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In Editor's Picks 5 Mins Read

Ways to Have Better Natural Lighting at Home

Redecorating the home almost always means spending money. But that doesn’t mean it has to be expensive. Surprisingly, there are household savings hacks that you can do to beautify your home without leaving a dent in your bank account.

One way to do this is to maximise the use of natural light to illuminate your home interior. Sunlight is not only an instant mood moderator; according to some studies, exposure to sunlight even for a short period helps prevent depression in adults. The vitamin D present in natural light is also an essential vitamin that helps build strong immune systems. But aside from its health benefits, using natural light for your home also greatly improves its aesthetics by bringing out the beauty of your fabrics and furniture.

All these are great reasons to consider this shift into the natural, on top of the dollars of savings you can shave off your electricity payments.

But how do you exactly manipulate light so that it complements your space just right? Read on to know the answers.

Work with Your Windows

First things first, you need to ensure that an adequate amount of natural light enters your home. Otherwise, all the following tips in this article will do little to achieve the results you’d like to have.

Check your window treatment and see if something can be improved in your setup to allow more light flow into your rooms.

For example, you can start putting up neutral- to light-coloured curtains in place of darker ones. A single drape set can also be used rather than a double set if you can’t let go of opaque-coloured choices. If you want more control over the inflow of light into the room, Venetian blinds do the job well.

Otherwise, if you are rather serious about your redecorating mission, you’ll have to shell out a few hundred dollars to install new, larger windows, preferably with the less low-E coating. Though they may be harder to come by, you can purchase windows with low-E coating and a higher solar heat gain coefficient, like these innovative options offered by Pella.

Lighten Up Your Walls

It’s not enough to just let in light into your home’s interior. You have to make sure it illuminates the space entirely. A lighter room colour helps reflect light rather than absorb it, creating the illusion of a breathier space and producing a fresher ambience without adding another square footage.

For this purpose, white is an easy choice, although there are plenty of cool tones that work just as well. Taupes and blue greys and, generally, a lighter palette, will do wonders to maximise whatever light that is being funnelled into your interiors through your windows.

To take advantage of a lighter paint’s reflective ability, you may as well think about redoing your ceiling paint so that it matches your chosen theme. Although it can be fun and stylish to paint your ceiling opaque, it is also a highly recommended thing to do as well if your goal is to maximise the room’s capacity to facilitate and disperse light.

Glow-Up

When adding accents and statement decors to your ensemble, opt for furniture and accessories that reflect light. Metallic surfaces, glass blocks, and kitchen countertops with a sleek finish help bounce off the light that filters into your room, creating a bigger and brighter appearance.

For the living room, this can mean opting for linen and cotton instead of velvet and brocade fabrics. You can also introduce a little element of gloss into your throw pillows and drapes.

For example, you can use a stylish metallic finial as a statement piece to your window setup. They’re subtle but also striking enough to stand as a statement piece on their own.

In addition, you can incorporate highly glossy ceramic or metallic tiles for your kitchen and bathroom backsplashes for a spectacular finish.

Use Mirrors

Mirrors are popular design elements for dressing up small spaces. Placed in the right location, a mirror can double the amount of light that enters the room and effectively make the space look not only brighter but also larger.

There are plenty of ways to incorporate mirror design into your home. If you don’t want a full-length mirror sitting in the room, you can place one above the console table or behind the shelves. You can also turn them into a window-style design, like this one.

Trim Your Greenery

Trees, hedges, and vines outside your home or windows can hamper the flow of natural light from the exterior to the interiors. See to it that you keep your garden population in check.

Final Word

Making use of natural light is a great way to cut back on your household expenses without compromising your style. Follow these tips, start saving, and see your home transform.

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In Business 5 Mins Read

1st Art Oil Painting Reproductions and Custom Creations

Unlike film and television productions, visual art is something that is relatively foreign to most people. Therefore, artists have to truly display unparalleled skill and technique, in order to transcend time and gain prominence in the public’s eye.

Today, to be esteemed as a true master of the arts, one not only needs to display sheer talent and brilliance, but an artist must also have the ability to create stunning pieces that stand out amongst the thousands of other works of art that are constantly being created.

1st-art.com works relentlessly to bring classic masterpieces from the middle ages all the way through to modern art, to art lovers around the world.

In their collection, you can find masterpieces from some of the world’s most famous artists which have been displayed for centuries in some of the most prominent galleries on the planet. From New York’s Museum of Modern Art to the Guggenheim museums in North America, Europe and the Middle East, they strive to provide their customers with stunning oil painting reproduction that are sure to impress anyone who sets their eyes on them.

Famous Artists Across History

Below, you’ll find just a few of the famous artists whose masterpieces can be reproduced by our skilled artists to become the next addition to your collection.

Read more on the risks of buying art reproductions here.

Michelangelo

Not only was Michelangelo a skilled painter, he was a renowned sculptor who created the David and Pieta and also a talented architect who designed St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Italy. Furthermore, while unbeknownst to most, Michelangelo also wrote poetry and is credited with the design of Pope Julius II’s tomb, which was completed in 1545.

Rembrandt

As one of the world’s most prominent Dutch artists, Rembrandt was an exceptional artist who created many stunning masterpieces such as Belshazzar’s Feast (1635) and The Night Watch (1642). He was also a draughtsman and printmaker who is acknowledged for his incredible ability to extract the feelings of his subjects and transpose those emotions into his works.

Pablo Picasso

With a name that has become synonymous with contemporary art, Picasso is known around the world as one of the most famous artists of the 20th century.

According to most art experts, Picasso overturned the entire field of art with his radical introduction of the Cubism movement, which singlehandedly destroyed the traditional representations of matter and paved the way for all contemporary artists to come.

Henri Matisse

Born in Le Cateau-Cambresis, France, Henri Matisse was not only an innovative artist but also a skilled printmaker, draughtsman and sculptor. Most of Matisse’s work focuses on the delights of playfully bright and flashy colours, as well as the idea of symbolism, which has brought the artist to international fame.

Read more on Henri Matisse here: https://www.henrimatisse.org/

Vincent Van Gogh

Known mostly for his mental instability, Van Gogh has managed to transcend time and has become one of the world’s most famous and beloved artists. His technique used an innovative and unique style of frantic brush strokes, which gave his work a very different appearance from most of the art being created during his time. Without a doubt, Van Gogh’s works have inspired countless generations of artists and will continue to do so well into the future.

Jackson Pollock

At first, Pollock was a rather conventional painter and he was plagued with addiction problems, self-doubt and a nearly debilitating case of awkwardness. Fortunately, between the years of 1947 and 1950, Pollock managed to use his weaknesses to create original works of art that would eventually lead to his fame spreading around the globe.

His technique involved laying his canvases on the floor and then dripping or throwing household paint onto it. This created radically original pieces that left a clear record of Pollock’s movements while he was in the creation process.

Leonardo Da Vinci

Da Vinci is considered to be one of the greatest minds of his time and is regarded by many as the original Renaissance Man. Not only has he gained fame and was internationally renowned for his masterpieces, such as The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa; Da Vinci is also credited with designing many avantgarde technologies such as the flying machine, steam tanks and automobiles.

Claude Monet

Monet is credited as being one of the founding fathers of Impressionism and is known for his use of bright vibrant colours and as well as painting using short, quick brush strokes. He was known for his love of nature and often used his gardens as inspiration for his works, which can be seen in his most famous collections of paintings, Water Lilies.

Edvard Munch

Although Munch’s artistic career was far more than just one single painting, he is most often known for his anxiety-ridden masterpiece, The Scream. Munch is known for his use of pastel colours, which give his works a certain touch of surrealism and adds to the feelings expressed in his work.

Although the Scream was painted more than a hundred years ago (in 1893), one of Munch’s variations of the painting was sold in 2012 at an auction for the jaw-dropping price of $120 million US dollars.

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In Automobile 3 Mins Read

Accessories That All New Car Owners Should Purchase

Whether you’ve just started driving for Grab or Go-jek, passed your driving test, or finally stomached the amount you need to pay to actually own a vehicle, it’s important to kit out your car with a couple of accessories to ensure that your driving experience is safer and more enjoyable. In this article, we’re going to list a couple of accessories that all new car owners should purchase.

Toolkit

You might not be the best at auto repairs but it’s still essential to have a toolkit in the back to ensure that your car is safe to drive. Even with minimal knowledge, you can perform simple car repairs such as how to switch out a flat tire, replace headlights or even change the battery should it fail in the middle of nowhere. You don’t need to buy an expensive kit, but if you do refuse to fork out the cash and only get something cheap, you’re going to end up buying a cheap kit several times.

Phone Holder

Everyone wants to use their phone in the car, but it’s dangerous and if you’re caught sending messages or even chatting with one hand on your phone and the other on the wheel, you’re going to end up getting fined and/or jailed. No one wants this to happen and safety is paramount, hence, this is why it’s important to get yourself a convenient phone holder that can also make it easier to look at the phone when you need to look at the GPS.

Seat Covers

The last thing you want is to get the seats on your brand new car dirty. Consider services like CalTrend that not only offer seat covers, but customised ones that are durable and help keep your car pristine. This will also help the resale value down the road and also give your car a good boost in appearance by keeping it in good condition.

Belt Cutter

It’s always better to be safe than sorry and this is where a belt cutter comes in handy. These handy tools are perfect for cutting into seat belts and even breaking glass should you end up in an accident. They’re cheap and affordable, and although you should pray to never actually use it, they’re an essential piece of safety kit.

Charging Kits

Whether it’s to charge your phone, laptop or any other devices, it’s important to get yourself a car charging kit. This could be something as simple as a splitter that plugs into your car, or even a spare battery bank that sits in the glovebox of your car. Having extra juice for your mobile phone is great if you rely on the GPS, and it’s never a bad idea to keep your devices charged for an emergency.

These are some of the basic accessories that all car owners should invest in. Be it for comfort, safety or even for more features, these items are low-cost investments that will help you get the most out of your vehicle no matter what class of vehicle you purchase.

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In Editor's Picks 4 Mins Read

The Whiskey Library: A Storied Collection Of Rare and Unique Whiskies

A new chapter to a distinctive and unforgettable whiskey adventure story opens this month with the launch of The Whiskey Library. Ensconced within the ornate and luxurious interior of The Vagabond Club- Singapore’s preeminent luxury boutique hotel with 41 individualistic and elegantly appointed rooms and suites; the Whiskey Library offers over 1,000 bottles of thoughtfully curated rare and refined award-winning whiskies from around the world, and comes with a Membership Programme to beguile guests with a love of whiskey and give them access to the captivating vagabond experience.

Adventure awaits within the vintage art deco exterior of The Vagabond Club. Each room within the luxurious hotel is an oasis of comfort and calm bathed in natural light, bearing the touch of the genius French designer Jacques Garcia, executed in his renowned over-the-top, maximalist panache with Parisian-chic flair.

With the unique Membership Programme, guests who sign up will enjoy 10-room nights at The Vagabond Club (fully transferrable) as part of the S$3,000 annual membership fee.

Members will also have privileged access to 80 lockers, each with its own gilded and tasselled key, evocative of a bygone era of old world charm and hospitality, kept on-site in a specially designed wood-crafted armoire placed in a private space at The Vagabond Club’s salon.

Each locker will store up to 15 bottles of whiskey. Members can bring one of their own bottles for every two bottles purchased at The Whiskey Library. Members will also enjoy special bottle pricing, access to the Vagabond Club gym, and reserved seating at regular Whiskey Club events and experiences.

Each bottle at The Whiskey Library has been carefully collected from the finest distilleries from Scotland, Ireland, Japan, the US and other countries around the globe, with the collection comprising predominantly single cask and limited-edition bottles. Just as with a great literary work, each bottle is a unique work of art that stirs the imagination, beguiles the mind and excites the spirit.

The creator behind The Whiskey Library is luxury hotelier Satinder Garcha. Motivated by his love and passion for artistry, Garcha has spent two years bringing his dream to realisation.

“What started out as a vacation with friends travelling around Scotland and visiting distilleries soon turned into an eye-opening journey of discovery; a discovery of the depth of craftsmanship, the artistry, the culture and the incredible history behind whiskey making. These elements combined inspired me to bring these untold stories to Singapore where anyone and everyone can experience the profound pleasure of enjoying truly great whiskies,” says Garcha.

“No two bottles are the same. Each is unique, each has its own story, and many bottles will be unfamiliar even to the most experienced connoisseur. To me whiskey is art, and the craftsmanship behind our whiskies in The Whiskey Library is truly astonishing,” adds Garcha.

Designed for what Garcha calls “a club for vagabonds seeking a unique and hidden experience”, the warm and beautifully appointed Whiskey Library hosts up to 75 guests who, while relaxing and enjoying their whiskies, will be entertained with bespoke experiences such as specially curated sung and told Jazz stories, intimate theatre, book readings, artist evenings, musical showcases, and even independent film premieres. Guests will also be able to enjoy delightful small bites prepared by the Chef de cuisine at The Vagabond Club.

In keeping with the theme of artistry and luxury, the vitrines housing the whiskey collection and other crafted white spirits were designed and hand-crafted by local woodsman Mr Ng – one of the few remaining craftsmen in Singapore who continues to create unique furniture pieces. Designed to enhance the decadent elements of the hotel surrounds, the armoires feature brass claw feet to complement the similarly brass Allahbuksh-designed Rhino reception desk.

Akin to the Allahbuksh family from Rajasthan who crafted the enchanting Banyan Trees at The Vagabond Club, Mr Ng has contributed much to the artistry ambience in Garcha’s hotel portfolio.

Bespoke elements such as artisanal ice and an international selection of the finest of cigars, together with the extensive collection of whiskeys, bourbons, and other crafted spirits bring a truly complete and unique experience to guests of The Whiskey Library.

The Whiskey LIbrary is perhaps one of the world’s great whiskey bars! Check them out today!

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In Automobile 3 Mins Read

Do You Think Of These Things Before Getting Behind The Wheel?

Do you know how much danger you’re putting yourself in every time you step behind the wheel? Even if you’re the most sensible driver out there, you’re still putting your life at risk. Unexpected accidents that aren’t people’s fault do happen on a daily basis! But, this article isn’t going to be all about the danger that you should be thinking about. There are other things that you should be keeping at the front of your mind. Driving is a daily necessity that most of us can’t live without and we need to make sure that we’re staying on the roads for as long as possible. Improve your driving experience by considering the things below!

How Likely You Are To Be In An Accident

We know we said we weren’t going to talk to you about the dangers that you might encounter, but we might as well get it out of the way. Your chances of being in a car accident are going up every day. With so many people passing their test each day and so many people who haven’t stopped driving, the roads are just becoming more chaotic and busy than ever.  This means that although it might never happen to you, a small accident could have happened to other people along the way! Accidents can be a driver’s worst nightmare, and just to warn you, the legal side would be a bigger nightmare. Always contact companies such as Greene Broillet & Wheeler for help as soon as possible. To avoid ever needing to contact an attorney, make sure you’re decreasing your chances. This can be done by not driving during peak times, not being on your mobile phone or speeding, and not doing long journeys without rest. Long journeys do really impact you and your car and that is what we want to explore next.

Is Your Car Ready For A Long Journey?

Sometimes you will have to travel long journeys. By that, we mean car journeys that take over an hour or so. When you do a long journey, the last thing you might think to do is to check whether your car is actually ready for the journey. It needs to have the right amount of oil and water, the tyre pressure needs to be right, and you need to have a sufficient amount of fuel. The number of people who get caught out because they don’t check, and then have to pay so much to have the car recovered because it has broken down is crazy. Always take the time to check your car, and you won’t regret it later down the line!

Do You Need To Get In The Car?

This is something you definitely won’t ask yourself. We’re talking about the relevance of your journey, and whether there’s a better way of doing it. For example, if you’re only driving to the shop down the road, can you not walk? If you’re going long distance, is there a train that could do the journey better? More often than not, we waste so much fuel and put so many miles on our cars for pointless journeys!

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In Editor's Picks 4 Mins Read

Sucimurni Retreat Women’s Edition Launches at Tanjong Jara Resort

Following the successful return of the Sucimurni Retreat, the award-winning luxury destination, Tanjong Jara Resort, will launch a special edition entirely dedicated to women. Taking place from 17th to 19th November; the Sucimurni Retreat, Women’s Edition, will be a unique getaway for mothers, daughters and girlfriends to rest, recharge and discover Sucimurni, the Malay concept that emphasizes purity of spirit, health and well-being.

This exclusive retreat will allow guests to learn a new concept of relaxation through a weekend of female-focused classes and workshops led by renowned wellness professionals. The retreat will include, but not limited to signature WeBarre classes, Yin yoga and sound & breath meditation session by Align Origins, wellbeing and batik workshops led by The Busy Woman Project and The Batik Boutique respectively, and a cooking class to learn the secrets of Malay kitchen from the resort’s resident Chef.

Day One

Amy Blair from The Batik Boutique will kick-off the retreat with a Batik Workshop where guests will explore the Batik process and unleash their creativity to take home their own personalized Batik Boutique product. Following the batik workshop, Linda Tang, co-founder of WeBarre Singapore, will lead a WeBarre Stretch & Technique session, guiding attendees to stretch out and lengthen all muscles to increase flexibility, improve mobility and reduce the risk of injuries.

Day Two

On the second day, Linda Tang, will start the day with an energising Sunrise WeBarre Signature Multi-Level class, an exhilarating workout inspired by ballet, yoga, pilates and strength training which aims to transform the entire body.

For lunch, Tanjong Jara Resort’s resident Chef Ann will teach attendees her best-kept secrets at the ‘Secrets of Malay Kitchen’ cooking class. Guests will be able to savour their scrumptious creations just before the next session with Jaslyn Koh, founder of The Busy Woman Project, an online platform focusing on mental, physical & emotional health for busy women living in Asia. In WE, Introspective Conversations, the ladies leading the classes and workshops during this weekend, will share their insights and connect with like-minded women on topics such as self-acceptance and self-worth.

To wrap-up the second day with a deep sense of balance and relaxation, Amanda Ling, founder of Align Origins –musician, yoga teacher and sound healing practitioner–, will share with guests the healing wonders of Yin yoga. In this slower-paced practice based on the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Taoist Yin Yang philosophy, postures allow a sense of release within the deeper connective tissues, fascia and joints in the body. A unique Sound and Breath Meditation session will follow. Focusing on the aspects of Nada (Sound) Yoga, Amanda will teach attendees various breath techniques to induce calmness and inner peace through breathing. Using Tibetan Tingsha bells and Singing Bowls to integrate sound vibrations into each breath, guests will learn how to build awareness to manage stress effectively.

Day Three

Before the retreat comes to an end, guests will partake in the resort’s signature Sucimurni Exercise led by the resort’s very own Resident Naturalist, Captain Mokh. The Sucimurni Exercise held by the beach at sunrise will see guests going through a series of stretches inspired by the main animal chakras, giving them a chance to explore their main energy centres and find inner peace.

The Sucimurni Retreat, Women’s Edition is priced at SGD333++ per room per night, with a maximum occupancy of two adults and one child and is inclusive of:
·       Accommodation

·       Return airport transfers from Kuantan airport

·       Daily breakfast, lunch and dinner

·       One 50-minute massage for two per stay

·       Two barre classes

 

 ·       One Yin Yoga session

·       One sound and breath meditation session

·       One wellbeing workshop

·       One batik workshop

·       Sucimurni exercise

·       One Secrets of Malay Kitchen cooking class
Babysitting services are available at the resort for an additional fee.

For bookings and enquiries, kindly visit http://singapore.ytlhotels.com/

 

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In Editor's Picks 2 Mins Read

Asia’s First New Hyper-Reality Star Wars™ VR Experience Coming to Resorts World Genting

This piece of news is going to probably thrill all you fans of Star Wars!

Created by ILMxLAB and The VOID, friends can step inside the Star Wars universe together in a fully immersive experience unlike any other.

From a galaxy far, far away comes the first multi-sensory immersive experience of its kind in Asia that blurs the line between the physical and virtual world that you can explore with friends and companions.

It will be The VOID’s first venture outside of America and the UK, making this experience at Resorts World Genting the first in Asia. This location-based VR experience will be brought to new heights, quite literally at 6000 feet above sea level.  It will be one of the key attractions at the resort which received almost 25 million visitors last year. This will exist alongside dining and retail outlets as well as entertainment attractions that will include the upcoming indoor and outdoor theme parks.

Check out the trailer of this Hyper-Reality Star Wars™ VR Experience before you continue reading!

Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire will take guests through a breathtaking journey into the Star Wars universe allowing them to walk freely and untethered on an interactive stage. Reality and imagination mix to deliver fully immersive experiences that evoke all the senses, where guests will feel the impact of blaster bolts, smell the smoke from the surrounding environment, push buttons to solve an interactive puzzle to escape enemies, all while coordinating directly with their unit in real time through the blended virtual and physical world.

Under the orders of the rebellion, teams of four travel to the molten planet of Mustafar and sneak onto an Imperial Base. During the mission, you’ll encounter familiar Star Wars characters as you navigate dangers at every turn.

Craig Watson, Chairman of The VOID said: “The VOID’s hyper-reality experiences are taking people to worlds that, until now, only existed in their imaginations. The VOID is leading location-based entertainment to the next level. By making the impossible real and allowing guests to step into completely new and alternate realities.  In Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire you can hear, feel, touch and even smell bringing them closer to the story, characters and places.”

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In Editor's Picks 4 Mins Read

You’ve Gotta Make Money To Spend Money

First and foremost, this is not a post on how you can get rich quickly and neither the suggestions contained herein are a guarantee nor promise that you will make money. Before considering the suggestions contained herein, please be sure to do your own independent research.

Many of you reading this might have a bad spending habit; so much so that you might have a few debts looming over your head. You might feel as though there’s no escape; and the more you spend, the more you want. So, for all of you who are self-confessed spendaholics, we want to talk to you. We’re not saying that you should get your spending under control because if you’re getting money, you might as well treat yourself to whatever pleases you. We’re here to share with you how you can get more money so that you’re able to spend more money! There’s plenty of ways to do it, and some might be more beneficial to you than others. As long as you have a decent amount of money to play around with, you might want to consider giving at least one of these a go!

Spread Betting

This isn’t a form of gambling like you’re thinking, so don’t be put off by the idea. Spread betting is a new form of making money from things such as commodities and other trades. Rather than buying a share, you place a bet on whether you think that share is going to go up or down in value. If it goes up and you said that’s what it would do, you make some money; if it goes down and you said it would go up, you’ll lose some money! You buy per point of movement of the share. The more points it moves, you will earn multiples of the stake you put down. It’s sort of like a form of betting, but for people who know the stocks and trade markets well. If you have a look at CMC Markets, you can find out more. Even if you don’t know them, all you need to do is a little bit of research to have a basic understanding, and you’ll soon have fun with spread betting. It’s not as risky as gambling, as you can choose to buy more, or sell the stake that you have invested. With gambling betting, you lose your money no matter what!

Cryptocurrency

This is a bit of a grey area to some people, as they just don’t understand the massive potential to earn what Cryptocurrency gives. Cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin has been around for a while, but they only really hit the headlines when its value increased and a lot of people became rich from it. Then again, there are also a whole lot of other people who lost quite a lot of money from investing in Cryptocurrency. Like with the trading of any other stock and share, it’s all about buying at the right time to make the most money. Although you can invest as much or as little as you want, you have to be prepared to go for a lengthy investment and know how it works in real detail!

Forex Trading

Finally, one you might all be familiar with. Background knowledge of this or not, you can still make your money. One way of doing it is by joining a company designed to teach individuals how to make money through Forex trading. It’s the trading of currencies, and it’s a very valuable piece of information to hold if you do it well. If you play your cards right, this might just help you earn some additional passive income.

However, all sorts of investments come with risks so don’t expect to beat the market every single time. There are other safer instruments to make money and depending on your risk appetite, go for the one that you’re more familiar and comfortable with. Starting an e-commerce business or even offering your skills and time can also make you money.

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In Editor's Picks 3 Mins Read

Giving Your Blog Some TLC

When you see your blog all of the time, it can be hard to spot problems and issues. When you first started blogging, your posts and layouts were probably a little rough. Then, you might have gone through a very steep learning curve as you learned about SEO, digital media marketing and everything else that makes a blog great. You might have spent time working on your branding and adjusting the layout of your site. Making it more personal and unique and ensuring it stood out from the rest of the blogs on the internet.

Then, as time goes on, we often stop noticing the small things. We write posts. We publish them. We promote them. You might even have a checklist of things that you do with every post or the daily jobs that you do to keep your blog great. But, you stop seeing it. It’s only normal. It’s something that happens in all areas of life. But, it’s why it’s essential that every now and then we take the time to take a good hard look at our blogs and how well they work and make any changes that we can to improve them. Here are some great ways that you can give your blog a little TLC.

Check Your Speed

A brand-new site, with nothing on it, works quickly. Of course, it does, there’s nothing to load. Then, as you add more content and media, things start to slow down. You might not have noticed, but your users will have. Carry out an internet speed test to find out where you stand.

Look at Your Photographs

Photographs take up an awful lot of space on your site and in your database. Chances are, you aren’t even using a lot of them, having either replaced them over time or never put them into posts in the first place. Use a plugin to delete any pictures that aren’t being used on your site. Then, compress any that are left.

While you are working on photographs, check out your older posts. Could you replace any of the pictures now that your skills have improved?

Delete Old Content

Many blogs start life in the “lifestyle” category. Then, over time some of them begin to fit into a smaller niche. This is great, but you might find that a lot of your older content no longer fits. If it gets views, great, keep it. But, if no one reads this content and it doesn’t reflect your blog anymore, delete it.

Fix Broken Links

Broken links are inevitable. Even if it’s just because you’ve deleted old posts or photographs. Some broken links might be in comments other people have left if their own blogs have changed or been removed. These links can affect your user experience. So, find them using a plugin or a broken link checker website and either delete or fix them.

Add Internal Links

When you start blogging, there’s nothing to link to. You’ve got no related content. Over time, you add new content, but you never go back to add links to older posts. Go through some of your old posts and pages and add as many internal links as you can. It’ll give your bounce rate a massive boost.

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In Editor's Picks 4 Mins Read

Wildlife Tours Australia: Why It’s Worth Including in Your Bucket List

Sure thing, Africa will be the first place you’ll imagine if someone suddenly proposes this travel idea, “Hey, why don’t we go on a safari adventure?” And quickly, you drop your bag, sit on your desk and look up pieces of information about travel to Africa. But, is Africa the only continent where you can go on a safari adventure? What if you discover there’s something equally exciting and fantastic somewhere else?

Apparently, it’s easier to decide where to go when you know that Africa is the only place to explore if you’re wishing for some safari adventures. It turns out though that Australia can be a close rival. Wait, what? You read that right. Let’s take a look at what Australia has to offer.

Australia: Where All Sorts of Diversity is Found

If you say the word ‘diversity’, perhaps, Australia is on the top rank among the most diverse countries in the world. In fact, Australia is very diverse in almost all aspects—the people and their backgrounds, the landscapes and terrains, the mix of city and countryside vibe, and a great number of diverse, unique species of flora and fauna. Check out valuable pieces of information on that subject here.

And what do all of these things mean? Yup, you’re right indeed. A tour of just a few days in Australia won’t be enough to explore everything wonderful. In fact, it would be the most awesome option if there’s a way you can do a long-term backpacking journey around entire Australia as you dream of how unique your everyday experiences would be. You’ll never run out of new things to try and see!

Hike up the mountains or sail to the islands, one after another. You’ll find that there is no shortage of wildlife creatures in Australia—they’re even abundant. You can swim with the whales, meet and greet the cutie kangaroos and koalas, get awed by the different, lovely birds on a birdwatching adventure, and discover various species of reptiles. And there’s a whole lot more! The scenic views are even enough to make your heart skip a beat! Learn more about that by visiting Aus wildlife tours.

A Learning Experience in a Classroom the Size of a Country

There is no doubt that travelling makes us smarter. We get to learn a new culture and new words from another language, we are able to taste new cuisines, uncover history, and discover art; and when we derive such new learnings, we also develop our creativity which helps us become more productive at work or at school.

Thus, we can compare wildlife tours in Australia to a wonderful learning experience in a classroom that’s the size of a country. It would be a unique experience for the whole family, especially if you have young children. It will help them fully immerse themselves in an interactive learning experience when they get to learn about wildlife creatures not just in pictures, books, and videos, but in their natural habitat as well.

Grow Your Love for Nature

When we go on wildlife adventures, we allow ourselves to have a close encounter with nature. This interaction helps us to grow our appreciation of our planet’s beauty and as well as its rich diversity. Seeing the beauty of diverse creatures and observing their life in their natural habitat compels us to grow our love for nature and to take care of our environment.  https://biofriendlyplanet.com/nature/environment/50-ways-to-make-your-life-more-environmentally-friendly/

It also motivates us to start making sustainable and eco-friendly choices in our daily lives; as we know that a single piece of trash we throw or a single foolish thing we do against the environment, could impact the lives of other creatures, especially those nearing extinction. In addition, growing our appreciation for nature moves us to teach our kids to be gentle with animals, take care of them, plant trees, and take every effort to care for the environment.

There are so many things to learn and discover while you’re on a wildlife tour. You can even choose one based on your interests. Love the ocean? Go whale-watching, diving, or snorkelling. Want to meet marsupials? Say “Hi” to kangaroos and koalas. Want something even wilder? Meet and greet reptile species! There’s no doubt that including off-the-beaten-track experiences in your travel bucket list is a must when you visit the land down under!

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