With summer vacation here and the sun finally peeking through the clouds, you know that before long, Fourth of July celebrations will be well underway. On this, one of the most festive holidays of the year, you’ll often see flag-lined streets, red, white, and blue décor, and barbecues ablaze. Families will come together, with kids splashing in the pool while the adults drink a refreshing beverage in the sun. The entire day will finish with a capstone display of colorful exploding gunpowder high in the sky.

Have you ever wondered why we shoot off fireworks? Why the huge festivities? Smithsonian Magazine said it best: “Because we always have.” The city of Philadelphia kicked off the tradition a year after the signing of the Declaration of Independence (which, fun fact, didn’t actually happen until August 2 – but Congress did approve the text on July 4) with a parade, toasts, decorations, and fireworks. Boston held their own celebration that same year, also complete with fireworks….

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“This review was made possible by iConnect and Luvs. I was provided compensation to facilitate this post, but all opinions stated are 100% mine.”

Luvs is the OFFICIAL diaper of experienced parents! There’s no way around it, parenting is expensive! But this summer, Luvs is offering great money-saving opportunities for parents with little ones.

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We all know how hard it can be to get some peace and quiet, especially if you have a household full of children.

So for some moms, the easiest way to get away from all this noise is to spend a day at the spa. But if you require a little extra quiet, there’s a new option emerging in the spa industry — a silent spa.

Last year, 16 million people reported using day spa services in the last 12 months. More and more of these pleasure-seekers are shelling out hundreds to get something that’s quite sparse in our technology-filled world, silence. In a world that is constantly filled with beeps, alerts, and ringtones, not many people remember what it is like to be surrounded by total quiet.

And that’s exactly what these spas are willing to give you — hours of uninterrupted silence if you can do so much as turn your cell phone off. You’ll also reap many health benefits, as according to Beth McGroarty, research director at the Global Wellness Institute, silence can be quite beneficial to one’s mental and physical health.

Silence and stillness for a significant length of time can be a great opportunity to des-stress, McGroarty explains to Well and Good. She explains what happens in the brain after a long period of silence:

“Studies have shown that when the brain is silent, your hippocampus — the center for organizing thoughts — actively creates neurons. Your cortisol also drops, as well as your heart rate and blood pressure. There’s a mental and a physical impact.”

However, McGroarty believes that the hardest part of accepting complete and total silence is having the willingness to disconnect. The digital revolution has made it so our smartphones, tablets, and computers are becoming an extension of our being, despite the fact that being connected to technology is an easy way to cause the stress were trying so hard to get away from.

There are plenty of options for silence retreats, depending on your budget and how long you would like to be away for. From hotels where you surrender your electronics at check in, to month long spa retreats that give you a massage in total silence, the choice is yours.

And voila, the sound of silence will be all yours.

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

When you are a mom the laundry NEVER ends! I am one that probably does at least a load of laundry almost every single day. I don’t like it to pile up! When it comes to doing the laundry I have been using front loaders since they came out. There are benefits of using front loading washer & dryers that has me using them!

Benefits Of Using Front Loading Washer & Dryers

In addition to looking fancy the front loading washer and dryers come with some benefits. Cleaning and convenience are at the top of the list when it comes to the front loading washing machine. The front loaders can also be more eco-friendly because they usually use LESS water and also consume LESS electricity which works for me!

Here are the main benefits of using a top loader…

• Best cleaning performance
• Gentleness on clothes so they last longer
• Most energy efficient to save on utility bills
• Highest spin speaks to dry clothes faster

Right now Best Buy has some beautiful LG front loading washer and dryer sets that you can buy to create the perfect laundry room! They are also having a DEAL for those of you that want to add a Sidekick to your laundry room for even more laundry power! When you purchase a LG Front Load Washer and SideKick you can SAVE an additional $150.

The Sidekick is really awesome for those with a ton of laundry or those who want to wash more in less time. The Sidekick provides additional capacity to wash 2 loads of laundry at once. How cool is that?Learn more about the LG front loaders at Best Buy at: https://bby.me/xdu2

Summer vacation is just around the corner. In fact, for some of you it may already be here! While the warm weather and outdoor activities are all things to look forward to, you can’t forget that getting the kids involved is just as important as enjoying yourself.

And if you want to get your kids outside and involved with nature this summer, you’ve come to the right place. Here are three excellent gardening activities to get your kids interested in the great outdoors this year, even if they never get further than the backyard!…

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