fathers Archives - Dad of Divas

Tips For Investing For Your Family’s Future

November 11, 2020 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Everyone knows the importance of family, and when it comes to your family’s future, you want to do what’s best for them. There’s a lot that you can do and in many different ways but one of the most important things is your financial health. Investments are a great way of helping to potentially give your funds a bit of a boost and to hopefully set you and your loved ones up with a financially healthier future. But not everyone invests their money for fear of the unknown and potentially losing their savings. However, with the right attitude and approach, it could be something that you can provide for your family. Here are some tips for investing for your family’s future.

Photo by Emma Bauso from Pexels

Save, Save, Save

Saving is important to any individual in life, and the more you can save, the better. Regardless of your income, your age or position in life, it’s always good to be setting money aside for a rainy day, or in this case – an investment. In order to build your funds, having a savings pot is essential. A savings post is going to help you take advantage of all these potential opportunities and investments that will come your way throughout your life. If you’re saving money aside and plenty of it, you give yourself more advantage when it comes to spending it. Some of that money may go towards living in the moment right now, and another may go to spending it during retirement. It’s worth allocating various savings pots for different reasons because it’s going to give you the option of doing more in life. So if you want to invest your money, the first thing you’ll need to do is save it. Sounds like you’re doing the opposite of what you need to be doing but if you’re not willing to save, then you’ll have no money to spend on investing without investing your whole savings fund. And at the end of the day, you should only risk what you can afford to lose.

Do Your Research

As mentioned above, every investment has its risks. And when it comes to risks, a lot of us will shy away from taking them. That’s because no one wants to be in the position where they’re dealt the losing card, right? We all want that shiny pot of gold at the end of the rainbow but if there’s a whole host of obstacles in the way that could risk losing it, many of us will be complacent in doing nothing instead. Research is important when it comes to investments because, with very little knowledge of the thing you’re investing in, it increases your chances of it failing. So when it comes to any investment, look into it more.

Those questions that you have to confusing parts of the investment, seek the answers to. If you’re going into it blindly or with half the information, it can be difficult to get a positive outcome. You have to be very lucky in some cases, and that luck can often not always run in your favour. With that being said, do the research if you’re unsure and trust your gut.

Consider Buying To Rent

Property is a great investment to make, and one way in which you can take advantage of the property market is to buy properties to rent out. These would be something you can either buy outright if possible or to lend a loan in order to pay it off through those who rent from you. It can be a great way to generate a passive income, and that can be great for those times in life where you need a bit of extra money here and there. Look at what properties are out there and consider the potential rental yield that’s available with each property you look at.

A lot of lenders are going to look at the rental yield against what you’re borrowing to make sure that you’re going to be able to pay off this mortgage or loan with the money you make each month from the property. One thing to note is that when it comes to buying to rent, you may have dead months where the tenancy isn’t filled, and so it’s important to have a backup fund. This can cover you during those quiet times if you are unfortunate to have them. Be cautious when renting abroad to as a condo for rent Singapore might perform differently to one in your home country.

Look At Investing In Property Shares

Investing in property shares is important, and it’s certainly something that you want to think about as an alternative option. It might be that you don’t fancy funnelling all your money into the one investment where you’re completely responsible. It might be that you put a fraction of the money in to get a share of the investment pot. This can be beneficial to do and a way of doing something different to simply buying a house outright or with a loan.

Be Wary Of Timing

Timing is key when investing, especially in property. There’s no point in buying to let out a property just before you retire because, at that point, you don’t really need or want your money to be tied up to anything. Instead, you want to be cashing all your investments in so that you can enjoy the money you’ve earned over time. Look at your timing, and it’s ideal if you can create a plan or timeline to stick to when it comes to investing in properties.

Diversify Your Portfolio

And lastly, be sure to diversify your portfolio. Don’t just concentrate on the property market but explore stocks and shares too. Look to expand your portfolio and to have your eggs in several baskets than just the one.

Investing is a great way in hopefully making your money go further, so use these tips to help make that happen. Setting your family up financially can be a great relief!

Ways To Creatively Use Space In The Home

August 12, 2020 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Your home is unique in itself and what you do with it. There’s no limit to what’s possible when you own your home, and there can certainly be changes that you can make to really transform an area of your home into something unique. Here are some ways to creatively use space in the home.

Photo by Kelly Lacy from Pexels

Create A Home Cinema
A home cinema is a definite thing to consider when it comes to your home, and it’s certainly one space that will go down very well with the household, as well as with family and friends. It’s worth thinking about the space and where it would be most suitable. You may have to build an extension to make it happen or completely renovate a room with a home cinema design in tow. Think about how you could do it on a budget but also if you have more money, it might be worth the investment to go all out, especially if you’re a household who loves watching movies. You might want to incorporate some old-style features of a cinema house or make it modern. It all depends on your preferences and what you’re trying to achieve with the space itself.

Make A Games Room For The Family
A games room is always a treat for the family, and it gives you the opportunity to spend more time with your loved ones too. It can also provide useful for dinner parties and social occasions where you might have friends and family over. When creating a games room, consider everyone’s preference in what they enjoy playing. For example, it could be a snooker table, or you might want a darts board and some game arcade machines in there. Pick what matches to personalities and preferences of your household first before investing in a games room.

Turn Your Bathroom Into A Spa
A bathroom is a space where you come to relax, and it’s also one of the most used places in your home. If you’re after something really creative with this space, then you can always consider making it more spa-like. Perhaps you could have a space for towels, spa treatments like body scrubs and face masks. You could incorporate a rainfall shower and have a freestanding bathtub. Finish it off with some scented candles and incense, and you’ve got yourself your own at-home spa to enjoy whenever you want.

Build A Self-Sustainable Garden
A self-sustainable garden is something that can really help benefit your outdoor space and your household as a whole. A vegetable patch or herb garden can be a great addition to your space, and some even build chicken dens to enjoy the luxury of fresh eggs every day or two. It’s good to use your garden space for something more than simply lounging outside in it. Growing your own food source can also save you money in the bank too!

There are lots of ways you can get creative with your space, so use these tips to your advantage when it comes to your own home.

Ways Fathers Can Use Their Knowledge to Improve the Family Household

August 5, 2020 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Fathers are a vital part of many functioning families. All good parents are role models. They model ideal behaviors because they know children will grow up looking to them for advice. It can be hard to be a good role model at times. Fathers are certainly human, and it wasn’t too long before having children that they were going through the same things their kids are experiencing. Experience tells me that fathers are generally more knowledgeable about technical subjects, and they can use this knowledge to build and create things within the household.

Using Building Knowledge to Design Children’s Bedrooms

Fathers do not need to be full-time construction workers to know how to build basic pieces of furniture. Any father can follow a schematic, and a few dads seem to have some innate intuition regarding exactly where screws and nuts go during an assembly project. You can be very creative while involving your kids in the construction process. Consider adding themed wallpaper or building a piece of custom furniture. Designing a bed with a theme related to a show your child loves is a great idea. Kids will see how simple and easy it is to build something as you demonstrate the assembly process. You can even have your kids hammer in specific nails or hold up pieces of furniture as you set boards in place using screws.

Most big assembly projects require two people, so there’s no reason not to involve your kids in the process. You can be very creative with children’s room designs. Consider setting up sliding doors to make the bedroom feel more open and inviting. Barn door handles are relatively easy to install, and you can even make them part of the door of a barn-themed project. You can really stretch your imagination when designing kid’s bedrooms. If your child likes skateboarding, then you can mount skateboards on the wall to act as makeshift shelves.

Sharing Knowledge of Arts and Crafts

Some fathers prefer not to use buzz saws and power drills. There’s definitely value in teaching children how to explore their creative side. Consider projects that are both creative and offer some useful functions. Create a hanging closet organizer out of fabric. Build a lamp out of a birdhouse. The goal is to teach kids to think outside the box and discover creative ways to design things. Many children today will grow up to be designers and engineers, so you’re teaching them a useful tool when you impart this knowledge. You can even simply let them mess around and give them minor guidance while you help them figure out how to design a craft.

Teaching Children to Persevere During Difficult Times

Successful fathers know that it takes a lot of time and effort to make plans successful. Good parents use their life experience to teach perseverance because most kids live in an imaginary world of potential. A young child could grow up to be a successful doctor, musician, or businessman. Studies have shown that people who are highly successful in school and at work are the ones who refuse to give up. You may want to teach your children that successful people aren’t necessarily the smartest or strongest. They simply refuse to give up when things become difficult. This can certainly be hard to emphasize because most kids will follow the path of least resistance when deciding how to tackle an obstacle. It’s human nature to take the easy way out, but you can break these habits by rewarding your children for completing difficult tasks that build character.

Using Knowledge to Build Stronger Relationships With Your Children

Studies have shown that fathers can make a world of difference in the lives of their daughters. This shouldn’t come as a surprise because fathers often act as the backbone of a cohesive family unit. Children crave structure, and an ideal father should be able to give them what they need to thrive. Fathers can use their knowledge to improve relationships with their kids. Teaching a kid to play chess or another complex game can help children learn to strategize at an early age. Children will learn both the rules of the game and the rules necessary to succeed in the real world. A good father can use his life experience to teach his kids how to handle failure and make the best effort possible in a difficult situation.

Bryce Dallas Howard Talks With Us About Her New Documentary DADS

June 11, 2020 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

I had the opportunity along with some other great parents to be a part of a round-table video chat with Bryce Dallas Howard to talk about her new documentary DADS. I got to screen the documentary before this and was completely impressed. I loved how well she told the story of fatherhood and how she portrayed a culturally diverse group of dads from around the world. Not only is she talking to non-celebrities, but she also interviews and shares perspectives from celebrities such as Will Smith, Jimmy Fallon, Neil Patrick Harris and more.

While watching this film I was completely impressed with the questions and the connections that Bryce was able to make in her personal life. As you go along you not only get to know her family, but you get to see and experience what makes fatherhood amazing and unique. You can tell that Bryce went into this film with an open mind about dads and you can tell that she truly loved the learning that she found by the end. I also appreciated the fact of the wrapping up of the experience of her own father to the birth of her niece with her own brother.

Each of us on the call got to ask one question to Bryce. Bryce was open and honest and definitely is someone that I would love to meet in person!

About Dads

DADS is a heartfelt and humorous documentary that celebrates the joys and challenges of parenting in today’s world. Featuring six extraordinary fathers from across the globe, this film offers a firsthand glimpse into the trials and tribulations of modern-day parenting through revealing interviews, rare home-movie footage, viral videos, and hilarious and thoughtful testimonials from some of Hollywood’s funniest celebrities, including Judd Apatow, Jimmy Fallon, Neil Patrick Harris, Ron Howard, Ken Jeong, Jimmy Kimmel, Hasan Minaj, Conan O’Brien, Patton Oswalt, Will Smith and more. Making her feature directorial debut, Bryce Dallas Howard also offers an intimate look at the dads in her own family, including remarkable interviews with her late grandfather Rance, her father Ron and her brother Reed.

DADS is part of Apple’s exclusive, first-look deal with Imagine Documentaries. The film is produced by Nine Muses Entertainment, in association with Dove Men+Care.

DADS is directed by Bryce Dallas Howard. She also serves as one of the film’s producers alongside Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Michael Rosenberg, Justin Wilkes, and Walter Matteson. The film’s executive producers include Kelly Mullen, Giles Morrison, Meredith Kaulfers, Marc Gilbar, and Sara Bernstein. DADS is rated PG and has an 81 minute runtime.

Male Pattern Baldness: A Dad’s Perspective

May 26, 2020 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Male pattern baldness is common term to describe androgenetic alopecia. Male pattern baldness, the most common form of hair loss, accounts for over 95% of hair loss suffered by men today. With this statistic in mind, it is no doubt that men make up the majority of the hair loss population.

With this being said, it is important to know how you can combat or slow down your hair loss! Below, you will learn about male pattern baldness and some important products you can use to help slow it down.

Symptoms of Male Pattern Baldness

Hair loss tends to take you by surprise, mostly depending on what is causing it. You may experience it happening unexpectedly, all of a sudden, or gradually. Hair loss may also only affect certain parts, such as your scalp or even your whole body. The process you see is unregulated and does not have a definite pattern. Certain types of hair loss tend to be permanent, while others are temporary.

Here are the symptoms of hair loss you can experience:

The most common type is the gradual thinning of your hair on the top of your head. This particular type is common in men as they age. Men experience forehead receding hairline that begins at the forehead. It occurs in a line, shaped like the letter M.
The next type is patchy or circular spots of baldness. This type of hair loss mainly affects the scalp. However, in rare cases, you may even notice it happening in the eyebrows or beard. In some extreme cases, people may also experience pain or itching of the skin before their hair starts falling out.
The third type of hair loss consists of a sudden loosening. Often, emotional or physical shocks tend to loosen your hair. You may notice handfuls of your hair coming out when you comb or wash it. Even running your fingers through your hair ends may draw out a bunch. This type of hair loss usually causes overall thinning instead of bald patches.
People also experience full-body hair loss quite often. Certain conditions may cause this, such as cancer chemotherapy, which causes hair from all over the body to fall out. However, this condition is generally temporary, and the hair eventually grows back.

What Causes MPB?

On average, people lose anywhere between 80 and 100 strands of hair each day. This usually does not cause noticeable hair thinning because new hair will also be growing simultaneously. Hair loss often occurs when something disrupts your cycle of hair growth. Another cause is when hair follicles suffer from damage but are replaced with scar tissue.

Typically, one or more of the following factors is usually responsible for hair loss:

Medical conditions and hormonal changes- a variety of health conditions could cause you temporary or permanent hair loss.
The most common condition, as we already mentioned, is the hereditary condition. This occurs gradually as men age. You will notice bald spots and most likely a receding hair line.
Supplements and medications may also be a cause. Drugs, such as the ones used for depression, cancer, heart problems, high blood pressure, arthritis, and gout, can cause side effects.
Certain types of hairstyles can cause hair loss as well, such as cornrows, pigtails, or the ones that pull hair back tight. Excessive hairstyling can provoke a hair loss condition we refer to as traction alopecia.
When people go through an emotional or physical shock, they may experience hair thinning as a consequence. This is a temporary hair loss situation.

Treatment Options

Although male pattern baldness can be difficult or even impossible to reverse, there are some products that can help slow down this process and even regrow some hair in the problematic areas. Laser caps are one of the top selling products on the market for hair loss individuals. These caps are FDA-cleared and one of the only treatments that do not involve invasive surgeries or harmful chemicals. These caps use low level light therapy (LLLT) to stimulate blood flow to the scalp and promote blood flow. As more blood flow circulates in the scalp, the more growth an individual will see.

Use DHT blocking shampoos and conditioners when washing your hair. These products are specifically designed to block the excess production of the dihydrotestosterone hormone that can bind to the hair follicles. Be expected to pay more in price for these products because of the DHT blocking formula added to the shampoo and conditioner.

Take a multivitamin to make sure your body is getting the appropriate nutrients. If your body is getting the essential nutrients, your hair will be too. In order for your hair to grow and thrive, it needs proteins, iron, zinc, and much more. These can all be found in the foods that you consume on a daily basis or through a multivitamin.

These treatments are all non-invasive options and chemical free. There are no known side effects present from using them, but it is always recommended to consult with your doctor to make sure it is safe for you.

Recommended Coping Strategies

Men experiencing male pattern baldness can experience life altering changes. A decrease in self confidence is extremely common. Many men have also reported changing careers and experiencing depression while dealing with hair loss. If the above treatments are not feasible, consider wearing a wig. With the design and structure of wigs today, they are easy to disguise and difficult to notice to the typical bystander.

Try joining a group of men that are going through the same struggles as you. After all, two-thirds of men by the age of 35 will have experienced hair loss. You are not alone!

Conclusion

Several factors are responsible for male pattern baldness or hair loss in men. Unfortunately, hair loss is a natural part of life and most individuals will experience it at some point. However, you can take specific preventative measures to alter your situation. Try a laser cap for an advanced treatment option, or revert to using shampoos, conditioners, and vitamins that can help keep your hair healthy.

Interested in a Laser Cap – Check out Kiierr

How to Sleep Better

May 7, 2020 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

If you want to be healthy, you need to do a variety of things that include plenty of exercise and eating a well-balanced diet. These things can make a huge difference to your day by setting you up with a positive attitude, and they can make you happier and healthier in general too.

Getting a good night’s sleep is also vitally important. When you achieve this, your hormones are better regulated, and your body is more readily and easily able to heal itself. When you don’t get enough sleep over a sustained period of time, you will find that you are irritable, unable to concentrate, have a shorter temper, and may even develop depression, anxiety, and heart problems, among other things.

So, getting a good night’s sleep is incredibly important, and here are some ways to do it.

Re-Set Your Circadian Rhythm

The circadian rhythm is the body’s own internal clock. It’s the way you are able to determine when it is time to wake up and when it is time to sleep. When this rhythm is interrupted in any way, you might find it hard to get to sleep, or if you can get to sleep, you might find it hard to stay asleep throughout the night.

The modern world has many ingredients that will confuse the circadian rhythm, including:

Blue light from screens such as tablets, TVs, laptops, and cell phones
Bright lights used in the evening instead of dimmer ones
Working different shifts

If you find that your circadian rhythm is out of sync and you can’t get to sleep, trying to go outside for a little while each day. One to two hours of daylight will help your body adjust to knowing when it is time to be awake and when it is time to be asleep. Also, stop using any screens at least one hour before bed to allow your body to adjust.

Use Natural Oils

Natural oils including chamomile, lavender, peppermint, and CBD oil from The Violetta Company can help to soothe the body and mind and allow for a better night’s sleep. Whether taken as a capsule, in a tea, or used in a warm bath before bed, these oils are ideal, natural ways to sleep not only for longer, but more deeply.

When you are sleeping deeply, this is when your body can do the most work and repair itself best. Therefore, the deeper sleep you get, the better you will feel in the morning — it will, in fact, be easier to wake up and get started on your day.

Natural oils work by reacting with the chemicals your body produces to re-align your circadian rhythm. They also reduce the amount of stress hormone (cortisol) you are producing which means you are much more relaxed.

Don’t Nap

If you didn’t sleep well the night before, grabbing an hour or so to nap during the day might seem like a great idea — it might be all you can think of. The problem is that although you might enjoy it at the time, napping can do more harm than good for adults. It’s great for children though, so if your kids didn’t sleep well and need a nap, make sure they can get one.

When you nap during the day, your circadian rhythm — which is so very important when it comes to your health and well-being — will once more be confused. When it comes to bedtime, your body will assume night has come and gone, and no matter how tired you might feel, sleep may not be easy. Instead of a nap, try going for a walk to wake yourself up a little.

Protecting You Or A Loved One From Stalking

April 16, 2020 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Photo by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels

Nobody wants to have a stalker. Victims of stalking may feel nervous, vulnerable, depressed, hyper-vigilant, anxious, stressed, or isolated. It’s something we don’t like to think about, but it can happen more often than people realize, and so it is important to take steps to protect yourself.

About one million women and 400,000 men in the United States are stalked yearly, and over 8 million women and 2 million American men will struggle with stalking at some point in their lives. This is according to data provided by the Women’s Self-Defense Institute.

These numbers can be quite startling. Of course, stalking takes place in many different forms. When we hear the word stalking, we tend to think about the criminal TV programs, whereby a random maniac fixates themselves on a person for no apparent reason. This can happen, but there are many other forms of stalking. Sometimes, a person will stalk someone to intimidate them or to send a message to someone else, such as their loved one or a parent. It can be used as an intimidation tactic, rather than being a crazed obsession. Needless to say, neither scenario is something anyone wants to experience.

This is why it is important to learn about how to protect yourself from stalking. Anyone who has taken a masters in psychology will be able to shed further light on how the other person’s brain works and their psyche, as well as giving you advice on how to manage your emotions and feelings. So, if this is something you’re struggling with, it’s definitely worth exploring that avenue.

Nevertheless, there are also some practical tips you can take as well. These pieces of advice are beneficial no matter whether you expect someone is stalking you or not. A lot of the tips provided are going to increase your general safety and protect you from communicating with the wrong sort of people. Therefore, not only can they help you in terms of protecting yourself from potential stalking, but they can also make sure your online activity is safer, for instance, ensuring your data doesn’t fall into the hands of a hacker or that your children don’t end up speaking to people that they shouldn’t online.

So, let’s take a look at some of the answers to the question: what can you do to protect yourself from stalking?

There are quite a number of steps you can take to keep yourself safe. In this article, we have detailed some of the steps you should take.

Use a Reputable VPN to Help Secure Your Identity and Location

One way to guard yourself against cyberstalking is to employ a trusted virtual private network service. VPNs let you browse the internet without revealing your location or personal identity. You can decide to buy one whose VPN’s servers are located far away from where you stay. This way, a possible cyberstalker will not be able to know where you are, and will also be unable to hack into your network. There are a number of other online methods you can use to protect yourself as well. This includes everything from firewalls to two-factor authentication. Ensuring your online movements cannot be traced is the number one rule when protecting yourself from anyone! Hackers today use so many techniques to try and breach a system, so layers of security are essential.

Cut All Ties With the Suspected Stalker

Make it clear to the stalker once and for all that you want their behavior to stop, then terminate all communication with them. Don’t reply to their calls or text messages and avoid seeing them at all costs. Responding to a possible stalker might increase their unhealthy desire to want to follow you and may eventually prove to be dangerous.

Open up About Your Concerns to People You Trust

Letting your trusted family members and friends know that you are suspicious about a stalker is crucial. They can help keep you safe, and if anything happens to you, they will be able to instruct the police on where to look. Refusing to open up to anybody about your struggle with a stalker will only isolate you from your loved ones, and this is usually what the stalker wants to happen.

Do Not Let Your Mobile Phone out of Your Sight

It is really important to always have your phone close by, particularly if you are staying with somebody you suspect might be your stalker. This is due to the fact that a stalker can install software onto your phone to read your emails and text messages, listen into your calls, and access your passwords. Just to be safe, use a very difficult passcode to ensure that your phone is secure.

Use a Post Office Box Rather Than a Mailbox

It is very easy for a stalker to access your personal details by illegally checking your mail in your mailbox. Make a decision to keep your information more private by signing up for a post office box. From here, do not make the mistake of filing an official address change with the United States Postal Service, but rather inform your trusted family members, friends, and businesses about your new address via phone.

Moreover, do not accept any packages that you did not order for. Such packages might contain harmful or disturbing contents sent by your stalker.

Keep All Evidence of the Stalking

It is important for you to consider saving texts, voicemails, letters, emails, and any sort of physical evidence you get from your stalker. Document the odd occurrences too. Having evidence will help you a lot when you want to take legal action to resolve the stalking situation. You will have better chances of winning a court case if you have valid physical evidence.

Avoid Being Alone as Much as Possible

You can ask a friend or family member to accompany you to the grocery store or to run other errands. If you are interested in outdoor activities and physical exercise, get someone you trust to go out with you. Change your daily schedule and travel routines to try and throw off your stalker. You can also make an effort to live with a loved one if you feel unsafe at your home.

Come up With a Safety Plan

Formulating a safety plan is a crucial step in ensuring maximum safety. Know in advance your short and long-term options, how to reach help in the case of an emergency, and have all the information about resources before you need them.

Your safety plan should be inclusive of provision for an emergency shelter in the event that you have to leave your home suddenly. If you know who your stalker is, it is important for you to look for safe places to live and how to prevent your stalker from knowing your new place of residence.

Have an escape plan. Know how you will leave your house if the stalker comes to your door. Pack a go-bag with essential items such as money, clothes, food and even pepper spray. Have the bag ready always. Notify your family and friends about your escape plan so that they can help you out.

In addition to that, your safety plan should also involve reducing contact with your stalker. You need to tell the person once, and only once via mail, email or a lawyer to cease harassing you and to never communicate with you ever again.

Top Tips for Dad to Take Care of Skin

July 4, 2019 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Traditionally, men have kept things simple when it comes to skin care. In recent times, however, there has been a definite shift in the way men have tended to and looked after themselves in this instance. Today, more men than ever before have started delving deeper in the world of skin care in a bid to look younger, fresher, and healthier. They are using all sorts of lotions and potions, and some are even seeing the dermatologist regularly in order to stay on top of their skin care game.

As a busy working dad, you might not have the time to be doing all of this to care for your skin. You want the young, fresh, and healthy complexion, without having to devote too much of your time and effort to it. Fortunately, there are ways to do just that.

Here are some top tips for all you fathers out there who are determined to take better care of your skin:

Study product labels closely

A simple yet effective change you can make to your skin care regime to study product labels far more closely than you usually do. By doing so, you will be a lot more likely to choose and then use the products that suit your skin type. This is essential, as using something that aggravates your skin will only make it look damaged, blotchy, and unhealthy.

You have to read the labels and choose the right products for you based off of what you see. How do you do this, though, when you have absolutely no background in beauty and grooming and, as a result, don’t know what to look out for? Depending on your skin type, a few key words you need to keep an eye out for include:

If you have acne-prone skin: Keep on the lookout for products that are ‘oil free’ and ‘non-comedogenic.’
If you have sensitive skin: Look for products that are labeled as being ‘fragrance-free’ (not ‘unscented’).
If you have wrinkles: Give precedent to products packed with Vitamin C, such as Retinol serum, as they help to brighten skin tone, increase firmness, and create a youthful glow.

Wash your face every day

This should be a no-brainer but, every now and again, life will get in the way, and you will forget to wash your face. No matter how difficult the kids are being in the morning or late you are for work, however, you have to remember to give your face a wash and a scrub. When you do, try to avoid regular soap and boiling hot water as this will just end up drying and damaging your skin. Instead, use a mild cleanser and lukewarm water.

Improve your shaving technique

Your shaving technique could be what is holding you back from achieving perfectly fresh, youthful, and healthy looking skin.

In this instance, it’s all about the razor that you use. Sometimes, multi-blade razors will work almost too well and give you razor bumps and burns. If this is the case for you, you should have no qualms in switching to a single razor. Be sure to shave in the direction of your hair growth, too, in order to avoid irritation.

Being a dad doesn’t mean you’re no longer allowed to look after your skin. Take the above advice and set about the task of improving your skin care regime today!

Things to Consider When Moving with Kids

June 22, 2019 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Moving house can bring about a wealth of different emotions. There’s excitement, worry, fear, joy, and sometimes even laughter. There’s also a certain amount of stress involved, especially if there are kids in the equation. Luckily, there are a number of things you can do to ease the strain on the family and make the process of moving as smooth as possible. Here are some tips to make your next family move an adventure.

Before You Move

There are plenty of things you can do before you move that will make things much easier. Start by holding a family meeting and discussing the moving plans with your kids. If they’re old enough, it’ll be possible to include them in some of the decision making. Take the opportunity to visit your new home as a family or take a virtual tour if it’s too far away. Young children will benefit from learning about the experience of moving, and there is a range of different story books you can read together. If you’ve got friends and family that are offering to help, take them up on their offers. It never helps if you try to take too much on yourself.

Don’t forget to organize your utilities in your new home, including insurance. If you need the best renters insurance NYC, Jetty.com can help.

Packing and Decluttering

Moving house is the perfect opportunity to declutter. Consider adopting this rule of thumb: if you haven’t used something in the last year, then toss it. Try to put any items you don’t want to good use. It might be possible to sell them or donate them. Throwing things in the trash should be a last resort. When it comes to packing enlist the help of your kids, especially their own bedrooms. Give them some boxes and let them write on them to show what’s inside. Leave their favorite toys out until the last minute and pack everything else. Have one box packed with all the essentials you’ll need at the new house, for example, a kettle, bowls, and cups.

Moving Day

When moving day comes, make it a joyful occasion. Pack a picnic basket to be enjoyed along the way. Make sure all the tools you need for assembling the kids’ beds are easily accessible and have fresh sheets ready to hand so that they have somewhere comfortable to sleep on their first night. Your priority should be to get the kids’ rooms set up first and to make them as homely as possible. If you’ve got young children, it might be better if the move takes place when they’re at school or daycare. That way, you don’t have to worry about them getting under your feet.

In Your New Home

Prioritize your unpacking. The bedrooms and kitchen should be a priority and then concentrate on getting the bathroom ready to use. Keep things as similar as possible to your old house and let them set up, decorate, and move items around as they see fit. You may notice a change in their behavior over the next few weeks. This is not uncommon. Just be understanding and give them time to settle in.

Dads in the Limelight – David of Life with Benjamin

February 14, 2019 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Our 867th Dad in the Limelight is David of Life with Benjamin. I want to thank David for being a part of this series. It has been great getting connected with him and now sharing David with all of you.

1: Tell me about yourself

Hi, my name is David, or @life_with_benjamin on Instagram. My story as a father started during the Canadian economic downturn of 2015. At this time I was rudely canned from my job as a Geologist. My termination also coincided with the pregnancy and birth of my wife (Krista) and me’s first sob (Benjamin).

Around Benjamin’s first birthday, my wife went back to work, and I became a stay at home parent. This was also the time I started messing around with photography, to maintain my sanity.

It didn’t take long before I alienated myself from everyone by constantly trying to show him or her photos of Benjamin. I couldn’t even catch people off guard because anyone that owns a DSLR knows that these cameras aren’t exactly stealth. When you walk in the door with a suitcase, backpack, and computer people instinctually know you are going to try to show them photos.

So I went searching for a larger audience.

Enter Instagram, the largest photo sharing thingy out there. Instagram started as an outlet but has slowly grown over the past two years to the point that I’m now almost 1/1,000,000th as popular as Selena Gomez.

2: Tell me about your family

My wife and I met in school, both studying Geology. She currently works as a Geologist in Calgary. Our son, Benjamin, is almost 3 years old. We are expecting our second child at the end of March 2019, a baby girl.

3: What has been the largest challenge you have had in being a father?

Being a stay at home father has unique challenges. I have heard on a few occasions’ moms exchanging phone numbers and arranging separate play dates with their children. The reality is that, for me to attempt to arrange a one on one play date with another mom ultimately feels wrong. As harmless as it is, the questions that could arise from such a thing aren’t worth it.

So it can be isolating as a father, especially in a mom dominated world.

4: What advice would you give to other fathers?

Be involved when it comes to knowing the schedules, routines, and quirks of your children. I’ve seen older generations of fathers feel like outcasts because they can’t play the games right, or make dinner properly.

5: How have you come to balance parenthood and outside life?

This is definitely a struggle. Having children makes you feel like you are always shuffling priorities. However, for me, it comes down to scheduling. My wife and I share a calendar so this has helped a lot with making sure that I can play hockey, attend events, etc.

If it’s on the calendar, then I can see when we have things as a family, when my hockey games are, or when my wife has something to attend. My wife and I have always worked well together when it comes to planning schedules.

6: What have you learned from the fathers that you have interacted with?

I’ve really been amazed by the fact that most fathers seem envious that I get to stay home with Benjamin and do a little bit of freelance work.

Prior to talking to them, I thought most fathers had a more “traditional” view fatherhood. Similar to how my father was. He viewed a fathers role as providing for the family and the mother was responsible for taking care of children.

But, that really isn’t the case. Most fathers I talk to that are similar age to me, are very open to being the primary caregiver of their children. It’s really enlightening and amazing.

7: What else would you share regarding your experiences as a father thus far?

I always find it funny how much I tried to prepare for becoming a father only to find out that nothing really prepared me. It is something that could only be experienced for me. The ups and downs, the really long days, and extremely short years.

It simply amazes me how Benjamin can argue with me all day about every single detail. But then, he’ll turn to me and say, “I love papa today”, and all is forgotten.

8: What have been the most memorable experiences that you have had thus far as a parent?

When Benjamin was first born he would get up every few hours to feed and change. So my wife would mostly do that. However, there was this magical time in the mornings that Benjamin and I would spend together.

Benjamin would usually wake up around 7 am in the morning. So during this time I would get up and take him downstairs so my wife could sleep another few hours. During this time Benjamin and I would lay chest to chest on the couch and just stare at each other. He was looking at me and I was looking at him.

I cannot stress how much I cherish this time we spent together. I think about it to this day. I was a proud father bonding with my newborn child and helping my wife stay rested and healthy during this sleep challenged time.

If you have any questions for David, please leave a comment here and I will make sure that he gets them so that he may be able to respond!

Also, do you know a Dad in the Limelight? If so, please email me their contact information so that they too can be a part of this series!

——————————————————————————————-
New to the Divadom?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions?Drop me a line at [email protected]