6 Things To Do On A Family Vacation In Greece

Greece is one of the most beautiful regions in the world.  Steeped in rich history, there is so much to see, do and learn. Greece is made up of the mainland and thousands of islands and islets, 227 of which are inhabited. Art, culture, food, and archelogy are plentiful, which means that everyone in your party will find something to enjoy! Check out our ‘must dos’ below.

1. Go Island Hopping

With literally hundreds of options, you’ll never be bored of exploring! The best way to get around is by boat. There are amazing Lefkas boat rentals with 12 Knots so you can speed through the seas in style. You can choose to have the boat on its own or with a crew so you can have as little or as much control as you want. The top five most popular to visit are Mykonos, Santorini, Corfu, Crete and Zakynthos. 

2. Visit The Acropolis

 

Athens’s stunning Acropolis is home to incredible architecture, temples, and the towering Parthenon. Made up of marble that glistens in the sunlight, the monuments are breathtaking and a must-see for history buffs and children who are eager to be educated on history.

3. Sun Yourself In Santorini

Not only one of the most famous of the Greek isles, Santorini is also saturated with some of the most Insta-worthy locations in the Aegean Sea. The island itself has been shaped by a volcanic eruption over 3000 years ago. This offered the island the basis to build the signature cliffside white buildings with domed roofs.  Nothing screams picture-postcard perfect more than the tiny, cobbled streets with views of the stunning blue ocean, surrounded by white and blue houses – perfect for a cocktail hour!

4. Learn About Greek Mythology At Mount Olympus

The home of Zeus and other popular Greek Gods, Olympus towers 2917 above sea level. Trekking to the top may be difficult with kids, but there is plenty to see and do near the base.  If your family are keen swimmers or you just want to reconnect with nature, a visit to the Orlias Waterfalls near Litohoro – perfect for a sun-drenched splash spot. There’s also the archaeological park and museum in Dion if you’re more interested in learning about the incredible history of the area.

5. Play Make-Believe At The Epidaurus Theatre 

If your kids love the theatre and being creative, take them to the Epidaurus Theatre in Argolis. They can let their imaginations run wild as they put on shows to a pretend crowd. If they love mythology, they can recreate some of the most famous stories such as Hercules, Clash of the Titans, and Icarus. Ten points for the most convincing Minotaur impression!

6. Take A Ride At The Melissani Cave

Hop over to the island of Kefalonia and head over to the beautiful Melissani Cave. Stretching out of 4km, the craggy rocks are home to the Melissani lake, which can be explored by boat. Settle in and let your guide explain the history of the cave and how it got its namesake from the water Nymph Melissani.

Will you be visiting Greece this summer? Drop us a comment with your bucket list destination!

4 Steps to Create a Logo

Designing a logo can be a stressful matter for business owners. It can seem difficult to create a logo that captures everything about your business that you want it to, while also looking great and being memorable. In the past, firms had to hire outside help from expensive designers for logos, but now you can design it with a logo maker. Designing a logo has never been more easy, fun, and cost-effective! 

Learn the 4 steps to create a logo below. 

1. Choose the Look & Feel

First, you'll be given a list of different design examples of logos that display a look and feel. Some of these feels include active, fresh, sleek, fun, and retro with an accompanying example logo. You can pick up to three in this stage, which allows the logo maker to get an idea of the styles you prefer. 

2. Pick a Template

Next, a few logo templates will appear on the screen. These serve as a general outline of the format of your logo. Some options here will have an image on top with text on the bottom, text on either side of an image, or text within an image or shape. Most options are simple and straightforward, as any good logo should be, but you can change around nearly any aspect of these templates in the following step.  

3. Personalize Your Logo

This is where the real fun begins! During this stage, you can take the logo that the logo maker has made for you using your preferences, and tweak it further to get exactly what you are looking for. Play around with the colors, shapes, clipart, text, and more to your heart's content. 

Some people find it helpful to create a couple of different logos during this stage to get feedback from colleagues, employees, or friends and family members. Think about what kinds of products this logo might show up on, whether it's company clothing, business cards, mugs, or on social media. This can help you further narrow down the details of your prospective logo. 

4. Download Your New Logo

Once you have hammered out the details of your logo, it's ready to download! When downloading your logo, you will be given two logo files. One will have a solid background, and the other will have a transparent background, making it easy to put one or the other on whatever you need. 

From here, you can use your logo on your brand's social media pages or website, or you can put it on customized merchandise to sell to your fans! 

Designing a Logo Just Got Easier

The logo maker software is straightforward and intuitive, and anyone can make an eye-catching, professional logo in a matter of minutes. Some people prefer to stay closer to the templates the logo maker recommends, and others like to take their time and let their creative juices flow. 

Either way, you can relax while knowing that logo design no longer has to be a stressful, expensive endeavor.

5 Skills to Teach Your Teen or Young Adult Before They Move Out

It’s hard to believe time really does move so quickly. When your teen or young adult is ready to move out of your home, they must be prepared. Here are five skills that you need to teach them before they leave the nest. 

1. Manage Their Healthcare

For most of your child’s life, you have been the one to bring them to the doctor and take care of them when they were ill. This is now their responsibility, and it can be overwhelming.  Educate them about what medications are available over the counter for headaches, allergies, colds and other common ailments. It’s also necessary to help them establish a new doctor and dentist if they move away from the local area. Issues such as proper nutrition, avoiding drugs and preventing unplanned pregnancy Des Plaines, IL are essential lessons to teach. 

2. Know Basic Home Maintenance Tasks

It’s common for teens to have the responsibility of keeping their room clean or contributing to chores, but do they have the knowledge to keep a home functioning? Such tasks as plunging a toilet, changing the HVAC filter, running the dishwasher and unclog a drain are vital skills to have. Most of these skills are very basic, but it sets them up to be more independent from the start. 

3. Maintain a Budget

Now that your young adult has their own bills to pay make sure they know how to spend and save wisely. It’s very easy to overspend when there isn’t a budget to follow. Show them how to plan ahead for their bills, so they know how much spending money they have for extra activities. It’s a good idea to demonstrate how to create a spreadsheet, use a ledger or banking apps to establish a long-term routine. Learning early on in life about proper spending habits sets them up for better financial security. 

4. Cook a Meal

At some point, your teen will realize they want to eat more than cereal and sandwiches. Teaching them basic cooking skills gives them a wider variety of meals and allows them access to healthier food choices. This is also a good time to teach kitchen safety and how to use essential tools and appliances. 

5. Take Care of Their Car

Knowing how to check the oil, fill the gas tank, and check tire pressure are basic maintenance tasks a young adult should know how to do. But what happens if there is a larger problem, or they’ve had an accident? There are scenarios you teen probably hasn’t experienced before, so knowing what to do before it happens makes sure they know how to respond properly if it does Make sure they know how to contact the police, exchange insurance information, take pictures of the damage and follow up with insurance after an accident. If their car needs repair talk to them about how to find a repair shop and get an accurate price quote. 

Having your child move out is an adventure for everyone. Knowing these skills helps your teen or young adult be more prepared to live on their own.

5 Tips For Exercising While Pregnant

Undoubtedly, routine exercise performed during pregnancy may lessen the chances of weight gain, make childbirth more manageable, and enhance the baby and mother's overall health. Working out may do good for a woman's physical and mental well-being and provide the baby an excellent start as well.  

In addition to this, women may experience various changes in their bodies. Hence, it's vital to be extra careful when exercising. To know more about the topic, this article will cover helpful tips for exercising while pregnant. 

What are the Advantages of Exercising While Pregnant?

Before discussing exercising tips, it’s best to know the benefits of exercising while pregnant. Medical experts explain that physical activities or exercise may result in a lower occurrence of the following cases during pregnancy:

• Poor birth weight
• Caesarean birth
• Constipation
• Preterm childbirth
• Gestational diabetes
• Hypertensive conditions like preeclampsia
• Unnecessary weight gain

Also, exercise is an ideal means to: 

• Lessen back pain
• Minimize distress
• Retain physical fitness
• Handle signs of anxiety and depression
• Help drop off the extra weight gained during pregnancy

Furthermore, physicians suggest some exercises may be good to execute for every trimester of the pregnancy to sustain the body throughout its changes. Having said that, here are exercise tips you may consider while pregnant.

1, Remember to Warm-Up & Cool Down

To ensure your blood circulation and heart is ready for exercise, plus lessen the risk of injury, it's optimal you perform warming-up activities. Also, cooling down, like relaxing for a few minutes or taking a walk to complete your exercise set, will help reduce instances of blood trapped in the muscle area.

Please note as well that some ligaments assisting your joints may soften during pregnancy. Hence, be careful when stretching. You may perform stretching; however, avoid exceeding your usual scope of motion. 

2. Refrain from Overheating When Exercising

Are you living in an area with warm weather? If working out outside is impossible because of the heat, consider exercising indoors. Look for gyms near your place so that you can work out comfortably with air conditioning. 

You can likewise opt for prenatal yoga classes or discover here exercise programs you can perform at home. Refrain from using steam rooms, hot tubs, saunas, or any amenities that can elevate your temperature. If you prefer long exercise sessions, it's best to do it in a room with air conditioning.

3. Don’t Forget to Hydrate

As you’ll be sweating during exercise, every half hour of your workout, drink, at least, a full cup of water to avoid dehydration. You can begin drinking water 30 to 45 minutes before you exercise and keep hydrating during and after your activity. 

4. Wear Comfortable Clothes

When exercising, remember to wear your most stretchable and breathable outfit. As much as possible, use a sports bra to support your breasts without any pressure from the garment. If your sneakers are uncomfortable to wear, replace them to avoid injuries. Some also prefer to wear compression leggings during a workout to mitigate conditions such as pain and swelling in some parts of the body.

5. Eat a Snack

Workout activities that last for 45 minutes or longer may result in low blood sugar. Thus, to avoid this condition, remember to eat a light snack before and after your exercise session. 

When Should You Stop Exercising?

In case you experience the following symptoms, immediately stop your workout and see your physician:

• Intensified shortness of breath
• Vaginal bleeding
• Abrupt swelling in body parts such as face, ankles, or hands
• Exhaustion or weakness
• Nausea or light-headedness
• Sudden pain in the pelvic, abdomen, or chest
• Persistent contractions even after rest
• Muscle cramps
• Decrease in baby’s activity
• Problem with walking
• Amniotic fluid leak

Which Workouts Should You Avoid While Pregnant?

Finally, the following types of activities or exercises aren’t appropriate for pregnant women:

• Sports activity that’s above approximately 8,000 feet altitude
• Contact sports like judo or kickboxing
• Scuba diving
• Hot Pilates or hot yoga that may prompt overheating
• Exercises that involve straining, such as heavy weightlifting

The above activities may induce extra risks like altitude sickness and accidents. Additionally, sports activities that may have higher chances of falling, such as cycling, skiing, and hockey, may not be fitting too.

Takeaway

Women and their babies significantly benefit when they remain physically engaged while pregnant. Adding exercise activities regularly in most of your days will be good for your muscles, core, and cardiovascular system. Not only that, exercise will be rewarding for your mental health.  

For this reason, you must be attentive to what your body is telling you and discontinue exercising if you experience pain or any uneasiness. Consult your healthcare provider if you have issues or questions about how you react to your exercise activity.  

Lastly, don't forget to request clearance from your physician if you haven't done regular exercise for a long time or may have medical conditions that may impact your exercise regimen.  

Documenting Your Pregnancy

Becoming pregnant is normally a cause for celebration, regardless of if this is your first or more. While you may not initially enjoy some aspects of pregnancy, such as the lack of drinking, morning sickness, and changes to your body, you might want to keep track of what happened for you to be able to look back on one day, especially if your child wants to know about their time inside their mom’s tummy. There are many ways that you can document this journey, depending on how creative you are, and how much time you want to put into crafting a physical representation of these memories. 

Photo Canvas

When you see your doctor for check-ups relating to your health and how your baby is developing, you may be given ultrasound images to take home. You may have a number of these, depending on the number of scans you have for the duration of your pregnancy. While these pictures could be framed and hung as they are, you might also want to consider the use of a canvas print from Custtom to give the images more of a modern feel. This also means that you could put the original images into a keepsake box, safe away from any dust or damage, and have a high quality copy decorating the walls in your home. 

Journal

Many expectant mothers like to write in a journal, either on a daily or weekly basis, to document how their pregnancy is progressing, as well as any emotions they might be feeling. You could even use this as a means of jotting down any potential names that you and your partner come up with, as well as to make a list of everything you need for both your hospital bag and to have when your baby comes home. This can be something that is interesting for you to look back on as your child grows, as well as for them to read to see what the first starts to their creation was like.

Home Videos

If you have access to a high quality camcorder you could take videos showing daily living as your pregnancy progresses - or you could even record update videos via your smartphone. This will allow you to see how your body changes, and let your child have something to view when they get a little bit older, to see how their parents used to look. Depending on the hospital you use, as well as the circumstances of your labor, you may also be able to get your partner, or another family member, to take a video of the birth itself. This might be something that you only keep for your own viewing, but your child may also express an interest once they reach adulthood.

Keeping notes and pictures in relation to your pregnancy can help you to look back on the time fondly. Creating another life is something that is incredible, and should be celebrated as much as possible. In addition to this, it can be easy to forget a lot of the pregnancy details once your baby arrives, so this way you can keep those memories alive.