Top Benefits of Not Drinking Alcohol Anymore ⋆ My Sparkling Life

ByMySparklingLife

Once you’ve finished a rehab treatment plan, you will likely notice that you have much more free time than before you entered rehab. Rather than binging on alcohol or looking for the next opportunity to get a drink, you have more time for loved ones.
Start to reconnect with family and friends, rebuilding relationships that might have been hurt by your intoxicated episodes. These relationships will help you through tough times in rehab, like getting through the alcohol withdrawal timeline. Once you leave the program, they’re there for you when you want someone to listen or to help you stay out of situations that tempt you to drink.
2. Fewer Regrets
Think back to some of those heavy drinking days and night. Likely you made decisions that you regretted the next day, especially if your emotions swung from one extreme to another during that time.
Whether you regretted how you treated someone or something, that’s in the past. Nowadays, you’ll be making decisions without being intoxicated, and a clear head can make for fewer regrets than before.
3. Save Money
How much of your paycheck was going toward alcoholic beverages? Did you borrow money to have a drink if you were behind in bill payments?
No matter which type of drink you liked the most, the cost of any booze can add up. A couple of beers here, a few bottles of wine there, and the money quickly goes over the month.
Also, if you are out on the town drinking rather than at home, you’ll have to add in secondary costs, such as taking an Uber or taxi to get home. Thus, a big benefit of giving up drinking is having more money in the bank.
Other Benefits When You Stop Drinking
Cutting out alcohol from your life can also help you lose weight. That makes sense given the high calorie count in a lot of the beverages. Furthermore, they’re empty calories, not adding any healthy component to the body. Skipping the booze can reduce your daily calorie consumption significantly.
Finally, swapping out alcohol for water or another non-boozy alternative might improve your skin. Alcohol dehydrates the skin and body tissues, which can prematurely age the skin. It also inflames bodily tissues, which can lead to redness of the skin.
When You Give Up Drinking
When abstaining from alcohol, you’ll likely see many benefits, including the major ones mentioned above. From feeling better about your skin to saving money and having more time with loved ones, there is a lot to look forward to over the years ahead.
The next chapter of your life after rehab holds a lot of promise. Thinking about the good things, rather than dwelling on the past, can help you stay on the sober path and enjoy a better quality of life than before.

Steps You Can Take To Improve Your Health

ByMySparklingLife

Make sure you get regular check-ups
It is important to make sure that you keep a check on your health at all times. You need to make sure you get regular check-ups so that you can stay in control. We’re not only talking about regular GP check-ups here, but also the likes of an HIV test and STI testing. This has been made a lot easier because sexual health clinics are extremely discreet and you can even do some tests from the comfort of your own home today.
Make changes to your diet
Now is also a good time to take a look at your diet and see what changes can be made here. A lot of people think that they are going to have to live on lettuce in order to lose weight! That’s not the case. It is all about making sensible and healthy changes. For example, why not make the switch from your current pasta to wholemeal pasta instead? Moreover, instead of having your typical morning coffee, why not try Matcha tea or a Matcha latte instead? Matcha contains plenty of nutrients, and it helps to deliver a more stable boost of energy as well.
Make sure you exercise regularly
Exercise can help to prevent colon cancer, diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. It can also help to treat high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and depression. Moreover, people who exercise on a regular basis are less likely to get injured. Routine exercises can also keep your weight under control and help you to feel better. You need to try and be active for between 30 and 60 minutes around five times per week. Remember, any sort of exercise is better than no exercise at all.
Focus on getting a good night’s sleep
The importance of getting a good night’s sleep cannot be overlooked. We all know how awful we feel when we have had a restless night’s sleep. However, the trouble is that it is a bit of a vicious cycle. Once you have one night’s bed sleep, it can then roll into the next night, and so on, and so forth. There are a number of different steps that you can take in order to get a better night’s sleep. You should try to get into a routine; this means going to sleep at the same time every evening and waking up at the same time, even on the weekend. Aside from this, it is important to avoid exercising just before you go to bed. You should also try to avoid any tech use before you go to sleep as well. You may want to practice meditation or breathing practices in order to calm down and try to drift off to sleep. There are a number of different approaches you can use, so keep trying different tactics until you get it right.
Manage stress with deep breathing
While we’re on the subject of breathing practices, you can also manage stress with deep breathing. This is something that a lot of therapists suggest as a tool for stress management. There is no denying that stress levels are higher than they ever have been. Therefore, it is good to look for different ways to manage stress and keep your stress levels low. Try breathing in and slowly count to five, you should then hold for a slow count of five, and then slowly release, again, to a count of five. This can help to calm you down and make you feel centered.

Tips For Successful Potty Training

ByMySparklingLife

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Charmin Ultra Soft at Sams Club and Acorn Influence. All thoughts are 100% my own.
If there is one thing I’ve done a few times it’s potty training…It’s never easy and ALWAYS different from child to child…but there are 2 major things you need to have an easier time potty training: Lots of patience and LOTS of Charmin toilet paper. I have successfully potty trained three of my own kids, and I can’t even count how many from working in child care…and now I’m in the beginning stages of potty training my baby boy. Even with all this “experience” I’m by no means an expert at potty training but I do know a thing of two about potty training success. Along the way I have learned that with positive reinforcement, patience, lots of Charmin, and a few distractions…your child will go from diapers to potty in no time!
HOW TO KNOW IF (S)HE’S READY?
Many parents don’t start potty training until their children are 2 1/2 to 3 years old, when daytime bladder control has become more reliable. And some children aren’t interested in potty training until they’re closer to 3, or even 4.
My boys were all around 3 when they were potty trained, my 6-year-old pretty much potty trained himself at 3…after trying and trying and no progress, one day he came in from outside to go potty…and never went in his diaper again…if only they were all so easy!
Signs they may be ready
Urinates a fair amount at one time.
Has regular, well-formed bowel movements at relatively predictable times.
Has “dry” periods of at least two hours which shows that bladder muscles are developed enough to hold urine.
Can pull his pants up and down.
Dislikes the feeling of wearing a wet or dirty diaper.
Shows interest in others’ bathroom habits (wants to watch you go to the bathroom or wear underwear).
Gives a physical or verbal sign when he’s having a bowel movement such as grunting, squatting, or telling you.
Demonstrates a desire for independence.
Takes pride in his accomplishments.
Isn’t resistant to learning to use the toilet.
Can follow simple instructions, such as “go get the toy.”
EASY POTTY TRAINING TIPS
Once your child shows signs of potty training readiness, use these simple tips for potty training success!
Create a potty schedule. Try and go every hour or hour 1/2 to start out. Make sure you continue this even if you are out.
Provide a space for them. Now this isn’t always possible, but even a basket with books, training pants/underwear next to their potty makes the space more inviting and less “cold” to a toddler.
Provide LOTS of Charmin. you will go through a lot of Charmin. Kids love to wipe even if they don’t go, I’ve had melt downs when I try to tell them they don’t need to wipe..so just let them do it and have plenty on hand.
Provide lots of encouragement! Kids love to know they are doing something exciting and that pleases you…let them know!
Provide a distraction. Give them books to read…or mine likes to watch his favorite cartoons on the tablet sometimes. This gets them to sit longer and eventually “go”.
Provide positive reinforcement. I like to use natural, healthy fruit snacks rather than a “sweet treat”. He gets a few after each time he goes, and then when the he seems to be getting the hang of the potty I can slowly start to ease back on the positive reinforcements. You could even try new undies as a positive reinforcement. They could pick out a new pair to wear if they go all day..etc.
STICK WITH IT! Don’t give up, if your child is showing the signs they will need your encouragement even through their setbacks to get through and to the happy place.
You know the saying “patience is a virtue”…you will really need it during potty training time, there WILL be setback days, tantrums, refusal and accidents but just remember that it is okay! You don’t want to show your frustration it will discourage them and set them back further. Using disposable pull-ups are helpful and transition to using both pull-ups and undies once you both get in the swing of the potty training thing. Once you start potty training do not give up! As dory says…Just keep swimming!
1,000 EXTRA SHEETS VALUE!
Having a family of 6 means that I regularly shop at Sams Club for my families daily needs. Starting in mid-November, Sam’s Club will be re-introducing Charmin Ultra Soft back into the club for a limited time! That has me excited as Charmin Ultra Soft is my favorite go-to toilet paper! Plus Charmin Ultra Soft is celebrating the value of getting more for their families by offering a thousand more sheets per package! That’s a huge value for us potty training parents!
How about a giveaway?
To be entered to win, you must share your potty training tip/trick and the hashtag #CharminatSamsClub on Twitter or Instagram. Prizes are 53 $50 Sam’s Club gift cards. Good Luck!
$50 Sam’s Club Gift Card Giveaway for Charmin
Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”