Apr27

Is There a ‘Best Way’ to Read?

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Is There a ‘Best Way’ to Read?

Reading is one of life’s great pleasures. This is probably something that you already know; that’s why you’re on this blog! But, is it true that there are right and wrong ways to do it? This probably isn’t so true when it comes to fiction, especially as fiction reading culminates in a very subjective experience. But when it comes to reading nonfiction, there’s certainly a strong argument to be made that there are good ways to read it and bad ways to read it.

How is this possible? Well, it’s worth remembering that nonfiction – aside from the likes of self-help books and autobiographies – exist in order to educate the reader. And there are ways of reading that will help you absorb and retain more information. Most people seem to forget the majority of what they read – which isn’t great if you’re reading non-fiction for a class, right?

We’re going to take a quick look at the best ways to read a nonfiction book!

O.M.G!

Skimming: Some of you may be wondering why the heck “skimming” would be suggested! Isn’t that precisely what you’re supposed to avoid? Well, if you’re skimming the entire book instead of reading it properly, then yes. But if you skim a chapter of a book first, and then read it properly, then you’re giving your brain a head start with the information. Your brain will retain a lot of the basic information and themes from a quicker glance than you might expect.

Never Read Without a Pencil: Don’t be so particular about your books that you’re afraid to take notes in them! You should take the time to write notes about the material in the margin, as well as underline (or draw a line in the margins next to) sections that you feel are especially important. This can also help you take note of parts of the book that you want to investigate further, in case you initially find it a little confusing or even doubt the veracity of the claim.

A million dollars to whoever knows what book that is! 😉

Make an Effort to Memorize: In general, reading is fantastic for exercising your memory. That’s just one of the top 10 reasons why reading is important. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t actually put work into committing something that you read to memory. The simple fact that you’re reading isn’t going to mean that you’ll automatically remember it in the future! The best way to do this is to take what makes memory tick and apply that to reading. Psychologists believe that memory is built from three components: impression, association, and repetition. Apply these to your reading and see how it helps.

#knowledgeispower

Recite or Read Out Loud: Finally, one of the best ways to recall what you’ve read is to speak that information. You could try introducing someone else to that information by telling them about what you’ve read in conversation. Just make sure that you’re with someone with an interest in the given subject! Something else that you can try is simply reading passages out loud. This may seem time-consuming, but it’s effective. You may even want to record yourself reading out loud and listen to the sound file repeatedly instead of listening to music during your reading break.

Not only can reading aloud improve your memory retention of the content you read, but it can be a whole lot of fun to try using different voices for characters. Manga like return of the shattered constellation is a great place to start and you could even invite your friends to read along too. Whatever you choose to read, it will take book club meetings to a whole new level. You can perfect meaningful passages with your friends to perform and then open the floor to discussions and other renditions.

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Apr27

How Education Can Help You Get Fluent in the Language of a Business

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How Education Can Help You Get Fluent in the Language of a Business

The language of a business is the models and practices in place within it. No, it doesn’t mean the employees literally speak a language created by the business (although, sometimes it might seem that way!). It means that each business has its own way of doing business and its own methods that it chooses to use to do so. And each business speaks its own language in the sense that they provide different things and expect different things in return. And, like with any language, it is possible to get fluent in a business’s language through taking courses.

Different businesses are like different cultures. Each one differs from the next, even when they are in the same market. But just because there’s such a variation in businesses and their languages, it doesn’t mean that you can’t get fluent in them. In this day and age there are a whole host of courses to take and degrees to earn. So, fear not, because you’re always going to be able to find one that helps you in the business that you work in. Gone are the days where you could only get a grasp of the language of business by obtaining a Business Management degree. Today, you can take any number of courses to help you better understand the business that you business in.

For instance, if yours is a business in the Geriatric Care Management sector, then you can get fluent in the language of dealing with your older customer base by earning a Gerontology degree. In doing so you can learn and understand the behavioral habits of the elderly. You can also garner a deeper understanding for their societal standing. In learning these things and becoming fluent in this particular language, you are setting yourself up for success in this sector.

Despite the variation in businesses today, there are still some overarching languages spoken. A language that is spoken in every business is accounting. It is an integral aspect of every business, as it determines how protected and sufficient it is in a financial sense. If you want to be a successful business owner, then it is imperative that you become as fluent in accounting as you are in your mother tongue. To do so, you can try earning an Accounting degree from the UAB Online School of Business. In taking such a venture, you are giving yourself the best opportunity to be fluent in this crucial area of business. Plus, because 100% of this degree is completed online, you need not let any of your important everyday business aspects slip while you take it.

Whether you major in the liberal arts and humanities or in the STEM fields there are skills from both sides of the divide that can be translated into the language of business. As a liberal graduate you stand yourself in good stead to be able to speak persuasively. As a STEM grad, you have the skills to be able to deal with tasks logically. When taking a degree, in order to get the right qualifications needed for your career path it is imperative that you choose the right one. But when you are taking a course in order to better your knowledge, you can find different skills and techniques in all sorts of different classes. It’s just about how you implement the knowledge that you’ve garnered when the time comes.

Featured Image By: Wikimedia

Apr27

Underrated Careers You Should Consider

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We could probably name a bunch of careers that are overrated. ‘Advertising executive’ sounds flashy, but it’s actually a dying career field, with pay not being all that great. Lawyers get great pay, but when you consider the amount of work they have to put in (it’s basically non-stop, and the vast majority of it is paperwork), it may not be that great a trade-off. But, there are a bunch of important careers in our society that a lot of people don’t appreciate as much as they should. Not only are they essential to our country, but they’re also more complex, interesting, and stable than many seem to think. Here are just a few:

Accountant: A lot of people know that accountants are important, but they don’t see it as a particularly desirable career. After all, aren’t the accountants in films and books always really boring characters? The fact is, is that accounting is a very stable career choice that can land you a very healthy paycheck. It’s not just a career that people fall into because they couldn’t decide what else to do with their lives!

Nurse: When some unfortunate people think about nurses, they usually just think about hospital assistants who weren’t quite good or qualified enough to become “real doctors”. (Some people still seem to think that “doctors” are the males in healthcare and “nurses” are the females. To which I say… well, I don’t know what to say.). But this couldn’t be further from the truth. Nurses fill very particular roles that doctors couldn’t necessarily do, and becoming a nurse often requires very heavy-duty training and education. Courses in nursing science from the likes of Maryville University make clear just how complex and socially-needed this pursuit really is. Not to mention how rewarding!

Nurses are essential to healthcare

Vets: Vets, like nurses, are often just dismissed as ‘people in medicine who aren’t quite doctors’. (Although vets can actually refer to themselves as doctors in some parts of the world!) Some also seem to question why someone would choose to work with animals when human healthcare is so understaffed and overworked right now! But veteran veterinarians aren’t just high-earners; they’re also very important for society because they help deal with diseases and other issues in livestock. Without them, we’d have a much harder and more dangerous time getting… well, food. But us vegetarians have nothing to worry about! 😉

Also, you get to hang out with kitties!

Engineer: Like many similar careers in trade and manufacturing, civil engineering seems to have lost its cool factor, with an alarming amount of people assuming that such pursuits are basically pointless. But we don’t live in a post-industrial age; we’re still heavily reliant on careers such as this in order to keep our societies advancing. (Not just standing; advancing.) Someone with a great engineering grade can land a high-paying job pretty quickly, and the benefits for society when more people enter these fields are staggering.

Kitty Joyner, electrical engineer!

Waste collector: Seriously, they’re keeping the streets clean. People don’t just go into this work because they can’t do anything else; many do it because they care about their communities. That, and the pay isn’t half bad!

Apr26

April 2017 Finishes

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April 2017 Finishes

Helloooooo everyone and happy Hump Day!! This month has brought me many wonderful finishes, which has been fun because April has been a pretty blah month for yours truly. As most of you know by now, I refuse to not finish things that I start when it comes to beauty products, so it’s always nice when the “must finish” items are pleasant to use! Take a look at this month’s empties and let’s discuss:

april

Would I Use Again?

  • Philosophy Vanilla Birthday Cake body wash: MAYBE
  • Fashion Fair Santorini Getaway body butter: YES
  • Design Line Fiji Therapy styling oil: YES
  • The Body Shop Nutriganics eye cream: YES
  • Arad moisturizer: YES

Why/Why Not:

Philosophy Body Wash: Okay, you guys know how I feel about Philosophy bath and body products because I’ve said it time and time again: Had I not been gifted with the products, I would never buy them for myself. My ex boyfriend got me the Vanilla Birthday Cake body wash for Christmas and it was nice and it smelled good but SO many other shower gels are nice and smell good for a fraction of the cost. Granted, I’m sure he got the gel at TJs or Marshall’s, but still. All things considered, this sixteen ounce bottle of body wash lasted me for three months, which is impressive. It lathered well and left my skin feeling hydrated, but it is not something that I plan on using again in the future unless it shows up underneath my Christmas tree!

Fashion Fair Body Butter: This body butter is actually another Christmas gift from my ex and I freaking LOVED it. For starters, the Santorini Getaway scent was so freaking delightful. It was citrus-y without being overpowering. Imagine the richest, creamiest lotion ever that smells like freshly whipped cream and add the lightest splash of citrus and you would have this Fashion Fair body butter. YUM.

Not only did it smell divine but it absorbed and moisturized SO WELL. The texture was nowhere near as thick as a body butter from, say, The Body Shop but it was definitely thicker than your average cream. Even so, this lotion absorbed into my skin instantly and without leaving any type of residue behind. All that was left after applying this lotion was the gentlest touch of summer citrus and I would one hundred and fifty percent use this product again. I completed this body butter after about six uses.

Design Line Styling Oil: I have been using the Design Line Fiji styling oil in my hair for ages. The only reason why it never appears on my Finishes posts is because my mom will always swap out my almost finished bottles with a new one without telling me! Then, by the time I think of it, she has already used and thrown away the remnants of my half used bottle.

Anyways, I LOVE THIS PRODUCT. As you guys know, I don’t wash my hair. End of story. Point blank. Period. And you would think that if I’m putting styling oil in my hair almost every day, my hair would get super greasy. Right? WRONG. Not only does this oil have the perfect touch of a tropical scent but it is such a light to the touch product and it leaves my hair feeling soft, smooth, and hydrated with every use. I use it almost daily before I flat iron my hair and my locks are all the better for it. It takes me about four to five months to finish a bottle of Design Line Fiji styling oil and at thirteen bucks a pop, it is worth every penny.

TBS Eye Cream: Oh, my Nutriganics eye cream. A product that I truly could not live without. I have been using the Nutriganics eye cream from The Body Shop for literal years now and the thin and sensitive skin around my eyes thanks me for it daily. Not once since using this product have I been concerned about fine lines and wrinkles around my eyes because a strict and set in stone for ages regimen of applying this product ceases all worries for me. The areas around my eyes looks bright and youthful and I can’t ever see myself not using my Nutriganics eye cream on a daily basis. It takes me about five months to finish a bottle of this cream, which is also a fantastic value!

Arad Moisturizer: I bought this product from TJMaxx compliments of a gift card from one of my beloved Special Olympics students. I have to say that it was nothing special but I would use it again if the opportunity arises. This moisturizer smelled great because it is made with coconut extract, which made putting it on in the morning really nice. It also absorbed well and my makeup laid nicely over top of it. However, I will always be partial to my much loved and used Vitamin E moisturizer from The Body Shop, so anything else kind of pales in comparison! It took me about one month to finish this moisturizer.

Overall, April was a very successful month in terms of my product finishes. I enjoyed using all of my empties and I can definitely see myself (almost) using all of them in the future!

So there you have it, my April 2017 Finishes! Which beauty products did you use up this month? Has anyone used any of the products on my empties list before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr26

Add Some Luxury to Your Life Without Breaking The Bank

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Add Some Luxury to Your Life Without Breaking The Bank

Everyone, myself included, wants a little luxury in their lives. And most of us feel like we deserve it. Actually making it happen in a way that’s affordable is not so easy, though. If you want the best, you usually have to pay the price for it. That’s hardly ideal, but that’s the way it is. Or is it? These are some tricks and tips that you can make use of if you want to add some luxury to your life without going broke in the process:

Try Being a Secret Shopper: The great thing about being a secret shopper is that you get to get your hands on luxury goods and do interesting and luxurious things without paying for them. Secret shoppers work for brands that want to get better and find out how their customers experience things. They go into shops or use services to see how real customers are treated, and whether or not the service that they get is good enough. They can buy luxury clothes, take flights to great destinations, and stay in top hotels. If you can get work as a secret shopper, you will definitely be adding some luxury to your life!

Learn New Cooking Skills & Create Your Own Gourmet Meals: Many people think that a luxury lifestyle has to include going out and eating at the very best restaurants. But that doesn’t actually have to be the case. You can just as easily eat at home and make food fit for kings with your own two hands. You can then invite friends and family members around and show everyone what you’re capable of. There are plenty of cooking tutorials and books out there that will help you to improve your cooking skills. Before long, you’ll be preparing gourmet meals without the restaurant premium prices and the stuffy suit and tie.

Fancy stuff!

Only Buy Luxury Items When You Can Get a Deal: If you really want to buy luxury items but can’t afford to, you will just have to be patient and a bit more clever. That’s how you can get discounts and better prices for the things that you want. Waiting for these deals and discounts to emerge can be frustrating, but your patience will be rewarded eventually. But, as you can see, things like this lord and taylor coupon can be found online easily enough. Keep looking out for the luxury brand coupons that are relevant to you, and make use of them when you find them.

Rent Luxury Fashion Items for Special Occasions: This is an option that many people don’t even think to consider. Renting luxury clothing items for special occasions is perfect because it means that you can wear the things you want without spending large sums of money. Let’s face it; many of the things that you buy for special occasions only get worn once or twice so renting definitely makes sense, anyways, and it cuts the costs dramatically. Some people only ever rent clothes when it comes to finding an outfit for a big event or family get-together.

Store bought or rented dress?!

Apr26

Curing at Home: 6 Natural Remedies to Make Yourself

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Curing at Home: 6 Natural Remedies to Make Yourself

We can’t always be blessed with good health, and sometimes we can feel slightly neurotic if we keep having to make trips to the drugstore to pick up cough medicine, sleep aid tablets, and painkillers. So why not try your hand at making your own remedies at home? Often, our kitchen cupboards are filled with goodies which can send us to sleep, fix our warts, and ease us of pain:

Sooth a Cough: Sometimes the world can be a wonderful place, especially when dark chocolate is a cure for coughs. Research has suggested that eating our favorite treat can be even more effective at curing a cough than codeine. Turns out there is a silver, delicious lining to every cloud! To add to the sweetness, you can explore Manuka honey usage ideas as this can help sooth a pesky cough too. Manuka honey can reduce irritation and fights bacteria, making it an excellent natural remedy when you have a scratchy throat.

Get a Good Night’s Sleep: In order to stay healthy, we need to make sure that we are sleeping well. However, we’ve all been victim to laying awake all night thinking about every possible situation that could go wrong in our work or family lives. If you find it hard to get to sleep, try adding a spoonful of honey to an herbal tea about half an hour before you go to bed. The sugar will act as a sedative and allow you to slip into blissful slumber.

Warts & All: Warts are plain annoying; they are unsightly and sometimes painful. But, you don’t always need to go to a doctor to get them surgically removed. One method is to mix up baking powder and castor oil into a paste, rub it on the wart, cover with a bandage and leave overnight. Repeat as necessary. If you suffer from verrucas, here are 11 ways to remove Planter warts.

Upset Tummy: If you are feeling nauseous, sea, or motion sick, go on a hunt for some ginger. Ginger has been known for years and years to cure sickness and can be consumed in any number of ways. To make ginger tea at home, grate two teaspoons of fresh root ginger for every one cup of tea and boil. To drink, strain and add lemon and honey if you would prefer not to feel the heat.

Honey is also a well known antiseptic, and this tea is not only great for feeling sick, but for a sore throat, too.

Hey, honey!

Gas & Bloating: We’ve all been victim to bloating, and it usually happens when we have to look and feel our best at a wedding or at a big work presentation. For a simple fix, simply have a cup of green tea. For a caffeine free solution, opt for a steamy brew of peppermint, instead. Another remedy for both bloating and gas is to either chew or make a tea out of fennel, caraway, or dill seeds. Check out this page for a great fennel tea!

Urinary Tract Infection: UTIs are a common ailment among both men and women and is commonly cured by drinking cranberry juice or eating a handful of cranberries a day. These bright little berries aid in the relief of UTIs by not allowing the harmful bacteria to stick to the inside of your bladder or urinary tract. And, as an added bonus, it’s yummy!

Ailments can be crazy annoying, and if you’re not up for yet another trip to the nearest drug store, give some of the above a try!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Apr25

Creating A Restful Bedroom

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Creating A Restful Bedroom

Your bedroom should always be your sanctuary. It should be that one place where you can really let yourself go, relax, and rest after a stressful day. Of course, it is easier for all of that to happen if your bedroom is set up to be as restful and relaxing as possible! Here are a few ways that you can improve the peaceful mood of your bedroom and turn it into your favorite place to kick back and unwind:

Blow the Budget on a Good Mattress: If you do nothing else to transform your bedroom into a more restful space, you should splurge on a brand new mattress. If you’ve never had a really good mattress before, it’ll be impossible for you to truly understand how much difference a comfortable, supportive mattress can make.

When buying a new mattress, it is always a good idea to visit a bricks and mortar store to try out a few styles, because everyone’s comfort levels are different. Once you know which mattress suits you best, you can always check out http://www.us-mattress.com/ to save a few bucks off the in store price of your chosen bed.

Invest in Better Bedding: Of course, the comfort of your bed is about more than just the mattress, which is why you should also take a look at http://www.down-comforter-info.com/ where you will find the warmest, softest comforters you’ve ever had the joy to sleep with. You should also probably check out more supportive pillows and high thread count sheets made from natural fibers if you want to be able to rest and relax without any aches, pains, or irritations.

Can the Clutter: It’s impossible to rest and let yourself go when you’re surrounded by clutter. Not only are piles of clutter visually stimulating, whether you want them to be or not, they can also be a source of stress, which gives you the feeling that you should be cleaning instead of taking some me time. Luckily, getting rid of your bedroom clutter is as simple as visiting http://www.ikea.com/ and buying a few storage baskets and boxes where you can hide your most unsightly clutter.

Ditch the Desk: If you have a desk in the bedroom from which you sometimes work, it might be time for a rethink. By associating the bedroom with work, even just occasionally, you are ruining the area’s reputation as a restful location for relaxation and sleep. Ditch the desk and replace it with a pretty dressing table for a serener space and leave work for the home office!

Serene in Green: If your bedroom decor is currently bright, bold, and in your face, a visit to http://www.homedepot.com/ might be in order because those crazy colors are doing nothing to help you relax. In the bedroom, you want to keep things nice and chill. Toned down colors like mint green, pale blue, white, and cream are all good options that won’t stir up the senses too much.

Add Comfy Furniture: One mistake that many homeowners make is that they do not add enough comfy furniture to their bedrooms. Sure, they’ll have a nice bed and perhaps a chair at the dressing table, but what about the big comfy armchairs, couches, and chaise lounges? These are the things that will make spending time in your room easier, more comfortable, and infinitely more relaxing. So if you have space, add a couch or recliner and you’ll get much more use out of your bedroom. If you want to make your bedroom not just comfortable but unique, search for different furniture at an Amish furniture store and make the space exactly how you want it.

Blackout Blinds: If you like to relax in a slightly darkened room with some classical music and a nice scented candle, blackout blinds are your best friend. They will filter out the harsh light of the sun, allowing you to create a comfy, cozy atmosphere at any time of the day or night. They’re great if you have trouble sleeping due to excess light, too.

Candles: Candles should be a staple in any bedroom. They provide a good source of soft, warm light, which is perfect for relaxing after a hard day at work. AND, they can make your room smell wonderful. Choose candles scented with lavender and chamomile if you want to de-stress and fall into a restful sleep.

Transforming your room from uninviting to restful and relaxing may take a little time and effort, but it is well worth it when you have a space where you can truly unwind and sleep like a baby! Zzzzzz….

Featured Image By: Flickr

Apr25

How To Create A Trendy & Unique Summer Look

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How To Create A Trendy & Unique Summer Look

The spring/summer fashion has already hit the high-street shops with an abundance of bright colors, florals, mix & match patterns, peekaboo fabrics, stripes, the 1980s and 1990s revivals, and minimalist cuts. But, there’s a big gap between embracing new trends and being yourself. More often than not, embracing a new fashion trend can end up making you look like everyone else. As nice as it can be to blend in, you probably would like to feel more unique in your style than like everyone else. The main thing with fashion is to develop your style while remaining trendy. And as it is often the case in the fashion world, less is more when you are creating your trendy summer look. Here are three ideas to create your style with a minimum of effort this season:

The Low-Key Summer Fashion

For a start, embracing the summer fashion doesn’t mean that you need to change your wardrobe and buy all new everything. Working with a few smart summer accessories, from the platform shoes – making their big comeback after we last saw them in the Spice Girls era – to mismatched earrings, you can easily create a dead on trend outfit without needing to change your actual clothes. This season, the accessories are dramatic and eye catching. With the return of the embroidery patterns, for example, on denim jackets, sweaters, and jeans, it’s no doubt that an embroidered handbag can turn your summer shorts and tee into a fashion statement.

The Bold And Bright New Summer Me

It’s never easy to fully ignore the seasonal trends, though. But, even if you love to revamp your wardrobe, it can be a little tricky to choose to embrace all of the summer trends at once. So, if you are keen to renew your wardrobe, one item at a time, take your pick among the iconic summer styles – florals, stripes, peekaboo, mix & match patterns, bright colors, 1980s revivals, and post-minimalism. As a rule of the thumb, a floral ensemble or a bright piece of clothing would seem to be the best choice. All you need is to embrace one trend with one quality fashion statement – if you are looking for affordable quality fashion, check discounts and vouchers on DontPayFull.com. Make sure to pick brands that you can trust, as you don’t want to be struggling with bleeding patterns and colors in the first wash (such a nightmare!).

The Playful Vintage Fashionista

Last, but not least, if you are falling in love with the 1980s and 1990s revival style, the easiest way to embrace it is to look in second-hand and vintage shops to find original pieces from the era. Pinterest.com has an inspirational board about low-key vintage fashion, which can be helpful to find the kind of cuts and shapes that would suit you. Real vintage is unique, and it is, by far, the best that you can do to follow the golden 80s and 90s look. Now, get to thrifting!

unique4

^^^ Lol.

Featured Image By: Flickr

Apr25

Breathe Easier In Your Home

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Breathe Easier In Your Home

We think that our home is a safe and healthy haven for our family and that we don’t have to worry as opposed to when we are outside in the open world. But there are actually a lot of hidden dangers lurking in our home. And a lot of people don’t even realize what they are. One thing that you need to turn your attention to is the air quality in your home. It’s important to make sure that it’s on point so your family doesn’t have to deal with allergies and even asthma attacks. However, a lot of people are living with poor air in their home, which is damaging to their family. Here are some ways that you can improve the air, so that you can all breathe much easier in your home!

Be Wary About the Air Fresheners You Use: To ensure that you have fresh and clean air in your home, you might want to consider using some form of air freshener. You can often spread these around the house to improve the air in all of the rooms in your humble abode. You can either get ones that stand alone or even ones that plug in to improve the air. But, you need to make sure that you get the ones which have the least chemicals. There are some air fresheners out there that actually emit allergens and toxins which can make the air even worse. Try to avoid air fresheners which include pollutants including benzene and styrene. Or, to ensure that you get an air freshener which you can trust, you might want to make your own. That way, you will know exactly what is going into the air freshener. There is plenty of advice online on how to make DIY air fresheners for your home.

Cut Out Smoking in The Home: While the number of people smoking has dramatically reduced in recent years, there is still just under one billion worldwide enjoying a cigarette every day. And while it can have stress-reducing benefits, there is a wide range of health problems that can arise from smoking cigarettes. For example, you are at a higher risk of lung cancer and heart disease if you smoke cigarettes on a regular basis. Moreover, if you do smoke in your home, you could be damaging the air quality. And not just for yourself either; your family, too. Secondhand smoke can damage your family’s health as much as it’s currently affecting yours. And if you are smoking inside, it can irritate your kid’s allergies, and you will soon find that they are coughing more. Stick to smoking outside in the future to keep the air supply healthy in your home.

Get an Air Filter For Inside Your Home: When the air isn’t circulating properly, you might find that there is a buildup of dust in the air in your home. To fix this, look into getting an air filter for your home or replacing your existing 20x30x1 air filter. With one of these, the air will travel around your home properly. And it can prevent dust and moisture build up, which will cause your family to struggle to breathe. It’s always good to have one of these if you use an air conditioning system, but make sure that you check it regularly. That way, if it does stop working, you can quickly fix it with something similar to a Delta air cleaner replacement.

Dry Your Clothes Outside: A lot of us opt to dry our clothes indoors so we can keep an eye on them to check whether they are ready to be ironed and put away. But, when we dry our clothes inside, there can be a buildup of moisture in the air. And this can cause the air supply in your home to take a turn for the worse. You are also more likely to get things like damp if you are drying your clothes inside. It’s definitely worth drying them outside on a clothes line, instead, to keep the air supply healthy in your home. If not, keep some windows open while drying clothes to help some of the moisture escape.

breathe

Pixabay Image

Create a Dust Free Environment: When we are busy in our life, it’s easy to not keep on top of cleaning our home. Totally understandable. But, if anything, try to keep up on dusting. Set aside at least ten or so minutes a day to give the home a sweep with the Swiffer Dusters. And remember to try and declutter the home, too! It’s easy for dust to build up under piles of clothes or books!

ALSO: Try to increase the plants in your home, as they can filter toxins from the air. Opt for a plant like a peace lily or an English ivy which can both purify the air and look lovely.

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Apr25

Should You Major In Liberal Arts Or STEM?

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Should You Major In Liberal Arts Or STEM?

There was a time, perhaps a couple of decades ago, where the liberal arts – a.k.a. the humanities, dealing with the study of literature, history, philosophy, art, and the like – and STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) worked together in harmony. These days, there seems to be a major divide between the two when it comes to college. At least, that’s what a lot of commentators and even politicians believe.

Back in 2014, Barack Obama called into question the usefulness of a liberal arts degree. He caught quite a bit of heat for suggesting that a degree in art history may not provide you with the job opportunities that an education in trade and manufacturing will. Oddly enough, this actually put him on common ground with the Republicans, who have long questioned the usefulness of degrees such as literature and anthropology!

stem1

He didn’t always please the liberals!

But how right are the critics of an education in liberal arts? Before people even get an opportunity to ask “How do you get a bachelor’s degree?”, they seem to be hounded by such a question. If you feel a bit torn and confused about the whole thing, here are a few points that you should keep in mind:

Manufacturing and Trade Aren’t Dead: So many people out there seem to think that we’ve moved past the need to have so many students doing STEM subjects because there isn’t much career potential in manufacturing and trade. Here’s the thing: Obama wasn’t actually so much criticizing liberal arts as he was criticizing this idea. The fact is, that these are still essential fields in our economies, and fulfilling and lucrative careers are still common in those fields. Don’t dismiss manufacturing and trade as dead fields because they are very much alive and kicking if you know where to look.

Liberal Arts Education Isn’t Just “Training for Starbucks”: An education in the humanities does not doom you to a dead-end job, the way that a lot of people tend to dismiss it. Having said that, there are certainly courses out there that are so steeped in postmodernist denials of reality or objective truth and so much closer to ideological indoctrination rather than education that job prospects after graduation are genuinely lackluster.

But, a degree in philosophy has been shown to get people into well-salaried positions. In fact, the average philosophy major earns more than the average accounting major. As for an English degree, so often mocked by humanities haters, it’s a massive boost for many careers due to the degree showing your ability to read and analyze deeply. Talent in theory and criticism is more useful in business and technology fields than you may think! You can also combine philosophy with technology with a NU London Philosophy and AI Masters degree. This offers the best of both worlds in creative thinking and analyzing the constant changes in our increasingly technological world.

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Starbucks & studies!

And Remember: while Bill Gates has dismissed liberal arts degrees, Steve Jobs has pointed out that his company would never work it if hadn’t been a perfect marriage of STEM and liberal arts.

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Take that, Bill Gates!

Remember Part 2: the value of a degree is both overestimated and underrated – it’s the former in a more general sense, but the latter when you take into account oft-disparaged subjects such as those you’ll find in the humanities. At the end of the day, higher education isn’t pointless, nor is it a waste of time – as long as you pursue your education with purpose, you’ll get something out of it.

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