Month: March 2021

2021-03-02T15:00:23

(BPT) – No topic gets the heart pumping like love. And despite plenty of advice from experts, not everyone shows affection in the same way. Why not try to communicate with your paramour like you never have before? Instead of saying “I love you,” say “je t’aime” or “ich liebe dich” instead — show your special someone that you love them in another language!

If you’re not too savvy with languages, but you still want to do something amazing, there are still plenty of ways to express your feelings. Here are fun, creative tips on showing your passion.

1. Celebrate your loved one’s travel dream

Maybe your sweetheart has been saving up to visit Machu Picchu in Peru. Perhaps they can’t wait to float down the Danube River in Europe or climb Mount Fuji in Japan. While you may not be able to make these dream trips a reality right now, you can take time to learn more about the places your loved one wants to visit — and how you’d get there if you had the chance.

Plan out an imaginary trip with the object of your affection, all the way down to what sites you’d visit after arriving at your destination. Take things a step further by gifting your loved one with an immersive language program. This will help them prepare for future international adventures!

Rosetta Stone is a convenient language-learning software that allows you to see, hear, speak, read and write while learning new words and phrases, right on your desktop, laptop, tablet or phone. Rosetta Stone uses a Dynamic Immersion approach that ensures you’ll be immersed in your new language from the start, with reading, writing, listening and speaking exercises that work with your brain’s natural language processing ability to help you learn any of their 25 languages fast.

With Rosetta Stone, you and your loved one will intuitively learn through a series of photos, spoken words and written words. Just download the Rosetta Stone app and begin learning a new language!

2. Explore a new activity or skill together

To express your love beyond words, why not give your special someone the gift of a shared experience? Way more engaging and longer lasting than a pricey dinner or a bouquet of roses, choosing something you and your loved one can do together will not just deepen your bond, but open the door to more fun and meaningful interactions in years to come.

Take up a new instrument, enroll in an art class or tackle a foreign language. The great news is there are plenty of online classes, programs and tutorials for just about any hobby, game or life skill you’d like to explore with your partner.

3. Explore your loved one’s background

It doesn’t really matter if you share a cultural background with your loved one — you can always make the day meaningful by exploring your partner’s heritage. Here are just a few ways to show your special someone that you’re extremely interested in what makes them unique:

• Get them an ancestry kit so they can learn more about their own ethnic background.
• Help them discover their family background by enlisting their older relatives into creating a family tree.
• Find out how to make a dish (or where to order one) from your sweetheart’s culture and surprise them with a special meal.
• Use a language learning app like Rosetta Stone to memorize ways to express your love to your partner in the language of their parents, grandparents or even great-great-grandparents.

Choose a unique, easily downloadable gift with Rosetta Stone and reveal your new language skill as a surprise, or make your gift the experience of exploring a new vernacular. Whatever you choose, there’s nothing more romantic than saying “I love you” in a language that speaks to the heart.

2021-03-01T14:01:00

(BPT) – Discover new ways to relax with loved ones at home. Whether in person, or virtual, simple moments are where new memories and traditions are formed. The world’s oldest running rum distillery, Mount Gay, based in Barbados, offers premium distinctive rums for special occasions.

2021-03-02T09:01:00

(BPT) – It seems like every family has at least one — a child who is somewhat selective about what they’re willing to eat. As a parent, you may despair about making sure your children are getting enough healthy vegetables in their daily diet. But don’t give up just yet. It is possible to use vegetables in creative ways that even your most critical eater will find hard to resist.

Here are just a few ideas to amp up the veggie factor — while also encouraging healthy eating habits.

Make veggies more fun

You probably had “ants on a log” when you were a kid — celery stalks filled with peanut butter and dotted with raisin “ants” that kids find irresistible. Sometimes the presentation makes all the difference.

These strategies may help kids see their veggies in a new way:

• Use a fun name for the food — From “ants on a log” to calling zucchini noodles “zoodles,” kids like things that sound funny or pique their imagination.
• Turn veggies into art — Turn a plate full of differently shaped veggies like carrot curls, strips of bell peppers, sliced pitted olives, cherry tomato halves or broccoli “trees” into faces or landscapes — or let your kids create art with them before they munch. Add tasty dips for kids to sample as they work their way around the plate.
• Learn about herbivores in the animal world — Talk about what rabbits or guinea pigs eat, or large animals like elephants and huge dinosaurs! Arrange a salad plate fit for a bunny or a triceratops and have at it!

Sneak veggies into foods

They’ll never guess! There are plenty of ways to sneak a few — or a little more — veggies into foods your kids will love.

• Cauliflower pizza crust. Kids love pizza, and they’ll never know the delicious crust is made from cauliflower. Newman’s Own Cauliflower Crust Thin and Crispy Pizzas, in Cheese or Margherita varieties, will quickly become family favorites. These great-tasting pizzas are made with wholesome ingredients like real cauliflower and 100% whole milk mozzarella, with no added sugar — and the crust is certified gluten-free.
• Ground meat favorites. Meatballs, hamburgers and meatloaf using ground meat or poultry are easy foods to sneak in some finely grated carrot, zucchini, spinach or kale for a nutrition boost.
• Eat your veggies for dessert. Veggies like carrots and zucchini make yummy breads, muffins or cake. A little sugar, agave or honey in the recipe is all that’s needed to sweeten the deal, turning your vegetables into dessert — or breakfast!
• Smooth it up. Use your blender to make tasty concoctions from any number of veggies or fruits. Add yogurt and sweeten with honey until it tastes so good nobody can resist. Or just use bananas for sweetness that makes any smoothie taste better. Kids thrown off by green smoothies? Give it a funny name (Swamp Shake?) to help it go down more smoothly.

Include kids in the process

Grow vegetables at home, let kids choose some at the farmer’s market or learn how to prepare the veggies together. Children are more interested in eating things when they’ve had an active part in the process.

• Short on outdoor space? Consider a small indoor herb or veggie garden as a fun family project.
• Kids too young to handle knives or heat safely? Let younger children wash veggies or shuck corn.

Discover new things together

Explore vegetables that come in interesting shapes and colors, like eggplant, Romanesco, colorful bell peppers, watermelon radishes or rainbow carrots. Talk about how they grow — on the ground, under the ground or on a vine? See where you can buy veggies that look just as they do as they grow, like corn in husks or Brussels sprouts on stalks.

Need more meal inspiration? Check out NewmansOwn.com for plenty of tasty, better-for-you recipe ideas.

2021-03-01T09:01:01

(BPT) – If your business is ready to grow, or you’re launching a business, you probably know that the location of your business really matters. Choosing a place that’s attractive to business partners and customers alike, is cost-effective and also offers a thriving market for your industry is a tall order. However, there’s one city that may just fit the bill: Charlotte, North Carolina.

Despite the many tough challenges posed by the pandemic over the past year, the Queen City remains a great place for businesses to thrive, with plenty of COVID-ready offices, an abundance of economic benefits — and a rapidly growing population.

Here are just some of the reasons to consider the City of Charlotte the ideal location to launch, relocate or expand your business.

1. The people

According to U.S. Census data, 120 people move into the Charlotte area every day. Currently, over two million people live in the Charlotte metropolitan area — a 4.21% increase from its population in 2019.

And the region is expected to grow by 1.5 million people in the next 30 years.

What does that mean for your business? More people equals more talent to hire from, plus more customers to help your business grow. Not surprisingly, Realtor.com named Charlotte, North Carolina, one of its top three housing markets for 2021.

And it’s no wonder Charlotte is becoming so popular — U.S. News and World Report listed the city among its 2020 list of top 10 best places to live in the U.S.

2. The low taxes

North Carolina is one of the best and most cost effective places to do business, in large part because it has the lowest corporate income tax rate in the country.

In fact, U.S. News and World Report named it a “Top 10 State for Best Business Tax Climate” in 2020, and Site Selection Magazine gave it their top ranking for business climate in 2020, determined by a survey of site selectors across the country.

3. Affordable real estate

Does your business need space? In the Charlotte area, the average office market rent is approximately $30 per square foot. When you compare this cost with San Francisco (which is about $90 per square foot) or New York ($73 per square foot), there really is no comparison. And the average industrial rent is only $6.40 per square foot.

The building of new and renovated COVID-ready office and warehouse space is booming, with 7.3 million square feet of office currently under construction.

4. Industry growth

While the baseline growth across all industries for the U.S. is projected to be 2.5% over the next five years, according to Chmura Economics, 2020, Charlotte, North Carolina will likely see the following growth in these industries over the same period:

• 7% in Finance and Insurance
• 7.5% in Transportation and Logistics
• 9% in Technology

The Charlotte area alone boasts over 60 FinTech firms, including the headquarters of major banking and financial services companies.

5. A hub for technology

And speaking of the tech industry, the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) named Charlotte a Top 5 Tech Town in 2020. Based on the annual estimated costs of labor and office rent alone, it would be 24% less expensive to operate a technology firm in Charlotte than in San Francisco — and 42% less expensive than in New York City, according to the U.S. Commercial Real Estate Services (CBRE) analysis of estimated one-year costs by market.

Tech talent also abounds in the Charlotte area, with thousands of students at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte graduating with engineering and IT degrees every year. CBRE also named Charlotte the #4 city in the U.S. for attracting millennials to move there.

“We have a strong vision for Charlotte’s future,” said Tracy Dodson, assistant city manager and economic development director. “We’re making intentional investments to achieve ambitious goals, continuing the momentum that makes this city so attractive for both businesses and residents right now.”

If your business is currently in one of the other large metropolitan areas in the country and you’re looking for an opportunity to expand or relocate, now is a great time for a strategic move.

Visit CharlotteOpenforBusiness.com to learn about everything that Charlotte, North Carolina, has to offer.

2021-03-01T10:01:00

(BPT) – Ever wonder if your kids get enough sleep? According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), around 25% of kids 5 and younger suffer from sleep problems. And it’s even worse for older kids: The CDC reports that over half (57%) of middle schoolers and nearly 3 out of 4 (72%) high schoolers are sleep deprived.

Unfortunately, the pandemic has worsened the problem. The NIH reports an overall epidemic of sleeplessness due to anxiety and stress caused by COVID-19, showing high rates of clinically significant insomnia (20%), acute stress (15.8%), anxiety (18.5%) and depression (24.5%). Even minor sleep deficits can have major impacts on kids’ ability to learn, and their overall health and immunity. For National Sleep Awareness Month, it’s worth taking a good look at your family’s sleep habits to make positive changes.

Getting enough sleep can be tough for everyone, especially at times of the year when clocks change due to Daylight Saving Time. Before you spring ahead, know just how many zz’s your kids need to keep them healthy, happy and ready to learn.

The National Sleep Foundation recommends the following amount of sleep per night:

• Ages 3-5: 10-13 hours
• Ages 6-13: 9-11 hours
• Teenagers: 8-10 hours

Here are tips to help your kids improve the quality and quantity of their sleep each night. The good news is, these tips are just as effective for parents.

1. Take control of the tech

Did you know the blue light emitted by phones’ electronic screens disrupts sleep patterns by slowing down the body’s ability to produce melatonin, the hormone that makes you sleepy?

There’s also the issue of feeling compelled to check devices in the middle of the night. A study by Common Sense Media found that:

• 1 in 3 teens (36%) wakes up to check their mobile device at least once a night.
• Kids say they’re waking up due to receiving notifications (54%) or to check social media (51%).
• A majority of kids (70%) check their mobile device within 30 minutes of falling asleep at night.
• 29% of teen smartphone owners say they’ve been woken up at night by a call, text or notification.

Your kids (and you) will get better sleep if you shut down devices before bed, and keep them out of bedrooms. One option is to create a charging station in a common room where everyone plugs in at night to help enforce this rule.

Technology can also be part of the sleep solution. For example, Circle Parental Controls’ Bedtime feature allows you to set digital lights out times for each member of the family, saving you unnecessary nag time. Circle’s Bedtime feature turns off internet access at a set time every night, and turns it back on in the morning.

“We know that bedtime can be a challenging time for parents; enforcing rules that keep kids healthy, and pleasant to be around the next day, is hard when the adults themselves are exhausted,” said Anne Bryan, CEO of Circle. “Circle makes it easier to keep the rules by turning off the online distractions.”

Learn more at meetcircle.com.

2. Create a routine

Kids of all ages benefit from a predictable bedtime routine. For younger kids, a simple bath and story time combo may help them relax and prep for sleep, helping to reduce sleep problems and foster healthy sleep habits.

For older kids and teens, discuss what a relaxing pre-bed routine looks like for them. Finishing homework and shutting down devices at least an hour before lights out can help kids relax and be ready to rest. The Bedtime feature from Circle can work wonders here.

3. Set the scene

Getting enough sleep comes from practicing healthy sleep hygiene. For example, it’s easier — and more restful — to sleep in a cool, dark, quiet room. Set the thermostat a little lower (65 degrees is optimal), block bright lights from outside, and if needed, consider a white noise machine to help reduce intermittent noises in your kids’ rooms.

Maintaining rules that limit screen time, shutting down devices and keeping them out of bedrooms will also reduce distractions that can keep kids awake.

4. Be consistent

While this may seem obvious, it can be hard to put into practice, especially on weekends or school vacations. But the more everyone sticks to regular bedtimes and wake times, the more likely their bodies will adapt.

When approaching a change in routine like Daylight Saving Time, plan ahead by gradually moving bed and wake times, 15 minutes per day, to the new schedule — keeping the total amount of sleep time about the same.

Discover more ways to help kids sleep better — and manage their screen time — at Meetcircle.com/march-sleep.

2021-03-01T12:01:01

(BPT) – It’s the funny face as he tries a new texture. It’s the cute way she smacks her lips as she gobbles up a new food. It’s the waving arms and big smile that says, “I want more!”

Experts agree that most babies are ready to try solid foods at around 6 months of age. As a parent or caregiver, this is an exciting but confusing time for your growing child. You want to give your baby the joy of new flavors as well as provide excellent nutrition, but you may not be sure which foods are healthy and safe for your little one.

“Experts often recommend soft, vitamin-rich foods that are easy to swallow and digest as ideal first foods,” says Dr. John La Puma, Clinical Director of ChefClinic and co-founder of ChefMD^®. “Baby cereal such as oat and quinoa are often one of the easiest things to try first when baby is ready, but there are many more foods to add to your infant’s menu that are not only delicious, but nutritious, too.”

Fresh and ready produce options for infants

Avocado is a great example of a nutrient-dense first baby food. When ripe, the fresh, buttery flavor of an avocado is a tasty treat for infants. Avocados are a good source of healthy monounsaturated fat as well as folate and vitamins K and C, so you can feel good about feeding your baby a wholesome food.

Because of the soft texture, avocados are great for infants just learning how to swallow. Cut an avocado in half and mush half of the flesh into a baby food consistency or try slicing into tiny pieces that can be easily chewed and swallowed. Save the other half of the avocado for later in the day or join your little one and nosh on some avocado toast.

Bananas are another wholesome option for infants. Widely available and affordable, stocking up on bananas is a great way to provide a nutritious snack for the whole family. Known as a potassium powerhouse, bananas are also a good source of fiber, magnesium and vitamin B6. Just like avocado, you can mush or slice the flesh to make eating easy for baby whether it’s meal or snack time.

Make every bite count with eggs

For a convenient, yet nutrient-packed option, turn to kitchen staples like eggs. In fact, the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee of the USDA recently issued recommendations for birth to 24 months old and specifically recommended eggs as an important first food for infants and toddlers. The Advisory Committee also shared a new recommendation based on the latest research revealing early introduction of eggs to babies who are developmentally ready to eat solid foods may help reduce a child’s risk of developing an egg allergy.* In fact, introducing cooked eggs at 4 to 6 months of age might protect against egg allergy.** Eggs are also great for pregnancy since they contain some of the highest levels of choline, a crucial nutrient for fetal brain health.

When shopping for eggs, Dr. La Puma advises that not all eggs are created equal. He suggests opting for Eggland’s Best eggs, as they provide superior nutrition compared to ordinary eggs such as more than double the vitamin B12, which supports muscle, bone and brain development for infants and toddlers. EB eggs also contain six times more vitamin D, 25% less saturated fat, more than double the Omega-3s, and 10 times more vitamin E compared to ordinary eggs.

Busy parents can look to convenient, time-saving mealtime solutions. Refrigerated, peeled and ready-to-eat, Eggland’s Best Hard-Cooked Peeled Eggs are simple to grab and slice into small pieces for little ones. Learn more and get delicious recipes at www.egglandsbest.com.

“Helping infants and toddlers experience a new world of flavors can be as fun for you as it is for them,” says La Puma. “These ideas are simple and can be prepared in just minutes, providing you easy, scientifically sound options for supporting your child’s growth and nutritional well-being.”

To celebrate eggs as an important first food for babies, Eggland’s Best is also searching for babies born between Jan. 1, 2020 and April 30, 2021, with the initials E.B.! Visit www.EBFamilySweeps.com by April 30 to enter the EB Baby Sweepstakes for the chance to win a year’s supply of Eggland’s Best eggs!

^*If your family has a history of food allergy or your baby has eczema, talk to your pediatrician before introducing highly allergenic foods.

**https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(10)01173-5/abstract

2021-03-01T08:03:00

(BPT) – Bulk groceries and large boxes of household supplies: This might be the vision that comes to mind when you think of wholesale clubs. While saving money on groceries and household essentials is a fundamental perk of a wholesale club membership, it’s only the tip of the iceberg. In fact, there are exclusive benefits that can save you so much money. Here are five ways to save big at a wholesale club you may not have heard of before:

Exclusive pricing on major appliances plus free services

Whether your household appliance went out and you need a quick replacement or you’re looking for an upgrade to enhance your home, wholesale clubs offer exclusive prices on name-brand appliances for members. For example, BJ’s Wholesale Club members can save on Whirlpool major appliances, plus free delivery, installation and haul away of old ones.*

*Delivery, haul away and installation in select areas.

Free estimates for home improvement services

Getting quotes for a home improvement project and hiring a contractor is a job in and of itself. However, BJ’s Home Improvement makes it easy with free estimates on many services for your home including windows, flooring, roofing, siding and more. Plus, you’ll get a dedicated support team for your home improvement projects that will make it easy to stay on time and on budget, with impressive results that will add to your home’s value.

Mobile phone and technology services discounts

Forget about going to a separate store or waiting on hold for hours for your cell phone, TV and internet provider. Ask about cellular services at wholesale clubs and enjoy big savings. At BJ’s Wholesale Club, members receive exclusive offers with AT&T including wireless, internet and TV plans. Choose your package and enjoy a variety of amazing benefits and savings upon purchase.

Get peace of mind and save on auto, home and renter’s insurance

Insurance provides peace of mind that if something happens, you’re financially prepared to handle it. This is why it’s so essential to carry auto and home or renter’s insurance. Access exclusive offers through wholesale clubs to help you save on these essential insurance options, including Liberty Mutual through BJ’s Wholesale Club which helps you create customized policies perfect for your needs and budget.

Pay less for the best tires for vehicles

There’s one very important thing connecting your vehicle to the road that keeps you safe in all types of weather: tires. Good tires are essential; the problem is they can be expensive. At BJ’s Wholesale Club, you can enjoy deep discounts on brand name tires as well as lifetime maintenance on BJ’s purchased tires. Visit https://tires.bjs.com/stores/ to see if your wholesale club has a tire center.