Reviewing Understanding Bumpons or Bump Dots for People With Sight Loss

 

As some of you may know my husband was diagnosed severe sight impaired blind a while ago. We are still learning together how best to manage this huge life change and how to maintain his independence and dignity.  Since then we have looked into and been guided towards tools and gadgets that may be helpful. 

When we think about what is helpful for people who are severe sight impaired or partially sighted we often think of the big things like specialist softwear or high tech gadgets, guide dogs and canes. It can all actually be quite overwhelming. 

However there is a very simple inexpensive tool that is actually very useful and helpful and can make a huge difference in someone’s independence.

In this article we will be using the terms sight impaired, blind, low vision, partially sighted and sight loss as these are the current acceptable terms in my country for people with sight loss. This may change over time and be different in different countries. No offence is intended by any of these terms.

What Are Bumpons Or Bump Dots?

An odd name i thought at first, but Bumpons as they are known in UK or Bump dots in US and also called tactile markers, are brightly coloured, raised rubber, plastic or silicone small sticky pads. They are commonly used by people who are blind, partially sighted or have low vision and many senior people find them useful too.  

They are available in different sizes, colours, shapes and textures and they’re designed to be felt easily with the tip of your finger. You can normally buy them in sheets and they are very inexpensive and versatile.

 Despite being bright colours they are discrete and seem to become background furniture very quickly. Most visitors to our home do not even notice them, but they make a world of difference to my husband. 

The Benefits Of Bumpons Or Bump Dots

There is no training required and using them becomes natural and  intuitive very quickly. There is thankfully no technology to learn or be trained in and no short or long courses to go on which is a big bonus. 

We can buy Bump dots in different colours, shapes and textures for unique purposes which again helps to differentiate objects, settings etc 

They do not appear to so far at least have damaged objects or technology or in our experience upvc or appliances. I wouldn't stick them to wallpaper, photos or fragile surfaces though.  We are careful when removing them from appliances and doors but so far have not experienced any damage. 

How Do Bump Dots Or Bumpons Help A Person With Sight Loss?

They are easily stuck on to most surfaces, we simply peel off the sheet and stick on, you don't need glue or anything else.

 Once firmly in place Bump dots act as a cue to a person who can feel for it with their fingertip.

We can stick them onto most objects and they are very helpful to identify settings, buttons or positions on appliances and other things.

These bumpons help my husband to navigate our home more safely and do more things for himself that he would otherwise need to ask me to do. At first they seem strange but we quickly learned and gained confidence.

Bump dots rely on tactile memory. This is the ability to recognise shapes and textures by touch. When a person experiences sight loss, whether it is gradual or sudden, touch often becomes a very important way of navigating the world. Bump dots make this process a little easier. 

Once we set up the bumpons we kept them the same type of bumpon in the same place, so that my husband could learn and remember them. 

 BLEWAY BUMP DOTSCheck Price

How We Use  Bumpons or Bump Dots  At Home.

I have to admit when we were faced with this sheet or orange round bumpons, our first ones, we were a little unsure where to put them! However once you start its hard to stop. 

Bear in mind to be flexible, some surfaces may not take a bump dot as easily and some may drop off some surfaces, so it is in our experience a bit of trial and error, but not too much and we quickly found what worked for us.  Make sure the surface is clean and dry first. 

Also be very careful if your household has small children or pets. These are very small dots of material and could be easily swallowed so just apply a common sense attitude and keep out of reach.  

So here is a list of just a few examples. 

• Marking the front and back doors keyhole. This was actually the first thing we did. This is crucial in the event of a fire, but also very useful for everyday. To be honest this is useful for both of us in the event smoke or fire obscures the vision of where the keyhole is and could be lifesaving if the keys are not in the door at the time.  

• Identifying the front door key on a keyring- also very important as a safety and security measure and saves the annoyance, embarrassment  or panic if you cannot find the correct key for the door. Also I am finding it very useful in the dark. 

• Marking key buttons on a remote control. This while not a safety feature, can make life a little easier and more independent. 

• Marking the on/off button on a microwave. We have found digital microwaves to be tricky to manage with his sight loss but a bumpon the on /off switch is at least useful. 

• Identifying the common temperature settings on an oven dial. My husband loves to cook, so we are still learning tips how to make this a continued safe and enjoyable life skill and hobby. We adopt the attitude not that  he can't do it , but how can he do it safely. We are avoiding all digital cookers as they are not user friendly for him. 

•  Locating the power button on the blender. Our blender is new to both of us so we chose one that would be simpler for sight loss and it is working very well.

• Identifying the boiler heat and water settings. We stick a bumpon on the dial to the temperature we use most for the heating and the water. We currently do change this in winter ad summer but we are thinking of getting a different  size bump on to differentiate between winter and summer settings. 

• Highlighting the preferred cycle on a washing machine, as we have two we use a lot i put one bumpon for the delicate cycle and two bumpons for the easy care cycle. However, ours is not the easiest machine for my husband as it is mainly digital, so we have found this more difficult to manage. We are learning as we go and when we come to change machines will bear his sight loss needs in mind.  

• Labelling shampoo and conditioner bottles, ours look so similar in the bottles we have one for shampoo and two for conditioners. I have noticed they can drop off from time to time if they get too wet on our bottles, or pulled off accidentally, but are easily replaced and this removes the frustration of accidentally washing with conditioner!  

 MULTIPLE SIZES ,COLOURS BUMP DOTCheck Price

Our 8 Top Tips for Using Bumpons or Bump Dots.

If you are sighted and trying to assist always be directed and led by the person who has low vision or sight loss.

A sighted person may place the dots, or a person with low vision may place the dots, whichever suits your situation.  

1. Think where the bumpons would be most useful. It really is best not to assume. A walk though of the home is very useful or if that is too overwhelming one room at a time or just one appliance at a time. 
2. Find the place where you naturally place your finger to find controls or watch where the person with sight loss naturally places their finger to find the control or keyhole or whatever and place the dot there, not where you think it ought to be placed. 
3. Try it out a few times to check it actually is in the correct place and useful in that position. 
4. If there is some vision or can see colours, choose bright colours dots to contrast with the surface they are to be placed on for example red or orange dots on a white background appliance do show up really well for some people. 
5. If you buy Bump dots with different shapes or different levels of raised parts they are useful to differentiate between opposite functions for example on a remote control. 
6. With a mobile phone it can be useful to place a dot on the emergency call button if there is a manual/tactile one. Likewise with a landline if it has buttons to place a bump dot on the 9 button for emergency 999 calls if in UK or  the 9 and 1 buttons for 911 calls if in US, or which ever countries code you use for emergency calls. 
7. Always keep an extra sheet of bump dots in the house as inevitably they will wear out in time and will need to be replaced immediately once the person has got used to them, in order to retain independence. 
8. If you travel it is useful to take a sheet with you to use temporarily while in a hotel for example on the remote or the door. Just check with the manager if its ok to place them  and carefully remove before you leave. 

 RED BUMP DOTSCheck Price

So for a little dot these bumpons or bump dots do a very important job and are actually more empowering and independence giving than I first thought. When my husband first became blind we were introduced to a lot of high tech, very expensive items, much of which are still in the wish list. However, in fact these little bumpons have probably been one of the most useful items of everything we got for sight loss in our home. If you are dealing with sight loss or know some one who is, they may be well worth considering. 

More Useful Reviews To Read 

Read More Reviews By Raintree Annie

Read More Product Reviews on ReviewThisProducts.com

Reviewing Sensory Garden For A Person With Sight Loss Part One

Reviewing Sensory Garden For A Person With Sight Loss Part Two

Reviewing Benefits And Features Of Talking Clocks

Reviewing Understanding Bumpons or Bump Dots for People With Sight Loss By Raintree Annie

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The Story Behind the Lyrics to The Garden Lesson

 

When Life Was Bananas!

I'm pretty sure it was around 2005 when I wrote The Garden Lesson. I can't pin down the exact year, but I know what my life looked like then, and it was "omg, holy bananas." <---I feel another song lyric coming on! 

I was deep in the thick of it. 

I have four kids; my youngest was about five at that time, arriving as "God's gift," we call him, when I was in my 40th year. 

My life wasn't just full, it was loud, fast, and relentless. 

Every day felt like a sprint from morning until I collapsed into bed at night, already thinking about everything waiting for me the next day.

That season of life was stressful. There's no softer word for it. 

I was juggling a big family, constant responsibilities, and the quiet pressure of finances that never quite stretched far enough. That's when I decided to include the common phrase "more month than money" in this piece. It wasn't poetic; it was literal. Very real.

I felt like I was always calculating, always trying to make things work, always telling myself to stay upbeat for my kids, even when my own nerves were frayed. I wanted to be steady. I tried to master my disposition, even when inside I felt pulled in a hundred directions.

The line "there are children to nurture, family to call, with my disposition mastered and sunny" is so real! 

I remember feeling I had to put on a "good face" so my parents, my in-laws, and my friends wouldn't worry about me. So when I read that line today, I'm like, "yeah, that was so true back then." My parents worried anyway, but I just didn't want to add to it.

Carrying the World in My Heart, It's Just Who I Am

I've always been someone who carries the bigger picture in my heart, sometimes to my own emotional detriment. I still struggle with this. I've written some poignant pieces about suffering children and have yet to put them to music, because they're that real and bordering on blunt.

Children, especially, undo me. Children everywhere. Children who fall asleep without comfort, without security, without enough food or love. Even now, as I type this, I want to cry. I just can't with suffering children, I just can't! I want to hold all of them and tell them it will be ok, I've got you. I wish I could, I truly wish I could hold them all.

But here's a belief that gives me some emotional peace through all the suffering: those who suffer the most teach us the most. They are the teachers.

Back then, I had to regularly talk myself down from it, because the weight of knowing how much suffering exists can flatten you if you let it. And yet, it never left my mind, even when my own life felt like it was barely holding together.

That's where the song became more than a list of chores or responsibilities. It turned into a to-do list of the soul. 

Yes, I was managing laundry, meals, schedules, and small moments of creativity squeezed in where I could, but I was also carrying worry, empathy, and a constant sense of wishing I could do more.

Humanity can be exhausting; however, I do believe most people are good. I even have lyrics for that sentiment, written long ago.

Since the 1980s, helping children has been my way of answering that ache without letting it consume me. 

I'm learning, even at this age, that it's never about fixing everything; it's about doing what we can—one small act at a time. 

Sometimes that's all we can do, and sometimes it's enough to survive our own helplessness. My choice to help has continued to be Canadian Feed The Children, now known as Kinvia.ca.

The Garden Is Our Teacher - It Was The Ultimate Metaphor as Well For These Lyrics

What The Garden Lesson really reflects is that tension. The struggle of wanting to help the world while also needing to keep your own household afloat. 

The challenge of caring deeply while still paying bills, raising children, and trying not to lose yourself in the process. I worried about everyone and everything, including my own family's future, and I carried it all as if it were my responsibility to fix, or at least acknowledge. 

I know better today. At 65 years old, when I'm typing this, I understand to my core that we can't fix people, and we certainly can't "fix" everything. We can make a difference by being a good example - that's what I believe.

In the end, the song gently reminds me to settle down. To breathe. To remember that I am not my to-do list, not the worries I carry, not even the good intentions that sometimes exhaust me. 

What grounds me are the small, real things. A flower growing where you didn't expect it. A smile exchanged without effort. A moment of connection. The quiet love we plant every day without realizing it. That, more than anything I ever checked off a list, is what defines who we are.

I hope you can feel the intended emotions in these lyrics. <3

I even made a little product for part of these lyrics, many, many years ago - the picture is our front yard.

The Garden Lesson Mouse Pad

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50 Years of My Poems and Lyrics are on Amazon, Where Available.

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🎵 ©DragedaPoemsLyrics (B.T.C) - Original Lyrics. | Licensed Digital Composition (Commercial Rights Held) for Music and Vocals

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Rib Eye Roast Review and Recipe

 Cooking a perfect, juicy rib-eye roast at home is surprisingly simple. Rib Eye roast (also known as boneless prime rib) is hard to beat for a delicious meal. For the last several years, this has become our New Year's Eve tradition. This year, I tried a different method, and it was perfect.

After cooking prime rib several times, I can confidently say the following method is the most rewarding.

Ingredients:

• 4-6 lb boneless rib-eye roast (ours was 7 lbs.)
• olive oil, 2 tablespoons
• sea salt, 2 tablespoons
• coarse black pepper 2 tablespoons
• 2 sticks of butter, softened
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• Fresh Rosemary, chopped (2 tablespoons or more)
• 2 more tablespoons of black pepper

Instructions:

• Bring the meat to room temperature, remove the roast from the refrigerator 2 hours before cooking. This helps it to cook evenly.
• I coated the roast with garlic-infused olive oil and then seasoned it with salt and black pepper.

• I mixed the softened butter with minced garlic, black pepper, salt, and rosemary, then spread it over the roast before placing it in the oven.
• I preheated the oven to 500 degrees and placed the roast in the oven for 15 minutes. This develops a flavorful crust.
• After 15 minutes, I lowered the temperature to 325 degrees and cooked the roast until the internal temperature was 130 degrees.
• Removed it from the oven, covered with tin foil to let it rest for 30 minutes before slicing.
• For planning, you can figure about 15-20 minutes per lb. after the initial sear.

• Rare: 120-125 internal temp.
• Medium-rare: 130-135
• Medium: 140-145

As you know, rib-eye roast is an expensive cut of meat, so be prepared to pay a higher price. For me, it was worth every penny.

You can find my other method for prime rib here: Slow Roasted Prime Rib. 

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Circulon Nonstick Roasting Pan / Roaster with Rack - 17 Inch x 13 Inch, GrayBuy NowThermoPro Lightning 1-Second Instant Read Meat Thermometer, Kitchen Food Thermometer with Auto Wake/Sleep/180° Rotating Display, Waterproof Cooking Thermometer for Oil Deep Fry Smoker BBQ GrillBuy Now

 

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Easy Recipes by Sylvestermouse Reviewed

I enjoy cooking for my family.  Like most of us, I prefer recipes that are fast and easy.  Fortunately, I am surrounded by people who appreciate my effort, my recipes and seem to sincerely like the meals placed before them. 

I readily admit that I play in the kitchen.  I play with recipes by changing the ingredients to suit my families tastes.  I play with cupcakes, cookies, desserts, etc, because I enjoy decorating the food.  I mess around with it until I get the desired effect.  

I also enjoy the company of other family members in the kitchen. So much so, that I consider us playing in the kitchen. Since I began writing articles online, I have been periodically sharing highlights of our kitchen adventures so you and your family can be encouraged to "play" in the kitchen. In this article, I will provide links to the different easy recipes and fun articles that I have published. 

I consider that my Recipe for Making Memories in the Kitchen. So, without further ado, let the games begin!   

 

My Own Personal Roast Recipe

This recipe is the result of trial and error.  I just kept playing with different ideas until I found a tasty, tender way to cook a roast in the oven. 

It has become a family favorite and I have allowed it to be published in several charity cookbooks over the last 40 years, but it is still my own original recipe.  Although I was very young when I developed this recipe, I still cook my roast the same way today.

Published on Cooking for the Holidays

 

Having Fun in the Kitchen

I started cooking when I was a child and still living at home with my parents. My sister and I both helped in the kitchen and it was not unusual for us to have real, honest to goodness food fights with the leftovers. We frequently made mashed potato balls and hurled them through the air at each other or any unsuspecting individual who entered the kitchen. We flung spaghetti noodles against the wall and said we were testing it to see if it was done. By dinnertime, there would be 10 or 12 noodles hanging from the wall on spaghetti night.

While I still enjoy throwing pasta noodles against the wall, I have found that test does not work with pasta shells. No matter how many pasta shells I have thrown against the wall, none have ever stuck. Perhaps someday one will stick. I'll just have to keep testing them.

This easy pasta recipe is also shared on Cooking for the Holidays and, if you click it, the link will take you to that website. 

Easy Pasta Recipe - A Family Favorite for Dinner or Side Dish

 

More Easy Dinner Recipes featured on CookingForTheHolidays.com

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 Easy Salmon Loaf Patties Recipe How to Bake Potatoes Chicken Enchiladas Recipe How to Bake a Turkey Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup Instant Pot Recipe Homemade Barbeque Recipe for the Best BBQ Sandwiches

 

Click Here for More Dinner Recipes

 

Playing with Ingredients

Working in the kitchen with my sister was fun. We occasionally experimented with the food. Sometimes we would put a little extra pepper in one of our brothers' bowls of stew or add a little something extra to spice up their lives and the dinner table. Oddly enough, the boys consumed whatever we fed them and much to our distress, rarely noticed a difference. I only remember one brother gagging on hot barbecue sauce and believe it or not, we were not responsible.

Of course, there are the recipes from my mother and grandmother that I have never played with, never changed and never shared except on websites I own. My motto for this group of recipes is "you can't improve on perfection, so why try!" 

Directions for making the pizza pictured on right, can be found at Halloween Haven

 

Playing with Your Food Recipes 

These are some of my favorite recipes. They are really step by step instructions on decorating, so I call it playing with my food. Sometimes making these special treats can be messy, but they are always fun as you create your own original work of food art. 

Don't just make these treats alone to serve to your family. Grab your child, your husband, your sister, your mother or even your father and make these treats with your family!  

To see some of my favorite fun food articles, simply click the source link below each photo. That will take you directly to the recipe and tutorials for creating your own fun food.

Photos are Linked to Recipes

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 How to Decorate Panda Cupcakes How to Decorate a Snake Cake How to Make Marshmallow Flower Cupcakes 4th of July Party Flag Cake Recipe How to Decorate Snowman Cupcakes How to Make a Chocolate Halloween Ghost Castle Cake How to Make a Chocolate Halloween Ghost Train Cake How to Make a Cupcake Pumpkin Cake

 

Teaching an Old Dog, New Tricks

I am happy to say that I married a man who enjoys messing around in the kitchen too! The Breakfast Buddy featured below is his delicious creation and when I wanted to learn how to grill, I asked him to teach me. He has always made the most incredible steaks! In the article below, I share his secrets as I take you step by step through my own "grilling" education.

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 Breakfast "Buddy" Sandwich How to Grill the Perfect Steaks Cooking Hamburgers on an Indoor Grill

 

Special Treat and Finger Food Recipes

My family loves fruit and chocolate so it only seems natural for me to dip fruit in chocolate. Once I started dipping fruit, it was impossible to stop! I think I dipped every type of fruit we had in the house, then ran to the grocery store for more. Of course, then I wrote an article about each one.

Here is my collection of dipped fruit recipes. Be very careful though. Chocolate dipped fruit can be very addictive!

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 Chocolate Covered Fruit DIY Recipes

Taking Care of the Cook 

Over the years, I have learned many things about cooking, about family and about fun. The most important thing I have learned, is that the three things go together. Have fun cooking with your family. 

I watched my grandmother and my mother work in the kitchen during every holiday for decades. Too often, they missed out on the fun simply because the party was happening in another room. 

I believe in bringing the party to the kitchen, enlisting help and taking care of the cook. Perhaps, I see it more clearly because now I am the cook, but I love to share ideas with others about how to have more fun with your family, instead of working alone in the kitchen. Believe me, you can create your own load of memories in the kitchen by simply letting others help in the kitchen. 

 

A Lot of Good Food and A Load of Memories 

I think it is because of my experiences and our experiments in the kitchen when I was a child, that I approach the kitchen with humor now. I still cook the old standards passed down from my great grandmother, grandmother and mother, but I enjoy creating new treats for my family too and it is even better when I get "help." 

Over the years, a lot of good food and a load of memories have been made in our kitchen! 

 

Easy Dessert Recipes 

Photos are Linked to Recipes

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 Easy Strawberry Trifle Easy Blackberry Cobbler

 

Candy Recipe 

I am not going to tell you this recipe is extremely easy. It seems easy to me because I have been making it for 40+ years, but making candy takes a bit of practice to perfect. 

While I try to walk viewers through the process with photos, I know this is something that is simply learned by trial and error because the outcome when making candy depends so much on the climate of the day, as well as the altitude of a region. 

Here is my mother's Peanut Butter Fudge Recipe. I could never improve on this recipe.  It really is delicious! 

Photo Linked to Recipe

& 

 Peanut Butter Fudge

 

Easy Beverage Recipes

Take time to relax!  While the food is in the oven, or after all of the work is done,  sit back with your loved ones and enjoy a cup of tea, hot chocolate or perhaps a cool glass of lemonade.  These are the moments you will want to capture and hold for as long as you can.

Photos are Linked to Recipes

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 Spice Tea Recipe Homemade Lemonade Recipe Hot Chocolate Mix Recipe

 Chocolate Hot Cocoa Bombs Recipe

 

For a Complete List of All of my Published Recipes
 Click Here to Visit the House of Sylvestermouse Recipes

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Easy Recipes by Sylvestermouse Reviewed Written by:

 

 

This recipe article was originally published by me in 2011 on a different site that no longer exists.
Unless otherwise noted with the individual photo, all Photos are mine and should not be used without written permission.
© Sylvestermouse 

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Piano Learning and Tips for Setup

I am actually relearning piano, and I'll share with you some background and tips for piano choice and setup.

Many years ago, I considered myself a beginner to beginner intermediate piano player. However, my piano became damaged, and there went my piano playing days.

Over 15 years later, I decided I wanted to play again and told my husband what I wanted for Christmas. I wanted an electric keyboard by Yamaha.

My very first piano was an upright piano that I saw at a garage sale. It was just up the street from me, and it was only $100. I hired some of my co-workers to pick it up and bring it to my house. Where they sat it is where it stayed for the length of time that I owned it. It was too heavy for even my husband and I to push together to have it straightened up with the wall. But that really didn't matter. I played it anyway. But the other thing about the upright piano, was that it required regular tuning. It was something that had to be done around quarterly. Perhaps it was its age, and also it was due to temperature changes with the seasons.

The electric piano that I got after that first piano, was a Clavinova by Yamaha. I really liked it. It had weighted keys, and pretty much played like a regular piano, and it didn't require any tuning. I bought this one from a music store, it was pre-internet days. It was built into its own stand and looked like a real piano. I probably had it around ten years or so. However, I had an elderly cat at the time that had peed on it. It affected the inner parts of the piano, and the repairman couldn't make the keys that were affected, make their normal piano sound again. I went piano-less for approximately 15 years.

Based on my previous experience, I knew I wanted an electric piano again. I was also impressed with Yamaha, and did some searches on that to see what was available. We decided on a Yamaha P143. This time, I wanted just the keyboard instead of having it built into the stand. I could have gotten this model with a stand that was specifically made for it. But I had noticed that there were stands that were adjustable and also piano benches that were adjustable too. I went the adjustable route, and am glad that I did.

As my husband and I got it set up, I remembered in my Book One piano book, about the proper way to set at the piano. The person's legs should be at a right angle from the bench, with their feet being flat on the floor. So we made adjustments to the bench first so that I could sit properly. From there, I positioned my arms as if I were playing, to determine the height of where the piano should sit on the adjustable stand. Voila, I had a piano and bench that were both at the right height for me. That is a God-send. My back is a lot more comfortable from what I remember it being from my earlier piano experiences.

Since it had been so long since my previous piano, I had gotten rid of my piano books. I wanted something without a lot of sharps and or flats, and chose a beginner level with Disney songs. I was plugging along, but soon realized that I needed a refresher, especially for the bass clef staff. It's not too late for me to relearn playing piano. : )

The same company that I had a lot of my teaching books from when I first learned piano, was still around. This time, they combined different lesson types into one book. In book one, they include both theory and solo. It has you start off playing using numbers to identify your fingers, and to play strings of notes and short songs using a number method. As you get practice with that, it then moves on to identifying the notes on the scales. I'm over half way through this first book and have ordered the second book. My skills and my confidence are both improving.

If you are thinking about getting a piano, I recommend first deciding on what is important to you, and also the amount of space that you have for a piano. The digital piano, for the most part, takes up less space. You can get keyboards with less keys even, or get a full size keyboard. If you are getting a digital piano, I also recommend getting a stand and a bench that can be adjusted. (Unless the standard height is already a perfect for you.) Digital pianos are also more portable, should you be in a band something, and need to transport it.

Some people still prefer the overall feel and sound of a regular (non-digital) piano. If you are leaning this way, I do recommend that you try out different models, both for the sound, and also for the comfort level. There are probably options out there that I may not be aware of; just check it out and see what works best for you.

The model that I got has ten different sounds that you can choose from, from basic piano, to grand piano, harpsichord, strings, and more. It's kind of nice to pick a different sound to play, especially if you want to practice the same song over repeatedly. : ) It also has a sustain pedal. You can see the Yamaha P143 digital keyboard and check the price on Amazon.

I chose the adjustable piano stand and bench by Liquid Stands, which is also on Amazon: Adjustable stand and bench combo. It took a bit of figuring it out on how to put these items together, but we got it done. Liquid Stands also included a number that one could call should they need help.

The beginner book that I got as a refresher is Alfred's Basic Piano Library, All in One Course. You can check out this beginner level piano book on Amazon. The pictures are for kids, but it still works.

There are also other Yamaha models to choose from on Amazon. All the best to you in finding the type of piano that works best for you and the tunes and lessons too.

Cheryl Paton

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Reviewing AEAC Smart Watch for Women

This is the display I use on my watch

My lovely husband got me the AEAC Smart Watch for Christmas and I love it. I really wanted a watch with a pedometer so that I could easily track my steps, but this one does so much more.

This watch looks like an expensive brand, but if you have an Amazon Prime account it's very affordable.

When you get the watch you will first have to download the app on your phone and then it's time to get acquainted with your watch.

For full disclosure: this watch does a lot of things that I have not used as I didn't want to give it a lot of permissions - I have allowed it to send my SMS messages to my watch, but no other notifications & I didn't allow calls to come through.

You can choose to have it display in 12 or 24 hour time and there's a selection of different displays you can choose from.

I wear it night and day and it needs to be recharged about every 6 days. 

The main reason I got it was for tracking my steps which it does really well, you can set targets for yourself, but be warned it will vibrate your wrist when you hit them - this gave me a fright the first time it happened!

One feature which I didn't think I would need was the find phone one, one week of wearing the watch and I did misplace my phone (very unusual for me) so I pressed the button on my watch and it caused my phone to ring. This only works if you do not have your phone on silent.

A feature I have found very interesting is the sleep feature. Some nights I might go to bed late so have less sleep, but feel more refreshed than other nights when I do get my 8 hours which is really frustrating. This watch explains why as it records how much light, deep and REM sleep you have as well as how much time you're awake. It's interesting (to me anyway) that on the mornings I don't feel refreshed on waking I haven't had much REM sleep. 

As a side note doing the 7-day fresh start actually improved my sleep quite a bit, something I wouldn't have taken notice of if it wasn't for the watch.

The watch also registers your heart rate, stress levels, oxygen levels all of which are very handy things to keep track of. It also has a formula it applies to give you a body energy score which is scarily accurate, although I'm not a 100% certain I understand how it does this one.

There is also an alarm feature on the watch which has been really handy when I've had to do something during the day - I can get on with other things knowing that it doesn't matter if I lose track of the time as my watch has me covered. 

There are so many other features that I have only scratched the surface of this watch, but I really recommend it. I definitely won't be spending the money on a brand name smart watch with the results I am having with this one.

 

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Reviewing Arbonne's 7-Day Fresh Start

Arbonne's 7-Day Fresh Start was developed as a way to support people who wanted to try intermittent fasting. 

I was very intrigued about trying two of the three products in the set - the Morning Matcha and the Golden Renewal Protein, but I really didn't think intermittent fasting would work for me & my lifestyle.

I decided to give it a go whilst I was on a break from both of my jobs. This meant starting my journey on December 31st 2025. 

Read on for my personal experience and my takeaways or go straight to the product and read up about it on the site - 7-Day Fresh Start.

Below is what a sample day on the 7-day fresh start should look like in Australia (in other markets there is a different probiotic supplement, but you take it at the same time as the bioticsticks).

Sample Day (Australia) on 7-Day Fresh Start

I decided that 10am -6pm as my eating window (which was the recommended one) wouldn't work the best for us so I used 11am - 7pm instead. 

I had all of my goodies ready to go, the 7-Day Fresh Start contains 3 products - Morning Matcha sachets, Golden Renewal Protein sachets and a probiotic supplement. The probiotic supplement available is different depending on the market, here in Australia we get the Biotic Sticks which I absolutely love. In the US they have OmniGut Daily Probiotic which isn't available for Australia and New Zealand.

Day One started with my Morning Matcha which I decided to made with boiling water because I have only tried a hot matcha  before. When I made this it smelt very strong and grassy. I was extremely nervous about tasting it as I've only had matcha as a matcha latte with either coconut, almond or oat milk previously. My nerves were totally unjustified as the matcha tasted great! 

I was starting to feel a little 'hangry' about half an hour before I was due to break my fast so I was over the moon when my alarm went off and I could enjoy the Golden Renewal Protein shake. I merely mixed the sachet with water and served it over some ice cubes - not a fan!

The shake gave me Chai vibes with the flavours, I enjoy a warm Chai for a cozy feeling so I'm wondering if it was simply because it was cold that I didn't like it. I do know that my taste buds thought it seemed a little harsh - lucky I was hungry!

The shake also didn't fill me up very much so I was very happy to get stuck into my lunch an hour and a half later. Lunch was a delicious leftover Christmas ham with a couple of different salads.

Another healthy meal for dinner which was supposed to be followed by my probiotic, but I forgot so took it just before bed instead.

Luckily, you can enjoy tea (no milk) while in your fasting window so I was able to enjoy my chamomile tea before bed.

Day 2 - I decided to enjoy an iced Matcha instead of a warm one - I didn't really enjoy it cold, I'm not sure if it's the taste or I have just been programmed over the years to have a hot drink in the mornings.

Mid-morning I had a Clean Tox tea which I enjoyed. I should note that you can have 1-2 Matcha's in the morning, I just enjoy my Clean Tox and it was allowed during fasting so that was my personal choice.

When it was time to enjoy my golden protein renewal shake I decided to add a few things to it as recommended by a friend.

I added the powder to water, 1/2 frozen banana, 1 tsp almond butter and some ice cubes. I blitzed it all up and I enjoyed it which was good. It was also more filling, which was a bonus.

On Day 3, my husband brought me in a cup of Arbonne's Clean Tox tea in the morning as he forgot I was having matcha in the morning. I enjoyed it and then had my matcha about 10am, by 10.30 I had a pit so I was very happy when 11 o'clock came around.

This time I made my shake with:

• almond milk
• Golden Renewal Protein powder
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1 tsp almond butter
• 3 ice cubes

I blitzed this all up and decided that this was the best way to have the shake. It's the way I proceeded to have it for the remaining days.

On Day 4 I woke up and although I was up early and hadn't had as long in bed as the previous couple of nights I was feeling really energized. After checking my smart watch I saw that I had a really good deep sleep and REM sleep. I'm not sure if it was related to the 7-Day Fresh Start or not, but I was scoring in the 90s for my sleep quality from night 3 through until the end of the 7 days (I'm usually in the 80s as I don't always clock enough REM sleep).

We were out for the day so I had a matcha in the morning and made a travel mug of Clean Tox tea to take - usually we will go through a drive-thru for coffee on this trip was and as that was a no-no on the plan, I was hoping that this would keep me from missing my coffee. We also blended up the Golden Renewal protein shake and popped it in a cooler box in the car.

The clean tox tea really did the trick and I didn't even miss my coffee stop! I drank my protein shake in the car with the most amazing views as we were up in a mountain range looking out for miles.

When I woke up on Day 5 I noticed that I was feeling really slim - I hadn't realized that I'd been bloated before starting this program, but I was certainly noticing how un-bloated I was from Day 5 onwards.

My Results from the 7-Day Fresh Start

I lost 700g which wasn't a lot compared to what some people have lost, but I had eaten out a couple of times and didn't really worry about eating as well as I could have so I was impressed. I was sleeping better and, as I said previously, it removed some of my bloating. I also had more energy.

My Takeaways from the 7-Day Fresh Start

I don't think that intermittent fasting is for me (I work a couple of jobs and one of them starts quite early so I think I need to eat breakfast beforehand), but I can see why people rave about it.

What I have been doing and will continue to do is stop eating by 7pm every night

Want to try it for yourself? grab your 7-day fresh start set right here!

A note: the Morning Matcha box contains 30 serves of the matcha (which also contains MCT oil), so even if you had two a day instead of the 1 I had you would have servings left. 

I am enjoying them even though I've finished this program. I also think are even nicer with some almond milk as a latte and it's because of this product's popularity that you can now purchase it on it's own. Check out my shopfront and just search matcha.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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