Top Cities for Families

York

Frequently ranked the best city for families, York offers high safety ratings, excellent schools and a wide variety of child-friendly activities, including museums and parks. It’s frequently ranked as one of the best places to live due to its exceptional safety, high-quality schools and rich cultural heritage. It’s a city with so much history, meaning your family will be part of that as well as their strong community that has allowed the area to successfully thrive over the years.

The city also provides endless entertainment, such as the JORVIK Viking Centre, York Museum Gardens, shopping centres and numerous riverside parks and festivals. This ensures that your family will never get bored of your time living in York, which makes up for it being slightly on the higher end of the market.

Bath

Somerset is often recognised as a place that has many family-friendly attractions, with Bath being one of the best locations to live in this area. It is a premier choice for families due to its exceptional schools, high safety levels and stunning green surroundings, blending city amenities with a village atmosphere that makes everyone feel connected to each other. Bath also has low childcare costs and a very safe environment, so it’s a great place to see your kids grow up.

There’s fast transport links to Bristol and London, so your family can easily enjoy days out in other locations while living in Bath. While it can be a challenging market for first time buyers, it’s definitely worthwhile if you can afford it.

Read: How to Make Your Makeup Last All Day on a Family Day Out

Plymouth

Plymouth is a family-friendly UK city offering an ideal mix of affordable coastal living, high-quality education and rich outdoor lifestyles. Residents benefit from below average house prices, so families don’t need to save excessive funding to afford a property in the location. There’s also numerous parks, close proximity to Dartmoor National Park and a safe community culture.

Dartmoor National Park is also great for weekend adventures, giving you something to enjoy with your family. The city also features many local green spaces and the famous Hoe waterfront, which means you’ll live in a lovely green city.

Peterborough

Known for its high average salaries relative to low living costs, Peterborough is an up and coming location that gives you a great location without the stress of affording bills. Childcare costs are also below average while still being of high-quality, so you know you’ll get experienced professionals to take care of your children while you’re at work.

The city offers 60 miles of cycle routes via the Green Wheel network and is home to the extensive Nene Park, so there’s also plenty of sustainable ways to make your way around the city that will reduce your carbon footprint.

St Mawes

The St Mawes area of Cornwall is highly-rated for its tranquil seaside atmosphere, providing those who live there with an active coastal lifestyle on the Roseland Peninsula. There are safe sandy beaches located here, which are ideal for swimming as a family with an abundance of water sports, including a vibrant sailing club.

It’s a luxurious place for expats to live and while house prices are expensive in St Mawes, the location is definitely worth it for those who have the finances with it being one of the most beautiful places in the whole of the UK.

Tynemouth

Tynemouth has a safe, coastal lifestyle with fantastic Blue Flag beaches and a close-knit community. Some of the most famous beaches in this are Longsands and King Edward’s Bay, both giving families a great place to visit when living there. It also has easy access to Newcastle City Centre via Metro with excellent local schools, unique, independent shops and a thriving food scene.

Known for its beaches, schools and boutique shops, Tynemouth is a highly desirable area, making up for its higher costs. While you’re paying above average for a house or flat, your children will be able to go to some of the most highly-rated schools in the region.

Final Thoughts

When you’re looking for a place to live for you and your family, you can search for property developments that will give your family the best quality of life. Taking everything into account, Northern England is frequently cited as providing the best balance of affordability and quality of life for families, whereas South of England is priced higher with more unique settings.

The post Britain’s Most Family-Friendly Places to Call Home appeared first on Friend Family Fun.

Skin Preparation

Similar to most things in the beauty industry, the duration primarily comes down to how well the base has been prepped, and makeup is the same. Starting with clean skin helps makeup to be applied evenly. To ensure your face is clean, start by washing your face with a cleanser (some people like to do this stage twice). This removes any unnecessary oils and makes sure there is no leftover makeup from the day before.

Once your face is clean, be sure to go in with a hydrating moisturiser that prevents any dry patches, again to support an even base. If your day out involves being outside, it is important to include SPF in your preparation routine. Try to use one that will absorb well, so it doesn’t add another layer to your makeup. As a parent, every minute becomes more valuable to you, but taking those extra few minutes to prep your skin properly will help the longevity of your makeup.

Read: How Workplace Lawyers in Toronto Can Protect Your Rights at Work

Choose the Right Products

Your makeup look doesn’t need to be anything overcomplicated for your family day out; in fact, the simpler it is, the more chance of it lasting all day. The more layers of makeup there are, the quicker it will break down during your busy day. You would think all makeup products are made for long-wear; however, this isn’t the case, and there are specific long-wear and sweat-resistant formulated products. Be sure to choose these particular products.

The next step is knowing what products to use in your routine to keep it minimal but still feel confident. Start with a tinted moisturiser or a lightweight foundation (if you want more coverage) and a small amount of concealer to cover any blemishes or brighten the under eye. Then go in with a quick spray of setting spray, make sure you set each layer with setting spray and setting powder, but keep this minimal to avoid it looking cakey.

Next, we want to add some colour and depth to the face, to keep it natural, a cream bronzer and blush are perfect for a seamless blend. Finally, make sure to use a waterproof mascara to prevent any smudging. By using products that are formulated to last longer, you hopefully won’t need frequent touch-ups throughout your day out (no parent has time for that).

Using the Right Technique to Apply Makeup

It is all good having all the right products, but if they’re not being applied effectively, they won’t perform to their full potential. The key to long-lasting makeup is applying it in thin layers to prevent creasing or worse, disappearing.

You are still able to build coverage if needed by starting with a small amount of product and letting it set before applying another layer. Use a damp beauty blender (damp meaning you have wet the sponge, but it no longer feels wet) to blend each layer into skin, allowing the makeup to settle in rather than sitting on top of the skin where it can easily melt off.

Once you have applied all of your cream or liquid-based products, set the makeup in place by applying a small amount of setting powder, particularly to areas that tend to become oily. Following this technique should achieve a minimal look while helping your makeup last all day.

Simple Touch-Ups if Needed

Following these steps isn’t a magic fix, but it will definitely improve the longevity of your makeup. This being said, if you want fresh makeup for the whole day, a few touch-ups might be needed. Here are a few top-up tips to keep your makeup looking fresh. To reduce oily areas, you can use blotting papers for ease or compact powder if it works better for you.

Reapplying lip gloss is simple but instantly brightens your look, and if you have children who are a bit older, you can share the lip gloss to keep them quiet for a few moments. You can add a few more makeup items, like your cream bronzer or blush, to your bag for top-ups if you like it to stand out all day.

The Secret to Long-Lasting Makeup

Now, the number one secret to long-lasting makeup is including face primer in your preparation. Primer also helps to create a smooth base for your makeup and improves how well the makeup adheres to the skin. This simple addition to your routine will help to prevent your makeup from separating throughout your day out.

The post How to Make Your Makeup Last All Day on a Family Day Out appeared first on Friend Family Fun.

There’s many types of emergencies that can affect your family like fires, severe weather or unexpected evacuations. The key to success is simplicity and clear communication, as this will ensure that all of your family are on the same page. You need to involve every family member in the creation process, so everyone knows exactly what to do, where to go and how to stay in contact with one another.

This guide will make the planning process for an emergency much easier, as we breakdown everything you need to consider for your families safety. Continue reading to find out more.

Build a Communication and Action Plan

Planning with your family what each of you have to do during the event is very important, as it will make everything more organised. Choosing a meeting place for everyone is essential just in case you get split up during the event. Having a backup will also be good, in the instance that someone can’t make it to the first location.

It’s also important to plan what you’ll do if members of your family are in different places when an emergency incident occurs:

• Where will you meet each other?
• Who will be in charge of picking up your kids from school?
• Who is your emergency contact outside of your immediate location?

You never know what might happen, so you need to plan appropriately to cover all bases as you figure out the immediate actions that need to happen.

For the days after the disaster, you will also want to consider:

• Can you go to a rental home?
• Where are your important documents and contact information?
• How will you evacuate, if needed?

Read: Why Shopping Centres Are Becoming Family Hubs

Stocking up on Emergency Supplies

You need to make sure that your emergency supplies have been gathered in the event that an emergency occurs. Having several kits that are suitable for different locations will be the most beneficial, so you can be prepared if something happens while you’re at home, at work or during a commute. They should always be easily accessible, so you can grab your kit whenever it’s needed.

Items in the kit should help you and your family survive for two weeks, as this gives you enough time to gather your bearings and seek help elsewhere. Make sure that you don’t use these supplies for any other scenario, but keep reviewing them every six months to ensure that they don’t exceed their expiration dates. This will keep the kit safe to use for longer periods of time.

Essential preparedness supplies are water, non-perishable food and first aid that will keep your health steady. You should think about having these contents in your emergency kits:

• Water
• Non-perishable food
• First aid
• Prescription medicine
• Legal documents
• Pet safety
• Infant care items
• Protective clothing
• Flashlight
• Hygiene items
• Cash

Having all of these essentials will keep you covered in a variety of situations, so all of your family can stay protected during an emergency event.

Preparing Your Home For an Emergency

Shut Off Utilities

Your utilities can be affected by some disaster situations and can even make things worse. Shutting these off before an emergency event occurs will be very important, so you should clue up the entire family on how to do this safely, even if you have young children. Keep a wrench by the gas valve so you will have it handy in an emergency, as this will be the most essential to turn off to prevent unwanted gas leaks in the home.

Secure Furniture

Secure heavy furniture to walls to prevent it from falling during an event like an earthquake. Falling furniture can be detrimental and can block exit routes. Even without the threat of an emergency, furniture should be secured for child safety. Place the heaviest items on the lowest shelves or in the bottom drawers of tall furniture to lower its center of gravity, reducing its risk of injury.

Have Alternative Sanitation

Finding different ways to wash and keep yourself clean will be essential, as it could be that you won’t be able to do this at home after an emergency like a natural disaster. You might also need to create makeshift toilets. You can use the two-bucket method with camping toilet seats and sawdust for an alternate toilet.

Get Insurance

Only you can determine your risk tolerance and what kind of insurance coverage is right for you. If an emergency has occurred due to professional negligence, such as an engineer installing fault gas piping, you could contact solicitors who will give you advice on what your next steps should be.

Final Thoughts

Creating a family emergency plan that will keep everyone safe during an unexpected event is essential. You need to make sure that everyone in your family is clued up about the entire process, including any young children, as this will give them the best chance of staying safe. Protecting your home is a big part of this, so you can keep everyone safe inside your home even if you’ve been let down and need professional negligence solicitors to help you.

The post Creating a Family Emergency Plan That Everyone Can Follow appeared first on Friend Family Fun.