November 8, 2018

5 Trendy Bathing Suit Styles For All Body Types

All bodies are not created equal, but still, as women, we spend a great deal of time criticizing every piece of our body. The last thing we should be doing during the summer season is dreading putting on a bathing suit, when we should be soaking up the sun and enjoying ourselves with friends and family.

Just like not all bodies are created equal, not all bathing suits are made equal either. Whether you are petite or plus-size, there is a flattering bathing suit for your body type! I’ve generated a list of 5 trendy bathing suit styles for virtually any body shape and size:

Long & Lean

For a long and lean body type, finding bathing suits with patterns, ruffles or other designs are key. Finding a top with ruffles, fringe and busy patterns will give the illusion of a larger bust and the same goes for bottoms. Push-up detailing and padded bikini tops will be your best-kept secret! Here are a few bathing suits that are perfect for a long and lean body:

Lace Up Bikini Set

This chic blue printed bikini set is perfect for a slim figure as it features a vibrant color pattern with a removal padded bra. It laces up the back and has cutout detailing on the front. The bottoms feature the same space pattern with a bit of a high-rise fit.

Lightly Lined Underwire Bikini Top

This bikini top provides amazing underwire support. It has natural shaping for an enhanced look and features a gorgeous orange and white floral print. It also ties in the back for added dimension. Pair this top with any solid bottoms or grab the matching set to complete the look.

Curvy

High-waisted bottoms are totally on trend and work almost like spanx to provide comfort and control from your navel down. If you have a bottom-heavy figure, find bold patterns or colors on top that draw attention upward. If you’re wanting a full one piece, opt for bathing suits with a higher cut leg line. Here are a few great bathing suit options for a curvy body frame:

Color Block One Piece

This mix of black and lavender color blocking patchwork is gorgeous. The scrunched detailing in all of the right places make this swimsuit super flattering and stylish. It features adjustable straps for all bust sizes and a push-up style cup for added support.

Ruched High-Waisted Bikini Bottom

These plus size bikini bottoms feature tummy slimming, high-waisted ruched sides that are very flattering. This high rise style sits on your natural waistline. Pair these bottoms with a tankini top or a bikini top with patterns for a super cute and trendy look.

Expecting

Expecting a sweet bundle of joy doesn’t mean you still can’t hit the sun in style this season. For a growing belly, opt for a low-rise style swimsuit to accommodate your belly comfortably. If you’re wanting a one-piece bathing suit, try finding one with a scrunched waist to support your belly and grow with you during the remainder of your pregnancy. Check out these super cute swim styles for any pregnant body:

Wrap Front Maternity Tankini

This tankini top is available in several colors and features a triangle faux wrap bust. The straps are adjustable and can easily be work a variety of ways for comfort and support. This tankini top has ruched sides for your growing belly. Pair this tankini top with the matching bottoms or opt for something more comfortable like low-cut boy short style swim bottoms.

Ruffle Trim Ruched One-Piece

This ruffle trim one-piece maternity swimsuit is available in black and lavender and features ruched sides for a flattering fit. It is double lined to prevent sheerness and has adjustable straps that are both convertible and removable for a variety of looks. This swimsuit also features padded cups on the bust for extra support. I’m really loving the way the ruffle trim really accentuates that sweet baby belly.

Athletic

For an athletic build, the goal is to give the illusion of more curves and accentuate your toned legs. A monokini is the perfect style swimsuit as well as anything with embellishments that will add femininity to your frame. Here are a few super cute swimsuit styles for an athletic build:

Halter Style Monokini

This one-piece halter style monokini features a built-in fabric shelf bra, moderate rear coverage, and crochet detailing throughout. It has an open back and ties behind the neck and back. It’s available in multiple colors and designs to fit any style and personality.

Lace-Up Floral One-Piece

This swimsuit is such a chic design that fits and flatters all body types. The floral watercolor print is feminine, which is perfect for an athletic build and the crisscrossed lacing adds a plunging front. This swimsuit features a scooped back with the crisscrossed lacing continued to match the front. It has adjustable shoulder straps for comfort and removable molded cups to accommodate all bust sizes.

Petite

The key to finding the perfect swimsuit for a petite body frame is to try elongating the torso and add dimension to your top to balance out your shorter mid-section. Low-rise bottoms are perfect for making your torso appear longer and halter straps are great for drawing attention to your neck and shoulders. Here are a few of my favorite bikini styles for petite body frames:

Crochet High Neck Halter Top

Available in army green, black, blue and tan this high-neck crochet halter bikini top is the perfect style for a petite body frame. It features a hidden bandeau top beneath the crochet overlay and includes a molded foam cup with supportive underwire for a push-up look. It also ties behind the neck for a nice fit that will make people skim over your shorter mid-section. Pair this top with any low-rise bikini bottom to finish off your swimsuit.

Low Rise Ribbed Bikini Bottoms

These versatile, low rise bikini bottoms come in a ribbed fabric adding texture to such a basic swim piece. The low-rise feature provides the illusion of a longer torso, which is perfect for a petite frame. It is available in white, burgundy and red which will make it super simple to match with a coordinating top. Remember to find a top that accentuates your neckline and shoulders like a halter style bikini top or one with strap detailing.
Related:
Are You Ready to Hit the Beach: How To Rock Your Swimsuit
Bikini Swimsuits vs. One Piece Swimsuits

November 8, 2018

Relocating For Work? – Here Is A Moving Checklist To Follow

Congratulations, you just got a new job that requires you to move to a new city. As if starting a new job wasn’t stressful enough. Needing to move is guaranteed to add to the stress. However, it doesn’t have to be too stressful. Below, we will be going over a thorough moving checklist to implement prior to your move to minimize the stress of your entire move.

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Moving Checklist:

Home Research

Firstly, you want to get familiar with the new city that you are going to be working in. Figure out some of the best and most viable areas to consider living in. You want to do thorough research on your available options to find the best possible areas to consider. You want to use all of the resources that you have available to you to really identify and select the areas that fit your respective moving criteria. Not only should you be factoring in your income along with the cost of living, but you want to look at school zoning, safety, and a lot more when you are looking to select the right place to move your family.

Relocation Assistance

If you are going to be moving for a new job or opportunity, it is a good idea to ask whether or not the company is willing and able to provide any sort of relocation assistance. This can range from complete assistance to partial. You want to figure out how much it is going to end up costing you to make the move and figure out whether or not you can get any or all of the additional cost covered by your new employer. Depending on your perceived or actual value to your new employer, you might be able to get a majority of the relocation costs covered by your new employer. This alone can alleviate a lot of the financial stress that comes with making a move for a new job.

Hire A Reputable Moving Service

One of the very best things that you can do to eliminate a lot of the stress associated with moving for a new job would be to hire a reputable moving service. By hiring a reputable moving service, you will be able to completely alleviate a lot of the stress associated with making a move because they can take a lot of the tedious moving tasks off of your hands and help you ensure that you are able to have a successful move whether close in proximity or cross-country. Depending on what you are planning on moving and how much you are going to be moving, you want to find the right moving company to hire. Some of the biggest factors that you want to consider are the reputation of the moving company and whether or not they are fully licensed and insured. If you are going to be moving a lot of valuables and breakables, you are likely going to place a high value on the company offering adequate insurance for the move. Another thing that you should be considering is whether you are going to be opting for packing services and/or storage services.

Make The Appropriate Travel Arrangements

Once you have decided on the move and once you have hired a reputable moving company, you will need to make the appropriate travel arrangements. If you have either pets or children, you are going to want to be sure that you have made the necessary arrangements for them to facilitate the move. You will want to try to accommodate them as best possible during the actual moving day in order to minimize the added stress that can come along with moving with them.

Change Your Address

You want to be sure that you receive all of your important bills and documents at your new address. For this reason, you should file for a change of address prior to making your move. By doing this, you will be able to minimize the instances of missing an important bill or document due to receiving it at the wrong address. A good way to give yourself some time if you do not complete a full change of address in time is to get your mail forwarded to the new address until you are able to file for the change of address. You can do this either at your local Post Office or conveniently online at us-mailing-change-of-address.com.

Getting Rid Of Furniture You Aren’t Taking

If you are going to be leaving various pieces of furniture or appliances behind, you will want to consider donating them or getting people to take them off of your hands. You should do this prior to making your complete move to avoid having to do these things last minute.

Pack An Overnight Bag

One of the best things that you can do to limit the stress on a moving day is to pack an overnight bag for each member of your family. By doing this, you are going to be able to have all of the essentials in one easy to transport location which can really cut down on the stress of having to look for things as soon as you arrive at your new spot. By having an overnight bag(s) full of everyone’s essentials, you will be ready and able to go to sleep when you arrive instead of running around looking through your moving boxes trying to find everything you need.

Label Everything

A great way to ensure that your move and unpacking goes smoothly is by labeling everything. By labeling the boxes that you pack, you should be able to make it much easier to know exactly where everything should be left during the move and you will be able to know exactly where something is when you are looking for it.

By following the tips above, you should be able to successfully relocate for a new job with minimal stress whether it’s alone or with your entire family. You want to include everything above in your moving checklist to really ensure that you are able to enjoy a much less stressful move.

November 8, 2018

The Proper Use of Whetstones Makes for Sharper Cutting Tools

Most cutting tools like knives, scissors, and others are made of steel and other hard materials. The cutting is enabled because the cutting edges have been sharpened and tempered to a point, where their tapered edges are able to cut the softer materials that they are required to. After constant use, these edges will lose their sharpness and require to be sharpened again with whetstones, or other sharpening devices that have constantly been undergoing development.

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The use of a whetstone allows knives and the cutting edges of scissors to be kept in the best of shape and condition so that these tools can remain active and perform the tasks for which they are used. A whetstone is basically a fine-grained stone that has been in use for sharpening tools for centuries, ever since humans discovered the use of metals and learned how to work them to make cutting implements. These sharpening stones come in a wide range of sizes and shapes and can be composed of different materials. These stones will generally be flat, though some may have complex edges that are useful for sharpening special tools used in woodturning. They come in various grades which are differentiated by the size of the grit that makes up the abrasive material. This size is denoted by a number that gives an indication of the density of the particles that can cause the required abrasion. High numbers mean the particles are smaller and will give a finer finish to the metal that is being honed or sharpened on the whetstone. In earlier times, natural stones were used for this sharpening, but their use though not completely stopped, has been reduced because of the high quality of readily and easily available artificial whetstones. Modern whetstones that are synthetic have a consistent size of the abrading materials and this allows for a superior performance in sharpening. Natural whetstones have now become more common as collector’s items that are often prized for their appearance and beauty. Artificial whetstones are made of silicon carbide or aluminum oxide that are bonded together, and these bonded abrasive surfaces provide a cutting action that is faster than what you can achieve with a natural stone whetstone. Some of these whetstones come with two cutting surfaces, one with a coarse grit on one side, and a fine grit on the other. This allows the cutting edges to be first brought roughly to the required degree of sharpness with the coarser side, and the final finishing is done with the finer side.

Most whetstones use water to give the required lubrication that helps in the sharpening process where the cutting edge is rubbed over the whetstones. Some stones also use oil as a lubricant. Whetstones can also have diamonds as the abrasive material, while ceramic stones are fast cutting stones that leave a consistent pattern, and are widely used for finishing the sharpening process. Whetstones can be mounted on workbenches or other locations but must be firmly anchored so that they do not move while the abrading is in progress. You can also place whetstones on flat surfaces where you have access to water, and at a height where it is convenient to create the required pressure that will allow the cutting edges to be finished to the required degree of sharpness.

Whetstones are superior sharpening tools because they create the sharpening edges gradually and do not take away too much of the metal from the cutting tool. The use of a whetstone does not require too much of expertise but does need you to know the correct way of using it. It is a skill that can be easily mastered with practice and can be cost-effective and save you time because of the simple process that its use involves. It is an action that has an average difficulty and may not require more than a few minutes.

Place the whetstone on a firm surface like a countertop or worktable, and see that it will remain immovable during the sharpening process. You can do this by placing a wet paper towel or cloth below the whetstone. If you have a two-sided whetstone, you need to start the sharpening process with having the rougher side upwards. Hold the knife, scissors, or other tool cutting edge with one hand so that it comes to the stone at an angle of approximately twenty degrees. Use the other hand to control the movement of the tool being sharpened as it comes to the surface of the whetstone. Exert moderate pressure while you slide the entire length of the blade, while you ensure that the blade has a consistent angle with the stone. This abrading action that ensures the necessary friction can be repeated a number of times, ten times if you want, and then the cutting edge flipped over to perform the same number of operations on the other side. Test the blade to see if it is now sharp enough, otherwise repeat the procedure, until you are satisfied with the sharpness. You can now repeat the process after flipping over the stone for it to display it fine grit side. You can use water to allow for easier sliding of the edges being sharpened. Using a whetstone in a dry condition is the best way of using it, as water or oil can allow the metal particles to be trapped in the liquid, and this can lead to your blade getting damaged.

It is important that when you are sharpening the edges you always use the same direction in all movements as this will allow the surface to be even and smooth. Rinse the cutting edge of the tool and the whetstone ad wipe them both down with a dry and clean towel. All cutting tools have tempered edges that have a particular depth. Sharpening is only advisable as long as you are in this tempered zone. Once you go into the normal area of the cutting edge, sharpening further will not give you the desired results as edges will wear out much faster. At this stage, you may need to buy a new knife, or scissors or other tools.