October 4, 2019

8 Easy Tips To Reduce Vacation Stress Effectively

Vacations are the time to unwind after months of slogging and following a daily routine. After all, everyone deserves a break and there is no better way to get one than going on a holiday. But this is just one side of the picture because vacations can be stressful as well. Right from planning a holiday to making travel and accommodation bookings, packing, long flights and more, every aspect involves stress. Financials and logistics can be equally challenging. What’s more, you may feel even more hassled if planning a trip with children. So what can you do to minimize the hassles? Is there a formula to make vacations totally stress-free? Yes, there are some easy tips that work and they are listed as follows:

Have a plan in place

Nothing works unless you have a proper plan in place and this rule applies to holidays as well. Start planning your vacation by deciding the destination and timeline, while considering the budget as well. Explore your options and shortlist the ones that fit into your budget. While you plan the trip, consider the fact whether you are going to travel solo, with friends or with family. Having everything drawn on paper in detail will definitely give you a good start and make bookings and arrangements easier.

Make arrangements in advance

The biggest stress that you may come across while planning a holiday relates to arrangements. Whether it is your flight tickets or accommodation reservations, book everything in advance. At the same time, do extensive research to find the best deals. Booking early not only makes you stress-free but also serves as the best way to economize travel. However, check the cancelation policy before making advance reservations because you may have to cancel at the last moment.

Pack smartly

A major hassle that people face while planning for vacations is about packing stuff. They may feel like carrying a lot but end up only tugging and towing heavy suitcases, with clothes they wouldn’t wear during the holiday. Reducing your packing stress is as easy as having a checklist of essentials and following it as you pack. Stick only to the essentials in clothing, footwear, and accessories. Don’t miss the stuff that you absolutely need, such as medicines, camera, and chargers.

Don’t over-schedule

Over scheduling your travel itinerary will only elevate your stress levels and you may end up feeling exhausted. Obviously, you will want to see and do everything at your destination and time will be a constraint. But over scheduling is the worst mistake you can make. The best way to deal with the situation is by making a list of places to visit and allocate optimal time for each. You may even consider researching online or talking to a local to find about the must-visit places. In fact, skipping some places may not be a bad idea as you can keep them for the next time.

Provide a buffer

When it comes to travel planning, you can never be sure because emergencies happen at any time. You can plan the timelines but cannot stick to the clock. Flexibility is the key to taking the stress out of planning and this is best done with a buffer time at the starting and end of the trip. A day off before you leave will give you plenty of time to pack and get ready for the trip. Similarly, you can really do better with a buffer day at the end of the trip so that you get some rest before rejoining work. This becomes all the important if you are traveling long distances because you will probably experience jet lag.

Choose a relaxing destination

If you really want to do away with stress, choose a destination that offers relaxation. There are plenty of places where you can enjoy peace and privacy. You can check online to find the best spa resorts and meditation centers to relax and rejuvenate. Consider staying in a holiday home rather than a crowded resort or hotel if you want to enjoy alone time. You may also consider a solo trip if the motive is de-stressing. Traveling with the family is fun but not something that you may always want to do. So opt for holidaying alone once a while without feeling guilty!

Be extra ready if vacationing abroad

Traveling abroad requires some extra preparation and being ready will keep you sorted out. To start with, you need to have all the documents. Do check the validity of your passport and have your visa done well in time. You would not want to get into a last-minute hassle with the immigration authorities. Paperwork is not the only thing that you need to worry about. Make sure that you exchange the currency at home itself because you may face difficulties at the new location. Carry enough cash to last through the trip so that you are fully covered. Safety is important as well, whether you go for a weekend getaway or travel internationally.

Have realistic expectations

Vacationers often have unrealistic expectations as they travel to their dream destinations. Don’t expect the trip to be perfect because problems may come up at any time. For example, you may not find a hotel room to be as good as you expected. Similarly, a sick child, bad weather and flight delays are some other problems that can ruin your plans. You can deal with the stress by having realistic expectations in the first place. Always have a plan B in place to keep things hassle-free on every front. Maybe you can explore a holiday villa if you don’t like your hotel room. Who knows what you may end up loving the experience!

The purpose of a vacation is to do away with stress and rejuvenate your body and mind. If you feel stressed during the holiday, it defeats this purpose itself. Following these tips can go a long way in making your trip enjoyable. So you must absolutely ensure that you do everything you can to avoid any hassles.
[…]
Travel Series: How to Make Sure You Don’t Miss Your Flight
What To Take When Traveling
What To Do To Avoid Losing Your Wallet
Protecting Your Personal Data With an RFID Wallet

This post has affiliate links, which means I might earn some cash if you click on a link, with no cost to you.

October 4, 2019

There Are More Than 11 Noticeable Benefits of Living in a Raised Floor Home

Benefits of Living in a Raised Floor Home

Sometimes when you drive through neighborhoods, each house looks almost identical to the next one. This is especially common in old colonial towns and suburban cities with homes that sit almost on their neighbor’s lawn. But with today’s creativity mixed with yesterday’s elegance and our technological advances, your home doesn’t have to be the cookie-cutter design that makes up the typical house structure.

Now, many people are turning to raised floor homes as their preferred style of choice. Raised floor homes have been popular since the Colonial Era. During this time, they were used because of their efficiency. They were advantageous against flooding and elevated snowbanks, kept moisture from intruding into the home and destroying it, and improved insulation. All of these factors were important survival mechanisms that a raised floor helped provide.

But over time those survival mechanisms were less necessary and more optional, and people began to turn away from raised floor homes and build the traditional styles we see so often today. So if basic survival against the elements isn’t an important factor anymore, why are so many homeowners choosing the raised floor houses instead?

Protection from the elements is found in just about any well-built house, but raised floor homes provide more than 10 other noticeable benefits.

11 Benefits of Living in a Raised-Floor Home

Homeowners today expect more than just survival elements from their houses. They want value, style, comfort, and luxury as best as they can have within their budget. While they still focus on protection as the key reason for owning a home, there are many other benefits that can be tacked on as well, says Doug Anderson Property Management.

Raised floor homes are advantageous in many ways, including:

The foundational benefits. Starting from scratch about the advantages of a raised floor home means beginning with the foundation. Your home’s foundation needs to be stable enough to keep your house from shifting as the earth shifts around it. It also needs to be strong enough to hold the massive weight of your home and all of the contents inside of it.

Slabs can be harmed by many natural events, from shifting soils to excessive rain. Tree roots that grow under your house unseen can create cracks in your foundation, causing significant damage to your home.

When a foundation problem happens, it can be difficult to fix if the house is situated directly on the foundational slab. But with a raised foundation, problems can be addressed quickly and with less of an expense because your foundation is now easily accessible.

Ease of access for improvements. The raised floor home advantage doesn’t stop at fixing your foundation. Everything from plumbing to electrical installation and maintenance is now made much simpler since you can get to the pipes and lines with less difficulty. You can even get quick access to your cables and phone wires to upgrade to state-of-the-art technology.

Since it’s much easier to maintain your home’s utilities, there is less likelihood of them causing you problems that result in expensive repairs. You can monitor them or call in regular maintenance to check your systems for you. And when you’re ready to upgrade, your renovations will be less expensive and laborious.

Improved insulation. The Colonial-era homebuilders had it right from the beginning, so why fix a problem that’s not broken? The bare earth is cold and damp, and concrete slabs of cement don’t do much to insulate your home from these elements. But the wood used to create a raised floor insulates your home naturally.

When your home touches the concrete slab or bare earth, it is exposed to the moisture it comes into contact with. This moisture can create problems that spread throughout your house. The raised floor home, on the other hand, prevents this contact, reduces moisture problems, and keeps your floor warm and cozy.

Prevention from pests. When it gets cold or wet, insects and other pests want to be where it’s warm and dry. This means they are going to head to your house to make themselves at home uninvited if your home is on the ground.

Raised floor homes keep uninvited pests where they are supposed to be – on the ground. You have protection from common bugs like ants and roaches. Wood floors are the favorite food of termites, though, so be sure that you have your raised floor system treated for protection from these hazardous pests.

Flood deterrents. In many climates, flooding is a real concern. In the northern states, melting snow causes the ground to become saturated and floods are common. In the southern states, rainy seasons and dry soil cause properties to flood quickly and hurricane season brings dangerous storms with it each year.

Raised floors are a great way to avoid the problem of basic flooding and are commonly found in homes located around lakes and oceans. Choose a floor system that is waterproofed for extra security. For more about waterproofing and other foundational information, check out helitechonline.com.

The enhanced style for a return on your investment. Raised floor homes have an elegance that traditional houses can’t pull off. The wraparound porch complete with a rocking chair and welcoming decor out front is a classic – and a selling point. Your curb appeal will increase.

The raised floor style is an investment that adds to your home’s value. Not only is it stylish and classic, but it is advantageous, smart, and efficient. If you ever decide to sell your house, having a raised floor may increase your home’s value and the interest of buyers.

More square footage. A raised floor system means that you automatically have a porch around your house. You can choose to use this area as an extra living space and set up a welcoming front porch.

If you want to use your extra square footage for furniture, game rooms, entertainment, or other amenities, you can enclose your deck area with screens to prevent anyone else from accessing your possessions. Set up your grill and barbecue on a gorgeous evening or install an outdoor television or jacuzzi and relax. The possibilities are endless.

Better all-around enjoyment. With comfort being one of the key factors most people look for in a home, raised floors add the extra feeling of “coming home.” When your floor is lifted above the ground, your entire panoramic view changes. You can see farther, you feel more positive, and the comfort of your home becomes almost tangible.

You’ll also begin to notice health benefits with a raised floor home. Since you’re not walking almost directly on concrete, your spine will enjoy the comforts of your new home, too. Walking on your raised floor allows a little extra give instead of the constant pressure and intensity that comes with walking on a rock-solid surface.

More opportunities for your yard. When you’re landscaping a typical home, you may have to consider your concrete slab before planting trees and shrubs. You might even have to remove some trees that could end up causing damage to your foundation. But with a raised floor home, you have an entire world of choices that open up to you.

Adding trees to your property might not have been an option before, but now you can enhance your yard with beauty while also saving money, since trees offer a natural shade that can reduce your energy usage and carbon footprint.

Cost is a factor. If you are building your home yourself, you should consider the financial pros and cons of adding a raised floor, as well as the zone you are building in. Flood zones and slopes require certain codes to be met that might be less expensive if you use a concrete slab. The problem then becomes weighing the immediate cost of taking the cheaper route versus the potential for the expenses of damage to your house if a flood does occur.

Adding a raised floor requires the builder to set the foundation on posts and beams and then install the floor. But this increased price reduces the chances of flood or pest damage and decreased the potential need for foundation repairs due to cracked or shifting concrete and pipe damage.

Reduced construction time. Choosing a raised floor home over concrete when you’re building your house lets you avoid the hassle of waiting for the concrete of your foundation to be formed and cured. The dirt has to be hauled in and compacted, and any poor weather conditions can result in costly delays. But a raised floor is usually made from a pier-and-beam or pile foundation that can be constructed in nearly any weather.

When it Comes to Your Home, a Raised Floor is the Smart Option

With all of these advantages over a typical concrete floor home layout, it’s no wonder that so many new homeowners and homebuyers are choosing the raised floor option. Whether you’re looking for comfort, value, or anything in between, a raised floor home won’t disappoint you.
[…]
Home Improvements Before Winter
Building and Designing the Perfect Home
What are the Ways in Which Moisture Gets to The Crawl Space?

October 4, 2019

Ways to Maintain a Puffer Jacket

A puffer jacket always comes in handy during the autumn and winter seasons. It is a stylish way to go for adventures, dates and any other occasions you are invited to. You can pair it easily with denim pants and hiking boots and a hat for that hiking trip. Alternatively, you can layer it over a dress shirt with peep-toe heels for a coffee date look. However, it is important to take care and store your puffer jacket properly so as it serves you for long. Some of the challenges after going camping, hiking or on a coffee date with your puffer jacket that you may face are stains, tears, feathers poking out. And this affects how long your puffer jacket will serve you. As a great add on to your wardrobe, you must keep this jacket in top-notch condition. Here are some of the ways to maintain your puffer jacket to have it for many winter seasons.

Cleaning the puffer jacket

As an autumn must-have jacket. The puffer jacket is best maintained by knowing how to clean it. Understand the materials that were used to make your puffer jacket, and the fabric as well. This is by checking the label on the jacket to best know how to wash it. By going through the product description it will help you take important measures that will prevent any further damage. Well, most puffer jackets other than the silk-based ones are machine washable. They can also be washed by hand, however, separately from other clothes. Also, avoid harsh detergents like bleach and those that are highly scented. This will prevent any adverse effects on your puffer jacket’s technical functions.

Holes on a puffer jacket

Depending on where you were wearing a puffer jacket. It can get a tear or a hole in it. If this happens to use a seam sealer or fabric glue that will help attach the edges back together. This will repair your jacket hence maintaining it. Sometimes, it is a larger tear and this is best repaired by using tenacious tape, for it is affordable, in many forms and it gives your fabric a fresh look for you can customize the look too. You can buy the customized tenacious tape with animal characters, flowers starts to give your jacket a unique look. This is the best alternative that maintains your jackets in comparison to having to stitch a puffer jacket for it will create more holes eventually.

Handling messy spots

After hiking, shoveling the snow or doing some farm activities with your puffer jacket. Your puffer jacket from these strenuous activities can get some messy spots. Handling these troublesome spots effectively will help you maintain your jacket. For instance, grime and sweat is the most common. Therefore, you are required to wash using liquid detergent and water and after this solution is thoroughly dissolved. Spray the solution directly on stained spots and allow it to sit for half an hour. Do this in the specific areas then wash your puffer jacket to keep it clean and free off this troublesome spots. However, avoid soaking the puffer jacket as most would it is not necessary unless it is really dirty.

Feathers poking out

When feathers are poking out your puffer jacket. It is such a frustrating experience knowing how your trusty jacket serves you. Fortunately, stiff quills can easily return inside the jacket. This is done easily in a less complicated way to repair it. However, avoid pulling them out no matter how tempted you are, for it will create a bigger hole. To solve this problem and maintain your puffer jacket. Turn your puffer jacket on the opposite side and grip the feather from this side and tag it carefully back inside. Plus, it will help you minimize any damage to the exterior fabric of the jacket.

Storing a puffer jacket

Most people find storing a puffer jacket quite a challenge. However, there are some simple tips to follow to ensure that you store your jacket properly to maintain it longer. Firstly, you must clean your puffer jacket before you store it. Although you can wear it multiple times without washing. It is important in preparation for summer that you clean your puffer jacket before storage. Plus, do not stuff your jacket in a small space or wrapped in a plastic seal. It should air out and breathe in an open space. Otherwise, it will cause the feathers to clump into lumps and the jacket will lose its puffy effect. Cover the top of the jacket with a paper to prevent dust and light damage.

Machine washing techniques

To maintain the signature puffy look of this jacket. You need to know how to maintain the down and the air that they contain as well. Therefore, if you opt to wash it by machine and not hand. Push the jacket down to prevent it from floating. Ensure the water is warm not hot to avoid melting seams and the outer shell fabric through a wool cycle setting. For drying set to tumble use as delicate. Then for the redistribution of the jackets filling and preventing any clumping add a tennis ball to the dryer. Do this in half-cycles and then ensure you hang it in a well-ventilated area to prevent it from smelling stale.

In summary, by following the above-mentioned ways you are sure that your jacket is well maintained to serve you for several years. Whether your jacket is new or old keep it in good condition. If it is mishandled it will cause unevenness and lumps and also it decreases its insulation potential. This will lower its quality, function, and style. It is therefore important to avoid any mistakes that can destroy your puffer jacket at all costs. It is a simple task to maintain a puffer jacket with proper procedures. This will maintain them from one winter to another and it will last as an essential jacket during freezing weather.
[…]
This post has affiliate links, which means I might earn some cash if you click on a link, with no cost to you.

October 4, 2019

A Guide For The Summer Bride In Choosing Her Wedding Jewelry

If you are planning a summer wedding, you only have a couple of months, as we near the great Australian summer, and among other things, your thoughts will turn to your bridal jewelry. Of course, it is essential that you look your absolute best on your wedding day, and with that in mind, here are a few summer jewelry tips to help you plan the perfect sparkling accessories.

Choose The Dress First – You can’t accessorize something you haven’t chosen yet, so make sure you nail the dress in good time. The wedding gown is the cornerstone of your look, and once that is in the bag, you can begin to think about jewelry.

Image Source: Pexels

Don’t Overdo It – The bridal gown should always be the focus of the occasion, so keep the jewelry to a minimum. Check online for some stunning Brisbane wedding rings, and you can select a pair of earrings and a necklace that match the wedding ring. Elegant pearl drop diamond earrings are the perfect accessory, and they go well with any updo, but keep the diamonds to a minimum, as the wedding ring will surely have the sparkle factor.

Don’t Forget You Can Mix Old, Borrowed And New – Everything is game with summer bridal jewelry, so take a look at family heirlooms, mum’s jewelry collection, and don’t forget the pieces owned by your good friends, who would always be happy to lend a bracelet or necklace for such a special occasion. Friends can certainly help if you make a shortlist of jewelry items you are looking for, and they can send you images of specific items, which will help you to choose.

Image Source: Unsplash

Think About Skin Tone – Your skin tone should influence your choice of jewelry, with either gold or silver being the metal of choice. Don’t be afraid to add a touch of rich colour with some amber, emeralds or rubies, as this will add small touches of deep colour that match your skin tone. This is a time to ask a good friend for her honest opinion, and don’t be afraid to experiment. Silver goes well with medium to dark skin tones, while rose gold is the ideal choice for a lighter skin tone. There are articles you can find online on how to choose the right jewelry for your skin tone, which definitely is recommended readings for a bride-to-be.

Matching The Focal Jewellery Item – If you have a say in choosing the wedding ring, you can bear in mind the jewelry that you have, and in the event you have yet to acquire the wedding ring, check out the custom jewelers online, who would have an extensive catalog, and if you would like something unique, the jeweler can customize the ring. Buying the wedding ring from an online jeweler will also save you some money, as you are not paying extra for a ritzy retail outlet.

Image Source: Unsplash

Make sure you allow enough time for a full-on dress rehearsal, complete with hair, make-up and, of course, jewelry. Ask a good friend to advise, and after some experimentation, you should be able to nail the accessories, and get ready for what will be the most amazing day for you both!
[…]
Wedding Tips For The Special Day
4 Surprising Ideas for Your Wedding Reception
What You Need to Know for Planning the Perfect Wedding
Tips to Help You End Up with the Best Wedding Photographs
Planning Your Wedding, There Are New Options In Wedding Guest Books
This post has affiliate links, which means I might earn some cash if you click on a link, with no cost to you.