Let them Struggle
During the last year of high school, there will be many high-pressure things happening at once. SAT’s, ACT’s, college applications and essays. Your student will be dealing with a lot of stress and deadlines and it can be tempting to jump in to help them out. This is the time when you can support, but you ultimately need to let them sink or swim. They need to get used to deadlines and completing responsibility without their parent reminding and keeping track of their progress.

Give them Graduated Privilege
As your child gets closer and closer to leaving the house it is a good idea to give them more responsibility and more privilege. For example, if your child has always had a 10 pm curfew and that is in place until the day they leave for college it will be very hard for them to self-regulate. To go from strict rules to no rules is a recipe for excess. If it works for your family try to give them more chance to make good decisions instead of just following your rules, that way when they get to college they are not overwhelmed with freedom.

Understand Finances
Make sure to have frank and frequent conversations about finances. Make sure they are aware of what the expectation is for covering their costs, what you will be contributing and how they should be managing their money. It is also important to talk about taking on debt, whether it is student loans, credit cards or other loans. Make sure your child is aware of interest, repayment and long-term effects of debt.

Encourage Goal Setting
Goals do not only need to be centered around school and grades, talk to your child about what they want to accomplish their first semester at school and set some goals. It could be joining a club, getting a job, exploring their new city or volunteering. Goals are helpful to keep focus when your student is getting into this whole new world of college.

Make Sure they Know the Basics
Make sure your child knows the basics of living on their own. Laundry, paying bills, using the bank, post office and any other day to day skill that is important should be chatted about before they leave. Even though you might think your child knows all of this stuff, there is no harm in double checking.

Getting your student ready for college is stressful and emotional, but if you know they are prepared it becomes a lot easier to send them onto their new adventure.

We are in the middle of holiday party season and it is always nice to bring a gift for the host or hostess of a holiday party. Sometimes it can be difficult to find a fun gift, so here is our ten favorite hostess gifts for anyone welcoming you into their home.

Holiday Hostess Gifts Ideas

Even though there can be abundant ideas  for Hostess gift, but a few gifts that can match-up with the party ambiance and can double the fun are as follows:

Also Read: How To Keep The Joy During The Holidays

Wine or Champagne
This is a standard (but popular) item that can be presented as a holiday host gift.. Everyone can use a bottle of something delicious for their home. To make it extra special choose something local or bring a bottle that is not sold at your local grocery store.

Mixed Drink
A super fun idea in the alcohol family is to bring the ingredients and directions for a mixed drink. Often people don’t go out of their way to put together a fancy mixed drink because it can be complicated. So, if your host enjoys mixed drinks find a fun recipe and bring all the ingredients needed and the recipe. It can indeed be one of the unique hostess gifts.

Candles
Candles can sound a bit boring, but there are so many boutique candle companies that make artisanal scents, funny labels and cool candle holders. You can find something that matches the décor and taste of your hostess.

Plant or Fresh Flowers
Another traditional but welcome gift is a potted plant or fresh flowers. They are always welcome and easy to find locally. If you bring fresh flowers have them wrapped nicely at the store, instead of bringing them in the crinkly plastic. It adds a nice touch.

Barware
Another cool holiday host gift that is perfect for those who have a bar or enjoy mixed drinks is barware. There is always a cool new gadget or bar toy that an aficionado would love to receive.

Cheese Board
A gorgeous cheese board is a great gift for a host/hostess who entertains frequently. They come in a variety of different materials and if you plan

Also Read: How to Style the Perfect Holiday Mantle

The start of a new year always inspires change and rejuvenation in people. For some, it is personal development or fitness like a new workout, for other home organization or renovation. If you are looking for some change in your home, but don’t want to do anything major, here are six simple ways to refresh the look of your master bedroom.

Floor Covering
Adding an area rug to the room adds visual interest and can bring new colors to the space. It is a much easier switch than replacing your flooring and you can do it as often as you would like!

Change Up Your Bed Frame
If you are crafty you could paint your existing bed frame a fun new color or refinish it in a new stain. If you are not up for an art project you could simply buy a new frame. Sine the bed is the focal point of the bedroom a new look changes up the entire room.

Fresh Paint or Accent Wall
The quickest way to make a change in any room is paint. It is simple and has a big impact. There are so many ways to use paint that the opportunities are endless! Stenciling, creating a vibrant accent wall or even adding shimmer to the paint can be like creating an entirely new look for your room.

Light Fixture or Chandelier
Changing out the ceiling fixture for a more daring and dramatic fixture or chandelier immediately elevate the design quality of your bedroom. You can create visual interest that brings the eye up. Since there are so many types of fixtures you can go romantic, modern, retro, the options go on and on.

Wall Paper
Wallpaper has come a long way since the days of heavy floral patterns. You can get modern and elegant designs, shimmery colors and unexpected patterns. Wallpaper has the same impact as paint, you can cover large areas and it has a big impact. A wallpaper accent wall is a pretty addition you can make to see if you like it before you cover the entire room.

Window Coverings
A very easy change to any room is updating the window coverings. You can make a big impact with new curtains, blinds, and hardware. You can be really creative with color, texture, and patterns and it gives a whole new look to your windows and bedroom.
No matter how big or small you want to go with your bedroom refresh, there are lots of things that you can do that can be DIY or hire them out. Either way, a master bedroom should be a relaxing retreat from the world, so make sure it is something you love!