help to stimulate a baby’s reception of light and help their brains to understand what their eyes are showing them because of the distinct differences and contrasts. Playing with your baby with just a bright toy can be very beneficial to their development and it is great fun watching them react too.

Sounds

Sounds are also vitally important because understanding sounds is the first step in speech recognition. Talking to your baby as much as possible is very important and playing music can be very beneficial too. Music, either sung by yourself or played from a CD, will help your baby to start distinguishing sounds. Sounds can be made into a game too and you can begin to make associations between cows and sounds like ‘moo’ at a very early age.

Touch

Touch is another hugely important sense and it can be great for playing games too. Trying to get your baby to grab your finger is an important part of their development of physical coordination, but it is also great fun at times. Trying to increase the speed of reaction will help them and make the game more fun too.

Recognition

Games of recognition and association are great fun to play as well and they can be very educational. Games vary from those where you have to recognise the right hole for a shape, to those with animals and even letters and words. As your child develops you can make recognition challenges into fun games that your baby will enjoy whilst they benefit from the education that it provides too.

Your Imagination is the Limit

Babies spend all of their time trying to have fun and learn about the world, so really your partner in the games is the perfect person to play with. You can have a huge amount of fun playing with your baby and every moment that you do will also be helping with your baby’s development. Your imagination is the limit when it comes to discerning what games to play and how best to have fun, but whatever you do, you will always enjoy playing with your cute newborn baby.

The birth of a baby calls for celebration and joy so buying flowers as a gift is a way to congratulate the parents and show you genuinely care. The beautiful colours and soothing scent of flowers also help to create a nice atmosphere and mood boost for parents. Here are ideas for baby’s first flower choices. Flowers prove to be the most ideal choice of gift for newborn babies as the blossoms signify new life.

Colours

Traditionally, people send pink flowers for a baby girl or blue flowers for a baby boy. Pink flowers include roses, hydrangeas and stargazer lilies. Blue flowers include irises, hydrangeas and delphiniums. If you don’t know the baby’s sex, you can go for an all white arrangement as the colour signifies innocence and purity. White flowers include carnations, roses and baby’s breath.

If you want to be a bit more different than the traditional pink and blue colours, you can choose to buy multicoloured blooms such as gerberas, lilacs and ruscus.  Other bright ideas include carnations, chrysanthemums and daisies. Feel free to experiment with reds, yellows, whites, purples, greens and oranges to brighten any hospital room or nursery.

Seasonal flowers

Buying seasonal flowers for the newborn baby adds a small personalised touch to your choice of arrangement. Buy tulips if the baby is born in spring, daisies for summer, sunflowers for autumn or white lilies for winter.

Birth month flowers

Like seasonal flowers, birth month flowers give a personalised touch to the baby’s first blooms as they represent the month they were born. The months and birth flowers are carnation in January, iris in February, daffodil in March, daisy in April, lily in May, rose in June, larkspur or delphinium in July, gladiola in August, aster in September, marigold in October, chrysanthemum in November and poinsettia in December. 

Vases/containers

You can place the flowers in a vase to make the gift look complete. You can use a pink or blue vase and add some ribbon as a final touch. If the flowers are multicoloured, you can opt for a clear vase to let the bright colours stand out.

Alternatively, you can use containers instead of a vase to display your blooms depending on their size. For instance, you could try using a glass tumbler to display rosebuds or carnation pieces. Other container ideas include bottles, pitchers and mugs.

Accessory gift accompaniments

It’s worthwhile to add some extra flair to your flowers with a balloon, teddy bear or a rattle. Many florists combine arrangements with a hamper or basket, which make ideal baby gifts. These can include nappies, bath products, baby clothes, toys and baby theme photo frames.

You can also buy a gift hamper or basket to congratulate the mother and honour her for her hard work of nine months of pregnancy. The hamper can include a flower arrangement such as white or pink roses, asiatic lilies, white carnations or gerbera daisies; pampering products; chocolates and cookies. She’ll definitely appreciate it.

Flower arranging is an ancient art that is still practiced around the world. It’s a way to combine different kinds of flowers to make up a beautiful visual display of colours. With all flower arrangements, the process itself is just as rewarding as the final product. Read on for useful hints and tips for fresh flower arrangements.

Choosing your flowers

• Decide on a colour scheme of three or less colours that go well with each other. Ideas include purple and orange or white, green and blue. Red, white and pink blooms are ideal as Valentine’s Day or anniversary gifts.
• If you have a favourite flower colour or type, look for other flowers with colours and shapes that work well with it to combine in your arrangement.
• Larger types of flowers take up more space in an arrangement, making it easier to build a bouquet.
• For a unique design, use flowers and foliage with different shapes, colours and textures.

Arranging your flowers

• Before placing flowers, trim off all extra leaves, thorns and branches.
• Experiment with different vases to display your flowers such as circular, wide mouthed vases for a rustic look. For a polished arrangement, choose a tall, skinny vase. You can also use other containers such as pitchers, teacups and bottles.
• Flower arrangement elements include line materials, dominant materials and secondary materials. Line materials are the first to be placed in a bouquet to set up the outline shape of the arrangement. Line material flowers include foxtail lilies and liatris. Dominant materials are focal flowers such as lilies, irises, peonies, carnations, gerberas and open roses. Secondary materials are placed between the dominant materials. These can fill in the overall arrangement to add texture and includes moss, vines or ferny foliage.
• Ensure the colours of the flowers are evenly balanced. Avoid placing strong colours on one side and not the other. You can also place a pink flower on both the left and right side.
• Test for height by trimming the stem twice. On the first time, trim to try out the height then a second time to determine the height.
• You can stabilise your flowers by lining the bottom of the vase with pebbles, sand or seashells.
• Where you decide to display your flowers can affect how you arrange it overall. For example, by placing your flowers as a centrepiece for a dining table, the arrangement can’t include tall blooms.

Choosing flower arrangements as baby gifts

• Traditionally, pink flowers signify the birth of a girl and blue or yellow flowers signify the birth of a boy.
• Gorgeous arrangements for baby girls include pastel pink gerberas, pink carnations and blush lilies. Ideal arrangements for baby boys include cobalt blue irises, yellow gerberas and carnations. Balloons and a teddy bear can accompany the arrangement.

Taking care of flowers

• Change the water in the vase every day. If you have time, also wash the vase with soap, water and bleach to destroy bacteria. Also trim the stems to keep them healthy.
• To help your flowers last longer, place a crushed up aspirin in the water before adding the blooms. Alternatively, you can place a teaspoon of sugar or Sprite soft drink to also extend the life of the flowers.
• Don’t display your flowers on top of electrical appliances and keep them out of direct sunlight and draughts.

Picnics used to be limited to cold meats and sandwiches in a park, but there is now a far better selection of foods and drinks on offer. A modern picnic can make use of technology and gourmet hampers to make the experience all the more special. Herein we consider how to plan the perfect modern picnic.

Food

The key to every good picnic is the food, so this is the most important place to start. Instead of looking for sandwiches, a good option is to buy gourmet food baskets to take on your picnic with you. A gourmet selection will provide you with foods from around the world that everyone will simply love. With savory pates, cheeses and stuffed peppers to eat there will be plenty to keep everyone happy.

Drinks

Wider selections of drinks are also available now too so it is possible to give your picnic something special. It is possible to buy beer selections from all around the world and this will enable you to try some new drinks on your picnic. Likewise, selections of wines from around the world can also make excellent companions to your picnic.

Location

Following the food, the next most important thing to get right for a picnic is the location. The location makes the picnic because the scenery will create a wonderful atmosphere for you to enjoy. Around Australia there is a huge range of beautiful places to enjoy a picnic whether it is in Hyde Park or atop the Blue Mountains. A modern picnic has wonderful freedom of location because it is easy to travel to the wonderful views to enjoy your relaxing afternoon.

Music

One wonderful addition to the modern picnic is that of music. Being able to take a portable sound system and an iPod to a picnic can allow you to set the mood easily and quickly. Whether you wish to create a romantic mood or get everyone dancing, with a portable sound system the modern picnic can be made much more exciting.

Picnic Games

Traditional picnic games include things like Frisbee and soccer, but there is a vast range of more exciting outdoor games to enjoy on a picnic today. Modern games like jump shoes will allow you to have some serious fun by making it possible to run at great speed and jump incredibly high. Large kites are also a good addition to a picnic and you will have great fun making them soar through the sky.

The Essentials

Whilst the modern picnic has become much more fun, there are still essentials that need to be taken to keep yourself comfortable and safe. Sun tan lotion, for example, is a must so that you can enjoy the sun without harming yourself or your children. It is also important to take lots of water to keep hydrated and some means with which you can create shade too. If you have small children or babies with you on the picnic then you will also need to ensure that you can keep them cool and comfortable throughout the afternoon.

A first birthday might be more memorable for the parent than for the baby. However, that doesn’t mean your baby won’t find it a lovely occasion to look back upon with the help of photos and videos. The first birthday is a special milestone in your child’s life and you will want to celebrate it with plenty of baby gifts, good company and a delicious birthday cake.

Location

Should you hold the party at home or at a restaurant or other party venue? It may be a good idea to hold the party at home, as young children can tire quickly and need to be put to bed. On the other hand, setting the party in a restaurant or a special party venue can save you from having to clean up or arrange the catering.

You could also opt for a local park or other public area for holding the party. Your location will depend on your budget, preferences and how many people you’re going to invite.

Invitations and Themes

Arrange invitations well in advance to give guests plenty of notice. At least a fortnight’s notice is probably a good rule of thumb, but you can give more. If you’ve set a theme for the party, design your invitations to reflect the theme and let guests know if it’s going to be a fancy dress-up party.

Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter or Pirates might be some of the themes you could consider for your baby’s birthday party. You can give guests the option of dressing up, or you can just have the theme reflected in your party decorations.

Food and Decorations

You’ll probably want to serve two different menus: one for the adult guests and one for the younger children. Make sure the children’s menu contains palatable items for 1-year-olds.

Ideas for the children’s menu might include mini sandwiches, chicken strips, cheese nuggets, baked potato gems, little muffins or cookies. Finally, don’t forget about the birthday cake, which is probably the all-important item on your catering list.

Also, use decorations to bring a party atmosphere to your venue. Colourful balloons, streamers and a large ‘Happy Birthday’ sign could feature on your decorations shopping list. Flowers, pom-poms and colourful seat cloths and tablecloths are some of the other things you can use to liven up the place.

Activities and Party Favour Bags or Hampers

Games such as chocolate hunts, spoon races and musical chairs may be suitable, depending on the age of your guests. Have a playlist of music and an assortment of game activities ready to keep attendees entertained.

Party favour bags can add a nice touch to your party too. They often contain sweets and toys, but this might not be wholly appropriate for very young children.

A luxurious alternative to the traditional party favour bag are baby hampers, which can be ordered complete and ready for giving. These may contain everything from baby clothing to soft toys and everyday essentials like baby shampoo and soap.

Getting Help

Children’s birthday parties can get very busy quickly, and so enlisting the help of a few relatives or friends will make it a bit easier for you. Assign photo or video duty to one person, and ask others to keep an eye on the attendees.

Summary: The loss of a loved one is difficult enough for adults, but for children, it can be even harder. Younger children may not even understand what it means for someone to pass away.

Keywords: food gift baskets, grief counselling

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Death and loss are difficult to cope with, no matter what the person’s age. It is even harder for children. They see the flowers, food gift baskets and cards. They know the adults around them are sad, but they may not understand the finality of death and how to manage their emotions.

The first thing to do when helping your child mourn is to understand the developmental stages and how they impact a child’s understanding of death.

0-1 years old

The child knows the grown-ups around him/her are sad but does not know why.

1-4 years old

Children at this age think in concrete terms. They may link death to a physical event, place, or an object. This can cause a fear of the object/place/event. For example, if Uncle Frank died in a car accident, they might be afraid to get into a car. The permanence of death will be difficult for the child to comprehend.

4-10 years old

By this age, children start to understand the meaning of death – that the body ceases to function, and without a functioning body, we cannot live. They begin to understand what might cause a person to die, but may oversimplify. If smoking can cause cancer, and cancer can cause death, then smoking = certain death.

10-12 years old

The child knows the facts of death but still has trouble wrapping his/her head around the abstract ideas discussed by adults. This is an age when children are most likely to act out due to their inability to appropriately express their anger/grief.

13-18 years old

Teenagers fully understand death. They may seek out the support of friends and family. However, they will still need the attention, love, and support of caring adults while they grapple with their emotions.

Things to Remember

a) Explain the situation

Keeping in mind the developmental stages outlined above, explain to your child in an age-appropriate manner that the individual has died, and what that means.

b) Be honest

Do not avoid the subject of death. Be honest with your child and use concrete language – no abstract wording. Telling them that the person has ‘gone away’, ‘we lost Uncle Buck’, or ‘Grandma went to Heaven’ will only confuse a young child. Children have an uncanny ability to know when we are being less than forthcoming with them and this will cause insecurity.

c) Children take their cues from us

Young children especially will base their emotions and sense of well-being on the behaviour of the adults around them. Is it okay to cry and be sad around the child? Yes. Children need to know it’s healthy to express grief.

It is unwise, however, to let your child watch you ‘unravel’. If you are having a hard time coping with the death yourself, it’s best to find another trusted adult who may be better able to provide your child with the stability he/she needs at this crucial time.

d) Get help

If the grief seems insurmountable, there is grief counselling available for individuals and families. Sometimes, it is easier to talk to a stranger about our grief because we are afraid of hurting/offending our family and friends by what we say. These thoughts and emotions should still be expressed, however, and counselling is a safe and supportive place to do that.

Remember – helping your child understand death is a healthy experience and nothing to be ashamed or afraid of.

Summary: If you have a friend who you know is having trouble, they may find it difficult to ask for help. Here are some ways of helping them without them having to ask you.

Keywords: depression help, gift baskets

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If you have a friend who is having trouble, they might find it hard to ask for help. In order to support them during this tough time, you’ll need to look for the right warning signs, listen to them without judging, take the time to discuss their condition and aim to seek help together. Read on for how you can help a friend or loved one seek help for depression and grief.

Helping a Friend with Depression

Before you help, you need to see the signs and symptoms of depression. These usually range from constantly feeling down over at least a number of weeks and having a reduced or increased level of appetite, to losing interest in their normal hobbies and the joy of life in general and refusing to go out of the house.

Once you’ve recognised the signs and symptoms of depression in your friend, find the right time to talk to them about it. Let them know you’ve noticed they have been feeling down lately and offer to listen to them and talk through things. Remember to remain calm and non-judgemental and to respect their limits.

When talking with your friend, encourage them to seek professional depression help from a counsellor or doctor. Let them know that they are loved and deserve to feel better, and that with the appropriate help or treatment, they will recover. You can also offer to go with them for moral support if they decide to speak to someone. If they don’t feel comfortable with the first counsellor or doctor they see, you can help them find another health professional and encourage them to not give up on getting help.

If they refuse to seek help, you can ask for help from other friends or their family members to also convince them to seek help. Make sure each person speaks to your friend one at a time and not ambush them. It might just take them to hear more than once (and from several other people) that they need to seek help for their depression to get better.

Helping a Friend with Grief

Depression and grief are often linked. Grief is what we feel when someone special in our life has sadly passed away. That grief can lead to depression as part of the mourning process in our loss. If you have a friend who is suffering from grief, you may not be able to take away the pain of their loss, but you can provide comfort and support.

Although there is no specific timeframe for grieving, if you find that your friend has constantly been grieving for about 5 or 6 months and does not seem to get any better, they might need to seek professional help or counselling. But just like with depression, you’ll need to recognise the signs first. These include withdrawing from others, profusely focusing on the death, difficulty in doing regular daily activities, constantly feeling sad and hopeless, and generally not enjoying life.

When advising your friend to seek help for their grief, remember to let them know about your concern for them. Suggest that they go to a grief counsellor or a support group in helping them be at peace with their loss and continue with their own life. You might find that their grief can be healed by pouring their heart out to someone they don’t know and discuss their situation in a more neutral manner. You can also continue in supporting your friend by helping them get back into activities and making decisions.

Take Care of Yourself When Supporting Your Friend

It’s very important to look after yourself as well when you’re worried about someone suffering from depression or grief. It could feel like you’re all alone when you’re helping your friend. Make sure you don’t neglect your own needs and interests by also taking the time to relax and enjoy things like movies, music, sports and exercise.

Gifts for People with Depression or Grief

Sometimes, giving a gift to your friend with depression or grief can help them feel a bit happier or lift their spirits during Christmas or their birthday. But it’s important that you give from a position of non-judgement and that you give them something they want, not what they need.

Here are some gift ideas:

• Gift basket – There are many good gift baskets available with a bunch of products that will suit most tastes and bring a smile to people’s faces. These include gourmet hampers, chocolate hampers, pamper hampers and flower hampers.

• CD or MP3 player – If your friend enjoys listening to music, download a compilation of songs from their favourite bands or genres.

• Gift certificate – Any gift certificate for a shop or service will always be appreciated. Consider exercise or meditation classes, salon treatments or movie screening sessions.