Making Under Bed Storage Look Good With Thirty-One Gifts

Utilizing the areas under furniture is one of my favourite ways of staying organized. You can use the space under chairs, dressers, areas under cabinets and so many other places to keep your home organizing, items that are rarely used out of the way, and items that are often used handy. I think the most under-utilized space in the home is under the bed.

With bed risers (approximately $10 at most retailers), you can maximize the space available. You can add from 4 to 10 inches of verticle space, depending on your needs. We decided against this route for the kids because it just made their beds too high, focusing instead on loft beds for them. However, I have always used under-bed storage for myself, so I thought I would share some tips on making it look good.

The obvious choice is a dust ruffle. It is something I am just not a fan of. I do not like the way they shift while making the bed or turning the mattress (something I have always done religiously) and they get dusty. If you have dogs, they can quickly become covered in dog hair and it seems like they do nothing but trap dust. I'd rather just sweep under the bed. So, using a dust ruffle to hid my under bed storage was never an option.

Another option would be to cover boxes in pretty paper. I have tried this before and I'm not a fan of this option either. The paper rips and the boxes wear out. This only lasted for a few weeks before I was ready to scrap this idea.

My favorite option is actually to use pretty bins or baskets. Thirty-One Gifts has the best options. There are a variety of colors and prints for any decor, as well as coordinating patterns. No matter your style, your storage can look wonderful. There are also a variety of sizes to choose from, allowing you to find what is perfect for your needs.

With the bed risers, the utility totes (deluxe utility tote, large utility tote, and the others) are perfect for under bed storage- with plenty of room for storage and various designs. One thing I like about using these is that they use more of the depth of space than most things do.

5 Signs A Restricted Airway May Be Affecting Your Child's Health

For most people, breathing is automatic – the air goes in, the air goes out, and we don’t even think about it.  But for those who have airway problems, it is never that simple –  especially for children.

“Children who suffer from air-passage problems never get enough oxygen to the brain, which causes them to never get enough sleep,” says Dr. Stuart Frost, an orthodontist and author of The Artist Orthodontist: Creating An Artistic Smile is More Than Just Straightening Teeth (www.drstuartfrost.com).  “They typically do poorly in school and seem inattentive and lethargic.”

Sleep apnea occurs when the airway becomes blocked during sleep, causing a pause in breathing.  Those pauses in breathing, known as apneic events, often lead to a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea, Dr. Frost says.

He says signs a child may be impacted by airway blockage include:

Snoring. Snoring is caused by the vibrations of excess tissue blocking the airway.  When children snore, orthodontists look for a blockage of their airway, from the tip of the nose down to the throat.

Mouth breathing. When there is no room for the tongue to reach the roof of the mouth (the palate), it can rest in the back of the throat and block the airway.  Also, when a child’s tonsils and adenoids are enlarged, they can reduce the size of the airway at the back of the throat. “Either situation can make it too hard for children to get enough air when breathing through their nose,” Dr. Frost says, “causing them to open their mouth and jut their lower jaw forward during sleep.”

Clenching or grinding teeth. “If children who are 7 or 8 have baby teeth that are worn from grinding, we know it’s because they’re not getting enough air,” Dr. Frost says. During sleep – and sometimes even when they are awake – their lower jaw is constantly repositioning either side to side or forward to back to open their airway so they can breathe, he says. An expander appliance can widen the nasal passages to help the child take in more air when breathing through the nose.

Diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).  Some children who have been diagnosed as ADD may actually just have breathing problems during sleep Dr. Frost says. “ If a child is continually not getting enough oxygen during sleep, the brain will eventually kick in a hyper-alert state to stay alive,” he says. “A child whose brain is hyper-alert tends to bounce off the walls.”

Bed-wetting: A brain that is starving for oxygen can’t wake a child when the urge to go to the bathroom strikes during sleep.  The child will sleep right through any warning sign the brain sends.

Depending on what’s found during an examination, the solutions for a restricted airway could include braces with an expander appliance, along with surgical removal of adenoids or tonsils.

“When sleep apnea is not addressed in childhood, over time it can lead to health issues in adulthood,” Dr. Frost says. “By taking care of it when the person is younger, it can save years of restless nights and half-awake days.”

About Dr. Stuart Frost

Dr. Stuart Frost, author of  The Artist Orthodontist: Creating An Artistic Smile is More Than Just Straightening Teeth (www.drstuartfrost.com), is an orthodontist and sought-after speaker who has given seminars, lectures, and speeches throughout the world to dentists and the general public on groundbreaking dentistry. He graduated from the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry and has continued his education at the University of Rochester, where he accomplished a one-year fellowship in Temporomandibular Joint Disorder and a two-year certificate in orthodontics.

See An Online Therapist To Get Your Relationship Back On Track

All relationships have bumps and snags along the way. It is easier now than ever to get your relationship back on track and into the healthy zone once again. Depending on your location, job, family situation, and many other factors, traditional therapy may not be a viable option for you. However, online therapy can work around your situation and work beautifully.

Maybe your busy schedule has kept you from spending quality time with your significant other and one or both of you are feeling resentful because of it. Instead of going down that dark road, you can find an online therapist that can help you figure out how to either find more time to be together or make the time you do have of more quality. Isn't quality or quantity better anyway?

Do you need to make difficult decisions that will affect you both? Are these decisions weighing heavy on you, causing pain, suffering, or resentment? Are you putting off the inevitable decision making? An online therapist can help you work through these decisions in a healthy atmosphere and may even be able to help you find alternate solutions that are better and you have not thought of.

The tougher issues like infidelity, lack of trust, resentment, mental health issues, and loss can be even harder on a relationship. At time therapy is a must for these issues. A therapist can be a neutral third party to help balance the arguments, see the mutual issues, and help you come to some resolutions about your relationship. Online couples therapy will help with these problems as well.

Online therapy, available through a website, phone, or app, is a recent development that is helping people of all situations navigate the world more successfully. Your relationship is no different, you are trying to navigate the world successfully-together. One of the main benefits of online therapy versus traditional therapy is that it can work with your schedule. Instead of trying to get an appointment to work during normal business hours, your appointment can be whenever is best for both of you.

If you live in a rural area, you may need to drive to a city to find a couples therapist in the traditional manner, but online, they are available to you wherever you are, without the drive, risk of running into people you know, or even being stuck with a therapist you may know on a personal level. It can be much more anonymous. The cost is also usually much more affordable and you can usually get a free consultation to see if online relationship counselling will work for your relationship.

The thing about relationship counselling is that not only will your relationship grow and become stronger, but you as a person will as well. You will learn tools to help your relationship in the future, like better communication, learning each other's "languages," and even coping mechanisms. You may even learn to "pick your battles." (Example: Is your husband wearing socks with sandals really worth throwing your marriage away?)

You will receive the same treatment as you would in a traditional therapists office. You will participate in discussions, exercises, and especially learn to communicate with each other more effectively. I think most of us could benefit from that! If you have any questions, BetterHelp has the answers!

Premarital Counseling: My Thoughts On The Therapy As A Married Woman

My husband and I have been married for 8 1/2 years. We married on June 12, 2010. It was a beautiful and very special day that I will always hold near and dear to my heart. The only days that even compare are the days my children were born, the day Koda finally talked, and the day we found that my mother-in-law is cancer free. Wow, what a list of special days!

The minister that married my husband and I normally requires a few premarital counselling sessions with him before he will consider doing the ceremony. However, we were special circumstances. We were pregnant and wanted to go ahead and get married before Tbomb came along because we knew that doing it afterword would be more difficult with a baby. This minister was very close friends with the Mr's grandparents, so he simply asked them: "Are they meant to be married?" With an answer of yes from them, he considered it good enough, so we were able to go on with our vows.

The Mr and I have our fair share of problems and fights. We disagree with each other a lot, but to this day, we have never spent a night apart because of arguing. We don't go to bed angry, or go to bed or leave the house without saying "I love you." These are rules we made when we first got married and have not strayed from them. Even though we do have our fair share of problems, our marriage is strong. We do not believe in divorce, so we make it work. We were also the last of our friends to get married because we do not believe in divorce. We look at life like this "If it's broke, fix it, don't throw it away." This works for cars, furniture, electronics, and marriages. Unfortunately, not everyone feels this way.

Another thing we realize is that not everyone should stay married. My parents, for instance, cannot be married. They have married each other twice, both times divorcing. They are best friends, but as soon as they say "I Do," problems start. I guess you could say that not all marriages are created equal.

Having been married for 8 years and looking forward to another 60 or more, I know that not everyone has our same situation. Looking back over our marriage, I can see the merits of premarital counselling and actually would recommend it to any couple considering getting married. I know that many of our disagreements and fight would probably not have happened if we had gone through it. You never truly know someone until you are married, but counselling could help that along some.

For instance, there are many conversations that couples should have before marriage, but not everyone thinks of them. Do you discuss your personal 5-year-plan, along with your family 5-year-plan and what they mean to each other? Are there hidden pet peeves, hidden bad habits, or other things you would rather your significant other not know? You better get them out in the open. For instance, the Mr had no clue just how much I hate feet until he put his on my pillow one night. I had to change the sheets. He also had no idea just how much I hate short jokes until after we were married. I didn't know that he hates fake fingernails (although I wore them all the time) until after we were married.

There are so many things in our day to day lives that we take for granted or just do not think about because we are creatures of habit. These things do not come to light until after you are married. Then, there are the big things. Having someone help navigate the waters of tough discussions can make a big difference and make sure that you know the answers to those big questions. While my husband and I did not go through premarital counselling, I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to get married.

Therapy for Couples: Is It For You?

I know that traditionally, couples and marriage counselling is thought to be for relationships in trouble. However, that is not the case. Why not get help before your relationship is in trouble? All couples go through bumps and turmoil. There is nothing wrong with that, especially if you get the help you need to save your relationship or to decide that you do not want to keep going with your relationship. Most couples could benefit from some type of therapy or counselling. Here are just a few reasons to consider couples counselling.

1. Are you moving from one phase of your relationship to another? Getting engaged, getting married, starting a family, etc? Therapy can help you navigate the rough roads and make sure that you are ready for the different commitments and changes that will be headed your way.

2. Therapy can help couples facing major financial decisions and help prevent major arguments from coming to fruition. These decisions could be changing jobs, buying a home, saving for college, or even as simple as setting a household budget and allowances. Money arguments are among the most common, so having a neutral third party could help keep things from getting out of hand.

3. Are outside forces causing tension? Jobs, school, children, in-laws, churches, organization, and so many other factors can affect a couple's relationship. If there is a rift or tension in your relationship due to outside forces, consider therapy for an objective look at the problems at hand. No outside force should ever destroy a relationship and a therapist or counsellor can help you work through these problems.

4. Is your nest about to be empty? Finding yourselves alone in a big house that has been previously full of loving family members can cause problems with some couples. Many times, people just do not know what to do with themselves and they find that they no longer know themselves or each other like they once did. A therapist can help you work past this, get to know each other again, and possibly help you find hobbies to fill the time with. Instead of fighting through your empty nest years, you can be enjoying each other's company like you haven't in years.

5. Have you had a major life upset? Have you lost a child, lost a parent, been fired, found that you cannot have children, or had a similar let down in your lives? Therapy can help you work through this together and your relationship could come out stronger than it has ever been. Situations like this are hard on any individual, but navigating through it together and remembering to keep the other's feeling and thoughts in mind can be even harder. A therapist or counsellor can help with this.

While counselling or therapy should be considered if you think your relationship is headed towards failure, there are many times that it can be helpful to prevent a couple from getting to that point. You owe it to yourself and your significant other to have a happy and healthy relationship, and to do whatever it takes to make sure that you are living in that type of relationship. Therapy or counselling may be your win!

Bedside Organization by Thirty-One Gifts

Disclaimer: I received items to review. All opinions are my own.

Over the last couple of months, I have redone the kids' room several times. In fact, I have one more major change to make and we will be finally finished. I have tried regular beds and organizing that way, but found for their rooms, loft beds are all that will work and they will be going up as soon as they are over the flu, or whatever it is that they have.

In making these changes and seeing what works versus what doesn't, I have found some tips that may help other families organize bedrooms. Let's start with bedside organization. Whether the kids (or you) are in traditional beds, toddler beds, bunk beds, or even loft beds, organizing the area where one sleeps is a must. Here are some ideas to help with this.

1.2.3.

4.5.

1. Double Duty Caddy: The double duty caddy will allow for organizing electronics, books, or whatever the kids like having beside their beds.

2. Hang-It Pocket: The hang it pocket allows for organizing when there isn't furniture beside the bed. You can even use a pocket for a water bottle.

3. Littles Carry-All Caddy: These caddies are perfect for corralling everything.

4. Mini Storage Bin: I love this storage bin for keeping books and coloring supplies handy, but corralled.

5. Oh-Snap Bin: This is absolutely perfect for a bunk bed or loft bed- allowing them to keep whatever they want handy by the bed!

How do you organize your bedside?