Sep4

Spur Your Creativity With A Photography Hobby: Here’s How

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Spur Your Creativity With A Photography Hobby: Here’s How

In an effort to become a more wholesome and interesting person in the world around you, it’s likely that you’ll find the need to be creative as high on the list of new things to try. One of the most popular and easy to begin methods of doing so is to pick up a photography hobby. This is a discipline that is totally easy to begin, but incredibly difficult to master. What’s more is that because the art is so subjective in terms of what makes a good photograph, that learning more can be difficult and frustrating. But much like creative disciplines, such as writing, there is a “good” and a “bad” way to go about your practice. If you wish to write but can’t write in a way in which the people around you can interpret it, your years as a professional writer are likely numbered, if not nonexistent.

Luckily, there does exist solid methods for overcoming these difficulties relating to photography. Remember, beginning a creative discipline never demands that you are a master of the art. It simply demands that you try, keep pushing your comfort zone, and also attempt things that help you feel happy and sustained within the hobby. Because if you can’t do that, then why bother picking it up in the first place? The following tips will help you continue your newly found passion with a sense of interest and progression:

Anyone Can Start: Many people think that in order to begin photography you need to make a huge financial investment in the equipment. This is simply not true. Smartphones these days often have cameras capable of taking pictures in 4K and also come loaded with compositional lenses built into the software of the camera.

Of course, this is no substitute to a quality SLR camera with actual lenses, but it can help you start and get an idea for framing well. Taking pictures, no matter the device which is used is more of a matter of personal taste and ambition than what lenses you use. The effect is all that matters. It’s unlikely that while attending a photography gallery you’ll hear people complimenting the use of lenses. It’s usually the achieved effect which is the most important, so don’t feel stifled by a lack of equipment just yet, especially in the early days.

Study Skilled Photographers: Skilled photographers are a dime a dozen, so it’s worth looking at people who have managed to make it their career or working passion. For example, artists such as Peter Lik have crafted an interesting niche for themselves by taking stunning landscape photography, selling his work for millions. It’s important to understand just how great and motivational this can be. You should never be in photography for the profit motive, as you’re likely to be disappointed until you can truly call yourself a master of the craft. However, seeing the best examples around can help you feel inspired to truly dare to take the best shots awaiting you. See your life through the lens as these folks do, and you may even train your eye to take in the world around you much more perceptively.

A budding photographer worthy of fame and recognition may wait inside of you. But you’ll only know if you’re willing to practice and fail. Good luck!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Sep4

Cinnamon Hot Chocolate Recipe

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Cinnamon Hot Chocolate Recipe

Hi everyone and happy Monday! Today’s post for my Falling For Fall guest bloggers series is a delicious Cinnamon Hot Chocolate Recipe by the darling Elle from Make It Blaine. Please be sure to check out her page and give it all the lovin! A huge steaming mug of hot chocolate is a fall favorite for many so let’s get to Elle’s recipe so that you can make some of your own the next time you get the autumn evening chills:

Cinnamon Hot Chocolate Recipe

  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (or however much you want)
  • 2-3 cinnamon sticks or cinnamon bark
  • whipped cream (optional)

First, pour your milk into a pot to heat on the stove and stir on low heat for 2-3 minutes. Stir in your cocoa powder until it’s completely dissolved. Next, pop in your cinnamon sticks and let the mixture simmer for 5-7 minutes. Take out the cinnamon sticks and pour into a mug (A cute one, if possible!).

Now it’s time for toppings! I personally like whipped cream with cocoa powder or cinnamon sprinkled on top but you can add whatever you want. I also like to make my own whipped cream by whisking whipping cream because then it doesn’t melt and tastes way better! Adorable mugs in autumnal colors doesn’t hurt and, last but not least, a straw to sip through.

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I hope you enjoyed reading!

-Elle xoxo

Thank you so much to Elle for teaching us her favorite fall hot chocolate recipe! Freaking yummm. What is your favorite fall beverage? What is your favorite fall flavor? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep4

Safeguarding Your Dog’s Health

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Safeguarding Your Dog’s Health

Looking after a dog is no easy task. Even if you’ve nailed the art of showing them love and affection, given that this part always comes naturally to dog lovers and owners, there’s still the practical aspect of looking after your dog to consider. Through no intentional fault, many dog owners make mistakes when it comes to looking after their fluffy little companion and might be neglecting certain aspects of their dog’s health that will cause problems for their best friend in later life. If you don’t want to see your woofing buddy fall ill or generally suffer from poor health, then here are some tips to help stop that from happening in the first place:

Food: Dogs are just like us. That’ll be the general theme of this article and it’s true in many ways. When it comes to health, the same things that keeps our bodies in good shape are SAMESIES for dogs. One of the most important aspects of your dog’s lifestyle is the food that he or she eats. You should be feeding them a consistent diet and keeping most human foods well away from them; chocolate is a definite no-no! Healthy, natural, and organic foods are always the best way to go with dogs. You might want to check out some homemade dog foods that we’ve talked about before if you’re thinking about switching pet foods.

Disease: Dogs experience diseases, infections, colds, and other forms of sickness just like humans, but they’re definitely more prone to them than us; they don’t live a hygienic life, even if you brush their teeth and bathe them. They’re animals that are born to be wild. You might want to look into flea and tick medication from companies such as Pet Action so that you always have some on hand for the likely event that your dog gets them. Dogs are always running into problems like this because of their lifestyle spent jumping around in the garden and getting muddy on long dog walks.

It’s very important that you don’t overlook any warning signs such as itching or a general decline in their mood. These signs can all be indicative of an underlying problem, and it will usually be something like fleas or ticks. Of course, if you’ve tried all that you can to help your dog when they’re unwell and they still seem “off”, then you might have to accept that your diagnosis is wrong and head off to the vet to find out what’s actually going on with your pet.

If you notice that you dog is limping or has a specific area of discomfort, get to the vet immediately. The longer this goes on, the more serious and painful for your pet it could become. Should this problem be a fracture or dislocation, your vet will recommend an appointment at Moores Orthopaedic Clinic (or a similar practice in your local area). Remember that certain breeds of dogs might be more prone to issues with their spines or hips so do your research to ensure you are using the best preventative measures. Whatever the case, it’s important not to leave any problem unchecked; if your dog seems unwell, then don’t wait it out.

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Omg. :*)

Age: As your dog gets older, they’ll run into health problems more frequently. It’s nature, at the end of the day, but that doesn’t mean that you should let your dog age disgracefully. There’s certainly a lot that you can do to keep them in optimal health conditions. More frequent visits to the vet would be a good start. You want to keep on top of any problems that they might be having before they develop into anything serious or noticeable. You’ll also want to help them take things more easily; leisurely walks rather than strenuous ones, for example.

Looking after your dog like you would for any member of your family will surely result in a long and happy life for man’s best friend!

Adorable Featured Image By: Pexels

Sep3

Falling For Autumn Nail Art

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Falling For Autumn Nail Art

Hello everyone and happy Sunday!! As all of you know, Lil Red loves pretty nails, but is far from adequate at doing them on my own. While I opt for my talon style acrylic nails, there are ladies like the lovely Sandra from Finger Candy who can create gorgeously designed nails at ease. Sandra was kind enough to create three different tutorials on how to DIY beautiful autumn themed nails and I am so excited to share them with you on my page. Take a look:

Falling For Autumn Nail Art

Hello there, friends! Coming at you today from the brave new world of guest blogging, brave as in Sarah trusting me enough to write something for her that won’t embarrass us all? 😉 It’s really quite the exercise in trust, and I don’t intend to let Lil Red, kind hostess that she is, down…particularly since I have a mess of fun fall nail art to share with you, and I know you’re going to want to get in on that action. (You couldn’t embarrass me if you tried, darling! -Sarah)

“Woah, woah, woah,” you may be saying to yourself. “Nail art? Like, dangling pendants and jewels and stuff?” Well, sometimes – nail art is nothing if not deeply excessive. One of its many charms (ba dum chhhhhh)! But nail art can also be simple, and often all the more stunning for it. It’s just a nice little bonus when a manicure doesn’t take two hours and twenty different tools.

The following three tutorials cover a trio of easy nail art looks that are perfect for the upcoming fall season – dotted, multi-color leaves, a sponged-on blanket of leaves carpeting the forest floor, even a bit of that cold November Rain that the forecasters are always wailing on about.

“But that looks like so many polishes!” you also may be thinking to yourself (My, aren’t we chatty today?). True, eleven polishes across three manicures does seem like a lot, but they’re all fairly basic colors and finishes, and readily available at your local drugstore or beauty supply shop – no hard-to-find and/or expensive indies on this list. So feel free to deviate from the specific polishes that I’ve shown here (Which you’ll find at the bottom of this post.). In fact, I’d prefer it if you did, as some of these polishes have seen better days and may no longer be in production. So grab any old red, green, or yellow that you already have on hand, and don’t feel wedded to my choices; there’s no wrong answers here.

Having said all that, you will need a fine detail brush, a palette onto which to dab your polishes (I use the back of a plasticized DVD case, although the back of a plastic baggie also works very well.), a small-to-medium sized dotting tool, and three cosmetic sponges. Those points are non-negotiable, I’m afraid. 🙂

Tutorial - Tools Collage

Marbled Leaves Nail Art Tutorial

Tutorial - Dotted Leaves

These fun dotted nails utilize a technique that I like to think I came up with myself where you blend two different polishes together and then dot them onto your nails to create a cool marbled look. It’s a neat trick that lends itself well to fall’s bounty of multi-colored foliage.

For this mani, you’ll need your dotting tool, a cream or nude-colored base, and polishes in red, orange, yellow, grass green, forest green, and glittery gold.

Step 1: Paint your nails to opacity with a cream, off-white, or nude polish. Let dry.

Step 2: Dab a small blob of red and then yellow polish out onto your palette. Dipping your dotting tool first into the red polish and then into the yellow (or vice versa, it doesn’t really matter), dot the mixture onto your nails, two or three dots per nail.

Step 3: Repeat with a mixture of the yellow and grass green polishes.

Step 4: Repeat again with a mixture of the orange and forest green polishes.

Step 5: And then repeat again with the red and orange polishes. A little overlap will occur – that’s okay! You want these little marbled dots to look like layered drifts of crunchy autumn leaves, so the dots are bound to touch.

Step 6: Repeat the dotting (Last time, I promise!) with a mixture of the forest green and yellow polishes. Then, dabbing a small blob of the glittery gold polish out onto your palette, dip your dotting tool into the polish and apply to any spots that need a bit of filling-in or brightening-up, three or four dots per nail. Once dry, top with a high gloss topcoat and you’re good to go.

November Rain Nail Art Tutorial

Tutorial - November Rain

I can’t hear the words “November Rain” without wanting to immediately sprint into the desert in a lo-sho lace wedding gown and get hitched to some dude who looks better in floral spandex pants than I do. The ’90s were a confusing time, kids! But these striking nails are straightforward enough, and so very pretty.

For this manicure, you’ll need your detail brush, a black or very dark grey base, and polishes in light grey and shimmery silver.

Step 1: Paint your nails to opacity with the black or dark grey polish. Let dry.

Step 2: Dab a small dot of the light grey polish out onto your palette. Dip your detail brush into the polish. Holding the brush at a downward angle, swipe the polish onto your nails from the top right to the bottom left with a short flicking motion. It’s okay, even preferable, if the little slashes don’t look too “done” – you’re going for that sleeting rain kind of look, after all.

Step 3: Dab a small dot of the sliver polish out onto your palette. Then following the technique laid out in Step 2, add short, silver slashes to your nails just below the light grey slashes. You don’t want to cover the grey completely, merely enhance it. Once dry, top with a high gloss topcoat.

Forest Floor Nail Art Tutorial

Tutorial - Forest Floor

Finally, we have a fun, sponged-on manicure that mimics the kaleidoscope of rich autumn leaves that blanket a forest floor. Or your front lawn if you’re lucky enough to live in a lushly leafy climate like mine (Ontario, Canada, if you’re curious.). The other nice thing about these nails is, with the exception of the yellow and the addition of a medium brown, I used all of the same polishes as I did in the first manicure.

For this mani, you’ll need three cosmetic sponges, a cream or nude-colored base, and polishes in red, brown, grass green, orange, and forest green.

Step 1: Paint your nails to opacity with a cream, off-white, or nude polish. Let dry.

Step 2: Dab a small blob of brown polish out onto your palette. Taking one of your cosmetic sponges, dip it into the polish and dab it up and down a couple of times to remove any excess. Then, sponge the polish onto your nails, one little patch per nail (Or more if your nails are longer than mine, which would be pretty much everyone!) If the sponged-on bits look too light, that’s fine, you can always add more. But much like salting your food, you can’t remove too much, so sponge lightly to start, and then go over any bare spots again if you feel that it’s necessary.

Step 3: Repeat with the grass green polish.

Step 4: Repeat again with the red polish.

Step 5: And again with the forest green polish.

Step 6: And then one last time with the orange polish.

Step 7 (top photo): Dab a small dot of the glittery gold polish out onto your palette. Dip the last remaining clean side of one of your cosmetic sponges into the polish and lightly sponge all over your nails for that extra pretty fall twinkle. Let dry and then top with a high gloss topcoat.

So there we have her, friends, three cool, not-too-brutally-difficult nail art looks perfect for the upcoming fall season. If any of you try these manicures for yourself, I’d love to see your results! Finally, thanks to Sarah, Lil Red, for temporarily hosting Finger Candy in her little corner of the virtual sky; Tis a pleasure to be your neighbor. 🙂

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Polishes Used:

  • Essie Cocoa Karma (brown) and Pretty Edgy (forest green)
  • KB Shimmer Chilly Pepper (red)
  • OPI My Vampire is Buff (cream) and My Signature is “DC” (shimmery silver)
  • Orly Bling (glittery gold)
  • Pure Ice Wild Thing (grass green) and Show Stopper (yellow)
  • Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Show Steel-er (light grey)
  • Wet n’ Wild Sunny Side Up (orange)
  • Zoya Genevieve (dark grey)

Weren’t those tutorials absolutely fabulous?! A million thanks, again, to Sandra of Finger Candy for sharing her nail art talent with lifewithlilred for my Falling For Fall guest bloggers series. What is your favorite Sandra original design? Are you going to try out any of these styles? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep2

Pinterest Inspired Fall DIY

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Pinterest Inspired Fall DIY

Hello everyone and welcome to a super cool arts and crafts post made by the darling Sandra of Lifestyle.UA! I am really excited about this post because Sandra went through the trouble of making a video for my Falling For Fall series of how to create some gorgeous fall crafts, which has never been done on lifewithlilred before. Sandra will give you the step by steps on how to create a lovely candle and fall dream board for all of your DIY pleasure. Take a look:

Pinterest Inspired Fall DIY

Hello! Autumn is coming soon so it’s time to get ready. I have prepared two easy DIYs for all of you to decorate your homes with during the fall. My video will start with the Cinnamon Candle and then will move on to the Ombre To Do List Board. You will need the following materials listed below. Happy crafting!
What I used for the Cinnamon Candle: 
1. 3 candles
2. a pot
3. cinnamon
4. spices and dried flowers or fruits
What I used for the Ombre To Do List Board:
1. acrylic paint (white, red, orange)
2. a white board
3. hot glue
4. rope
5. a pen
And here is a step by step video of how to create them:

Have fun!
BLOG //https://sandracherryblog.wordpress.com/
INSTAGRAM // @diy_lifestyle.ua and @sandrachery
FACEBOOK // http://www.facebook.com/lifestyle.ua
Tumbr: Sandra Cherry “
Thank you so much again to Sandra for creating such fun crafts for my readers! How do you DIY in the fall? Are you crafty or craft store catastrophe? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Sep1

Autumn Layers Wish List

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Autumn Layers Wish List

Hello everyone and welcome to a post in my Falling For Fall series compliments of Sycamore from SavageStyle. When the seasons change, it is so smart to create a wish list of the things that you need (and want!) to accommodate the weather in your area. Wish lists can stop you from the over spending that comes with buying clothes and accessories that you may not necessarily need, so that you can have some extra cash to splurge for the items that you’re lusting over, instead. Today, we’re going to look at Sycamore’s wish list for her fall wardrobe:

Autumn Layers Wish List

Vogue’s September issue just landed in my mailbox, and the stores (both brick-and-mortar and online) are full of velvet, wool, and leather boot lusciousness; it’s evident that Autumn is drawing near.

This season always stirs up excited nostalgia for me. I guess it probably stems from a mix of going back to school – and the new wardrobe that came with it – seeing all of the new Fall collections, and DEFINITELY my memories of layering up and stalking coffee shops on the high streets of London to caffeinate & steal a cigarette with my classmates before Art History class.

It’s the season that makes me wistful for stashing an umbrella in my purse, riding the tube to the Eastside and back, getting forever lost in the streets, and relinquishing my sorrows in a new pair of kid leather gloves from Selfridges. Not to mention that lovely contrast of sipping a hot coffee while walking through crisp evening air and the crunching leaves beneath my boots.

While I will always have a place in my heart for bohemian florals and that “easy breezy” vibe (I am a sun sign, after all), the current over-saturation of that look has got me yearning for something edgy, new, and layered.

I saw Atomic Blonde recently, and it sparked my first craving for colder weather. Charlize Theron wore so many great looks in that film, but I think the one that takes the cake is this look from the kitchen fight scene:

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 You go, girl!

Knee-high boots and mini skirts are one of my favorite cold weather combinations. It’s all the sexier when you add garter socks, a giant sweater, coat, and gloves on top. This is how you do fall/winter French girl sexy – you only have a few inches of skin showing but that goes a long way!

Some of the new pieces on my wish list this season are:

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               Prada fur-trimmed wool-blend coat (mytheresa.com)

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Isabel Marant Heina printed mini skirt (M’oda ‘Operandi)

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  Zara sweater with contrasting cuffs

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Stuart Weitzman Alljill over the knee boot (Nordstrom)

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MONSE shearling bomber with belts (M’oda ‘Operandi)

layer7.jpgZara short sleeve sweater

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Courrèges wool multi-color mini skirt (M’oda ‘Operandi)

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  Tibi Alexis boot (M’oda ‘Operandi)

layer10.jpgThis whole look from Zara

It’s still pretty hot here in LA, so I don’t think that I’ll be layering up for another month or two, but at least that means I have ample time to plan. I hope I’ve inspired you during the colder weather to create some layered looks of your own!

Xx~ Sycamore

Thank you so much again to Sycamore of SavageStyle for sharing her Autumn Layers Wish List with us! What is on your cold weather wish list? What store supplies most of your fall wardrobe? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image From: Atomic Blonde with Charlize Theron

Sep1

DIY Lies That You Should Never Listen To

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DIY Lies That You Should Never Listen To

DIY work is something that everyone has tried at some point in their lives. Perhaps you have tried to put together a fence in the garden or maybe attempted to repair something in the kitchen. Some are successful…. some aren’t. DIY success depends on a number of different factors, but there is one major source of information that everyone attempts to follow when they’re presented with a broken appliance or issue: the internet.

The internet is full of useful facts, information, and tutorials that can teach us everything from how to dance to how we can use cardboard boxes as furniture. It goes without saying that the internet is a valuable learning resource, but there’s one problem that far too many people overlook; is the information even credible?

With so many articles and blogs on the internet, it can sometimes be hard trying to discern if something is true or false. In this article, we’ll be going through some of the most common lies that people tell you about DIY and why they’re false. This is to prevent you from making bad decisions when it comes to home repairs and also to alert you about the dangers of false information on the internet.

DIY Is Cheaper Than Calling A Contractor:

Perhaps the biggest flaw in this way of thinking is that DIY is the cheaper option. This assumes that you already have all of the tools and materials to do whatever repair or renovation that you want. And we all know that this can be expensive! Let’s assume that you want to repair a leaking pipe in your bathroom. Not only do you need to purchase the right tools for the job, but you also need to purchase the materials, such as piping, and it needs to be cut to size and shaped appropriately. Add in the additional cost of delivery and you’re going to be paying more than it would cost to hire someone to repair it for you. If you look at plumbing services, such as www.alltex-plumbing.com, you’ll find that it’s actually fairly cheap to hire a contractor. Compare this to the cost of learning something, purchasing the tools, and getting the materials and you’ll see how much cheaper it actually is.

DIY Is Easy to Learn:

DIY is never easy to learn. Among all of the articles that you might read and tutorial videos that you can watch, there’s going to be some information missing. Most of those people usually aren’t qualified teachers, which means that they aren’t exactly the best at explaining things. In addition, experience is what makes a good contractor and unless you have a large supply of broken appliances to fix, it’s difficult to get enough practice in. Small DIY projects can be fun and fulfilling, but larger repair projects should be left to the pros.

In short, DIY is not easy to learn and it’s not cheap, either. If you’re absolutely certain about learning DIY, then you can check websites, such as https://www.familyhandyman.com/skills, to get more information. Just be warned; you need to dedicate yourself to DIY if you really want to get something out of it. And all of the Pinterest projects will be waiting for you when you’re ready!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Aug31

Protecting Your Home From A Hurricane: 3 Crucial Steps To Take

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Protecting Your Home From A Hurricane: 3 Crucial Steps To Take

I’m sure everyone has seen the devastating scenes from Texas in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. It’s a truly tragic event that’s left so many homes destroyed and people on the streets. While this particular hurricane was a ‘100-year storm’ it does make us open our eyes and wonder if we’re prepared for any other hurricanes that might hit our homes. Trying to limit the damage to your home is crucial, and there are a few key steps that you can take to keep your property in the best shape possible when natural disasters hit your area:

Secure Your Roof:

Your roof is one of the parts of your house that suffers worse than most. When the heavy rains pelt down and the winds come roaring, it’s normally your roof that takes the brunt of the force. Not only that, but your roof can easily be damaged due to the way that it’s made. Roof tiles can be blown off or shattered, which will lead to severe leaks and a whole lot of property damage.

What you need to do is secure your roof properly. The first way to do this is by checking all of the tiles and ensuring that your roof is in good condition. If not, you should have dodgy tiles replaced or maybe a whole new roof fitted. As you can see with this roofing contractor, there are loads of different materials that you can build a roof out of. Pick one that you know is extremely durable and weather resistant. While you’re at it, get some hurricane straps, too, so you can keep your roof even more secure.

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Is your roof as secure as possible?

Block Any Gaps:

It’s very common for windows and doors to have tiny gaps in their sealant that can let in drafts of cold air or bits of rainwater. Normally, you don’t notice this, but you will when a storm hits. So, you must block any gaps and secure your windows and doors. Put a fresh layer of sealant around all of your windows to ensure that the wind doesn’t sneak in or rain doesn’t cause leaks. The same goes for your doors, too. You might also want to look into hurricane proof windows for further security and peace of mind if a hurricane hits. Any extra protection is priceless.

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Keep everything sealed tight!

Keep Your Front & Back Yards Bare:

Finally, it’s a good idea to limit what you have outside of your house. By this we mean; outdoor tables/chairs, a kid’s playhouse, garden tools, etc. This is because hurricane winds can blow them into your house and cause damage. When hurricane season hits, it’s best to move everything into indoor storage. Also, think about trimming down the trees that are in closest proximity to your home for extra security.

If you know that hurricanes are common in your area, follow these steps right away to get yourself prepared. And, as always, our thoughts are with everyone whose life has been turned upside down by Hurricane Harvey.

Featured Image By: Bit.ly

Aug31

New England Fall Fun

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New England Fall Fun

Hello everyone and welcome to another fabulous post in my Falling For Fall series compliments of the sweet Ashley from Ashley Beth Beauty! One of the most well traveled areas in the US when fall time hits is New England. The beauty of the leaves changing on thousands of trees makes it an obvious travel spot, so what better way to learn more about New England than from a local?! Today, Ashley will be telling us about some amazing places to visit on your next NE vaca:

New England Fall Fun

Hey everyone! Today I’m going to talk about some different activities to do during your visit to New England this fall. From leaf peeping to apple picking and learning about the history of early America, there are many activities to do here, like the following:

New Hampshire’s White Mountains: If you want the ultimate fall experience in New England, visit the Omni Mount Washington Resort. It is in the heart of New Hampshire and there are plenty of activities for everyone to enjoy. The hotel itself is absolutely beautiful with the most breathtaking views. Since you are in the middle of Mount Washington, there are great hiking trails nearby with difficulty levels ranging from beginner to expert. If you have little ones, check out Story Land or Santa’s Village, which are both theme parks with shows, rides, and attractions. Another option is the Cog Railway. It is a three hour round trip train ride that will bring you to the top of Mount Washington. Talk about leaf peeping!

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Salem, Massachusetts Witch Trials: The Salem Witch Trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Salem, Massachusetts in the 1600s. Now the town of Salem brings the history and stories of these people to life. You can visit everything from the Salem Witch Museum to the historic House Of The Seven Gables. These are amazing activities for the history buffs, all while experiencing the beautiful foliage of Massachusetts. This city is located on the coast so you can learn a little history, shop, and check out Pickering Wharf.

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Vermont Maple Syrup Tour: Sugarbush Farm in Woodstock, VT is a 550 acre farm, which is run by the Luce family. You can visit this farm and learn about the process of making and collecting maple syrup. They also make cheeses that you are welcome to sample. Not only do you learn a lot at this farm, but the views are absolutely amazing. You can hike along the trails and the ride up to Vermont is just gorgeous. Visit here during the fall, and the leaves and clear sky will make for great photos and memories. Check out their website for more information at http://www.sugarbushfarm.com !

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Hope you all are inspired to take a fall trip to New England!

Xoxo

ashley beth

Thank you so much again to Ashley from Ashley Beth Beauty for providing us with some fabulous New England travel info! Where is your favorite spot to visit in the fall? How does the area that you live in embrace autumn? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: Playbuzz

Aug31

Signs That It’s Time To Leave Your Job

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Signs That It’s Time To Leave Your Job

It’s easy for us to get used to our jobs and maybe even feel content with them, to the detriment of our future advancement. Just because a job is easy and it’s pleasant doesn’t mean that is is the right place for you to be. While there’s nothing wrong with staying at a job because it’s easy and we know what we’re doing, it can lead to complacency, and you might still be there ten years down the line when all of your colleagues have moved on to bigger and better things.

To avoid being trapped by complacency, here are some sure signs that it’s time to move on from your current job:

Your Life Is The Status Quo: If you’ve been doing the same job with the same routine every day for so long that you can’t even remember when it started, it might be time to look elsewhere to start really building a career. If promotions in your current place are hard to come by and you haven’t been considered despite being more than qualified, chances are you could definitely do better. And who doesn’t want to spice up their life a little>

You’re Never Given Feedback: Feedback, both positive and negative, is important for your development. If you don’t know what you’re doing right and which things could be improved upon, you’ll never be able to grow into the best professional that you can be.

Your Bosses Are Being Difficult: If after all of the hard work and dedication you’ve put into building their business, your bosses are so difficult that you have to see a workers compensation lawyer or they put you on probation because you had to take a few days out to look after a sick family member, take it as a clear nudge to get out. It’s rarely worth sticking with a company that doesn’t value you, especially when you’re only doing it because the work is easy or it’s a little more convenient for you.

There’s A Mass Exodus: If your long-term coworkers all start to abandon ship around the same time, it’s probably worth finding out why. If they’re experiencing problems in the workplace, it’s only a matter of time before you start experiencing the same issues, too. Or, if they’re leaving because they’ve found better opportunities elsewhere, you could, too!

You’ve Been Contacted By Headhunters: If you’ve been contacted by headhunters who’ve gone out of their way to try and poach you, you’d be foolish not to at least consider it. If a company really wants you, it’s usually because they’re impressed by your work and are willing to pay for the experience that you bring to the table. You may be able to negotiate a better salary and more workplace benefits with them than you could in your current position. And, once again, who doesn’t want that?

You’ve Already Been Considering It: If you’ve been thinking about leaving, even if they’ve only been idle thoughts, it could be a sign that you’ve grown weary of your job, even if you don’t fully realize it yourself. Don’t dismiss these thoughts and look into your options, because everyone has them.

Leaving a steady job can be scary, but sometimes it’s the only way to move forward to bigger and better things in your life.

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