TV safety for kids or to purchase your Child Safety TV Strap
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TV Safety For Kids
TV safety for kids or to purchase your Child Safety TV Strap
for only $8.99.
50 Things to Know to Travel on a Budget
When I began travelling, I was not prepared for the little costs that greeted me around every corner. I wish I had done my research before going abroad so I could have saved myself a few of the unexpected surprises and expensive setbacks I wasn’t prepared for. While I certainly know the ins-and-outs of budget travel now, it has been a long and pricey road. Hopefully this list of ‘50 things to know to travel on a budget’ will help other fellow travelers as they make their way around the world on their own budgets.
1. Use Local Transport
Look around to see the modes of transportation the locals are using. Although this plan of action may not work in a posh neighborhood of Beverly Hills, it is a good rule to follow in most destinations. In China it may be cheaper to hire the back of a motorbike instead of taking a taxi, while in London The Tube is the surest way to go.
2. Haggle
In many countries it is not only customary to haggle the prices, it is expected. Rarely will you visit a street market where a vendor will give you a fair price to start with. Haggle the price to a place you feel comfortable with.
3. Eat Where The Locals Eat
Avoid tourist areas when it comes to dining options. Walk around and explore to see where and what the locals are eating. You will be surprised at how much cheaper food is just by walking a few streets away from major attractions. Street food is your best friend, and amazingly delicious.
4. Buy Multi-Destination Airfare
Rather than buying an airplane ticket for every leg of your trip, arrange a multi-destination ticket and save big. Companies such as STA Travel specialize in helping you plan your ultimate trip as cheap as possible. Sometimes they are able to suggest alternative routes, or even add-in stopovers at new destinations for close to nothing.
5. Carry an International Student Identity Card
If you are a student, carry an ISIC card. Major attractions and museums all over the world offer discounted admission prices for students. Your college ID may not be enough in countries that are unfamiliar with your school. The ISIC, International Student Identity Card, is the only internationally recognized proof of full-time student status in the world. The card will cost you around $10, but will pay for itself very quickly.
6. Try RVing
RV- a hotel and transport in one. If you have always dreamed of taking a road trip across Canada (or The United States or Australia), you know that hotel costs can be very expensive. By renting an RV you can save on expensive accommodation and just park when it is time to sleep along the way. If your RV has a modest kitchen you will be able to prepare your own food as well which will keep costs down even more.
7. Free City Tours
Most major cities have free walking tours, and only ask that you pay what you think the tour was worth at the end. You are under no obligation to tip, so can give as little or as much as your budget allows. SANDEMANs offers free walking tours all over Europe and the Middle-East.
8. Museum Open Days
Some of the world’s most renown museums hold open days where you can view their collections absolutely free. The MOMA in New York City offers free entry every Friday evening and the Louvre in Paris has free admission every first Sunday of the month. Be sure to check if the museums you plan on visiting while you travel have any open days that coincide with your visit. Just a tip, most of London’s major museums are always free to visit.
9. Work Abroad
If you dream of living in New Zealand but don’t have the funds to make it happen, why not work abroad? There are hundreds of companies that will pair you with a work program in the country of your choice. You can work at a horse farm outside of Queensland and travel the country on your days off. Some travellers work country to country as they travel entire continents.
10. Become a Travel Writer
Travel writing can be a great source of supplementing your trip abroad. You can get paid for sharing your travel stories and pictures on blogs and travel websites. Although it most likely won’t cover all of your expenses, the extra money may make enough difference to add an additional leg to your trip. The things that you write will be a great journal for your trip.
“Everywhere is within walking distance if you have the time.”
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Steven Wright, American comic
11. Camp
Camping has long been a favorite of the budget traveller. Armed with a pop-up one person tent, you can sleep just about anywhere. Many people who backpack through Europe stay at campgrounds instead of hostels that can easily cut your accommodation budget in half.
12. Choose your Destinations Wisely
Choosing to travel to Asia instead of Europe could save you money in big ways. Travelling in countries where your money is worth more and the cost of living is low will allow you to get much more for your budget. You could easily spend the same amount of money on lunch in Paris that you would for an entire week of meals in Cambodia.
13. Purchase Travel Insurance
It may seem strange to advise you to buy something when you are looking to save money. But if you leave home with only one thing, let it be travel insurance. You can’t predict the future, or how you will land after that Paragliding jump. Travel insurance allows you to be prepared for every scenario, and avoid costly medical bills if something happens along the way. If you go for annual travel insurance rather than single policies you will be covered for trips throughout the entire year and will pay substantially less. Even if you aren’t accident prone, you can’t control the weather, other people, or unforeseen circumstances such as flight cancellations.
14. Avoid ATM Fees
Taking money out of the ATM when we need it is just a way of life for most of us. While travelling you need to be aware that your bank may charge huge fees for a withdrawal made abroad. Before you travel check with your bank and see what they charge. You may be better off getting a new card that doesn’t charge you for international transactions. This simple tip could save you hundreds of dollars in unnecessary fees.
15. Walk
While it may not work in every situation most major cities are ideal for walking. If you have time on your side you can easily walk to where you need to go while avoiding the high cost of public transportation.
Amsterdam is a terrific example and if you have at least two days to explore the city it is much more cost-effective to explore on your feet. You will have a better experience seeing the sites on your own rather than a stuffed tour bus.
To read all 50 tips view 50 Things to Know To Travel on a Budget eBook. A great gift for a friend who loves to travel! Also a great book for people who would like to save extra money while they travel. I ENCOURAGE YOU to borrow the book for free from the Kindle Lending Library for Amazon Prime Members. If you would like to share these tips please email me at lbrennec@gmail.com.
50 Things to Know About Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
I have loved cavaliers as I met my very first one at my friends Aunts House. Many years later we got Charlie a Blenheim cavalier. Reader more about Cavalier King Charles Spaniels here. I also have a blog called Charlie The Cavalier.
1. They are elegant.
2. They are energetic.
3. They are in the toy breed.
4. They are good for city, suburb or country life.
5. Cavaliers can do obedience and agility training.
6. Cavaliers make wonderful therapy dogs.
7. Cavaliers are sweet.
8. Cavaliers are gentle.
9. The breed also became a TV star when featured on "Sex and the City" as Charlotte York's dog.
10. Their silky coats come in four colors - Blenheim (chestnut and white), Tricolor (black, white, and tan), Ruby (solid red) and Black and Tan.
11. Cavaliers are named after King Charles II of Britain.
12. Cavaliers have been recorded in paintings and tapestries together with their aristocratic families.
13. Though used successfully for shooting small game, the Cavalier's true purpose has always been that of companion.
14. Cavaliers are friendly.
15. Cavaliers are easy to train.
16. Cavaliers are great with children.
17. The cavaliers coat requires weekly brushing.
18. You do not need to trim the hair of cavaliers, but doing so will make caring for them easier.
19. The average height for a cavalier is 12 to 13 inches tall at the shoulder.
20. The average weight is between 13 and 18 pounds. But Charlie weights more!
21. One of the physical hallmarks of the breed is his ‘royal’ appearance, with large dark soulful eyes and glamorous feathering and coat.
22. Cavaliers not at aggressive with dogs or man.
23. Cavaliers cannot always be relied upon to come when he is called if he is chasing a butterfly or following the flight of a bird.
24. Many cavaliers have mitral valve disease of the heart.
25. Cavaliers can have eye conditions including retinal problems & cataracts, slipping patellas, hip dysplasia, and SM (syringomyelia, a neurological condition).
26. Cavaliers can be screened for all these health concerns.
27. Cavaliers which have rich chestnut markings on a pearly white background are known as Blenheim in honour of Blenheim Palace, where John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, raised the predecessors to the Cavalier breed in this particular color.
28. Black and Tan are dogs with black bodies with tan highlights, particularly eyebrows, cheeks, legs and beneath the tail.
29. Black and Tan is referred to as "King Charles" in the King Charles Spaniel.
30. Ruby Cavaliers should be entirely chestnut all over,although some can have some white in their coats which is considered a fault under American Kennel Club conformation show rules.
31. The fourth color is known as Tricolor, which is black and white with tan markings on cheeks, inside ears, on eyebrows, inside legs, and on underside of tail.
32. Tri color is referred to as "Prince Charles" in the King Charles Spaniel.
33. According to statistics released by The Kennel Club, Cavaliers were the sixth most popular dog in the United Kingdom in 2007 with 11,422 registrations in a single year.
34. Their popularity is on the rise in America; in 1998 they were the 56th most popular breed but in both 2007 and 2008 they were the 25th most popular.
35. They ranked higher in some individual US cities in the 2008 statistics, being eighth in both Nashville and Minneapolis-St.Paul,[15] seventh in Boston, Atlanta[16] and Washington D.C.,[17] and sixth in both New York City[15] and San Francisco.[17]
36. In 2009, the Cavalier was the fourth most popular breed in Australia with 3,196 registrations behind only Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherd Dogs and Staffordshire Bull Terriers.
37. There are also national breed clubs in Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Spain and Sweden.
38. In some dogs there is a chestnut spot in the middle of the forehead: this is called the "blenheim" spot.[10] Charlie is a blehneim Cavalier.
39. In the show ring, NO trimming is allowed, as it is considered essential that the breed be left in its natural state.
40. Cavaliers love to interact with their owners and enjoy activity and play, making them especially close friends and confidants for children.
41. Cavalier puppies are so small, many breeders will not sell young puppies to families with children under the age of five. All children, of course, need supervision to ensure they do not hurt the dog.
42. Retirees and empty nesters find the companionship, temperament, small size, and easy maintenance of Cavaliers ideal.
43. Cavaliers are the ultimate groupies and are usually delighted to have the company of cats and dogs of any size.
44. Cavaliers are indoor dogs.
45. People who travel find it easy and pleasant to take their Cavaliers along. Their strong desire to be with their owners makes them willing travelers. Their size and personality contribute to their welcome at “dogs allowed” hotels, marinas, and campgrounds.
46. As of January 1996, Cavaliers are fully recognized by the AKC. This recognition has resulted in two national breed clubs, the original CKCSC, USA and the AKC-recognized American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club.
47. Cavalier ears need particular attention and should be checked and given a quick combing every few days, daily in shedding season.
48. Cavaliers do shed, particularly in spring and fall, but a little all the time.
49. Their nails should be clipped and the hair between their pads trimmed once a month. No other trimming is necessary (or allowed) in the show ring.
50.Cavaliers are naturally clean dogs. Because too much bathing dries out the skin and haircoat, they should not be bathed more than once a week. All knots and tangles should be brushed out before a Cavalier is bathed. Many owners find that bathing their pets every two months is quite adequate.
Info from
Charlie Update. We had Charlie for 13 years. He passed on his own.
I grew up with a red cocker spaniel, and other family cocker spaniels. I met my friend Heather's Aunts dogs and they were like them, but smaller, softer and had beautiful tails. I fell in love with the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed. At the time we were really not allowed to have dogs in the residence halls, but the rules just changed. We bought Charlie a few weeks before George went to his Bachelor party in Vegas, and then I would not be alone while he was gone.
Since we raised Charlie in a residence hall, we started really early on training. He knew how to sit, paw, roll over, speak, beg and heel. I started a blog about Charlie (http://charlie-the-cavalier.blogspot.com) before blogging was popular around 2008. He was the only thing I knew to write about at the time. I then created the Charlie the Cavalier 5 book series based on him and my daughter to teach kids they are loved.
Charlie traveled really well 3-hours to my parents and Georges. We had so many friends watch him while we were on vacation, which we always appreciated. He was there when each of the girls came home from the hospital and loved all the food that was left on the floor. Charlie was there to hold for sad events in our life. He definitely acted more like a cat sometimes and would love to sit on your lap or feet.
My Sister and now my Parents now have Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. They have been easy for us to train, will stop barking when told, and just want to please you. They are happy with the breed too. I will admit though that the relationship with Charlie and I was never the same after my first child. He was always jealous and made sure that I gave him attention even with the exhaustion of a new child. He did great with little kids and his tail was always wagging.
After years of life, he started to slow down. He was not interested in walks or sitting next to you. He always snored when he slept and liked to sleep closer to our room. He did have lyme disease, and would have good days and bad with that. Some days he would bark to get on the couch but others he jumped onto a step to get up and down. He was with us being home every day for almost a year during the pandemic.
The last couple times we left for vacation I brought him to a kennel instead of keeping him at home because I knew he was slowing down. He still knew all of his hand signals for tricks and would do them for treats. His eyes were dry so we put in drops. We had more trouble grooming him because of pains. We brought him to a great place that treated him well. He got to play with big dogs there which was one of his favorite things to do. We were happy to have Charlie around for many big life events and he will be missed.
Thank you for all your nice comments and memories of Charlie.
6 Things to Know For Effective Weight Loss
Many people underestimate the importance of mindset when starting a weight loss program. Little do they know mindset is a key ingredient to effective weight loss. Without a carefully prepared mindset, one is more apt to give up on losing weight especially if results are not immediate. On the other hand, if you take the time to prepare yourself mentally you can see better results and suffer less stress in the process. Here are 6 tips to prepare your weight loss mindset:
1. Realize that getting your mind prepared for losing weight or starting an exercise program may take a few weeks.
Most likely you have dreaded working out and losing weight for a long time. Chances are you will not change your mind over night, but you can change it in a few short weeks.
2. Start using daily affirmations to motivate yourself and get your mindset ready.
In a way, you need to start convincing yourself that you will enjoy losing weight, it will be fun and you can do it. You may also have to get completely “real” with yourself so you will start. Do not let that translate into guilt, but rather determination to improve your health. You really are worth taking care of yourself and getting in better shape.
3. Accept and prepare for setbacks.
So many people fail or give up because they were not expecting setbacks to occur and they were not prepared for them. Keep telling yourself that they can happen and have a plan to deal with them when they do. You can choose to work out harder, cut back on your food intake or use stronger affirmations during these times.
4. Start visualizing the new you.
You need to get a clear image of how you want to look and feel. If you keep seeing yourself as overweight, that is how you will remain. You do not have to visualize yourself as a skinny person, but you do need to see a smaller version of you. Also, do not forget to add emotions into your visualizations. Imagine how you will feel when the weight is off. Imagine activities you will do or clothes you will wear. This will help make it stick in your mind.
5. Avoid looking in the mirror and stepping on the scale frequently.
These two things can sabotage your weight loss quicker than anything. Of course you need to look in the mirror if you wear make-up or to brush your hair. Only look at your face, get the job done and then get away from the mirror. Looking at the numbers on the scale does not do much for your self-esteem either. Instead of worrying about the pounds, start focusing on how you want to feel or how much better you are starting to feel.
6. Prepare yourself for not feeling great in the beginning.
Do not listen to the fitness gurus who tell you how much better you will feel when you start exercising. In most cases it simply is not true. It will take time to feel better. In fact, you will most likely feel worse and more tired when you first begin a new exercise regime. Get ready for it and do it anyway. You should start feeling better within a month, but do not get discouraged if it does not happen in the first two weeks. Start preparing your weight loss mindset before starting an exercise or weight loss program if you want effective weight loss. You will stay motivated and there is less chance you will abandon your weight loss program within the first week. Give it a try. It is worth the effort.
Donna Caesar is a wellness writer who published her first weight loss book in November, 2012 about how to Lose Weight Naturally Fast by adopting a healthy lifestyle. You can download her FREE weight loss newsletters, full of valuable information, at BestLoseWeightBook.com
Adding a Bathroom Curtain
Well we have lived in our house for about 3 years and I never got around to adding a curtain to this window. I found a curtain at a garage sale for $.50 and bought a curtain rod at dollar general and was ready to go. I like to hang all my curtains high and wide. The hardest part was getting the step stool out of the shed!
