Photo: Olgysha (Shutterstock)

We recently advised you that certain types of landscaping can help (or harm). Resale Value of Your Home. (Stay away from prickly plants! Avoid invasive species! Don’t plant too many trees!) But another way to add value to your home – or at least its attractiveness – is to remove or move towards outdated landscaping dispense. Things like garden gnomes and bouldering accents that were once on everyone’s lips are now being noticed by potential buyers and your neighbors, like your grandmother’s fluffy purple rug.

Here are a few landscaping trends that are past their prime and should be put to bed.

Say goodbye to boxwood shrubs

Today’s homeowners want landscaping that is easy to manage and that adds appeal, dimension, and character to their home. Box bushes offer none of this. These shrubs were popular in England and found their way to North America in the 17th century. While they will give your garden a uniform look, they are also easily susceptible to disease and the required pruning Maintaining their shape is a nuisance.

Home buyers these days want to see more of the home, so consider planting or smaller plants Perennials in front and larger bushes on the corners of the house.

Replace these garden statues and fountains

Landscaping continues to evolve and a less crowded and open look is all the rage right now. Unfortunately, certain garden accents like statues and Dwarfs don’t go well with modern landscaping. Think of them like a mess in the garden and instead let the plants speak for themselves.

G / O Media can receive a commission

Another garden statue that has not aged well is the three tier fountain. These towering sculptures have been around since Thousands of years, and while everyone loves a little water feature, these one in particular have an outdated look that they need regular cleaning, and they often need to be repaired. You better go with a bubbly which has a simple structure and is easy to care for.

Dig up the huge boulder

Rock gardens are popular ways to conserve water and landscaping. However, the heyday of the giant random boulder is behind us. As Gardening etc. Says, “Impervious hard landscaping is bad for biodiversity and just isn’t a very smart way of using valuable outdoor space.” So too many hardscapes can make a garden look neglected and less functional.

Instead of this? To install Rain garden. The diverse plants will be a beautiful eye-catcher and save water at the same time.

Opt for natural alternatives to colored mulch

Mulch is a handy way to beautify your garden. The garden fertilizer keeps the moisture in the soil, helps to shade the soil and provides your plants with vital nutrients. The color and design can also add to the attractiveness of your home. Unfortunately, colored mulches were found in the 1960s, are now an outdated eyesore – and they sometimes contain harmful impurities.

Instead, opt for a natural mulchwhich is available in darker shades that can give you the contrast you want.

Photo: Fox Photos / Getty Images (Getty Images)

We’re used to children playing team sports like soccer and baseball at a young age. And strength-based activities like climbing frames are time-honored childhood pastimes. But somehow lifting weights looks wrong to many of us when kids do it. But how young is too young to pick up a barbell?

Why strength training is important for kids

First, let’s talk about whether it makes sense for children to exercise strength. Lifting weights is just one form of resistance training – others may include bodyweight exercises like pushups or working with resistance bands, machines, or other equipment. So “strength training” doesn’t just mean “lifting”.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, in their Position paper on strength training, suggests that strength is important to children’s health and athletic performance (when exercising). According to some studies, strength training is also a gateway to spontaneous physical activity, which makes it a great introduction to training for kids who don’t like running or other aerobic activities.

Rather than just discussing the risks of weight training, say the paper’s authors, we also need to consider the risks that weight training does not have. Building strength makes children (and adults) less prone to injuries in sports and in life, so we shouldn’t skip this significant Aspect of exercise.

G / O Media can receive a commission

Heavy weights are okay for kids

In the past, experts have said that strength training is okay for children, but they have often shied away from recommending actual weights, or particularly heavy weights. For example, it has sometimes been considered inappropriate for children to find a maximum of one repetition.

But research shows that testing with one repetition of max is absolutely safe for children when properly designed with the proper technique and supervision from a qualified person, such as a trainer. You shouldn’t just let your kids walk heavy weights and poor technique at a HAM home gym – but that’s not good for adults either.

Will Weight Training Stunt A Child’s Growth?

No, but the myth was no accident. The growth of long bones (such as those in the arms and legs) occurs near the end of each bone, called the epiphyseal plate or growth plate. It is possible, though rare, for this plate to be damaged so badly that the bone can no longer grow.

There have been a few reports of children having broken their growth plates, however according to the paper the AAP quotes on One-Rep-Maxes, these injuries have not occurred during safe, well-supervised strength training. The authors write:

This issue needs further investigation and assessment, as most of the forces children are exposed to in sports and recreational activities are likely to be greater, both in terms of exposure time and extent, than in competently supervised and properly conducted maximal strength tests.

In other words, lifting a heavy weight is no more difficult on a child’s body than what children do anyway.

When can children start strength training?

There is no specific age to start weight training, and the AAP recommends that training be tailored to a child’s maturity and experience. For example, once a child is old enough to exercise, they are old enough to do weight training. The AAP gives the example of one-legged hopping as a strength exercise that is doable and appropriate for most 5 year olds. On the other hand, a 14 year old who has been inactive is starting from scratch.

Body weight exercises (like these hops) will come first, with weighted exercises later when the child is ready. But that’s because the child has a sense of how to exercise and how to use good technique, not because there is a minimum age for a particular exercise.

How to make sure kids do weight training safely

According to the AAP paper, the components of a safe strength training program for children are similar to those for adults:

• One to two rest days per week
• Enough calories and hydration to support the job they are doing
• Guidance and support from people who are qualified to work with children in sports (i.e. good trainers and teachers)

The AAP recommends speaking with a pediatrician before starting any strength training program if the child has high blood pressure or an uncontrolled seizure disorder. Children who have certain heart problems or have been treated with certain chemotherapy drugs may also need to change their exercise.

The AAP also emphasizes that children should take the time to learn good technique using relatively light weights – for example, sets of 8 to 12 repetitions at 60% of their maximum repetition. Once you’ve mastered a particular exercise well, heavier, less repetitive sets may be appropriate. The sessions should last 20 to 30 minutes and take place two to three times a week.

All of this should look familiar to you if you are weight training yourself. I train my 11 year old in our home gym and our program looks a lot like what the AAP describes. (The 8 year old and 5 year old don’t exercise regularly, but I mentor and encourage them when they show interest.)

I’ve found that half the planning is getting a child interested and having fun. If my child hates an exercise or is not comfortable with it, we can find another exercise that works similar muscles. For example, he does goblet squats instead of barbell back squats, but he also loves doing regular barbell bench presses. I see him on every set and watch his technique to make sure he’s not only safe but also lifting effectively. I want him to get stronger, but most of all, I want him to be comfortable in the gym and know that exercise is fun and worthwhile. This is a lesson that will stay with him throughout his life.

Photo: New Africa (Shutterstock)

Changes in weight can be difficult to measure. Your weight is not static, it fluctuates throughout the day depending on your meals and daily activity. In addition to this daily fluctuation, your weight may also increase or decrease a few pounds over the course of the week due to factors unrelated to weight gain or loss.

Ideally, to get a sense of your weight, weigh yourself at a standard time and wear standard clothing. For example, the suggestion is that you usually weigh yourself first thing in the morning after you go to the bathroom but before you have breakfast.

Even then, for reasons unrelated to either a calorie deficit or excess, your weight can fluctuate by a few pounds either way. This can be especially frustrating if you’re actively trying to gain or lose weight, or if you’re competing in a sport that requires a weigh-in for competitions, when even a small amount of weight gain can be frustrating.

With that in mind, here are a few reasons your weight can fluctuate from day to day.

Photo: LisaCarter (Shutterstock)

This one goes to everyone who has come to terms with the fact that the gym they haven’t been to in years is withdrawing a bunch of money from their checking account every month for the rest of their lives. Many gyms require would-be terminators to cancel their membership by showing up in person or sending a certified letter, fitness gods seem like your only option.

It is not! You don’t have to live like this. Sending a certified letter is really easy.

When do you need to send certified mail?

Certified mail isn’t just for gym cancellations. Tax returns and legal notices as well as all types of sensitive documents can also be sent with it. The benefit of paying for a certified letter is that you get a receipt and, for an additional fee, get a copy of the recipient’s signature once they get it. It helps you cover all of your basics in situations where you may need to prove that you really sent something and the other party really got it – or not.

A certified letter is a form of registered mail. Registered mail gives the sender a receipt and records of the post office’s location, but costs more than registered mail. There is a little more security associated with registered mail. So always check which option is best for your particular situation. Also think about the economy – registered mail is insured, registered mail can be insured for a surcharge. Add up the various fees required for both options to figure out which one suits your needs, considering security and cost.

You can send certified mail from any post office

Your first option for sending registered mail is the old-fashioned one: go to your local post office and request a 3800 registered mail. You can recognize it by the green and white sticker that contains a barcode that will help you track your package.

G / O Media can receive a commission

Fill out all the information in the form carefully and properly. They will write down the recipient’s name and address, so make sure you write correctly and that your writing is legible. Then turn your attention back to the green and white sticker. You have a few more decisions to make, but they are clearly outlined for you. All you have to do is check boxes and enter your initials to determine whether you want a restricted delivery service – which ensures that a specific person receives the mail and signs for it – or if you want to buy a return receipt service to get a copy of the recipient Signature.

Affix the sticker on your envelope above the recipient’s address, but leave space for postage on the right side. Add your stamps or postage, then pay the certified mail fees. These may include the $ 3.35 certified letter mailing fee, the return receipt fee known as PS Form 3811, which is $ 2.75, and any other option you choose. (These prices are of course at the time of this writing.)

Inside is a perforated receipt. You will see it so don’t worry. You have to keep it. That’s kind of the whole point.

How to send certified mail online

Of course, if you can’t find time to go to your old gym and cancel your membership, you don’t have time to go to the post office to do so. Don’t worry – we live in the future, baby, and you can send a certified letter online.

There are several sites that offer this service. They have pretty obvious names, like onlinecertifiedmail.com. Labels that you can print at home are an option. You can find them again on websites by name like certified maillabels.com.

As with any website, check that the website you choose is legitimate and has what you need, such as: B. USPS Next Day Tracking and Proof of Delivery.

Now write your letter in Word or a similar program or fill out the form that you should send. If you need to sign it make sure you do. There’s no point in paying to send a document that you didn’t fill out correctly! Use DocuSign or a similar program, or print, sign, and even scan a physical document. Whatever you do, make sure you have your is dotted and your Ts crossed, figuratively and literally.

Upload the document to the certified mail website you have chosen, fill in your payment details and follow the steps as you would for any online purchase. The letter should be addressed, printed and sent by the service on the same working day you upload it.

Now just keep updating this tracking page until your little nightmare ends.