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1. Know when to remove your jewelry.

Your jewelry is delicate, no matter what materials it’s made of. It’s important to know when you should remove your jewelry to prevent physical damage. Always remove your jewelry when doing things like gardening, cleaning, exercising, or using a pool or spa to reduce the risk of exposing your jewelry to harsh chemicals or environments. Chemicals and abrasives can cause color changes and structural damage to gemstone jewelry.

 

 

2. Put your jewelry on last.

Be sure to put your jewelry on last when getting ready for the day. Accessorizing after you apply makeup, hair products, perfumes, and any other cosmetics reduces its exposure to chemicals. Think of your gemstone jewelry as the finishing touch for your daily ensemble.

 

Wearing a sparkling diamond ring or other precious gemstones is sure to catch attention. People pay attention to impressive jewelry, especially when it’s worn by noteworthy figures. For example, when healthcare lawyer Howard Fensterman isn’t busy as the managing partner of his law firm, he maintains a blog dedicated to minerals and gemstones. From fun facts about diamonds and the geology behind them to who’s wearing noteworthy gemstone rings, Fensterman balances his passions for healthcare law and minerals in a fun and unique way.

3. Lotion and jewelry don’t mix.

Hand and body lotion is great for keeping your skin soft and hydrated, but it’s not the best for your jewelry. Lotion usually doesn’t harm gemstone jewelry, but it can damage the finish on costume jewelry. You may find that your valuable items need more frequent cleaning due to a build-up of lotion.

 

 

4. Store your pieces separately.

Remove your jewelry before bed and use a soft cloth to wipe away any residue on your pieces. Store your jewelry pieces separately to prevent harder gemstones from scratching softer ones and to prevent necklaces and bracelets from getting tangled. This is especially important for jewelry pieces containing pearls, wood, plastic, precious metals, and some gemstones.

 

5. Not all jewelry can be cleaned the same way.

Your collection of valuable jewelry is likely comprised of a mix of materials. Different types of jewelry have different cleaning procedures depending on the materials in them. You can usually find a stamp somewhere on your jewelry that tells you information about the metal content. Ask for information about the gemstones and materials for any new jewelry you purchase so that you know the correct maintenance care.

 

 

6. Know when to call a professional.

Most of the time you can take care of cleaning and minor repairs at home, but sometimes you need the expertise of a professional jeweler. Loose jewels, scratches, broken clasps on bracelets or chain links on necklaces, and lost parts all require the help of a jeweler.

 

Enjoy donning your expensive items with the peace of mind that you are protected by jewelry coverage. Most homeowners’ insurance policies or renters insurance policies offer personal property coverage, but it’s not always enough for your valuable items. The best way to protect your valuable jewelry is with jewelry insurance from a specialty insurance company.

 

A jewelry insurance policy provides better coverage than a homeowner or renter insurance policy. Jewelry policies cover you for different types of loss such as theft and mysterious disappearance worldwide with no impact on jewelry insurance claims and no deductibles.

 

Whether you need to insure an individual piece such as your engagement ring or wedding ring, or your family heirloom collection, there’s a jewelry insurer and insurance coverage for you.

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Maintain the value of your jewelry with these six tips and keep your gemstone jewelry sparkling for years to come.

 

 

With so many different ways of parenting, it can feel like the challenge is taking years of life off your lifespan. The good news? The most important thing is that your children feel loved and nurtured as they transition into young adults.

 

But, for those situations where love isn’t enough — here are five great tips for keeping your teenager happy and healthy into adulthood:

 

 

1. Make their dental care a priority.

Whether it’s by enforcing basic good oral hygiene for a healthy smile or it’s the more strenuous task of ensuring a beautiful smile by caring for braces; you must make sure they follow their orthodontist’s advice on taking care of braces. Between the brackets and rubber bands, having braces make cleaning teeth difficult. To prevent plaque buildup, cavities, bad breath, gum disease, and further dental problems, however, caring for braces must be clean.

 

Caring for braces isn’t as simple as getting adjustments from the orthodontist and getting regular cleanings from the dentist; it also takes extra daily effort to keep them clean. By keeping a few extra toothbrushes around the house (and for on-the-go), you can encourage them to brush every time they eat and before bed. Be sure to encourage them to take extra care in the areas between their gums and their braces when brushing because food particles can build up there.

 

By getting extra floss, a floss threader (to get between the brackets and braces when flossing), and maybe even considering getting an oral irrigator (i.e. a water pick); you can find effective ways to keep braces clean. Another great way to keep braces clean is to talk to your orthodontist and dentist about foods your child should avoid such as caramel, taffy, popcorn, and other foods that can damage the braces as well as the teeth. Note: when braces are first put on, there can be some irritation on the cheeks. A mouthwash of warm water and salt may help with this type of inflammation.

 

2. Help them dress for their body type.

Remember being a teenager and trying to “look cool” through your wardrobe? For the petite girl, finding blouses and other petite tops can be difficult to find for someone with such tiny bones. It’s hard enough to be a teenaged girl without the hassle of finding adequate petite sizes! Luckily, White House Black Market has a wide selection of petite blouses as well as petite sizes in multiple other fashion staples such as tee-shirts, jackets, and skirts to fit her petite legs as well.

 

At White House Black Market, you can find all the best styles in petite sizes with free shipping and free returns. Help your teen find blouses with sleeves that don’t hang on her petite frame. Checkout a petite size that will work for her!

 

3. Look for signs of hearing loss.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the United States, roughly 5 out of 1,000 children between 3-17 years of age were found to have hearing loss. There are multiple causes of hearing loss ranging from genetic factors (around 20 percent of infants with hearing loss also have another medical condition such as Down syndrome or Usher syndrome), congenital hearing loss caused by an infection such as herpes or congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV), premature birth, tinnitus, or simple wax buildup in the ear canal.

 

If you suspect your teen is experiencing hearing loss, it’s important to look for signs of common hearing problems for children. For example, a common sign of hearing loss is when they seem to hear you fine sometimes and not others (like when there are loud noises in the background) or if they’ve been struggling in school. If you’re concerned your teen has a hearing problem, make an appointment with your family doctor for a thorough hearing screening to see if they have normal hearing. Getting a hearing test by a specialist like an audiologist is crucial, so your teen doesn’t struggle with their language skills.

 

4. Keep their vaccinations up to date.

Vaccinations are the best way to prevent illness from common viruses that could be deadly or lead to further medical problems (they are especially important for travel). According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), vaccinations should begin at infancy, and older children between the ages of 7-18 need vaccinations to prevent serious viruses such as measles, mumps, rubella, varicella (i.e. chickenpox), and many more. They also recommend doing “catch up vaccinations” that may have been missed based on your pediatrician’s recommendations.

 

5. Discuss their mental health with your health care provider.

According to the CDC, in children between the ages of 3-17, 7.4 percent have a diagnosed behavioral problem, 7.1 percent have diagnosed anxiety, and 3.2 percent have diagnosed depression. They also note that having one mental health disorder may be a risk factor for developing another. Talk to your child’s doctor about the possibility of them having a mental health issue as early treatment can reduce the severity and increase your child’s ability to function in everyday life. You may also want to consider medication (if prescribed by the child’s doctor).

Here are five ideas to do with your kids this summer.

1. Find local activities

 

Most communities have a variety of local activities to do with your children, but you have to look for them. Organizations may use local newspapers, social media, email lists, or their websites to promote their events. The variety of means used for communication can make it easy to miss event announcements when they are made. As a parent, you need to be vigilant and continually looking for local activities. Learning what organizations are in your area will help because you can follow them on social media. Networking with other parents in your community is also a great way to learn about upcoming events.

2. Start local activities

 

When you want to get your children involved in something, but learn that there are no local options, you can start a local event yourself. For example, many children go to vacation bible school (VBS) during the summer months. However, if your church does not offer VBS, your children could miss out. Fortunately, you can connect with your church and offer to start a VBS for your children and the other children in the parish. Cokesbury sells Christian supplies and provides a line of VBS supplies, activities, and planning guides. You can buy a complete VBS package through them to get you started.

3. Install a pool

 

Installing a pool is a great way to get your children active, outside, and entertained without having to leave your home. However, pools come with intrinsic dangers, particularly if you have small children. PoolGuard sells a range of pool safety products to ensure your family enjoys the summer in your pool without any risks or accidents. You can choose from a fence, fence cover, automatic cover, or pool net depending on your specific needs.

4. Go on a vacation

 

There are few things more fun, exciting, and utterly exhausting than taking your family on a Disney vacation. You may think it’s best to wait until your children are older, so you don’t have to worry so much about them getting hot and tired and having a meltdown in the park, but it’s also exciting to see the look on a young child’s face when they meet their favorite character for the first time. Disney stroller rental, Fast Passes, and restaurant reservations all make it easier for parents to enjoy the parks with young children. Orlando Stroller Rentals knows how difficult it can be to get around the parks with young children and all the things you need to have with you, so they offer a variety of stroller options to make the trip as hassle-free as possible.

5. Become a local tourist

 

If going away for a vacation is not in the budget, you can go on vacation locally by becoming a local tourist. Make a list of all the local attractions, businesses and events that you might plan to do one day (but haven’t gotten around to yet). Do an online search for things to do in your town to see it from a tourist’s perspective. If there are local tours offered, go on one, even if it is to see things you are already familiar with. You may learn history about your city that you never knew before.