Flip Out Mama

The last twenty years have been a little disappointing for the average worker. Wages are flat when you take inflation into account, and prices for life’s essentials, like rent and healthcare, have been going up. But despite the recent blip in the historical record, poverty rates fell for most of the twentieth century, and they’ll probably continue to fall in the future.  The question on the minds of many people, though, is why? What was it that allowed poverty rates to go down so sharply in the years following WWII?  As you can see from the following infographic, there’s something of a debate on the subject. Some people are firmly in the camp that says that it is the market economy that produced the wealth that allowed people to work their way out of poverty to a semblance of financial success. Others argue that it was the action of the government that brought up the standard of living among the poorest members of our society with a variety of programs....

Everyone has to go through life changes. Some of them happen to us far quicker in life. Like the moment you woke up and all of the sudden hormones were raging through you. Or the last time you walked out of the school gates. Or the first time that you started a full time job. The point we're trying to make is that life changes at many different points, and it doesn't stop just because we settle down and get a full time job. In fact, some of the biggest changes in your life might be about to come your way. The truth is, you just don't know what's around the corner, and without realising it one event is going to lead to another. Small changes in your life such as getting into a relationship, or having a promotion at work, are all setting you on a path that will lead to big changes. Those in themselves are big changes to try and deal with. So, if you keep on reading, we'll explore some of the changes that might be coming your way this year.  Putting...

Good Oral Health Can Help You Maintain a Healthy Pregnancy While pregnancy can be incredibly rewarding, it can also be challenging. Pregnant women suffer from a range of health problems, such as cramps, heartburn, backache, constipation, indigestion, urinary frequency, and other issues.  Although these problems are challenging enough, pregnant women also adopt lifestyle changes to maintain a healthy pregnancy. They may avoid consuming raw protein, fish with high mercury content, soft cheeses, high levels of caffeine, any alcohol or tobacco. They also stay away from kitty litter, certain medicines, and toxic substances. However, many people don’t realize the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene during pregnancy. When excess bacteria from the mouth of a pregnant woman enters her bloodstream through her gums, it can travel to the uterus and initiate the growth of prostaglandins. These chemicals may result in premature labor. What’s more, such bacteria can also pass on ...

The phrase "fake news" might be one that you had never heard a few years ago, but now it's everywhere. Most people probably like to think that they're capable of detecting fake news, but even the smartest and most careful of us can get taken in by something that's at least partially fabricated. With so much fake news floating around out there, how can you avoid getting tricked by it? Get Your News from Multiple Sources One of the most important things to do if you want to avoid falling for fake news is to get your news from multiple sources. This is a good idea whether you read something on social media, on a website you've never heard of before or even from a respectable newspaper. By using a range of resources, you not only get a good overview of the facts but a range of opinions too. Be Careful with Social Media A lot of fake news is spread via social media, often using automatic bots to share it far and wide. If you f irst come ac...

Talk about Money with Your Little Kids As a parent, you need to talk to your kids about money — and the sooner that you do it, the better. You can’t expect them to instinctively know how to handle personal finances the moment that they graduate high school. You have to teach them these important lessons to equip them for the “real world.”  Kids Between 2 to 6:  It’s a little too early to teach them what interest rates are or how to make a monthly budget, but it’s the right time to introduce the concept of money to them.  Whenever you bring them to the grocery store or market, explain that you have to exchange the items in your basket for payment. Have them hand the money to the cashier and take the change. If grocery shopping with your kids is a major hassle, you can teach the same lessons about financial literacy by playing store at home. Start as the cashier, then let them take on the role and see if they can calculate change for any of yo...

Photo Source Having a baby is one of the biggest life changing decisions you can make. Before having a little one, there ’s a good chance that you will lead a life with relatively little responsibility for others’ wellbeing. However, when you have a baby, you suddenly find yourself fully responsible for everything another person needs. They’ll be entirely dependent on you. This will change your entire routine. You’ll have to put someone else’s needs before your own every second of every day. You’ll have to do a lot of conscious and purposeful planning to ensure you can tick all of your little ones’ boxes, providing them with a good quality upbringing. So, what can you do to best prepare yourself? Here are a few tips and tricks that should help you along the way. Creating a Space for Your Baby When you have a baby on the way, you’re going to have to quickly consider where they are going to be in your home. Of course, you’ll carry your little one around from ...

Pixabay CC0 License There’s something about vacations that just helps to make life seem more exciting and magical – almost like the feeling kids get on Christmas Eve. Many of us spend the majority of each year waiting for that precious moment when we get to disappear for a couple of weeks and say goodbye to work, familiar surroundings, and many of our everyday obligations, in order to enjoy something completely different. Of course, that’s the dream – but probably almost everyone has also had the unfortunate experience of procrastinating, getting lazy, wasting time, and finding that their vacation has passed by entirely without much to look back on. Here are a few tips for making your vacation into more of an adventure , instead. Really push yourself out of your comfort zone, and do things that make you nervous (within reason) We all have our comfort zones, and usually also a pretty clear sense of what types of activities make us nervous or uneasy. O...