Lifestyle

Sending personalized Christmas cards and thoughtful gifts is always a fun thing to do this time of year. Everything from choosing the right cards to browsing through online catalogs trying to find the perfect gifts for loved ones is exciting.

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Of course, sending a card or a gift alone is not enough. To really show appreciation to the people receiving your cards and gifts, you have to make them more personal. Fortunately, that too is a simple task to complete with the tips and tricks we are about to discuss in this article.

Personalized Labels

Return address labels are very affordable today, so there is no reason why you shouldn’t use them to make your cards and holiday gift packages more personal. The best companies that produce return address labels even have holiday-themed designs in their catalogs already.

Artistic Labels is a good service provider to choose if you want to print your own return address labels. They also have personalized stamps and stationery that you can use to add those small touches of personalization to the cards you send out.

Add Notes

Another simple thing to do if you want to make your Christmas cards and gifts more personal is to add notes to them. I’m not talking about notes that you print for all of them; I’m talking about personal notes for your loved ones.

Take the time to write personalized notes with custom messages that make the recipients realize that it was written specifically for them. It is a small gesture – one that doesn’t take too much time to complete – but it is a gesture that matters.

Custom Wraps

Whether it is a custom envelope or gift wrap that puts a smile on your loved ones’ face, investing in custom wrapping for your Christmas cards and gifts is worth doing. It is another personal touch you can add to the holiday experience and it is well worth the extra cost.

You can even put on your DIY hat and do the wrapping design yourself. Add a cartoon version of your family or designs that your loved ones will recognize to amplify the effect further. Make sure you stick to recyclable materials to keep your cards and gifts eco-friendly.

Do Your Own Cards

It is also not uncommon for families to make their own custom Christmas cards. There are so many ways you can create your own custom cards. You can, for example, add a funny family photo to your cards and turn Christmas into an exciting holiday for the entire family.

You can also browse through DIY cards that you can do yourself, particularly cards that the entire family can make. This too will turn the simple act of preparing and sending Christmas cards into a family activity that everyone enjoys.

There are still so many other ways you can personalize your Christmas cards and gifts this season. Adding a wax seal is another idea that comes to mind. Regardless of the personal touches you add, they will make the cards and gifts you send to loved ones that much more special for them.

If you want to avoid making unnecessary mistakes as a first-time landlord, continue reading to discover 7 useful tips for first-time landlords!

Useful tips for first time landlords:

1. Make sure to take photos of each room in your property on the day before your first tenants move in

It’s well worth looking into homelet.co.uk/landlord-insurance as they can help take clear photos of each room in your property from a variety of different angles, as evidence of the state which your property was in before your tenants arrived. As if your tenants cause damage to your home,  you’ll be able to prove that the damage wasn’t preexisting and was caused by your tenants.

2. Always ensure that you have plenty of money on hand to pay for any property related costs that may arise

As an example, depending on the stipulations of your rental agreement you may be responsible for repairing or replacing the appliances in your property when they wear out.

3. Make sure to check potential tenants references before offering them a rental contract

The best way to find out whether or not a potential tenant is likely to be an ideal tenant is to reach out to the references which they provided. Ideally, potential tenants should offer references from potential landlords, instead of character references from friends and family members who may be biased or unaware of how tidy and considerate their loved one may be as a tenant.

4. Consider outlining any rules which you may want your first tenants to follow in your rental agreement

If you’re a first-time landlord you may be unaware that you are able to stipulate basic house rules that you’d like your tenants to follow, in your rental agreement. As examples, you may want to request that tenants keep loud music to a minimum in the evenings out of respect for their neighbors or that your tenants

5. Also, stipulate how often you’d like to perform a routine inspection of your property

As an example, you may want to visit your property on 2 select dates each year in order to assess the condition of your property. If you don’t want to do this yourself, you may want to hire a property management firm to handle signing tenants and managing your tenants, instead.

6. When you do complete an inspection of your property make sure to have a checklist to go through

To ensure that you don’t miss anything, make sure to have a checklist on hand when it comes time to inspect your property for the first time. As an example, you may want to check that none of your furniture or appliances is damaged or missing and that there isn’t any mold in your property.

7. Make sure that your rental price isn’t too low

In order to ensure that you don’t miss out on extra revenue, it’s well worth comparing the price which you’re thinking of asking for your property with similar rental properties in your area which are being listed.

So if you’re a first-time landlord, definitely follow the 7 handy tips listed above in order to ensure that signing your first rental contract is a straight forward, simple process.

Your credit score is the key to your finances that you don’t pay attention to, until you need it most. A credit score should always have at least one eye on it. To put it lightly, you should pay attention to your credit score a lot more than you do now and here’s why.

What creditors are looking for

Most creditors aren’t just looking at your credit score. They’re looking at the total package. A credit score is more than just a number. In fact, your credit score is comprised of the following:

• Bill-paying history
• Length of accounts
• Collection accounts
• Amount of debt

Your credit score is made up of a little of all these parts. Sometimes it doesn’t seem like it makes sense, but there is an algorithm to it that seems to work.

Your credit score has the final say

It doesn’t matter what you read online or how much people say credit scores don’t matter, they do. Your credit score can determine the following

• The interest rate you pay on a home loan
• The interest rate you pay on a car loan
• The type of credit you qualify for
• The type of credit card you apply for and the amount
• Whether or not someone trusts a rental to you

Insurance companies use your credit score

Many people don’t realize that the insurance companies are using your credit score. They look at your credit score and determine what kind of risk you will be. Seems a little judgemental, right? But, they have to determine your likelihood of filing an insurance claim from something and your credit score seems to be the best route.

Different credit strokes for different folks

It’s important to realize that each entity looking at your credit score has a different purpose in mind. When you apply for a mortgage, they’re looking at it differently, than if you were buying a car. A mortgage company is likely to look at your debt, income, and the debt-income ratio you have. Just keep in mind that each time you apply for credit, it might look a little different.

Utility companies look at your credit score

Did you know that when you go to turn on your electric or gas bill, utility companies look at your credit score? This may sound untrue, but it is! They want to see what your credit score is, so they can determine if you need make a deposit in order to get service.

How to Improve Your Credit Score

Now that you know why you should pay attention to your credit score, you might be wondering how your credit score can be improved. There are many ways you can improve your credit score, it’s just about knowing HOW to improve your credit score.

Pay your bills on time

One of the best things you can do to improve your credit score is to pay your bills on time. Write all of the bill dates for your bills on a calendar, so you always know when they’re due. Paying them ahead of time also helps! That way, if you think about it too late, it’s already paid ahead of time. Using online bill pay also helps because then it doesn’t cost you extra to buy stamps.

Pay down your debts

Although this can take a while, paying down your debts is also a good thing. Whether you pay down the debts slow or fast, the less you have, always the better. Less debt usually means a higher credit score. Plus, debt usually only costs you more money in the long run, so it’s better to just be done with it and pay it off.

Avoid repossession

Sometimes you can’t help it and your car gets sent back. It’s best to avoid any type of repossession to help keep your credit score up. Nothing sends your credit score plummeting like a repossessed vehicle. You may even ask yourself how this company can help!

Sign up for a credit monitor

These days, you can sign up for almost any credit monitor for free. Credit Karma and Credit Sesame will allow you to log in and see your credit score for free at any time! Of course, there is always an opportunity to upcharge to see more stuff, but take advantage of the free service.

Conclusion

Paying attention to your credit score is no joke. You may not think you need that score to be good, but you do! It’s best to keep up on it now, so when you do need it, the score that you want is there already.

Keep in mind that a foreclosure, repo, or bankruptcy can hurt your score in many ways! If you can’t avoid any of those paths, make sure you are prepared for how many years it can take to recover from the decision.

You should pay attention to your credit score because it will keep you from paying a lot of money down the road. When you have to pay extra interest on something, it’s only going to cost you more money.

There is no doubt that selling online is a very popular way to do business or sell on unwanted personal items. The numbers around the internet and popular online marketplaces illustrate just why this makes sense in the modern age. eBay, for example, has 175 million active users in 2018, while similar numbers can be seen in other marketplaces such as Amazon or Alibaba. The global reach that this gives when selling online far outstrips old-fashioned ways of doing it, such as putting an ad in the local paper!

With over 4 billion people using the internet around the world, selling online is a great way to make sales and also get more money for items – but is it as simple as diving right in and listing your item instantly?

As great as selling this way is, you do need to be aware of online safety to avoid any disasters. Not paying attention to this could see you lose money or even put your own personal security at risk. While these are rare instances as most buyers online are reputable, it is still worth being aware of beforehand.

What do you need to know to stay safe as a seller?

The very thing that makes selling online so amazing is also the thing that you have to guard against to an extent. Being in contact with people you do not know from around the world means that you need to protect your safety at all times.

Here are some great ways to go about it:

• No personal details or meetings – whether it is selling online for business or personal reasons, never give out sensitive details such as your address or email. This will ensure that people cannot misuse them in any way and also protects your personal security. By the same token, never meet up in person with someone you do not know to complete a sale. No serious buyer will ask to do this, so pull the plug on the sale if they do.

 

• Know about the popular scams – although new scams are always being developed, some are well-known ones for which you can be on the lookout. This can be buyers claiming not to have received goods in order to get a refund and keep the item or claiming that the goods were damaged on receipt for the same reason. If you know about these scams, then you can ensure that you take steps when selling to combat them.

 

• Cyber security – whether it is your business systems or personal computer, cyber security is key when selling online. You do not want to find that you have been maliciously hacked when in the process of negotiating or completing an online sale. Make sure that your firewalls and IT security systems are robust enough to keep hackers at bay.

 

• Use only well-known marketplaces – as mentioned previously, the best way to stay safe is to only sell through reputable marketplaces. If you come across one that you have not heard of or sounds suspicious, then just give it a miss. Do not be drawn in by false promises or seemingly amazing special offers! Doing this will ensure that you can sell online with total security and confidence.

 

• Ship with professional couriers – a great tip when selling online safely is to use professional couriers such as UPS to ship. If you also add in insurance, then you are covering all bases against some well-known scams. After all, it is hard for people to say they have not received the item when the courier has proof of delivery from them!

 

• Tag items yourself before shipping – one other common scam is for buyers to wear clothes when received and then try to return them. Get around this by adding your own tag to the item when shipping that must be there to return the goods. This will nip the problem in the bud in no time at all!

External consultants can help

Very often, it can be worthwhile employing professional selling consultants to help with online transactions. Amazon seller services are very popular with many businesses as they can help them sell in a safer way – Digital Brandworks seller services do this and help many people sell securely online in this way.

Safety is crucial when selling online

Before you jump right into selling anything online, you should take into account how to do it safely. This will not only protect your business and personal IT systems but also protect your personal security and guard against any scams. By taking into account the above tips, you will be well on the way to selling with total peace of mind.

If you are keen for your upcoming remodeling of your home to go as smoothly as possible, continue reading to discover a variety of useful home remodelling tips.

Remodelling your home tips:

1. Consider replacing your current flooring with brand new wood flooring

If your home features outdated carpet, it may be a great idea to rip out your old carpet in order to place cheap engineered wood flooring in your home. One of the reasons why you may be interested in purchasing wood flooring in your home is that it is timeless and will suit a wide variety of interior decorating styles. As an example, wood flooring looks just as stylish with modern, minimalist decor as it does with traditional furniture and decor.

As added benefits, you may find that your house’s value may increase substantially if you invest in having solid wood (https://lifestyleflooringuk.co.uk/solid-wood-flooring) floors placed in your home. As homes which boast wood flooring usually sell for a higher asking price than homes which feature carpet.

2. Consider knocking down unwanted walls in your kitchen

If your kitchen still features four walls, you may want to consider knocking down a wall or two in order to create an open space kitchen, dining and living room. Just keep in mind, that it’s well worth contacting a professional builder to help you knock down your unwanted kitchen walls as a registered builder will be able to take down your unwanted walls without causing structural damage to your home.

3. Consider turning one of your spare rooms into an en-suite bathroom or a walk in wardrobe

If your master bedroom doesn’t offer a luxurious en-suite bathroom or a convenient walk-in wardrobe, you may be after the create the walk-in wardrobe or master en-suite bedroom of your dreams by turning an adjacent spare bedroom such as an underutilized guest bedroom into a custom built en-suite or walk-in wardrobe.

Depending on your home’s layout you may be able to create both. Especially if you have a bathroom located next to your master bedroom or the spare room which you plan to turn into a new walk-in wardrobe or en-suite.

4. If your home is a single storey dwelling consider adding a new level to your home

If your family has started to outgrow your current home, remember that you have the option to add a new level to your existing home, instead of moving to a new home. Just keep in mind that it may cost you a significant amount of money in order to add an extra level to your home. However, as a result of adding a new level to your home, your house value will increase dramatically.

5. Ask for quotes before you sign contracts with professional contractors or firms

As the last thing you want is to find yourself halfway through a remodel of your home and to find that your remodeling budget has been completely used, it’s well worth ensuring to ask each contractor or building firm who you deal with for a quote on the tasks which they are willing to perform for you.

If you utilize all five of the home remodeling tips listed above, your home’s remodel will be sure to go off without a hitch!

 

Deciding to leave your home for several years is tough. On the one hand, you want to stay because you can’t let go of the place you called home for years. On the other hand, you can’t let go of an opportunity that awaits you elsewhere.

If you are still undecided, there are signs to consider to help you realise that leaving could be the best choice for you.

You have a job that is way better than what you have now

One of the most common reasons why people leave their homes is because they get a job offer in other places. If you receive a job offer, and it pays well, grab the chance. You might not receive the same opportunity again should you decline it now. If position matters to you, and you receive a promotion that requires you to relocate, you might also take a hard look at it. These opportunities are rare even if you are an outstanding employee because there are not a lot of positions opening up all the time. Therefore, if you think that this is a significant offer, it is a sign that you need to leave your home.

You feel like you are stuck

Even if you don’t have any job offer elsewhere, but you feel like you are not growing as a person because of where you are now, it could be a sign that you have to leave. It does not mean that you can’t come back later, but you want to see what else is in store for you. The goal is to look at the other possibilities and take a risk. If it works, you will have made a great decision. If not, at least you gave it a try. You won’t face a future filled with what ifs.

You want to leave behind bad memories

People move on from bad experiences in life in different ways. If you’ve tried almost all strategies to move on but you can’t, perhaps leaving is the best choice. You can’t move on if you are stuck in the same place where you built memories with a lot of people. Regardless of the reason, if that home is no longer a home for you, look for another place to relocate.

You want to learn more in life

The world out there is very big, and there is a lot that we can learn from it. Don’t let yourself be in the same place for the rest of your life, and not open yourself up to all possibilities. There could be more chances to learn elsewhere, and it can only happen if you decide to leave your current home and live in another place.

These signs will tell you that you have a better future when you decide to leave your current home, and you need to take a risk. If you choose to move, contact Evesham removals. It takes time to pack and relocate, but with professional expertise, things will be a lot easier for you.

With online shopping becoming more and more common, it’s no surprise that buying wedding clothing is moving online as well. From flower girl dresses to wedding gowns, online shopping for all of your wedding needs is a great way to get the most options available, at the very best price! However, many brides are still concerned about the risks involved with buying things for their wedding, sight unseen.

So what are some of the reasons more brides are moving online instead o

f visiting brick and mortar stores for their wedding needs? Here are five of the very best reasons you should consider checking out online stores:

1. Convenience

Visiting wedding stores requires an appointment, planning, and sometimes even time off. This is especially true if you live in a rural area that has a limited choice when it comes to wedding apparel. However, online stores are just a click away. They require no appointments, there’s no wait time, and the choice is infinite. Websites like JJ’s House have hundreds of wedding gowns, flower girl dresses and accessories to fit any style or taste.

2. Cost

Physical stores have a lot of overhead that needs to be taken into account: employees, rent, utilities, liability, etc. This means that the cost of running that physical business is often passed onto the customer in the form of increased prices in retail items. Online stores don’t have to worry about these costs and can offer products at a lower rate. However, it’s important to keep in mind that if you find gorgeous dresses at an obscenely low cost, you may want to look for reviews from other shoppers to make sure the website isn’t a scam.

3. Variety

Physical stores can only carry so many options in-store before they run out of room. Online stories can keep many more items in stock since they don’t need to have them out on the floor, ready to try on. What this means for you as a buyer is that you’ll have the chance to peruse many kinds of cheap flower girl dresses or wedding dresses online in the comfort of your own home. To avoid ending up in a scam, you’ll want to make sure that the site you’re shopping on is using their own images and not duplicates from another company. This is one way to make sure that you’re buying from a company that actually has the items in stock and isn’t just looking to take people’s money.

4. It’s less emotional

Wedding dress stores are made to be emotionally charged spaces—it’s how they make the sales needed. Online, you won’t be making such a significant purchase while your friends gush, and your mom cries. Instead, you will be able to assess how you feel about your dress, shoes, or whatever it is you’re buying without having to consider other people’s feelings or have salespeople hovering nearby.

5. You can return what you don’t like

While this may not be the case for all companies, many online stores understand the importance of trying on dresses before women make a decision. Because of this, companies like JJ’s House offer easy, hassle-free returns of their dresses. If you’re perusing a company’s site that doesn’t mention returns or says they won’t honor any returns, tread carefully, you may end up with a dress that isn’t the style or quality you were looking for.

Do you want to make your home perfect for your guests? Read this article if you want to know more about how to be the ideal host and make your home welcoming.

When you have guests visiting your home, you want to make it as welcoming as possible! In this article, we’ll be discussing some tips that will help your guests feel at home right away in your property.

Clean the Door

The door to your home and the garden are among the first things your guests will see as they enter your home. This initial vista is the first impression that you want to ensure is perfect to greet your guests in the best way. Cleaning the door is an effortless way to make your home more inviting.

You can also clear the doorway to the home too. Just inside the front door can tend to be a place that we abandon shoes and bags, but this doesn’t always feel great for your visitors. Clear these away and add a nice mat instead, you’ll notice a big difference in the way it appears right away.

If you want the kind of home that your visitors can drop into any time, then you can hire a Cleaning Services Company to ensure that it’s always looking its best.

Make the Bathroom Shine

The guest bathroom should always be immaculate and ready to use. Clean linens and candles make your guests feel more welcome to use the facilities. Just spruce these up with some small accessories to make it really shine.

If your home has more than one bathroom, then make one a more presentable one for guests. You can keep day to day items like toothpaste in your bathroom and keep the other one specifically for your guests. In so doing you can get rid of a lot of the day to day maintenance required, as the bathroom isn’t used as often as it might be.

Have Supplies on Hand

If you want to be able to welcome your guests into the home, then keep some supplies on hand. Something as simple as refreshments or a few treats can be much appreciated and is a sure-fire way to ensure that your guest feels like a welcome part of the home, instead of a burden to you. Keeping these in a separate area of the house will ensure that you always have something on standby.

For guests that are staying with you long term, you can also make sure you have their favourite products to hand. By providing some of their faves will help them to be happy in the home for as long as they’re spending with you. You’ll be surprised at just how much of a difference that this will make to your guests.

Having a few creature comforts on hand is always appreciated and when you visit others, they will be sure to return the favour. You can build a reputation as a great host when you do so.

If you want to be the perfect host to your guests, then these are some brilliant tips for you to try out. These tips will help you to bring more to the table when you have people in your home, which will make them love visiting.

 

Workplace mentoring is far more than having someone show the new hire around and introduce them to their coworkers. Nor is mentoring limited to new hires. There are a number of benefits for everyone involved when you arrange mentors for employees at all levels of your organization. Let’s look at a few reasons why your business should have a mentoring program in place.

Better Onboarding

Mentoring is generally associated with new hires because it is so beneficial to them. It helps them get up to speed much sooner, allowing them to become as productive as you want them to be as soon as possible. But you can also mentor existing employees when they transfer between departments or move up in the organization, helping them to become effective rather quickly in their new role. When you have a formal process for training new hires, your organization will see the quality of their work go up since they’re taught the right way in the first place.

If you don’t already have a mentoring program in place, you should consider working with a mentor corporation such as Menttium. These companies can help you set up your own in house or cross company mentoring program that will allow your employees to access resources both in and outside of your company. They can also provide advice on how to avoid common pitfalls as well.

Improved Morale

Employee morale and satisfaction is higher in companies that provide mentors. Individuals who participate in mentoring programs have even better job satisfaction, which eventually reduces employee turnover. Using mentoring to grow existing employees into middle management material boosts their morale too, since they feel like the organization values its people and that they have a future with the firm.

Those who are mentored are far more likely to stay longer within your organization as well. Using mentoring to cultivate future managers and executives encourages everyone to participate in succession planning and career growth. Another side benefit of mentoring is that it gives employees an avenue for finding resources, answers and support they may not get from their direct manager. This reduces their frustration, a common reason cited when someone quits.

Greater Productivity

Mentoring has already been said to make new hires more productivity. When you ask senior members of a department to mentor the younger ones, whether or not they’re new hires, you’ll also see productivity benefits. Your younger employees won’t have to rediscover solutions the experienced staffers already know. They won’t waste time hunting for solutions when there’s already a proven one known to other team members. Mentoring facilitates knowledge transfer that makes everyone as productive as possible.

Sometimes it is necessary to iterate the benefits of mentoring to those who would be the mentors. By asking them to formally mentor someone so that they learn these skills, they’ll be better able to delegate that work so they can focus on their unique area of expertise. It reduces the risk that your organization loses key skills if someone quits or retires.

Mentoring programs are a cost-effective way to improve morale, engagement and productivity and can lead to greater innovation and quality. The question now isn’t why you need to set up a mentoring program, but when and how you’ll implement it.