Jul3

Getting A Master’s: What You Need To Know

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Getting A Master’s: What You Need To Know

Are you considering getting your master’s or trying to work out whether you should? If this is the situation you’re in, then read on for three key areas to keep in mind:

Job Prospects:

First of all, one of the most important things for you to keep in mind is the job prospects that come with a master’s degree. Can you get your dream job without it? If so, do you need to get your master’s? If you do or you’ve got significant earnings potential with it, then go ahead.

Costs:

The next thing that you need to bear in mind here, is the cost. Because, as you’ll know, college can come with a hefty price tag. And so, you’ll want to make sure that one, you can afford it or have funding options, and that two, you’re happy to take on that much debt if you do. A cheaper college or shorter course could help you here.

Duration:

Finally, you’re then going to want to think about the duration of the course, too. Sure, you can get some year-long courses, but anything like law school is going to be a lot longer than that. And, of course, costs increase as a result. So, ask yourself, do you really want to go down that route? If you really want that career, then you may not have another choice. But if you take a look at the infographic below, you’ll find that a political management degree could be more beneficial. So weigh up your options!


Infographic Design By George Washington University

No matter your choice, consider it carefully and make sure that it is the right one for you.

 

Jul3

New Glass Letter Box

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New Glass Letter Box

Hi! I absolutely love receiving things in the mail, especially handwritten letters and birthday or holiday cards. I think that letter writing is a lost art and nothing makes me happier than seeing that someone took the time to sit down and write something just for me. I save all of my cards and letters from my loved ones but, sadly, have had nowhere to put them other than shoved in a drawer of my desk. But, that changed during my shopping session at the craft store, PatCatan’s! Check it out:

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When my client who I was shopping with pointed out how nice this would look in my apartment, I couldn’t agree more and instantly added it to my cart. Right away, it reminded me of the donation box that my grandparents had at the funeral home that they owned and operated. I remember spending many a times dropping made up “airplane tickets” into the box and then going to explore the magnificent property.

Although I won’t be dropping any travel tickets into my new treasure box any time soon, it sure will be perfect for putting my letters in it. I love that I will be able to still see everything in it. All of the signatures, colors, and handwriting will be on display which is just what I wanted but didn’t know how to achieve until finding this little beauty. It is definitely a nod to my funeral home chic aesthetic in my apartment and I can’t wait to fill it up with my card collection!

Do you save your mail from your loved ones? How do you store it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul2

Basic Traffic Boosting Strategies For Startups

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Basic Traffic Boosting Strategies For Startups

In the past, we’ve talked about merging traditional marketing with digital technology to boost your business’ online presence. While SEO is one of the most effective ways to get people to your site, it’s not the only way. In fact, there are other ways of boosting organic traffic, you just have to know what to do! Here, we list some basic Traffic Boosting strategies that aren’t too difficult to pull off:

Long-Tail Keywords:

With almost 50% of search engine queries coming from voice search, Google is starting to shift its focus towards long-tail keywords. Simply put, long-tail keywords are more like key phrases: they contain more words than traditional keywords and are usually much more specific.

For example, instead of typing down “best BBQ Texas”, users will more likely use their voice search and ask, in plain English, “What’s the best BBQ restaurant in Texas”. Because of advances in voice-recognition software over the past couple of years, Google and other search engines will be prioritizing the use of full sentences rather than chunky keywords.

This is good news for everybody: online companies will have to write more organic sounding content (which is always better than contrived pieces), and search engines are able to provide more accurate, more localized results (and even improve their Machine Learning algorithms in the process!).

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Wokandapix on Pixabay

Internal Links:

Basically, internal links are when you create content that has links to a different webpage within your webpage. Why is this important? Well, it all boils down to two things: bounce rate and page rank.

Bounce rate refers to the percentage of website visitors who navigate away from the website they’re visiting. A high bounce rate is bad news; it means your website is boring, it doesn’t add value to your readers, or it’s confusing, among other things. A low bounce rate, on the other hand, is good news: it means your website is interesting, easy to use, adds value, and a lot of other things that people will want to stay for.

Page rank is pretty self-explanatory: it’s the rank your website occupies in the search results of Google. The higher the rank, the higher the chances of your website garnering traffic, the higher your chances of converting leads. There are dozens of data signals Google uses to determine page rank, and one of them is, you guessed it, bounce rate.

So what do they have to do with internal links? Well, internal links drastically reduces your bounce rate, especially if the links you provide go to a page in your site that offers even more information (or value) to your visitors. This creates a positive feedback loop that reduces your bounce rate and increases the time people spend on your website which, in turn, gets you higher up the page ranks which, in turn again, drives traffic to your website.

If you are feeling overwhelmed at this point in the post, it is okay! There are a lot of information and skills that come with traffic boosting strategy and you might feel like you have no idea where to begin or lack the time to do so on your own. If this is the case for you, enlisting the help of Cold Digital Agency (or a similar company) can get your websites started on the right foot. This can allow you to fully focus on other aspects of your startup while leaving something you might not be as skilled at to the pros.

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Edho Pratama on Unsplash

Involving the Community:

Now that you have your internal links and keywords sorted out, it’s time to start reaching out to your community. Social media management is an important aspect of traffic-driving and, if done right, can mean a drastic uptick in website visits.

Managing a social media community is all about engagement, transparency, and prompt addressing of issues. This means talking to your customers through social media, whether it’s by commenting on their posts, replying to tags, or through instant messenger. For the latter, bots exist to address the most common concerns, but it’s always good to be on hand for any questions that you might not have programmed your chatbots to answer. Should you not have anyone on your staff that is up for handling social media, fear not. Social media management is a service offered through almost any Digital Marketing Agency and will have the skills to take your pages to the next level.

But, don’t limit yourself to social media! Find out which online forums your community hangs out in and start cultivating a positive image of yourself by posting value-adding content that isn’t spammy or kitschy. Just stick to forum guidelines and you should be okay.

Don’t forget to include not just the online community, but your local community too. For example, if you run an online crafting business, set a booth up at a vendor fair. Do you specialize in music? Find a professional in poster printing london (or your local area) and put them up around the city. There is something to be said for good old fashioned word of mouth marketing!

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William Iven on Unsplash

Build Those Links:

Speaking of community, it’s a good idea to start link building. Basically, link building is getting an external website (usually blogs) to host your content on their site with a hyperlink that can direct visitors back to your website. Simple, right? Well, yes and no.

Link building is a very effective way of driving traffic, if you do it properly. What is proper link building? It’s creating great, organic content that other website owners will have no problem hosting. What’s important is that this happens naturally, with no exchange of any kind of resources, whether monetary, favors, or even the website owner’s links. This is because Google hates it when you try to manipulate your page ranks in a non-organic way.

But not to worry: there are plenty of legitimate link building service providers who can help you build your links in a natural way for maximum traffic driving.

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DiggityMarketing on Pixabay

Remember This:

If every strategy above has gone way over your head, that’s okay! Plenty of business owners have no experience or know how when it comes to boosting organic website traffic. If this is the case for you, it is really worth thinking about outsourcing this task. When you enter a search for “Castle Rock Web Developer” (or your local area), you will be able to look into a developer that has the skills you need to help your website thrive. This can include SEO, digital marketing, updated content, and website maintenance. Take the time to research your options for the best fit for yourself and business needs.

Boost your traffic with the tips above and watch your website begin to blossom!

Featured Image By: Carlos Muza at Unsplash

Jul2

PatCatan’s Haul

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PatCatan’s Haul

Hellooo everyone! When my siblings and I were younger, I can always remember my mom taking us to the local craft store called PatCatan’s once summer vacation began. We would pick out different crafts and art supplies to keep us occupied and it has been our go to destination for those needs for over two decades.

Sadly, the store is being bought out by the bigger chain, Michael’s, and will be closing on September 30th. This is a major disappointment, because PatCatan’s is so well loved by everyone in my community. But, a huge haul because of the massive sale that they were having helped soften the blow. Take a look:

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I love nothing more than a good sale and everything that I purchased above was at least sixty percent off, making for maximum savings. I was able to get some early birthday presents for my bestie for a fraction of what I would have paid at Target. I just know that she will love her new throw blanket and the metallic pink mason jar filled with a bouquet of fresh flowers!

And, of course, lots of treats for myself were purchased, too. I indulged in a few things that I have always wanted, like the mermaid tail blanket and the wooden body model, which I will be displaying on my desk. The yellow parasol was also a must, too, as I am obsessed with my black one and have been using it often this summer.

I wasn’t expecting to find such cute accessories at a craft store and couldn’t say no to the hair clips, which I got for a dollar each and the blanket scarf for a whole five bucks! I am madly in love with the lip barrettes, which are so perfect and unique. I have worn them a few times already and the compliments have been pouring in. Such a fun new staple bought with pocket change!

I am so happy with all of my purchases above and I’d be a liar if I said that I didn’t want to hit up PatCatan’s again soon for some more shopping. I am hoping to get a head start on holiday gifts if I make another trip there, so we’ll see what happens!

Who else has had a good shopping haul lately? Where is your favorite place to shop for craft supplies? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul1

Orange You Glad For An OOTD?

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Orange You Glad For An OOTD?

Hellloooo everyone and welcome to an OOTD post brought to you by my BFF birthday outing at Sarah’s Vineyard. When it comes to summer OOTDs, it is so important to dress appropriately for the heat. And, for some, that just means shorts and a t-shirt. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! But, why settle for shorts when you can bust out a skirt or dress without wearing tights underneath! So easy with a breezy above AND below the kneesies, skirts and dresses are perfect for staying cool and still looking oh so chic.

The outfit below features my favorite summer staple that really packs a punch for styling made simple. Take a look:

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^^^ I had to throw that last picture in there! 😉

Who? What? Wear?

The great thing about a staple skirt is that you just throw it on, pair it with a crop top and killer shoes, and go. I absolutely adore my body con skort by Zac & Rachel featuring oranges, flowers, and polka dots for a combination that’s totally sweet and summer approved. The stark white fabric against such a bright pattern creates a delightful contrast and it screams fun in the sun… or at the winery!

Because the Zac & Rachel number is a statement in itself, the rest of the outfit didn’t need much for it to work. My go to black crop from Target hit just the right spot above the higher rise of the skirt for an enhanced hourglass shape. And, to create some more body magic, a pair of wedges were a must to give legs for days. I love my Carlos Santana wedges for a more leggy look because of the slingback strap, which doesn’t make an awkward cut off line and provides all the length, even on us short girls.

With a pattern as bold as the one on my skort, I didn’t want to go overboard with accessories. However, I loved the color combo of the oranges with my turquoise purse by Urban Expressions for a sunset style pairing. Big hoops, huge sunnies, and BOOM – you’ve got yourself a slammin summer OOTD.

How do you style a simple but chic summer look? How do you stay cool in your outfits when the warm weather hits? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun30

June 2019 Finishes

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June 2019 Finishes

Helloooo and happy last day of June to all of my darling readers! This month flew by and, for the most part, I really enjoyed myself despite a shitty break up. But, what can ya do? You blog about it and move on, of course! June is an exciting time because of my birthday on the seventh and I loved being able to celebrate with my friends and family throughout the month. The month of June for finishes was pretty lackluster, though, as I only finished two measly products! Take a look and let’s discuss:

june

Would I Use Again?

  • Garnier Micellar Water: YES
  • Alba Botanica Hawaiian facial wash: MAYBE

Why/Why Not?

Micellar Water: As per ushe, I finished my monthly bottle of micellar water that I use as a toner and makeup remover. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it and I will continue to have this product in my arsenal until something better comes along.

Alba Botanica cleanser: This face wash that I got from TJMaxx was fairly average. It smelled awesome compliments of the coconut milk but it was a bit too creamy for my liking. It did make my skin feel nice and hydrated but it wasn’t that great at removing makeup, which is what I like for my cleansers to do. However, this bottle lasted me over two months so it was a good value and if it were available at TJ’s I would consider buying it again.

As you can see, I didn’t have much to show for the month of June as far as empties go so I’m sure that July will be overflowing with finishes to discuss at the end of the month!

Which products did you use up this month? What are your thoughts on the above empties if you have used them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun29

Dear Evan Hansen Review

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Dear Evan Hansen Review

Howdy! This past weekend, I enjoyed an outing with an old theater friend, Sabrina, to see Dear Evan Hansen at Playhouse Square in Cleveland. Despite both of us not loving the musical, it was still a fun day filled with good food, drinks, and wonderful company. I was so happy when Sabrina invited me to see the show because our schedules never work well with each other so it was really nice to make up for lost time. As we are both theater nerds, we were able to have a great discussion about the show afterwards so here is what we thought as well as a brief synopsis (Without giving too much away!)

So, what you need to know about Dear Evan Hansen is the following: A troubled teen who is an outsider at school has homework from his therapist where he has to write letters to himself explaining why it’s going to be a great day. As Evan is printing his “homework” out in the library, an even more troubled teen named Conner snatches the letter and confiscates it after seeing his sister’s name in it. She just so happens to be the object of Evan’s affection but doesn’t know he exists.

A few days later, Conner commits suicide and the letter that Evan wrote is found in his pocket. A web of lies then begins because Conner’s parents obviously want to know who Evan is and he begins to spin a tale of how him and Conner were best friends. This quickly raises his popularity at school with the offset of The Conner Project and, suddenly, Evan exists because of his fake friendship with the kid who just died.

Okay, so the story line isn’t bad, but the writing and staging left a lot to be desired as well as lackluster performances from the cast as a whole. It was interesting to see the phenomenon of everyone instantly becoming “best friends” with someone who just passed. However, the main culprit of this was a girl named Alana and she was SO. FUCKING. ANNOYING. Omg, the scenes with her were just unbearable and I couldn’t stand it.

Another character who really didn’t do it for me was Evan’s mom. It was very tough to invoke sympathy for the mother of a struggling teen when she was so unlikable and all of her slow ballad songs felt lame and drawn out. Honestly, I didn’t feel any type of way about any of the characters because it just felt like they were there saying their lines and singing their songs and then the applause happened and it was on to the next scene. The play felt very disjointed and the flow was off.

A lot of this disconnect felt due to a poor choice in staging. It went from social media news feeds plastered all over moving walls and banners to a tiny room on a rotating circle in a matter of minutes. This felt very high school theater for a Broadway level show and didn’t create any visual interest on stage.

The quality of the script and songs just weren’t that good, either. A powerful message of looking out for the mental health of our teens was overshadowed by plot points that weren’t fully realized and writing that was subpar, at best. I understand that this show got a lot of hype but, frankly, I don’t understand why because I left the theater feeling very unsatisfied with the finale and the plot holes that never got filled.

I never say no to a night at the theater but, I think I could have passed on this one. I would rate Dear Evan Hansen with a five out of ten stars and I can’t say that I would recommend going to see it. If you’re into sappy teen musicals, though, I say go for it!

What were your thoughts on Dear Evan Hansen? What is your favorite musical? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: TrustArts

Jun28

Raising A Happy And Obedient Dog

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Raising A Happy And Obedient Dog

For most of us, our four legged companions are just that… A source of companionship. Indeed, just by existing they do a great deal for us. They cheer us up when we’re feeling down, they help us stay active and in shape, and they never ever forget to show us how much they love us. However, if we want to raise and train a dog to do a specific job, like rescuing us when we need them or simply to be well-behaved while walking them, we need to ensure a particular disposition. Dogs are, in many ways, just like children. While any child can learn virtually any skill in theory, parents need to create the right disposition for learning. Just as all children do not perform equally well at school, not all dogs are apt to learn the skills that could one say save your life.

Here we’ll look at some key factors in raising a happy and obedient dog that will rise to any challenge you set him or her with ease:

It starts with sourcing:

Where your pet comes from plays a huge role in its malleability and eagerness to learn. This is one of the reasons why it’s not advisable to buy puppies from a pet store. 90% of these come from puppy mills which, by necessity, churn out literally thousands of pups every year. Not only does this contribute significantly to an already colossal rehoming issue, dogs from this kind of background are more predisposed to psychological and emotional instability.

Your best bet is to determine which breed is best suited to your intended purpose and find a rescue group or breeder that puts the effort into raising healthy and happy pups. Take this breeder of chocolate lab puppies, for example. The website demonstrates not only outstanding knowledge but genuine care. They even have their own training school. Puppies who have been raised by loving and knowledgeable breeders from day one are likely to be well predisposed to human contact and quick to learn.

Never too young to learn:

Just like children, puppies are never too young to start learning the basic skills which will form a strong foundation for their further training. Obedience training with a qualified professional is a great investment if you want to give your dog the best possible start. Of course, if your budget is limited, there are ample resources out there that will teach you how to run obedience training yourself.

It’s essential to start teaching good habits to your pup as soon as possible. Many habits that are cute and endearing as pups like nibbling your fingers or jumping up to say hello can be barriers to learning for adult dogs.

Socialize, socialize, socialize:

As well as learning, socialization should take place at a young age, too (as soon as the vet deems your dog ready). This will help them to deal with the spontaneity and unknown variables of the outside world. It will help them to understand that new sights, sounds, and smells are normal and nothing to worry about. This will give your dog the confidence and easy nature that makes a great service dog.

Brain food:

Could we achieve great things on a diet of heavily processed cheese burgers, potato chips, and soda? Probably not. The building and consolidation of physical and cognitive skills starts with good nutrition. If you want to get the most out of your dog, it’s imperative that they get the right brain food in their diets that allows them to excel.

Choose a dog food that is high in omega 3 oils which are just as beneficial for cognitive function in dogs as they are in humans. You should also choose foods that are high in antioxidants to protect the brain from damage caused by free radicals. A well nourished dog is far more likely to be obedient, calm, and happy.

Consistency is key:

Finally, it’s absolutely essential to be consistent when training your dog. You love your dog, but you can show them how much you love them without indulging them. Allow them to get away with things or ignore you once or twice in their early years and it will be more difficult to train them effectively later on.

Featured Image By: V via PxHere

Jun28

Friendly Reminder: DON’T TOUCH ME!

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Friendly Reminder: DON’T TOUCH ME!

Helloooo everyone! This past weekend, I had a late birthday outing with my BFF, Lea, to Sarah’s Vineyard. They were having a summer solstice event the day we happened to go and it was a blast! We enjoyed doing wine tastings and both got a big ol’ sangria to drink while we caught up with each other.

Everything was going just SWELL and it was so nice to be able to hang out Lea because it had been way too long. While we were chit chatting, I thought I felt a bug on my leg, so I turned around quickly to discover it was some woman bent down near my derriere and touching the back of my thighs. When I loudly said “can you NOT?” she replied with “I was just trying to look at your tattoos”. I told her not to touch me and she got all attitudey with “well FINE I won’t look at them” and blah, blah, blah.

It was such an off putting situation to be in and I was left feeling pretty gross. I am used to the dirty looks that I get as a heavily tattooed woman (I have over forty, I think!), but I have never been touched before by a random stranger and especially in such an inappropriate area. Honestly, I just wanted to shove the girl away from me but I kept my cool and remained calm during the situation. However, if she would have continued to bother me, then trust and believe there would have been an issue.

It is NEVER okay to touch anyone without their consent and please remember that those of us with body mods are nine times out of ten NOT OKAY with being touched whether that be on our piercings or tattoos. We are not here to be ogled at and poked and prodded like some kind of circus side show. I thought that this should be an obvious thing, but APPARENTLY NOT! Je-sus. *massive eye roll*

What is something that people bother you about in public? How do you deal with it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun27

Shaving Secrets

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Shaving Secrets

Hi! During my late birthday outing to a winery with my BFF, she commented on how smooth my legs are. Through BFF telepathy, we both shaved the night before our hang out and my legs were definitely a lot smoother in comparison to hers. She asked for my secrets and also looked through my bathroom once we went to my apartment to see my shaving supplies, lol!

After bequeathing my knowledge onto her, I realized that this would make a great blog post. So, here I am to share my tips for the closest shave ever with you!

Use a men’s razor:

You have not experienced a close shave until you’re using a men’s razor. I swear by the razors by Gilette and refuse to use anything different. Men’s razors are designed to give as close of a shave humanly possible for their face as well as to move around gently on the contours. So, it just makes sense that it would work amazingly for the rest of the body, too!

I feel like women’s razors are made to just go in straight lines on the legs but the human body is not perfectly straight. There’s curves and bumps and muscles and a terrain on the body that doesn’t make it that simple. Men’s razors have a lot more movement to them to get all of those difficult areas effectively. Ditch your women’s razor and see an immediate difference just from that.

Take a soak:

I only will shave after I have had a nice soak in the tub. The warm water relaxes the skin and makes your hair stand up, which makes for an easier shaving experience. I enjoy a weekly bath every Friday night with a glass of wine and my music to help unwind after a long work week. There is just too much room for error if you shave in the shower and a bath time shave lets me know that I haven’t missed any spots. No one likes random hairy patches!

Use an exfoliater:

Instead of using a shaving cream, I treat my legs and any other areas of my body that I shave to an exfoliater. It helps loosen up the hair follicles, removes any dead or dry skin, and really helps prep your body for a shave. I used to love the more gel-like scrubs from The Body Shop but, after using a cream based one, I don’t plan on using anything different. Gels and shaving creams dry the skin out but a rich, creamy scrub moisturizes the skin as you go along and provides a much closer shave.

Lotion up:

And, finally, using lotion after you shave is a must. I will cover my whole body in lotion (I like Jergen’s!) after my bath, put on a long sleeved pajama top and bottoms, and then sleep in it for all night moisturizing. When I wake up, my skin is so silky smooth and I don’t feel any type of prickles growing back. And, on the subject of moisturizing – make sure you use a cream based body wash to avoid your skin from drying out, which doesn’t help the cause of smoothness, either.

With my shaving routine, I don’t see any type of noticeable hair growth on my body until at least day four. And, at that point, my bath night is close enough that I can handle a little prickle until then!

What are your shaving secrets? How do you stay smooth in between shaves? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: Rebel Circus