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LIFE HACKS FOR KIDS AND THEIR PARENTS
Tags: Life Hacks For Kids, Life Hacking, Parenting, Kids, Tips

INCREDIBLE HACKS FOR PARENTS Parenting is not an easy job and every parent need lifehacks to make their lives easier

1. Put a basket in the bathtub when your child is bathing so that the toys won’t flow away.

2. This baby shower cap prevents the water from going into the baby’s eyes while bathing.

3. Use this baby stroller and scooter hybrid to speed up the ride.

4. Make a laundry basket baby seat.

Learn how to make your own here.

5. Keep pacifiers clean on the go with sauce-to-go containers.

6. Stick a dropper through an already cut pacifier to give medicine to babies.

7. Draw out your kid’s feet so you don’t need to always carry him/her around to buy shoes.

8. Put a hook at the back of a high chair to bold the bibs.

9. Instead of nailing a baby gate into the banister, use cable ties to do so and you can just easily remove the gate when the kids grow up.

10. Make this little hammock to rest your kid at home.

11. Buy baby clothes like this to identify your twin babies.

12. Buy a portable high chair so that you can feed your kid everywhere easily.

13. Use pads to help children go through the potty-training process.

14. Turn the baby crib into a desk as the kid grows up.

15. Use a barrette to fix a loose tank top of a little girl.

16. Use a vacuum to tie a daughter’s hair like this.

17. Cut the lotion bottle and make washing hands easier for little children.

18. Cut a sticker in half and place it on the insides of their shoes so your kids will put their shoes on correctly.

19. Use a cardboard to make a slide over the stairs at home.

⌄ Scroll down to continue reading article ⌄

How Fulfilled Are You In Your Life?

If you want to stop struggling and live life to the fullest, Lifehack has a solution for you.

Take the Full Life Assessment

⌄ Scroll down to continue reading article ⌄

20. Teach your kids to help cleaning up by playing this game with them.

21. Let your kids have fun “playing” video games but not interrupt you playing games by giving them fake remote controls.

22. Reuse a pool noodle and make it a door stopper.

23. Have a get-along-shirt for your kids and when they start to fight, make them wear it.

24. Tie a rope over the swing and pull it so your kid will have fun and so will you.

25. Use a fan to make your kid’s bed a tent.

26. Hang a fort with a hoola-hoop and bed sheet.

Learn how to make one here.

27. Make your kid a sandpit with a tent.

28. Use a muffin cup to prevent the melting ice-cream from getting your kids’ hands dirty.

29. Turn the DVD cases into coloring cases.

30. Make a portable activity kit for kids when traveling around

Check out how to make one here.

31. Tie a shoe caddy at the back of your car seat to hold all the dolls and games for kids.

32. Put a tattoo sticker on your kids in case they’re lost.

33. Have this mitten and never lose your child.

34. Turn tube socks into kids’ legs warmers.

Find out how to do it here.

35. Buy this cute knight helmet which can also mask the face to keep the kid warm.
Rapid COVID-19 Tests Provide Confidence When Meeting Your Family.
By: Veit Hammerstingl
Tags: Precaution, Gathering, Tips, Family, Virus

Rapid COVID-19 Tests Provide Confidence When Meeting Your Family.

Photo by Paul Merki on Unsplash

Rapid COVID-19 tests are designed to tell within 15 minutes whether you are infectious or not. Especially for the festive season, they can provide you a certain level of safety before meeting with the family.

Why?

You are most contagious before you have symptoms¹.

So you could be joyfully sitting among your loved ones without knowing that you’re currently infecting everybody.

Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash

To prevent that, you can do a rapid COVID-19 test, also called “antigen test”.

What is the problem?

Antigen tests work differently from the standard PCR tests (these are the ones where you have to wait a few days to get the lab results). While PCR tests detect tiny amounts of viral genetic materials, antigen tests identify the presence of viral proteins. They do this at the cost of accuracy.

In the medical context, the term “accuracy” is a bit complex. You could state that a “test detects the virus with 98% accuracy”, meaning that in 2% of the cases you were infected, yet the test didn’t show it.

But, there is also the possibility that you are not infected and the test says otherwise. It is called a false positive result. Every medical diagnosis (like a cancer test) can have false-positives.

This leads us to 4 possible cases:
Returning To College 12 Years Later With 3 Young Children Was The Hardest Decision I Made.
By: Judy Musgrove
Tags: Struggle, Ideas, Solutions, Tips, College

When I graduated from high school, I had to support myself. I got a job, moved into an apartment, and got a crash course on being an adult. College wasn’t in my mind at all. Today, they call this a “Gap Year”. Looking back, I was more focused on paying the rent, buying a car and riding my horse. College wasn’t in the thinking phase of my brain yet.

Fast forward, 12 years later, I am married, with 3 young children. I know that if I want to make good money; I need to go to college. So, I headed up to OIT campus in Klamath Falls, Oregon and enrolled.

Issue #1: Class Time Frames

Right off the bat, I had a huge issue. Lab classes were only in the evening. Since I was receiving child care help, I had to give them the information so they would pay for the sitter. Nope. They absolutely would not cover my evening labs. Doesn’t sound right, does it? Arguing didn’t get me very far. I was actually flunking this class!

Creative Solution: Add the hours for the lab class during daytime and my babysitter would come down and sit with my children in the evening. There really wasn’t much for her to do, as they were all in bed for the night.
How to be a good Programmer : 5 important tips.
By: Lahiru Pramod De Silva
Tags: Tips, Good Programmer

How to be a good Programmer : 5 important tips.

Programming is one of the best job in the modern world. And programmer has a lot of demand in the job market. But being a good programmer is not an easy task. So I hope to tell you in this article how to be a good programmer easy and quick. Let’s talk about that…🙂

1.Start from the beginning.

If you learn something, learn it from the beginning(A - Z). Do not start from the middle of anything. For example, if you want to become a web developer, first learn what HTML is. That is the very first tip.

2. Learn something new every day.

Don’t spend time with the same thing every day. Learn new things. Watch the tutorial and take an online course. If you are a web developer, try using the new tag in html. Try connecting Css with Html. That is the second tip.

3.Share your knowledge with others.

This is a very important tip.Whenever possible you should share your knowledge with others, Then you can further develop the knowledge you have and you can get new knowledge from someone else… For example, even if you know HTML well, you may not know much about SQL so you can share your knowledge with someone who knows SQL.

4. Practice: working with a team.

If you want to be a programmer you definitely have to work with a team.Because there is so much more around programming. Because programming is just one part of a project. There are many more parts like UI UX, Planning, Analysis. So you have to learn how to work successfully with a team.

5. Stay up to date with latest technology.

Technology is changing so fast. if you do not pay much attention to it as a programmer, the demand in the job market will decrease you have. Therefore, it is very important for you as a programmer to be constantly updated with the latest technology.

Add the above tips to your Programming Life. It will be very useful for you!

Thanks so much for reading the article.🙂🙂
7 Tips for a Successful Canadian Payroll Year-End
By: Baass Business Solutions
Tags: Taxes, Payroll, Tips, Canada, Canadian Payroll

As we close out a monumental year for change in business and our ways of life. Somethings have remained a constant — payroll and taxes. With the new changes to the end-of-year process and taxes related to COVID-19, do keep your eyes open for updates from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

However, to ensure you are making the most of the information we have put together 7 key items to get you started, and don’t forget to download the checklist to help you have a smooth Payroll Year-End.

7 Tips for a Successful Payroll Year-End

Download, print and review the 2020 Year-End checklist. Make sure to update your payroll software, if applicable, with the new tax tables. Familiarize yourself with new source deductions, changes in the minimum wage and other payroll changes. Educate employees and send communications on Year-End related changes and activities (i.e. the effect of 27 pay periods if applicable) Print and share payroll calendar with important dates (i.e. stat holidays, pay periods) and deadlines — We have created one page on Canadian Holidays for your reference, 2021 Canadian Important Dates Calendar. Don’t forget to check other legislative updates (Provincial and Federal that will affect payroll) Use tools such as Payroll Deductions Online Calculator (PDOC) to calculate federal, provincial (except for Quebec), and territorial payroll deductions.

We are here to assist you with your business and payroll needs, (and we are all working to traverse the new payroll landscape with the changes due to COVID-19. We hope with these added guides you will find payroll year-end significantly less stressful. ) Together we can make sure our employees are paid accurately and on time.

Additional Resources

Originally published at https://www.baass.com
Why Berlin is the most exciting city, but you should never study there
By: Girl In Berlin
Tags: Party, Berlin, Nightlife, Tips, Life

Berlin: Partying in Kit Kat Club be like

There are many things people tell each other about Berlin, and you know what? They are mostly true! Yes, you can party three days in a row — naked. Yes, you can easily get all drugs in the world if you want. Yes, you can do anything! in a club if you want to. I could continue this list but I am sure you get the point: Imagine a crazy party, Berlin does it better.

Whenever I say I am from Berlin, I usually get this “WOW, have you been to Berghain or Kit Kat…?” Yes, of course I have been there — I am a young student that was very much excited to move to Berlin, the capital of Germany. But here is the thing: I am also a student, as in, I am actually seriously studying there. Don’t get me wrong. Berlin is great, I love it! But I think there are a few things you should keep in mind when you consider studying there.

One of the good things is that, as mentioned, the nightlife really is exceptional in Berlin. If you are a curious person that likes to try new things, party to techno and is not shocked by admittedly very shocking things, you should definitely try it out. Another great thing is that everyone finds his or her place in Berlin. Being different, weird or whatever is very much welcomed.

As in many bigger cities, in Berlin as well, your life can be going out and partying only and I know many people where that is the case. They would go out the whole weekend and sleep during the week… or something like that. The difference to other cities is, however, that this lifestyle is celebrated in Berlin. It is ‘cool’.

And that is exactly how by now you should see the danger of all this. As great as it is, it can be very distracting. It can pull you down to a lifestyle where nothing but these kinds of things are important anymore.

I don’t know about you but when I am honest with myself, I do have a little bit of FOMO. I do want to be part of the cool gang and know about all the cool events. But luckily enough I know how to say ‘no’ as well. Otherwise, like many other people, you might get sucked in by Berlin nightlife and your daily life gets less and less important.

I see that all this draws a dark picture over Berlin. I do not necessarily want this to be the case. My point is that I think you have to know yourself very well when considering to study in Berlin. To me this was not so clear before I moved there. However, now I know which kinds of questions you should ask yourself: Does it give me anxiety when there are just so many options all the time every day? Do I easily get distracted? Can I say ‘no’? Is it okay for me to sit alone at home studying on a Friday night in a city like Berlin? Be honest with yourself and decide what is best for you.

I will tell you one last thing, though. The good thing is that after a while, you might just get bored of all this. After three years of going to the same club with the same people it is simply not that exciting anymore. But you have to successfully make it until then…
5 trucos para tomar fotos profesionales con tu celular
Tags: Fotografía, El Bache, La Chepia, Tips

Learn more. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Learn more

Make Medium yours. Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. Explore
Light good afternoon An aloud white pen writing into the paper
By: Shinei Shukla
Tags: Haiku Hub, Haiku, Poetry, Poetry On Medium, Writing Prompts

Light good afternoon

An aloud white pen writing

into the paper
Asterisk Monthly: About New York City [Oct, 2020]
By: Ana Azevedo
Tags: New York City, Asterisk Project, Writing Challenge, Weekly Prompts, Writing Prompts

Last year I got married and my husband and I decided to travel to New York on our honeymoon. Everything was decided: we bought the plane tickets, booked an Airbnb in Brooklyn and started to get tickets for things we wanted to see, from Broadway plays to Madison Square Garden matches. It seemed like a dream! Sadly, just a few days before our trip, we realized that the weird disease that got started a few months back in China was just around the corner from us in South America. It was March and the pandemic was endangering our continent. We had to postpone the trip.

It was the right decision, but we didn’t feel less disappointed. Both of us love travelling, and this would be a fantastic experience. But, well, this was the kind of situation we couldn’t control and it was important to let things go. Let the disappointment go. Let the frustration go. Let the sadness go. Let it go.

2020 has been a year to remember, and for the majority of people I know, not for great things. But it has also been a year to learn, in my opinion. An opportunity to identify the important things in our life, the things worth fighting for. In my case, this year I learned to be much more thankful for my health and privileges and for having such a loving family. If my loved ones and I are ok, if we are healthy and well, it’s all that matters. Other things, such as a postponed honeymoon, are not that big a deal.

Besides, as I have been to New York some years ago, at least I have my memories to treasure. Today I look at my pictures in the Big Apple and smile, already happy because I know one day my husband and I will be there together, re-creating pictures and memories.
Day 6: Masking
By: Aditi Sarawagi
Tags: Write, Writing Tips, Writing, Covid-19, Writing Prompts

Day 6: Masking

You’d think, 10 months into a pandemic, wearing and carrying a mask will become easier and a part of your being.

Wrong.

I’ve noticed this strange phenomenon with the passage of time-its become increasingly difficult to wear a mask-I often forget to wear one till I’m out of the gate, or there will be times I’m struggling to breathe in one or I simply do not want to wear one(but inevitably do of course).

I’ve figured out two reasons for the same: one, we weren’t going out initially as much as we do now so we haven’t really gotten used to masks as we think we have. Two, subconsciously the mask serves as a reminder of the ongoing pandemic and the associated stress with it so a flight response, the mind forgets about the mask to ease the stress on the brain.

Plausible? I hope we’re well behind the mask phase until there arises a need to find the answers.
December 27th, 2020: Corpse Pose (Death/Rebirth)
By: Ren Powell - Mad Orphan Lit.
Tags: Creative Writing, Meditation, Yoga, Writing Prompts, Mindfulness

A Meditative Approach to Your Creative Writing/A Creative Approach to Your Meditation Practice.

Photo: Ren Powell

(Savasana)

“Now I lay me down to sleep […]”

If you should die before you wake,

what would you name your greatest lesson-learned?

What form would it take: animal, vegetable, mineral?

Where will you have left it?

Did you shove it in the back of your sock drawer?

Lock it in the shed in the backyard?

Arrange it in a vase on the living room coffee table?

Or has it been wandering the house on its own

all this time, where you’ve tended to meet it

unexpectedly? (And how did that make you feel?)

Who would find it when you’ve gone?

Where, and when, and how?

What language would it speak to them?

Would they understand?

Is this what you want?

When you roll onto your right side

and tuck your knees into a fetal position

where do you feel the heaviness?

What would you do well to leave behind -

which tethers are no longer necessary

as you begin again?
31 Writing Prompts for January 2021 - Medium, Blogs & More
Tags: Lifestyle, 2021, Writing, Writing Prompts

Photo by USGS on Unsplash. Why? Because it’s fresh and interesting, like your writing will be after 31 days solid of practice.

Many of us will be setting New Year's resolutions to become better. Better eating habits or a better exercise routine are pretty common resolutions; for some of us, our resolution is to become a better writer.

Studies show that only 8% of resolutions are actually followed for the full year. Less than 25% are followed for 30 days (note: the average time to form a habit is 66 days).

If you want to become a better writer, you must really take the phrase ‘practice makes perfect’ to heart. The thing is, even though practice makes perfect, your writing doesn’t have to be perfect. Write something every day (even if it’s only a hundred words or about a fly that flew into your coffee in the morning) and publish it on your blog of choice; you’ll feel accomplished and your writing will drastically improve over time.

Also, please don’t feel silly or like you’re taking up space. If you’re publishing your writing on something like Medium, people can choose to read what you’ve been writing and they can choose not to read it- you’re not forcing anyone to read what you’re writing, nor are you taking up space that someone else could use. You’re just putting your ideas out there and, believe it or not, people may really enjoy reading them.

Okay, good, we’ve got resolutions out of the way. Now, what are you going to write about?
What’s My Prompt? Day 27: NYC Summers
By: Jeff J.
Tags: Creative Writing, Summer, NYC, Writing Prompts

Every Winter I curse myself out for still living in the Northeast. Cold weather is the devil incarnate. Snow is cute until it becomes slush. My back aches at the thought of shoveling post-blizzards. So why stay? Among many reasons, NYC Summers are UNDEFEATED!

Imagine a world wehre you can travel anywhere, congregate maskless in crowds, and have your choice of activities anytime from Memorial Day to Labor Day Weekend. This is a New York Summer.

You can roll to a day party at noon, a BBQ in the Evening and a House party at night.. all in the same night. Plenty of free events, everyone generally happier than usual. The mood just hits different. Some of my best memories in life have taken place in NYC during the Summer. Beaches, rooftops, parks, friends, flings, romance, lust, food, fun, and sometimes… all of the above.

No city is a utopia, but give me an NYC Summer over everything.
4 Lessons I Have Learned From Writing For Over A Year.
By: Jamie Styles
Tags: Self Improvement, Writing Tips, Self Help, Development, Writing Prompts

I think it is important to reflect and take notice of the steps that have brought us to where we are. Today has been a hard day; I am not where I wanted to be, but I am somewhere.

Lesson 1: Improving The Craft

I have written on this recently on my website; however, I see now more than ever the importance of walking blind. Not focusing on what is in front but just trying to take another step forward. I understand how hard this is; I was in the same position not so long ago. In the age of instant gratification, it is hard to learn patience and focus on the process that is making you want to pursue this career in the first place.

Lesson 2: Control Your Time

This year was organising my working time, and my free time has been significant for me to progress. I feel my fitness significantly has improved; I have tried rigid structures and loose structures. Yet, allocating days on the go for resting and recovery, allowed me to come back to work fully recovered and refreshed. Consequently, it made me ready to maintain the same effort of that previous day.

Lesson 3: Planning

Even though I touched on this briefly, I believe planning articles and drafting them out, helped me become more precise. I cut those unnecessary words, refining my sentences and taking my time to read through, naturally improved my work. Yet, you would think this is obvious, but people tend not to believe they do not have time when it saves it.

Lesson 4: Inspiration

Inspiration can be hard to find; however, writers should not need it. I believe, in talent but I further believe without practice, you have no control over it. Real talent is when you focus on your craft, conjure your inspiration and own task to help motivate that creative spark into a flame. My article again covers this and is worth a read if you are serious about improving.

Thank you for reading, if you want me to write about my structure guide or want to know how I plan, please comment down below.

For exclusive content go to

www.b-less.me
Aspiring for writing success, I highlighted practically your entire post.
By: Mahesh Shroff
Tags: Writing Tips, Writer, Writing, Medium, Writing Prompts

Aspiring for writing success, I highlighted practically your entire post. (Wish Medium enables readers to highlight complete story, on a single click)

You surely touched upon the do’s, don’ts, the what’s & why’s, to take pride in our work. Money for most need only be a byproduct.

and felt like re-reading to make Notes

but then had better idea.. saved your story.. to keep reading again & again & again..

and let my brain do the chore of making mental Notes -not only of your prescriptions, but importantly your innate skills, the flow, the subtle flavours, which makes a captivating story ..

what can be better than a personal robot to guide my pen -on the go, all the time ?
What’s My Prompt? Day 26: Growing Up Haitian
By: Jeff J.
Tags: Haiti, Creative Writing, Writing Prompts

Sometimes you’re left asking “what did I do?”

And 7 seconds later in the corner you ajenou

Then you stand up and exhale with pain in your knees

Better do well in school, we don’t send you there for B’s

But there’s nothing but love and culture to learn

The love’s unconditional the praise? you gotta earn

The village raises you, generations of fam

And without Haitian parents I wouldn’t be who I am
I’m just gonna write down answers to prompts that I have. If that’s cool with everyone
Tags: Writing Prompts

I’m just gonna write down answers to prompts that I have. If that’s cool with everyone
Personal Retreat Journal Prompts
By: Justin Foster
Tags: Personal Development, Journaling, Questions, Personal Growth, Writing Prompts

As I’ve done at the end of the past few years, I am sending out some journal prompts for personal reflection time. Whether you are going to take a day or so for a personal retreat or just find a quiet space on your calendar that’s just for you, here are some questions to ponder:

Where is my ego influencing my heart?

Where are there signs of drift or exiling myself from my core self?

What feeling(s) am I avoiding?

What actions(s) am I avoiding?

Who do I need to forgive?

How consistent am I in living a true story? (If not, why?)

How consistent am I in taking care of my body? (Nutrition, movement, rest)

How much time am I spending in stillness? Solitude? Nature?

Do the people I love know that I love them?

What boundaries do I need to reinforce in my relationships?

What are my priorities for 2021?

I designed these questions so that you can keep returning to them for some self-examination throughout the coming year.

And now some bonus prompts!

These questions were posed by my business/creative partner, Emily, in her brilliantly crafted LinkedIn article on processing emotions.
Prompt: What is your idea of the perfect summer?
Tags: Nonfiction, Writing, Writing Prompts

Prompt: What is your idea of the perfect summer?

Answer: My idea of the perfect summer as a 15 year old is having lots of sleepovers, no covid-19, getting a long lasting significant other, reading and finishing all my books, and hopefully finishing school with all A’s. After everything that happened this year all I really want is to hangout with people and make new friends. I want to read all my books so I can get new ones and see new adventures. Books are the only thing that’s kept me going through this year. I want all A’s so my parents can be proud of me for once because everything I do never seems to make them happy. And finally I don’t want the weather to be to hot or to cold so I actually enjoy the summer weather.

Follow for more
Prompt: If you could book a flight tomorrow for anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
Tags: Nonfiction, Writing, Writing Prompts

Prompt: If you could book a flight tomorrow for anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

Answer: If I could book a flight tomorrow for anywhere on the world, I would go to Paris. I would love to see the Eiffel Tower. I would bring my grandmother with me, we have always said that after I finish college I would pay for us to go to Paris. So if we could go early that would be awesome. I would definitely want covid-19 to be over though. I would hate to not be able to breath the French air. It’s one of the reasons I want to go. If I do go I want to live in a fancy apartment for at least a few months. I want to stay there as long as possible and spend as much time as I can with my grandmother. She would be quite old if we went after I finished college and I wouldn’t have much time with her left.

Follow for more
Weekly Centina Prompt: The Greatest Gift
By: J.A. Taylor
Tags: Christmas, Prompt, Gifts, Pubprompt, Writing Prompt

Learn more. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Learn more

Make Medium yours. Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. Explore
What’s My Prompt? Day 25: Favorite Clothes
By: Jeff J.
Tags: Creative Writing, Writing Prompts

Yellow sweater season. A time that occurs every Fall and Spring on college campuses on Long Island and NYC. When you see the sweaters, you know men of distinction are in your presence. The radiant yellowish-gold signifies struggle. Progress. Lineage. Legacy. Phoenician-Greek letters “ΑΦΑ” emblazoned across the chest with a majestic coast-of-arms underneath. On the back resides the name of the owner and the number which starts as an identifier and transforms into your personal rank. This sweater, worn by members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated is first presented on Day 1 as a new member, and traditionally worn on every crossing day — representing crossing the burning sands into Greekdom — to celebrate your Alphaversary.

So may memories, so little time. One memory in particular was my first Alpha act after adorning the sweater and becoming a “made man” — the entrance into Hofstra USA for the first time as an Alpha brother. The music stopped, I marched in, and was hoisted on my brothers shoulders in celebration of an accomplishment which would define that decade of my life. Through every trial, challenge, and doubt, I was still here. That crossing party is still a top cherished memory I have from my time as a brother. While college days swiftly pass, and the recollection slowly fades away, the memories imbued in that sweater are eternal. If my memory ever gets fuzzy, that sweater will unlock the euphoric archives and I’ll have so much fun reliving my times. It’s stored safely now, but never forgotten. Those times, like that Yellow Sweater will remain indelible forever.
Candy Apple or Cherry Red?
By: Ulu Mi
Tags: Writing Practice, Free Style Poetry, Writing Prompts

Photo by Ryan De Hamer on Unsplash

The story of their meeting changes every 10 years when I ask her to tell me how it happened.

“I liked his car.”

Meeting each other doesn’t change, but the story variations get more detailed.

“This again? Alright, so the car was red.”

It feels like a new story instead of a broken record.

“We’re cruising down the boulevard when this bright red convertible zooms past us — ”

He got rid of the bright red British convertible sometime after they started dating.

“Of course, he got a boring car after that. Some sedan — I can’t remember the color.”

Then they bought a car together.

“You were born a few years after we got married, and we bought a Jeep.”

Honestly, I was really young when that happened — but I remember that car.

It was a red Jeep.

Photo by Derrick Brooks on Unsplash

Aloha e kuʻu mau meli,

Writing Prompt: The car your father drove.

I've heard a lot of family and friends' stories about first dates or weekly car-pooling — a lot of car related bonding time when their parents met or got to know each other. You know what I want though? I want a bus or train ride love story lol — there's no trains where I grew up, but you'd see them on T.V. or when I went to college… So it's very possible.

He mea pokole kēia, the next one will also be up soon so —

Until next time honey bbeess (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*✲ﾟ*｡⋆
I slowed down my pace!
By: Shrish Ukhalkar
Tags: Mothers, Writing, Love, Writing Prompts

I slowed down my pace!

Of the times when you walked ahead,

I used to match your pace,

Walking at my full speed,

Still lagging behind, I used to cry,

Complain of pain in my legs,

So you could carry me around your waist,

But you wouldn't easily cave in to my cries,

You made me take those extra steps,

And then when I screamed at my loudest, You eventually would slow down,

Grab me by my armpits and give an embrace,

For my head to rest on your shoulder,

What a kind of safe that felt!

Hardly can think of feeling the same again,

After coming home, I still used to bawl and whine of my tired legs,

How many times it'd happen,

Though you were never tired of the process,

Today, when we take a stroll around,

And you seem to be on a trail,

Those moments is what I recollect,

So knowingly, I slowed down my pace!

But amusing, you look at me,

And push me to go on,

But to walk alongside you is what I want,

Hence, again, I selfishly slowed down my pace!

Shrish!!
3 Writing Prompts To Get You Out Of Your Writing Rut
By: Ashlee Waters
Tags: Thoughts, Writing Tips, Advice, Writing Ideas, Writing Prompts

3 Writing Prompts from “Inner Ramblings”

1) Do you think love is something that we do or something that happens to us?

Both. I think love initially does happen to us, many times without our knowledge — hence “falling in love.” Because like falling, love is unpredictable, happens fast, and is often out of our control.

However, once love is recognized, it must evolve into something we actively do.

Falling in love is easy…staying in love is hard, and requires a lot of work.

The most successful relationships are those who choose to actively DO, and not rely on the unpredictable FALL.

2) If someone is lying to you, but they really believe what they are saying, are they still lying?

No. The reason lying is thought to be such a horrible thing in our society is because it is an action that often has been thought about to an extent.

You, as a person, are consciously deciding that the person you are speaking to does not deserve the truth.

THAT is why lying is so hurtful. Because once you realize you have been lied to, you start to question your entire relationship with the person who lied to you.

You start to wonder why they don’t trust you, and how they think of you as a person. Why did they deem you as being not worthy of the truth?

Lying is an active choice. So, if someone is lying to you but they really don’t know that they are lying, I don’t believe this is lying.

3) If you don’t take a random insult personally, can you still take a random compliment personally?

Yes. This is the act of choosing what you let into your life, and how you let it affect you.

The truth is, we are responsible for our own happiness. I know this can be hard to hear, and different from what we typically observe. Many times we think we need to rely on others to give us what we need. While having others in our lives is a wonderful addition, they can not be the sole reason for happiness. You have to learn how to control that for yourself.

I do believe you can choose to accept that someone is giving you a compliment. You can let it into your life and feel good about yourself. Compliments are fun to hear, and even more precious to remember in moments of doubt.

I also believe you can choose to understand that most times, an insult has nothing to do with you and everything to do with the person who is spewing out the insult. You can choose to be angry, and let it hurt your feelings. Or you can choose to be the bigger person, and take comfort in the fact that you know your worth, and your abilities.

YOU create your own happiness. YOU choose what you are going to let into your life.
Day Seven (of Seven)
By: Nancy Colasurdo
Tags: Series, Parenting, Self Esteem, Life Coach, Writing Prompts

I frequently use writing prompts in my teaching and coaching. In fact, when the pandemic lockdown began in the Northeast, I had a regular weekly group and later developed a course under the umbrella of Prompted Expression. In the spirit of sparking my own creativity and getting ideas for my students and clients, I’ve decided to write from a prompt for seven consecutive days and share the results. The prompts are from a deck of cards called Actually Curious.

Writing Prompt Seven: What’s one thing you would change about the way you were raised?

I don’t think there’s much that’s more important than nurturing self-esteem in a child. It sets the tone for everything else to come.

I was raised by two people I think the world of. They consider their children their biggest accomplishment in life. But neither of them has self-esteem worth a damn.

So do the math.

There’s so much I’ve learned in adulthood about this topic. How insidious it is. How withering criticism can be. How it impacts what you think you deserve. How it breeds a bit of paranoia about others’ intent. How it tamps down dreams and lowers expectations.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s I explored this in therapy. It was life-altering. I had to grow my confidence, be comfortable and then some with my life choices instead of making excuses for them. Stand up taller in my gifts and use them to their fullest. Accept myself as is rather than consistently wondering why I didn’t want conventional things.

I am proud of being intellectually curious, using my “good” china every day, not settling for a mediocre relationship, unabashedly revealing my age, putting myself out there in my art. Surely I still have my hang-ups like everyone else, but I’ve acquired an acute awareness of my own emotional intelligence and am open to being better and smarter.

If I could go back and change something, it would have to start in past generations of my family tree so that the self-esteem would ripple right on through to my parents. I think their lives would have been enriched and uplifted.
What’s My Prompt? Day 24: DFND SNKRS
By: Jeff J.
Tags: Creative Writing, Writing Prompts

There’s no L in win but there is an L in SNKRS.

The L doesn’t move in silence. You hear the deafening roar of defeat reverberate across social media like clockwork at 10:05 EST with every new release. Eager sneaker lovers collectively wait for the results of their purchase like potential fathers on Maury’s couch hoping against hope that the baby aint theirs. And instead of euphoric cartwheels and gold-medal sprints across the stage, we yell furiously at our smartphones because we missed. Again

The L isn’t benign. We fight frustrated tears with the soothing sight of Memes to help us laugh at our pain. We still have the SNKRS app on our phones despite the rampaging, unabated march of the bots as they scoop their pairs with no regard for human emotions. The greatest trick the devil ever played on the world was convincing us that bots aren’t part of the problem.

The L suspends all logic. It feels like we have better odds of hitting the lottery twice than hitting on SNKRS, yet our masochistic mentality returns us to the scene of the crime, every time. Kicks lovers still using SNKRS are the textbook definition of insane. I type this with a straight jacket of irreverent defiance or odds and statistics. My hubris, stubbornness and sheer thirst for a good gamble convinces me shit will be different. And every release humbles me a little more.

There is no L in win, but there’s an L in SNKRS. You may not see it, but it’s there. Like all sneaker heads hoping to cop a pair on that app one day, you don’t see the L until you seek a W. We should walk away from this fools errand. We probably have in theory. Unfortunately, there’s two L’s in allure and we’re too mesmerized by victory to accept certain defeat.

See you on the 13th for those SB’s.
Bah-Humbug — Let Out Your Inner Scrooge — We Know He’s In There!
By: Marilyn Flower
Tags: The Bad Influence, Christmas, Ideastream, Scrooge, Writing Prompts

If ever there was a Christmas evocative of Scrooge or the Grinch, this would be it. Yes, there’s no escaping Christmas is coming and the goose, if not also the gander, is getting fat.

But that doesn’t mean we have to put on a false face — or mask — and pretend we’ve got visions of sugar plums or fairies dancing in our heads when we do not.

If for nothing else than our mental health, we need space and permission to tell it like it is, keep it real and let it all hang out. So, if you are feeling merry and bright at the moment, turn on the news, it’ll pass.

Even if you have to act as if, let your inner Scrooge or Grinch out onto the IdeaStream playground of your mind and then share the results here on The Bad Influence.

Here are some prompts to get you started…

Writer’s Prompts

Poetry Salvage

Use these ten words to write a poem. Or prose if you prefer.
Seduction
By: Anna Rozwadowska
Tags: One Line, Harmonious, Poetry, Poetry On Medium, Writing Prompts

Your Turn

Theme: Harmonious

Share your own one-line poem (16 to 30 words) or a Chalkboard Espresso (1 to 15 words) on the theme. Tag your piece in response to this post piece and tag your piece “One Line” or “Chalkboard Espresso” as appropriate. If you have a stand-alone poem, be sure to leave a link in the response section below.
That Secret Indulgence
By: Priyanka Srivastava
Tags: Self Love, Mental Health, This Happened To Me, Writing, Writing Prompts

That Secret Indulgence

Christmas has a different meaning in my home. But this year it’s different. So while we three would be celebrating it in a quiet way my parents in India would be hosting my sister’s family. Noise is something which was always there in our home and now because of pandemic my parents are missing the familiar chaos. I don’t blame them. That’s how they see life unlike me who loves solitude.

I overuse solitude. I reap poems out of my loneliness. Sometimes they are not poems they are just rant written to burn the page or to keep me sane. That’s what writers do I believe they write and this year I have bartered my solitude with poems and stories. I read a lot too. I would be happy with a book and a cup of chai even when there utensils in the sink or there are clothes waiting to be dried.

Writing is a meditation for me and I am glad for the many windows which it has opened for me. Thanks Dennett for the December prompt Guilty Pleasure which inspired me to write this.
What’s My Prompt? Day 23: Bamboo
By: Jeff J.
Tags: Creative Writing, Writing Prompts

You’re better in pairs

When you’re on the ears of an

Around the way girl
10 New Story Titles Are Already Waiting For You To Find Them
By: Sharon Bond
Tags: Memories, Writing Tips, Headlines, Title, Writing Prompts

You just need to know where to look.

We have a million stories to tell but sometimes we get stuck trying to choose a subject. I learned that if I go back and read some of my other stories that have personal background, there are stories within the story.

Take a look at the first and last sentences of your paragraphs. A lot of times, you’ll see something in there you could expand on and give the backstory. As you read through old stories, they’ll just pop out at you. It’s when something makes you laugh or what makes you sad that usually gives you the best lead.

In conversation, these would be the things you go down the rabbit hole with and start getting off subject. I’ve gone too far off topic many times, then erased those things during the editing process. When you find yourself going off topic and you’re about to delete something that just goes too far into detail, take that bit and start a new draft to go back to later and write a whole new story.

I bet if you challenged yourself to look through some old writing for titles to a new story, you would feel compelled to rewrite, or add something. Try to resist that. Just start fresh with something new when you find those things. Compare what you used to think to what you think now. We see things differently over time, and we have new experiences that make a whole new story. We find things we forgot about, and things we need to remember too.
twenty twenty
Tags: 2020, Writing Prompts, Poetry, Writing, Young Writers

double double

we laugh through trouble as violence invades our clear bubble

comforts shaken

minds awakened

and lives taken from the unseen satan.

double double

we jump in puddles as mud stains the white rebuttals

families broken

minds awoken

as history still silences the unspoken

-mira

@thatblackpoet
Music
By: Somang Min Kyoung
Tags: Bts Army, Music, Blog, Personal, Writing Prompts

I watch Hindi, English, and Korean cinema. Bollywood has enough songs in their movies that I don’t need to spend time finding my favorite Hindi genre artist. BTS AND Blackpink are my favorite k-pop bands. Also, I enjoy the OST od kdramas especially the Goblin and Strong woman Do Bong Soon OST.

Music helps me tune out and at the same time tune in to myself. It has a relaxing effect when I’m not feeling well. Even though I don’t understand Korean lyrics they still convey the feeling of the song just by its music.

BLACKPINK’s music is more attitude-focused and dominating while BTS has a different genre, mostly the uptown funk fun style and soft and sweet like one of my favorites Life Goes On mixed with the I’m the best style music that is in Dynamite.

Listening to music is always the most relaxing activity for me. When I’m lazy enough that I don’t wanna sketch or watch something I just plug in my earphones and take a nap. Music is also a stress booster and motivator for me. Honestly, I like lyricals best. It’s true when they say that music conveys whatever you’re feeling.

Also, I have a personal interest in the musical industry. Artists like Taylor, BTS go on so many world tours and work so hard to reach out to their fans and army. (It’s adorable how BTS refers t armies!) They often get injured during their performance and still they keep going on.

Why do they do it? Obviously, they love the fame and money that comes with it, and they surely love what they do- the singing and dancing but is there any other reason? Of course. Everyone wants to be loved and fans truly idolize them. It’s a great motivator for them to do good and create some epic songs that will stay even after they are gone. They are going to leave a legacy behind.
35 Journaling Prompts to Reflect During Lockdown
By: Emily Wu
Tags: Quarantine Diaries, Quarantinelife, Journaling, Prompt, Writing Prompts

Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash

If you are bored or need something to write about, here are 100 journaling prompts to reflect on. I guarantee these will help you discover more about yourself and grow deeper in mindfulness. Even 5 minutes is enough.

How have your daily routines changed since the pandemic? What is your biggest fear? What was your last dream about and what do you think it represents? What have you learned from being in lockdown? What has made you happy today? Is there a new skill you have learned from being in lockdown, and why have you chosen to learn this skill? Why are you keeping in touch with the people you are communicating with? What is the first thing you will do when the pandemic is over? How are you prioritizing self-care and your mental health right now? How has this experience changed your view on human nature? What is the one thing that brings you the most joy? How has this experience changed your opinion on politics? How has this experience changed your opinion on society and the way it functions? What does your dream life look like? What are ten things you are grateful for? What is one regret you have before lockdown started? What gives you a feeling of comfort? What is one action you can take to prioritize self-care or self-love more? Who is one person you have not contacted during lockdown, and why? What are you in control of at this moment? Describe your ideal morning routine. Who is inspiring you right now, and why? Who can you encourage today? What can you do to declutter yourself emotionally this week? Write a letter to your future self. Write a letter to your past self. What is the easiest part of quarantine? What is the worst part of quarantine? What is one true story you find particularly funny that happened during lockdown? Write a letter to your future spouse/child/pet. What was the last thing you did before quarantine? Who do you know that has been affected by COVID-19? Write about them. How will things change after quarantine? How can you make quarantine more enjoyable or productive? How have you improved yourself over the course of this lockdown period?

Written in March 2020, published on December 23, 2020.
A Wonderful Piece of Humor Startled Me Today.
By: Greg Prince
Tags: Humor, Writing Challenge, Funny, Endless Medium Title, Writing Prompts

How Long Can a Medium Title Be?

I Wonder If the Same Thing Applies to Subtitles. Could This Subtitle Go On Forever too? Probably. But I’m Not Going to…