To celebrate their functionality, here are some amazing air fryer recipes that are sure to bring smiles to your dining table. Keep in mind that all air fryers are different, so some recipes may need to be slightly altered to work properly.

Air fryer mini banana pancake dippers

Pancakes are almost always a crowd pleaser for the whole family. While they probably aren’t the healthiest breakfast option, they are a nice treat every once in a while. What’s great about pancakes is that you can top them with anything you want.

This banana pancake recipe opts for a ‘stuffed pancake dipper’, which can be dipped in melted chocolate, Nutella or maple syrup. To make the recipe easier, you can use a pre-made pancake mix instead of making batter from scratch. Just make sure to mix yours to a thicker consistency than normal pancake batter.

Air fryer personal pizzas

If you’re in a pinch and need a definite crowd pleaser, you can’t go wrong with pizza. What’s great about this recipe is that it makes perfect, personal-sized pizzas. That means that every member of your family can top their pizza to their own liking.

While assembling your pizza in the air fryer can be a bit tricky, the reward of crispy dough and oozing cheese is incomparable to oven-baked pizza, which can be finnicky, unless you have a dedicated pizza oven. Just make sure to cook the dough on its own in the air fryer first, and you’ll be amazed by the final result.

Air fryer pork belly bites

Pork belly is one of the most delicious pieces of meat you can get your hands on. It’s made from the same part of the pig as bacon, but it’s thicker. It’s best served as crispy as you can get it, so air fryers are naturally one of the best ways to cook it. Also, because pork belly has so much natural fat, you arguably don’t have to use any oil.

While this pork belly bite recipe includes oil, I’ve seen other recipes that omit oil. With the calorie savings from less oil, you can afford to make yourself a sauce for the bites once they’re done. There are many sauces that would complement pork belly, but a few of the best options would be chipotle sauce, ponzu sauce and honey garlic sauce.

Air fryer tahini black bean fritters

Swinging the pendulum back over to the healthy side, why not try some vegan fritters that are packed with protein and veggie goodness? Not only are they healthy, they’re also delicious, with flavours like miso, garlic, tahini and white wine vinegar.

What’s great about these tahini black bean fritters is that they can be served in a bun like a burger, in a pita, or on their own with sauce drizzled overtop. Have these for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and enjoy the healthy invigoration.

Air fryer steak and chips

Getting your steak cooked just the way you like it every time can be a bit tricky, especially for less confident cooks. Air fryers can help you take the guesswork out of cooking steak. This recipe can help you with a good starting point, and with the rest of the steps along the way. Once you figure out which temperature and time works best for your air fryer, you can simply use the same setting every time.

If you have a dual-tray air fryer, you can also fry some chips to go with your steak. This recipe can take around 35 minutes. Start before you cook your steak, perhaps while your steak is warming up to room temperature. Just remember to check and shake the chips regularly to ensure that all of them get nice and crispy.

Air fryer potato kievs

While many people have tried chicken kievs before, don’t underestimate potato kievs. They pack delicate, buttery, and cheesy goodness into every bite, and your family will love you for it. However, because they’re packed with butter and cheese, you probably shouldn’t have them every night – though you will want to.

While this recipe calls for garlic butter as the stuffing, there are endless combinations you could try. One enticing option is stuffing your kiev with basil pesto.

Air fryer salmon

Salmon is packed with, protein, vitamins and minerals, as well as omega-3 fatty acids. Fatty fish, like salmon, are part of a balanced diet. But many people prefer the taste of chicken or red meat to salmon, so sadly most people don’t get enough of the nutrients that salmon provides.

However, this maple soy salmon recipe is here to change your mind about salmon. Get ready for a taste-bud adventure, and enjoy it in under 10 minutes of cooking time. With just four ingredients, it’s hard to imagine a meal that’s easier and healthier. You can also use any excess maple soy glaze as a sauce to cook your side vegetables in.

Air fryer beef and broccoli

Who said Chinese takeaway needs to come from a Chinese restaurant? With this recipe, you can emulate the perfect beef and broccoli in the comfort of your own home. The sauce is really the star of the show. Make sure you get all of the ingredients and follow the instructions carefully.

This recipe uses an air fryer, a pot (or instant pot), and a pan, so there is a bit of washing up to do afterwards. But don’t let the ingredient list or washing up stop you – this meal will be a hit with your family.

Air fryer doughnuts

After eating all of those amazing air fryer meals, you might be craving some dessert. But instead of reaching for store-bought sweets, you could try out this air fryer doughnut recipe!

What’s great about homemade doughnuts is that you know exactly what is in them. This means you can adjust the sweetness level to your liking. You can top your doughnuts with whatever you like, but this recipe uses a vanilla glaze – a certified classic.

The possibilities with air fryers are endless, and with these recipes, you can treat your friends and family to a number of flavourful feasts.

The post Best air fryer recipes you need to try today appeared first on Checklists.

With that in mind, this article will focus on the strategies and activities that will help you take advantage of your time, and make your university experience a blast!

Live away from home

If you chose a university that is far from home, you probably don’t have a choice; but if you plan to attend university closer to home, it’s still a good idea to live away from home, if you can.

There are so many benefits to moving out. All of a sudden, you’re in charge of your life, and if you haven’t fortified good, healthy habits, there could be a steep learning curve; but an important one nonetheless.

There are some essential things you should try to get right early on, this includes learning how to budget, do laundry, keep up with cleanliness, and cook (and eat healthy). It’s okay if there’s an adjustment period; but you should aim to figure these things out quickly to help you alleviate stress and give you more time to have fun.

Other things that could take a bit longer to adjust to are: managing loneliness, independence, and responsibility for yourself. These are a bit more abstract and could take years to figure out, so don’t worry, you’ll figure them out eventually.

Attend freshers week

The first choice you’re given once you get to university is whether to attend freshers week or not; but it should be a no-brainer. There will be all sorts of activities to make the week worth your time.

Freshers week is your initial opportunity to make friends, and after freshers week, most of your friends will likely be in the same programme as you; so it’s your first chance to meet people outside of your major.

A good tip is to go out of your way to approach at least a couple of random people during the week. You never know what you might have in common, or whether the interaction could blossom into a lifelong friendship. If it doesn’t, no harm, no foul.

Don’t worry if you can’t attend freshers week, there will be plenty of opportunities to make friends.

Go to lectures

Lectures might seem like a waste of time to some, and you might think that after you attend a few, you can make do with just the lecture slides. You might even think that you can skip lectures and still get good grades.

But going to university in a half-hearted capacity is a mistake. University might not be for everyone, but if you’re there, commit to it. If you don’t fully commit, you might never find your true passion.

Attending lectures is also just one step of the process. When you really focus and listen to your professors, you can perfect some other important life skills. One of them is finding effective ways to take notes and truly absorb information. Another one is quick, critical thinking; which you can practice when you attend lectures, listen, and ask questions.

Going to lectures also gives you a chance to meet people and get to know your professors.

Get to know the area

Once you have a handle on your lectures, it’s wise to get a good bearing of your surroundings. You might only be there for a few years, so find some unique places to hang out. Discover the best local shops, pubs, restaurants, and parks. Locate the hospital, train station, and other key surroundings.

Once you’ve found some cool spots, share them! Your friends will be thankful for your local knowledge and you’ll have fun going somewhere new.

Join clubs and teams

Extracurricular activities are a good step towards individual flourishment. Social life on campus can be almost as important as in-class experience, because in the working world, sometimes it’s about who you know rather than what you know. Also, extracurriculars look good on a CV.

Look around campus for clubs and groups that pique your interest. If you enjoy reading, find a book club. If you like arguing, join the model UN committee. If you’re into sports, try out for a team.

Joining a club or team will bring some fun to your spare time, give you a sense of belonging, and give you a reason to take a break from your studies.

Stay organised

Now that you’ve found your lecture halls, the best local restaurants, and joined a club, you’re going to have to manage your time effectively to accomplish everything.

Organisation is a key life skill. With so many things on the go, a calendar and a budget can go a long way to help you keep track of all the important and not-so-important things.

Organising your week or month ahead of time can help you get the most of it. It doesn’t have to be meticulously crafted, but get an idea of how much time you need to study, attend lectures, sleep, go to football practice, and of course, party. This will make it easier to plan things when you have blocks of free time. Maybe you won’t perfect it right away, but getting the right habits started will ensure that you don’t miss an important exam or meeting.

Take advantage of resources

There are so many resources at your disposal when you’re a student. Most campuses have a leisure centre, library, art studio, and many other facilities related to coursework. It’s in your best interest to use these while they’re free, because once you graduate, they won’t be.

One of the better perks at university is the widespread student discount, on and off campus. Many local shops will offer lunch deals, and some bigger companies like phone and internet providers could offer student discounts as well. Take advantage of these while you can.

Another benefit of campus life is the access to academic advisors and mentors. These are free services that can help you if you get stuck or if you need some advice. Everyone needs to ask questions sometimes, and talking to someone with your best interests in mind can help you make the most educated decision.

The last major advantage given to university students is the opportunity to get field-specific work experience – which is sometimes only available to current students. Working in your field before you graduate is a good way to get your foot in the door, and also obtain vital experience that might help you decide on your future.

Be patient

Perhaps the best advice to tie this all together is to remain patient.

Make mistakes, play, have fun, and explore your interests – and yourself. University is as much about personal growth as it is about graduating and getting your degree. As long as you grow a bit year-over-year, your time on campus will be worthwhile.

You might have trouble making friends or trusting new people at first. Do your best to stay positive and things should work out.

If you keep these tips in mind, you’re more likely to succeed than fail. Even if you do fail, dust yourself off, and try again. It’s all about the journey!

To see your company in any upcoming features we are arranging, please email editorial@hurstmediacompany.co.uk

The post Top tips for your first year at university appeared first on Checklists.

Christophe speaks to Checklist of the benefits of wearing supportive footwear, rather than slippers around the house, especially for long periods of time.

Comfort and stability

Ideally, anything you have on your feet for a long period should offer proper support and protection.

The more support your shoes can give you, the less unbalanced and unstable you will be, and therefore the less likely you are to slip, trip or fall. And this applies to any age group. So, choose a pair of comfy shoes for indoor wearing that offer support and then use them as you would a comfy pair of slippers.

Think of slippers a bit like chocolate. Yes really. Lovely but not good for you if you have it every day. The same applies to wearing slippers – an occasional treat only.

Heel support

With every step you take in slip-on shoes, your toes are forced to grasp the slipper to lift it off the ground and carry it until your next step. This is because your heel is not being grabbed by the footwear. This has an effect on the muscles and joints of the foot.

When the heel is secured within the shoe it helps to lift the entire shoe and carry it forward even as you bend your foot. This in turn supports the foot, and the rest of the body while walking.

Instability all the way up

Your ankles are the most challenged and challenging joints of your body because they connect two small horizontal feet with a tall and vertical body. Any time one of your ankles is unstable, every joint above is impacted. Slippers lack in ankle support.

Overlooking your ankle stability is like neglecting the first impression you’ll make when entering a room. Both will leave you with no second chance and things could go wrong. An unstable ankle can drag knees and hips down, in or outwards depending on your body type.

Orthotics and slippers

Orthotics and shoes work together. The firmness of the shoe sole and the action of the laces or Velcro are both part of the foot support that provides you with a better alignment, balance, and overall posture.

A pair of slippers with no heel or ankle support does not strap your foot, and so the orthotics are not wrapped around your heels and arches. Therefore, if you tried to wear your orthotics in your slippers, you would miss out on this snug and pleasant feeling that reinforces the action of the orthotics and optimises their results. And of course, if the slipper has no back – the orthotics will simply fall out.

Working from home

When travelling to the office and working with other people, most people wear shoes, not slippers, and this helps to support and cushion the feet. But take this away and swap it for spending the entire day barefoot or with slippers on a hard floor and it begins to have an effect on feet and posture.

Another change is the reduction in walking when working from home. When people walk, they swing their arms, and this helps to take some of the load off the feet. Walking puts around 80% of the load on your feet, whereas stepping in an enclosed space with no arm swing applies 120% of your body weight on your feet.

Slipper alternatives

Start by wearing supportive and lace-up shoes in the house. These should support, protect and cushion the foot. They should stay on the foot as you walk. Remember, shoes are like glasses, they help only if you wear them and only if they fit you well. Save walking barefoot for sandy beaches or your fresh-mowed lawn, and slippers for putting your feet up in front of the TV.

Slip-on shoes are not great if you spend most of your day standing or walking. Indoor slip-on shoes, like slippers, are soft and unsupportive and should be worn sparingly. If you want to wear slip-ons then it is possible to get a custom orthotic sealed to the shoe which will help, but still isn’t ideal as you won’t get the full lateral support you need. 

Some shoe brands do offer more support than others, for example Birkenstock Milano or Kalahari, Fitflop and TOMS, so sandal versions of these are an option. Alternatively, look for shoes with outer soles that are firm, can’t be twisted and only bend under the ball of your foot.

And finally, keep your slippers for serious relaxing only, and don’t use them for general wear.

To see your company in any upcoming features we are arranging please email editorial@hurstmediacompany.co.uk

The post Are slippers good for your muscles and joints? appeared first on Checklists.

Doggy influencers are on the rise. These precious pets have some of the highest social media followings around, and for good reasons, too. They live lavish lifestyles, have designer wardrobes most influencers would be jealous of and, on top of it all, their owners get paid some seriously big money for featured posts and advertisements. 

We had a look at some of the top-earning pets on social media – from what they could charge per featured post, to how many followers they reach on different platforms – in a bid to find out the dog influencers with the highest potential earnings across TikTok and Instagram. Get ready to see some seriously rich dog influencers.

Checklist has joined forces with dog holiday experts Canine Cottages to determine the top dog influencers in the world right now; how does your furry friend match up?

1. Jiffpom

Topping the list is Jiff, the Pomeranian who has gathered a total of 31 million followers across TikTok and Instagram! This dog can charge up to £19,600 per post, making him the dog influencer to watch out for.

Check out Jiffpom on Instagram and TikTok.

2. Tuckerbudzyn 

Charging an estimated average of £12,600 per post, Tucker the Golden Retriever has 3.2 million Instagram followers and loves to play dress-up with his son, Todd. 

Head to Tucker’s Instagram and TikTok.

3. mayapolarbear 

Charging an estimated £7,350 per post to send out to 2 million Instagram followers, Maya the Samoyed is an adorable white fluffball with a cute smiley face – and a huge bank account!

Meet Maya on Instagram and TikTok.

4. itsdougthepug 

A pug with a great personality, Doug charges an estimated average of £6,850 per post, and therefore claims fourth place. This lucky doggo has a gathering of 10 million followers across TikTok and Instagram.

Discover Doug on Instagram and Tiktok.

5. whataboutbunny

This sheepadoodle has generated over 3 million followers across the two social media platforms and can charge an average of £3,900 per post.

Check out Bunny’s Instagram and TikTok accounts.

6. aguyandagolden

Teddy the golden retriever could charge an average of £3,800 per post on his Instagram and TikTok pages, and has racked up an impressive 94,500 Instagram followers.

Head to Teddy’s Instagram and TikTok.

7. henrythecoloradodog 

A rescue dog and his feline companion have stolen the hearts of over 2 million people across TikTok and Instagram. A single image of this famous duo could bring in £2,700.

Discover Henry’s Instagram and Tiktok here.

8. azchpn 

Besties Chocola, Azuki and Panna rack up an impressive, estimated earning of £2,350 for any post that they share across their Instagram and TikTok pages, to their nearly 10 million followers! 

Meet the trio on their Instagram and TikTok.

9. tikatheiggy

Tika the Italian Greyhound has amassed a following of over 1 million followers across Instagram and TikTok thanks to her owner’s amazing dress-up posts, which amass an average estimated earning of £2,000 per post.

Check out Tika’s Instagram and TikTok.

10. cocothemaltesedog

Coco is a ‘5lbs of fluff and chunk’ Maltese with a hefty potential price tag of £1,450 per post across her Instagram and TikTok accounts.

Meet Coco on Instagram and TikTok.

To see your company in any upcoming features we are arranging please email editorial@hurstmediacompany.co.uk

The post Pampered pets are top dogs: 10 of the highest-earning pup influencers appeared first on Checklists.

1. Calm Kids

Parents who practice mindfulness themselves may already be familiar with the Calm app, but did you know there’s a section for kids?

You can engage in family exercises and bedtime stories to help reduce stress and keep kids calm, while also spending quality time together. Calm has a great reputation for helping overall wellbeing in adults and kids, and the family options are included in the Calm monthly subscription fee.

2. Chill Panda

This NHS-approved mental health app is a parenting secret weapon hiding behind an adorable name.

Chill Panda helps kids by suggesting activities to suit their state of mind, tailoring to their needs and helping them identify their emotions. This app should help your kids relax and feel less anxious about school and friends.

3. Headspace for Kids

Much like Calm, adult subscribers can take advantage of wellbeing activities for their children via the Headspace app. Breathing exercises will help your kids relax and become more aware of their feelings and surroundings.

You can also introduce them to meditation via Headspace, which will equip them with skills to access a ‘zen’ state when things get stressful outside of the home.

4. DreamyKid

DreamyKid appreciates that kids lead busy lives too! The app offers 10-minute meditations for your kids to listen to upon sleeping or waking, to get their brains ready for the day ahead of them. They want to centre your children and equip them with mental health tools to ‘survive’ everyday emotional situations, from childhood through to adulthood.

5. Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame

“Sunny day, everything’s A-OK” sings the Sesame Street theme tune, but how do you prepare your kids for when things aren’t A-OK?

Two is not too young to learn how to regulate and identify emotions, and this is the starting age for Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame. Your kids help a Sesame Street monster achieve a sense of calm in this fun, family-focused app. The game helps train their brains to overcome challenges in their own lives.

6. Mind Moose

Your kids are helped to identify their own strengths and harness them to live a happy life with the interactive app, Mind Moose.

Kids can gain a better understanding of the way brains function and how they can make their own brains work more efficiently. They’ll be equipped with skills that set them up for navigating friendships and classroom situations that might cause stress or upset.

7. Positive Penguins

In this game, four penguin pals guide kids to identify their feelings and measure their positive and negative emotions in this fun app with adorable animations. Evi, Ollie, Happ and Buddy are all positive penguins with good messages to pass on to your little loved ones. Giving these cartoon friends emotions to explore will help your kids communicate the way they feel.

8. Smiling Mind

Aimed at age 7 and up, this app helps kids deal with their day-to-day worries and emotional management through mindfulness techniques. There’s a special pandemic-relevant feature called Thrive Inside which trains kids to stay calm when stuck inside the house.

9. Worrinots

The digital answer to worry dolls, Worrinots allows kids to record or write messages to four characters detailing their feelings. This should help alleviate the stresses or concerns the kids are dealing with, and the app helps kids identify and cope with their emotions.

10. Daniel Tiger’s Grr-ific Feelings

A great app to learn about feelings and how to identify them! In Daniel’s Trolley Game, children play more than a dozen mini-games about feelings featuring Daniel and friends. Daniel teaches kids to practice calming down through breathing exercises, and to count when they feel frustrated or angry.

To see your company in any upcoming features we are arranging please email editorial@hurstmediacompany.co.uk

The post Top 10 apps to help your child’s mental wellbeing appeared first on Checklists.

To help you prepare for this important step, Checklist have collaborated with Professor Luciano Nardo, founder of NOW-fertility.com and board-certified obstetrician, gynaecologist and expert in reproductive medicine and surgery. We have put together these top tips and advice for family planning and IVF treatment for you.

1. Choosing your clinic

Ask your potential clinic to confirm how many patients give birth to healthy babies. This is a much more relevant number than how many IVF treatments they conduct.

The fertility clinic you choose should offer personalised IVF treatment, tailored for you. Find out if they will match your particular needs and requirements with expertise and experience in the specific fertility therapeutic area you need.

2. Research the process

Ask each clinic you are considering to confirm where routine blood tests and scans will be conducted, and what the procedures will be to discuss your treatment options. Ideally, your consultant and their team will discuss every option with you before embarking on any treatment. 

3. Assess your finances

 IVF can be a major financial commitment, so ensure you understand at the very beginning of your assisted conception journey how much your treatment will cost. You may want to ask if a fixed price for a round of treatment is available. Ask about any potential ‘hidden’ or extra charges that might come up before you agree to go ahead. 

4. Find a support network

It’s important to ask how much access you’ll have to your clinicians between appointments to support you and offer peace of mind. This will help you and your family to reduce the tension and anxiety felt by many patients.

5. Prepare for your first IVF consultation

Meeting with your prospective fertility consultant for the first time is potentially one of the more challenging healthcare appointments you are likely to experience. If it’s your first experience of fertility treatment you’ll be wondering what to expect, and what information the clinic might need from you to begin your assisted conception journey. 

6. Research your own health

Collect as much information as possible relating to your personal health and family history. The more detailed the information you can share, the better your consultant and their team can plan the best treatment for you. 

Be sure to take any test results you may have had elsewhere and list your medical history in chronological order.  Make a list of any medication you take. This will help your team understand what treatment may have, or have not, worked for you and what the next steps might be.

7. Prepare for your meeting

Write a list of questions. Sometimes it is hard to remember everything you want to ask, so jot down a list of anything you want to clarify. Your consultant will expect you to have lots of questions.

8. Communicate openly

Don’t be anxious about discussing the issues. The calmer and more open you are, the better your team will be able to assess your needs – and the more likely you are to take in all the information.

9. Discuss the process

Be open to sharing your experience with family and close friends. Discussing your consultation, and the treatments you will experience, can help to settle your nerves. They may also have additional questions to add to your list of asks, and provide a perspective you may have overlooked.

10. Remember, this is your choice

Finally, don’t forget this is ‘your’ assisted conception journey. If at this early stage you feel you haven’t connected with your consultant, ask to speak to someone else. It is so important to have trust in your clinician and wider team.

This article was produced in collaboration with NOW-fertility.com

To see your company in any upcoming features we are arranging please email editorial@hurstmediacompany.co.uk

The post Top ten tips to guide your family planning journey appeared first on Checklists.

Luckily for pet parents everywhere, Checklist has collaborated with tails.com to put together a list of ways to protect your decorations from dog-related damages, and help your baubles survive until Boxing Day at least.

1. Christmas tree

Your dog will almost certainly be tempted to chew on the trunk, branches and needles of the tree, and they may even attempt to mark it with their scent; a very unwanted Christmas present.

Make sure that your dog is never alone in the same room with your Christmas tree, at least not for a prolonged period of time. Pups are far more likely to get up to mischief without their owners around to tell them off.

Consider installing a baby gate around your Christmas tree to stop your dog from getting too close to it.

2. Fairy lights

Fairy lights on a Christmas tree are an absolute staple, and fun for the whole family. Your dog is no exception, as they will more than likely be entertained by the display of twinkling colours and lights, and may even attempt to play with them. 

One way to conceal your cords would be to hide them under a rug, with the wiring taped to the floor to keep firmly in place. Another method of limiting exposed wiring would be to tape them along the skirting board.

3. Baubles

What dog doesn’t love spending a good few hours chasing a tennis ball, and what is a bauble to a dog, if not a big, sparkly tennis ball?

To avoid bite-marks on your baubles, tightly fasten your baubles to a deep branch on your tree and try to avoid the bottom branches to protect your baubles from curious paws and excited tails.

4. Tinsel

Tinsel must be a tempting looking toy for dogs to play with, due to the fact that they can hold it in their mouths like a stick. 

To protect your tinsel and your terrier from each other, keep any tinsel firmly out of your dogs’ reach, whether that’s on your tree or elsewhere, as this should prevent your dog from chewing or playing with it.

5. Garlands

Like tinsel, garlands could be a tempting plaything for your pup, especially if you opt for the natural garlands over the paper or plastic alternative.

Try hanging your garlands from as high a place as possible. As well as high shelves and mantlepiece, you may also want to try hanging your garlands in a pattern across your ceiling.

6. Edible decorations

We all know how greedy our pups can be, and while tasty treats like candy canes and chocolate Santas may have your dog drooling in delight, they will also make them very sick if they do get hold of them.

If your dog is particularly fond of food, then the best idea might be to not put anything edible on your tree at all. Although, if you really want to treat any children in the family to something off the tree, place them out of reach from your dog.  

7. Presents

While a huge pile of gifts underneath the tree is one of the most special sights at Christmas, our excitable pups may be tricked into thinking that the presents are all for them, especially if some of them contain food.

Pup-owners should avoid storing presents under the tree until Christmas Eve at the very earliest. This will reduce the likelihood of your pup ruining your presents before the big day arrives.

8. Stockings

We all want everything to look perfect on Christmas morning, so the last thing you want is one of Santa’s stockings to be covered in doggy drool, bite-marks and fur.

If you can, keep your dog out of whichever room you keep your stockings in on Christmas Eve night. You might even consider fitting a lock to the door, if your pup likes to explore the house at night.

A locked door may also help to keep out any over-eager children, keen on finally catching Santa in the act this year.

9. Mistletoe

Sharing a kiss under the mistletoe is a cute and traditional activity for couples to enjoy, but for our naturally curious pups, mistletoe may look like a piece of food or a plaything that is simply impossible to resist; especially if it falls to where they could reach it.

Consider only keeping your mistletoe up as a temporary feature, perhaps for a Christmas party or just on Christmas Day itself. This might make that quick kiss under the mistletoe feel all the more special too.

10. Wreaths

Christmas wreaths are a festive favourite, with many people choosing to celebrate the holiday with one hanging proudly on their front door.

While wreaths do commonly contain things like ribbons, fairy lights and even candles, they are mostly made of all-natural components such as leaves, twigs, flowers, fruits and those famous Christmas staples, holly and ivy. Since wreaths will smell so much like the outside, this decoration may very well pique your dog’s interest. 

Since most people keep their Christmas wreaths on the front door of their homes, and usually on the outside, following this trend should be enough to prevent your dog from getting too close to your wreath. 

This article was made in collaboration with tails.com

To see your company in any upcoming features we are arranging please email laura@hurstmediacompany.co.uk or editorial@hurstmediacompany.co.uk

The post Ten festive decorations pet owners should keep an eye on appeared first on Checklists.

1. Learning Resources Puzzle Globe

Teach your kids about the world and all its wonderful countries with the brightly coloured puzzle globe. This rotating earth has raised outlines for each continent and kids have to work out how to place the puzzle pieces to make up the countries.

Find out more at learningresources.co.uk

2. Deluxe Busy Time Play Cube

Time for a sensory safari! This zoo-themed play table has so many different aspects, it will keep even the most easily distracted children engaged.

Beads to slide, blocks to drop through differently shaped holes, and bright, colourful zoo characters will all help your children develop spatial reasoning, fine motor skills, early reading, cause-and-effect learning and shape matching.

Find out more at fatbraintoys.com

3. Spike The Fine Motor Hedgehog

He’s not got the catchiest name on the toy shelf, but Spike The Fine Motor Hedgehog lives up to his title by helping your kids’ fine motor skills.

They’ll have a great time slotting the chunky pegs into Spike’s back to give him a full set of spines, and it’ll also help them with counting and learning colours.

Find out more at learningresources.co.uk

4. Symphony Croc Music Band Set

Your little musicians will have a blast banging on Symphony Croc and its accompanying drum, while also developing their motor skills.

It might not be apparent immediately, but they’ll also develop their sense of rhythm by listening to music and playing along. 

Find out more at habausa.com

5. Skoolzy Peg Board Set

More colourful pegs to get those motor skills honed! Kids can learn about counting, sorting, threading and identifying colours with this bright peg board from Skoolzy. This is a Montessori-inspired toy created to get your kids’ neurons firing and learning through play.

Find out more at toyscentral.uk

6. LeapFrog 100 Animals Book

What’s better than your kids learning lots of animal names and facts? Learning them in more than one language, of course! Leapfrog is an interactive toy that speaks to your child in English and Spanish, as well as playing animal songs and sounds.

Find out more at smythstoys.com

7. Manhattan Toy Deep Sea Adventure

Kids can do some underwater exploring with this exciting activity table. The Manhattan Toy Deep Sea Adventure will dazzle your little submariners for hours. It’s full of animal-themed gliders, bead runs and lots of exciting motor-skill enhancing features. Its wooden structure and muted tones also mean it’s less of an eyesore compared to some other toddler toys, so it’s a more pleasant addition to your living room.

Find out more at manhattantoy.com

8. Baby Einstein Curiosity Table Activity Station

If you’re raising little Einsteins or Marie Curies, the curiosity table activity station will help nurture their brains towards greatness. This art and science table has amazing gadgets for kids to explore, from gears to circuits and flashing lights. It has a magnetic art surface and a dry erase whiteboard and can play up to 65 melodies and sounds.

Find out more at elc.co.uk

9. Little Tikes 3-in-1 Sports Activity Centre

Your toddlers can slam-dunk their way to success with this fun, three-in-one activity centre. Teach your kids about basketball, bowling and football with this interactive toy, and watch them develop all-important coordination, confidence and motor skills. Bowling will also teach your kids cause and effect, as well as shapes and colours.

Find out more at littletikes.co.uk

10. Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Piggy Bank

It’s never too early to start teaching kids about money, and the smart stages piggy bank is a modern take on an old favourite. This little piggy is musical, with 40 songs to play, and helps kids with their motor skills by allowing them to slot colourful coins into its back.

Find out more at elc.co.uk

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While these activities might take you back a bit, they are still just as fun to enjoy in today’s smartphone society.

1. Sweet treats

One of the most universally loved things about Christmas must be the delicious food. People are spending less time in the kitchen due to their busy lives but be sure to take some time out to enjoy making things.

There’s nothing more festive than getting together and making a traditional homemade dessert for after dinner. Think mince pies, Christmas cakes and a boozy Christmas pudding.

2. Cross-stitch decorations

Using small stitching hoops as a base, novice crafters and kids will be able to make beautifully breath-taking Christmas decorations.

Sewers will need some material, thread and a pattern or simple picture that they want to copy. Once finished, hang up with a beautifully festive bow.

3. Cinnamon stick candle holder

Nothing screams Christmas more than a cosy evening with candles lit. Bring the festive scent of cinnamon into the mix by making your own cinnamon stick candle holder.

Secure cinnamon sticks around a candle with a rubber band, then tie with festive themed ribbon or twine. The candles also make the sweetest-smelling, rustic centrepiece

4. Homemade tree decorations

Embellishing the Christmas tree with personal touches is an easy way to make the festivities feel more personal. Homemade decorations can be made easily with salt dough.

The mixture of plain flour, table salt and water is easily moldable and not too messy. Let little ones loose before an adult bakes the creations and attaches a string to hang it off the tree.

5. Potato stamps

Making personal Christmas cards is a lovely touch and an old standing tradition to pass on Christmas well wishes.

Potatoes can be carved by an adult to create shapes like stars and trees. These easy-to-use stamps work well with brightly coloured poster paint, and they can also be used to decorate wrapping paper and gift bags.

6. DIY snow globes

Snow globes are a festive favourite, however, getting the scenery you want in the globe can be tricky. By making your own, the shimmering magic of snowfall will fall on a scene straight out of your own imagination.

Grab an empty, clean jar and take to work spraying the outside of the lid and gluing your own festive centrepiece to the inside. Fill the jar almost to the top with distilled water, add a pinch of glitter to act as snow and a dash of glycerine to stop the glitter from falling too quickly. Now screw the lid on carefully and give the globe a good shake.

7. Singing to neighbours

There is a very long list of traditional Christmas songs and carols, most of which would have been sung in churches and on the doorsteps of neighbours.

Although the tradition hasn’t disappeared completely, families can take advantage of coming together for the first time in a while and belting their hearts out. Lots of songs have been re-recorded by different artists across a range of genres and eras, letting everyone enjoy the spirit of Christmas.

 8. Post-dinner walks

This long-standing tradition is still pretty popular because nothing feels better than a walk in the crisp winter weather after stuffing your face.

However, lots of families have started opting for a chill afternoon watching Christmas television instead. Consider planning your route way before Christmas Day to hold your family accountable.

9. Making a wreath

Jazz up the living room with a homemade wreath. Splash some cash and get a wreath-making kit, or go rustic and gather branches and leaves to make a unique expression of your festive spirit.

10. Visit a Christmas market

If you need to escape the house and pick up some last-minute presents, there’s nothing better than a Christmas market.

It’s impossible to avoid feeling festive when browsing the various stalls, with Christmas lights twinkling and the smell of mulled wine wafting through the air. Plus, there’s always some great seasonal food and the chance to support some local businesses.

This article has been curated with with thanks to netvouchercodes.

To see your company in any upcoming features we are arranging please email laura@hurstmediacompany.co.uk or editorial@hurstmediacompany.co.uk

The post Top 10 budget-friendly activities to get you feeling festive appeared first on Checklists.

As restrictions lift, it feels as though the seas are beginning to calm after a storm that has ravaged our lives for the past 19 months. As we assess the damage, one of the biggest impacts, as we knew it would be, has been effects of the turmoil, on our children’s mental health. (See also this month’s feature on the effects of lockdown on children and their education)

Checklist spoke to therapist and counsellor, Kim Kelly and asked for her thoughts on how best to help our children face life’s post-Covid challenges and nurture their mental health. She told us that one of the greatest assets in maintaining good mental health in children and teens, is resilience.

“Resilience has been defined as “the ability of an individual to function competently in the face of adversity or stress. According to many empirical studies, resilience is positively correlated with positive indicators of mental health, such as life satisfaction, subjective well-being, and positive emotions. Resilient young people become resilient, confident adults and all the happier for it.  We can support our children and teenagers to build and nurture resilience, by trying to follow these simple steps:

1. Love

This is not just the love-you-to-death, you-can-do-no-wrong variety.  This is the kind of unconditional love that holds your young person to account, keeps firm boundaries and lets them feel the consequences of their actions.  It says: I love and support you, even when there are difficult times. I will support you to learn from difficulties and challenges, but I won’t excuse or defend poor choices or behaviour.

2. Get things wrong

Help your young person to see stuffing things up as a chance to learn and not an embarrassing, shameful thing to be avoided at all cost.  We will all make mistakes. If our learnt response is shame and humiliation, we will become scared to try new things, talk to new people, dance at a party, take a risk. So, practice. Ask for the wrong drink in Costa, then correct yourself; drop your bag at the till in Boots, if you’re brave enough tuck your skirt in your knickers (not you, Dad!). Experience the discomfort and then the evidence that nothing bad really happens and your confidence and resilience will grow

3. Approach the things you fear

Anxiety is a tricky customer.  When we feel fearful and anxious, everything in our body tells us to avoid that thing. We avoid it and feel better in the short term. But all we learn is that whenever we get that anxious feeling, we should avoid it and hide from it. If I feel anxious about going to a party and I stay away, I never learn that it was a great night, I have lovely friends, I can do a handstand drinking a glass of water (just me then?). 

Move toward the feared thing, not away from it. Start small – if you feel anxious going into a large supermarket, start with a small shop.  If you feel anxious about going to the barbers, start going when the shop is most quiet.  It doesn’t matter how small the increments are, as long as you are moving toward.  Make the steps small enough to be achievable, but big enough to feel challenging.  No steps at all is NOT an option when growing resilience.

4. Keep boundaries

There are rules and consequences all the way through our lives and like the toddler that insists they don’t need a nappy anymore and then pees on your neighbour, adolescents will argue until they wear you down …because they know you can be worn down.  See LOVE above – and love them enough to hold your boundary.  Don’t argue – that’s time and breath you will never get back. Don’t over explain, this is not a debate. Be fair and reasonable but hold your line.  There will be tears, but like the toddler your teenager will be all the better for having learnt the action and consequences lesson at home, rather than in the office or worse still, the police station. Remember you are only as good as the last boundary you let slide.

5. Trust them

No bubble wrap! No, “I’ll pack him a lunch or he won’t eat all day” or, “I’ll ring the teacher and tell them it’s not your fault”. Trust your young person to do the things that need to be done.  Help, support and guide them, but let them do. The finest way to make a responsible individual is to treat them as such.  Yes, there will be mistakes – see GET STUFF WRONG above.

6. Needs

Talk about their needs, not your wants.  Don’t assume you know.  Ask.  A teenager comes in crying after an upsetting falling out with their friend.  You know how it goes: you join in the criticism of the friend, say you’re relieved because you never liked them anyway and give them suggestions of three other people you know who would be a better friend for them.  The teenager says, ‘All I wanted was a hug not a bloody lecture’! Then make up with the friend and accuse you of not liking their friends!

When your teen is in a fizz, ask them, what do you need? Hug? Debate? Problem solving ideas? Chocolate?  In this way, we teach good communication to our youngsters.  We teach them to look at and identify their needs, we give them the autonomy over their emotions and the ability to ask for the right kind of help when they need it.  They will become more resilient in the face of adversity.

7. Talk about their solutions

Not your solution.  Ask what would be helpful in this situation?  What can I do to help? Encourage their problem-solving skills, help them to learn trust in themselves when approaching difficulties.

8. Listen

What we say is less important than how we listen.  We have two ears and one mouth – so listen twice and speak once. That is not the same as agreeing with everything your teen says or a walk over. It is showing a willingness to hear their perspective and to value their input even if you don’t agree.

9. Do the crime, do the time

Sometimes there will be consequences and sanctions.  Make sure the consequences are proportionate and fit the action.  Grounding a teenager for a week because they forgot to buy milk doesn’t leave you far to go when they pinch your car keys.

10. Laugh

That’s it! Watch a funny movie together; learn Nicki Minaj’s monster rap for their ridicule and entertainment (and your embarrassment); eat ice cream together for breakfast. In short, make opportunities to enjoy each other’s company, communicate and chat.  An environment where there’s warmth, fun and love even in the hardest of times, helps us to build resilience in any storm.

To see your company in any upcoming features we are arranging please email laura@hurstmediacompany.co.uk or editorial@hurstmediacompany.co.uk

The post The 10 steps to build resilience in your child appeared first on Checklists.