Ways To Make Your Restaurant More Family Friendly

You don’t really notice when you are single, though once you have a family it can prove really difficult to find a restaurant that will accommodate all of you. It’s not just a matter of numbers but it’s also tough finding a place that has thought of those little details that make all the difference for a family. If you run a restaurant and want to make your place more accessible to families, the following ideas will make all the difference.

Kid’s Menu
One of the best parts about eating out is being able to order your food off a menu, and as any hospitality training in Australia will teach you, eating out should be a memorable experience for everyone. Having a special kids menu will not only have the kids feeling important, but will also be a way to ensure that there are items that kids can and will want to eat. The kid’s menu alone will make families more likely to consider dining out at your restaurant.

Ways to Keep the Kids Busy
Children can be hard to keep quiet for very long so it can be a good idea to have ways to keep them occupied. Having some toys on hand for them to play with or even a few simple school supplies can be there difference between a great family experience and a nightmare. It won’t cost much to pick up some kid-focused products and will be another way to show parents that you are a family friendly restaurant.

Seating
Make sure that you have more than one high chair on hand for really little kids as if there is no appropriate seating for toddlers you may end up losing out on some business. If your restaurant has a few different sections to it, it may be worth designating one section as the family area. This will separate potentially noisy kids from other patrons and also allow families to relax and feel comfortable.

Discounts
A very smart way to attract budget-conscious families is to offer a discount on kid’s meals or even offer free meals for kids under a certain age. This is a very clever way to attract business, as kids don’t eat a lot of food anyway, though your gesture will have you looking like the best option for family dining.

Have a Kid Specialist on Staff

Not everyone likes kids, so if you have someone on your staff that is clearly a child friendly person, make the most of their skills and have them handle your family patrons. You don’t want to have a staff member losing their cool dealing with a little kid, so make sure your biggest kid-lover is on the case and that your customers and their kids are all having a great time.

A lot of restaurants forget about the needs of people with children and as a result miss out on thousands of dollars of potential business every year. Your place is either kid-friendly or it’s not, so make a little effort and be sure the little ones love coming to your restaurant just as much as their parents do./image:picturesof.net/

Moving out of Home? Get Contents Insurance!

Moving out of home can be an extremely exciting but daunting process. Leaving mum, dad, siblings and the old family dog behind is a huge move that comes a newfound sense of freedom and independence, but also a new set of responsibilities. All of a sudden, you are accountable for solely looking after your own belongings. This might sound like a piece of cake, but before you tune out, think about this: can you afford to replace your belongings if they are damaged, broken or stolen?

Most people’s answer to this question is ‘no’. If you are one of those people, think again. In the case of an accident or theft, you could lose the entire contents of your home. That means you would need to replace all of your home entertainment items, kitchen appliances, furniture, homewares, clothes, accessories, linen and bedding, art, photos….you catch my drift. You could be up for the lot!

Home contents insurance is a worthy investment that can help you recover the costs of replacing your belongings in the event that something happens to them.

Sadly, for some people, insurance is an afterthought – they wait until the unthinkable has occurred and then wish that they had have taken out the insurance they needed. So don’t leave insurance to the last minute - even before you find a removalist, you want to think about home contents insurance. It can protect you financially if you have to replace your clothes, furniture or electronics due to accident or theft.

What type of insurance will you need?
The type of insurance you need will depend significantly on two key factors:
1. the types of incidents/events you want to be insured for
2. the amount you want the insurer to pay you if you have to make a claim.
The other key determinant is the situation you are in. If you are moving into a shared house, you may need to shop around for an insurer that will cover you. This is because it is usually harder to control who stays in or visits a shared house and therefore, those who live in them are more susceptible to damage and theft.

How much cover is enough?
This is not an easy question to answer, but a good way to approach this is to list all of your personal belongings and how much it would cost to replace them. Don’t be fickle or overly conservative - the reason for taking out insurance is so that it covers everything so make sure you list all items and a fair cost to replace them.

It’s even better if you have photos or receipts proving the value of the items you wish to insure. This will help you to verify the value of the particular item in the event that you need to make a claim.

You can take out home contents insurance regardless of whether you own your own home or you are renting. It is protection with piece of mind and that is priceless.

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5 Awesome Child’s Room Ideas

Buying baby gifts for a room is always a great alternative to the usual toys and clothes. The nursery or bedroom is the environment where children sleep, play and interact intimately with their parents, so it’s important that it’s cozy, pleasurable and suits the tastes of the child.

Because it’s not easy to figure this out on your own, here are 5 original ideas for a child’s room.

1. Applied murals
These amazing, wallpaper-like products have hit the market these last few years with easy and original mural designs for all ages. These murals usually consist of a pack of different mural pieces that you can put on the walls as it suits the room. You can leave out some parts or even mix-and-match different murals.

These are great because they can be easily applied and removed; they don’t require any painting talent. When the child grows old enough to choose his or her room theme, you can change the motif quickly and without needing to repaint everything.

2. Decorative pillows
Find animal or nature-themed pillows that fit the room’s color and theme. Not only are decorative pillows pretty, they’re also safe to play with and provide comfort and warmth to a tired child.

If you have trouble finding what you need, why not make them yourself? Pillows are easy to make and can be done through sewing, knitting and even crocheting. It’ll be a personal gift that your child will cherish!

3. Themed decoration

Beautiful themed children’s rooms are all over the Internet and decoration shows; if you have the budget and the time, you should think about building a themed room for your child.

The main question you need to ask when theming a child’s room is, what does my child like? Don’t be afraid to ask your child’s opinion, especially the older ones. Also, think about the durability of such a project: is the interest a passing fad or will your child enjoy the theme for at least a few years?

4. Coded clothing storage
Does your child have problems dressing properly for the weather? A coded chest of drawers is a great way to help organize your child’s clothing and teach them what to wear when.

It’s easy: just stick or paint a seasonal code (snowflake for winter, rainy cloud for spring, sun for summer and a leaf for fall) and put the related clothes in the drawers. Light clothes belong in summer, sweaters in fall and winter, and rain clothes in the spring drawer.

5. A secret corner

If you have the space, build a little secret corner so your child can have a quiet space to think, play or read on his or her own. Some children need more solitude than others, so providing a solitary space is a great way to fulfill that need.

Furnish it comfortably with cushions, blankets, a lamp and anything else your child might need. Of course, don’t use the closet if it’s full of baby clothes!

How to Make Your Home Entertaining

To have a home that is great for entertaining you need a good area both indoors and outdoors. The perfect style of home for entertaining is one with a large open living area, particularly one that includes the kitchen within this space, that way the cook isn't left out of all the fun. If you prefer to entertain outdoors you need a good paved area with some quality sandstone pavers, a veranda, retractable awning or patio and a good quality barbecue.

Veranda

You will need some sort of shade and shelter for an outdoor entertainment area. If your home doesn't have a veranda you can have one built or construct a patio area. If you don't want to have a shaded area out the side or back of your home all year round you can also have a retractable awning installed which means you can pull it out when you want to create a shaded area and then put it away so the sun can warm up your home in winter.

Pavers

You will need either a paved area or a timber decking, depending on whether your garden slopes away from the house or you prefer the look of timber. Paving is a lot easy to lay and there are great choices of outdoor pavers available in a range of different materials. You can set up your furniture on the pavers and they also look great around an in ground pool.

Lighting

For entertaining at night you will need adequate lighting if you are going to have your party outdoors. Fluorescent lighting is a bit harsh and creates a glare. For a better mood lighting turn off the overhead light and illuminate your outdoor area with garden lights or hang fairy lights in the trees. Have lights running up the side of pathways or even light some tiki lights in the garden, which are inexpensive. If you have a pool switch on the pool light to cast a lovely glow over your garden.

Garden

Whether you are entertaining indoors and enjoying the view of your garden through the windows or having a party outdoors, keep your garden tidy by weeding and trimming plants regularly. Mow the lawn or if you don't have time hire someone to come in and do it for you. Gardens look lovely at night with lights dotted through them or hang lights in the trees. For added atmosphere you might want to have a water feature installed.

Outdoor furniture

The range of outdoor furniture is fantastic. You can buy quality furniture that easily rivals your indoor settings. You can buy lounge suites that are as comfortable as your indoor set and furniture comes with all sorts of luxurious accessories like pillows, throws and table settings. If you plan on entertaining outdoors often invest in some quality furniture that will last.

Outdoor Kitchen

To create a really functional outdoor entertainment area you can install an outdoor kitchen. As well as the usual barbecue an outdoor kitchen will have plenty of bench space for food preparation and a sink for washing up.

Sea View

Captured from a restaurant in Indramayu (West Java, Indonesia) that has sea view. During our way to my husband's home town, we dropped by there for having a lunch.

The Weekend in Black and White

What You Should Do If an Earthquake Strikes

If you live in an area that is prone to earthquakes you need to know what to do. Even if you don't live in such an area you should have some knowledge of how to protect yourself because you might end up travelling within a region that is prone to quakes and you could find yourself caught up in one. If you live in an area that experiences regular earthquakes then it is essential that you protect your assets by having home and contents insurance, which will cover your furniture, personal belongings, your Westinghouse fridge, computer equipment and clothes.

Where to go during an earthquake
You need to know where the safest place to be is if an earthquake was to happen. Inside the safest place to be is under a table or if there is no furniture to get under you should stand against an interior walls. You should try to keep as far away from windows as possible.

What to do if you are outside
If you happen to be outside when an earthquake strikes the best place you can be is well away from any buildings, trees or anywhere that anything could fall down on you. If you are near a hill side you will need to watch for falling rocks. If an earthquake starts you need to try not to panic and move to the most open area you can find.

Supplies
You should have an emergency supply kit organised no matter where you live, even if earthquakes don't happen in your area. Other things could happen like storms or flash floods so it is important to be prepared. You should have a stock of emergency supplies such as fresh bottled water, tinned food, a battery operated radio with some extra batteries, a torch with spare batteries, a first aid kit and medical supplies, blankets, plenty of warm clothing and some basic tools, such as spanners, a hammer, screw drivers and a saw.

A safe home

You can help keep yourself safe by arranging your home so that if an earthquake hits then heavy objects are not placed up high where they can fall on you. Heavy books, vases, pots and pans and anything else of this nature should be stored in lower shelves and any breakables shut behind cabinets that can lock. Don't hang heavy mirrors or pictures above where people often sit or sleep.
It is also a good idea to anchor down heavy objects such as fridges, washing machines and other appliances.

Utilities
After the earthquake has finished you should turn off your utilities, such as the gas and electricity at the mains. This is where you might need your tools.

Afterwards
You need to make sure that you not injured before going to find anybody else. If the building you are in seems to be unstable you need to get yourself and everyone else out. Don't put yourself in unnecessary danger. There may be gas leaks so check you can't smell gas. Turn off the power and gas if you can.

Related source: Earthquake retrofitting

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