Brooke Faulkner

12/2/2019 By Brooke Faulkner Leave a Comment

How To Cope When Your Child Is Diagnosed With a Chronic Illness

As a parent, your first instinct is to protect your child and keep him safe, so it’s particularly challenging when you find yourself in a situation where you can’t do that. Medical diagnoses can be frustrating and frightening, and when you learn your child has been diagnosed with a chronic illness, you may feel helpless, confused, and overwhelmed. Chronic illnesses, which are diseases that last for at least three months at a time, can limit a child’s normal activities. These illnesses, which include diabetes, depression, and heart disease, can be life-changing. They often require significant medical treatment, which can mean multiple doctor’s appointments or frequent hospital visits. You may feel upset for your child after a diagnosis … [Read more...]

11/23/2019 By Brooke Faulkner Leave a Comment

How to Prepare Your Home for the Holiday Season

The holidays are just around the corner, and while that means a lot of merry-making and fun, it’s also a time to get your home in top shape! Chances are, you’ll have guests coming over at some point. Whether you’re hosting a party, a family get-together, or you just want your home to feel “cozy” for your family, it’s important to be prepared. The weather is also a factor in holiday home preparation. You’ll want to make sure your house is safe from the elements and that your guests don’t have to worry about slipping on ice or getting stuck in the snow in your driveway. So, how can you really prep your home for the holidays? First thing’s first: Create a simple budget of your needs and wants, and stick to it. From there, you … [Read more...]

11/9/2019 By Brooke Faulkner Leave a Comment

Sports Participation in Rural America is Declining: Here’s Why

In many towns in rural America, the Friday night lights of local football fields shine over empty fields, due to a significant and growing decline in sports participation. To put it into perspective, in the year 1983, 355 Nebraska high schools had football programs. Fast forward to 2013, and only 282 programs remained. The problem is exacerbated every year, as participation numbers continue to decline. Socioeconomic concerns, fear of injury, and a lack of available, qualified, and willing coaches seem to be sources of the problem. This is concerning for a number of reasons, as school athletics have a number of significant benefits to students. For one, regular physical activity has been scientifically proven to lower the likelihood of … [Read more...]

11/1/2019 By Brooke Faulkner Leave a Comment

How to Stay Fit While Traveling

Image Source: Pixabay If you’re going out of town for a vacation, a business trip, or personal reasons, you may be worried about sticking to your exercise routine. While not being able to stick to your regular schedule might feel stressful, it can be a hidden opportunity to get creative and try some new exercises. With the right mindset and a little planning, you can stay fit even as you travel. Road Trip Fitness For some, road trips provide time to yourself to listen to music and focus on nothing but the road and your company for a few hours. For others, road trips are simply an unavoidable, stressful endeavor to get from point A to point B. Regardless, the long amounts of sitting accompanied by junk food snacks from the gas … [Read more...]

10/23/2019 By Brooke Faulkner Leave a Comment

Career Building to Achieve Life Goals

Source: Pixabay A lot of people find themselves looking around and asking, “Is this all there is?” While surveys show that 54% of Americans are “satisfied” with their jobs, there’s a lot more to life than just being satisfied. What about being fulfilled? Happy? Full of meaning and purpose? The good news is that no matter where you are in your career, you can build your personal brand toward achieving meaningful life goals. All it takes is some planning, patience, and adaptability. Here are some tips to get you moving forward. Assess Your Current Situation As you look for ways to grow and improve, the first thing to understand is whether your current job gives you a path forward. Some jobs are simply dead-end positions. … [Read more...]

10/5/2019 By Brooke Faulkner Leave a Comment

Ways to Improve Your Mental and Physical Health Simultaneously

Image Source: Unsplash In today’s world, there is no shortage of stress factors. Between career pressure and family responsibilities, it’s understandable why people from all walks of life struggle to find an optimal work-life balance. Challenges in your professional and personal life can detract from both your mental and physical health. Even if it seems as though you can’t spare a moment for yourself — what with all the directions life is pulling you in — there are a few simple life choices you can make to improve your mental and physical health simultaneously. Fortunately, better overall health doesn’t necessarily require a complete overhaul. Small adjustments can have a big impact. To start bettering your mental and … [Read more...]

9/23/2019 By Brooke Faulkner Leave a Comment

How Cybersecurity Affects International Business

Image Source: Pixabay As the world becomes more connected, business is no longer bound by physical borders. So much of today’s business is conducted online, and while this connectivity has given rise to many new opportunities, it has also brought along unprecedented threats. One such threat is the increased possibility of cyberattacks. Studies show that few nations feel like they are protected from cyberthreats and have the capabilities to formidably respond to attacks. As stated in an article by Maryville University, a whopping 83% of the 3,400 ISACA (Information Systems Audit and Control Association) members across 129 countries agree that cyberattacks are in the top three threats businesses face today. The … [Read more...]

9/5/2019 By Brooke Faulkner Leave a Comment

The Importance of Traveling and the Effect It Can Have on Your Health

Image Source: pixabay.com The vast majority of people agree, traveling is one of the best ways to completely check out and reset. But given this information, a shocking number of people, especially within the United States, just don’t do it. In fact, nearly 29% of American adults admit they have never left the country. Many of these people are missing out on the thousands of reasons to experience traveling. Sure, there are certainly reasons traveling abroad can be out of reach, but even getting out of the state offers a lot of positive experiences. Believe it or not, traveling can actually change your life altogether. Traveling — not just business trips, but actually packing bags, turning off the work phone, and taking … [Read more...]

8/25/2019 By Brooke Faulkner Leave a Comment

Five Tips to Make Your Family Safer

Image Source: Pixabay The modern world is full of potential dangers that can threaten your family’s safety. You can spend countless hours worrying about your loved ones being in a car accident, your kids getting into trouble through social media, or even your family’s health being threatened by risky habits. By following these five tips, you can help to keep your family safer and eliminate some of the risks that are common in today’s modern world. Stay Safe Online The internet can be a dangerous place, and you’ll want to protect your family from scams, predators, and identity theft. Start by discussing internet safety with your kids. Establish some ground rules for internet and social media use both in and out of the … [Read more...]

7/25/2019 By Brooke Faulkner Leave a Comment

Why Downsizing Your Home is a Financially Smart Decision

Image Source: Pixabay There are many different factors that go into deciding when it’s time to move. Families often aim for the summer in order to avoid uprooting their children mid-school year, spring is often seen as a good time if you want to sell your current home at a high price, and winter is a great time to shop for a bargain. Another common moving consideration these days revolves around the question of downsizing. The truth is, bigger isn’t always better, and when it comes to a house, there are quite a few financial benefits that come along with a downsized home. If you’re on the fence about getting a place with a smaller footprint, here are a few of the best financial reasons to consider making the change to a … [Read more...]