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Are you or an older loved one looking for ways to fill your days?

Staying socially, mentally, and physically active can help seniors maintain good mental and emotional health and reduce the risk of disease.

These 10 hobbies are perfect for seniors who like to keep busy and have fun.

 

1. Karaoke

Research shows singing can help with memory and orientation, especially in individuals with mild dementia.

If an outing to a karaoke bar seems a bit overwhelming, there are endless karaoke apps, games, and machines you can use at home. Karaoke is a great activity for all ages – perfect for visits with the grandkids!

 

2. Color by numbers

Coloring or painting by numbers is an easy way to get creative and bring a picture to life. This can be a relaxing pastime to enjoy with your morning coffee or while watching TV.

Online coloring is another option if you have a computer or tablet.

 

3. Memories scrapbook and family tree

Take a trip down memory lane and put your time and love into a project you and your family can cherish for years to come.

Better yet, get the family involved and work on a memories scrapbook and family tree together – a lovely way to reminisce on good times.

 

4. Swimming

Swimming is an ideal way for seniors to get their daily physical activity in. It’s great for heart health and it’s easy on the joints. Not to mention, it can be incredibly relaxing.

You can enjoy doing some laps at your own pace or join a local water aerobics class – a great way to meet new people.

 

5. Brain games

Crosswords, Sudoku puzzles, word search puzzles and other brain games can help keep your problem-solving skills sharp while promoting mindfulness.

These can be found in book stores, online, and department stores, or you can even play them online if you’d rather.

 

6. Video Games

You don’t have to be a tech genius to reap the benefits of gaming consoles. Nintendo Wii or Switch offer fun and easy games and activities that incorporate movement, making them a great way to do some exercise without leaving your home.

You can set these games to your current exercise level and increase them as you feel stronger if you’d like a challenge.

 

7. Gardening

Several studies over the years have shown the many benefits being outdoors has our mental health.

Gardening is a great way to get some sunshine and fresh air. If your home doesn’t allow for a garden, why not grow some plants or tomatoes in pots?

 

8. Model building

Looking for a hands-on hobby? Plastic and wooden models come in kits of all sizes and assembly levels to suit all ages and abilities.

From vintage vehicles to iconic architecture, there are endless model building kits to get your hands on. This could be another activity to work on.

 

9. Birdwatching

Another great way to get outdoors, birdwatching can be enjoyed in national parks, or here in Wauwatosa, WI.  At our senior living Wauwatosa, we have tons of trees in the area which means plenty of opportunities to see some cool birds up close.

 

10. Dance classes

Want to improve your strength and muscle function and have plenty of fun while doing it? Try some simple dance classes. It’s a great way to move, even if it’s just a little, and in will also improve your mood.

11. Office Cleaning

A great way to get some movement in, and make your space look great is to make sure it’s clean. Either clean your space yourself or you can look to hire an office cleaning service Milwaukee in order to make sure your office and commercial space shines.

 

If you’re purchasing a home, there are so many important steps, but there is one that is often undervalued, and that is the home inspection. A reputable home inspector can give you an insider’s perspective into the health and safety of the home, as well as give you tips on what potential problems there may be in the future.

 

What does a home inspector look at?  A home inspector looks at the home, inside and out, to determine the condition and safety of the home. This includes your home’s HVAC system, electrical systems, interior plumbing, roof, windows, doors, walls, ceilings, floors, insulation where visible, foundation, and structural components. However a home inspector will not look at anything that isn’t visible, such as mold behind walls. They will also check for things such as radon, lead paint, asbestos, or pests. Because many homes are sold without appliances, they may not check the appliances to see if they are functional.

 

Homes in the Milwaukee area go all the way back to the late 1800s, but the age of the home isn’t what is important when having it inspected. New homes can have potential problems as well, and almost no home is without some sort of flaw. It is recommended that if you are looking to purchase a home, you have it inspected, and that you are present for the inspection. But why is it important for you to be there? This is your opportunity to ask questions to the home inspector about what he/she is finding. You may not understand a term that is being used, or why something is important, and being there to ask questions is a great way to learn more about the home. You may want to take notes, bring a list of questions, or even pick your inspector’s brain about the potential costs behind some repairs. 

 

Take the opportunity of attending the home inspection to get a good second or third look at the home. If you bid on the house after a walk through that may have lasted 20 minutes, this is your opportunity to look at every area of the home in depth and let it all sink in. You may get a better feel for the home, including looking at areas that you weren’t able to before such as an attic. 

 

Something else to keep in mind is that a home cannot “fail” an inspection, nor does it have anything to do with the appraisal of the home. It is simply an assessment of the physical condition of the home, and can help determine which components of the home may need repair or replacement. A home inspector is an impartial party there to inspect the home. It is also important to note that just because a home is inspected, it does not mean that it is necessarily up to code. There may be municipal codes that are not being met, or there may be components of the home that are not visible that are not up to code. 

 

Lastly, it is not the job of the inspector to tell you if he/she thinks it is a good home, or whether or not you should buy it. It is, however, your job to listen out for key phrases and ask questions. Chances are if an inspector says something like “immediate repair” or “significant” or “major”, it is going to end up being costly. This may include something like basement waterproofing Milwaukee. You may be able to use these as bargaining chips in the price of the home, or you may change your home about the property altogether. It is your home inspection, and therefore you will get out of it what you put into it. No matter what, it is recommended you have a reputable home inspector and attend the inspection.

Unless you are an expert handyman or handy woman, chances are you’ll need to call for appliance repairs a few times in your life. And there’s nothing wrong with that! There are simply some problems with appliances that are best left to the professionals. While there are some preventative measures you can take to give your appliances a longer life, and some troubleshooting that can be done when an appliance isn’t at peak performance, many repairs should be done professionally. So what should be taken on by yourself and which appliance repairs Milwaukee should be handled by the professionals?

 

Troubleshooting

 

There are often small things that can be going wrong with your appliance that are causing it to not work. One of the most common troubleshooting measures you can take is to make sure that the power supply is working correctly. If your appliance isn’t working, make sure it is plugged in properly, and that the outlet itself is working. Sometimes something as simple as a tripped power supply at the power source can cause your appliance to not work. 

 

Pay attention to what the failure is, including what you see, hear and smell. These clues could lead you to discover that the solution is simple and something you can correct yourself. Is your washing machine wobbling during the spin cycle and you can see it moving? It’s a possibility that your load isn’t balanced in the machine, or that your washing machine itself just needs to be leveled. If it seems the fix is simple and will not require the appliance to be taken apart to be repaired, go ahead and try it! Afterall, Milwaukee is full of do-it-yourselfers. 

 

When to Call for Appliance Repairs

 

If the reason your appliance isn’t working, or isn’t fully functional isn’t obvious, and you’ve already tried the magical “turn it off and turn it back on” trick, it may be time to call in a professional for your appliance repairs. There are quite a few reasons to call a professional, but here are some of the top.

 

• Warranty

Attempting to dismantle and fix your appliance yourself can void the manufacturer’s warranty. However, using a local, licensed professional in Milwaukee will mean that it is still covered under warranty, and the professional will have a guarantee of their own that their repair will work.

 

• Time Savings

A repair that may take an appliance repair professional an hour could end up taking you 5 hours. Your time is worth something! It may take ten minutes to contact a professional and describe exactly what is wrong with your appliance, but that is much better than spending hours being frustrated trying to fix your appliance yourself, only to have to still call a professional after because it still isn’t working properly.

 

• Tools

Professionals come with the tools and parts needed to get the job done correctly. There are often specialized tools that are needed to properly work on and diagnose an appliance, especially if it is a modern appliance. And these are not the types of tools you have laying around your basement typically. 

 

Simply put, when your appliance goes down in Milwaukee, and you’re not entirely sure what is wrong with it, or how to fix it, it is best to call for professional appliance repair services. You will save yourself hours of hassle, not to mention potentially voiding your warranty only to realize that your appliance still isn’t working! The professionals are trained to do the job right the first time.

Whether you’re looking to have a new decorative walkway installed, fix an existing concrete driveway, or anything else having to do with concrete, hiring a professional concrete contractor is the way to go. But why do you want a concrete contractor? Time, ease, reliability of the finished product, and options. 

 

Depending on the scope of the project you’re looking at, trying your own hand at the concrete can take a long time. Between planning the project, sourcing and purchasing the materials, renting the equipment, and the actual physical work of laying down and finishing concrete, what may take a contractor a day or two can end up taking you weeks to get finished, not to mention the stress of making sure it all goes okay. And with Milwaukee weather being fickle, you can end up being unprepared for a storm and potentially ruin your project part way through. Concrete contractors Milwaukee can get a job done quickly and come with entire crews to get everything taken care of in a matter of days.

 

While hiring a concrete contractor may cost you more than doing the job yourself, your time does have a value too. When everything is said and done, you will end up with a more reliable product that is built to last than if you take the job upon yourself. Large jobs such as replacing a concrete driveway can be logistical nightmares. Ripping out old concrete, disposing of the old concrete, grading and compacting the subsoil, calculating how much materials will be needed, and so on and so on…there are a lot of steps needed to successfully pull off a large job. And even if you do manage to create a driveway for yourself, you may run into problems with it in the future if it was not done correctly the first time. When you hire a concrete contractor, most will ensure their services will last for a period of time without failing, or they will correct the problem, which is something that you will not get if you do the project yourself. Having to start over or rip out an area because something went wrong can be catastrophic to both your pocket book and your ego. Or you may have to go through it all again in a few years because the concrete didn’t last nearly as long as it should have. Either way, hiring a concrete contractor is a smart investment for the longevity of your project.

 

Another consideration is all of the options that are available to professional concrete contractors in Milwaukee that may not be available to you. With many more decorative options and finishes, there are new ways to make a statement with your concrete! Not only will a concrete contractor know about the different options for you, they can help with design services and create a beautiful new look you may not have even realized was available. Concrete stamping can create different patterns that look like stone or wood, and different finishes can create different colored concrete or even a beautiful marbled pattern. The options are truly endless now when you work with the correct concrete contractor. 

 

Hiring a concrete contractor in Milwaukee to get your concrete project done is a smart investment that will save you time and hassle in the end by ensuring your project is done right the first time.