Life Hacks

Gifting is highly personal, and while some people agonise over what to choose, others seem to know right away what to get. It is always important to remember that giving a gift is all about the person who receives it. What matters most is that the recipient of the gift feels loved. What better way to show someone you care than to be interested in their life story?

Some people like to get practical gifts that they can use at home or work. Others will enjoy a gift that will make them giggle. Sentimental gifts, on the other hand, are a thoughtful way to show your best friend, mother, father, significant other, sibling, or someone else in your life how much you care.

Support Their Cause

Giving to a cause that is dear to someone’s heart is such a thoughtful and meaningful gift. It demonstrates to the gift recipient that you care about them and their interests. These could be anything from donating to a soup kitchen in their name, to an animal shelter, or supporting the local Hospice charity. Alternatively, you could even choose to volunteer your time. Make a voucher that you can present as a gift stating the number of hours you plan to “donate” to support their chosen cause.

Check out any organisation you’re considering donating to as this will ensure your money is going to the right place. Other organisations sell products where a percentage goes to certain charities or conservation trusts. These can also be perfect as gifts that mean a little more.

Jewellery with Meaning

The concept of meaningful jewellery, like that which relies on personalisation with regards to name, anniversary dates, symbols, birthstones, and zodiac signs are very popular gifts. At fullmoondesigns.co.uk you will find handcrafted jewellery that is inspired by colours in nature. No two items in the store are the same. The focus is on crystals that can be mounted in rings, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings, or purchased separately, allowing your gift recipient to carry the tremendous healing qualities of crystals with them wherever they go.

Crystals are more than just gleaming rocks. These minerals can bring a variety of benefits to their owner. Some crystals are good for improving relationships, while others give crystal-bearers inner tranquillity. There are different crystals for different people. The perfect crystal can provide exceptional physical, mental, and spiritual health to its owner. To reap these benefits, however, crystal owners must keep an open mind. Otherwise, these stones could just be used as paperweights.

It’s more vital than anything else to think about and ponder on the person you’re giving the crystal to. All presents should be given with thought, but crystals should be given with even more thought, from picking the crystal to wrapping it and delivering it to the recipient. Because they reflect your relationship with the person you’re presenting them to, crystals and stones may be very intimate and powerful gifts.

Books and Art

Even for non-readers, books may be a terrific and meaningful gift if chosen with care. Knowing what interests the person who will get the book and understanding how that person learns are the keys to success. Some people learn through stories, while others learn through cold hard facts and pictures (not all books require a lot of reading!).

Giving art as a gift might be difficult since you may not be sure what kind of art the recipient appreciates. But if you know the person’s taste and style well, fine art that offers a personal narrative can become a highly appreciated and prized gift.

Random acts of kindness can be the best gifts to give, such as putting a meaningful note on a co-worker’s desk, mailing a book to a long-distance friend, or showing up with flowers for no reason other than they were lovely and you wanted to share that beauty with someone else. The benefit of these gestures is almost always greater than the work required to make them. Gift-giving is a unique language of love that everyone can learn.

 

Many people dream of one day hosting that perfect dinner party – the one where people never want to leave and speak about for months (or even years!) to come. Think back to the dinner parties you’ve attended, and there is likely one or two that stands out. It’s hard to figure out why they do, though, as many components make up an unforgettable time.

If you’re planning a dinner party and want to ensure everyone who attends has the best time ever, read on.

Send Physical Invitations

It’s easy to invite people to events these days, thanks to social media. Getting an invite over Facebook isn’t as special as a physical invitation, though. By sending a beautiful invitation in the post, people will feel far more excited about the event.

Serve Interesting Food

Do you want to serve your guests something they’ve eaten countless times or food they potentially haven’t had before and are excited by? By serving a meal a little out of the ordinary, you are sure to make an impression. For a long dinner party, canapes always go down a treat! If you’re wondering how many canapes do I need, be sure to do your food research in advance.

Hire a Band

A great playlist can lift the entire mood of the party, but a band does a little more. It’s a touch that doesn’t go unnoticed; live music provides that energetic ambiance that brings any party to life. Choose your genre carefully – for a classy event; you might want to go with a jazz band; if you want a little more dancing, a pop/rock band will work well!

Choose a Theme

Themes always add a little extra excitement to a party, so consider putting the theme on the invitations. There are plenty of ideas to choose from, from the simple but classic black and white event to a movie character theme.

Offer a Great Selection of Drinks

The best dinner parties keep the drinks flowing, so offer a great selection to your guests. Some people might want cocktails, others wine, whereas some might prefer only soft drinks all evening. By providing a mixture, the glasses are sure to never be empty.

Be Mindful of Lighting

You don’t want to ruin the evening by blinding your guests with too-bright lights or so much dimness that no one can see each other, so try out different lighting before guests arrive. Usually, some layered lighting with candles works best for dinner parties.

Focus on the Little Touches

It’s not always the big gestures that stick in people’s minds. Often, it’s the little touches that make the greatest impressions. Pretty napkins, fresh cuts of flowers, and other small decorations show that you’ve really thought about everything.

Hand Out Gift Bags

A great way to end the evening is to send people off with gift bags. Don’t worry, as they don’t have to include toys as they did at kid’s parties; there are plenty of adult items you can put in there, like coasters, mini cocktail bottles, and face masks.

Hosting an unforgettable dinner party takes some work, but the reactions you get will make it all more than worth it.

 

If you’re looking for ideas on designing professional, attractive med school graduation announcements, to celebrate passing enough papers to finally graduate from med school, you’ve come to the right place! Simply continue reading to discover a few examples of ways to design your med school graduation announcements. Especially if you don’t know the first thing about designing grad announcements.

 

5 Ideas for your med school graduation announcements:

 

Include an image associated with the medical industry on your announcements:

 

If you don’t want to place a photo of yourself on the front of your med school announcements, you may want to opt to place a photo of a medical symbol such as a stethoscope on the front of your announcements. Or you could place the caduceus symbol which is a well-known medical symbol on your med school graduation announcements.

 

Place a photo of yourself wearing a graduation gown on your announcements:

 

You may want to hire a photographer to take photos of yourself in a graduation gown before the day of your big graduation so that you include a photo of yourself as you’ll look at your upcoming graduation, on your graduation announcements. Just be sure to rent a gown and cap for your photo session in advance. To avoid disappointment.

 

Consider using the color blue on your announcements:

 

As the color blue is usually associated with medicine and is a smart, professional hue, you may want to print your graduation announcements on blue paper or to place your announcements in blue envelopes. If you’re interested in printing your announcements out on colored paper and placing them in matching colored envelopes, it’s well worth visiting Basic Invite. As you’ll be able to print your announcements on over 180 different colored pieces of paper. To ensure that you choose the right color, it’s a great idea to send for a sample, so you can assess whether the color that you’ve chosen is suitable or too light or too dark.

 

Place multiple photos of yourself in the center of your announcements:

 

You may want to place your heading above three photos of yourself which you can place in the center of your announcements. If you opt for this option, make sure to place information about your graduation below your photos. You may want to include one photo of yourself at the beginning of your med school journey, a photo of yourself halfway through your journey, and a photo of yourself in a cap and gown. In order to show your progression through med school, to your graduation day.

 

Include any achievements on your announcements:

 

It’s also a nice idea to include a few of your med school achievements on your announcements. For example, if you were an honor’s student, it may be a fun idea to include this information on your announcements.

 

So what are you waiting for? If you’re preparing for your graduation, it’s a great idea to use some of the ideas which have been mentioned above in order to design attractive graduation announcements that your loved ones will appreciate receiving.

 

Although it’s not always easy to do, finding a balance between work and family is critical for your overall success. Choosing one over the other will ultimately affect your quality of life. Therefore, finding the perfect balance is key. Take a look at some of the best tips for finding an equilibrium between both worlds.

 

Prioritize A Balance

 

Anytime you’re setting a goal, you’ll be more likely to achieve it if you prioritize it. Make the decision that you want to be able to balance those parts of your life without favoring one over the other. Once you make a conscious decision to do something, you’ll be that much more likely to do it.

 

Part of finding a balance means that you’ll be willing to listen to feedback. Perhaps your job will tell you that you need to be more present, and perhaps your family will tell you the same. It’s up to you to take constructive criticism from each area of your life and apply it towards your goal of balancing with two important parts of your life.

 

Look Ahead

 

Often finding a balance between work and family is a matter of time management. Obviously, you’re not going to plan a hunting trip with your work colleagues on the same weekend as an important family event, like a birthday.

One of the most effective ways to find a balance is to pay attention to dates and plan ahead. You’d be surprised to find how much you can actually fit in your schedule if you just think about it in advance.

 

Accept Help

 

Sometimes being able to balance work and home is too much for one person to handle. If someone offers to help you, you should accept it. Whether it’s a family member offering to help out with childcare, or perhaps it’s a colleague at work willing to take on some of your tasks.

The idea is accepting help even though you don’t want to inconvenience anyone. In many cases, people are happier to help than you think.

 

Set Boundaries

 

In order to make sure that you’re staying within your goal of finding balance, you should set boundaries for both areas of your life. Your family should understand that when you’re working, you’re working. They should be understanding of how important your job is to you.

However, it’s equally important that your job respects the importance of your family. Boundaries will help protect you from being taken advantage of.

When you set clear boundaries, there will be no question about what is acceptable or unacceptable. Your work should know what’s tolerable, and your family should know the same. When there’s no grey area, there’s no room for confusion.

 

 

 

 

The fall is here. Time for changing autumn leaves, brisk weather, and holiday decorations adorning the front yard. It also means it’s time to check your residential heating and air equipment. Right … we know that as you settle on your couch with a cup of hot cocoa, this may not be the first thing that comes to mind during this time of year. But that doesn’t mean it’s any less important.

Trust us, we know. As industry experts in servicing and installing residential heating and air equipment, Watts Heating and Cooling receives numerous calls this time of year from panicked customers who realize their HVAC system isn’t performing up to par and winter is quickly approaching. Rather than wait until the last minute to check your residential heating and air equipment, here are some things you can do right now to make sure everything runs smoothly so, come wintertime, you won’t be left in the cold.

Change Your Air Filters

One of the quickest and easiest things you can do to improve the airflow of your unit is to regularly change or clean your air filters. It’s a good idea to change the filters at the start of every season, but you may need to change them more frequently, depending on your lifestyle. Homes with pet dander or cigarette smoke may have air filters that become clogged more easily than others. Inspect your air filters frequently and change them when necessary.

Changing your air filters will improve the efficiency of your heating and cooling equipment. This will not only increase the comfort level of your home, but will also save on energy costs during the long, cold winter months.

Adjust Your Thermostat Settings

Take advantage of the cooler temperatures by adjusting your thermostat settings. This will help you save money on your energy bill during the fall season. If you want to continue saving money during the winter months, consider investing in a programmable thermostat.

When you use a programmable thermostat, you can adjust temperatures when you know you’re going to be away from home. You can program your thermostat to return to a comfortable temperature right before you return. This allows you to adjust your thermostat settings so that you can maintain your comfort levels while also saving money.

According to the US Department of Energy, turning your thermostat down 7 to 10 degrees from its normal setting for 8 hours a day can save you up to 10 percent a year on your heating and cooling costs. This is a simple adjustment to make, and the savings can really add up.

Clean the Unit and Remove Debris

If you have an outdoor unit, you’ll want to make sure you clear any leaves or other debris from around the unit. This can inhibit the unit’s ability to work effectively. If plants are overgrown, clear those out as well. Plants should be kept several feet away from the unit.

You’ll also want to see if any branches are hanging overhead. If so, severe weather could knock these branches loose, causing damage to your system. Make sure to trim any overhanging tree branches so you avoid the risk of having them fall on your unit. After any bad storms, check the exterior of your unit for any damage and, if necessary, call in a technician to assess the situation.

In addition to clearing out the debris from around your outside unit, you should also clean out your indoor vents. Now is a good time to assess the condition of your air ducts as well. If they’re leaky, you may need to have them sealed to prevent heat or cool air from escaping. To determine whether this is necessary, it’s a good idea to have an energy assessment performed on your home. Which leads us to our next step.

Schedule a Service Appointment

Now is a great time to schedule a service appointment with your HVAC technician. You should schedule two appointments annually, one in the fall right before winter begins and another in the spring, ahead of the summer months.

Scheduling your service appointments at these times of year will ensure everything is running smoothly before the extreme weather comes. They’ll also give you ample time to fix your equipment if your technician notices something is awry. Regular maintenance also extends the life span of your equipment, reduces your utility bills, and provides a more comfortable indoor environment.

It’s also wise to have your HVAC technician perform a home energy audit. This will allow them to identify areas of your home where you may be losing energy and make recommendations for how to make your system operate more efficiently.

Air Seal Your Home and Add Extra Insulation

An energy assessment will help you determine what steps you should take to make your residential heating and air equipment operate more efficiently. For instance, heat and air often escape from the home through small cracks or crevices. This means you could have the most modern, efficient HVAC unit, but still feel drafts or uneven temperatures throughout your home. If that’s the case, it may be a good idea to have it air sealed.

Once your home is properly air sealed, you may want to add extra insulation as well. Think of insulation as an extra layer of protection. When your home is well-insulated, it keeps your system from going into overdrive to heat or cool your home properly. This means your heating and cooling equipment will operate more efficiently, saving you money and keeping your house comfortable year-round.

The Home Energy Saver is an excellent tool for recommendations on energy upgrades and their return on investment. For more recommendations, or if you have additional questions, feel free to give us a call. Watts Heating and Cooling specializes in residential heating and air products and services. We’ll keep you feeling warm and cozy throughout the winter months and cool as a cucumber during summertime.