$500 Visa or Amazon Gift Card Giveaway – Facebook Follow 5

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What would you do if you were $500 richer? What if you woke up one day and realized an extra $500 fell right on your lap (well, metaphorically speaking)? You wouldn’t know until it actually happened, right? Well, now’s your chance to find out.

Several gracious and generous bloggers decided to share their blessings through a Rafflecopter giveaway. Prize at stake is a whopping $500 which you can get through either one of these methods: via Amazon Gift Card, Visa Gift Card, or PayPal. Giveaway starts May 21st and will continue until June 11th.

One winner will be drawn via Rafflecopter once all entries have been validated (give or take two weeks) and will be notified via e-mail. What are you waiting for? JOIN NOW! *Oh, by the way, please click on the image above to be redirected to the main Rafflecopter for additional tasks if you want to increase your chances of winning.* Wink

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Five Reasons Why You Should Have a Theme in Every Room of Your House

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Having themed rooms in the home is the ideal way to create an interesting and stylish living space that’s both varied and unified. Whether you’re into French provincial furnishings or sleek, minimal design, themed rooms are a sure-fire success for lovers of interior design.

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Continuity

Decorating all of your rooms to a theme helps to tie in all the design elements you’ve used in your interior. While each room will differ slightly, you can incorporate elements that spill over from one room to another in order to meld each room together and create a strong overall aesthetic for your home. For example, using a certain texture or textile in each room or using similar colour palettes is a great way to achieve continuity throughout, regardless of your choice of theme.

Create Flow

If the interiors of each room in your house are designed skilfully you should be able to introduce a real sense of flow from one to the other, directing the eye and taking those inside it on a journey. If you’ve got a room or two in your house that are bland and un-styled you’ll be stopping that flow in its tracks, causing dead spaces that suck the life out of the overall aesthetic of your house.

Express Your Passions and Personality

By creating themes in your living space you get to express elements of your personality and your passions. You can include personal memorabilia, sentimental items, décor that ties in with something you love, colours that you enjoy – you can really instil a sense of yourself in each space. The design process should include well thought-out referencing to personal tastes, experiences and parts of your life and personality that you want to express through interior design.

Keep up with Design Trends

Having themed rooms throughout your house gives you the perfect opportunity to follow interior design trends and deck out your living space with all the hot new trends as they appear. Whilst it’s impossible to change your floor plans every few years, you can easily create a new theme for existing rooms. This means your home will be constantly evolving and morphing, keeping your space fresh, exciting and fashionable – perfect for those who love to have the newest and best in trending accessories and features.

Add a Bit of Fun

Carrying themes throughout the home also gives you the ability to have fun with interior design and add lots of interest to your indoors. It’s the perfect opportunity to create fun, funky, eye-catching spaces that don’t take themselves too seriously. Splashes of colour, quirky décor, sculpture-like furniture pieces, unique textured feature accessories, there’s no end to the ways in which you can use themes to create a sense of joviality in every room, making your house a place that friends just love to visit.

The possibilities of themed rooms are near limitless, and design-savvy Aussies all over the country are recognizing the benefits of creating themed spaces through the home. Don’t be left out, start designing your stylish new interior now!

Written by Katie Hawkins

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It’s Here Again

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Just last Monday, I was consumed by an all-too-powerful headache. Migraine, to be exact. The throbbing of my temples started late Sunday evening, and I thought sleep would ease the pain away. Was I wrong. I woke up Monday morning with a nagging headache, barely able to open my eyes ’cause the sun’s glaring brightness made my eyes hurt. That’s when I knew it was no ordinary headache.

I tried to cover my eyes with several layers of…whatever I could get my hands into…just to keep the brightness away. The pain still wouldn’t go away.

I had to go through the entire day proofreading and writing articles, and by the end of the day, my head felt like it was going to explode and my eyes were like popping out of their sockets.

By nightfall, I was a mess. I had no choice but to take two strong migraine medicines. (I didn’t want to since the medicine messes up with the acids in my tummy.) In 30 minutes flat, the migraine headache was gone but my eyes started swelling. (The eye allergy was another result of taking the medicine, something I learned only recently.) But then I thought, “Better suffer an eye allergy than feel as if my head’s going to crack any minute.”

Unfortunately, it’s here again. I can feel the throbbing in my temples, that unmistakable painful pulsing of the veins there and at the back of my neck. Oh boy.

Looks like I’m going to spend another long day battling migraine again.

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How’s Life as a Rockstar Like?

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Last week the movie Almost Famous was on cable. I hadn’t meant to watch it, but I did. I think I got a glimpse of a very young Andrew Garfield there too. It was him, the extra, wasn’t it? Hah!

It seemed so much fun hopping on and off a tour bus and being friends with a band that people flocked out to see. It was like one big and never-ending party. But it’s not all fun of course, someone has to be carrying around all those bulky instruments and make sure that the exceptional fender amps got packed and would still work at the next show.

Someone also had to clean up after all the mess that the band and their posse leave behind each stop. The horror! All that laundry that accumulates, someone has to take care of that too. So touring wasn’t glamorous. There were booze and lots of girls. Not for the faint-hearted. Makes you wonder whether touring rock bands still live/party that way.

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How to Budget for an Unexpected Pregnancy

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An unexpected pregnancy usually brings with it a range of mixed emotions, from happiness and joy to worry about whether or not you are financially ready for your new family member. Preparing your finances during pregnancy is essential if you want to give your baby the very best start in life. Here are a few tips on how to budget for an unexpected pregnancy.

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Take Stock of Your Financial Situation

To truly be able to prepare yourself financially, the first step is to sit down and really analyse your situation. Now is a great time to consider structuring your savings, making the most out of your money and consolidating your debt. A debt consolidation loan will simplify your budget by combining all of your unsecured debt into one loan. The benefit of this is that you only have to work around one monthly payment, instead of chasing down multiple personal loan and credit card dates and amounts. A loan such as this will also tend to give you a lower rate of interest, allowing you to work on becoming debt free faster.

For more information on debt consolidation, contact Fox Symes, Australia’s leading debt solutions specialist. Visit their website at http://www.foxsymes.com.au/to see budgeting tips, advice articles, customer testimonials and detailed information on the services that they provide. When you’re trying to budget for an unexpected pregnancy, Fox Symes will give you peace of mind and professional assistance to help you through.

Take Action Now

One of the most important things to keep in mind is that the sooner you act, the better off your budgeting will be. Don’t let yourself get carried away by stress and worry over your finances, by acting quickly and decisively you are setting yourself up for every chance of success.

Be Tough on Your Budget

Having a child is a serious financial commitment, and your budget needs to reflect this fact. You may need to be a lot harder on your budget than ever before, by cutting down on any non-essential spending and focusing on saving as much as you can instead.

Think Outside the Box

There are many small ways that you can make your pregnancy and preparation for the baby as financially stress-free as possible. Consider buying some of the more expensive items second hand, keep an eye on the sales, and take advantage of bulk buy bargains on non-perishables. If you have unwanted items lying around the house, now is your chance to get rid of it with online sites such as eBay to give yourself some extra funds to prepare for the baby. Online shopping is also a great source of quality new goods at discounted prices, so make sure you check there before you hit the shops.

Don’t let the strain of debt or difficult finances ruin this amazing time for you. Give the experts at Fox Symes a call for all of your solutions, and feel the confidence of being in control of your finances once again. With this taken care of, you can focus on the positives of your new pregnancy and get ready to welcome your new member of the family without stressing about your financial situation.

- Written by Emma Davies

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Concerns during Pregnancy

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There is nothing more stressful than to have something go wrong during pregnancy. It doesn’t matter if it is your first time being pregnant or your fourth. There are many things to be concerned about during your pregnancy and it is easier when you know what they are.

Vaginal bleeding- This may also known as spotting, but make sure that is what is going on. There is a difference between actively bleeding and spotting. Spotting is lightly bleeding kind of like your period; the blood can be red, pink, or even brown. If you are bleeding actively with any pain call your doctor, if you can’t get a hold of him go immediately to the emergency room. Bleeding can be a number of things from implantation, ectopic pregnancy, labor, infection, or even miscarriage. Always let your doctor know, so everything can be ruled out, you’ll feel better too.

Stomach pain or cramping- During the pregnancy it may be hard to decipher the difference between a growing pain and an actual stomach pain/cramping. However, if you do get a pain of any sort, rest. After a few minutes if it doesn’t subside, call your doctor and describe the pain to him. Don’t worry about it if you find out you only had gas or having Braxton hicks’ contractions, at least you know everything is okay with pregnancy.

Gush of liquid – This could mean you are in labor and that your water broke, however if it isn’t close to the time of birth it can be something else. Call your doctor immediately and head for the emergency room.

Dehydration – While you are pregnant it is easy to become dehydrated, especially if you have morning sickness or just don’t drink those 8 glasses of water. If you find yourself pale, dry mouth or dizzy, you could be dehydrated and should be seen by a doctor. Dehydration can cause premature labor and/or distress on the pregnancy.

Painful urination – Could be a urinary tract infection, also known as UTI. This can be easily treated with medication or by drinking lots of fluids and cranberry juice. A urinary tract infection isn’t something to be embarrassed about; it is very common amongst pregnant women. The growing belly pushes against your ureters and makes it harder for it to flow through, which of course, can cause infection. Another way to find out if you have it is if you have a foul odor when you pee.

Pregnancies can be scary enough, there’s no reason to add to it. If you are ever in doubt or have a concern talk with your doctor. It is common that first time moms are worried about many pains that they feel. Never fear calling because you are afraid of waking the doctor up or because you feel silly. Being silly might just save the baby. While you are worrying, you are only causing stress on you and the baby, find out what’s wrong and relieve your anxiety.

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10 Common Things Found on Everyone’s ‘Bucket-List’

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The bucket list is the list people make of all the things they hope to do before they die. Everyone’s bucket list is different, but there are a few items that appear on nearly every bucket list.

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Travel

Most people include some sort of travel on the bucket list. There may be specific destinations or activities like visiting Istanbul or seeing the aurora borealis, or a person may simply long to travel Europe. Whether it’s round the world, across a continent or two or something more local, almost every bucket list includes some sort of travel.

Get Married or Be in a Long-Term Relationship

Most people plan to get married or at least give some sort of long-term relationship a try.

Have Children

Having children used to be something people did without thinking about it; these days, it’s much more common for people to decide to remain childless. Despite this, however, the vast majority of people would still include this milestone on their bucket list.

Learn Something New

It might be a foreign language or how take better photographs or how to renovate one’s own house, but whatever the topic, most bucket lists include at least an item or two about learning a new skill or about a new subject.

Take Up an Exciting Sport

Skydiving is one of the most popular sports on a bucket list. It may be because for many people it represents an act of courage. However, other types of sports or physical accomplishments are also common bucket list fare including running a marathon, a long backpacking trip or a triathlon.

Read Important Books

Everyone has a few important books they’d like to get to. They may be religious texts, classics or important books in one’s particular field of interest, but they generally tend to be the types of books that change one’s life or perspective in some way.

Make That Indulgent Purchase

Whether this is a boat, a once-in-a-lifetime meal, an article of clothing or something else, most people have something they’d like to splurge on once in their lives, and they generally include this on the bucket list.

Succeed at Work

This differs according to one’s field. Success might mean making a lot of money, advancing to a certain position or helping a certain number of people, but at least one career-related goal tends to be on the bucket list.

Explore an Interesting Hobby

The bucket list can be a reminder for people to take up knitting, coin collecting, learning to play an instrument or some other hobby.

Get Educated

Many people include obtaining some sort of degree on the bucket list. This could be a diploma of some sort, or it could be additional certifications.

About the author

Michael is a funeral director from Melbourne, Australia. He put together this list of common items he hears about being on people’s ‘bucket-lists’ to inspire others to get out and start crossing things off their lists. Michael recommends people take out funeral insurance to ensure that they can have a memorial service fitting of the extraordinary lives they have lead.

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What is Drug Abuse?

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Most people know that drug or substance abuse is the use of prohibited drugs and even prescription drugs for purposes other than for what these substances really are for. Of course, taking these substances in excessive quantities is also considered a form of abuse. It’s a disorder that usually results in self-destructive behavior.

In fact, people who are in the habit of abusing substances and drugs repeatedly have been discovered to suffer from long lasting damages to the brain. It inhibits the ability to think clearly and exercise good judgment thus making drug or substance cravings more powerful.

Drug addicts or abusers are not born that way. The abuse/addiction often starts with experimentation. Curiosity is one of the main reasons why some people try it out. Before they know it, the addiction has progressed until getting and using the drug have become more and more important to the point where it has turned into a physical and psychological need. Some of the very prominent causes of drug abuse includes; hereditary intake of drugs, disturbed childhood, peer pressure, family problems, unavailability to supervise teens, easy access to drugs and sad to say, irresponsible parents.

Some of the more commonly abused substances are opiates and narcotics (examples are heroin, opium, and oxycodone), stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine, depressants such as alcohol, barbiturates and paraldehyde. Hallucinogens are another form of drugs that can cause people to see things that are aren’t present and could lead to psychological dependence. Even Marijuana and Hashish, with their relaxing properties and other medical purposes, rates as one of the most commonly used drugs today.

In fact, in the United States, 20% have tried marijuana. It has been proven as one of the most prominent causes of birth abnormality today. Hence, if you know someone who is addicted to the use of marijuana, it would be a good idea for you to contact marijuana treatment centers for help on how to solve the addiction problem.

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A Wealth of Kid Hobby Ideas

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Every young person needs a hobby. An interesting kid hobby will help children learn as well as keep them entertained for hours. It might even help them stay away from a bad peer group and stay out of trouble. Some kids might think of video games or TV as an appropriate kid hobby, but most parents would like to see their kids doing something more challenging or educational.

A good kid hobby is playing a musical instrument. The guitar can often be self-taught from a book if a child has the interest, but for piano playing or wind instruments, you will probably have to invest in lessons. Practice is, of course, an essential part of mastering any musical instrument. In addition, you need to have the instruments at home. You can buy wind instruments at wwbw if you want your kids to learn how to play wind instruments like flute or trombone.

Another type of kid hobby is pursuing an art or a craft. Kids can learn to draw, paint, or make scrapbook pages. They can learn needle arts, such as embroidery, sewing, knitting, or crocheting. Beginning carpentry is a very useful kid hobby that may turn into a career or at least skills that will be used for a lifetime.

Tinkering around on gas engines or electronics is another kid hobby that can lead to useful skills.

Kids might like to collect all sorts of things for a hobby. Some of the more common collections are of stamps, coins, and rocks. Stamps are interesting because they can be from many different countries, becoming a geography lesson. Coins and stamps both are of historical significance, and encourage reading to learn more about different eras in history. Rock collecting as a kid hobby requires looking into science books.

Other collectibles include beanbag toys or figurines of a certain thing, such as owls, frogs, or unicorns. Anything a child has an interest in can be collected. If a kid is interested in dolphins, for instance, she may not only collect dolphin figurines and posters, but also be motivated to read books about dolphins.

Construction sets also make a good pastime for kids. Many people may think of these only as toys, but children who have grown up with these sets and added components to them down through the years can create some impressive models. They are also gaining skills in reasoning and perception as they build.

Making model, such as cars, boats, and airplanes, has always been a popular kid hobby. If your child is interested in making models, be very encouraging in the beginning. Model car kits can be very complicated and require a great deal of precision. If your child’s first few creations leave a little bit to be desired, don’t laugh or scold, or he is likely to never want to try to make anything again! Get the easiest kit he is willing to make and then patiently help him as much as needed.

Many kids enjoy sports, making any athletic activity a great kid hobby. Soccer, basketball, and little league baseball all come to mind, but don’t forget about track and field events. Maybe your child would enjoy distance running or gymnastics. An active kid hobby will help your child stay in shape as well as make an interesting pastime.

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Drugstore Cigars: A Good Buy?

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The sheer diversity of cigars can be confusing for new smokers. Many new smokers want to know: is it okay to buy cigars from their local drugstore or chain store? What is the quality of these cigars? Can you expect to get good flavor from these cigars?

While it’s perfectly OK to purchase these cigars, be aware that these packaged cigars are usually of poorer quality. Most “drugstore” cigars contain preservative or other non-tobacco ingredients. Common ingredients found in packaged cigars may include paper, Glycerin, and saltpeter. High quality cigars will contain only tobacco. Packaged drugstore cigars will generally contain these extra ingredients designed to keep them stored on the shelves for extended periods.

In order to get the best quality cigars, you will have to visit your local tobacconist. While many mail order businesses do carry good quality cigars, be aware that they usually will not sell singles; thus, you will have to purchase whole boxes. Nevertheless, there are those that sell high quality cigars for less. You just need to know where to start looking. Visiting your local tobacconist allows you to test different brands before settling on a box.

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