Dressing For Fall Travel

October 4, 2017 by Leave a Comment

No matter where your travels take you this season, we have some great options to keep you warm, dry, and comfortable.

Now that it’s Autumn (and it’s finally cooled off), you want to make sure you have some layers available. One of my current go-to’s has been Dare 2b‘s Women’s Loveline II Core Stretch, a pull over the head, half zip sweatshirt. It’s not your mom’s sweatshirt, however- soft, warm, lined inside with a quick drying/water repelling outside, it’s pretty tough as well as functional. It comes in several color options, and is easy to care for as well. The price is right at $22, and it’s easy to pair with your running gear or toss on with jeans etc. The more options, the better, and it’s just the right weight for the fall season or to layer under your clothing as it gets colder.

Craghoppers has comfortable clothing for the entire family that protects against UV rays, insect bites, and even digital theft. No matter if you are out in the woods, in a national park, or on the city streets, these clothes are easy to wear, match, and keep you protected on all sorts of levels.  The Nosilife Pro Trousers for women havd a slim fit, but not too slim, with several pockets that zip closed to keep your valuables safe. The fabric is soft and quick drying, so quick showers or muddy patches won’t be an issue. They are also generously cut around the ankle for boots should you want to wear them.  The long sleeve NosliLife Erin Long Sleeve Shirt is breathable and quick drying as well, and the entire NosiLife collection is also insect bite repellent. Who needs all the bites that so often accompany time in the great outdoors? Not you, that’s for sure. Prices vary, visit https://www.craghoppers.com/us/

Another option to layer while keeping warm and cuddly would be the Hazelton Half Zip. So soft, and available in three very pretty colors, it’s both lightweight and durable, so it’s great by itself or as a top or middle layer. It’s a great jogger, but I can see using it underneath a ski parka when it’s time to hit the slopes- I’m really loving the feel of this one. It’s easy to wash and wear, though I personally prefer to hang it to dry so it stays extra fluffy as long as possible.  Pick yours up at https://www.craghoppers.com/us/hazelton-half-zip-bluebell/

As for fall footwear, I’m loving the Icebug Metro BUGrip for hiking. They are very comfortable, and fantastic for all kinds of weather. They have amazing soles- they grip is fantastic, and will help keep you on whatever trail you find yourself on. The Icebugs are great for keeping your feet warm and dry as well- which is always a good thing, but especially now with the weather cooling down. Nothing like cold, wet feet to ruin a hike.  Easy pull on and off, comfortable and tough with studded running shoe soles, these boots have it all. I really enjoy them, and think you will as well. $189 and worth every cent.

 

Filed Under: clothes and shoes, review, traveling Tagged With: , ,

5 Tips for Planning a Family-friendly Ski Trip in Sapporo

September 29, 2017 by Leave a Comment

A family trip can be a wonderful way to encourage bonding and help members become closer to one another. However, it comes with its own set of challenges: it’s not always possible for an entire family to enjoy certain activities. Thankfully, the diverse city of Sapporo has plenty to offer for the young and old alike. Below are a few tips on where to go and what to do as a family in Sapporo:

  1. Book at a Kid-Friendly Ski Resort

A family friendly resort such as Kiroro offers activities that both parents and kids can enjoy, from beginner skiing, snowboarding, snow-shoeing, and other winter sports. Kiroro also offers hot spring facilities for those who have had enough of the powder outside and just want to spend some time in a relaxing onsen, as well as various indoor activities geared towards children such as musical shows, workshops and lessons.

  1. Experience the Sapporo Snow Festival

Held every year for a week in February, when the snowfall is heaviest, the Sapporo Snow Festival turns the famous Odori Park into a winter fantasy wonderland. Here, you’ll find the International Snow Sculpture Contest, which has been held on-site since 1974. You’ll also be able to find hundreds of snow statues and ice sculptures in the nearby Susukino area. They are lit beautifully at night, which makes them great for family photos. There is also a wide variety of winter activities available, including sledding and snow tubing, as well as musical performances.

  1. Visit The Zoo

A visit to the zoo can be both great fun and educational for children. Maruyama Zoo is a popular destination in Sapporo for families. Here, the aim is to recreate the animals’ natural habitat so visitors are able to view them in their most natural state, safely. The Kid’s Zoo section is sure to delight young children – they’ll be able to feed and pet small animals such as guinea pigs and rabbits. There is also a large playground on-site for children who are just overflowing with energy. The Maruyama Zoo is open all year and anyone below the age of 16 gets in for free, while adults are required to pay a small fee.

  1. Indulge Your Sweet Tooth

Just a short ride from Sapporo by train is Shiroi Koibito Park: a toy museum, candy store and chocolate factory all in one. Entrance to the main park is free of charge, and a mini steam train ride is available to board for a small fee. The main draw here is the Shiroi Koibito chocolate cookie: a butter cookie with a white chocolate filling. For a small fee, families can visit the factory where these cookies are made and be treated to a presentation of the history of the confection. On the second floor of the Shiroi Koibito shop is a museum that houses an impressive collection of toys – and what kid wouldn’t be interested in that?

  1. See a Puppet Show

At the Kogumaza Sapporo Children’s Puppet Theatre in Nakajima Park, a puppet show is held every weekend and every day during the long school holidays. It’s a great place to take young children to experience art and culture. The best part is the place is friendly even to parents with infants or children who can be a little restless and loud.

Going on a family trip to Sapporo can be an exciting experience. By following these tips and including these locations in your itinerary, you’re ensuring that even the youngest members of your family will have a lot of fun creating happy memories.

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5 Tips to finding the best oral surgeons in Reseda, California

September 29, 2017 by Leave a Comment

There are many people who honestly do not like going to the dentist. From small children to grown adults, it seems that dentist appointments are one of those things they like to put off or forget altogether.

 

Because of this, the teeth deteriorate to the point that the person might need surgery. While it an occurrence that can be avoided, it the situation gets to that point, there’s no other choice but to go to an oral surgeon.

 

If you will be undergoing such procedures such as wisdom tooth extraction, dental implants or the like, make sure that the oral surgeon you get will really be able to deliver good results. Check out the tips you can follow as you canvass for the oral surgeon whose services you will avail.

 

  1. Look for one who knows how to communicate – this is important, especially for those who are already afraid of going to the dentist. You want to make sure that your dental health provider will be able to make you feel at ease. Look for one that is willing to explain the procedure to you, and who is always willing to answer any query you might have, whether personally or through phone or SMS.

 

  1. Check that their credentials are valid – not all dentists can do oral surgery. They have different specialties much like a doctor has. So, do your research and find out the exact specialist that you need for the procedure that you want to undergo. Call the office or check the website to find if they have a dentist with the specialty that you are looking for, so as not to waste time booking an appointment only to find out that they cannot give you the service that you need.

 

  1. Ensure that they use the latest technology – it’s important that your dentist has kept up with the changes in the field of dentistry. This field is one of those that have experienced a lot of innovations over the years and you want to make sure that they have studied on the more modern technology even if they have been in the field for more than 20 years.

 

  1. Check to see that they have more than enough years of experience in the field – there’s something about experiencing a situation first-hand that’s very different from just learning about it through videos or instruction. When your dentist has had years of experience, you can be assured that they will know what to do even in times when there may be surprises during the actual procedure itself.

 

  1. Look for online reviews and recommendations – make sure you also look at how satisfied the past customers of the dentists were. There are usually reviews that are placed on the website. If you do not trust them, you can check out online forums for more reviews, or even better, ask friends if they have any dentist they can recommend to you.

 

If you are residing in Reseda, check out http://synergyoms.com/locations/reseda/ . They not only have experienced dentists but also make use of the latest technology so you can be assured that you are getting your money’s worth for whatever service you will avail.

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5 Reasons To Hire A Google AdWords Management Firm

September 29, 2017 by Leave a Comment

In a nutshell, Google AdWords Management can be described as the promotion of ads on the Google search engine, targeted towards people searching for specific things of interest. Google AdWords is basically paid-advertising or pay per click advertising on Google. Your business can benefit tremendously from hiring a Google AdWords Management Firm. Here are 5 reasons to hire a Google AdWords Management Firm pronto!

  1. Stay on top of your business

The Google AdWords Management Firm can help you keep track of your sales and let you know where your profits are coming from. Basically, the firm can help you maximize sales. Therefore, you will be able to make tweaks and changes to your campaign based on your goals and tracking results. The professional firm excels in all forms of tagging and tracking campaigns and it will also boast of employees that have the technical skills and HTML knowledge to analyze and track the sales, trends properly. AdWords managers from Brisbane are excellent at performing such tasks.

  1. Helps improve your content

A Google AdWords Management Firm will know how to study your competition, find the most efficient copy, and create ads that work like a charm. The professional firm will know how to create content that the consumers will actually respond to, therefore, helping increase conversions and click-through rates.

  1. Helps you pick the right keywords

It is of paramount importance for your business campaign to have the right keyword. Your ads must be built around the right keywords.  However, choosing the right keyword can be an arduous process. The Google AdWords Management Firm excels at keyword research and uses various tools and data points to identify the most relevant keywords for your business.

  1. Google AdWords Management requires expertise and technical knowledge

If you are not aware of the know-how of search engine analytics, you should hire a professional firm immediately. Pay Per Click (PPC) management requires proper expertise and technical knowledge. Since Google frequently updates its algorithms and trends of advertising, you will also need to invest plenty of time researching in order to be updated. Therefore, if you don’t have time to spare and would rather spend time on developing your services and products, it is advisable for you to hire the services of a Google AdWords Management Firm.

  1. Help you manage your campaign proficiently

You will need to adjust several settings to ensure the success of your PPC campaign. For instance, you will need to decide on geographic settings and decide if it is the local or the international crowd you intend to target. You will need to know if it is more favorable for you to choose partner/affiliate networks or set up different ad groups for each different geographic setting. A Google AdWords Management Firm will have the experience to get it done correctly the first time.

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5 Tips to preparing your resume and cover letter

September 29, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Preparing your resume and cover letter for potential jobs should happen before you graduate or consistently if you are already in the workforce. Updating your resume often will make the process run much easier when you find a great job to apply for as it can be very time consuming and overwhelming otherwise. This article will provide some tips for preparing your resume and cover letter if you want to apply for a teaching job in England. There are many teaching jobs across England here that you can apply these tips to.

  1. Make sure the resume and cover letter are tailored to the job you are applying. The easiest way to get looked over is to send in a generic cover letter and resume. A potential employer wants to see that you have done your research and that you can demonstrate on paper and articulate how you can fulfill the gap that they have. If you are unable to demonstrate this in your resume and cover letter, your application will likely go into the discard pile.
  2. Your resume is also called a CV in England. So that there is no confusion, be sure to use this verbiage when sending in your application to potential employers.
  3. If you are a new teacher, show them how you can relate past experiences to the position. Surely you have translatable skills that are attractive to potential employers.
  4. Avoid putting all of your eggs in one basket. We all have hopes and dreams and if teaching at the American School in London is the only position you want to have, you may want to reconsider. While it is great to have aspirations, it is important to keep into perspective what is important. Is it more important to teach at the American School or have the opportunity to teach in England? The choice is yours to make but it is always a good idea to keep your options open and not put all of your eggs in one basket. Even if you interview with a school that may not be your first choice, perhaps they become a favorite after the interview because there is more underneath the surface than what meets the eye.

Always be gracious for the time that was given to review your materials even if you are not selected. Just because you were not selected during this round of candidate interviews, does not mean that you won’t be considered in the future or recommended to another school district that is in need of teachers. Being gracious, kind, and professional in your correspondence with the potential employer will only show that you are a solid candidate that should be considered for a job. If you are not gracious or act in a selfish manner for not being selected, the potential employer may see this as how you are as an employee and will likely write you off forever.

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Win 7th Heaven’s Creamy Coconut Mask #Beauty

September 27, 2017 by 46 Comments
Coconut water is something people love to drink (myself included) so why not check out this amazing mud mask, which features this key ingredient?  7th Heaven’s Creamy Coconut Mask provides the ultimate refreshment for thirsty skin.  It also feels great and smells nice- which are pretty cool bonuses.
Here is some additional information-
  • Features two key ingredients: ultra hydrating coconut water and super smoothing shea butter
    • Coconut water is rich in potassium, which enhances the body’s ability to hydrate
    • Shea butter has natural benefits that protect and nourish skin. It acts as a barrier to help prevent moisture loss, maintaining skin hydration
  • Other ingredients include pressed shea nut, ground cocoa and pulped coconut
  • After use, skin is hydrated and supple, never stripped of natural oils or tight
  • Comes in single-serve pouches; perfect for travel
  • MSRP $1.99 for a generous single 0.5 oz use
  • Available for purchase at Walmart, Bed Bath & Beyond, Harmon Discount and Kmart
  • Cruelty-free, member of BUAV/Leaping Bunny and PETA

For your chance to win, please feel free to enter the contest using the RC Form below. Good luck! Ends November 2, 2017.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Avoid Getting Sick While Traveling With These Four Tips

September 25, 2017 by Leave a Comment

No one likes getting sick, but feeling under the weather is even worse if you’re on vacation. Especially if it means you have to take time out of your trip to visit the doctor and get a prescription.

If you want to enjoy your vacation as much as possible, you have to avoid getting sick in the first place. Here are four tips that will help you do just that.

Reduce Stress as Much as Possible Before, During, and Immediately After Your Trip

Stress is a frustratingly common problem before, during, and immediately after a trip. Unfortunately, prolonged or chronic stress can lower your immune system, making you more susceptible to illness.

Reduce stress by:

  • Not overbooking yourself the day before or after your trip
  • Planning out the logistics of how you’re getting there and how you’re getting home
  • Giving yourself plenty of time to pack
  • Leaving work at home—don’t check email or voicemail while you’re away

Wash Your Hands

Of course you should wash your hands! However, this piece of advice is even more important when you’re on vacation.

While you’re away from home, you will be coming in contact with strange germs and bacteria that your body may not be prepared for, especially if you’re traveling outside the country. Wash your hands many times a day and bring along hand sanitizer for when a sink isn’t available.

Drink Plenty of Water

When you’re on vacation, you may be tempted to live it up a little, which means leaving healthy habits at the door. Ordering a few mixed drinks and trying a new soda won’t cause a lot of problems, but you should really focus on drinking water as much as you can.

Not only can water ensure you’re fully hydrated, it can help with congestion, and it can help you bounce back more quickly if you are feeling a little under the weather. Just make sure you drink filtered or purified water. Tap water in some areas can actually make you sick.

Get Plenty of Sleep

It’s easy to skimp on the sleep when it comes to your vacation. You may lose sleep beforehand worrying about the vacation itself, and you may lose sleep while you’re on vacation as you try and see as much as you can before you leave.

Sleep can enhance stress and lower your immune system, which in turn will increase your odds of getting sick while you’re away from home. Plan to get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night, even if it means sleeping in a little in the morning because you were out later than usual the night before.

Don’t shy away from taking naps either! Even if it takes an hour out of your afternoon, a nap can provide you with a healthy energy boost.

Don’t get stuck coughing and sniffling on your next vacation! With these tips, you and your family will be in perfect health so you can enjoy every second of your time away from home.

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Does Your Home Have a Damp Proof Course?

September 25, 2017 by 10 Comments

A damp proof course is one of those things that most of us probably won’t give much consideration.  It is a discreet little black line amid the bricks on the exterior of our home that works away without any effort and we ignore it.  Until something goes wrong and we find signs of damp in our homes – then we turn to see if the damp proof course or DPC is doing its job.  Or we may discover that we don’t even have a DPC in our homes at all.  So what are damp proof courses and how do you know if yours is working?

Damp proofing basics

Damp proofing is a general term used to describe measures taken within homes and businesses to combat the process of damp and associated conditions.  Damp proof companies will use a range of techniques and treatments to stop damp, prevent reoccurrence and deal with the conditions that occur due to damp such as black mold or dry rot.

There are several different types of damp that affect properties, with three being the most common – rising damp, penetrating damp and condensation.  The measures needed to deal with damp within a property depends on what type of damp is present and how it has gained a foothold in the property.

Damp protection

There are two main ways that damp proof companies will secure your property against damp problems – a damp proof course or DPC and a damp proof membrane or DPM.  The DPC is the most commonly used system and is the one that you can see as a thin black line in the brickwork of your home.

There are a few different types of DPC and some period properties may use older types that are no longer in use.  All have the same basic function – to stop water being absorbed through bricks and entering the interior of the property.  They do this by forming a water impermeable barrier that prevents the absorption and allows the water to simply evaporate naturally.

Damp proof membranes use a sheet of materials such as butyl rubber or polyethylene to create a barrier to stop the water.  The membrane is placed under a concrete floor to stop water seeping up through it then normal flooring is laid on top of this.

Sometimes the cause of damp doesn’t come from the ground but from the sky – penetrating damp is where rainwater is getting into the house and causing damp.  This isn’t associated with the DPC and will require a different course of action to deal with.

Dealing with damp

Unfortunately, most times you don’t realise that you don’t have adequate damp proofing on your property until you start the see the signs of damp in the house.  However, if you do spot any of the signs such as peeling wallpaper, tide or salt marks on walls or even black spots that indicate black mold, getting help quickly is important.

Damp proof companies can take a range of steps to deal with a failed DPC and to remove the damp from your home.  This will involve finding the source of the damp, stopping this weakness and then applying special coatings to walls and floors to make them waterproof.

Being damp free

Most homes will remain damp free and the DPC will continue to do its job.  But if you spot signs that you may have a damp problem or even want to have your DPC checked, then you can call an expert to conduct a survey and ensure that your home has no problems building up and remains damp free for years to come.

Filed Under: home, safety Tagged With: ,