How to Celebrate Easter as a Family

It’s easy to see why, for many people, Easter is the most enjoyable holiday of the year. After all, while Christmas can be nice, it’s also highly stressful — by the time January rolls around, many people are eager to get back to the usual routine. Plus, it can be expensive. Easter is different. It’s a lot more relaxed and, since it occurs during the Spring, allows families the chance to really enjoy some quality time together. With Easter on the horizon, we thought it’d be a good idea to put together some useful tips that’ll help you and your loved ones get the most from the holiday.


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Make a Plan
Sometimes fun things happen all on their own. But why take the chance? If you want to celebrate Easter to the max, then it’s recommended that you make a plan as soon as possible. This is especially true if you’re planning to enjoy the holiday with your extended family — they may have made alternative plans if you leave it too late to ask them. In reality, you can wait until closer to the date to come up with a detailed plan of what you’ll do, but in the early stages, make sure you’re letting people know!

Dive into the History
Easter is a quieter holiday with more free time, so be sure to make the most of it! There are plenty of ways to do this, but one of the most enjoyable ways is to dive into the history of Easter. As you might expect, there’s a lot to unpack. For example, have you ever wondered ‘is Easter a pagan holiday?’ The answer might not be what you think it is! As well as spending your time getting a deeper understanding of the holiday, you may also consider visiting a church service with your family, where you’ll learn about the deeper meaning of the holiday.

The Epic Dinner
For many people, the meal is the star of the show. It’s a time to come together and really spend some quality time with your loved ones. Plus, it’s just delicious. If you’re looking to take the traditional route, then look at making roast lamb with all the trimmings. You can also decorate the dining table with flowers, fancy napkins, and any touches of Easter that you can find.

Play Some Games
Time to have some fun! If you’re having an early meal, then you’ll have plenty of time after the food has been finished to engage in some fun activities. This will be all the more possible if the sun is shining, as we all hope it will during the spring season. Head into the yard for a fun Easter egg hunt or you can just play some classic yard games. The delightful spring weather is also the perfect time to get the camera out and conduct a photo shoot. After all, all your family members will be working their finest clothes, the sun will be shining, and the flowers will be out. Perfect!

Give Your Cooking Skills A Boost With These Tips

Do you want to improve your cooking abilities?
The following tips may be helpful:

Cooking is a talent that can be honed with practice and commitment. There are always ways to improve your cooking skills, no matter how good you already are. 


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Learn about your ingredients
Knowing how your ingredients will react to different cooking methods, like steaming, boiling, roasting, and baking will help you change your recipe correctly.

Using fresh, high-quality ingredients can also add flavor to your food, which will please your palate and your ego! Use seasonal and ripe produce instead of produce shipped in from all over the world since it will taste much fresher and more lively. If you are feeling particularly daring, you may even try your hand at foraging.

Practice makes perfect
The more time you spend in the kitchen, the better at food preparation you will become. Experiment with various components and recipes to determine what works best for you. It is also crucial to be organized while cooking. Prepare your ingredients ahead of time so that everything comes together quickly and smoothly.

Take a class
Watching culinary shows or taking a cooking class is another excellent approach to improving your cooking skills. Observing professional chefs in action can give you an understanding of how they prepare dishes such as
aloo paratha and provide valuable insights you can use in your kitchen. A class is also a terrific chance to learn new techniques and dishes from a professional chef.

Purchase high-quality kitchen tools
This is one of the most neglected steps. Many of us may believe that having a pan, a spatula, and a knife is sufficient to get things started. Suppose you are serious about cooking and improving your talents. In that case, you should consider purchasing more cooking tools and kitchen equipment to help you and make your cooking experience as easy as possible. Every piece of cooking equipment and instrument has a specific purpose: When it comes to knives, it is essential to have a collection of kitchen knives to make slicing and chopping tasks faster and easier. If a set is out of your price range, we recommend keeping at least
one chef’s knife, one paring knife, and one fillet knife.

Have patience
Cooking takes time, which is especially vital if you are a beginner. A recipe usually tells you how long it should take, but we recommend adding extra time. Taking time to do things well entails gradually adding ingredients to a recipe rather than dumping them all in at once or patiently waiting for the dough to rise. will make all the difference in the quality of your cuisine.

Understand how to balance flavors
If you have been frustrated by a dish that is either overly sweet or too salty and do not know how to correct it, learning how to balance flavors can be beneficial. Balancing a dish entails knowing which flavors to enhance when a single flavor dominates your recipe.

Your final dish should not be overly salty, although a pinch of salt is always a good idea in most recipes. Even if your alternatives appear to be the same, the type of salt you choose makes a difference.

Do not be afraid to season to taste and deviate from the recipe a little if you want. Everyone’s taste buds are unique, so when a recipe calls for a certain amount of salt, it is usually more of a suggestion. The only exception is while baking, where salt serves an exact role and must be measured out.

Here’s How To Get The Kids Eating Healthier

Are you worried about young people’s diets? You’re far from alone. For many adults, this is one of the most significant concerns they struggle with daily. They want to ensure that their children get everything they need in their diet, just like you do. Of course, this can be easier said than done. Children can be picky eaters and might reject healthy food on principle. So, how can you work to ensure that your children are getting everything they need from the food they consume on a daily basis? Here are some options. 


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Healthy Substitutes 
First, you must explore healthy substitutes similar to the foods your kids already enjoy but provide health benefits. There are lots of different examples of substitutes like this that you can explore. For instance, your kids may love pizza. Instead of preparing a typical pizza, you could try a sourdough pizza. You can learn how to make a fantastic sourdough pizza dough recipe at this site. You can do this with your kids, which brings us to the next option. 

Get Them Involved
If you want your children to eat a healthier diet, you should consider ensuring they are involved in the cooking and preparation. Do this, and you’ll be able to make sure that they are more likely to want to consume healthy food because they helped prepare it. This is also a great way to introduce your children to a new hobby and ensure that they have a practical skill they will probably depend on more when they get older. Just make sure that you have set up a kitchen environment that is going to be safe for them to use without any issues. 

Sample Lots Of Different Flavors And Types Of Cooking 
Do be aware that children may think that they don’t like healthy food. But it’s possible they just haven’t been exposed to enough of it. You should try cooking meals with different flavors, ingredients, and food from different cultures. It’s possible that you haven’t found the right option to tantalize your child’s taste buds. Don’t panic. There are always options that you can explore here. 

Make It Look Enticing 
Finally, kids can be very visual. This means that they may accept food based on how it tastes but how it looks. So, you must ensure that you are trying to make the food look fun or enticing for your kids. There are lots of ways to do this. For instance, you can use food dyes to make it more colorful and exciting. This could be particularly useful if you want younger children to eat healthier. 

We hope this helps you understand some of the key steps that you can take to get your children to eat healthier and ensure that they gain everything that they need from their general diet. 

TEXT Bible (Giveaway Winner Announcement)

Hello, Elegant People

I pray that all is well with you and your family.

We often hear that teenagers are the most challenging group to reach with the Word of God. Teenagers are often labeled as disinterested and unreachable. But what if parents and church leaders had a specific tool designed for this audience in mind? The new TEXT Bible from Harper Collins Christian Publishing reaches teenagers by writing the Bible at their level.


The TEXT Bible is Ideal for teens because it does not talk down to them but teaches them who God is, how to engage with Scripture, and how to have a personal relationship with Him. It is crucial for teens to know they matter in the world today and their life has meaning and value. The Bible is also perfect for young adults, new believers, and anyone who does not feel confident engaging Scripture on their own. The TEXT Bible, which uses the New English Translation (NET), introduces a new and memorable study method. The TEXT method uses a four-step approach to help readers of every experience level interact with God’s message.

(T)
— Talk to God
(E) — Encounter God and humanity in Scripture
(X) — Examine your heart
(T) Talk to others and engage with Scripture

Along with this easy-to-use Bible engagement technique, answers to common questions, prayer prompts, and easy-to-understand study tips, The TEXT Bible allows readers at any experience level to get closer to God. They will want to use it every day.

This short video provides a more detailed description of the Bible’s key features.

The TEXT Bible retails for $49.99. However, you use this LINK to save 50% if purchased by Valentine’s Day.

Giveaway Winner!
We recently offered a giveaway with releasing the new TEXT Bible. And the winner is

~~ Adrianne M. ~~

Congratulations, Adrianne! You will receive your copy of the TEXT Bible! YEAH! We will be contacting you about getting your Bible!

Check back for the next giveaway, coming soon to our blog.

Disclaimer:
Many thanks to Harper Collins Christian Publishing for providing us with a copy of the TEXT Bible to write this review. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

Supporting Your Teen In High School

Parents can do a lot to help their teens do well in school by keeping them informed and giving them some support and direction. Even though teens want to be on their own, parental help is essential to doing well in school.

Go to Parent-Teacher Conferences and Back-to-School Night
Teenagers do better in school when their parents help them study. You can learn a lot about your teen’s teachers and what they expect by attending the school’s open house or back-to-school night. School administrators may talk to parents and guardians of juniors and seniors about school-wide programs and rules, and options for after high school.

Attending parent-teacher conferences is another way to find out what’s going on. However, in high school, these conferences are usually only set up when parents need to help with problems like destructive behavior, not meeting grade-level expectations, or getting more out of advanced class work.

Have A Look At The School’s Website
When you talk to your teen about the school, knowing how the building and grounds are set up can help you connect with them. It’s helpful to know where the main office, school nurse, cafeteria, gym, athletic fields, auditorium, and special classes are.

On the school’s website, you can find information about:
– Contacting school staff about special events like dances and class trips
– Dates of tests, current grades, and unfinished work
– Information on how to sign up and when for sports, clubs, and other activities outside of school
– Help for students with life after high school
High school mental health activities
– Many teachers have their own websites with links to textbooks and other resources and information about homework, quizzes, and tests. There are often extra resources for parents and students on the district, school, or teacher websites.

Help With Homework
In high school, there is more homework, and grades are more critical for college plans. Students who want to attend college must also study for the SATs or ACTs. Many teens are learning how to balance school, jobs, and social lives during all these changes.

Make sure your teen has a place to study that is quiet, well-lit, and free of distractions. This is an important thing you can do to help. Distraction-free means you can’t use the phone, TV, or websites that aren’t related to your homework. Make sure to check on your teen every so often to make sure they haven’t gotten sidetracked.

Sit down with your teen regularly to discuss his or her schedule and ensure it’s fair. Also, help him or her stick to a homework and study schedule.

Tell your teen that it’s okay to ask for help when they need it. Most teachers are available before or after school to help students who need it, and they may also be able to suggest other resources.

Offer Your Help With Homework
Planning is crucial if you want to help your teen study while they are juggling homework from different subjects. Since grades matter in high school, it’s essential to plan for studying, especially if your teen is busy with activities outside of school.

When your teen has a lot to study, help them break it up into smaller tasks and stick to the schedule on the studying calendar so that they don’t have to study for multiple tests all at once. Remind your teen to take notes in class, organize them by subject, and go over them at home.

If your teen gets good grades, he or she might not need help studying. But if grades start to drop, it might be time to step in. Most parents still need to help their teens with organization and studying. Just because they’re in high school doesn’t mean they can do this independently.

You can help your teen study and remember things by asking simple questions, asking them to fill in the missing word, or taking practice tests. The more ways like writing, reading, speaking, and listening to the brain uses to process information, the more likely it is that the information will be remembered. Repetition of words, re-reading passages aloud, rewriting notes, visualizing information, or drawing it all help the brain remember things.

Get Involved
Helping out at your teen’s high school is a great way to show that you care about their education.

Keep in mind, though, that some teens like to see their parents at school or at school events, while others might feel embarrassed. Follow your teen’s lead to figure out how much interaction is best for both of you and if your volunteering should be done in the background. Make it clear that you’re not there to spy on people; you’re just trying to help the school community.

Parents and guardians can take an active role by:
– Serving as a grade-level chairperson, organizing or working at fundraisers and other special events like bake sales, car washes, and book fairs, or working at a concession stand at a sports game.
– Taking care of kids on school trips, dances, and proms
– Attending school board meetings
– Joining the school’s parent-teacher group working as a library assistant, mentoring or tutoring students reading a story to the class, giving a talk for career day, going to school concerts, plays, and sports games
– Check the school or school district website to see if any volunteer opportunities work with your schedule. Even if you only give a few hours during the school year, your teen will remember it.

Attendance Is Important
If a teen has a fever, feels sick, is throwing up, or has diarrhea, they should stay home from school. Aside from that, it’s vital that they get to school every day on time because having to catch up on classwork, projects, tests, and homework can be stressful and make it hard to learn.

Teens may not want to go to school for many reasons, such as being bullied, having hard homework, getting bad grades, having social problems, or having problems with classmates or teachers. Talk with your teen, and then maybe with a school administrator or counselor, to find out what’s making him or her nervous.

Students may also be late to school because they didn’t get enough sleep. Keeping your teen on a regular sleep schedule can help him, or she avoid being tired and late.

Be Open About Communicating About School
Parents and guardians can find it hard to keep in touch with their teens because they spend so much time away from home at school, in extracurricular activities, on the job, or with their friends. High school students spend most of their time discovering new interests and making new friends. However, their parents and guardians are their primary sources of love, guidance, and support.

Try to talk to your teen every day so he or she knows you care about what happens at school. When teens know that their parents care about how well they do in school, they will also work hard in school.

Because communication is a two-way street, how you talk and listen to your teen can affect how well he or she listens and responds. You must listen carefully, make eye contact, and not do other things simultaneously when you talk to someone. Don’t talk to your teen; talk with him or her. Make sure to ask questions that can’t be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.”

Aside from family meals, good times to talk are driving (though you don’t have to make eye contact), walking the dog, cooking, or waiting in line.

When teens know they can talk to their parents about anything, it can be easier for them to deal with high school problems.