Oil changes are one of the most important preventative maintenance tasks that you want to be sure you’re completely when they’re due. Conventional oil products should be changed in your car every three months or 3,000 miles. The rule of thumb is to do so whichever of those values come first. There are a variety of other oil types on the market which have a longer shelf-life in your and require less frequent changes. You should talk to a trusted mechanic about your oil options. If you don’t have a trusted mechanic handy, you can also use the mechanic locator tool on Cars.com to find one in your area.

Ensuring your tires always have the appropriate tire pressure is also a critical preventative maintenance component. Under Inflated tires create more friction on the road which cause them to wear more quickly. You should check your owner’s manual, or the inside panel of your driver’s side door for guidance on the proper tire pressure for your vehicle. You should also rotate your tires a few times of year to even out the wear and make your tires last as long as possible.

Other items to check on a regular basis that will prevent costly repairs in the future include your braking system, your vehicle’s spark plugs and transmission components, and the fluids that keep your vehicle in optimal running condition. Interior air filters should be changed on occasion to ensure proper air conditioner function. You should also regularly inspect your car battery for any signs of corrosion that could cut short the life of the battery.

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A few days at a major theme park is just like any other big vacation. To do it right, you need time, money, and reasonably good health. It can be somewhat difficult to get all three of these things working for you at the same time. A truly memorable vacation can’t be rushed. A financially constrained vacation is more frustrating than fun. And no one can have a good time if you are too sick to enjoy it.

But when you have all three of those things working in your favor, you need to take advantage of the moment. Here are three of the best vacations you can take when all the stars you’ve wished upon are finally aligned:

The Lap of Luxury

One of the keys to a memorable vacation is to revel in the thing you otherwise don’t have access to in your day to day life. If you are constantly surrounded by luxury, a rustic vacation may be more for you. But if your life is marked by the mundane, your once in a lifetime vacation should be an excuse to take in as much luxury as the law allows.

Lawrence Welk Timeshare San Diego is one way to experience that luxury. Luxury with a side of adventure is what Welk Resorts are known for. Whether you define luxury as lavish appointments, exotic locations, pampering, or refined entertainment and activities, Welk has luxury and plenty of it.

Water World

One of the most exotic things we land-locked humans can do is to go where there is no land to be found as far as the eye can see. One of the most exotic ways to make that happen is to book some time on a yacht.

The thing to bear in mind is that not all yachts are created equally. Some specialize in corporate cruises, some in special events like weddings and wedding receptions. Some yachts are set up to be out for a few hours at a time. While others are meant to set sail for days or even weeks at a time.

If what you want is a luxury hotel with lots of restaurants, activities, games, clubs, shows, and more, all surrounded by nothing but ocean, then what you want is a cruise. On the right ship, the destination doesn’t really matter. Once you board the vessel, you have already arrived.

If there was any doubt, just consider The Cheat Sheet’s 10 best cruises to take. It is all about the ships, not the land. While there are plenty of stops along the way, there is little reason to ever leave the ship. It has everything you could want. Best of all, dollar for dollar, there is no better vacation value on the planet than the ones you will find at sea.

Someplace Different

If you go to an exotic locale, you will find that the natives don’t think of it as exotic. They just think of it as home. Exotic is whatever you find different and mysterious in a compelling way. If you never left your comfort zone, then it cannot be said that you had an exotic vacation.

To ensure that your vacation is maximally memorable, try visiting a place where your native language is not their native language. In the world’s most interesting vacation spots, there are enough people who speak English so that you can find a restroom, get a taxi, and order a meal.

One thing you can almost always count on is that when the native language is different, so are the local customs. Visiting such a place means that you will come back with stories to tell, and broadened horizons.

It doesn’t really matter where you go. For a once in a lifetime vacation, find the luxury experiences. Escape the confines of solid ground. And discover the truly different.

The post The Best Once in a Lifetime Vacations You Can Take Right Now appeared first on Oddfamily.co.uk. A parenting blog where the children run the show.

Here is a look at some of the different activities you could get yourself involved in at the beach, including an introduction to some personal watercraft vehicles for guaranteed fun, diving options to consider, plus some ideas to keep younger children amused for hours.

Jet ski or wave runner?

A popular activity you might see available at the beach is the chance to surf the waves on a jet ski or a wave runner.

The first bit of confusion might be surrounding what the difference is between the two.

If you want to get technical you can get a more detailed explanation of the subtle differences between the two machines so that you know what you are climbing aboard, but the main point to remember is that both offer you the chance to have some awesome fun.

If you fancy a high-speed adventure on the water a jet ski or a wave runner is going to deliver hopefully more thrills than spills while you jet a short distance away from the beach.

Searching for treasure

If you stay at somewhere like the Hutchinson Island Marriott Beach Resort and Marina you will be right in the heart of the beach action and it is an area where divers are well catered for.

There are absolutely no guarantees that you will come across any sunken treasure but there are some fascinating shipwrecks in the area which makes for a popular dive adventure if you fancy exploring below the sea’s surface and know how to scuba-dive.

It also depends on your interpretation of treasure too, as the diversity of marine wildlife you can encounter could be viewed as priceless, even if you decide to take the more leisurely option of snorkeling.

Keeping the kids happy

If you have younger ones to entertain at the beach you will want to keep the activities a bit more age-appropriate and keep the fun confined to the sand rather than heading into the water.

A game of beach volleyball is always a family favorite and there aren’t too many adults as well as children who can resist the challenge to see how low they can go with a limbo competition.

You can improvise to create a limbo bar and adjust the height according to age and ability so that everyone gets a fair chance to show off their skills.

You could also arrange a beach treasure hunt for the kids and challenge them to find a list of items to put in their bucket and compete against others if you want to add an extra dimension to the fun.

There are numerous ways to have fun on the beach and in the water and wherever you are you are unlikely to be stuck for anything to do.

The post Plenty to Do on the Beach: Family Watersports Adventures appeared first on Oddfamily.co.uk. A parenting blog where the children run the show.

Our long-time companion, unfortunately, died of old age a few months ago and although old age is perhaps one of the better causes of death to accept, we still miss her sorely, but life goes on and we have a new addition to the family who’ll soon be joining us for his first family holiday tag-along, we’ll be going to Sussex in a few weeks after booking accommodation through iKnow UK. I have to say I’m rather proud of the progress I’ve made with regards to how the training has been going and he’s been responding rather well. I suppose it helps that he’s still somewhat of a pup, but I’ve come to learn that even older dogs can still learn how to correct their behaviour to fall in line with the different environments they’ll be exposed to, such as perhaps when they’ve come along with you on holiday and the likes of as beach joggers, other dogs and nearby skaters who are engaged in some high-energy activities on the beachfront.

Adjust your attitude first

Okay, so this may come across as a bit clichéd, but it really is the ultimate secret to success in training your dog. You need to be calm and project very little energy off of which your dog can feed. So you first need to practice being calm, which starts with how you react to your dog’s high energy provocations and their own reactions. When feeding your canine, wait for him to be calm first — perhaps wait for him to sit down before filling up his food bowl. He must learn to wait for you to finish filling the food bowl up before approaching it to eat.

Teach him to stop jumping up on people

Dogs love this and it’s perhaps nothing more than a show of some friendship and affection, but it can be a problem if your canine grows big or if their advances aren’t appreciated by other fellow holidaymakers. Whenever he jumps up onto you, just knee him in the ribs very gently to create a bit of discomfort and not hurt him, just so that the act of jumping up onto people gets associated with some discomfort. Get some of the other family members in on it too so that he knows that the discomfort associated with jumping up onto people is universal.

Teach him not to get carried away by high-energy activities

This takes a bit of practice, but if you don’t want your canine to go chasing after skaters at the beachfront or running after other active beachgoers, you need to practice in similar situations. Treats work best alongside your calm attitude and so you simply proceed to try and divert attention away from the high action activities by offering him dog treats at the same time. Eventually just remaining calm yourself while the high action activities are going on will do the trick, but it takes a lot of practice with leash in hand of course.

The post Dog-Training Quick Tricks for Your Furry Friend’s First Holiday appeared first on Oddfamily.co.uk. A parenting blog where the children run the show.

1. Safari at Yala National Park

What kid doesn’t dream of going on a safari to encounter elephants, leopards, crocodiles, buffaloes and monkeys? At Yala National Park this wish is no longer left to daydreaming. Hop on a jeep all together with a great English speaking guide and with the wind in your hair, this awesome safari adventure starts. You will drive through the grasslands, woodlands and mangroves of this expansive national park of Sri Lanka. On the way, you will also spot tons of exotic birds flying around. It is one big unforgettable family adventure!

2. Climb Little Adam’s Peak

For families traveling with kids below 10, climbing Adam’s Peak, the holiest and second-tallest mountain in Sri Lanka, might be a notch too challenging. Luckily, this big mountain has a little brother called Little Adam’s Peak which is perfectly doable for smaller children, too, and the scenery is nonetheless stunningly beautiful. The hiking trail is fairly easy, and there are signs along the way, allowing you to do this trek by yourselves without a guide. You will start in the tea plantations where you can see the local ladies pick tea leaves and in total the hike will take approximately 2 to 3 hours. From the tea plantations, you will hike up to the summit peaking 1141m above sea level, but not to worry, you are already at a high altitude in the central highlands – you will only need to walk up a few hundred meters. At the top, you will be blown away by the views, both your and the kids.

3. Water adventures at Kitulgala

Kitulgala is the wettest town in all of Sri Lanka as it gets 2 monsoons every year, but if you love water and outdoor adventures that take place on streaming rivers and in the jungle, this is the place to be! Families with small kids may need to skip on this one, but families with active kids above 10 will have a blast white water rafting down the Kelani River. It is exhilarating with 5 major rapids 4 minor rapids. A great alternative for those families with smaller kids who like to be out on the water, go ‘flat-water’ rafting. You can simply float down the river, enjoying the sceneries and a picnic along the way.

4. Beach Time & whale watching

Who doesn’t love the beach? Sri Lanka has got the most beautiful beaches where you can spend the whole day building sandcastles, playing in the waves and the water and snoozing a little to the sound of the sea. Mirissa is a popular beach resort town with a beautiful shady bay that is just perfect for families with kids. This is also the town where you can go whale watching in the early morning so it is definitely a must-visit!

5. Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

Get even closer to elephants at Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. You’ve probably already seen these amazing creatures from afar on your safari trip, but here, you can get up close and personal, feeding and bathing the elephants. It is not only an amazing experience it is also educational. Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage takes care of injured elephants in the jungle as well as abandoned baby elephants. In total there are 93 elephants taken care of with love and dedication. They have an abundance of space to roam around. There’s a river running through it for their bathing sessions. A unique experience and a top family activity in Sri Lanka!

Written by Stephanie of Villa-Finder.com

The post Active holiday with kids in Sri Lanka appeared first on Oddfamily.co.uk. A parenting blog where the children run the show.

If you happen to be caring for your baby, and they’ve been going on for over an hour. You manage to get them quiet and you’re stuck on the couch or the bed, scared if you move they’ll wake up. Well not to worry about entertaining yourself. You can visit kittybingo.tv- the best online bingo site where you can get amazing bonuses to start your adventure with. Laptop? Nope, just grab your phone as the site is responsive to any mobile devices and tablets too!

Let’s talk about some tips for travelling with your baby:

Plan Your Airplane Seat

Make your booking way before you’re planning on travelling. Not a week but maybe a month or so. Why? Because when you’re travelling with a child, the airline makes sure you and your child are placed in specific spots where they have child safety restraints. Try to get a front seat because the back of the plane tends to be noisier.

If you’re going on a road trip, make sure you have a car seat for your infant and it is adjusted per their height and weight.

Unpacking On Your Arrival

As soon as you arrive to your hotel or villa, set your room up and unpack all your baby products and make sure the environment is baby safe. Make sure you have everything you need so you have time to drop by the store and get things that are missing.

Create a play space where it is safe and secure for your baby to play and crawl around while you take a shower or get dressed. Throw some toys around and a colouring book to get them occupied and it’ll make them feel more comfortable with the unfamiliar area.

Kitchen space! If your room doesn’t have a kitchenette make one! Create a spot where you can store all your bottles, baby food and formula. So, you know when you’re waking up to feed at two in the morning you know exactly where to go.

Strollers And Baby Backpacks

Sometimes it’s hard for infants to adapt to places. Most of them might have trouble sleeping through the night knowing they’re in some strange crib! To make sure you and your baby are healthy, sync your siestas to theirs. If all three; mum, dad and baby are on a roll all night. Take turns to baby sit during the day while the other parent goes for a stroll with the baby and the other takes a power nap.

Keep healthy while taking a walk with your baby while he or she is in a stroller, this might keep them calm. It will also give them time to catch up on the sleep they lost during the night while you go sight viewing. If they are not comfortable in the stroller, make use of a baby backpack, but make sure you try the backpack out before going public with it before it turns out into major chaos!

Reserving Correct Rooms

Book a room where you are sure you won’t bother anyone if you know your child is prone to waking up crying during the night. A double room or a suite is more spacious to move around when you have more than one toddler. And, where it is easier for you to sneak off to the beach or go to the bar for a drink.

Romantic Dinner?

If you feel like spending time with your wife or hubby, grab some dinner early. Not only will it be romantic, you’ll also be stress free as you are more likely to have free space in the restaurant. Moving around with the baby’s bag and stroller shouldn’t be difficult and there’s more space to park it.

The post 5 Tips For Travelling With A Baby appeared first on Oddfamily.co.uk. A parenting blog where the children run the show.