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Spice Up Your Space With These Hot New Home Decor Trends

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Spice Up Your Space With These Hot New Home Decor Trends

Could your home or apartment use a refresh? Here are some of the hottest new home decor trends you can use to give your space the beauty and comfort it deserves.

Do you want to give your home a new look this summer? When you’ve cleaned out all your old junk during spring cleaning, you may have decided that it’s time for an upgrade.

But don’t just stick with your same old style. Why don’t you try to mix things up and incorporate some of the hottest home decor trends of the year?

They can be easier than you think to include. This means you’ll get a modern home without all the hassle of construction and repainting.

Do you want to know more? Keep reading to discover the hottest new home decor trends.

Go Geometric

Are you trying to decide on a new bedspread, rug, or throw pillow? Opt for one with a funky geometric pattern! Geometrics found their way into popular design trends last year, and they show no sign of slowing. More and more homes are opting for geometric wallpaper and tiles for a more permanent touch of trend.

Of course, you don’t need to redo your bathroom tiles or put up new wallpaper to bring this idea into your home. Modern rugs are an easy way to add color and a fun geometric pattern to any room.

Opt for Marble

While marble may seem like a very classic design element, it’s become one of the biggest 2018 interior design trends.

Who says marble is only for countertops? It’s become such a huge trend that it’s transcended its basic use. You can now find DIY decor, mugs, and end table tops painted with the classic marble effect. Incorporating new age marble designs into your home will add a level of elegance and sophistication without a big price tag.

Add a Pop of Color

Gold and ultraviolet are the summer 2018 colors to have. While they can look stunning together, you don’t have to use both to have a trendy home this summer.

Ultraviolet is a great color to choose if you do plan on doing a large remodel. But, there are many ways to incorporate it without a full remodel, from summer bedding ideas to home decor. You can use as little or as much ultraviolet as you want – it looks great either way!

If you want to use gold, try to keep it a little more understated. Gold accents, such as doorknobs, picture frames, and vases, will make your home look more luxurious than ever.

Use Mother Nature

Mother nature is one thing that will never go out of style. One of the top design trends is to bring plants and flowers indoors for a natural decoration.

Tall floor plants are a great dining room and living room trend while hanging plants look great everywhere. If you want to incorporate a few different home decor trends, opt for a hanging geometric terrarium – bonus points if you get one with gold edges.

The Best Home Decor Trends

Summer is a great time to redecorate if you think your home could use a pick-me-up. While you may feel hesitant to do major changes, like getting new furniture or flooring, there are plenty of simple ways you can incorporate the hottest home decor trends of 2018.

Many decorations can be found in ultraviolet or gold to bring summer 2018 colors into the mix. Geometric patterns, marble accents, and houseplants can also be incorporated to give you the trendiest house on the block.

Did you like these ideas? Check out our lifestyle blog page for more great articles like this.

Festival and Concert Hacks a Music Lover Needs to Know

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Festival and Concert Hacks a Music Lover Needs to Know

If you’re preparing to attend a summer festival or even an outdoor concert, you’re going to want to jot down these hacks!

For music lovers, summertime means music festivals. Jazz, Blues, Rock, some are big with several stages and some might be an afternoon in the park with a jazz trio. It’s always a good idea to be prepared.

For larger concerts or weekend events, there are a few concert hacks that will make your experience easier and more comfortable. Let’s take a look at some that need to be on your list.

Concert Hacks

You need to plan to have fun and pack accordingly. You can’t just jump in the car and go. Start your list with some of these items.

Plan Your Trip

Planning ahead of time will save you a lot of discomforts later on. It doesn’t mean things will go wrong but like the fortune says, “hope for the best but plan for the worst.”

Some must-haves:

Rain Gear

A small, foldable plastic raincoat or poncho will serve you well in the middle of a field. You can use it to sit on, to cover your gear, for the rain, and can even be used to carry stuff in, like bags ice from the concession back to your spot.

First Aid

Even a few band-aids and some healing salve tucked away in a side pocket of your backpack or shoulder bag. Take some sunscreen and something for sunburns, lip balm, and small scissors or nail clippers will come in very handy.

Take some wet wipes along for spot cleaning, hand sanitizers and tissues, cloth hankies and toilet paper.

Money Belt

Don’t take valuables with you.

A money belt or a bag that can be worn attached and close to the body is perfect for keeping any valuables safe. Find one big enough to hold your phone, money and anything else you don’t want to lose, like glasses.

Take a Hat

Find a straw or cloth hat that has a strap so you never lose it. The hat not only protects you from the sun, but you can pin things inside. Extra money, any hallucinogenics you may wish to consume, and the pins themselves will come in handy.

Plastic Bags

Pack some of your gear wrapped in plastic shopping bags. It will keep your socks and underwear dry in case of rain and you can use them for your garbage, a rain hat, to carry items from concession or even wrap up your own waste.

Buy Tickets Online

Always reserve your tickets before you go. Assuming you will find them at the door might leave you without seeing the concert or having to pay outrageous prices from a scalper.

You can buy concert tickets well in advance and then you don’t worry about not getting any or leaving them behind. Buying online is the best way to get the best prices and the best seats, if applicable.

Keep your Ride in Shape

Get your vehicle in top running shape, as you do not want to be broken down on the side of the road. This is more important if you need to get across rough terrain to get to the festival.

Enjoy Yourself

Summer festivals are a perfect opportunity to have fun and build some fantastic memories. Go prepared to have fun and stay safe. Drink plenty of water, look after each other and dance. Here’s a sample to get started in the right direction.

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Scrapping Metal

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If you want to get the best bang for your buck when scrapping metal, then you can’t be making these common mistakes. Click here for 4 mistakes to avoid when scrapping metal.

In the US, with 56 million tons of scrap steel and iron alone being collected by scrapyards, the industry is booming. Lots of new people are getting into the field because scrapping metal is so lucrative, it’s easy to raise the funds for your business, and there’s so much to scrap. The only problem for scrapyards is having to do the work of teaching these newbies how it works.

Follow these 4 steps before you dump your metal on the scale and you’ll be in good shape.

1. Separate Your Metals

When you’re dealing with a scrap yard, they’re going to point you toward the door if you dump a pile of random metal onto their scale. Most scrap yards will want to know the weight of what you’re offering and if you haven’t separated things, they can’t tell you how much they can pay you.

Other customers will need to come in and will be organized while you’re taking up their time and making them wait. Scrapyards need to keep things running smoothly, so make sure you organize ahead of time.

You wouldn’t ask your grocer to weigh potatoes and tomatoes together, so don’t ask your scrapyard to weigh copper and steel together.

2. Choose a Trustworthy Scrapyard

Not every scrapyard owner is as reliable as the next one. If you feel like you’re not getting a good price, you shouldn’t be cowed out of going somewhere else.

If you know other people in the scrapping industry, ask who they sell their scraps to. After a while of asking around, you’ll start to pick up on which scrap yards have a bad reputation. Take your business elsewhere if no one has anything nice to say about the scrapyard you go to.

3. Prep Your Materials

If you show up to a scrapyard with metals that aren’t prepared for the scrapping process, your scrapyard won’t see a pile of raw material. They’ll see the material as the invitation to do a whole lot of work that can’t afford to do. It lowers the value of the material and will make your scrapyard reluctant to work with you.

Make it easier on them and you’ll quickly become a valued customer.

4. Know The Prices

You need to know a thing or two about prices before you go. Knowing the scrap copper prices per pound will help you understand the ins and outs and not feel cheated.

When you get to feeling like you don’t trust your scrapyard, you can put a bad vibe in the air and make your scrapyard reluctant to work with you again.

Scrapping Metal is a Booming Sustainable Business

Scrapping metal is ecologically sustainable because it’s great for the environment and it’s financially sustainable because there’s no shortage of work. If you’ve decided to get into the scrapping business, you’re sure to have a lot of great work ahead of you for years. Follow the above tips and you’ll become a favored client of your local yard.

If you want to make sure you’re constantly investing in yourself as well as your business, check out our guide.

Your Appliance Buying Guide: Tips & Tricks to Find the Best Appliances

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Are you in the market for a new appliance for your home? If so, look no further than this appliance buying guide to help you learn how to find the best appliances and save money in the process of buying them.

Unlike a kettle, a lamp or pots and pans, a major appliance cannot be taken back to the store easily. How can you find the best appliances without resulting in buyers remorse?

Read on for our simple step by step appliance buying guide.

Step 1 – Ask Around

Ask your friends, neighbors, and relatives about their previous purchases. They will most likely be willing to share their delights and disappointments.

Customer reviews are also key when buying new appliances. Whether a product is spectacular or turns out to be a lemon, there will be a review out there.

Basically, when others suffer, you don’t have to. Learn from their mistakes!

Step 2 – Know What You Want

When appliance buying, avoid buying on impulse. Make a list of your priority features. Differentiate between features you need and features you want.

Wait for a sale. But be cautious, you don’t want to end up with something unnecessary just because it was a bargain.

Appliances are for practical use, not necessarily to look good. Don’t compromise on quality just because you like the color or style of an appliance. If style is the priority, try to get something that will be practical and still look fancy and stylish.

Step 3 – Buy Online

When buying new appliances, the best place to look is online. Not only can you find an abundance of various appliances (thousands more than the average showroom) but the prices tend to be cheaper too. Do your research, shop around, and you’re sure to get a great deal.

Fisher Paykel is a manufacturer of high-quality household appliances. Many of their products are even discounted online. Go check them out for a great deal.

Step 4 – Read the Fine Print

Before you snap up a seductive looking appliance with fancy features, take a look at the appliance instructions. If it looks overly complicated, it may not be the right appliance for you.

You should also check if it is energy efficient. Most retailers will have an Energy Star qualification for their appliances. Their website can help you to see if the appliance you intend to buy is energy efficient and how much it will cost to run.

Step 5 – Size Matters

Measure the appliance, and measure the space you intend to place it. Take a good look the surroundings to consider how your new appliance will fit into your home.

Don’t forget to check if the appliance will fit through your doorway, up the stairs and down the hallway that is full of sharp turns (depending on where the appliance will be situated of course). It’ll be a complete waste of time and money if you can’t maneuver the appliance into the area you need it to be.

Check the door, the handles, the depth and more for ease of use. Additionally, if you’re buying an oven or microwave, you should check if the appliance can hold your baking pans.

Step 6 – Save a Few Dollars

When visiting a showroom, don’t be afraid to haggle. Try to negotiate the price if possible. If they are a bit tight, see if you can get free extended warranty instead.

Don’t forget to ask for free delivery and installation. Most companies offer this for free, but make sure of it before you commit.

Never buy full price! Always wait for a sale or discount.

Easy Appliance Buying Guide

After reading this appliance buying guide, you’ll be ready to hit the stores and find exactly what you need, for a good price too.

For more lifestyle tips and tricks, check out our blog.

Lottery Myths, True Or False

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According to Smithsonian, the first recorded lottery was held back in 1446. But there’s evidence that it’s far from the actual first lottery which might date back to Caesar. Independent of when it actually started, there are a number of myths surrounding lotteries.

Odds of getting hit by lightning are higher than winning a jackpot
While it sounds good, and to be honest, even quite reasonable if we think about huge lotteries with tens of millions of people playing them, it might actually just be a myth. Iowa Lottery Commissioner Ed Stanek mathematically debunked that claim. Based on statistics, in 1996 1136 people won $1 million dollars or more plus another 4500 won $100 000 or more in North America Lotteries. And only 91 people were killed by lightning the same year. Then again…91 people were killed, but how many people were actually hit by lighting? I’ve heard of people who have been hit by lightning twice in one evening and lived to tell the story. So I guess, if we would actually only talk about huge Jackpots, not just big enough wins, and keep in mind that the number of people being hit by lightning is way higher than number of people killed by lightning, the myth still might hold some water.

Lottery is mainly being played by low income people
According to a Washington Post survey, it’s far from truth. It’s actually the middle income Americans who play the lottery the most.

Millions of dollars every year go unclaimed
Obviously this is true. Reasons vary, but sometimes people forget to check their tickets, or forgot they bought the ticket in the first place, sometimes people simply lose their tickets or end forgetting their tickets in their pockets before washing their clothes. If you want to be on the safe side, you better be smarter and play the powerball lottery online – that’s the only way to make sure that if you do manage to beat the odds, you’ll actually be able to benefit from it. According to CNN roughly $2 BILLION in lottery prizes go unclaimed every year, including more than 100 prizes worth $1 million or more.

Is Vietnamese Food The Healthiest In The World?

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Have you tried Vietnamese food? If you haven’t, you’ve probably been eating unhealthy food. Vietnamese meals are today ranked among the healthiest. They are not only available in Vietnam, but also in a restaurant near you. If you are in London, you can order a meal from a reputable Vietnamese restaurant in London. Here, are some of the reasons why Vietnamese food is arguably the healthiest option.

Each meal is a balanced diet

For every Vietnamese meal you order, you will realise that it’s a balanced diet. Vietnamese cuisine consists of all dietary needs including carbohydrates, lipids, minerals, proteins and vitamins. The Vietnamese have made these meals their lifestyle thanks to their diversity in agricultural products. If you want to feed on every ingredient wanted by your body to grow healthier, eat Vietnamese food.

A healthy way of eating

How you eat has a great impact on any food’s nutritional value. Vietnamese foods are eaten with chopsticks and each meal includes several dishes. You will realise that these dishes are eaten slowly, hence giving time to chew the food longer. This helps in digestion and assimilation of nutrients.

Which are the healthiest Vietnamese foods?

The truth is every Vietnamese meal has its nutritional value. However, you may be asking about the most common dishes you will find in every meal. Pho is the most popular type of Vietnamese food. Vietnamese dishes include soup, fruits, clay pot dishes, spring rolls, rice dishes with fish or meat cooked in sauce, vegetable salads and fruit juices.

What are the health benefits of Vietnamese food?

Besides being a balanced diet, these meals have other health benefits you can’t afford to miss. They include:

Helping weight loss – this is one of the main reasons most people in the UK prefer Vietnamese food. Take a look at the Vietnamese. They are strong, healthy and slim. Are you trying to lose weight? One of the best and easy ways is to eat Vietnamese meals. Each meal contains lots of vegetables and fruits, thus reducing your intake of proteins.

Regulating blood sugar – Vietnamese food contains less wheat. Most of these meals consist of rice papers, rice noodles and rice flour which are naturally gluten-free.

Improving digestion – herbs like mint and coriander are part of Vietnamese food. You will notice that each plate of Vietnamese food comes with another plate of herbs. These herbs have many health benefits and play a key role in boosting the functioning of the liver. Digestion hence becomes easy and promotes fast absorption of nutrients into your body.

Other health benefits of Vietnamese food include keeping your skin looking young and strong and healthy hair. Healthy eating should be your lifestyle. Your health is defined by what you eat. If you are not familiar with cooking Vietnamese food, you can order from a Vietnamese restaurant near you.

Kati Volitich – Playing The Desert Island Discs Game

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A few years ago a good friend of mine Kati Volitich introduced me to a wonderful radio program called Desert Island Discs. The premise of the show is that celebrities go on, and select 7 songs which they would take with them if they were to be stuck on a  desert island. Naturally during the show the celeb will discuss their pics and what the songs mean to them. Last week I decided that I would do my very own game of desert island discs, albeit with just 5 songs instead of 7. Check out my pics and then why not play the game afterwards.

Change is Gonna Come – Otis Redding

This Sam Cooke song was perfected by Otis Redding and I could listen to it all day. I love the combination of desolation and troubles mixed with an eternal optimism that things can change. This will no doubt make me feel hopeful for a savior when I am stuck on my desert island.

September – Earth, Wind and Fire

I figure that if I am going to be stuck on some desolate island in the middle of nowhere, far from home and without friends, I am going to need something to put a smile on my face. This funky number from Earth, Wind and Fire will most certainly be enough to get me up and dancing in my island paradise.

Wait and Bleed – Slipknot

At some point during my time on the island, I am sure to get angry about the state of affairs that I find myself in, and I’ll need some of the best music to help me get those emotions out. Slipknot’s stomping Wait and Bleed from their first album is the ideal song for this moment, and I will be able to shout as loud as I like without worrying about people hearing me and complaining.

Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon and Garfunkel

Sometimes you have to embrace sadness and keep hope going strong and this song will be the perfect antidote to both problems. The song reminds me a great deal of my family so it will be nice to have something to make me think of home, plus on a sunny day on my island, Art Garfunkel’s voice blaring out will most definitely put a smile on my face.

Man in The Mirror – Michael Jackson

I could select from any number of Michael Jackson’s hits to take away with me on the desert island, in fact I could have happily selected all five discs from the King of Pop himself. I settled on this one because the hits have been heard over and over again, and I wouldn’t want to get sick of a song. Man in the Mirror is powerful sing along which I don’t think that I would ever tire of, so this makes up the last disc on the list.

What would your 5 discs be? Let us know in the comments below.

Dayana Volitich – Awesome Cinema Marathons For Your Next Day Off

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Both myself and my girlfriend Dayana Volitich are in our freshmen year at Fresno State which has been a brilliant experience so far. Thankfully the studies have not been too taxing yet, and this means that generally speaking the weekends are our own. Contrary to what many view as freshman life, we don’t love going out drinking to much, so instead we have Sunday as our cinema day with nachos, popcorn and plenty of ice cream. What we love to do is pick a trilogy or a movie franchise to watch in one day and today i want to give you some options if you fancy a good, old fashioned movie session.

Lord of The Rings

Lord of the Rings is a great way to start your marathons, three movies, each over 4 hours in length and in total almost 14 hours to complete the whole set. What I love most about this is that you really don’t feel the length of the movies until you look at the time. The cinematography in this series is spectacular and you will go on a journey with Frodo and his crew, right the way to Mount Doom. If you are feeling particularly hardcore, combine the Lord of the Rings trilogy with the Hobbit trilogy, a good 20-plus hours of incredible movies.

Star Wars

If you are up for a real marathon, why not watch all of the Star Wars movies in a single day. The running time for the eight movies stands at around 17 hours, add breaks to that and you will be committing yourself to a good 20 hours. In order to achieve this you will need plenty of water, lots of food and plenty of rest the day before. In terms of which order to watch them in, you can either go from Episode 1 to 7 in sequence or follow the machete order which is to watch Episodes 4 then 5, 2 then 3, 6 then 7, completely ignoring episode 1. The machete order is considered to be the best, but the choice is yours.

Godfather

If you prefer something of a shorter movie marathon, why not go for Francis Ford Coppola’s mafia masterpiece the Godfather which clocks in at just under 9 hours in length. These three movies are filled with Sicilian charm, great one liners and demonstrates the loyalty, respect and ruthlessness of the Italian mob. Breakout roles for De Niro and Pacino feature in these movies as well as the timeless performance from the incredible Marlon Brando. Despite the fact that these movies were made in the 70s, they have more than stood the test of time and they make for perfect Sunday viewing.

Honorable Mentions:

Harry Potter – 8 movies – 19 hours

Planet of the Apes – 3 movies – 8 hours

What are your favorite movies to watch when the time comes for a marathon?

Top Live Streaming Channels – How Replicating Success Can Help Create Your Own Following

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In this digital age live streaming has taken a big leap forward. Almost everybody is going live showcasing their music, games or even just having fun with their friends. There is however several live streaming video apps that help people do that. By going live, every exciting and innovative video are viewed by people from all over the world. Celebrities post comments on live videos that go viral. Many famous people of today have become famous by the help of videos only. If they are musicians or sportsman, they have published their videos online. Some have even just winked and have gone viral overnight.

Become Famous With A Video

You can also become popular by a live video broadcasting channel if you know how to make it useful. If you are a musician, then you need to create a video that showcases your strength and show how you are different than others. If you are a scientist, then you can publish an innovative video that highlights the science behind some experiment you have been writing. There are several creative steps you can take and make yourself popular with the help of Live Streaming Channels. You have to know what tools will be liked by the target crowd that you have chosen for yourself.

Apps For All People

Before you decide to make a video, choose what app you should use for that live video. For every app, there will be a different set of people, so your target audience has to be decided beforehand. If you are trying to make a pictograph video, then you look for an app that highlights the photography of people. However, the Swoo Live Stream app is used by almost everyone, so all innovative videos are welcomed to be published here. Be it dance or photography; everything can be made famous if the work has quality in it and proper marketing is done.

Popular Platforms Over Others

When trying to promote something people often resort to streaming that through multiple channels. However, one has to measure the impact and analyze the statistics of the new crowd that has been pulled by that. Through all the famous Tech Live Streams, people are more likely to watch it over the new upcoming apps. For example, a footballer may go live to do an instructional video. He publishes that on social media, then by the help of shares and likes people are bound to view that. More people will also watch it if it is on a popular platform.

What Is Media Market

Choosing the right app for a live video may not be that easy. Every app that is good has specific features that make them stand out from the rest. So a new app unless has useful elements which can be beneficial for the public, will not be famous. Every good live stream video app must have the options that people want from it. It should edit the video, it should be able to select its crowd, and it should even help control the minds of the people. Otherwise, that will not be a part of the media market.

The Perfect Accessories To Get For Your Nintendo Switch

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The Nintendo Switch turns a year older this year! Countless games are already scheduled to be released for this unique gaming console, and with it are new accessories as well. In this article, we’ll give you a rundown of the best accessories you can get your Switch console. Whether you’re maximising its portable feature or you just want to make it look cool while it on the dock, you’ll definitely want to get your hands on these.

Orzly Carrying Case

Do not just rely on tempered screen protectors to make sure your Switch can be lugged around safely. Purchase a case that is handy enough to bring around with you when you travel. The Orzly Carrying Case is perfect for long trips or for employees wanting to continue their gaming during their break. It can hold extra games and cables, and it also has a compartment for whatever else you need to bring (like extra controllers).

Nyko’s Power Pack

A lot of gamers and tech articles recommend at least 5 volts of power for the Nintendo Switch. This will ensure that you can charge your console effectively within the 3 to 4 hour time frame. The Nyko’s Power Pack offers this baseline wattage; it also provides a power metre to help you check how much power the batter has left. You can expect, at most, six hours of gameplay with the Nyko Power Pack.

HORI Compact Playstand for Nintendo Switch

The biggest caveat for the Nintendo Switch is the inability to charge while playing. Yes, it has a built-in kickstand, but it covers the the charging port. This Nintendo approved adjustable playstand allows you to enjoy your Mario Kart 8 and Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild while your Switch is charging. You can also adjust the angle of your playstand to your playing comfort.

Nintendo Joy-Cons

When you’re traveling with friends or having lunch together with your officemates, handy Joy-Cons are great to have for a fun multiplayer game. These come with a wrist strap so you can flail around without the risk of throwing it off halfway across the room.

You can also purchase the Joy-Con USB Charging Dock which will allow you to charge up to 4 Joy-Cons. It has LED lights that will tell you once charging has started and if a controller is juiced up and ready for use. There is a non-slip grip under its wide base, so you will not worry about it being unstable.

PDP Switch Starter Kit

If you are a new Nintendo Switch user, you can purchase the PDP Switch Starter Kit to help introduce you to the basic accessories your Switch should have. The attachments available in the kit are not as advanced as some of the other accessories mentioned here, but they are sturdy enough. The kit includes rubber grips, a screen protector, and a case.

These accessories will not just help you take care of your portable console, but will also ensure that your gaming experience remains unique and fun. And if you still don’t have it yet, the Nintendo Switch from Harvey Norman is conveniently available for purchase online. Visit the website now and get playin’!