Tag Archives: summer

Jun15

Saving Your Vehicle From The Elements This Summer

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Saving Your Vehicle From The Elements This Summer

Enjoying a long drive during the summer and being pampered by the warm weather is a great experience. But, there is something that one must keep in mind – that such weather poses a major hazard to a car’s exterior. To escape the negative effects of the elements altogether, a lot of precautions need to be taken. There are several tasks which one can do to help reduce the impairment done to a car’s paint due to weather conditions. Even though these are fairly simple steps to follow, completing them at all times can be a tricky task, as most people are forgetful and they tend to make silly errors in judgment. Here are some great tips to save your vehicle from the elements:

Parking in the shade:

Unless a car owner finds him or herself in a situation where there is no time to park at all, avoiding parking directly under the sun is possibly one of the biggest favors a car can get. There are essentially two benefits of parking a car under the shade. First, it helps in keeping the car cool. Secondly, it makes sure that the paint does not fade away so easily. These jobs may not seem so important, but these little incidents cause damage that adds up to cause a big problem in the future. So, rule number one is – never roast a car under the sunlight.

Using a car cover:

If the car owner regularly fails to find shaded locations to park the car, keeping a car cover in the trunk always is a must. These car covers can come in handy in many occasions, and will always provide your car with your own personally brought protection. Another excellent way to keep your car’s exterior looking its best is to invest in wraps for your car to further protect it from the elements. This is definitely worthwhile if you want to keep your car looking brand new no matter its age. It may be worth researching local paint protection film experts in your area, to see if there is anyone who can provide you with this service. A skilled technician will be able to assist with reducing the risk of chips and scratches to your paintwork.

One final option to protect your car and yourself from the elements is window tinting. Tinted windows offer heat rejection and UV protection and are a durable and long lasting solution. If this is something you are interested in, simply enter a search for “Car Window Tinting San Antonio” (or your local area). Be sure to read reviews carefully and seek recommendations from friends and family too.

Washing the car on a regular basis:

Washing cars on a consistent basis ensures that the exterior of the car is fresh for a long period of time. Such benefits only come to play when the car owner washes the car properly. After parking the car under shade, rinsing off all forms of accumulated dirt and grime is the first step. If getting the grime off after washing is proving to be too much trouble, using a clay bar to clean the sticky spots before rinsing the car for a second time is highly recommended. For convertibles, using a convertible top protectant is the ideal solution.

Once the car has been cleaned, with the use of a microfiber cloth, the car must be dried off completely, without missing any spots so that there are no water spots on the exterior.

Waxing:

Similar to washing, waxing a car regularly can help in reducing any type of damage done to the car paint. If a car is waxed regularly, the prevention of dirt and debris sticking to the vehicle becomes easier.

Saving a vehicle from the elements might be an annoying task but it is definitely achievable, and will keep your car looking better for longer.

Jun12

June 2018 Funky Time Jams

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June 2018 Funky Time Jams

Hello!! Warm weather brings the best listening to music scenarios in existence: 1) Outdoor concerts. And 2) Driving with your windows down and your music loud. I am still basking in the glory of being front and center at X Fest, and I am so looking forward to seeing Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie next month. But, for now, I have been revisiting some old and new favorites as we make our way through June. Like the following:

(And, as always, I have no rights to these songs or videos!)

I got to see lovelytheband at X Fest and I am SO glad that I did, because their music fucking slaps. The song “Broken” is so damn catchy and I can’t wait to explore their songs more once I get my hands on their LP “Everything I Could Never Say”. Really good stuff. And, of course, I’m on an even bigger Jack White kick than usual since I got to breathe the same air as him a little over a week ago!! What a man, what a man, what a man, what a mighty good man. :*)

What concerts are you attending this summer? What are some of your summer anthems? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun6

English Factory Tennis Dress

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English Factory Tennis Dress

Hello!! My favorite thing about TJMaxx, other than their amazing prices, is that it gives you access to brands that you’ve never heard of or brands that are a bit out of your budget. Both of these go for the brand English Factory, which I discovered during an online shopping stint on TJ’s website. Upon inspection of English Factory’s own page, I saw that there was really nothing on there that I would be comfortable paying for, because all of their items were upwards of one hundred dollars. But, thirty five dollars for the beautiful, albeit a tad wrinkly dress seen below? I can swing that! Take a look:

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Before we go any further – yes, this dress has been ironed since these pictures have been taken! Lol!

I haven’t had much luck recently when it comes to finding some cute new dresses. And, with summer officially here, I was getting pretty desperate to find a lightweight dress or two to wear for work or play. And then, this English Factory beauty comes along and knocks me off of my feet. As soon as I saw this online, I loved it and I was completely confident that it would look awesome on me. And, obviously I was right. So much so, that out of the seven or eight items that I ordered, this dress is the only thing that I kept.

I love the quirky retro brickabrack detailing on this little number. It looks so sailor girl chic against the crisp, white cotton and I’ve never seen anything that looks like it before. The shape is also extremely flattering on me. The more structured top that turns into a flouncy skirt gives a unique silhouette – very different than every single piece of clothing in my wardrobe. And, the best thing about this dress, is that there is a slip built into the skirt so that your underwears don’t show through. Freaking SCORE.

My new English Factory dress doesn’t need much when it comes to styling an OOTD. A fun pair of platforms and one of my new Foley + Corinna purses are all I need to create a statement look!

How would you style this dress? What are some of your favorite, lesser known brands? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr25

4 Rules For Accessorizing In Summer

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4 Rules For Accessorizing In Summer

Accessorizing well is the key to making any outfit amazing, and now that summer is on the way, you need to start thinking about how you’re going to elevate your summer outfits. Summer is a time for bold prints and bright colors, but when you’ve got that much going on in an outfit, you risk going overboard with your accessories and making it too busy. To stop that from happening, follow these simple rules for accessorizing in the summer:

Pick Sunglasses By Shape:

Sunglasses are an absolute must in the summer and you’ll be wearing them with everything so you need to know how to pick them. When it comes to color, you need something fairly neutral that goes with most outfits, but the most important thing to look for is the shape. The rule is, that you pick sunglasses that are the opposite shape of your face. So, if you’ve got quite a round face, you can opt for square glasses. If you’ve got a fairly angular face, go for a round style. The shape of your eyebrows is important as well and you need to match it with the top frame of the sunglasses. If you’ve got arched eyebrows that come out over the top of a square frame, it’ll look a little off.

Match Three Points:

Color matching when you accessorize is important, but you shouldn’t go overboard. Matching three items in your outfit is a good guideline to follow if you want to create a good balance. Anything less than three and your outfit won’t be complete, and any more than that and you risk making it too messy. So, you could match your shoes, belt, and bag. Or you can match jewelry with your belt and shoes. However you decide to do it, always stick with the rule of three.

Prioritize Comfort:

During the summer, prioritizing comfort to some extent is a must. If you don’t, you’ll end up boiling hot all day. When you’re choosing women’s shoes, go for some sandals that will keep your feet cool. Always avoid dark colors or anything that is tight fitting as well if you want to stay comfortable in the sun. Practicality is important too. You’ll be more likely to be spending the day out of the house when the weather is nice so when you’re choosing a handbag, go for something larger that has the space for everything you’ll need when you’re out and about.

Experiment With Colors:

Summer is the best time to experiment with colors because you can get away with more than you can in a winter outfit. If you tend to go for more plain pastel colors, use your accessories to inject a bit of excitement into an outfit. Floral patterned handbags or large patterned belts all go great with a summer outfit.

When you’re accessorizing your summer outfits, always remember to make them practical and, even though you can experiment with colors make sure that you’re matching properly for an amazing look.

Featured Image By: Flickr

Apr24

Pacer Progress

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Pacer Progress

Hi everyone! Roughly fifty days ago, I downloaded the Pacer pedometer app on my iPod. Since then, I have been dedicated to reaching 10,000 steps or more every day. Of course, this hasn’t always been possible, but I’ve been trying my best and I’m happy to say that I’m still motivated even after close to two months.

On the app, you can see insights into your progress each day or over a span of time. I only just discovered the page where you can see your steps since downloading the app, and I was really happy with what I saw:

  • Total Steps: 382,550
  • Total Calories: 9,502
  • Total Active Hours: 58
  • Miles Traveled: 127

(I am also prewriting this so my stats are higher than this by four days!)

It’s easy to feel like 10,000 steps a day is nothing. But, when it was put into perspective of  just how many miles I walked or how long I was active for, it makes a big difference. I am hoping to reach at least one million steps by the end of summer and I know that with my motivation to keep making progress, my goal is more than achievable.

Who else uses a pedometer app on their smart devices? How do you fit more activity into your day? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr10

10 Ideas To Kick-Start Your Business For Summer

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10 Ideas To Kick-Start Your Business For Summer

If you’re someone that tends to notice a bit of a change in your business at different times of the year, then you’ll often need to get creative with your company strategy. Many businesses experience seasonal fluctuations in sales or even their company culture and employee engagement. And, if you’re one of them, you’re going to want to pick up some tips and tricks on how to cope with them, because even the most successful businesses are faced with challenging times. However, the trick isn’t centered around how or when they happen, but how you react and get things back on track. Summer is coming up and it’s time to really work on your business ideas to support the season. But what can you do? Some of the following:

Aim To Go Viral:

Let’s kick off with something that you really want to try and do – and that’s to go viral. It’s safe to assume that you’re going to be on social media, and you probably have some campaigns up your sleeve for summer, too. But if you really want to kick-start your business, you’re going to want to reach a massive audience and get a lot more traction with your posts. Make sure that you keep those tactics in mind when you’re planning out the execution of your campaigns.

Of course, going viral is something that is easier said than done if you are unfamiliar with the world of social media. If this is the case for you, it could be incredibly worthwhile to find a marketing agency like InSync Media to assist you. They will be able to form a cohesive marketing strategy, execute it, and get your posts in front of more people.

Host An Event:

If there’s one thing that we all love during the summer, it’s a good old-fashioned event. And it’s great to have an excuse to throw a big party. Give yourself plenty of time to get planning and establish an event marketing timeline so you can be completely prepared for it. Think about which customers, media outlets, or even influential people you might like to invite. When you host an event, you’re not only going to get people talking about your business at the event itself, but you’ll also get the additional coverage on social media which can give you a boost, too.

Launch A New Service:

You may not be able to launch an entirely new product in a few short months, but you could up your game when it comes to services. Whether you want to offer a personal shopping service online or create a VIP delivery option, it is a great way to shake things up and see a spike in your sales. If you are considering improved delivery options, you will probably need some help. Impacked Packaging helps companies source packaging with reliable services and great prices to match. You and your customers will both be happy!

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Get to planning!

Bring In More Video:

If you’re not someone that tends to use a lot of video in your marketing campaigns or even internally in your business, then this could be something that you change. But don’t worry, you don’t have to be a professional videographer to make this happen. In fact, it’s probably good that you don’t attempt it yourself, because when you bring in the right company, such as www.lifetime-media.com, the quality will be better. Whether you are doing internal videos or promotional material, the use of video is going to give you an exciting new dimension to play around with.

Work With Influencers:

Influencers have an ever-increasing presence in the lives of consumers. These are the men and women that your consumers follow and look to for advice. So, of course, choosing to team up with them to promote your business or to support a launch that you have coming up is going to be a good idea. Make sure that you create a strong strategy for this as www.foundr.com talks through. That way, you’ll be sure to choose the right influencers and be able to get the best results.

Collaborate With Another Company:

You could also think about collaborating with another brand. This isn’t going to be one of your direct competitors, but you could definitely look to work with a company that has a similar audience to you, but perhaps in a different industry. That way, when you launch a product or host an event together, you’re going to be targeting the same consumers, but you’ll also get double the exposure by tapping into their engaged audience, too.

Create Limited Edition Packaging:

Everyone gets excited when the word limited edition gets thrown around. Again, creating a new product might not be manageable for you, but you might be able to launch some spring or summer themed packaging to impress your customers this season. If you are shipping a product like fragrances, tea, or coffee in limited edition packaging, do keep in mind that airtight packaging does not necessarily mean smell proof. You will want to research different materials and seals carefully for the best costumer experience.

In the same breath, you might also want to consider switching up the labels on your products to create a brand new look for old favorites. Businesses like Columbine Labels in Denver (or something similar in your local area) provide custom label printing services. Your labels will be one of a kind and customers will be sure to take note. You could even launch a sale to discount the products with the old labels.

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Unsplash Image

Run A Competition:

Customers always love an exciting competition. So take a look at the best ways to run a successful contest, make some plans, and launch one or two over the summer just for fun!

Start A New Series:

We’ve mentioned your social promotions a few times now, but for a very good reason. It’s very likely that you tend to stick to the same kinds of promotions and the same types of posts. So if you really want to shake things up for summer, then you’re going to want to launch something new. A series is a great idea for this. Whether it’s a range of interviews, thoughts from your teams, or posts based on a set topic, this can be a really interesting way to engage your audience online.

A social media series is the perfect way to introduce something brand new for the summertime. Maybe your homemade skin care line now has SPF and you could work with influencers to promote it. Your food truck might be serving up tasty summer smoothies and could benefit from a professional in food and beverage marketing. Summer is the time to explore and have some fun with your content so don’t wait until the last minute. Start brainstorming now!

Launch A Flash Sale:

Finally, you could think about launching a flash sale. And no, you don’t have to overdo the discounts here. If you want to drum up some excitement, you could hide codes around the website or send out gifts with purchases. Either way, timed promotions like this can often give your sales a boost when you need it the most.

Summer is just around the corner, so get to planning something exciting and new and watch your business bloom.

Featured Image By: Unsplash

Mar30

Marilyn Manson Concert Excitement!!!

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Marilyn Manson Concert Excitement!!!

Hiiii everyone!! This summer, July 17th to be exact, Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie will be performing at Blossom Music Center in my neck of the woods. I was lucky enough to have seen Mr. Manson this past October in Pittsburgh and it was AMAZING. Naturally, getting tickets to the July show was a must in my head, but I didn’t realize that I would be getting them so soon.

This Monday, my sister texted me to let me know that she purchased our tickets for us, as they were half off on Groupon. It was literally the best text EVER and I am so excited that I could cry. I can’t say that I’m too familiar with Rob Zombie’s music, but I love his movies, so it should still be pretty cool. But, let’s be real, the only reason that I’m even going is for Ohio’s finest!

I feel so spoiled that I will be getting to see one of my favorites twice in less than a year and, even though it’s months away, I am so looking forward to it!

Which concerts are you hoping to see this year? What is your favorite music venue in your area? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug25

Sick :(

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Sick :(

Hi everyone and TGIF! Lil Red has come down with a really unfortunate summer cold this past week and, rest assured, I am absolutely miserable. Don’t be surprised if you don’t hear from me this weekend because I need to get some rest and I also have a lot to catch up on from my sick days. But please tune in for next week’s Monday Update, because I will be announcing the lineup for my Falling For Fall guest bloggers series, which premieres on the 29th!

How do you beat a summer cold? What are some of your home remedies for when you’re feeling unwell? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul19

The Best Sports For The Whole Family

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The Best Sports For The Whole Family

Getting your kids to exercise often means fighting an uphill battle. Most of the time they’d rather be inside on the computer than outside moving about. The best way of getting them to be active is to find an activity that they’ll enjoy doing. Don’t forget about yourself, either, it’s just as important for you to get a good amount of exercise, especially as you get older.

Exercise is the best way to combat any of the health complaints that come with age, so it’s vital that the whole family gets outside and does some exercise on a regular basis. As well as getting exercise, sports teach your kids a lot of good values. They will learn the importance of teamwork and sportsmanship, which will stand them in good stead later on in life. You can have great quality time together by playing some sports. For families that are looking to explore a much wider range of hobbies, activities such as recreational riding may be interesting. Taking a look at equestrian reviews by Freddie Vasquez Jr
can also help to enhance knowledge of horses making it much easier to appreciate the beauty of riding. Here are some of the best sports for you to do as a family:

Baseball: Baseball is a good one to play when you first start exercising because you’ll get a lot of rests between bursts of energy. You can play at the local park with fairly limited equipment. As long as you have a bat and a ball, you can use pretty much anything to mark out the bases. Alternatively, if you don’t have a local park nearby and there isn’t space in the garden for a full game, you can just practice your throwing and catching skills. Baseball is a great sport for the family, which helps you get some good cardiovascular exercise as well as improving your hand eye coordination skills.

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#1 😀

Golf: People don’t always consider golf when they’re thinking of sports that are good for exercise, but you’d be surprised by how many calories you could burn on the course. You won’t be running up and down all day but you’ll be doing a fair bit of walking so it’s still going to get your heart going. If you’re going to play a family game of golf, you need to get all of the right equipment. A good set of clubs is vital, otherwise you’ll find yourself stuck in a bunker all day. Look for the most forgiving golf clubs, they’re perfect for beginners and they’ll help you to avoid missing all of your shots. If you get a bad set of clubs and it’s difficult for the kids to make any good shots, they’ll soon get frustrated and give up (Me.).

Before you go, check the rules at your local course because a lot of them have specific dress codes and they won’t let you play if you don’t have the right attire. Subscription boxes like Mullybox can provide golf course appropriate clothing as well as accessories to improve your game too. Golf is a good choice when the weather is particularly hot and you still want to get some exercise without doing anything too intense. You might soon find that golfing will become one of the family favorite activities. As all of you continue to progress, you can begin looking at more advanced gear like Ping golf clubs, electric caddies, and custom fitted gloves. As long as you remember that patience is a virtue, you’ll be going pro in no time!

Swimming: On those boiling hot summer days, the whole family can cool off in the swimming pool. It’s a brilliant way to beat the heat and it’s one of the best ways to exercise there is. When you swim, you exercise every single muscle in your body and get your heart pumping at the same time. It’s great for heart health, lung capacity, and general muscle strength. The cool water also means that you can sustain that exercise for much longer than you’d normally be able to. As well as being good exercise, swimming is an important skill for children to learn for safety so it should definitely be a part of your summer exercise routine.

Before you hit the pool, just be sure you have the right gear. This includes sunscreen, floaties, and tangle-free kids goggles. Goggles will protect your eyes while you make a splash and the tangle-free options use a fabric strap as opposed to an elastic one. This will make taking them on and off much easier and comfortable and prevent any hair pulling.

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Those shades!

Volleyball: When summer comes, there’s no better way to spend time with the family than down at the beach. You could spend all day sunbathing but that won’t keep you and the family healthy. A great sport that you can play at the beach is volleyball. It’s a very active sport that’s great for cardio in short bursts. Short bursts of energy, with small breaks in between, is one of the most effective ways to exercise and helps you to keep a healthy heart. You can get yourself a net if you’re serious about your game but a line in the sand will do just as well.

Quidditch: Quidditch started as a fictional game in the Harry Potter series but since then, fans have developed it into a real game. It’s not quite the same as in the books and movies, of course, but the basic rules and play are the same. It’s a great way of getting some exercise and the kids are sure to love it. To play a proper game, you’ll need quite a few people and lots of different balls so this is one that you could perhaps play with a few other families in the park. There are plenty of different positions to be played so by switching everybody around, you can keep everybody interested in playing for a long time. If you get really into your game, there are teams and leagues that you could consider joining.

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Lol.

Insect Soccer: Although the name might suggest it, insect soccer isn’t a game of soccer played by ants. It’s a variation on a normal game of soccer that’ll make it much more fun for the kids. Group everybody into twos and threes depending on how many players you’ve got, and get each group to link arms, these are the insects. Each team plays against each other until one scores a goal, and they have to stay linked at all times otherwise they lose the round. This is the perfect game to play with the kids because it has all of the exercise benefits of a normal soccer game but it also teaches valuable teamwork and cooperation skills.

Basketball: When the good weather goes away, it can be easy to fall into bad habits and your exercise regime can fall by the wayside. One of the best indoor sports to play in winter is basketball. There should be a local indoor court that you can use but you’ll probably need to hire it out so check beforehand. Basketball is a good team sport for kids to play and it’ll massively improve their ball skills. If they enjoy it, you can carry on into the summer on a free outdoor court.

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#Ballin

Summer time is all about going out and getting active – and what better way to do that than as a family?!

Jul13

Backyard Beauty

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Backyard Beauty

Hello everyone and happy Thursday!! As you all know, I don’t care for summer in the slightest. And by that I mean that I friggen hate it. But the one thing that I actually do like about it (Other than my birthday!), is my glorious backyard. Saying that my beloved father has a green thumb is a severe understatement. Over the years, he has nurtured our back as well as front yards into an outdoor garden fit for a king. This year’s bounty has been particularly beautiful and I just had to share some pictures with all of you. It brightens my day whenever I see the fruits of my dad’s hard work and I’m sure that all of the lovely flowers seen below will do the same for you!

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What are your likes and dislikes about summer? What is your favorite flower? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah