There’s a line in an episode of The Simpsons where Mr Burns asks: ‘From the mightiest pharaoh to the lowliest peasant, who doesn’t enjoy a good sit?’ It’s funny because it’s true. Everyone, no matter who they are or where they come from, enjoys taking a load off now and then. Sitting literally is the great leveller.

Every civilisation had its own sitting rituals and furniture designed for a bit of sedentary action. The Aztecs might have missed out on inventing the wheel but they definitely figured out the chair. The history of sitting can interestingly be charted by looking at the various words for seats that we use today.

The word originates from the Middle English but it comes from the Old French noun couche, itself coming from the verb ‘to lie down’. A couche was originally designed as a long flat piece of furniture that one used for sitting on or lying down, equivalent to a more contemporary day bed.

The term sofa, however, has some slightly more exotic origins. It is believed to originate from the old Arabic word suffa, which was used to describe a carpet or divan. You can just imagine a Turkish living room from years gone by covered in rich silks and beautiful tapestries surrounding the soft and cushioned suffa. Sounds very comfortable and a great place to relax. If we could recreate that kind of space, even to a small degree, today with sofas in our living room or with luxurious duvets then they would be nice places to spend time.

The word settee is believed to have come from the old English word setl which described a long bench with a high back. It doesn’t sound quite as comfortable as the couche or the suffa but then we Brits are all about stiff upper lips, aren’t we?

These days, sofas, couches and settees are all very similar. There really isn’t anything to distinguish between them. The only difference is the word that we choose to give them and that really depends on which you are most comfortable with.

Still, the next time you are sitting on you couch, sofa or settee, spare a though for the Arabian princess sitting on her suffa, the old English country squire on his set or the French philosopher reclining on his couche. The sofa ties us all together with the peasants and the pharaohs.

This is a guest post provided by Sainsbury’s. Their fantastic range of household furniture covers an impressive selection of corner sofas; take a look at their collection online today.

I thought it would be fitting to share my thoughts on The Fatherhood given this is a dad blog and all!  I couldn’t help but laugh at all the parallels in this video compared to my life as a dad.  The video opens with mum putting the kids in the back seat for dad to drive them around for a while to put them to sleep.  I can totally relate to trying to keep the kids from a) crying in the back of the car, but then b) once they start crying, trying to calm them down and maintain my sanity while driving. Thirdly, this poor chap is in desperate need of some peace and quiet and sleep and none of that’s going to happen until those kids are asleep.  I personally know many new parents that literally drive their kids around the block trying to get them to sleep.  Now, how much petrol is consumed in the process, I’ll never know, but I’ll tell you, the cost of silence and sanity?  Priceless!

So, the setting here is an old-style 80s song with the requisite horribly dressed 80s band in the background and some of the lines are absolutely priceless.  Any video with a unicorn is bound to be funny, but the dad starts reciting various experiences we can all relate too – lack of sleep, vomit on his shoulder, wondering if he’ll turn into his father! (I totally have, I hate to admit it).  Some of the scenes have him questioning his own sanity, surely due to lack of sleep and well, I’ll let you watch the video to see how it ends.

In this case, the video is professionally done and brought to you by Fiat, so you’ll probably see this going viral in the next few days.

Take a look and surely you’ll see the parallels!

This past week we were at the shore on our annual trip and we always like to break up the routine of staying on the beach all day with some memorable activities for the kids. In years past, we’ve gone to the Cape May Zoo, rented family bikes to ride around, went dolphin-seeing on a boat, or one year, we saw a “Walking with Dinosaurs” show over in Atlantic City while we were in the area. Now that they’re getting older, I thought I’d take them crabbing.

I hadn’t gone crabbing for about 25 years since I was a kid. I remember my dad waking us up at about 5AM to make the 2.5 hr drive down the shore to get an early start to jam crabbing, the beach and the boardwalk all into one day trip. Those were some great times, but having the house down here for a full week certainly makes for the ability to spread things out a bit more.

So, first off, I researched a few places where you can rent a boat for crabbing. Some of the reviews I saw referred people to where you could crab under a bridge or off a dock, but I always liked the ability to drive the boat around and try out different places, especially if the land options were crowded. We found a good place with 4 hour rates and then also rented out lines, cages, life vest and sold bait. It was really a one-stop shop.

My kids are animal lovers so as odd as it may sound, even though we had a good time and caught a few crabs, we just let them go again and didn’t take any home, which is what 99% of the rest of the people are there to do. They really enjoyed being out there on the boat and the thrill of catching the giant crustaceans. The only regret is that I didn’t bring the fishing polls this year. Next year, I’d like to try fishing off the boat as well, as they’ve never gone salt water fishing and they’d probably get a kick out of the various strange looking fish you catch here as opposed to the typical fresh water bass or sunny.

Brought to you by QuickQuid – UK’s premier short term loan lender.

Many people have grown weary of the stock market with all its volatility and constant scandals from major companies (witness the recent LIBOR manipulation scandal in the press).  Therefore, people with funds to invest are often looking to diversify into new asset classes or types of investments.  Sometimes, this just means a new tilt on existing investments, but using leverage or stock options; other times it means entirely new asset classes.  Here are some thoughts you might want to consider:

Though we never want to think about it, our mortality is inevitable and unavoidable.  The death of a family member is something that can take a heavy toll on a family, and is usually a time where we lean on each other the most for support. With that said, the circumstances leading up to a family member’s passing can pit family as foe, as well as put a large strains on the those responsible for the care of a loved one who is unable to care for themselves.

Long term care insurance (LTCi) is one of the most beneficial and unselfish monetary tools that a person can obtain. Though not many people understand it nor purchase it, the benefits extend beyond financial protection.  For those receiving the care, it ensures that they receive the type of care that they desire and ensures that their last days are as comfortable as possible.  In addition, LTCi can preserve family relations in that it solidifies a plan for care, which mitigates potential arguments and family in-fighting that is likely to occur if a care plan is left open-ended or not agreed upon by all family members.  This is particularly important for the adult children or spouse of a terminally incapable person who serve as a full time caretaker, as they typically face this largest amount of stress and likely to develop underlying resentment for shouldering most of the care burden.

I have experience in how this scenario can play out, both as a professional and in my personal life.  My own grandfather suffered through the crippling effects of Lou Gehrig’s disease. My grandmother and local family bore the responsibility of his daily care.  As my grandfather and grandmother had never been introduced to the idea of Long Term Care, there was not a defined care plan in place.  And while my grandmother and her children never gave a second thought to caring for my grandfather, it wasn’t long until I could see a steady growth of impatience and animosity between my family members providing my grandfathers care.

Because there was no definite care plan in place, each person involved began to have their own ideas about how the care should be provided.  In addition, they also began harboring resentment and criticizing other family members for their “lack of involvement.”  Even if the responsibilities were delegated equally, it was inevitable that someone thought they were doing more than their fair share of the work. Many hurtful words were exchanged between family members, even the day of my grandfather’s funeral in the very room where he was laid to rest. The disagreements and in-fighting drove a wedge between my family members, that to do this day, has still not been resolved among certain members.  But perhaps even more tragic, the disagreements also burdened my dying grandfather, who at one time said to me in whisper, “All this feuding is because of me.”

Your family does not need to suffer the same consequences as mine or the many others that have faced to repercussions of being underprepared for a long term care scenario.  There are many free Long Term Care resources at your disposal to help you understand the costs and benefits of LTCi and the importance of having a care plan in place.  We all want to be there for our parents and other family members when the time comes, but it should be in a way that we can enjoy our remaining days together and reflect on the experience in a positive light. Long term care insurance is a key component to that overall solution.  Don’t wait to have the conversation – start talking with your family members now.  Not only will you protect your family’s finances, but something far more valuable – your time and relationships together.

This Is A Guest Post With Information Sourced From Genworth Financial:

Even though we’ve been married just over a year, my wife and I joke about being an old married couple. We were warned that the first year of marriage wasn’t easy, and so we came into it prepared for a lot of disagreements. Truth be told, it was pretty smooth sailing – partly, because we knew each other so well after dating for years, and partly because we were genuinely happy spending time together,  We settled into our routine easily and found ourselves moving along smoothly together… perhaps, too smoothly.

In fact, things were going so well, I began to develop secret fears about something going horribly wrong.  I was so unaccustomed to the perfectness of it all, that I actually found myself trolling for articles about potential disasters and illnesses, if only to prep myself for the unthinkable. The constant joyousness and feelings of overall stability during that first year of marriage were so unexpected and previously unknown to me, that I just didn’t quite know how to process it all.  While I know my fears were a bit irrational, I also know thing unexpected and unpleasant things happen, even to the best of us. And I would guess that most of us do not have the clairvoyance to know when life is about to take a swing and knock us off our feet.

Of course, it does no good to allow those fears and negative thoughts to stew for too long, so I began to think of more positive and productive solutions to combating my fears and securing a happy and healthy future together well past our first year of marriage. A few things came to mind…

Frugality

Though neither of us has a lot of money or above-average incomes, we hope to own a home in the near future. We decided to define monthly budgets, as well as short-term and long-term savings goals.  The first thing we noticed is that the little things add up. We were each spending $3.50 a day to have our morning coffee from our local java shop. Now, we buy a bag of organic dark roasted beans for about $9 a pound and make coffee at home.  That tiny lifestyle change saves us $35 a week. We now bring bag lunches to work and cut back on dinners out. We already carpool to work, but are now considering biking to work 1 or 2 days a week.  Not only would that save on gas expenses, it would also be a great plus for our overall health.  (Which happens to be my next point in the paragraph below.)  We have also cut entertainment expenses like going out to the movies, by instead, staying in and playing board games or reading a book. Now there’s a novel idea!  Ok, bad pun – but I just wanted to make a point of all the minor changes you can make to your lifestyle that will generate significant savings over time.

A Healthy Lifestyle

Physical health is obviously one of the most important keys to happiness and longevity, but I think many of us neglect the fact that our emotional health is just as important. Stress and anxiety is far too commonplace in today’s fast-paced world, and I think many of us find it hard to disconnect from the bombardment of information and technology we encounter on a daily basis.   Even the simplest things like taking walks, getting ample fresh air and sunlight, and allowing yourself to get enough sleep can be difficult with our modern day schedules, yet these things are incredibly important to maintaining our natural rhythms and establishing peace of mind during both the day and night. It’s certainly not a bad thing to turn off the television, the cell phone, and close that laptop from time to time either.  Your brain needs rest days just as your body does.

Insurance

As the saying goes, “You have to spend money to earn money.”  The fact of the matter is, sometimes you have to spend a little now to guarantee you’ll have funds down the road. However, sometimes the opposite is true.  Following the birth of our first child, my wife and I began looking into life insurance, and  I stumbled across an article that certainly raised our eyebrows; Money Matters: Insuring A New Marriage,  Until that point in time, my wife and I did not fully grasp the fact that life insurance policy could cover accumulated debt.  But once we fully understood the impact, we realized that a life insurance policy needed to be high on our priority list.  While I came into the marriage without debt, my wife had some credit card debt that she’s still diligently paying off.  And when we finally purchase our first home, we were surely accumulate some mutual debt as well.  It would be very difficult for either my wife or I to pay off those debts alone If something were to happen to one of us.  And neither one of us are willing to allow that scenario to occur.  The choice to invest in a life insurance policy was made even easier when we realized that it is far less expensive to purchase a policy when you are young and healthy.

These few simple decisions, and a few others, minimized most of my own fears and have given both my wife and I a stronger sense of stability and security.  I know that that many other young couples have shared very similar experiences in their early years of marriage.  Making smart decisions in the earlier years will extend your longevity and maximize your health and happiness in the later years.

Although aging is inevitable, how old you feel depends on each person. The following tips could help you stay young inside and out, while products such as a Stannah stairlift could help you move around as if the years haven’t passed.

Body Health

Keeping your body in decent health is not too difficult. Swimming pools and gyms often offer classes for senior members, such as yoga. These exercises are designed with older members in mind, so there is nothing to worry about in terms of over exhausting yourself. Furthermore, you can also use it as an opportunity to socialise, whether with people you know or people you meet there.

Light cardio exercises, such as walking or swimming, can take care of your heart whilst also getting you out of the house and doing something you might come to enjoy. The key is to not do anything over strenuous, whilst providing enough exercise to keep your body and muscles in shape. For cases of severe mobility problems, however, stairlift solutions are the best answer.

Classes

Local community halls hold introductory classes for a number of things, so whether you want to take it up privately or explore a new hobby with others in public, the choice is always yours. These are also usually cheap or free, so you once again have another affordable way of enjoying yourself.

Don’t worry about the money; these activities don’t need to be expensive. The average senior citizen understandably has financial restraints, relying on various pensions. Yet with careful planning, it’s possible to find a lot to do and enjoy for minimal costs.

Hobbies

Your free time can also enable you to take up a hobby, or spend more time with an old one. In short, you should remember that part of retirement is having the time to do the things you want without worrying about the likes of work getting in the way. If there is something you want to do, there is little reason to try it.

If you are suffering from mobility problems; don’t let them stop you from enjoying yourself. Devices such as stair lift for the elderly can be installed in your house in less than 24 hours these days. Besides, more and more locations count with mobility devices in order to make it easy for our elders to go out and around.

Brain games

Likewise, you can also keep your brain in check by doing various activities. From book clubs to chess clubs, there are many activities or social circles you can join. More than simple entertainment, doing such activities can provide stimulation and prove that senior citizens are just as smart as their younger counterparts. It also provides nice and relaxing ways to spend the day, giving you one more thing to do with your free time.

Furthermore, you could always consider learning something new. More modern developments, such as the increasing popularity and reliance of the internet, provide whole new experiences. This may take time to get used to, but time isn’t something you have to worry about as much during retirement. Now more than ever, those new internet and IT systems are created and designed to provide elderly support. Find out what you can gain from them!

In conclusion, there are many ways to stay active in your senior years. Many people worry about what they’ll do when they get older, but the truth is there are plenty of things to do if you’re adventurous enough to go and look for it.

At this time every year parents throughout America are all constantly hearing the same requests from their children ahead of the new school year.

Often, it is for new school items, such as bags, books and laptops or the latest designer trainers so they can make an impression come the new semester.

The cost of these items, especially during these difficult economic times, can mount up. On top of everyday living, it’s often a real stretch for most families.

If you find yourself in this situation, don’t despair! There is a middle ground where both you and your children can be happy. Firstly, it is a good idea to take stock of your financial situation.

With the hectic pace of everyday life, you may not have looked at your income and expenditure for a while. Use a mortgage calculator to help double check whether you can access a better rate of interest.

A mortgage calculator may help you free up other money to purchase much-needed items, such as new shoes or bags. However, don’t feel that you are obliged to buy the highest priced goods.

Children do not really understand the value of money, so the difference between a good and great pair of sneakers to them may be the money for the fuel bills for you.

Explain to them that there is a limited pot of money and that you have to purchase so many items. If they are older children, make it a challenge for them.

Getting them involved with the process can help them learn valuable life lessons, that you can’t always have everything you want all the time. This may help them avoid excessive debts in the future.

Allow them the choice to purchase the sneakers they want but ensure they know this will leave less for a good school bag. This will help them to understand how budgeting works.

Other ways of cutting back on school spending include taking advantage of special offers from retailers who offer deals such as 2 for 1 on clothing ranges.

If you have more than one child, this will be of valuable help. If you have one child, use this offer to buy items in the bigger size for the future.

Also, check the retailer’s website and local free papers for money-off vouchers. These coupons may only be for small amounts but these will add up and make great savings if you use them wherever you can.

You may even wish to join a coupon site, which gives details of all the promotions, discounts and money-off coupons that are available. Many parents have found these to be very worthwhile.

Additional ways to cut back on spending include swapping and recycling items within your network of family and friends who, rest assured, are facing the same issues as you!

You can reduce the back to school spending spree with some smart thinking around money and resources. Check your finances, use the mortgage calculator and help your children understand the value of money.

Summer is here and the kids are out of school. As a parent, you may be wondering just what you are going to do! Instead of struggling with a loan calculator, trying to figure out just how you are going to pay for the summer holidays and all the activities around you, consider doing some things that don’t cost much but may create a lifetime’s worth of memories for you and your family!

Of course, if you do need a little extra cash to cover these excursions, a loan calculator will be just the thing to break down how much you will be paying.

Get Outside.

If the weather is nice, there are tons of things to do outside that aren’t going to cost an arm and a leg. If you have room in the backyard, get out the bikes and the toys and let everyone enjoy some fun. When parents get in the middle of the game and begin to spend time with the kids, it is a win-win situation.

If you don’t have a lot of room around the yard, take the kids out the park. Let everyone bring along a bike, a ball, or even a kite and spend a few hours playing around.

Most parks are open to the public and have playground equipment for the kids to enjoy. They will wear themselves out from all the play and you may get a little bit of relaxation in while they are taking a nap.

Look for Deals.

Every local area has some type of deal going on for the summertime. They know parents have the kids back at home and some are panicking with what to do with them. Look for specials at places like movie theaters or bowling alleys. Many offer prepaid deals, such as discounted tickets throughout the summer when you purchase them in an advance package.

Amusement parks or theme parks also run coupons and discounts for residents in the area. If you haven’t been to the zoo in a while or haven’t spent some time on a roller coaster lately, pack everyone up and head out for the day.

Educational Experiences.

Even though school is out, you don’t want the kids to stop learning. Check your local library to see if there are any incentives for kids to keep reading during the summer holiday. You might find that if the kids know there is a prize to be won, they may look forward to spending 30 minutes a day reading.

Bookstores also tend to run summer promotions. Kids may get a free book if they read a certain number of books or for a certain number of hours. Regardless of the promotion, the kids will be busy reading and you can plan an outing to pick up their prizes.

Keep them Busy.

Regardless of the option or options that you choose, the key to surviving the summer holiday is keeping the kids busy. Even if you are staying at home, provide lots of different activities and keep them busy. The worst thing you can hear is, “I’m bored!”

The Cost of the Summer.

If you are worried about finances, you may be thinking about taking out a small loan to cover some of these expenses. If this is the case, check a loan calculator to see what you would be paying per month and how long it would take you to pay it off. It might be worth it in the long run to have a little extra cash on hand.

With college tuition rising every year, it’s a good idea to begin saving for your child’s educational future while he or she is still young. The sooner you begin saving, the less you’ll have to pay out of pocket when the big day arrives and the less debt your child will accumulate by way of student loans.

Younger children are not concerned with the thought of college just yet, let alone the differences between types of higher education institutions.

While it’s possible your child will decide on a community college or technical school, the reality is that a private university’s name may be gracing a bumper sticker on your car someday.

Experts are predicting that by 2021, a four year degree at a public university will run about $95,000. Private universities will cost more than twice that.

The first step is to estimate how much money will be needed for your child’s education. Consider current financial aid possibilities first. Most students will qualify for government aid. These include not only loans, but grants that will not have to be paid back.

Once you make a rough estimate, plan on setting aside money each month. You could consider a regular savings account, preferably one with a higher interest rate, or specialized plans such as a state-operated 529.

A 529 is a special savings plan that allows your money to grow completely tax-free. They are also known as qualified tuition plans and there are two types to choose from.

A pre-paid tuition plan allows you to buy credits or units with participating colleges that go toward future tuition. These plans come with residency requirements and may not work if your child decides to attend elsewhere.

A college savings plan is the second type of 529. These plans allow the account holder to establish the account in the student’s name for the sole purpose of covering college expenses. Investment options are also available with this plan and there are no residency requirements.

If you find yourself without the luxury of starting early, consider all financial aid options wisely. Most student graduate college deep in debt and end up working the next ten or twenty years just to pay down the cost of education.

Last-minute options may include credit cards to pay for books and other college-related expenses prior to financial aid reimbursement. If you have had past problems, there are credit cards for bad credit that can help alleviate the burden.

If you still have a few years before your child graduates high school, compare different savings plans now and get one started as soon as possible.

Even if you can’t afford to put back enough money every month to cover the entire cost of a four-year degree, you can easily save enough to cover book and supply expenses.

If your child has his or her heart set on a public university, talk about the advantages of earning a general associates degree first at a local community or junior college. At a community college, students can complete all general education requirements for minimal costs and still transfer to their universities of choice.

Have your child apply for a credit card and teach him or her how to use it responsibly. While most high school graduates have not built up enough credit to qualify, there are low-balance credit cards for bad credit available.

Even if your child is still an infant, it’s a good idea to start setting aside a certain amount every month. It’s never too soon to start.