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4 THINGS YOU SHOULD NOT DO WITH YOUR HOT TUB

Soaking in a hot tub is a great way to relax and enjoy your private oasis. Even you are a hot tub owner for years, there are still things you could go wrong with.

To avoid wasting money on hot tub repairs, here are a few things you should take into consideration.

Run the hot tub without the filter

For sure, without a filter, you cannot operate your hot tub for too long. A hot tub running with no filter will end up with clogged pump impellers, plus a decline in hot tub water quality.

Your hot tub filter also needs regular maintenance for longer usage. To clean it, you can use commercial products like hot tub filter cleaners or homemade products like vinegar. Be aware that detergent and dishwasher are not suitable.

That said, you should have an extra filter to have an in-time replacement with the old one when it is out of use.

Use pool chemicals to test the hot tub water

Testing your hot tub regularly is highly recommended. If you can, do the water test weekly. This will help to prevent chemicals from overdosing and avoid bacteria buildup, keeping the hot tub safe to use.

If you think pool chemicals are just fine for hot tubs, you are wrong. Hot tub chemicals are different to pool chemicals and are made to work efficiently with hot water surfaces.

Always follow the instructions for accurate dosage, do not overdose.

Turn off the hot tub after every usage

If you think this way will help you save energy, sadly you are wrong. Turning off your hot tub after every usage is just an “effective way” to double your electric bills.

To avoid costly electric bills, it is advised to maintain your hot tub at a consistent temperature and keep it on most of the time. It is because it needs more energy to reheat a hot tub than to maintain a consistent temperature.

Overfill your hot tub

Overfilling a hot tub might cause some damage to its components, but not all hot tub models will experience this. That said, it is better to be safe than sorry. Whenever filling your hot tub, pay close attention to it. You can also use a timer to prevent the risk of overfilling from happening.

In contrast, underfilling is actually a risk to any hot tub. If a hot tub is under-filled, the pump will be overwork and the air will be sucked into it.

Final words

Above are 4 common mistakes that new hot tub owners often have. As long as you have enough understanding about using, caring, and maintaining your hot tub, it will last for years.

See more:

Nine things you shouldn’t do in a hot tub

9 Things to Consider Before Using a Hot Tub

Entertainment Living

Good toys for babies under 2 years old

A child starts to observe and learn about the world around him as soon as he is born. So, it is never too early to start looking for healthy and appropriate toys for your children to aid in the growth of their inquisitive minds. This article is going to help you choose the right toys for babies under 1 year old.

First of all, you need to remember that a good toy should be not only safe for your babies but also suitable for each stage of your child’s development. And each child will have his or her own pace of development. So, the same toy can be both suitable for a child of this age, also suitable for another child at a younger or older age.

Toys for infants under 6 months old

At this age, babies mostly like to observe people and follow them with their eyes. Babies are also excited with what their arms and legs can do, they can reach things, lift and rotate their heads toward sounds, put objects in their mouths, and so on.

So, the first toy should be pictures of colorful faces that they can see or female mirrors that cannot be broken.

Next are toys that help them explore sounds. Examples are books with poems or nursery rhymes, and recordings of lullabies or simple songs.

Finally, objects that they can reach, suck, shake are also suitable toys for babies at this age range. Some of the typical toys of this type include squeeze toys, rattles, large rings, soft dolls, textured balls, and board and vinyl books.

Toys for children aged from 7 to 12 months

Older infants love to explore simple body movements such as rolling back and forth, sitting, bouncing, creeping, scooting, pulling themselves up, and standing.

They can recognize their names and other familiar words as well as other cognitive activities like finding hidden items or inserting and removing things from containers.

Toys suitable for children of this age:

Things that help them use their big and small muscles such as soft things such as pillows, stuffed animals; large balls, tunnels, taller climbers, tricycles, etc.
Construction toys such as wooden cubes or large soft blocks.
Things to drop and pick up such as plastic cups and bowls, balls, and large beads.
Toys for pretend play: dolls and teddies, puppets, toy vehicles.

Toys for children from 1 to 2 years old

At this age, children can walk and might climb stairs. They love listening to stories, begin to say their very first words, and enjoy playing with their friends. Also, they like to discover something new, which you need to keep your eyes on.

Good toys for them can be:

Books with simple pictures and illustrations of real things.
Toys with rhymes, songs, pictures, and stories.
Things to use the muscles such as puzzles, switches, knobs, balls.
Things for creativity such as crayons and papers.
Things to build: wood blocks, cardboard. The woodblocks’ size now can be smaller than those of under-one-year children 2 to 4 inches.

Safety standard for young children toys

Safe toys should be made of baby-friendly material, coated with non-toxic paint, and easy to clean. They also must not have sharp parts or small pieces.

For electric toys, choose one that has got approval from Underwriters Laboratories. In addition, you should also make sure that there are no breakable pieces or small parts that can put your babies at the potential of choking and suffocation.

You should also keep in mind that it is also very dangerous to let your child use old toys. These toys might be inexpensive or have sentimental value, but they do not meet safety standards.

So, you should not let your babies play with worn toys and have to check toys regularly to make sure they are always in good condition.

In conclusion,

Having the right toys to play with at an early age will help your children develop more comprehensively. These toys may be free items that you can easily find at home such as plastic bowls, cardboard boxes, and more.

Apart from choosing appropriate toys for each stage of development, you also have to ensure the safety of toys because infants are very vulnerable.

Read more:

Good Toys for Young Children

Age-by-Age Guide to Toys

Entertainment Living

Baby Boy’s Fisher-Price Doggy Swings

Have you ever wondered how the future world would look like? I mean everyone has had that question at least once in their life. It’s just a pure nature of human curiosity.

I grew up listening to a story of a godly dog, the protector of children, passing down from my grandma to my ma. Now it’s my turn to pass it on to my child. I want to see his expression when he hears about spiritual things. I really hope that we have the same appetite.

I have begun to tell him the story ever as soon as he is strong enough to sit and play alone in his baby swing. The story begins with a doggo spirit that always protects him every time he is a good boy and doesn’t throw food on the floor. Well, it’s just a special design of his baby swing, featured a really cute German Sheperd on the tray, but it’s pretty convincing. The little boy believed in the story so badly.

One time, when he was 3, daddy accidentally stepped back into the swing and caused the whole thing to tumble down like a domino fall. My heart stopped while trying to reach my boy. Yet, he didn’t cry, he didn’t hurt, he even told me that the doggo helped him to hang on the tall side handle while falling. I don’t know if I should thank the imagination dog or Fisher for their safety design (Fisher-Price Sweet Snugapuppy Dreams Cradle ‘n Swing).

When he hit 5, we asked him if he wanted a new swing because he’s been on the same swing for 5 years. Nothing was wrong with it, we just wanted to know if our boy had grown tired of it yet. Surprisingly, he refused.

The smart boy knew that soon he would grow too big to fix in the seat. However, he loved the doggo so much, he wanna pass its protection on to someone else. We had a good laugh.

Related: https://lana-agiyan.com/what-is-the-best-crib-for-a-newborn/

Well, now I want to see how long can this doggo thing last. I can’t remember the moment I found out that this animal was not real. The truth just came in gently at a certain time of age. Still, I’m happy that my boy is going through all the good things in his world side by side with the dog.

Let him enjoy it a little longer, then we’ll get him a real fluffy friend. Those two would bring me so much trouble. I foresee it with a smile.

Hail

Further Reading: When your baby won’t stop crying?

Living

What is the best crib for a newborn?

Hi Mom and Dad! Are you in search of a crib for your upcoming baby? Are you getting lost as there are thousands of cribs advertised with nearly the same features on the market? You do not know which of them is the best baby crib brand to choose from?

Don’t worry, all you want to know about choosing a crib, from a to z, will be covered in this article.

Types of crib

Basically, there are 3 common types of cribs. Each type has its own pros and cons, so choose the one that suits the most to your specific needs.

Standard crib

As said in its name, a standard crib is a traditional one that provides sturdiness, safety, and comfort to your baby. For easy lifting up the baby, some standard crib models are designed with a hinged side.

A standard crib should not have drop sides which are not safe for babies and banned by CPSC.

If you intend to have more children in the next few years, a standard crib seems to be a wise choice.

Convertible cribs

If a convertible crib is made of built-to-last material, it can be a one-time investment for your child’s bed. It is because a convertible crib can convert from a crib into a toddler bed, a daybed, and maybe a full-sized bed.

Such a bang for the buck, right?

If you don’t plan to have any more children or you want this piece of furniture to be your child’s bed in years to come, choosing this second crib type will be a good choice.

Portable cribs (or Mini cribs)

This last type is a space-saving option. Yes, this crib is suitable for those who live in a small space or have to travel a lot.

However, because of the mini size, this crib will soon be too small for your fast-growing baby. So, if you intend to let your baby co-bedding when he/she grows up, this option is fine.

Standard of a safe crib

Every parent should know these safety standards before buying a crib. I know there are much more safety criteria, but keep these as the basics, in other words, the “must-have” ones.

Maximum 2 ⅜ inches for the apart of the crib bars.
Mattress: Firm, no sag under your newborn’s weight.
Mattress must fit snuggly.
No space between the crib walls and the mattress.
Solid headboards and footboards, no decorative cutouts.
No drop rails.
No crib pumpers.
No large toys or stuffed animals in the crib (these things can cause strangulation for your baby).
No pillows, no heavy blankets.
Cribs should be placed far away from the windows to prevent direct sunlight and strong wind.
Don’t place the crib near a radiator.

Final words

Above is all you should know before buying a crib. Buying a safe crib is important as your child will spend most of the time sleeping on it. If you have any questions, leave them in the comment box. We’ll try to assist you as soon as possible.