Made with fresh spinach, mushrooms, Gruyère cheese and milk, this spinach and mushroom quiche recipe makes a healthy breakfast, brunch or lunch.
Ingredients
Crust
Filling
Steps
Nutrition
260 Calories, 17g Total Fat, 9g Protein, 16g Total Carbohydrate, 4g Sugars
]]>What stresses you out? Is it the daily commute to work? The heavy traffic? Your boss, your work, your colleagues? Family members? Errands and chores? Perhaps, the more important question is how do you deal with stress?
There are so many things around us that can stress our mind, body and spirit. When we are under pressure or face difficult situations, our body releases the stress hormone, cortisol, which initiates our bodies’ physiological response to stress. The heart beats faster, the blood pressure elevates, and blood flow in the body increases.
The constant release of the stress hormone due to the presence of environmental stressors can have severe long-term effects on our health. Thus, it is important to stay calm and relaxed when faced with stressful situations.
5 Best Ways to Manage Stress
You cannot totally eliminate stress from your life. However, there are techniques that will help you respond to stress in a more positive and proactive way. Here are some of the best ways to manage stress when you find yourself in a tough situation.
This may sound like an overused cliché, but truthfully, it’s the easiest and most doable technique you can perform when you’re under pressure. When you feel overwhelmed, take a step back, close your eyes, and breathe deeply while quietly counting to ten.
Deep breathing helps keep you calm by increasing the supply of oxygen to your brain. It is also a great way to relax your mind and make you feel connected to your body. It helps realign your thoughts and is essential in achieving healthier thinking.
After a tiring day, why not spend a few minutes doing meditation or yoga. These activities will also help you relax by making you focus your attention on your breathing and posture. Furthermore, there are a number of yoga poses that can help in relaxing tensed muscles. Try the eagle pose that relieves tension in the back, neck, and shoulders.
Sitting in front of a computer for long periods of time or staring too much at your mobile phone screen can bring about unnecessary stress. Not only do they put strain on your eyes, but they also put pressure on you to respond quickly to every text, comment, or email you receive.
Studies have shown that being constantly connected and glued to electronics adds unnecessary stress to our lives. To combat this, make sure to switch off your electronic devices for at least an hour before going to bed and spend as much time away from your screens as you can.
You can also do a digital detox where you shut down all your electronic devices for a few days and engage in activities that wouldn’t require you to use them. This can include camping, gardening, or simply spending quality time with your family and friends. After all, physical interaction is better than virtual meetings, right?
When you’re feeling burnt out, try to learn new hobbies that can help alleviate your stress levels. Studies have shown that repetitive motions such as cross-stitching, knitting, and sewing can have a positive impact.
Another activity that you can engage in is to go on nature when you are stressed. This will help improve your overall wellbeing and the exercise will release happy hormones, and endorphins, and counteract the impact of cortisol in your body. Furthermore, you can also try gardening, as being around plants is a proven way to help you relax.
Music has been proven to be an effective way to relax and calm down during stressful periods. Try listening to soft and soothing music to help you relax or listen to any feel-good song, and your brain is guaranteed to flood with happy hormones called dopamine that counteracts the impact of stress.
On your drive home, while sitting in heavy traffic, try putting the volume up to your favourite song and sing or bob along to help relieve stress tension.
Despite the many things that can go wrong, never forget to be thankful for what you have. A mindset shift can do wonders to your day—and even to your life.
For example, if your boss is putting you under pressure about a deadline, be thankful that you have a job while many others are struggling to find work. If your children are stressing you out, be thankful that you have children. If you’re stuck in traffic, appreciate the fact that you have a car that can take you anywhere you want to go.
Instead of looking for things to complain about, recognize the things that make you happy. If you practice gratitude, you will find that there is a lot to be thankful for despite all the stressors around you. You will start to see life more positively, and the stress will not affect you as much.
Positive attitude
Stressors are everywhere. You will always find yourself in a situation where you can’t control what’s happening around you, whether it’s a bad storm, non-moving traffic, or not having much money. In situations like these, what you can control is your thoughts and actions. It takes a strong mind, discipline, and practical strategies to effectively deal with stress so that it won’t bring harmful effects to your mental and physical well-being.
So when you find yourself in a difficult situation, try not to get stuck dwelling on negative feelings. By following the advice in this article, you will gradually feel calmer and regain peace of mind.
]]>If you are an avid reader and pursue reading as an activity equivalent to breathing (which I firmly believe is what landed you here) you don’t like wasting your time researching what to read. Not when you can trade that time for some other extracurricular activity.
So without the inconsequential need to mention why you should read more books or why you should join a book club (because you’re smart enough), let’s cut to the chase.
Here are my top 6 book subscription boxes so you can do more of what you love.
If you’ve ever wondered what a perfect tea time looks like then let The Tea Time Bookshop help you bring that experience to your doorstep.
With a wide variety of genres including thrillers, fiction and romance, you also receive tea, coffee, and biscuits to complement your reading time.
Multiple subscription packages starting from a month to a year help you set commitments to your liking.
https://teatimebookshop.co.uk/collections/subscriptions
Rare Birds Book Club is more than just a monthly package of books in a box. It’s a chance to be part of something amazing.
The enchanting Rare Birds member portal offers private event listings and author interviews while allowing you to chat with other readers and share your thoughts.
Now how cool is that?
Rare Birds is all about making reading fun and enjoyable.
https://rarebirdsbooks.com/collections/rare-birds-book-club-subscriptions
Books can take you to magical places and The Traveling Reader book box subcan take you on a tour of Great Britain.
Each month you’re treated to a novel based on a different British region accompanied by gifts, snacks, and drinks from that particular region.
Maybe that’s how you travel in style, visiting places without actually visiting them.
However this traveling adventure might be a little extravagant as the prices are on the higher side starting at £34.99/month.
https://www.thetravellingreader.com/subscriptions
Treat yourself, or a friend to a vegan book subscription box packed full of surprises and beautiful books. Happily Ever After Book Box comes with a vegan chocolate treat, beauty product, bookmark and a choice of hot drink making it the perfect choice if you’re struggling for gift ideas.
Owlcrate is for people who love reading Young adult books.
Each month you get your hands on enthralling young adult book titles from its ever-so-diverse library.
But that’s not all.
What makes this book box so special are the accompanying bookish items. Every month they send you a highly anticipated new YA release, as well as 3-5 bookish items (such as fandom jewellery, collectible toys, bookmarks, and more!). Each box will also include exclusive content from authors and publishers too! They ship anywhere in the world, with different shipping costs for different areas.
https://www.owlcrate.com/pages/subscription-plan
If you like to take control of the books that you read then Book of the Month makes it easy for you to successfully swim your way through the month with a book of your choice. The monthly picks are all freshly released novels ranging from a variety of genres.
https://www.bookofthemonth.com/relationship-status
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Life can become quite mundane and boring when you spend most of your day in a boring office. Sterile white walls and a bland workstation can have a negative effect on our mood while we work. Research shows office workspace design can have positive effects on employee engagement, health, and performance. Therefore, it makes sense to create a comfortable office space that enhances productivity and simultaneously looks aesthetic. As a result, creating a healthy office space helps you feel less anxious and perform better mentally. Are you wondering how to create a healthy office space for yourself and employees? Here’s how:
1. Hang colourful works of art.
According to Patrick McCrae, CEO of UK art consultancy ARTIQ: “Art has been proven to increase productivity, enhance wellbeing and help creative thinking, making it an essential addition to any home office.” Consider how you can turn an otherwise bland work desk into a place where you’re happy to spend hours of the day working. On your desk or wall, hang a colourful painting or motivational quote that makes you happy every time you look at it. It’s also a good idea to remove distracting gadgets from a workstation, such as a television or games console. Having a creative office space will not only improve worker happiness and productivity but will also go a long way towards attracting top talent to your business for years to come.
2. Incorporate flowers & plants.
Numerous scientific studies have proven the positive effects of having more greenery in a workspace. Placing flowers and plants around the office helps relieve stress and anxiety. It also helps increases productivity, cleans the air, and creates a pleasant working environment for employees and clients.
3. Add stylish waste bins.
Why not place attractively designed waste bins around your office to ensure that your place of work is a pleasant and litter-free environment. With so many designs and colour schemes available on the market, it’s easy to find a range of bins to complement your corporate image, branding and company recycling policies. Say yes to cleanliness!
4. Add unique furniture.
Most people often overlook the importance of good office furniture. Choosing the right furniture can help boost productivity and employee morale. Good office furniture sets the scene for professionalism and expectations. Choosing sleek, modern office furniture and office chairs can help transform the image and reputation of your company and business. Good office furniture helps to create an atmosphere of reliability, efficiency, and stability, which is especially important if you have clients and customers visiting your premises. Your office furniture will reflect your brand, so you should always try to make it as positive and welcoming as you can.
6. Make the most of natural lighting
Your workspace can have the most distinctive furniture, excellent colour pallet, and stylish workstations. None will fully shine until you have the correct lighting. The office lighting in your workspace has a direct effect on the mood, energy level, and productivity of your team. Lighting that is too dim will make your employees feel tired and cranky. On the other hand, lighting that is too bright will be hard on the eyes even triggering headaches and migraines.
The perfect lighting for your office space will help your employees stay alert, creative, energized, and in the right state of mind to give 100 percent. But finding the balance between too dim and too light can be a difficult task. For large, open spaces like most environments, fluorescent or light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs are the best option, but halogen and incandescent are also just as good.
7. Add a bookshelf.
Whether you work from home or in a corporate office, it’s important to have a space that feels like your own. A personal touch can help you feel more relaxed and calmer when working, and adding a bookshelf is a great way to do this. It fosters knowledge sharing and collaborating. It also sparks creativity and inspires your work community to read, learn and improve.
8. Remember office aromas.
The smell of pleasant odours in a workplace improves mood and staff morale. Install automatic air fresheners to ensure your place of work smells good at all times. Choose scents that boost focus and productivity. For example, Lemon, Cedarwood, Jasmine and Peppermint are good for alleviating stress and improving mental health.
9. Keep a fruit basket handy.
Subscribe to a weekly fruit delivery basket service to encourage you and your team to make healthier choices while at work. Place a fruit bowl, bottled water, and healthy snacks around the office to promote healthy eating habits.
10. Customize your desktop or laptop.
It is a simple yet necessary step in creating a healthy office space. Customise your laptop or desktop background to a photo or image that will motivate and inspire you throughout the day. You can also try changing the background every several days to keep things exciting and fresh.
11. Keep framed pictures of loved ones.
Placing photos of family members and friends on your desk will remind you of what is important life. Family pictures-wedding photos or tasteful vacation shot shows you can manage work and home.
Conclusion
Healthy office spaces increase productivity, creativity, and motivation, it’s as simple as that! If you want to reap these benefits, you’d better start changing your workspace.
A breakup can stir up a lot of negative emotions. Whatever the reason, getting over a relationship can become painless.
The healing process will always be different for everyone. There’s no set time or magic formula to get over a breakup because everyone follows a different approach to healing and grieving.
Here are a few tips that will help you navigate through a break up.
1. Time heals everything
The first and most important thing is to accept the situation and all the emotions that come with it. It’s okay to feel waves of sadness as you have lost a significant relationship.
A breakup can be pretty tough to deal with but know that it will eventually become better, and all you need is time.
Take some time for yourself before jumping back into the dating scene. All this time will allow you to reflect inwards and help you deal with the complicated emotions of a breakup.
2. Be kind to yourself
Your inner voice will find plenty of reasons to criticize you for the end of your relationship.
Don’t let these voices dictate your behavior towards yourself.
You deserve all the love and kindness, and you should be the number one source of it. Prioritize self-care and indulge in activities that make you feel good. Your heart is shattered at the moment; all it needs is love and care to mend it back.
3. Avoid contact
The urge to make that phone call or stumble upon them in an expected place and patch things up might sound plausible when you miss them terribly. But it’s only going to take you backward.
Make sure that you avoid contact with your ex partner at all costs. The distance will sever that bond and help you detach from them.
If you cannot control the urge to get in touch with them, block their number and delete every possible contact from your phone including social media. Don’t visit places where you can run into them.
4. Badmouthing is a NO NO
It might give you a momentary therapeutic release but also blocks you from moving on and starting a new chapter.
There’s nothing productive in scorning someone who’s no longer part of your life. Instead, focus on yourself and talk more about the future and what you want to achieve. When you focus your energy on the good things, you’ll gain a positive and better perspective on life.
5. Shift your focus
Everyday is a new opportunity to change your life and be who you want to be.
This is the perfect time for you to start doing things for yourself and only yourself. Indulge in activities that bring you a sense of peace and joy.
Once you shift your focus in the right direction, you won’t have the time to think about the past.
6. Never stop believing in LOVE
Why would anyone want to stop believing in such a beautiful emotion?
The pain will try to convince you that love is not worth all the suffering. But don’t close the doors to your heart because you never know what the future holds.
]]>It might seem like travelling abroad is solely available to those who have money to spend, but there are plenty of ways to venture abroad on a budget without compromising on the satisfaction factor. By investing in some research, planning and creative thinking, there are a multitude of tips to save cash and experience a trip that you will remember forever.
Let’s look at how you can travel abroad on a budget.
Book Flights in Advance and Check Comparison Sites
It’s wise to book as far in advance as you possibly can as the later you book, the more expensive the airfare prices. Ideally, between three to nine months ahead of time is good to aim for.
Also do your research on comparison websites. These will offer different deals and prices on flights that typically aren’t available by going directly to the airline.
Be Flexible on Travel Date and Time
Travelling between a Tuesday and Thursday and overnight is generally cheaper and you can also save money by avoiding taking a direct flight if you’re heading long-distance. Flights where you have to change will take longer and might seem more hassle, but it can save you a good amount of money that you can allocate elsewhere!
Pack Light
Be extra vigilant with your packing to avoiding paying extra baggage costs.
Be Creative when Considering Accommodation
There are many ways to save money on accommodation. These can include checking comparison sites for package deals, which also have the advantage of managing your flights, transfers and accommodation in one booking.
For frequent travellers, utilising any forgotten hotel reward points can sometimes score you a free night here and there.
Hostels tend to get a bad reputation and you need to do your research! However, there are many hostels that are substantially cheaper than hotels and Airbnbs and offer a variety of room types (depending on your budget), decent facilities and are conveniently located. Hostels can be a great option if you’re simply looking for a base to rest and freshen up.
Some other ideas include considering home exchanges and house or pet-sitting, which is where you stay in a stranger’s home in return for taking care of their house or a pet. There are sites you can sign up for to find these and it can be a fantastic way to avoid spending on accommodation entirely!
Avoid Tourist Traps and Arranged Tours
When it comes to accommodation and eating out, try to avoid the big cities and tourist traps and instead, opt for those lesser-known destinations. You can often find some real hidden gems for a fraction of the cost and get a far richer, authentic experience of the place you’re travelling to!
]]>On Thursday 8th September 2022 marks 55 years of World Literacy Day. The intention of this celebration started by UNESCO was to remind people all over the world that the ability to read and write should not be taken for granted.
Literacy is considered to be the very foundation of liberty and development. However, a large proportion of countries in in the developing world still seem far behind to catch up with the rest of the world on the concept of human rights. Human rights include access to basic human necessities like food, housing, sanitation, medical facilities, and education for everyone. When every individual in the world can enjoy these basic necessities, only then can they be truly liberated from the vicious cycle of illiteracy and devolution in this fast-paced world.
A large number of low-income countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia are still struggling to eradicate poverty and illiteracy. These two issues are totally different yet so interconnected that it’s impossible to address the one without taking into account the latter when trying to uplift the socio-economic status of an entire nation. UNESCO describes “illiteracy as just another form of slavery.” These countries are characterized by low income per capita, high rates of population growth, and poor living conditions. A majority of their population is settled in rural areas that are underdeveloped and lack most of the basic facilities.
According to UNESCO, there are around 773 million illiterate people, most of whom come from developing nations. One of the biggest reasons for higher illiteracy rates in these countries is the lack of proper infrastructure and opportunities for formal education. Corruption is another huge problem that limits the developments in these nations which further pushes people into poverty creating greater inequality. Also, the fact that a majority of the population in these developing countries are involved in labor-intensive activities like farming which requires less or no educational background. This makes it further difficult for them to find the motivation to pursue education as working is their only option to survive and provide for their families. With this vicious cycle in play, most people find it impossible to improve their chances of better living standards through education.
But it’s absolutely naive to overlook the importance of education in improving their living standards. Literacy will not only provide people with the ability to read and write in an accepted language but will also strengthen their abilities in other technical and non-technical areas. These abilities will further aid them in expressing their opinions on knowledgeable matters that directly concern them. It will also introduce them to new ways of earning a respectable living and thus become economically self-sustaining.
A large number of non-governmental organizations are continually working towards eradicating illiteracy from developing countries but it will take more than that to create a world that is more just and equal and one that provides everyone with equal opportunities for growth and development.
]]>Working in your pajamas is one of the biggest perks of being a writer.
But for all those days when you hit writer’s block or are just bored of your home office space, try getting out of your house to find some much-needed inspiration outside your home.
Here’s a list of 7 amazing places you can consider for your next work destination.
As some of these places might not offer Wifi, so be prepared with a backup option in case things don’t go your way.
1. Local library
The aura of a library is the perfect place to stir up all your writing juices for the days when you need a change from your home/office space while being at peace.
With a good Wifi connection and endless resources at hand, a library is a great place for writers to focus and churn out a productive day.
2. Coffee shop
There’s a reason why coffee shops are the most beloved hangout spot of writers.
It gives you the right amount of change you need from your usual working space with some uplifting music, a range of delicious snacks, and obviously lots of coffee.
It is perfect for times when you’re looking to escape the absolute silence of your home while relishing occasional distractions around you.
3. Park
It is the best place to get closer to nature and bring some vibrant and breezy vibes to your writing process.
You can fully customize your setup with comfy blankets, cushions, coffee, and snacks to make your experience comfortable.
You don’t have to worry about getting tired from all that sitting as you can stretch or take a walk whenever you feel like it.
4. Beach
The soft sand, the blue waves, and a clear bright sky are all you need for a riveting writing experience.
If you’re someone who loves spending time on the beach then you should definitely consider taking your work to the beach as well.
The calm and serene atmosphere of the beach will surely make you come back for more.
5. Aquarium
Underwater life is one of the calmest and most serene places to relax your mind and we can only wish going underwater every day was that easy.
But an aquarium is the perfect place to fill in, for giving you that serene environment.
If you’re looking to skip the crowd, make sure to go in the afternoon.
6. Roof
If you’re lucky enough to have access to a roof then make good use of it and take your writing experience to new heights.
Get inspired by a new perspective of your city while enjoying and admiring its beauty. Please ensure that the roof is legally accessible and safe for you to work.
7. On a boat/ferry
You can comfortably go hit the waves on a boat and ferry and keep the Monday blues at bay.
As a majority of ferries and boats now offer Wifi, you don’t ever have to worry about getting disconnected from the world.
They also offer comfortable working space with tables and benches so that you can focus on the important parts.
]]>These Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies are one of my absolute FAVORITES! Soft and chewy oatmeal cookies, made even more delicious with the addition of fresh blueberries. It’s a classic flavor combination we all know and love, now with a fun, fresh twist. Perfect for breakfast, dessert, or an afternoon snack!
INGREDIENTS
INSTRUCTIONS
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Contrary to popular belief, books are not just for reading. They can be accessories, too. If you’re wondering why books are the best accessories, we’re here to explain why.
From never going out of style to being amazing conversation starters, there are a lot of reasons why books are the best accessories.
Here are the reasons why books are the best accessories:
Unlike clothes and bags, books never go out of style.
Books survived the Bronze Age and flourished during the Modern Age. Given this, books are not going out of style anytime soon― likely never.
So, if you want an accessory that does not go out of style, grab some books now!
From paperback to leather-bound, books come in many colors and sizes.
Due to this, you can find books that suit your personality and even your house decor (more about this later).
Plus, you have a ton of options. Whether you want a book to complement your bedroom shelf or one that you can carry in your purse, you can always find one that suits you.
Aside from being sources of knowledge, books are fashionable as well.
They can match any style. You can even match your book with your outfit.
For instance, you are going out wearing a red and black outfit. You can carry a book with the same colors and stand out from the crowd.
You heard it right. Books are great accessories for any occasion, too.
Wearing a nerdy Halloween costume? Bring a book with you. Dressing up for Christmas? Tuck a book under your arm.
Plus, you can use them to tell stories to your family during special occasions. Isn’t that great?
If you’ve been thinking about redecorating your home, think no more. Books can spice up your home.
In addition, books are way more affordable than new furniture and decor. So, if your home needs some flair, consider getting some books.
Better yet, build a home library. Trust us, houses with libraries are and will always be stylish.
While your clothes show your personality, books do the same thing on a different level.
When you ask someone about their favorite book, you will instantly have an idea of who they are. Books also give you a clue about what someone likes and dislikes.
So, if you want to give clues about your personality, tell them about your favorite book.
Your clothes, bags, and shoes can be good conversation starters. Do you want to know what’s better?
Books!
With books, you can easily start a conversation with someone. If you’re lucky enough, you two might just like the same book. What a nice way to make friends, right?
Conclusion
Without a doubt, books are the best accessories. They can spice up your outfit, your home, and even your friend-seeking game.
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Leading a minimalist lifestyle saves you time and money. It reduces your stress levels as well. Read more to know how to become a minimalist.
Leading a minimalist lifestyle is nothing new.
The concept has been around since the 1950s, with art pieces at its core. It then expanded to lifestyle choices. However, minimalism was not for everyone. Just like any other trend, its popularity plummeted.
The movement had a resurgence in 2019 when Marie Kondo’s popular netflix show aired. Minimalism has been rising for the past two years, with more celebrities adopting it.
I am proud to say that I am a minimalist. I started it three years ago because I wanted to declutter.
In this article, I’ll explain the benefits of minimalism and how you can begin making changes to your lifestyle.
Benefits of Minimalist Living
You save a lot of time.
One of the main benefits of minimalism is saving time. Less clutter means less cleaning time. When I switched to a minimalist lifestyle, I found I had more time,
You save a lot of money.
Time is not the only thing I saved. I spent less money as well. When I bought less stuff and became more critical of my purchases, my bank account grew.
You experience less stress.
A clean, organized environment decreases your cortisol, aka the stress hormone. Freeing my place from clutter also freed my mind. As a result, I became less stressed and irritated in general.
How to Start Adopting a Minimalist Lifestyle
Here’s how you can become a minimalist:
1. Get rid of clutter in your home.
While this is an obvious step, many people find it extremely hard to do.
Make decluttering easy by listing down the things you don’t need. Then, give them away.
Keep the things you can live without for a few months. Then, motivate yourself until you can give them away.
2. Stick to quality, not quantity.
When you need new clothes, shoes, or furniture, invest in high-quality items that last for a long time. By doing this, you keep your shopping expenses to a minimum.
3. Reuse and recycle.
Another step you have to take is reusing and recycling.
Use eco bags instead of plastic ones. Recycle bottles and old clothes. Lastly, fix things instead of replacing them right away.
4. Make room for what’s important.
As Marie Kondo said, you just let go of things that do not spark joy in you. This is not limited to items though. You also have to let go of activities and relationships that don’t do you well.
5. Be grateful.
Each morning, list down or remind yourself of the things you’re grateful for. It can be your relationships, pets, or passion.
Gratitude helps you see the positive side of life. It also helps you stick to a minimalist lifestyle, as you are reminded of how content you are.
Conclusion
You will need some time to get used to minimalist living. However, take it from me, a minimalist lifestyle is worth your effort.
When I switched to minimalism, I became less stressed. I also saved a lot of money and time― something I am truly grateful for until now.
In conclusion, I wish you the peace I found in a minimalist lifestyle. Start your journey by following the steps above, and I’m certain you’ll do well in no time. Happy minimalist living!
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Before we dive into the details, let’s address the most common questions about buying secondhand books.
Most Common Questions About Buying Secondhand Books (
You can discover secondhand physical books in used bookstores, yard sales, or thrift stores near you. If there are none, you can check online. In particular, you can visit websites such as Amazon and eBay to look for used books.
On average, used books are sold for less than £1 each. However, the price can go higher depending on the condition and rarity of the book.
You can start buying used books by classifying the books you want based on authors and genres. You can then narrow down your search based on these categories.
Buying Secondhand Books: What You Should Check
Here are the things you must check before buying secondhand books.
The cover’s condition is a great way to measure how used a book is. You must check the cover for signs of wear and tear. Are there any dents, stains, or crushed corners?
In addition, you must pay attention to bowed covers. Simply put, bowed covers are those that turn inward toward the pages or outward away from them. Paperback books are more susceptible to this condition than hardback books.
It’s worth checking the book’s dust jacket if it comes with one. Chipped dust jackets are usually a sign of wear and tear. However, this should not discourage you from buying secondhand books.
Dust jackets are simply an extra layer of protection for books. Yes, it’s great to buy a used book with its dust jacket intact. However, buying one with a run down dust jacket isn’t too bad either.
Contrary to popular belief, illustrations are crucial to a book’s value. If the used book has illustrations, you should check if they’re complete.
To do so, use the table of contents as a reference for the number of illustrations a secondhand book has. If the pictures aren’t complete, you can negotiate for a lower price.
Checking a used book for notes takes time. However, it’s worth doing it.
Many readers, especially students and teachers, like to put notes on their books. To manage your expectations, you must consider checking each page.
On the other hand, if you don’t mind reading a book with notes on it, you can skip this step. However, don’t miss checking the pages’ condition.
The book’s spine holds the pages together. Book spines also make organizing your home library easier. Thus, you must thoroughly check them.
When checking a book spine, answer these: Can you read what’s written on the spine? Are the pages intact?
Not all secondhand books were used equally. Hence, it’s a must to do a full examination before buying used books. Happy used book hunting!
Hola, ¿cómo estás?
Did you now know only half of the world is bilingual? Thus, it pays to learn another language.
If you’re one of the 50% who doesn’t know how to speak another language aside from your mother tongue, you’re in for a treat.
Spaced Repetition Is the Key
As its name suggests, spaced repetition is a learning technique used to improve your brain’s capability to recall what you studied. By introducing time intervals between your language sessions, you can learn more.
So the next time you try to add new difficult words to your vocabulary, try to spread them out over multiple sessions. The best way to do this, aka the Leitner system, allows you to choose how many boxes you want to use. Each box represents a different study interval.
Spend Time in Another Country
This may sound absurd, but it’s hard to come up with a better way to learn another language. Immersing yourself in the country where the language you want to learn allows you to practice the language all day long.
It also helps you use words with the right context. Plus, spending time in another country lets you adapt the right accent, which comes in handy if you want to sound like a native.
Make Learning More Fun Through Apps
Using language apps is not just a fun way to learn another language, it’s practical as well. They don’t cost that much, and they are efficient.
There are so many language apps that it’s hard to filter which ones are worth your time. But we did the research for you and came up with the best language apps in the market― Rosetta Stone ($7.49 for 2 years), Babbel ($5 per month), and Duolingo (free).
Take Language Classes
Time has proved that going down the traditional path of learning another language is effective. If you’re the type who likes interacting with a teacher, taking language classes is an ideal option.
Face-to-face lessons are not the cheapest, but if you can afford it, why not? On another note, if you don’t want to spend that much, you can opt to take online language classes instead. Many people swear by its effectiveness as well.
Let Your TV Teach You
Unbeknownst to many, watching foreign TV shows are among the best ways to learn another language. Trust me, a famous Korean singer now speaks English fluently, thanks to the rerun of Friends.
You can start by watching foreign shows or movies you find entertaining (so keep on watching them). Watch them with subtitles first. After some time, turn off the subtitles. Doing this will help you learn the right pronunciation and cultural use of words.
Some Parting Words
At the end of the day, learning another language must be an enjoyable process for you. Do whatever it takes, and don’t be afraid of making mistakes.
Find the best way to learn another language that’s right for you. Don’t waste your precious time and money on programs that aren’t effective. Spend your time and energy learning that language instead!.
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Did you know? A person spends an average of 5 years and 4 months using social media in a lifetime.
To be honest, that’s not shocking. Social media undoubtedly plays a crucial role in people’s lives during this digital age. Whether it’s checking your Facebook timeline, scrolling through Twitter, or posting photos on Instagram, social media is a part of your daily life.
Social media has lots of benefits that it’s almost impossible to totally discredit it. But there are always two sides to every story, and social media is no exception.
The Positive Effects of Social Media
Since I don’t want to sound overly pessimistic about social media, let’s dive in to the positives first.
1. Efficiently getting in touch with family or friends
Gone are the days when people have to wait for days or months to receive their telegram. With just a few clicks or taps, contacting your loved ones is now very easy. Thanks to social media, you can message or call them within a few seconds (given that you have a good internet connection, of course).
2. Borders don’t limit anyone anymore
Want to contact someone who’s thousands of miles away from you? No muss, no fuss. Social media is here to be the bridge. It overcomes borders and time zones, which are communication barriers. Plus, you get to share. Sharing your stories and opinion to people all over the world has never been this easy.
3. Reaching out for help 24/7
Health professionals and organizations are now using social media to help people. The development of 24/7 online help bots (chatbots that help people in times of distress) is proof that social media can be a great avenue for asking for help. Social media also helps those who are shy to do face-to-face consultations as well.
4. Learning various skills
Do you want to bake a cake or learn a new language? There are hundreds of videos teaching you how to do so on Youtube or Facebook. Through social media, you can easily find information, explore ideas, and improve your skill set.
5. Earning money through social media
Most businesses have social media accounts that are used to reach a big target audience. If you own a business without social media accounts, it’s high time to make some. If not, you can become a social media manager. Either way, you’ll earn some money.
The Negative Effects of Social Media
Social media may be beneficial, but let’s not dismiss its negative effects.
1. Constantly comparing yourself to others
When it seems like people in your feed are having the time of their lives, it’s hard not to compare yourself to them. As humans. we thrive on unconsciously comparing ourselves to others. This can result in dissatisfaction, lower self-esteem, and jealousy.
2. Caring too much about the likes
It’s undeniable― getting likes makes you feel good. But when a few likes turn into hundreds or thousands, you might be obsessed about keeping that big number. What’s worse is when you base your value on how many people liked your post. No wonder Facebook and Instagram are considering hiding the number of likes.
3. Being susceptible to pretending to be someone you’re not
One problem with social media platforms is allowing us to hide behind the screen. Due to this, it’s easy enough to create a life suitable for an online audience. You can make others think about what you want them to without being caught. This can lead to a two-faced life, which is hard to manage.
4. Getting into an internet warfare.
How many times have you seen people fighting in the comments section? Probably a lot. Expressing your opinion is good, but if you do it too often, you might find yourself fighting with other netizens just to defend a point.
5. Spending too much time online.
People being glued to phones and computers are a common sight nowadays. Being active on different social media platforms takes too much time that we take for granted what really matters. More often than not, what really matters is found in the offline realm.
What Now?
After reading the positive and negative effects of social media, what should you do now?
The answer is easy, but not many want to take action. It’s as simple as limiting your social media time.
Following too many accounts? Unfollow some, if not all. Posting many photos and videos daily? Try setting a post limit. Using your phone before bedtime? Turn it off.
Doing these things will be difficult at first. But remember, doing a social media detox is one of the best decisions that you’ll ever make.
And if there’s one thing that this pandemic taught us, it’s that online events can never replace offline moments.
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First of all, congratulations for deciding to meditate! Meditation is a wonderful journey that’s good for your mind, body, and spirit.
Perhaps you want to meditate to reduces stress levels and alleviate anxiety. It might be because you want to have a deeper understanding of our inner self.Or maybe you’re struggling with chronic insomnia.
Whatever your reason is, you are doing the right thing. When you meditate, your stress level goes down, you focus more, and you connect with others better. There are thousands of studies to back up these claims.
Given these benefits, it’s no wonder that you want to get started right away. But if you’re a beginner, you might be a little confused on how to meditate.
Don’t worry, because we’ve got your back! We’ll take you through your very first mediation session step by step.
1. Set a time limit.
There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to the duration of your meditation session. How long you meditate depends on your availability, preference, and goal.
For beginners, a 10-minute session is generally great. If this seems overwhelming for you at first, there’s no harm in lowering it to a 3-minute or a 5-minute session.
You can then increase the duration of your session to 15 or 20 minutes as you become more familiar with meditation.
2. Find the right spot.
Choose a nice, quiet spot in your house. Make sure that no one can disturb you at that spot. This is crucial because being interrupted will not only ruin your meditation session, but your subsequent mood as well.
3. Get settled.
After finding your spot, think about how you want to settle in. Are you going to sit on a chair or the floor? Is lying down better for you?
It doesn’t matter what position you choose, as long as you are comfortable and can breath well.
4. Take deep breaths.
Deeply inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Do five of them for starters. You can do more if you want. On the last exhalation, close your eyes slowly.
5. Observe your body and breathing.
With your eyes closed, focus on your body. Focus on your head first, then slowly go down to your neck, your stomach, your legs, and lastly, on your toes.
After scanning your body, focus on your breathing. Remember to breathe like you usually do.
6. Let go.
Live in the moment. Let your mind be free, but be aware of your thoughts. If you think that your thoughts are bothersome, don’t force yourself to change them. Just let your mind wander if it does.
7. Carry it with you.
Before ending your first meditation session, think about what you are going to do next. Are you going to take a shower or drink coffee? Whatever it is, don’t forget to bring your awareness with you.
There you have it, mindful one. Don’t forget, an everyday session is the key to a better, happier you. Happy meditating!
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Stephen King, Ernest Hemingway, and Daphne du Maurier became famous writing novels, but before they wrote novels, they published short stories.
As its name suggests, a short story is a work of art that is shorter than a novel. The great Edgar Allan Poe once said that a short story can be read in one sitting, with a range of half an hour to two hours.
A short story can contain a few thousand words. It usually focuses on one main character, plot, and theme. It also can have a few other characters, but not as many as those in novels.
Contrary to what many people think, short stories are not dead. They’re definitely here to stay in this visual and digital era.
Here are 5 reasons why you should read short stories:
1. Short stories don't take much of your time.
Time is money and short stories never took much of anyone’s time. Take it from Edgar Allan Poe’s The Pit and the Pendulum (1842), which takes less than 30 minutes to read for the average reader.
If you think that 30 minutes is not enough to instil fear into the mind of a reader without using supernatural elements, try reading it.
2. Short stories are a great escape for busy people.
Let’s face it, we live in a fast paced world, and squeezing a novel in on a working week is difficult.
Short stories are precise with their delivery and must capture the attention of the reader fairly quickly, and tell a full tale from beginning to end in roughly a half hour of reading.
Plus, reading helps you escape your daily troubles. Stories are proof of that. We use stories to make sense of our world and to share that understanding with others. Because of this, stories have a unique ability to build connections.
3. Short stories are a great fallback if you’re not in the mood for books.
No one should ever stop reading. However, there are times when you’re not in the mood for reading a full length novel. Finishing a novel is such a big commitment.
If you still want to stimulate your mind without having to read hundreds, if not thousands of pages, you can read short stories such as The Lottery by Shirley Jackson (1948) and Butterflies by Ian McEwan (1975).
4. Short stories have lots of genres.
Short stories give you an opportunity to explore as many genres as you want. Action, horror, historical, romance— you name it, the list of short story genres has it.
From Daphne Du Maurier’s supernatural Please Don't Look Now (1973) to Ernest Hemingway’s war-themed Big Two-Hearted River (1925), finding a genre that suits you won’t be hard.
5. Short stories are free.
The world is a library that contains all forms of literature, but not all of them are free.
But many short stories are. Thousands of short stories are available online for free, with easily downloadable formats. Thanks to the internet, you can now read without having to break the bank. Websites where you can access short stories for free include Wattpad, Narrative Magazine and Midnight Breakfast.
So if you haven’t read a short story yet, it's time for you to step out of your comfort zone and take the plunge. After all, it won’t take much of your time.
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Reading helps us to explore worlds and people that inhabit them, understand cultures and situations we'd never know otherwise. And through a novel, the world depicted is mixed with the reader's imagination.
So, the journey of every reader is unique to his/her imagination. Studies have shown that reading books improve our ability to empathize. We can become more compassionate and inquisitive.
But what makes translated books so unique? Why should we spend more time reading them?
Translation allows ideas and information to be shared through cultures. Translation changes history in this process. Throughout the Middle Ages, Arabic translators have passed the theories of Greek philosophers through language translation. Translation is necessary for the spread of information, knowledge, and ideas. The Bible has been translated into hundreds of languages. Translation helps to resolve language barriers and international borders. Translation offers us a worldwide understanding of people and culture.
Translation extends our ability to explore the thoughts and feelings of people from another culture and time through literature. It lets us enjoy the transformation of the foreign into what is familiar.
Translation celebrates language differences and the many types of human experiences and interpretations it can convey. One of the many reasons writers write is to connect with as many people as possible and influence them. Translation is absolutely necessary for effective and empathetic communication between different cultures.
The Spanish translations of William Faulkner's work inspired author Gabriel García Márquez. According to Marquez, Faulkner’s translations helped refine his craft as a writer. Therefore, the art of writing fiction was only possible because literary translations were made available. The widening of translation does not only affect readers, speakers and writers, but the very nature of the language itself.
Why should we read more translated books? First, it helps us explore the unknown.
Reading translations of literature means gaining access to cultures, customs, traditions, lives, philosophies, and storytelling methods from far-reaching countries. When we read a translated text, we’re stepping into another country and its history, with all of its traditions, songs, wars, art, religion(s), and languages/dialects. Exposure to literature through translated works brings all this and more.
Some of the most popular literature is the translations of original works, such as the Bible, The Diary of Anne Frank and Anna Karenina. Pearl Buck’s books allow us to experience Chinese life and culture without ever visiting China. Reading Anton Chekov or Fyodor Dostoyevsky books gives us glimpses of the lives of Russian people and society. These authors help us to feel things, visit places and worlds we would never otherwise know.
So, let's make 2020 a year for stepping out your comfort zone. Reading translated books is a good start!
“It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.” No, I’m not talking about the epic Dickens tale – I am talking about the holidays. Don’t you just love the Christmas holidays? The time for giving, sharing, and as we all know, eating and drinking. Except, of course it can be a significant source of stress, pressure, and conflict for many of us. ... A lack of time and money, credit card debt, and the pressure of gift giving can often contribute to stress during the holiday season.
So, how can you take care of yourself this year to avoid the inevitable post-holiday slump? Here are seven tips I have found to help balance the festive fun while also making sure I can still maintain my holiday spirit:
1. Guard your schedule
The holidays can get crazy, especially when it comes to commitments and overloading your schedule. The best thing you can do to maintain your sanity during this hectic time of year is to keep your commitments to a minimum and only say yes to those activities you really want to do.
2. Guard your sleep
It can be tempting to stay up late at your office Christmas party or get up early to beat the sales at your local department store. But too many sleepless nights are a recipe for disaster during the holidays. Be diligent, get your sleep and you will be better prepared to keep your sanity this year.
3. Count your blessings
This may sound cliché, but a great way to practice self-care is write out what you are grateful for this year. Put it down on paper to show yourself all that you have to be thankful for. This is a great concrete reminder of how blessed you truly are.
4. Try something new
Traditions can be great; but putting too much pressure on doing everything perfect, can cause you to forget to try something new this festive season. Maybe instead of making Santa the traditional cookies and milk, you could try making fudge and spiked eggnog. Maybe instead of going carolling you could just drive around looking at the Christmas lights.
5. Detox from overstimulation
There are so many things vying for your attention this time of year. Be sure to schedule in some relaxation time each day to avoid the inevitable rush from activity to activity. Make some time to read a good Christmas book like ‘The Night Before Christmas’ by Charles Dickens or a ‘Winter’s Tale’ by William Shakespeare. Perhaps wind down your day with a quiet hot bubble bath and glass of mulled wine.
6. Limit social media
In the digital, fast-paced world we live in, it’s easy for stress to build. Cut down on the amount of time you are on social media. Not everyone is really having as good a time as they are posting on Instagram and Facebook. While we all know that people like to present their most idealised versions of themselves online (i.e. exotic holidays, toned bodies and impossibly well-decorated homes ), there's a lot more that goes into some of these "perfect" pictures than meets the eye. From a flawless complexion that only Photoshop can achieve to unbelievable bikini bodies that simply don't exist, plenty of high profile public figures have been called out for editing their photos to shocking extremes. Seriously, put your phone down and just enjoy your surroundings and those around you in real life.
7. Moisturize
At this time of year, hands may be red, rough, and raw, and skin may feel itchy and uncomfortable. Put on your facial moisturizer. Put on your lip balm and lather up your body with cocoa butter. Most of all, moisturize from the inside out with plenty of water. It is too easy to get dehydrated during the cold winter months. Yes, you would much rather have a Baileys and hot chocolate but limit yourself to one and remember you skin is an organ.
Conclusion
As we head into the holiday season, we can rest assured that we don’t have to run ourselves ragged making everyone else’s holiday merry and bright. Take some time to focus on yourself this year so that you can enjoy it from start to finish without feeling like you are simply rushing from event to event.
It’s okay to say no to some things if you don’t truly enjoy them. It’s okay to go to bed early and curl up with a good book. It’s okay to break free from monotonous traditions and try something new this year. And most of all it’s okay to put yourself as a priority.
Self-publishing may perhaps not be for all and sundry. For various writers, however, it is an opportunity that makes sense. While this might not always be a walk in the park or plain sailing, the pros and cons of self-publishing are significant and hard to ignore.
Let's see what you stand to gain and also the disadvantage part of taking the self-publishing route. Below are the definitive pros and cons of self-publishing.
THE PROS OF SELF-PUBLISHING
Complete Freedom
A publisher will undoubtedly tie you down and control everything about your book (the look, layout and other aspects). If you self-publish, you’ll have absolute control and freedom over how the book looks, and you can easily do further self-promotion within the book where the publisher would’ve promoted themselves. This is mostly good for anyone who has a backend catalogue that the reader may be interested in. Complete freedom will give your book a long shelf life in which to find its audience.
You Own Your Work
You can easily convert your printed copy to digital publication. This is what many publishers will not allow you to do without bottle neck approaches. If perhaps it's difficult to make sales, you can break it up, give it away for free, and sell rights to the book. As long as you retain control as a self-publisher, your work can continue to serve you in many ways even if it fails in its primary objective.
Furthermore, your book can never go out of print because you can always reprint as often as you like or based on market demands. When compared to publishers, they often stop printing books outside bestsellers. Furthermore, authors have to wait years until their contract expires to buy back the rights of their books. Having complete control over the entire publishing process and the lifespan of your book is perhaps the most significant benefit of self-publishing.
The Prospective Income is more.
When you self-publish, you’ve pretty much work to do. This extra effort is rewarded because you get to keep all the profit from your book sales. A critical look at all of the tasks involved should tell you how expensive it can be if you use a publishing house. On your own, you’ll save from 70 to 100 per cent of the sale price.
THE CONS OF SELF-PUBLISHING.
Overcoming Integrity Issues.
Low barriers to entry can mean low quality. You may dislike substandard work, but a lot of people who can’t distinguish good from the bad can publish as you do. As a result, when shoppers see “self-published” books, many might be skeptical about purchasing. This means you’re going to have to work harder to distinguish yourself.
You’ve to handle everything.
Absolute control comes with responsibility for doing things well. While you can get books to market faster, self-publishing will often take you more time because of the various roles you need to fill. In fact at some point, other areas of your life might suffer. Plus, you’ll have to organize and arrange means of distribution and getting the book into online stores. People who are accomplished at this, will probably do well but those who aren’t, it’s going to be a learning process.
The Financing Investment is on you.
When you self-publish, you’ll produce this cash and hope the book generates enough revenue to recoup your investment and render a profit, unlike the publishing houses that provide part of the financial investment.
In Conclusion
When it comes to the pros and cons of self-publishing, you’ll have to choose which method works best for you and where you’re in terms of your capabilities. If you feel intensely that traditional publishing is still your route to success, be sure to follow the Guide to Literary Agents blog which continually offers excellent advice on landing a literary agent. Ensure you bookmark Konrath’s piece on how to make money on ebooks and read it at your own pace.
To annotate or not has been an age-old question of passionate readers. Annotation is the process by which we interact more with a written text. The process can be different from one person to another, but the similarities are illustrated by marking up passages or making notes as one reads.
When you read without annotating, there is a tendency you won’t retain the information; rather, you’ll be absorbing words passively instead of analyzing the text. No matter the process you adopt, the aim is to engage with the book for easy comprehension and greater understanding.
ADVANTAGES OF ANNOTATING A BOOK
Annotation is a valuable tool to use while reading for many multifaceted reasons.
Reading without questioning is like hearing without listening. Annotation is an active process that helps the reader think critically about ideas and concepts that will be used later.
Writing down vital information as you read will highlight key points and help you recall it later. For example; annotating a book can be very useful when writing an essay or may be studying for the test.
Annotating a book as you read will save you the stress of going back to revisit an entire section. When you already have notes in the margins and key points highlighted, your eye is naturally drawn to the excerpts that you’ll need to review later.
Here is how to annotate a book effectively.
Knowing what and how to annotate a text meritoriously tends to be subjective. This is because people make different types of notes. In spite of this, here are some helpful tips:
It’s important to ensure that a dictionary is beside you while you read. This will help you look-up confusing phrases or words. Even when you can guess the meaning from the context, it’s still important to always look-up all-new vocabulary terms in the dictionary and pen down the definition in the margin.
When you want to review a book maybe for a text, keeping track of new key characters will help you. For example, circling the characters’ names in a particular scene will strengthen your ability to cite references to use in the subsequent text, as well.
Have you noticed that whenever you read a book for the first time, your thoughts are always different from consequentreadings? For this reason, it is beneficial to write down your thoughts of a section each time you read and revisit it later. This skill will be an advantage to develop an important note-taking habit to use for future literary analyses.
The Process
Use a black pen, not a pencil to write in your books.
Highlighters for organized analyses.
Note: You can use the Post-it notes whenever there are manypoints to take note of, and there is no available space.
In Conclusion
Annotating a book is the most effective method to interact and also personalize your books. By this approach, you can save yourself from frustration, which will, in turn, help you become a more engaged reader.
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Scotland is a beautiful country. This lush, beautiful country is bursting with green spaces and fertile farmland. From dense forests and compact wild landscapes, towering mountains and vast lochs (the Scottish word for lakes!) with beautiful beaches and far-reaching sea views.
My Scotland trip started in Edinburgh, a beautiful city. Edinburgh is a lovely city full of rich history, vibrant culture, and delicious food. I stayed at Apex Waterloo Place Hotel, a lovely hotel with its very own charm. From the comfortable and well-equipped bedrooms to the stylish restaurant and bar, the hotel is an ideal place for exploring the city. What I love most about Edinburgh is that it’s not a city that you look around and wonder why you went there, like other big cities. There’s a special feeling in Edinburgh that makes you fall in love instantly. I visited Edinburgh Castle. It was incredible and a highlight of my trip! It can be seen from just about everywhere in Edinburgh, and with its dark and mossy stone construction, it looks and feels like a stereotypical castle. The views of the city from the castle are unsurpassed. As with almost every castle, from its vantage point, it’s obvious why the castle was built on this rock–one can see for miles in every direction. It’s also home to the honors of Scotland, the nation’s crown jewels and the Stone of Destiny.
One of my favorite things I enjoyed while in Edinburgh was the Scottish Galleries. The very reason I was drawn into a gallery is my love for art, the need for pictorial stimulation, and the desire to be exposed to new ideas. The galleries were full of fascinating visual art. From national collections and major touring exhibitions in cities to small local studios, see a range of artworks in all kinds of media by major international artists, famous Scottish painters, and artisan crafters. One thing I love and admire about the galleries is that they boast delightful cafés offering superb local produce and home baking. This is indeed a seamless pit stop for when your feet get tired!
For a long time, Whisky tasting has been on my wish list of things to explore. I couldn’t imagine myself visiting a whiskey exporting country without enjoying a dram here and there. I visited The Scotch Whisky Experience, an attraction telling the tale of Scotland's national drink with high-tech exhibits and a barrel ride. Whenever you visit Scotland, try and give yourself a break, relax, and enjoy Scottish whiskey!
Sight hiking in the Scottish Highlands is so special. With a landscape so rich, it’s inevitable that Scotland has some of the best hikes in the world. To be that close to the Scottish Highlands, you’ll have to hike in them.
I also visited Glencoe to take in some scenery such as the waterfall and landscapes, etc. Glencoe is magnificent. To me, it’s the most stunning place on mainland Scotland. Glencoe valley and the whole drive there are fantastic! I also had a good city sightseeing experience and walked around town to see the wild countryside. Indeed Scottish cities are worth a visit too!
Finally, Loch Ness a must-visit location for searching for the Loch Ness Monster or Nessie. It is much more tranquil and pleasant here. I cruised the lake; there’s a rather epic feeling that overtakes you on the loch. The surrounding area is of outstanding natural beauty. It's well suited for a stroll or picnic to remember. I stayed and had lunch at a wonderful little restaurant here, which was on the banks of the River Ness. It has an excellent reputation for service and style.
Scotland is a magical country, and while I fell utterly in love with Edinburgh, the further north I traveled in the country – the more I fell in love. From the Scottish Galleries to The Scotch Whiskey Experience and sight hiking in the Scottish Highlands, the countryside courted my heart and ultimately stole it.
When it comes to producing masterpieces, writing and editing are inseparable. Hence, whenever ‘great writing’ is talked about, references is indirectly made also to ‘great editing.’ Editing can change an average piece of content into something extraordinary. It remains one of the most significant aspects of the writing procedure. However, an astounding number of writers underrate its value.
In writing mistakes are inevitable. You can often be so inside of your creative process that a simple slip of the fingers can easily go overlooked. Verb tense sometimes can be confusing, words can be misspelled, and sometimes even sillier mistakes can happen. Thus being so inside your process we then risk reading what was intended in your minds rather than what was written. These are inevitable, and this is why editing is crucial.
How to edit successfully
You may not have access to a professional editor, but you can use the following tips to help you edit your writing more efficiently.
1. Finish Your Work
Before you start editing your work, it’s of vital importance to first finish being a writer. This is because writing is entirely different from editing. Allowing both processes may discourage the art of our writing. It's preferable to give yourself time to finish writing before editing.
2. Read your manuscript in a new format and aloud.
If your work is typed, you need to print it out. But before then, endeavor to convert to PDF format by changing your initial text to a different size, font and possibly colors before reading aloud. Reading your writing aloud will force you to take note of your words, spellings, grammar, and punctuations because they’re magnified. These techniques will help you see your content from an “outsider’s” perspective and give you a more critical eye.
3. Remove filler words and repetitive phrases.
Many of us use informal filler words such as “um,” “OK,” “like,” or “you know” in our everyday speech. While such informal language is common, it can cause your writing to be far less effective. Endeavor to use your word processor to find unnecessary words and phrases. Aim for variety. You can use a word frequency counter to find repetitive words and scan a thesaurus to find alternatives.
4. Using writing tools/software program to Find Mistakes
There are different tools you can use as a writer to further edit your work and turn it into a masterpiece. These tools also look at spelling and grammar mistakes by using advanced rules such as double negatives, run-on sentences, and dangling modifiers. The importance of these tools is that they’ll help you see further weaknesses in your writing.
5. Finally, let Someone Else Read It
Engage someone that will help you review after editing is fundamental. Whether it is a trusted writer-friend, or professional editor getting someone else to read your work is always helpful. This is because they’ll easily notice the mistakes you tend to omit. Furthermore, they’ll also be able to give a different perspective without being emotionally biased towards your work.
In Conclusion
Yes, editing is is an inevitable part of writing, besides the actual writing of it. Editing is for everyone who writes because it will make your work appear professional. Don't be too depressed when you feel like you’ve edited your writing to death. This is normal. Remember the first step is to write your draft, edit and revise it, and allow other reliable sources to help you perfect it.
Belgium is very close to several European capitals such as London, Amsterdam or Paris. It's a small country that you probably know especially about chocolate and beer. If you’re thinking about where to spend a few days, Dinant, Belgium has a lot to see so it can be a good option.
Dinant is a pretty charming city, a medieval town in Wallonia, the south of Belgium. Its ambiance is more like a provincial town than a capital city. I can describe Dinant as pleasing and very photogenic. It reminds me so much about France and Strasbourg because they’ve a similar culture.
Though it was a short visit, I explored this hidden gem, walked through the historic streets and of course I ate a lot of chocolate and took some local beer. There are lots of shops selling chocolate because Belgium is famous for chocolate. Also, Dinant is renowned for their cookies, and I ate quite a few of them. For instance, the Couques de Dinant (the Dinant Cookie or Dinant Cake) is very famous. There are a lot of fun and exciting places I also visit, such as the Collegiate Church of Our Lady, Adolphe Sax house and I also took a stroll along the river Meuse.
The Collegiate Church of Our Lady is a lovely church very close to the train station. It is a 13th-century Gothic cathedral that has a beautiful Gothic style (windows are impressive, sculptures and carvings are masterpieces) in quite a small town. Finding it was a delightful surprise. I felt at ease with myself because of its calm and serene environment.
I noticed the city’s obsession with saxophones, so I visited the Adolphe house that was where I learned that Adolphe Sax the saxophone inventor was born there in 1814. A unique itinerary called "Sax and the City" lets you discover the city's entertaining, musical tribute to its famous son.
Finally, I took a stroll along the river Meuse, and I saw Dinant from a different angle. Cruise boats crisscross the river carrying different tourists. Indeed Dinant sparkles along this river body.
IN CONCLUSION
Are you planning for a weekend getaway? Why explore your own country when there are so many other countries to visit. Dinant offers the perfect mix of history, culture, chocolate, and beer. It’s a cute little town and classic for a weekend getaway. My trip to Dinant is, without doubt, my favorite day trip destination in Belgium. I recommend you to lose yourself the time of a weekend trip to Dinant. The beauty it holds can blow you away!
Hot in winter, cold in summer, tomato soup is always a good idea! Sweet, creamy, tasty, it pleases everyone, big and small. Tomato is one of those foods that we consume every day without necessarily ascribed attention to all the benefits it provides.
Tomato, we all know is light fruit, colorful, both sweet and tart, crunchy texture for salads and tasty enough to be eaten natural. Some can be elongated, round or miniature. It is rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals such as iron, calcium, zinc or magnesium. But what can all this bring us from a "health" point of view? This blog post will reveal the health benefits of tomato and tomato soup.
HEALTH BENEFITS AND VIRTUES OF TOMATO SOUP.
Vitamin A and C
Tomato soup remains a tremendous source of vitamin A and C. For Vitamin A; it activates the genes of the newborn cells. This helps the cells to develop and grow to a mature tissue. A daily bowl of tomato soup provides about 16% and 20% of the daily vitamin A and C required by your body. Vitamin C, on the other hand, is required to play an important role in maintains healthy ligaments and tendons.
Ultimate comfort foods.
A bowl of tomato soup remains one of the ultimate comfort foods. Nothing beats the winter or summer months like a warming tomatoes soup. You can whip up this delicious dairy-free recipe to keep your mucus factor down.
Blood Circulation
A component of tomatoes known as Selenium helps in the promotion of blood circulation and anemia prevention. This remains one of the amazing benefits of tomato soup. About seven micrograms of selenium can be gotten from one serving of tomato soup. This amounts to 11% of the daily of the daily dose required.
Weight Loss:
Tomato soup benefits over weight individuals when prepared with olive oil. It can be very beneficial for those who are on a weight loss diet. It is rich in water and fiber that keeps you full for longer time. Dieters recommend tomato soup to burn off calories and fat deposits from the body. This remains a yummy way to lose weight.
Disease-Fighting Lycopene:
Lycopene neutralizes the oxidative damage caused by the free radicals, a molecule that causes aging. A diet rich in lycopene can also help fight chronic diseases and stroke. A bowl of tomato soup provides about 13.3 milligrams of lycopene which keep your body fighting fit
BEST WAY TO MAKE TOMATOES SOUP.
Ingredients
• 500 grams of tomatoes
• ½ onion
• One clove of garlic
• ½ pepper
• One leaf of Laurel
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive oil
Preparation
1. Fill a pot with water and put the tomatoes to boil for 1 minute, remove them and put them in cold water. With this, you’ll be able to remove the skin easily.
2. Once skinless, chop tomatoes in small cubes and reserve.
3. Chop the onion, pepper, and garlic very small and fry them in a pan with olive oil. Cook until the onion and garlic are browned, but taking care not to burn.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes, the bay leaf, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add two glasses of water or, if you prefer, you can use vegetable broth.
5. Lower the heat in half and let it boil for 30 minutes. Stir from time to time and check that it is well salt.
6. After this time you can do two things: leave the tomato soup as it is, with pieces of the vegetable, or liquefy it. If you decide to liquefy it, first remove the bay leaf.
7. Once liquefied, you'll have ready your delicious and easy tomato soup.
When serving your dish, you can decorate with fresh parsley or basil leaves.
The bottom line
Tomatoes soup remains a simple and authentic recipe that will always come right to cook, help to keep the body healthy in a balanced way. Test it; you’ll not regret it.
It’s a New Year and time to set some reading goals. Have you ever thought about joining a book exchange club? If you’re looking for a great way to kick off the New Year, consider joining a book exchange platform. For a wide variety of reasons, a book exchange is a better way to make sure you stay committed to your literary resolution.
You learn a lot
We learn something new with every book we read. It might be something as little as learning about a topic you’re unaware of. Maybe it’s just a new vocabulary word. You can also learn a whole lot about other people’s experiences, lives, and perspectives Best of all, talking through any book together means hearing entirely different points of view than your own. It will even help you see the book in a new light!
You get to read outside of your comfort zone
Book exchange club is a lot about compromise. You may not always get to read that particular book you always had in mind, but that’s not necessarily a wrong thing. If you’re a diehard fan of a romance novel and the group decides mysteries book, you’ll get to read something new. You never would’ve picked out that book yourself, but you may find that you enjoy it way more than you thought you would. Believe me when I say that this happens more often than you might think!
To expand your reading horizons
It’s easy to get stuck in a personal reading rut and avoid new genres, but in a book exchange platform of diverse readers, you’re sure to avoid that. A Book exchange club sometimes have a way of forcing a reader out of his/her reading comfort zone, and that’s a good thing.
You get to talk about books
It’s always good to look forward to hearing from other member’s opinions on the latest book they’ve been reading. It’s always interesting to hear other people’s thoughts on the plot, characters and whether they couldn’t put the book down. This is always a sign of a good book in my opinion.
The bottom line…
Book Exchange club allows you to find a topic or genre that interests you. Reading does not have to be a chore. Find an area you like and get involved in a book exchange platform that feeds and develops that interest. You can be sure the book exchange club will add to your reading experience. The topics to choose from are numerous. If you like popular reading, try the best sellers reading. If you’re looking to grow spiritually, join a club that reads religious books. If you’ve children and want them to get excited about reading, sign them up for book exchange for the kids.
Finally, book exchange groups do much of the work for you and gather information in one place. They can sort your options by topic, author, or any other categorical breakdown you might prefer. In any case, the significant thing to remember is that the New Year is right around the corner. Don't wait too long to decide which book exchange platform to join! Consider what interests you, and then get busy meeting all your new book club friends. I hope this article has motivated you to join a book club. Happy Reading!
A Christmas Carol narrates the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a despicable, mean-spirited, man, the kind of person who always complains and finding fault with everyone. The story begins at Victorian London on Christmas Eve. All around the snow-covered city people are rushing home to be with their respective families except one man, Ebenezer Scrooge. He is a wealthy old miser whose only happiness in life is money. His love for money has isolated him from society and made him a bitter recluse. Scrooge decides instead to spend the evening counting his cash, rejecting seasonal goodwill with his well-practiced cries of ‘Bah! Humbug!’
But this Christmas Eve has some surprises in store for old Scrooge. While his poor employee Bob Cratchit prepares the most beautiful family feast with the little his paltry wages can buy, Scrooge’s sleep is disturbed by the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Future. In one short night, they make known to him about his real character than he has ever realized. Each ghost aims to change the hollow blackness of Scrooge’s cruel and selfish spirit by showing him what will become of his riches, and ultimately his life if he continues to maltreat people.
The first ghost is the Ghost of Christmas Past, which reveals that Ebenezer Scrooge was not always a mean person from the beginning. He use to have respect for others, liked and enjoyed Christmas, but the problem was that he had a tough childhood and that made him to often be alone. He use to have a fiance, and they vowed to marry each other, but Scrooge quest to be extremely wealthy changed his priorities, so the woman walked away from his life. When the first ghost takes him back to his past, Scrooge sees how happy his former fiance is with her family. This begins a transformation. At least he hasn’t lost his humanity, just that it was buried deep inside. The ghost also recaps how miserable and poor he was from the beginning.
The next ghost is the Ghost of Christmas Present. Scrooge sees how happy his friends and nephew are with their respective lives despite their poor condition. He also sees Bob Cratchit and his family. For the little they have, they appreciate each other and are grateful because each other’s presence is what matters the most. Despite the hatred of Bob’s family on Scrooge, Cratchit still toasts his employer because he is grateful for being employed.
The third ghost is the Ghost of Christmas which reveals Scrooge’s death, and how no one in the community mourns his passing, instead their attention was on his possessions. With each of his encounters, Scrooge is transformed into a more generous, compassionate, and caring person, so by the third encounter, Scrooge repents and begs for a second chance, which he is given.
Christmas is the perfect time to open up a classic holiday story that you’ve meant to read for what seems like centuries. The moral of this book is to be generous at Christmas and spend time with friends and family. A Christmas Carol is a story that reminds us that no one is all bad and that we are capable of changing our wicked ways and habits. Majority of us are given second chances, but only a few take advantage of it. The Christmas season is here again, this book is an excellent reminder that we should be our brother’s keeper.
Ebenezer Scrooge utilized the second chance presented to him and changed his ways. He later bought a turkey for the Cratchit family, went for Christmas dinner at Freds’ and also promises to make a donation to one of the portly men he encountered.
This book is still famous today because we are still very much obsessed with Christmas and the joy that goes with it. This book also makes every reader stop and think about how they could make a difference in their society. Furthermore, the words that were used in the book are words that even the youngest of people will recognize. This also makes the book more interesting because it does not seem as old or as outdated, which in most cases is a good thing.
Pollo Pesto in Itаlу аnd Pеѕtо in thе rеѕt оf thе world; is just not thе ѕаmе. Pollo Pesto оriginаtеd frоm thе rеgiоn оf Liguriа. It is nаmеd fоr thе mеthоd оf itѕ preparation реѕtаturа grinding оf the lеаvеѕ аnd the other ingrеdiеntѕ in a traditional mаrblе mоrtаr (murtа) uѕing a wооdеn реѕtlе (реѕtеllu). This gives uѕ a hint of the true kеу to the perfect реѕtо thаt is hаnd-grinding uѕing a mortar аnd pestle. Mоѕt Pollo Pesto thаt уоu will еnсоuntеr, will hаvе been mасhinе blеndеd. Thiѕ саuѕеѕ thе ingrеdiеntѕ to become homogenized intо a раѕtе with littlе or nо dеfinitiоn bеtwееn them. Bу hаnd сhоррing thе ingredients, уоu allow fоr dеfinitiоn bеtwееn thеm ѕо that when уоu tаѕtе thе finаl рrоduсt of thе drеѕѕеd diѕh, individuаl flavours рор into your mоuth in a unique wау fоr a unique taste.
Ideally, whеn сhоррing the ingrеdiеntѕ, you should chop ѕоmе of the ingredients, thеn аdd some and сhор ѕоmе mоrе. Cоntinuе this way until all ingredients hаvе bееn added and сhорреd. Thiѕ аllоwѕ fоr diffеrеnt sizes оf cut ingrеdiеntѕ thrоughоut the реѕtо, whiсh adds to itѕ tеxturе аnd сhаrасtеr. Make ѕurе that уоu uѕе a ѕhаrр knife whеn chopping the bаѕil for уоur реѕtо. If уоur knifе is blunt, thе basil will turn a dark shade. It саn tаkе twеntу tо thirtу minutеѕ tо сhор all of thе ingredients for a реѕtо, ѕо a ѕhаrр mezzaluna (рrеfеrаblу with a large, ѕinglе blade) iѕ thе idеаl knifе tо uѕе. Thе ingrеdiеntѕ оftеn gеt ѕtuсk in thе dоublе bladed knives, so these саn become fruѕtrаting to use.
Gеnоvеѕе реѕtо iѕ made with ѕmаll, уоung basil leaves a diѕtinсtiоn that hаѕ made it fаmоuѕ. It iѕ роѕѕiblе to find thеѕе in thе ѕtоrеѕ, but if you grow уоur own bаѕil thаt will аffоrd уоu thе flеxibilitу оf сhоiсе оf bаѕil lеаvеѕ thаt may make аll the difference tо уоur реѕtо. Sеаѕоning iѕ vеrу imроrtаnt with your реѕtо. It iѕ quite ассерtаblе nоt tо add ѕаlt tо the pesto, but if уоu аrе ѕеrving it оn раѕtа, thеn make sure that уоu salt thе wаtеr for your pasta wеll, оr thе оvеrаll flavour will bе lost. Yоu mау need tо ѕlightlу аdjuѕt уоur ѕеаѕоning bеfоrе ѕеrving.
Pollo Pesto tastes best when it is ѕеrvеd ѕооn after it iѕ mаdе, though it will lаѕt a ѕhоrt time in thе fridgе. If уоu аrе ѕеrving уоur pesto on раѕtа, you саn аdd ѕоmе of thе pasta wаtеr to thin it fоr more соvеrаgе, but thiѕ iѕ nоt a nесеѕѕitу. Just before ѕеrving, give the pesto a gооd ѕtir to mix thе olive oil in with the bаѕil lеаvеѕ, drеѕѕ уоur diѕh and have a trеаt.
This rесiре аѕѕumеѕ thаt you hаvе mаdе уоur own tradition pesto (iе a combination оf garlic, оlivе оil, basil аnd rоаѕtеd рinе nuts). If соmmеrсiаl реѕtо iѕ used, mау bе add a bit оf соаrѕеlу crashed rоаѕtеd pine nutѕ аnd/оr сhорреd bаѕil lеаvеѕ to enhance thе texture and flаvоur.
Ingredients
1 Skinlеѕѕ Chiсkеn Brеаѕt
50g оf Gоurmеt Chеrvе (оr аnу mild gоаt сhееѕе оr fetta)
3 Tѕрn of уоur hоmеmаdе Pesto
1/4 Cuр оf Olivе Oil
1 Tѕрn оf rоаѕtеd Pinе Nuts
1/2 Cup оf Chiсkеn Stосk
Sаlt & Pерреr tо tаѕtе
How to Make It
Pound уоur сhiсkеn brеаѕt tо a thin piece. Tо minimiѕе thе mess of the роunding уоu соuld create, just mаkе sure уоu соvеr thе сhiсkеn brеаѕt with a layer of glаd-wrар while pounding. Mаkе ѕurе tо avoid pounding thrоugh thе meat сrеаting holes.
Sрrеаd thе Pеѕtо оn one ѕidе of thе сhiсkеn generously аnd ѕеаѕоn with ѕаlt and pepper.
Coarsely сruѕhеd thе cheese аnd аrrаngе оn оnе ѕidе оf thе сhiсkеn and sprinkle thе rоаѕtеd pine nutѕ along the сhееѕе. Make ѕurе thiѕ iѕ аrrаngеd to allow уоu to rоll thе chicken with thе сhееѕе bесоming the сеntrе оf thе rоll. Alѕо mаkе ѕurе thеrе is еnоugh room аt bоth еndѕ to аllоw уоu to ѕесurе it with wооdеn ѕkеwеrѕ tо рrеvеnt the сhееѕе filling frоm еѕсарing frоm thе rоll.
Rоll thе сhiсkеn tо ensure it iѕ a rеаѕоnаblе tight rоll, ѕесuring bоth ends. If thе сhiсkеn is tоо big a рiесе, cut it intо hаlf, it iѕ easy to сооk and lеѕѕ likеlу to fаll apart if the rоll iѕ ѕmаllеr but big еnоugh tо сut into hаlf (if not thirdѕ). Bruѕh thе сhiсkеn rоll with оlivе оil gеnеrоuѕlу.
Heat uр a раn with some оlivе оil. Whеn thе oil is hоt еnоugh (but nоt smoking), place thе сhiсkеn roll with thе unѕеаl ѕidе down first аnd turn down the flаmе tо mеdium. Gеntlу раn fried the chicken rоllѕ аbоut 5 minutеѕ оn each side dереnding on thе thiсknеѕѕ оf thе rоll.
Pоur in chicken stock аnd соvеr to ѕimmеr fоr 10 minutеѕ (mаkе ѕurе thаt thе ѕtосk dоеѕ nоt dry uр, аdd hоt wаtеr if ѕtосk lооkѕ like drying up).
Dish uр thе chicken rоll аnd remove thе skewers аt bоth еndѕ of thе rоll. Cut thе rоll diаgоnаllу in half to rеviеw the сrеаm, grееn аnd whitе ѕwirling соlоur еffесt of thе rоll. Drizzle the rеmаining cooking juiсе from thе pan onto thе rоll.