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4 Tips for Healing your Soul if you have Experienced a Loss

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Do you feel as though your soul is in need of some healing? Maybe you have experienced a loss but you do not know how to go about dealing with it, on a personal level. Either way, it is vital to know that there are things that you can do to try and help yourself.

Source: Pexels (CC0 License)

Be Present

It is normal for you to want to escape from the feelings of grief that you have. It is also normal for you to want to turn to things that you feel may numb you. This could include comfort food or even shopping. Instead of doing things like this, you need to try and pour all of your energy into something more positive. This could be your work or your creativity. If you can do this, you will be able to heal yourself.

Raise Awareness

Do not try and push the pain away. Instead, try and bring awareness to it. Try and do what you can to relax in the midst of all the chaos, and also try and use it to your advantage. Now is the time for you to try and build yourself to be a stronger person and prove to yourself that you can work through just about anything. Now may even be the time for you to look into cremation jewelry crosses so that you can begin to heal your spirit as you work through the difficult time you are going through.

Plan for a Special Day

It is an excellent idea for you to look to your calendar. Map out any days that you may feel triggered on, and also take the time to learn how to cope. Nourish and even comfort yourself on days like this and also find healthy ways to cope.  It may be that you try and spend more time with your family or that you simply try and reach out more. If you can do this, then you will soon see that people are in fact there to support you, and this can work wonders if you are on a spiritual journey.

Know that Grief is Fluid

Grief is fluid. It can change over time and there is no set path that you can follow to get through it. Sometimes you may move to denial and then acceptance, but shortly after you may find yourself feeling angry again. Either way, you have to know that grief is always changing and that you are never going to experience things in a logical or linear order. The sooner you can accept this, the more leeway you can give yourself when it comes to coping and this can work in your favour in general.

If you want to help yourself, then remember that talking to someone, or a friend is always a good idea. You may find that they can then give you the support that you need and that you can also count on them to pick you up when you are feeling down, so keep that in mind if you can.

Organizing A Move Abroad In Three Simple Steps

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Organizing a move abroad might seem like a daunting task, and it can be, but it doesn’t have to be. There are a range of different things that you have got to get sorted, but if you can manage to keep a level head and not freak out, it’s not going to be too difficult. If you don’t know how to even begin going about this process, it’s a good thing that you have come across this article. Down below, we’re going to be looking at some helpful advice, so keep reading if you would like to find out more.

Move abroad
Photo by Marina Leonova from Pexels

Find Somewhere To Live

If you know that you are going to be moving somewhere new, it would make sense that you start looking for somewhere to live as soon as possible. As such, this is the first thing that we will suggest. Even if you are just dipping your toes in the water to begin with and seeing what’s out there, at least you are starting to get some sense of what to expect for your price range.

You can contact a real estate agent, tell them what you need and ask them to look at some properties for you. Then, you can arrange to go and see them yourself, deciding which, if any, are a good fit for you.

Ship Your Items To Storage If Needed

If you haven’t found a place to move into but you are no longer able to live where you currently do, we recommend getting your items shipped into personal storage in the country you are moving to. This makes it a lot easier for you to stay somewhere temporarily until you find somewhere permanent.

When you do find a place, you can hire a company such as Allied Van Lines to come and pick up your items, helping you move them into your new home. As soon as you have the move-in date you should start looking at companies like this to find out who is available.

Correct Documents

The final thing that we are going to mention in this article is that you need to ensure that you have the correct documents for travel, and the right to work in that country. Make sure that you take a look at the requirements online, fill out all of the necessary forms and wait until all of the documents are approved before you start planning a whole life in a new country. We promise you that it’s better to wait in case anything is denied or needs redoing.

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now have a better understanding of how you can go about organizing a move abroad without making the process too complicated. Of course, it’s a stressful time with all the new changes that are going on, but you’ve got to keep your head on and maintain your organizational skills to avoid it all falling apart. We wish you the very best of luck and hope that you manage to keep it simple.

5 Tips For Printing Documents While You Are Travelling

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Image by Joshua Woroniecki from Pixabay

Gone are the days when you had to hardwire your PC or laptop to a printer to print out your documents. With the advancements in technology, the field of printing has been revolutionized. The size of the printers as well as the time taken to perform a certain print job has reduced significantly.

Most of the individuals who print regularly face a common concern regarding printing their documents while they are travelling. In order to address this concern, I am going to showcase 5 tips that will enable you to print your documents while you are on the go.

1. Mobile Applications

Mobile apps have literally changed the way we go about our daily activities. Even printing is not left untouched by them. Setting up mobile printing at your home or office by accessing your printer is quite easy. However, consider a situation where you have to perform the print job from an unfamiliar printer. There are quite a few apps that are available both in the App Store and the Google Play Store of your printer’s manufacturer. These apps will also enable you to detect any of the accessible printers which are available at places like copy shops and office stores. By paying a certain fee, you will be able to print your documents while you are on the go.

2. Mobilize Your Printer

Connect your printer to the internet over a wireless network. You can even make use of an email-based sending application that will allow you to print to it remotely. If you are using an iOS device, you can either make use of the manufacturer’s printing app or through Apple’s own AirPrint feature. For an Android device, you can make use of Google Cloud Print service. Regardless of the brand, the service will work efficiently with all of them including both old and newer devices.

3. Look For Public Print Locations

ePrint by HP is one of the most sorted mobile printing solutions. Through the app, you will be able to print to machines that are at the FedEx office locations and at the UPS stores. The ePrint app is available for both iOS and Android users. The app will locate all the accessible ePrint Public Print Location printers and enable you to make printouts quickly. In most cases, you will get an access code for releasing the printout when you get to the printer. For taking the print, you will have to pay a fee. You can also find public printing at libraries, hotels, and airport lounges.

4. Office Supply Stores

If you want to get your documents printed quickly then the perfect place to go to is office supply stores. You will be offered on-the-spot printing and copying. If you are printing copies in large numbers, then you will likely get volume discounts. This will enable you to save a lot of your money along with getting the print job done. There is a wide range of other options which will be available for you which include stapling, collating, hole punching, laminating, binding, and more.

5. Copy/Print Shops

You would find a number of print shops no matter where you are traveling. These will prove to be quite handy for you in making printouts on the go. Depending on your location the print prices may vary. This is because a majority of them are owned by the local people. But still, these shops will prove to be quite handy as they will allow you to perform many different printing jobs.

In The End

I hope that all the tips which are mentioned in this post will prove to be quite beneficial for you. These will help you in getting the printing job done where you cannot carry your own printer.

Personal volleyball bests at the OVA Provincials

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Lauren has been playing rep volleyball for the last 2 years. The first year started during the fall of 2020 when the pandemic was still fairly new.  Their team was their cohort and they practiced and practiced. Many times they stopped because restrictions changed. It was a strange season with no games against other teams.

Fortunately, beach volleyball is outdoors and the summer of 2021 was filled with lots of volleyball. Lauren’s skills continued to grow and develop. She worked so hard at the court and at our local park… getting her overhand serve was her biggest challenge.  She worked so hard. 

Tryouts arrived. She went. She tried hard and stayed so positive!  And she made the team!

Practices were twice a week, exhibition games with other club teams, league games with other clubs, and the pièce de ré·sis·tance… OVA Provincials!

Day 1

The day started out great!  Lauren surprised us all… in 8 months Lauren went from barely getting an overhand server over the new to jump serves!

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Wendy {mapsgirl} (@mapsgirl)

They won the first match in 2 sets — 25-11, 25-12!  And the 2nd match was just as successful — 27-25 and 25-20!

 

 
 
 
 
 
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The third game was more of a fight… won 1st set 28-16, lost 2nd set 22-25, and came back to win the 3rd set… 15-10!

Day 2

The girls went into day 2 with a lot of confidence and excitement!

 

 
 
 
 
 
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First match was a tough fight which ended in a loss (Set 1 – loss 20-25, Set 2 – win 25-11, Set 3 – loss 15-13)

The girls were pretty down. Coach Shayne was great! He gave the girls time to be sad and then built them back up!

The 2nd match was so much better!  The girls won both sets — 25-12, 25-20! It was so amazing to watch them play! It was great volleyball.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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The third match of the day was going to be a challenge. The team they were playing had 4 wins and 1 loss… just like them.  The girls were ready!

They won both sets — 25-15, 25-23 !!

During the 2nd set, Lauren had a 6 server run… all jump servers… with one of the serves being an ACE!  I was the proudest mom in the whole place.

She has worked so hard to improve and be a better volleyball player and at that moment she was a shining star!

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Day 3 – Playoffs

The girls were excited. The girls were nervous.  Playoffs was going to be tough… one loss and you’re out!

The team had their ups and downs during their last game.  They were playing a team that they beat on the first day, but that other team must have found their grove and by day 3 they came into their own.

We lost in 3 sets — 25-19, 13-25, 10-15.

There were a lot of tears.  

But I made sure to remind Lauren of how far she has come. Personally, Lauren was a winner. The photo below is a pretty cool example of what she can do!

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A huge thanks to Coach Shayne for his amazing leadership. The way that he was able to work with a group of girls with varying strengths, encourage the girls when they were down, and have a lot of fun is really appreciated from the view of a parent. I am very happy that Lauren was able to learn as much as she did from him.

Shayne is setting out to make his own personal best… he’s on the path to being a police officer! And he’s going to be a very good one!

The end

The provincial championship is the end of the season. Some of the division 1 teams are headed off to nationals in Calgary and we will cheer loudly from Ontario.

The club will have an end-of-the-year banquet at the outdoor courts so that should be a lot of fun! 

Congrats Lauren on your amazing season! Dad, Rach and I are so proud of how hard you worked and you should be proud of all you achieved!

The 5 Top Reasons Why You Need a Rental Storage Unit

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Storage

Image by Paul Brennan from Pixabay

“I don’t need extra space in my house”, said no one ever. There always comes a point in life where we all start feeling the need for more space in our homes. From our clothes to furniture, to small appliances and old books, there are always things that you don’t have the space for, but at the same time, you need and don’t want to get rid of.

This is when the rental storage facilities come into play. Rental storage units are paid for spaces, garages, or other portable containers to store additional stuff. You might especially need one if you’re in one of the following situations:

1. You Travel a Lot

Whether it is a business trip or you’re traveling for leisure, if you’re one of those people who travel a lot, renting a storage facility/space is a blessing for you. Rental storage units will store your stuff, save you house rent costs, and keep your luggage secure and free of damage.

It is impossible for one to bring along many of the house items, if your job calls for changing cities often, so make the most out of this facility while you can.

2. You’re a Student

We can totally relate to how you’re always on a budget during your entire student life. So why not prioritize your expenses? Since most of you are probably living in a shared apartment, you will only have so much space to place your things.

Instead of cluttering your space with unwanted stuff, you can rent a storage unit to keep important stuff safe and secure. That in no way means you have any less access to your luggage than you would if it were right there. Rental storage units have flexible packages that allow you to access your belongings a certain number of times.

3. You Want to Cut Accommodation Costs

If you’re looking for a smaller apartment and are worried about managing your household stuff, then you’ve got one concern shrugged off.

Pack away all the stuff that you will not be needing on an immediate basis and save yourself some space and lots of money. Getting a smaller apartment is no more an issue with the rental storage units that allow you to freely access your belongings at all times.

See for yourself after you do a cost-benefit analysis of the apartment rent versus storage unit affordability.

4. You Need Additional Storage Space

Almost half of our belongings are comprised of items that we won’t be using in the near future, but occupy the lion’s share of space. If you’re a shopaholic, you can totally relate to the need for additional space at all times.

One tip to fix this is packing away seasonal things and renting a storage unit for the time being. This way, you have nothing to worry about and can simply do the same for the next season too. Whether it’s the wooden furniture you purchased in 2002 or mattresses you’ve kept for when guests come over, store anything and everything in these units without giving a care in the world.

5. You Are Renovating Your House

While some renovations may take up a few days, others may last months. Depending upon the time span of your house renovation, get a rental storage unit plan that suits you best.

Instead of moving everything to one or two rooms, which is almost impossible, you can pack the furniture up and store it in a rental storage facility for as long as you desire.

No space? No worries. Find a storage facility close to your house and pack away your stuff alongside your worries.

The Benefits of a Cardio Workout

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When it comes to staying healthy and fit, most people think of lifting weights and doing strength training. While strength training is definitely important, another key element of a well-rounded workout routine is cardio. This blog post will discuss the many benefits of a cardio workout.


Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

1) Cardio strengthens the heart and lungs

When you do cardio exercise, your heart rate and breathing rate increase, this helps to strengthen the muscles in your heart and lungs, making them more efficient at pumping blood and oxygenating our cells. A strong cardiovascular system reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure.

Additionally, regular cardio workouts can help to lower bad cholesterol levels and raise good cholesterol levels in the blood. This further reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

2) Cardio helps to burn calories and lose weight

Cardio workouts are great for people who are looking to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. When you do cardio, you burn calories both during and after the workout. Of course, the number of calories burned depends on the intensity of the workout, but even moderate-intensity cardio can help to boost metabolism and promote weight loss.

HIIT (high-intensity interval training) is a type of cardio that alternates between periods of intense activity and periods of rest. HIIT workouts are very effective at burning calories and have been shown to be more effective than traditional aerobic exercise at promoting fat loss.

3) Cardio improves mental health

Regular cardio exercise can help to improve mental health by reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. Exercise releases endorphins, which have mood-boosting effects. Cardio also helps to increase energy levels and enhance the quality of sleep. All of these factors can lead to improved mental well-being.

If you’re looking for a way to improve your overall health and fitness, consider going to a premium online bike store and adding some cardio to your workout routine. There are many different types of cardio exercises that you can do, so there’s sure to be something that fits your preferences and needs. And, best of all, you’ll reap the many benefits that come with a regular cardio workout!

4) Cardio increases energy levels

In addition to improving mental health, regular cardio exercise can also lead to increased energy levels. This is due to the improved cardiovascular function and increased endorphin production that comes with exercise. So if you’re feeling sluggish and low on energy, a quick workout may be just what you need to get your energy levels up.

There are many different ways to incorporate cardio into your workout routine. Some people prefer to do steady-state cardio, such as walking or jogging, while others prefer HIIT workouts or other types of interval training. No matter what type of cardio you choose, you’ll be sure to reap the many benefits that come with it!

So next time you’re planning your workout routine, don’t forget to include some cardio. Your body (and mind) will thank you for it!

 

Ingredients Everyone Should Have In Their Kitchen

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Image by Matej Madar from Pixabay

Are you busy rolling your hours between your job, school, and family? Then trust me you need this list that can ease out your daily meal preparation? Below mentioned are the most essential ingredients that can easily lift your regular cooking game.

Eggs

Eggs can be a go-to snack – whether boiled, omelette, fried, or scrambled. It’s always good to choose eggs for your little hunger pains. They also meet-up your protein requirements, which makes them a perfect option for Breakfast. Our family loves deviled eggs.

Good Quality Bread

Bread is such a staple that we always have it in our kitchen. Good quality bread can be a base ingredient for many meals, be it a sandwich, bread with an omelette, bread and butter, garlic bread, a bread pizza, and a whole lot more.

Canned Beans

Apart from having a good shelf life, canned beans can also be added to many dishes for some extra protein and flavour. Canned beans can add substance to your tacos, pasta, and salads.

Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay

Honey

Honey is one of the best natural sweeteners, and adding it to your diet can result in amazing health benefits. Add it to your tea, use it has a dip for pretzels, or use it in glazes for meat or poultry.

Dried Pasta

Families with kids will know what a saviour pasta can be. When your little ones demand some quick snacking, all you need to do is boil some pasta, and when ready, add some tomato sauce. The pasta is then ready for them to devour. For a health kick, add in some vegetables to the sauce.

Tortillas

These thin, crispy bites are an amazing go-to snack. You can pair them with some cheesy dip or some marinara sauce and enjoy a quick meal.

With some handy tortillas, you can prepare some quick tacos. All you need is some ground beef, salsa, lettuce, and grated cheese, and your fulfilling wholesome meal is ready.

The best part about tortillas is that they can be stored for 3-4 weeks if you pack them up properly in an airtight Xiplock bag.

Cheddar or Parmesan Cheese

Cheese is a must ingredient in our kitchen. Whether it’s bread or pasta, pizza or salads, cheese can add an abundance of taste to almost all meals.

We all know cheese for its amazing and mushy taste, but little do you know, it’s a great source of Vitamin D as well.

Image by iSAW Company from Pixabay

Salsa or Hot Sauce

Are you someone who loves spicy flavour in your food? Then stocking up on some salsa and hot chilli sauces should be on your list. You can add them to season up your pasta, sandwiches, or add it to your tacos or nachos. And the best part – these store-bought sauces can last for months in your kitchen.

Rolled Oats

Are you planning on having a healthy and nutritious start to your day? Then what’s better than some nutrition-packed rolled oats. Oats are a great source of antioxidants – natural fibres that maintain a healthy gut, and keep your muscles healthy.

Manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, folate, vitamin B1 (thiamin), vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), calcium, potassium, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), and vitamin B3 (niacin).

With all of that, rolled oats is one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can consume.

Spices

Garnishing your meal with spices can immediately make it flavourful and amazing. Spices also have a longer shelf life and are easy to store, so it’s a great idea to stock up some common ones like black pepper, oregano, garlic powder, salt, cinnamon powder, rosemary, thyme, paprika, and chilli flakes. Craig and I love to use different spices when we cook to enhance the flavour of our dishes.

Breaking up (with friends) is hard to do

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friendship
Image by Anemone123 from Pixabay

Some people will tell you that having toddlers are harder than having babies and that teenagers are harder than toddlers. I have always said that each stage is different and comes with different challenges. 

Eventually, you get to the stage where you start to step back and guide your kids as they start to tackle these challenges on their own. You can’t do everything for them forever, and they won’t grow as a human if you solve all of their problems for them. 

And when life throws you curveballs, like a pandemic, you need to be even more patient in your guidance because you’re faced with challenges no one ever expected — lockdowns, physical distancing, and virtual school.

Maintaining friendships wasn’t something that could happen every day at school. A conscious effort was made to keep the kids connected with their friends in any way they could. We went from trying to limit their time on their phones to allowing them more time so they could Facetime, call, Discord, anything which helped them be social.

After 18 months of virtual school and a disjointed connection with their friends, the girls went back to school in September. We talked with the kids to prepare them for the potential changes that may become more apparent. But I’m not sure Craig and I were prepared for what actually did happen.

One of our girls had a core group of friends and for the first few months, everything seemed to be going fairly well. Some of the kids had become closer to some than others, but, hey, that happens with adults too.

At the end of October, we noticed that things with the friend group were starting to change. New people were being included and others were stepping away. The ebb and flow of friendships.

Some of the changes weren’t all that great. By February, the dam burst.

One of the closest friends, through a text chat, accused our daughter of manipulating them and other hurtful accusations. Our daughter got manipulated by this teen so badly in this chat that she apologized for things that were not her fault and that she did not need to apologize for. And at the end of the chat, the other person said…

“I don’t think we should be friends anymore.” 

Her confidence was shattered. There were so many tears. We were so upset. I was shocked when I read the text message thread. How could one teenager be so hurtful?

My heart broke.

Over the next few days, my daughter told us that she was eating alone in the library because she didn’t want to be with a group of friends due to that one person. I wanted to scream. This manipulative kid gets all the friends and tramples on my kid’s emotions.

This is where I could have stepped in and called the other kid’s parents to let them know what was going on, but I didn’t. Having parents jump in a try to force a friendship back together wasn’t going to be good for anyone.

Then we spent the next few months trying to build our kid’s confidence back up. We encouraged her to reach out to other friends, and join groups or clubs. We made sure that she stayed connected with the rest of the friend group outside of school so she didn’t feel like she lost everything.

Thankfully, after March Break, more activities at school started back up. Now it’s April and there are a few new friends to have lunch with, clubs and choir at lunch, and band after school. 

We are so proud of how she handled this whole thing. Not once did she say anything bad about this other person. Not once did she try to turn the other friends away from this person. She took the high road and walked away. 

One of the things that I am thankful for is that my kid was willing to talk to us. Our family communication is amazing. She knew that she could share this with us and that we would love and support her. I think that this may have helped our family communication become even better. Every day we check in with each other to see how each other’s day was and we celebrate the good and support the not-so-good.

She knows that she did the right thing, even though it wasn’t the easiest. The things that she has learned about herself through all of this are some of the most important things she will carry through life. 

7 Ways to Make your Bedroom Look like a Luxury Hotel Suite

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Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Don’t we all miss our stays at hotels once we’re back home? No matter how well you’ve designed your home, you definitely miss the comfort and luxury you experience during hotel room stays. The grandeur and luxe is un-matchable but we can always give it a try. How about a few simple tricks that can help you renovate your bedroom into a lavish hotel room?

1. Walls

Probably one of the biggest change in your bedroom can be brought about by working on the walls. One idea is to select one and design it as the feature wall. You can hang paintings or other pieces of artwork to distinguish it from other walls. The trick is to keep the other walls neutral by selecting a very natural tone, either whites, beiges and creams.

If you don’t like the idea of a feature wall and think its too outdated, you can always go for a simplistic appearance. Elegance is timeless and never goes out of fashion. Lighter tones make your room look more spacious, allow for more vibrant room and bedding accessories and one can never go wrong with them.

2. Go for a TV wall

You might feel that the room is too small and not suitable for a TV wall, but if you’re into hoteling frequently, chances are that you’ve stayed at a small hotel room too. No hotel room is complete without a TV and if you plan on giving your room a complete hotel room appearance, we recommend you get a TV for the wall facing the bed. A grand LED only adds to the splendor of the room and is definitely your best source of entertainment.

3. Get Super Comfy Bedding

The first thing that you’ll do when you enter a hotel room is jump on the bed to see how cozy the sheets are. Invest in comforters and cozy pillows. Depending on your budget, you can either go for duck or goose down comforters, or down alternative comforters and pillows if you’re allergic to dust. Hotel bedding is the primary feature that makes the experience worth the money.

4. Invest in Bedroom Accessories

As important as it is in investing in classy furniture, small bedroom accessories make a huge difference. If you’re going with nude palettes, go for blingy and vibrant coloured accessories. Be it table lamps, decoration pieces, frames or even bed cushions, you need to declutter your room and invest in some contemporary bedroom accessories. It is however important, that these accessories comply with the theme and don’t look out of place.

5. Utilize Every Corner

Hotel rooms do not leave any space unoccupied. Whether its a nightstand or a shelf, or just another beautiful lamp, the corners are occupied smartly. You can place a plant, a curved sofa, or a small table with a photo frame on it. If you like reading, you can get a few bookshelves fixed and make it a reading corner. The key to a lavish room is not leaving any corners unattended.

6. Lighten up the Room

A brighter room is a happier room. Other than making your room appear wider, lighting plays a huge role in the vibe that your bedroom gives. Different lighting patterns are needed at different corners of the room. While you would want grazing lights over paintings and wall frames, a trendy chandelier definitely adds to the grandeur of your room. Hotel rooms are designed on the maximum lights mantra.

7. Use Mirrors

Its time you let go of the Feng Shui myth of not placing a mirror in your bedroom and get your hands on one. Why, you ask? Mirrors reflect back light making a smaller room look wider and a bigger room, even more, ultimately adding to the grandeur that you were looking for in the first place. While a tall mirror will reflect the light coming from the window,  a dresser mirror will reflect the ceiling and give an expansive look to your room.

Following these small tips can make a huge difference and definitely make your own bedroom more like a hotel room. The key is to keep it simple. Do not indulge in buying too much furniture or bedroom accessories that will only clutter your room. Simplicity is elegance. And that is probably what you miss most when you get back home from a hotel stay.

Happy Renovating!

Renting the Right Car for Your Honeymoon

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Image by Brigitte Werner from Pixabay

Your wedding and your honeymoon are the two times in your life when you will want every detail to be perfect. You already planned to have the hottest music, the tastiest cake, and the most beautiful gown during the ceremony, so likewise you shouldn’t neglect the small luxuries that you deserve during your first special time together as man and wife.

For example, you shouldn’t take a cab or an Uber around your honeymoon destination when you can rent a car and see the sites on your own terms. But, how do you go about getting the perfect rental car for honeymoon travel? Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Always Reserve Your Car Ahead

You may wonder how far ahead of your honeymoon trip that you should reserve your chosen rental vehicle. The truth is that you should make a reservation as soon as you get the dates of trip finalized. Like airline tickets, vehicle rental prices tend to increase as you approach the date of usage. That is why it is never a good idea to rent your car on the day that you need it.

Popular Places and Dates

You should also consider the popularity of your honeymoon destination. Will you be in the area during its peak tourist season? If so, it may be harder to find your first choice car. You should look at the websites of all the car rental services in the area and compare their inventory, if the information is available that far in advance (it usually isn’t, see below). Also, if you get married on a holiday weekend, such as Memorial Day, Independence day, or Labor Day, you may find yourself competing for rental vehicles with more than the average amount of vacationers, so a little preparedness goes along way.

Decide Which Type of Car You Want (or Need)

You only get to honeymoon once (hopefully), so why not do it in style? You can choose the car of your dreams to taxi between sites and start your marriage feeling like royalty. Do you want a sweet convertible sports car to ride around an island paradise, or do you want a luxury and exotic car for rental to cruise Vegas just like the high rollers? Or, maybe cargo room for your skis is a concern for you. If that’s the case, rent a van or an SUV that’ll have enough room for all your gear. The choice is yours, and just like you wouldn’t skimp on the honeymoon suite, you shouldn’t skimp on your ride, either

Inventory Changes

Remember, a rental lot cannot absolutely guarantee that a particular car will be available at a given time. Inventory constantly changes since cars can be picked up and dropped off anywhere. This is why while planning a bit ahead is important, you shouldn’t worry about car type too far in advance. Usually, rental companies will only give you the option to choose a specific vehicle 1 to 2 days beforehand.

Some Things You Need to be Aware of

If you are under the age of 25, there are laws in many states and nations that may restrict you from renting a vehicle, even if you are married and have a credit card. If both spouses fall into this category, it is imperative that you check the laws of the area where you plan to honeymoon ahead of time before making any plans or reservations.

Conversely, there are areas where renting is permitted to those under the age of 25, but you may be restricted to a “standard” sized sedan, such as a Toyota Camry. It should go without saying that just as with your own vehicle at home, the insurance will cost more until you reach the age of 25. This means less cargo room and a higher budget, so plan accordingly.

Avoid Extra Fees

Be sure to read the fine print in your contract. You may be saddled with a tracking device that can prove that you were going over the posted speed limit, mileage limits, or left the designated area. These “offences” can result in exorbitant fees.

Speaking of fees, remember to fill the gas tank before returning the car. When the rental company refills a partially empty tank, they may charge you for a full tank of gas, and many rental companies do so at a higher rate than the average gas station.

Take a Quick Inventory

Go through a quick checklist in your mind before leaving the lot. Do you have a key to open the trunk, or the gas cap, if necessary? Do you have a spare tire or doughnut, lug wrench, and jack included in the trunk? Check for essentials before driving off.

Be Sure to Include Insurance

Always look over your documentation to ensure that your package includes insurance. If you are not sure whether it comes as part of the agreement, discuss your situation with the person at the rental counter and pay for extra insurance if you are not sure the coverage is adequate. It is always best to overpay on insurance rather than end up in a crash with a car that is not yours and end up losing your shirt.

Just remember to first read over each of the options and be sure that you choose one that is comparable to the type of car that you are renting. Some packages can charge as much as $40 per day, and this is almost like doubling the rental price. Another option may be to purchase rental car insurance from a third party. There are many companies available that charge less than rental agencies and cover just as thoroughly.

Enjoy your Honeymoon!

So, why would you want to be at the whim of cab drivers, train schedules, and bus routes when you can spend your time your way and travel to each attraction at ease? Renting a car on your honeymoon is a smart way to get the most out of your vacation and your precious time together. So take the time to look over your options and reserve a car today for your special trip.