Are you looking for a rewarding hobby for your kids that brings a bit of nature into your home? Then how about an aquarium? While there are many great reasons for owning an aquarium, I'm going to share with you two great reasons to have one, and how you can go about setting one up in your home.

My family has always been animal lovers for as long as I can remember. While I've always had dogs and cats growing up, my kids have been asking for a freshwater tank for quite some time. We've had fishbowls where we've cared for a betta or the occasional goldfish, but having an actual tank where we would be caring for more than one fish was entirely out of my element. I had no idea what I was doing or how to go about doing it the right way.

Thankfully the guys at API Fish Care are professionals and experts in everything fish. They've been in the industry for close to 60 years, and they develop and manufacture hundreds of quality products to help people create and enjoy their underwater worlds. With their help, I was able to choose a tank that worked for my family. I was able to set it up the correct way the first time so that we could enjoy our new fish family for years to come.

So if you're contemplating having an aquarium for your kids, but are having doubts, here are two great reasons to get one now, and tips on how you can set it up correctly the first time as well.


IT'S EDUCATIONAL
Kids are always asking questions, and how about a little science. For those who are homeschooling or even if you aren't, it's a great way to introduce the aquatic life (zoology) to kids. While you may be fencing questions such as "Do fish sleep?", "How do they breathe?", these are all great ways to get them learning. But besides the "life of a fish," kids can learn about the underwater life components such as bacteria (chemistry) and so much more.

TEACHES RESPONSIBILITY
While owning a fish pet may seem as though it's the easiest pet to take care of, there are still responsibilities involved. Sure, you don't have to walk your fish; however, you're still going to need to feed your fish and clean its tank.


HOW TO SET UP AN AQUARIUM AND WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO START IN 5 SIMPLE STEPS

1. GET THE RIGHT SIZE TANK WITH A LIGHT
While fish bowls are great for a single goldfish or a betta fish when you're thinking of getting a community of fish, the rule of thumb is generally 1 gallon of water per inch of fish. A great starting size of 10-20 gallons is excellent for starting out as the bigger the tank, the more you can add, but don't add too much as too many fish can also cause problems.

2. WASH AND ADD GRAVEL OR ROCKS
You're going to need gravel or rocks for the bottom of your tank. There are many varieties so you can choose the one that suits you best. However, before adding your gravel, and other decors that you may add to your tank, wash them thoroughly with warm water. Do not use soap or detergents as those can be toxic to your fish. Simply stir your gravel and drain in a colander until the water runs clear and is clear of debris.

3. ADD WATER AND ½ DOSAGE API® STRESS COAT
Fill your tank with room temperature water about half-way. Since you'll more than likely be using your tap to fill your tank, you're going to need to also add API® STRESS COAT. While chlorine may be good for you, it's not good for your fish. API® STRESS COAT water conditioner makes your tap water safe for your fish by removing chlorine, chloramines, and heavy metals from your tap water. It also contains Aloe Vera, known for its healing powers, to help reduce fish stress by up to 40% and to heal damaged tissues and wounds. Follow the directions on the label for proper measurements with the size of your tank.


4. ADD YOUR DECOR INCLUDING PLASTIC PLANTS, HEATER, THERMOMETER, FILTER, AND PUMP
Now it's time to add your decor, including your plastic plants, your submersible heater, thermometer, filter, and pump. You can place your decor to hide any tubes or equipment placed in your tank. Be sure to place your thermometer away from your heater so that you don't get a false reading. Tropical fishes need to be kept at around 76º and 78ºF.

5. ADD THE REST OF THE WATER, API® AQUARIUM SALT, API® QUICK START and the OTHER ½  API®  STRESS COAT
Once you've added your decor, set up your filter, heater, etc., it's now time to add the rest of your water and the other half of your API® STRESS COAT. You're also going to need to add your API® AQUARIUM SALT. Don't let the word salt fool you, it's great for your tropical fish body functions. Also, add API® QUICK START as this immediately starts the natural aquarium cycle with beneficial bacteria, which helps to make the water safe for your fish, allowing you to set up and use your new tank immediately without any loss of fish.

Now it''s time to add your fish! 
When choosing your fish, choose fish that are community fishes that will get along.


If you want to be sure that your aquarium water is safe for your fish, then they also recommend the API® 5-IN-1 TEST STRIPS which helps you measure the water parameters of the fish and is as simple as dipping a strip into your aquarium and comparing the colors to the color chart provided.

You're also going to want food to feed your fish. API® TROPICAL FLAKES is made specifically for your tropical fishes. API® TROPICAL FLAKES is a complete balanced food for your tropical fish to grow and function and maintain their strength. While your fish may look hungry, it''s recommended that you only feed your fish twice a day in small amounts that they can eat in about 3-5 minutes.

Once every two weeks, you'll need to clean your tank. Drain your tank down about 25%, clean the gravel, then fill it back up again. At this time, you're going to want to use another dose of API STRESS COAT and API AQUARIUM SALT to kickstart the tank once again. If you notice that you're having problems with your water being too cloudy (you may be overfeeding your fish) or with algae, API has two great products, API® ACCU-CLEAR or API ALGAEFIX that can help.

For more help on how to set up your tank and all that you're going to need to start your aquamarine adventure, visit apifishcare.com.

As a parent, your job encompasses a lot of conversations around tough topics. From divorce to death to 'the talk,' these can be distressing to both you and your child. One of the most important conversations you will have surrounds the difficult topic of drug and alcohol abuse.

Whether you think your child is already abusing substances, or you want to keep them aware of the dangers, there are a few dos and don'ts to consider. You want to have this talk early and not when it is time to send them to rehab. Instilling respect early on through these tips will help avoid consequences later. We have compiled some of those here to make this tough talk a little easier.


DON'T ASSUME
Yes, we live in a digital age where kids can easily access information or get exposure through media. Don't assume your child is already aware of the dangers of alcohol or drug use. Many kids fail to understand addiction or substance abuse doesn't have to occur repeatedly. One exposure is enough to present a significant risk.

DO BEGIN THE EARLY CONVERSATION
Many parents put off this conversation until teenage adolescence, but in truth, it is never too early to begin warning them. Younger children are more receptive to guidance and advice. You can start by discussing the over-the-counter medications you take, like cold medicine. Address the risks and guidelines on how to use them. This approach instills respect for medication use from an early age.

DON'T BE VAGUE 
You may strive to avoid alarming your child by keeping things vague or forgetting they don't have a baseline knowledge yet. Avoid being vague by giving clear instructions on the consequences of substance use or abuse. Explain this applies in all situations – whether or not you are present. They might not fully understand, but clear expectations will help them later on.

DO ADDRESS IT IMMEDIATELY
If you suspect or catch your child using drugs or alcohol, do not wait to address it. Early experimentation can easily lead to subsequent addiction. Ask your child to take a faint line drug test so that you can verify your suspicions. If they test positive for any substances, talk to them calmly and rationally. A rational approach can help guide them to a smarter decision the next time they feel tempted.


DON'T FORGET TO LISTEN 
Even if they have broken the rules and a justified punishment has followed, take the time to listen. Understand who or what led them to try substances in the first place. It might have been peer pressure, personal feelings, or issues adapting to another force in their life. Everyone goes through tough times, and maybe, this experimentation was how they sought to deal with it. By listening, you can get to the root of the motivation and help overcome the real challenge.

DO TALK ABOUT PEERS 
We all remember how persuasive our peers can be. This point is especially real as children when there is a pressure to do something because everyone else is. Be honest with your child about your experiences with peer pressure and how overwhelming that can be. Help them recognize confidence can grow when they block out the peer pressure and become a leader. Saying no is not easy, but they have to learn to stand up for themselves.

DON'T LIMIT THE CONVERSATION 
Unlike 'the talk,' you will probably have to explore drugs and alcohol dangers more than once. The pressure to experiment may increase with age, so the conversation must evolve. It shouldn't be a continuous lecture but rather organic conversations. For example, if you see abuse happening in some form of media entertainment, unpack it, and talk through it. Explore how it impacted the character and those around them.

DO KEEP AN OPEN MIND
As a parent, you want what is best for your child. But at times, your child might not see it that way. Keep an open mind in these conversations as you explore the motivations behind drug and alcohol abuse. By encouraging questions and creating an environment where they can come to you, you can help lay a foundation for them to make the right choice for themselves.

Music is a powerful tool that society has been using for thousands of years. It is entertaining as well as emotionally fulfilling for many. It also helps us learn. According to an article published in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Psychology, music interventions play an important role in childhood development, especially among school-aged children.

Most of us experience music in our daily lives and remember how it shaped our childhood. As a parent, you should actively incorporate lessons into your child's life. It will help them grow and develop their minds.

Here are 4 ways that music can enrich your child's life.


1. IT FACILITATES THE LEARNING OF NEW CONCEPTS
When children first begin to learn new concepts, especially skills like reading and math, latching on to these complex ideas can be difficult. However, music helps children form connections to these concepts. Songs can be used to explain big ideas to young children.

Singing and repeating songs prompts them to retain new ideas and apply them later. It can help with memory skills and their ability to recognize patterns. Learning about new instruments introduces basic scientific knowledge about sound and vibrations. And at the end of the day, using music to teach will keep your children engaged in the lesson at hand.

2. IT DEVELOPS MOTOR SKILLS  
As children grow, they are continuously developing their motor skills. Participation in music is one way that children develop and fine-tune their motor skills. In very early age groups, kids listen to music and start to dance along to the rhythms in songs and sing to lyrics.

As children mature, they may start to play instruments as part of their musical development. Percussion and string instruments are particularly good for motor skill development. Drums and the piano, for example, require the use of both hands, and even the feet, to perform different rhythms at once. Learning to play an instrument requires precision and focus.


3. IT IS AN OUTLET FOR CREATIVE EXPRESSION
Music allows children to express themselves. They can get in touch with their emotions in a healthy, productive way. Many children fall in love with music and want to pursue it full-time.

If your child is passionate about a particular instrument or genre, sign them up for lessons or rent/buy instruments for them to use at home. The only way they will ever experience their interest in music is by trying out melodies and rhythms on the instruments.

Keep in mind that you'll need to do some research about what equipment is necessary. For example, according to the Drum Center of Portsmouth, percussion, requires a lot of specific equipment. Use the internet or visit your local drum shop to speak to an expert about which gear is needed for your child's instrument of choice.

4. IT FOSTERS A SENSE OF BELONGING IN SOCIAL SETTINGS
Music also fosters social development in children. This can happen in early age groups when children listen to or create new songs together. If children take group classes or join an ensemble, they collaborate to achieve a common goal.

It is also important for older age groups, especially teens. During these formative years, many teens discover what kinds of music they like and develop meaningful relationships based on shared interests. A shared passion for music bonds people and may lead to lifelong friendships.


Conclusion

Music is beneficial to your child's early development. It is also important to them as they grow older and develop unique hobbies and interests.

We know that music is good for the mind, but it is especially useful for teaching children important academic concepts.

Look for more ways to incorporate music into your child's daily routine by doing your own research online!

There may be many reasons for which people decide to redo their kitchen. Sometimes that space is simply due for a radical makeover because of the damages and malfunctions that have accumulated over a long period of time. Sometimes you feel like the design and general feel of your kitchen is out of date and does not meet your aesthetic requirements anymore.

Regardless of the motivation behind a kitchen makeover, it is almost impossible to get away without doing it at least once throughout your life. The cooking space is one of, if not the most important room in the house, and you should give it the respect it deserves by carrying out a thorough remodel when the time comes.

The idea of what's aesthetically pleasing and what isn't is a highly subjective one. Rather than your sense of style, however, you should place the focus on the functionality of your cooking space. Under-cabinet lighting in the kitchen may look very cool, but if you find no use for it outside of the visual aspect, you might want to reconsider it and allocate the funds in a different way. If, on the other hand, you drop things often, or you simply want to have the floor illuminated whenever you wish to add the ambiance to the whole room, this type of lighting is a reasonable investment.

Combining high functionality with cool aesthetics is what you should aim for when planning out your kitchen renovation. If you're not exactly certain how you want to go about it, keep reading to come across ideas that will surely fire up your imagination!


RUSTIC KITCHEN
Going classic is always an option. If space allows it, you can truly turn your kitchen from a dull, basic-looking room into a classy, country-style cooking space with a fresh yet simple design that is a real blast from the past.

Rustic makeovers usually involve replacing furniture with its wooden counterparts. However, if you're not a fan of this particular material, you can balance out the wood with countertops and even entire shelves that are made out of stone. This will keep the room from overflowing with wooden accents. Additionally, it is a lifesaver for those times when you catch the kids (or your spouse) chopping up fruit and vegetables without a cutting board - the marks a knife leaves on stone surfaces are nothing compared to the ugliness of scratches and cuts on a freshly installed wooden countertop.

Even if your kitchen is not the biggest out there, there are still things you can do to get that rustic feel out of it. With just a little bit of the right know-how, you can use paint to mimic the old wooden parts that are the foundation of this kitchen style.


MINIMALIST KITCHEN
Although all of the ideas outlined in this article can be implemented into kitchens of all shapes and sizes, the minimalist approach has proven to work best in smaller spaces. If you've got a really huge kitchen and decide to go for that style, you might find it a little bit eerie and unwelcoming - a vast, empty space with all of the tools and appliances placed out of sight doesn't exactly scream "homely."

If you live in an apartment building and your cooking space is much more limited than you'd like it to be, a minimalist take on a kitchen makeover can work wonders, especially when it comes to revealing all the extra space you didn't even know existed!

These kinds of kitchens are usually equipped with plain white cabinets and loads of drawers that allow you to hide things that would otherwise occupy the valuable countertop space. Appliances such as coffee machines and kettles are often creatively put away into functional cupboards so that they're only out in the open when actually being used. If you care about functionality above all and don't like unnecessary clutter, you can't really go wrong with a minimalist makeover!


MODERN KITCHEN
Many kitchens designed with modernity in mind borrow heavily from the minimalist approach. They deserve a separate section, though, if only because of what they bring to the table in terms of creative uses of technology to give your kitchen a certain "wow-effect" that other designs may be lacking.

The modern approach to kitchen design does not shy away from technological novelties, such as smart fridges, and other automated appliances. In many cases, black is the dominant color, although it is really up to you. Smooth surfaces and creative lighting are also some of the key aspects of modern kitchens.

If you believe that it's time to bring your cooking space into the twenty-first century, go with the modern design - AI-controlled, smart appliances do not go well together with rustic themes, and there is no space for gadgets in the rigid minimalist regime.


The Bottom Line 

At the end of the day, it's you who has to make the final decision, and it should be one that suits your needs the most. The three basic directions in which you can take the makeover are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the different ways to transform a kitchen. 

Many still believe that jewelry is something you wear for a special event or occasion. Often, the jewelry reserved for everyday wear is the wedding band and nothing else. Why is this so? It could be because the number of choices is too overwhelming. While it is true that there are tons of factors to consider, we’ve listed the five essential things that you should consider when selecting your jewelry for everyday wear. Read on.


YOUR PERSONAL STYLE
Of course, your jewelry should reflect your personal style. If your everyday wear is pretty laid back, your choice of jewelry should be simple and not fussy at all. For instance, you can choose to wear stud earrings that you can simply forget and style your outfit by layering with an accent piece. If you prefer to wear a necklace, you can have a long chain paired with a bar necklace with a shorter chain to balance out your look.

If you are someone who loves adding some glitz and glamor to your everyday, opt for pearls or diamonds to achieve an elegant look.

YOUR COMFORT LEVEL
If you are going to choose jewelry that you can wear without any fuss, go for something that matches your lifestyle. Of course, the idea is not to wear a piece of jewelry you must continually think about. If you are comfortable wearing the engagement ring that your partner gave you then do so, particularly if they are ethically sourced like the ones by Love & Promise Rings.

If you are, however, more comfortable with wearing a simple band or a small hoop earring, it is perfectly okay. You don’t have to go too fancy. The key to the everyday look is to make it as simple as possible. Anything that would cause you to stress about what you’re wearing is a big no-no.


YOUR SPENDING LIMIT
Before you order that new bit of bling you’ve had your eye on, you first have to limit how much you are willing to spend. Once you have that settled, only visit stores that can meet your budget. If you promise yourself to buy a solid piece every month, make it worthwhile by choosing to spend your hard-earned money on real gold items that will last a lifetime. If you are strapped for cash, there’s nothing wrong with buying fashion pieces that you can mix and match to liven up your wardrobe every single day.

Remember, if you are not comfortable in spending too much money on jewelry, no one will judge you. You should not worry about what other people will think about your gems. What’s important is that you don’t live beyond your means.

YOUR COLLECTION TENDENCY
A person can never have enough jewelry. In fact, for some people the more that they have, the better. By building up your collection, you can be sure that you have enough pieces that you can wear any time of the day. You can start your collection with simple pieces before graduating to vintage pieces that would become the talk of the town. Everybody starts small!

YOUR JEWELRY CATEGORY
Before you keep on buying one particular type of jewelry, make sure that you have one of each from the basic categories. Ideally, you should have a pair of earrings, bracelet, necklace, and ring. In fact, you can buy pieces that would effortlessly complement each other like a matching earring and necklace. You can purchase statement pieces if you prefer or a stylish bracelet that you can wear solo. For a chain, you can choose to have a personalized one paired with a plain hoop earring.


While it is tempting to keep up with the latest trends in fashion and jewelry, it is perfectly okay if you want to stick with the classics. The idea is to get pieces that would be easy to mix and match with what you already have in your closet. When aiming to stylize your everyday look, you can try to go for those that would allow you to move comfortably without breaking the bank. If you have heirloom pieces with sentimental value, you can wear them every day, no matter your style. No one will fault you for being all out on your jewelry, even if you are in your pajamas.