Author: Nixplay Team Page 3 of 9

kids transferring schools

4 Things That Can Make Transferring To a New School Easier

By

On August 21, 2019

In Lifestyle

Being the new kid in school will never be an easy experience. When all your classmates already have friends to hang out with during recess, when everyone’s already paired up on the bus, and when your teachers know everyone except you, how’s a kid supposed to deal?

Don’t worry–we’re here to help. Here are some easy ways to make transferring campuses easier for your child this back to school season.

Involve your child in the process.

Make sure your child is involved in every step on the way. Bring them with you when you visit schools, ask them for their opinion on the schools on your shortlist, and maybe ask them to list what they’re looking forward to about switching schools. This is an exciting month in your kids’ life!

Dispel your child’s fears.

Unless your child had a traumatic experience in their old school, they probably wouldn’t be too keen to transfer schools. They’d be leaving a familiar environment and saying goodbye to familiar faces–that’s got to be difficult for anyone, regardless of age. Make the move easier for your kid by discussing the things their concerns and fears. Address all their concerns, and get them to see the bright side of switching schools.

Plan a “switching schools” party for your child.

Make sure your child gets to say goodbye properly to all their friends and favorite teachers. You can have a small party at your backyard and have your child invite their closest classmates and teachers. Ask the guests to write notes wishing your child good luck at their new school, and encourage them to stay in touch.

Create a digital scrapbook documenting your child’s time at their previous school.

Gather all of your child’s pictures with their previous classmates, scan their best artwork and treasured notes, and compile them into a digital album commemorating their time at the school. This way, they’ll always fond memories of a crucial part of their formative years.

Display the digital scrapbooks on a Nixplay Frame so their memories will always be at their fingertips. Get 25% off selected frames for our Back To School Sale, only until August 25!

friendship day blog

How To Make Friends While Traveling

By

On July 30, 2019

In Lifestyle

Meeting new people is always a major highlight of any trip. Whether you got to know friendly locals at a sports game or hobnobbed with fellow tourists while sightseeing, one thing’s for sure: The memories you shared will be cherished forever.

However, making friends on the road isn’t as easy as it looks, especially for introverts. Befriending other people involves deliberately stepping outside your comfort zone and making yourself a bit vulnerable, and it can even trigger moments of mind-wracking anxiety. But rest assured, the payoff is usually worth it.

So how does one go about making friends while traveling? Here are some easy ways to do so.

Hang out at a bar

Traveling alone? Seek out a lively bar, order a drink, and chat up the person who eventually sits next to you. Start with small talk—bring up the weather or ask about the person’s drink—then proceed from there.

Join a free tour

You can find free walking tours in several cities worldwide, and the good news is that they’re usually free. It’s a lovely way to see the sights while learning interesting things about each landmark’s history. Don’t forget to give your guide a good tip!

Get active on social media

Join travel groups on Facebook and ask around for travel tips, interesting restaurants, and other fun activities in your destination. Who knows, you might even get invited to fun events!

Volunteer

Volunteering hits two birds with one stone: You’ll get to meet new people while helping out the community. It also provides you with an in-depth view of the issues surrounding your destination and gives you a newfound appreciation of the life you’re lucky enough to live.

Just strike up a conversation!

Really, it all boils down to getting out of your comfort zone and chatting up the people around you. Stuck on a bus for a long trip? Strike up a conversation with the person beside you. Taking pictures around the city by your lonesome? Don’t hesitate to a stranger to take a picture so you’re in the frame, and return the favor. Just go ahead and chat!

With the right mindset, you’ll befriend a ton of people before your trip is over. Don’t forget to take lots of photos with your new pals and display them on your Nixplay Frame!

Invite your new friends to share their photos with you so you’ll always have memories of your adventure together. Take advantage of Nixplay’s International Friendship Day sale and get up to 25% off selected frames, only until August 4!

summer weddings

What to Keep in Mind When Preparing for a Summer Wedding

By

On July 18, 2019

In Special Moments

Summer may be the most popular time for weddings, but that doesn’t guarantee a hitch-free ceremony! If you’re tying the knot at the height of the season, make sure to cover all bases by following these tips.

Dress for summer.

While spiffy suits and heavy beaded gowns register beautifully in photos, it can be a bit uncomfortable for summer, especially if you’re holding an outdoor event. To keep everyone smiling throughout the day, make sure you and your guests are clad in light, chic outfits in cool fabrics. Try linen suits for guys, and draped jersey dresses for the ladies.

Be mindful of the drinks you’ll serve.

Stick to light, refreshing beverages early in the ceremony and reception, as alcohol and frozen concoctions might make your guests more parched. Opt for light, refreshing juices or iced teas, and invite your guests to help themselves to bottles of water.

Consider practical wedding giveaways.

Summer weddings inspire a range of creative keepsakes your guests will use long after your big day. If you’re having an outdoor ceremony, Panama hats, fans, and sunglasses will make for great souvenirs. Luggage tags will complement their summer vacation plans, while chic utensil sets will help them make more eco-friendly decisions.

For your entourage, a more personal memento that celebrates your relationships will be a suitable gift. A Nixplay Smart Frame pre-loaded with all your favorite photos and videos would be appreciated not just in summer, but throughout the rest of the year as well.

Keep your guests cool.

An outdoor ceremony at the height of summer can be absolutely gorgeous–and absolutely sweltering. Help your guests keep their cool by setting up tents and air coolers, and distribute water misters to help them stay cool.

Have a Plan B venue for outdoor weddings.

We’re sure you’ve checked the weather forecast several times ahead of your big day, but still, you never know when it might rain! Tents can provide refuge in case of a sudden drizzle, and they will also come in handy if the sun shines a bit too brightly.

Parenting 101: How to Work Together as a Team

Parenting 101: How to Work Together as a Team

By

On July 15, 2019

In Lifestyle

Raising children should be a team effort. After all, parenting can be demanding and it certainly doesn’t come easy. The key is team parenting, which is defined as being united in you and your partner’s expectations, rules, guidelines, and methods of discipline. But it’s a lot harder than it sounds, especially when you and your partner have different parenting styles.

Differences in parenting styles can strain your marriage. Squabbles about how to raise kids can pile up, possibly causing irreparable damage. That’s why constant communication and teamwork are crucial. If you haven’t figured out how to do it yet, here are a few tips that can help you:

Ask each other for help.

Sharing the load is easier if both you and your partner are willing to ask each other for help. Breastfeeding, for example, can be challenging for mothers, but moms don’t always ask for help from their partner—and they should.

Fathers can help their spouses by holding their child after feeding. Baby Centre explains that this little moment is a great opportunity for a dad to bond with his child, and it’s an intimate way to show the mom that he is by her side. Showing each other genuine support is a great way to make each other’s lives easier. Delegate tasks and don’t wait to be told.

Find helpful tools that will make your life easier.

Technology has made parenting a little easier through apps and state-of-the-art baby monitors. The Raybaby Baby Monitor, for instance, allows parents to keep an eye on their baby through a video feed, and even monitors the child’s breathing patterns.

A sturdy pushchair or stroller should also be on your list. This will help keep your baby comfortable while you are traveling and moving around. iCandy has a great selection of pushchairs and prams in modern designs that can handle a multitude of terrains, Perfect for taking your baby to town or on a long walk through the park. Parents should take turns heading outside with their baby so both can rest. Taking your baby outside together is also a great way for parents to bond, and it will also get you out of the house, which can be hard with a newborn.

Be open to combining your parenting styles.

Since moms and dads often have different parenting styles, the key is to pick out the best points of both and combine them into one efficient style. Communicate with each other so you can find a comfortable compromise where both styles are given time to shine. Always coordinate with your partner before deciding on anything, from punishments to rewards. Take it from actor Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, who agreed to treat their kids like they would other people—with respect and admiration.

Don’t argue in front of your children.

You never want to paint the other parent as the villain, so make sure you don’t contradict your partner in front of your children. Research conducted by Very Well Family reveals that a child as young as six months can be negatively affected by parental arguments. Seeing their parents fight can cause children to withdraw and develop emotional insecurities, anxiety, and behavioral issues. Studies have also found significantly decreased cognitive performance in children born and raised in homes where parents constantly fight and yell at each other.

Misunderstandings are normal among families, but it becomes problematic when the arguments get out of hand. Whenever you feel annoyed or angry with your partner, step outside or go in a room where you can be alone to catch your breath. Sometimes, all we really need is a minute to breathe.

fathers day-will smith

5 Cool Dads We Admire

By

On June 14, 2019

In Special Moments

Fatherhood isn’t easy, with its fair share of late nights, dirty diapers, toddler tantrums, and teenage angst. However, some dads make it look like a walk in the park (and no, we don’t mean Jurassic Park). Here are some utterly cool dads whom we look up to.

Will Smith

Will Smith isn’t just a fantastic Genie: the Aladdin star is also a certified cool dad to Willow and Jaden, his children with Jada Pinkett-Smith, and Trey, his son with his first wife, Sheree Zampino.

“We respect our children the way we would respect any other person,” said Will in an interview with Haute Living. “Things like cleaning up their room. You would never tell a full-grown adult to clean their room, so we don’t tell our kids to clean their rooms. Actually, we tell our kids ‘you don’t have a room, that’s our room and we are letting you borrow it.’”

David Beckham

David Beckham, the more handsome half of the power couple known as Posh and Becks, juggles a successful football career, multiple endorsements and events, and fatherhood with much aplomb. It wasn’t easy, though.

“I didn’t want to miss a second, but of course there were times that I couldn’t be there. I feared they would do something for the first time and I wouldn’t be there to see it,” he wrote in an essay for Men’s Health. “I knew that spending as much quality time with my kids as I could, especially when they were young, was the most important thing in the world…I also realized pretty quickly, that there are never enough hours in the day to do all the things we want to do with our kids so as long as we make whatever the time available to us quality time, where we are present, as dads we’re winning.”

Gordon Ramsay

The Hell’s Kitchen host may be terrifying towards adults who are hopelessly inept in the kitchen, but he’s quite a softie when it comes to kids. You can see Gordon’s tender side on Masterchef Junior, where he mentors young kitchen geniuses, as well as on Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch, where he banters with his cheeky children. He has also been very vocal about keeping his kids grounded despite his family’s fame.

In an article on The Telegraph, the top chef explains that his younger years were rough, and that he worked very hard so that his kids wouldn’t go through the same thing. “They have a completely different life than I did growing up. I worked [very hard] to get out of the mess that I grew up in and they’re grateful, they’re not spoilt.”

Prince William

Prince William’s children, George, Charlotte, and Louis, inspire him to do everything he can to make the world a better place.

“I worry about the future more,” he says when asked about how fatherhood changed his life in an article on Vanity Fair. “When you have something or someone in your life to give the future to, I think it focuses the mind more about what you’re giving them, and are you happy that you’ve done all you can to leave it in a good state.”

Barack Obama

What’s better than being the 44th President of the United States of America? For Barack Obama, it’s spending time with his daughters, Malia and Sasha. This is a hands-on dad who, despite occupying the most powerful position in the world, still coached Sasha’s grammar school basketball team and took the time to have a proper dinner with his family five times a week.

“It is in my capacities as a husband and a father that I entertain the most doubt,” Pres. Obama confesses in a Washington Post article. “I am a black man who grew up without a father, and I know the cost that I paid for that…And I also know that I have the capacity to break that cycle, and as a consequence, I think my daughters are better off.”

This Father’s Day, make sure to let the fathers in your life know just how much they mean to you by reminding them of your most treasured moments together. Place your favorite photos on a Nixplay Frame, and give it to dad–he’ll be in for a sweet surprise. Plus, we’re making it even sweeter: Get up to 25% off Nixplay and NIX frames, only until June 16!

Will Smith image via Wikimedia.

Page 3 of 9

Previous

Next

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén