Top Nine Fashion Schools

For anyone who is interested in earning a fashion design degree, finding the right college is a very important factor. While there are many schools where this degree is available, the best schools to earn this degree are those who have a very dedicated program, knowledgeable professors, plenty of experience opportunities, and lots of job connections for students after graduation. The following nine schools have been ranked as the best colleges and universities from which to earn a fashion degree. While not in order, these top nine represent institutions with the highest jobs procured, study options, program offerings, and people in the industry. Some listed schools don’t offer a fashion degree, but do have other fantastic programs to give students a jump-start in a career in fashion. Included is the average approximate annual tuition for a Bachelor’s degree, plus some distinctive aspects about each school.

Parsons, The New School for Design
• $40,660
• Alma mater of Marc Jacobs, Jason Wu, Donna Karan, Anna Sui, and Tom Ford.

Fashion Institute for Technology (FIT)
• $6,068 for residents of New York, $16,370 for out-of-state
• Graduates of programs at FIT have appeared on the show “Project Runway.”

Rhode Island School of Design
• $42,622
• Annual surveys show that 70% of graduates from RISD are employed in a job directly related to their major a year after graduation.

Academy of Art University
• $18,840
• The largest accredited private art and design university.
• This university was the only school to show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York.

Savannah College of Art and Design
• $32,950
• SCAD has restored so many old historic buildings to use for college facilities that they have been recognized by the American Institute of Architects, the Victorian Society of America, the Historic Savannah Foundation, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Pratt Institute
• $38,010
• Pratt was named by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance as one of the best values in private colleges and universities in the country.
• Fashionista ranked Pratt as the #3 design school in the country in 2013

Kent State University
• $9,816 for Ohio residents, $17,776 for non-residents
• Kent State offers a study-abroad program at its facility in the Garment District of New York City for those interested in fashion design and other related fields.

Drexel University
• $43,135
• If accepted to a study abroad program, students can opt to spend a year at the London College of Fashion

Otis College of Art and Design
• $38,300
• Rick Owens and Cynthia Vincent both attended Otis.

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Tips For Creative Home Garden Landscaping

If you’re looking for a way to make significant changes to the look of your outside space you want to first look at the bigger picture of the area with which you have to work and consider the factors that you need to take into account such as things that you can/ cannot change and do/don’t want to change. Factors would include geographical location, buildings, large trees or bushes, rocks, water placement, shape and gradient of the outdoor space, etc.

Once you armed with this information you can work out what you need to do to bring about the look and feel you want to achieve. You might not always need to carry out major landscaping changes. Minor changes can give you stunning effects.

Adding an outdoor water feature to your garden area can give your home a whole new look and feel. There are water features that will fit any size area and installation limitations with which you may be faced. It may be a modest or prominent outdoor water feature but either will add a whole new dimension to the space and although moving water might be needed for some outdoor water landscape designs, it’s not required in all instances.

Fountains are a good choice in water features if you are looking for something that will require minimal work, Fountains come in a variety of themes, shapes, sizes and complexities. You can select something simple for a small patio space but if you have the space you can position a large complex piece to create a focal point in the center of a large garden. Fountain and pond installation is relatively simple if you already have water connected and running to the spot. Just follow the manufacturer’s instructions to build the fountain and attach the water supply. Not all fountain kits come with extra hose or connectors which may be required to attach the fountain to your water source. These connections would probably differ according to your water supply.

If you already have a body of water such as pond on your property, you can just add a fountain kit to it to change its look.

Ponds are simple to add to your property whether you have a small odd sized outdoor space or an acre of garden. All you need for a small area is a basic pond kit, some stones and a small plastic pond from the home improvement store. For larger ponds you might need to excavate the space with a backhoe.

In a typical small space like a home garden, features like whether the garden is flat or on an incline, its layout and the position of the house and outdoor buildings can affect the whole feel of the garden. Additional factors to consider would be climate and availability of water or whether you are trying to recreate a garden theme that is outside the norm for the area (which will be a lot of work) such as an English style garden in the desert or a cactus garden where there can be ice and snow. For more practical and less radical garden recreation your garden space can be enhanced with strategically placed planters, garden stairs, and a water element.

Around the outside border of your patio area place planters to give the feel of a boundary between it and the great outdoors beyond! Consider creating a concrete, stone or other sturdy patio structure if you do not have an outdoor living area and position planters strategically around the edge. Collect and use interesting and unusual containers such as wine barrels or more conventional concrete, terracotta or glazed ceramic planters. Arrange them in decorative clusters at the edge of the patio. Grow decorative grasses, ferns, peace lilies and other lush, bushy plants to bestow a more natural feel to your patio and give it a soft border.

A steep grade is a challenge in any home garden but it can also be an opportunity for stunning visual landscape. Put in a twisting narrow stairway down the hill surrounded by terrace garden beds that are separated by retaining walls. Select plants and stagger your planting to create the impression of descending from a hill or mountain top into a lush forest. Plant flowers and low hedges in planters near the top of the hill. The advantage of planters here is that if they can moved for a “holiday” when they are in their off season and replaced with plants that are in full growth and flower. Follow these with plants that increase in size, such as hedges, fruit trees, and bamboo. At the bottom, install large trees that are appropriately sized to your home garden space.

Gardening is one of the most popular pastimes everywhere in the world. There seems to be a very special magic that is woven by daily puttering in their yards, expressing their creative colorful outdoor home garden landscape. For those with limited space, there may be restraints that you need to overcome but beautiful outdoor spaces can be created on even on the smallest balconies. You do not need complexity to landscaping a small outdoor space for it to be beautiful. The simplest effects can look stunning.

Plant border plants around your garden beds or use some landscaping feature like a rock wall or planters. Use stone, small evergreens or ground cover perennials that you can train into the desired shape. English thyme is a useful fragrant low-level ground cover that can create beautiful borders. Creating borders give a more formal feel but also gives a feeling of “difference” between inside the area and out. Even if the garden itself isn’t planned, the border creates a simple and easy landscape feature.

At the end of the day, landscaping your garden is going to depend on your preferences and availability of materials. If I can give you only one tip it is this: Once you have taken stock of the land and its features, Plan. Come up with a theme for your garden before you plant. Unless you have enough space for clearly defined garden “rooms” have an overall theme. Maybe you would like a garden featuring mainly plants with yellow flowers or leaves, for example. Other theme ideas include a butterfly garden, a knot garden and a herb garden. None of these require much space, Plan them on paper first so that your garden goes in correctly the first time and you don’t have wasted materials and plants, or time.

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Copyright Solicitors and Issues of Intellectual Property

Many people wrongly assume that intellectual property and copyright is identical.

However, while they do have significant overlaps and are undoubtedly related, if you speak to specialist copyright solicitors, they will be able to explain the differences. This article looks at how they relate to each other and why it is important to understand the differences between different facets of intellectual property if you ever find yourself in a situation where you think you might need to use the services of a copyright solicitor.

Generally speaking, ‘intellectual property’ is something of an umbrella term that incorporates different pillars that make up the whole. Copyright is one of these, and this pillar of intellectual property refers to recorded work. This can include literary works, artistic, dramatic or musical works, sound recordings, films and broadcasts, and computer programmes.

As the author of one of these works, you have automatic international rights to be identified as the author under the Berne Convention, the 1988 Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, as well as various other laws. This is something your copyright solicitors will be able to explain to you, and it is always a good idea to talk to a copyright solicitor if you think your rights have been infringed upon because there are steps that you can take to deal with the situation.

As well as copyright, intellectual property also includes trademarks. There are two types of trademark: non-registered and registered. It can take up to 18 months to register a trademark and you are not allowed to use the ® symbol unless you have registered something. Trademarks tend to apply to things such as slogans, titles, names, words and images that help to identify a brand or business.

Intellectual property also encompasses design rights; designs can fall under both copyright and design laws, so if you have an issue with a design you should talk to your copyright solicitor. Patents are something else that falls under the general heading of intellectual property; patents require a formal application and they are generally granted by a government, giving you the patent within a particular territory or nation state. It can take up to 3 years to be granted a patent, and they help to protect inventions and industrial processes from unauthorised use.

All of this shows that while intellectual property and copyright are undoubtedly closely linked, they are not exactly the same. This is something that should be remembered if you ever need to make a claim in a case due to your copyright being infringed upon.

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Alternative Treatment For Fibroid Tumors

Over a year ago now, I decided to try out alternative treatment for fibroid tumors. I had large fibroids and was reluctantly going down the surgery route, but had a month’s “window” before starting hormonal blockers to shrink them temporarily to make surgery easier.I knew that they were benign and therefore felt fully justified in trying out an alternative before I went under the knife.When originally diagnosed, I was told that I had several fibroids, the largest being the size of a grapefruit. I had terrible symptoms, which included flooding during each period and terrible cramps. I was also partially incontinent, iron deficient and tired all the time! My sex life took a hit too. I looked permanently pregnant and intercourse was the last thing on my mind!I knew about all the inherent risks of a hysterectomy but initially felt I had no other options. However, as many of us do, I began searching on the internet and came across an alternative treatment for fibroid tumors. Being a natural skeptic, I must have read the information half a dozen times before taking the plunge and pressing the “buy” button. However, I figured that I really did have nothing to lose. My surgery was looming and I would have done (almost!) anything to avoid it.The alternative treatment for fibroid tumors which I used centered around treating the root causes of fibroids. Although it is almost impossible to isolate the causes in individual women, by dealing with each and every possible root cause and no stone is left unturned. I can understand that some women might find it difficult to find the motivation to stick with the treatment, but as my symptoms were so bad, this was all the motivation I needed!Excessive estrogen is one of the main causes of fibroid tumors. This is not only the naturally occurring estrogen, but estrogen mimicking compounds which originate from pesticides and environmental toxins. Maintaining a healthy weight can help to reduce natural estrogen, although removing estrogen mimicking compounds can be more difficult and the only way to successfully remove them is by performing a liver detox. To do a liver detox, you must drink plenty of water (a minimum of 2 liters) and avoid eating processed meats. Certain herbs, including Milk Thistle can be used to cleanse the liver.Another useful alternative treatment for fibroid tumors is to eat foods which have natural anti-inflammatory properties, such as oats, hops and cumin as it is thought that many women with fibroids are sensitive to inflammatory conditions.The symptoms I experienced, such as bloating and heavy periods began to diminish in just a couple of weeks. Noticeable fibroid shrinkage began after about 6 weeks and within 4 months, my largest fibroid had shrunk by just over a third.

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Do You Ignore Your Software Security? Yes You Do!

The problem.Sure you too are ignoring your software security! That is, unless you are one of the 0.1 percent of users who do read the End User License Agreement (EULA, also known as software license). Else, well, then you sign contracts blindfolded because that box full of legal mumbo-jumbo when you install a program… yes, it is a contract!Software security wouldn’t really be an issue, if all software licenses were simple agreements setting out reasonable terms of use. Unfortunately, most are lengthy texts with legal slang that leave those few who do read them bedeviled and thwarted. Some enclose terms to which the ordinary user would object if he acknowledged what he was agreeing to. For example, in extension to protection against cracking, many software licenses now contribute the software company the right to gather information about your computer and have it automatically sent to the software marketer. Some, in particular software licenses for freeware, hold clauses whereby you agree to the installation of added software you do not want, some of it conspicuous spyware or adware. As a result, one might assume that the freeware is to blame for all the bad things that have happened, however, isn’t it the end user who doesn’t read the legal material, who is to blame?Either way, people do not read the EULA. When downloading and installing software, we are usually curious about what the new software will bring. That EULA is just one more thing to drop time on because it is usually not readable in a short amount of time, hence not read at all. But indeed, the next thought that then arises is: what have you agreed to when you clicked I agree?Especially with freeware, there can be an even greater problem. Freeware is not always free. Sure, it is not free to reverse engineer, modify, or redistribute freeware, but there is also the kind of freeware that is disguised as adware or even as spyware.An example.Remember from about 5 years ago when Gator created a storm of protest. Its GAIN Publishing End User License Agreement stated the user was automatically agreeing with also installing the GAIN AdServer software when accepting the EULA. So, the software license gave the company permission to install software that collected certain identifiable information about web surfing and computer usage. This software came immediately along with the freeware and was installed in the same process. At the end, this resulted in a display of all types of ads on the user’s computer.Next the EULA mentioned that Gator even unauthorized the use of popular uninstallers for their own tools on which countless people trusted to remove this unwanted stuff from their machines. But also, users were prohibited from using devices like web monitoring programs or similar on the GAIN AdServer and its messages, thus eliminating all possible control. Obviously, such clauses are no longer related to software protection against cracking and were more than a bridge too far for many users.So, if all is specified in the product’s software license, then it is also what can help decide about what you want to have installed, or not! Indeed, especially the software balancing at the edge of legal boundaries will try to straighten out what is not completely right. And you guessed it correctly: that is most frequently revealed in the EULA.Lawyers.In lawyer terms, an End User License Agreement is a legal contract between a software application author and the software user. It is a license that grants the user the right to use a computer software in a specific and well determined way. Usually, a EULA specifies the number of computers a user can use the software on, that reverse engineering or cracking or any other form of illegal piracy is prohibited, and any legal rights they are forfeiting by agreeing to the EULA. The user is usually asked to check a button to accept the terms of the EULA, or is supposed consenting it by opening the shrink wrap on the application package, or even just by simply using the application. The user can refuse to enter into the agreement by returning the software product for a refund or by clicking I do not accept when prompted to accept the EULA during an install in which case the software installation is usually ended. By the way, for websites, the TOS (terms of service) is the legal counterpart from the End User License Agreement for software.So far, all may seem quite normal, however, the software license is infamous for containing stealthy clauses maintaining preposterous restrictions on the behaviour of software users whilst providing the software developer or vendor with highly intruding powers. For example, Microsoft software licenses give the company the right to gather information about the user’s system and its use and to provide this information to other organizations. They also grant Microsoft the right to make changes to the user’s computer without requesting permission. Now, don’t be mistaken by thinking this is a Microsoft-only affair, software licenses frequently have a clause that allows vendors to make changes to users’ systems without asking or notifying the user.Remark that adding the bad things to software have mostly happened with freeware, however, there seems a trend lately to shift those same bad habits towards shareware and trialware, yes also the terms of service of some well-known companies have been under fire.Possibilities.One might get the feeling that little can be done to fight a bad EULA or TOS. Well, that is not entirely true, recently there have been cases where popular services have changed their terms of service because of the user’s aversion for a few too flagrant terms within them. Hence, complaining does work indeed!An example is Facebook who changed its TOS back to the old one after people complained in mass that the terms of use suddenly said that Facebook kept all rights to the user’s content, even if he deleted his account. Another example is Google’s Chrome browser’s terms of service which gave Google a non-exclusive right to display and distribute all content transmitted through the browser.In fact, a basic idea behind the EULA is quite reasonable: to protect the vendor from software piracy. But the worry is that software licenses are getting more and more restricting all the time. e.g. Microsoft started in vista’s EULA to prohibit the installment in virtual machines though this is exactly what researchers and reviewers are using all the time.Recently, the trend to include more and more limitations on what users can do with the software they pay for becomes quite distressing. Certain license agreements now disallow users from releasing or publishing information about the functioning of the software. That effectively prevents reviewers as well as software security experts from reporting about their experiences with a specific piece of software. Such determinations are way past protection against illegal practices.The solution.It is attorney material but you may wonder whether these licenses are legal. According to lawyers though, most of them do hold up in court, the exception being if the text is not reasonably understandable. Another exception has to do with minors who are mostly liberated for the agreements made this way.Either way, the fact that a EULA might not be lawfully enforceable is of little comfort because it is being enforced on you whether you like it or not. Once the program is installed on your PC, the damage is done and it doesn’t even matter if the signed contract were legally invalid. Already simply by using the computer, the user is confirming his part of the contract.The primary idea behind the software license – creating a clear legal defense against illegal software piracy – has long been bypassed indeed. Well, be warned, a click of the computer mouse could produce a good deal of trouble. Hence, only one advice can be given: throw away that blindfold, do read the EULA, and that does not apply to freeware only!

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Keys To Choosing The Right Online School

According to a recent survey almost five million students took at least one online course in the fall of 2008. This indicates that there has been renewed interest in getting educated online. Most students have been looking to have their post-secondary education online and the good news is that most major colleges and universities have been responding to the signs of the times. Some major universities have made full courses available to students that can be available to students anywhere in the country. For this reason a lot of students are in a quandary how to choose the right kind of online school that will serve their needs and get them to the right track.Accreditation. The first thing that you should look for an online course is if it is accredited. When you are trying to invest for your future it is best to take a look at the available courses online and see if the government knows about it. The best government agency to ask is the Council For Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) which is recognized by the US Department of Education. If a course is accredited it means the credits that you are going to earn will be recognized in a wide range of industries.Costs. Costs unfortunately are not the same it varies depending if the program is an undergraduate course or a graduate program. Take time to see if you can have the total amount. Don’t be deceived if a program is way cheaper. Sometimes the reason the program is cheaper has something to do the quality of the delivery. There are programs that are charging per unit while there are programs that are charging per course. These terms can easily confuse anybody especially when calculating for costs.Transfer credits. Find out how much is the allowable amount for the credits transferred. Normally, you can transfer a bunch of credits towards an undergraduate degree so you can already graduate. This will give you savings in money and time in the long run.Classroom size. Normally, students on an online course would be interacting with the facilitator through discussion boards or chat sessions that are often pre-scheduled by the facilitator. Like in any American classroom there would be class work or course work that would be assigned and the students need to submit those on a deadline. Also, the size of the students may not be practical for professors to directly interact with their students but some online programs limit the participants so that the students can ask questions to professors without needing teaching assistants.Class size. This is a very important subject when you are looking for an online school. The class size should be large enough for students to interact with each other and also to be practical for the professor to take questions from the class during the discussions. The typical class size would be around 25 students for undergraduate classes.Take time to investigate and research the kind of online school for you. At this point in time there are a small number of institutions offering online learning. That is why you cannot afford to be picky. It is part of the learning experience. But if you think that online learning suits you most then go for it.

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5 Easy Home Improvement Projects That Make Your Home Feel Like New

Would you like to live in a new home? A home improvement project can be an easy way to change the look and increase the appeal of your home, make it feel like new. Below are five very easy ways to improve your home and increase the value at the same time. Home improvement projects do not have to take a lot of time or money to make your home look better.Easy Home Improvement Project – KitchenPaint the kitchen cabinets. An easy kitchen home improvement project that most anyone can do is to repaint the cabinets. A dull, lifeless kitchen can easily be brought back to life by a new coat of paint on the cabinets. Select a bright, crisp color and a new coat of paint on the cabinets will change the look of the kitchen. It will look clean and fresh. With the sharpness of the new paint, the kitchen will appear and feel larger. A light, bright color seems to expand the feel of the room.For a finishing touch that will complete the cabinets in your kitchen home improvement project change the hardware. Cabinet hardware can become dull and worn over a long life of use. Changing the knobs and handles will drastically change the appearance of the cabinets and give the kitchen a newly remodeled look.Easy Home Improvement Project – FlooringReplace carpet flooring. Old, worn carpet is thin, hard and makes a home look dirty and dungy. Replace old carpet with new in your next home improvement project. New carpet adds a soft touch. It looks good and insulates to some extent. If you have a limited budget, purchase good carpet padding and an inexpensive carpet. The result will be a thick expensive feel.Easy Home Improvement Project – New FaucetsChange the faucets in the kitchen and bathroom sinks. Old faucets dull and wear with age. Replacing faucets will give the sink a fresh new appearance.This home improvement project is much simpler that it may sound. You can hire a plumber to install new faucets or you can do it yourself. Nice faucets can be purchased at your local hardware store, along with proper plumbing supplies that are quite easy to install.Easy Home Improvement Project – PaintingPaint the exterior and the interior of your home. A fresh coat of paint is a simple home improvement project that will give your home a new clean look. The exterior appeal will look inviting to visitors and the fresh new interior will make them glad they entered. This is a relatively inexpensive, simple home improvement project that you can hire done or you can do it yourself.Easy Home Improvement Project – DrivewayA very easy home improvement project that will add a new look to the exterior of your home is to pressure wash the concrete driveway. Over the course of a short season, a concrete driveway will get dirty and grungy. Simply rent a pressure washer and wash the driveway. The process is not hard but it is a slow process. The result will be worth the time. The concrete will look like it has been recently placed.So there it is – five easy home improvement projects that will make your home feel like new. If you want to improve the appeal and add value to your home, try one or more of these home improvement projects.

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Avoid Auto Dealer Scams by Learning the Seven Do Not’s and Seven Do’s Before Shopping For an Auto

Knowledge = PowerWhat if we did enough research to learn how to avoid and reveal auto dealers’ scams before we ever step foot in the auto dealership? What if we could be a fly on the wall and could see inside the dealer’s playbook and avoid the spider webs that they use to scam us out of our money. Well, we can and here is a start on the matter.The seven do’s and do not’s will give us a start. As we learn them, it will become clear what to avoid. The more we learn, the more it will reveal what is inside their playbook. When we educate ourselves ahead of time, we will have the confidence to negotiate for our auto deal. These seven do not’s will get you started in the right direction.
1– Do not use their financing or auto insurance and know what kind of auto you want before you ever start shopping at the dealers. If you know that you can set up with your insurance and bank and save a lot of money.
2– Do not buy those extra warranties on new auto for sure. If the one they offer with auto is good enough, then maybe, we should look elsewhere. Be careful of that new auto with miles on it. They may not tell you where that so-called new auto has been.
3– Do not be pushed into a fast deal by the agent or salesman before you get the answers to all your questions. When they know what you really want, that auto it gives them the edge.
4– Do not let them talk you into some other auto you did not start out to look for. If that starts to happen, you better stop them in their tracks. That is a big red flag.
5– Do not sign anything until you know what you are signing and read everything, even if you need to take it home overnight. If they don’t like that, then you better run.
6– Do not ever think they’re being friendly is a good thing for you. It may be, but it is to their advantage to make you feel relaxed. Always remember to stay on course while you are there.
7– Do not go looking on the weekend. That is when they are armed and will nail your money and you could end up with the wrong auto. There are many more do not’s you will find as you do more research.
 
Now let us look at some of the do’s!
These seven do’s will keep you in the right direction.
1– Do make a plan or strategy to get started. The old saying: A person failing to plan is planning to fail is so true.
2– Do your research on what kind, color, and equipment you want on your auto. By doing the research ahead of time it will speed up your shopping time at the dealership. This will keeps you from getting confused while you look.
3– Do a personality check test on two or three dealers before you ever go out to look for your auto. Just by going to dealers and looking around will give a feel for them. When asked if they can help you, tell them you are killing time. Be sure to go into the service as well and keep your eyes and ears open. You will learn a lot by doing it.
4–Do research and find out the type scams and schemes they will pull on you.  The way you do that is by going online and doing a Google word search for, auto dealers scams revealed, you will get back the necessary information to prepare you.
5– Do spend as much time getting all the information you need to be ready to negotiate with anyone you need to. One thing we do need to do is know where the same auto is selling and get quotes from all. This will give us the negotiating edge.
6–Do get set up with your auto insurance company and how you will pay for it before going out to find the dream auto you want. Because you know what auto you will be getting you can advise your insurance ahead time. This will save you more than you know.
7– Do find three people that have the auto you think you want and find out how they like it. This may be a little hard at first but, while you’re driving around looking at others auto you will see yours. Then, you just talk to them about it. Have some questions already in your mind. Also, ask them about the auto dealer from whom they got their auto.  
 
Be in control of your buying, this will help avoid auto dealer’s scams.I want to give you my best taking control statement as soon as you meet the first agent. (This is after you have done all of the above and now ready to go shopping.) You are now armed and ready to get the best deal at the dealer that you have handpicked. As you meet that first agent or salesman and are walking with them you say: ”Oh by the way, I will be paying cash when I find what I want and, there two other dealers I am visiting as well.” Boy, oh, boy, you will disarm them right there but do it cool and keep walking. This will tell you a lot about them when they respond. Watch their body language it tells you some more as well. Because we don’t know which auto dealers use the tricks we need to be ready for all them?Okay, there you have it:  A good start on how to avoid auto dealers’ scams and help to reveal to you what they are.

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7 Habits That Can Enrich Your Lifestyle

When it comes to habits that can enrich our lifestyle, we often come short of willpower after a time or find out that we have a tough time keeping up with some of them. What most of us do not realize is that the initial source of the problem comes from within us. Yet, with effort, it can be redesigned.Do you dwell on things? Do you believe you are not good enough, smart enough, or strong enough? If you could just choose one, two or more habits to redesign your lifestyle in the next few months, what would they be? Would they be habits that will have the most impact on your life?Before anything else, the fact that you must realize is that willpower is more powerful than any I.Q. Your willpower can overtake any thoughts or obstacles you believe are in your way. But to enrich your lifestyle, you have to create habits that allow you acceptance about every part of yourself, which is not always easy.Since childhood, you hear comments, remarks, laughs and expectations from relatives, acquaintances, peers, colleagues, and people around you, which have often more negative connotation than a constructive meaning.As a result, you have a low self-esteem which can be at a conscious or unconscious level. But if you could find a way to enrich your lifestyle or life altogether, it would push you to realize that you can do anything you put your mind to doing. You could learn new habits, new skills and live a more satisfying life.May I remind you that what relatives or anyone else says or think are not the facts, but just opinions formed by others! To begin making a difference and enriching your lifestyle, you need to accept yourself as who you are and that you can be different if required.7 Habits to Enrich Your Lifestyle
Now let’s go over seven of the most valuable habits to ameliorate and create a more satisfying you.1. Self-Image to Form a Better You
At first, to enrich your lifestyle, you have to understand and realize that you, as a person, matter. Setting goals are an excellent way to create a better you and develop all areas of your life, which in turn will change your lifestyle tremendously.You have to understand that setting goals have an enormous impact if you want to enhance your life. They are not an instant cure but a component for upgrading your lifestyle. The next step is that you have to take action and begin to make the changes by learning to appreciate and love yourself.For that reason, you have to stop your inward criticism. Avoid letting your mind take over, or anyone else criticize you. You are somebody and are worthy. To enrich your lifestyle, prevent the negative self- talk. You have to replace the negative statements with positive ones.2. Self-Focus to Create Good Habits
To enrich your way of life, you have to focus on one goal, on one task at a time which is much more efficient. You also need to focus on one habit at a time before getting another one in the picture. While it might seem very difficult, focusing on one habit is the best way of creating healthy habitsAs soon as you try to create many habits at once, you are scattering your focus and energy all over the place. Choose one habit to focus on first. Break it into a goal you can accomplish in the next three months. Pick an action you can do today and begin. Keep doing this until the habit becomes second nature.When one habit feels like a complete part of you, focus on the next pattern. As you desire to enrich your lifestyle, some goals of yours may also be external ones. Well, in those cases, turn them into habits. Focus entirely on turning your goal into a habit, until the habit is deep-rooted. Then concentrate on the next one.3. Self-Value to Enrich Your Lifestyle
In today’s world, we tend to value people by what they have rather than by who they are. So, to enhance your lifestyle, you have to learn to understand that real value is not material things but rather the value you have about yourself.Do not get me wrong, material things are great but are not the most important. If you lose everything, what is left? You still have YOU! Therefore, remind yourself that you are a unique, worthy, and brilliant person who matters in this world. You are a miracle of life!You may like it or not; your ultimate reality is created by what you believe, what you think and how you talk about yourself. So, to enrich your lifestyle, you have to value yourself. You are as good as anyone else out there. And yes, it can be rather challenging to accept as true, but it is always possible.4. Self-Education to Make You A Fortune”Formal education will make you a living. Self-education will make you a fortune.” – Jim RohnDo whatever it takes to educate yourself. Read more than usual, at least 1 hour a day. Read about everything and anything that floats your boat. All successful people read books. It can be audio, but the best is a book where you can highlight important parts you can use or go back to when needed.Learn and acquire new skills because the more you learn, the more you earn. Reflect and meditate also on what you have read each day for at least fifteen minutes or more. The reason being is that it has amazing benefits for your health but also for your mental and physical capacities.5. Self-Trust to Build Self Confidence
When you want to enrich your lifestyle, you have to trust your feelings and your gut instincts. You must rely a lot more on your gut feelings when the need comes to make a decision or take action. Avoid letting others make decisions for you.Therefore, begin by making decisions for yourself instead of following a map set by others for you to follow. The people who do have trust in themselves are the ones that take charge of their own lives, letting no one intrudes on their choices.You should believe more in yourself, and the best way to enrich your lifestyle is to spend time with people that have self-confidence. Their positive attitude will rub on you. You could even ask them to mentor you.6. Self-Resilience to Reach a Better Outcome
You always have a choice between reacting or acting firmly to a situation at hand. When you look at resilient people, you can see that they have a strong emotional mindset that gets them through life’s challenges without falling apart.Being self-resilient is not being a cold person who has no feelings but rather being very optimistic and real. And it is a powerful habit and asset you can have when you want to enrich your lifestyle.To be resilient, you have to focus on what you need to do to change the circumstances. Realize that if you desire to enrich your existence, resilience and persistence will help you reach a better outcome.7. Self-Respect to Enrich Your Way of Living
Regrettably, too many people make choices based on the desires of their relatives, spouse, friends, and even the media. Self-respect comes from make your own decisions and recognizing your worth as a human being.When it comes to choosing things such as what to learn, what to read, what to study, what job to choose, where to live, when to get married and how many children to have, you should learn to respect what you desire.Stop being scared of standing up for yourself. Respect and value your desires. Value yourself for all you are worth, and it will grandly enrich your lifestyle.One More Thing to Enhance Your Existence
Focus on changing the habits you dislike about you because to make an upgrade in your life; you must stick with wanting to do what is necessary and follow through. It is not an overnight change; it takes time to replace harmful habits and stop putting yourself after everyone else.You have to quit eradicating yourself from the equation. Instead, start to make the changes that you need, because you are looking to enrich your lifestyle and get a more satisfying journey.A Few Tips to Enrich Your Lifestyle
Look in the mirror and realize that the only competition you have is you.

Write down your achievements and keep note. Read through it out loud to enrich your lifestyle.

When you get a compliment, look at the person and say “Thank you. I appreciate it.”

Tell yourself each day that you matter and are worthy.

Write five things about yourself that you appreciate.

Ask your friends what they admire the most about you.

Replace negative thoughts with positive ones.

Enjoy who you are and keep making the necessary changes to grow.

Get rid of people and situations which are sources of conflict or low self-esteem.

Think more about yourself and stop trying to please everybody all of the time.

Reflect and meditate each day.

Enriching your lifestyle is all about taking the time to replace habits, taking action and making you happy. What do matter is how you feel about yourself and your life. So if at this moment, you are not what or where you want to be, remember, you always have the ability to change the next moment.

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Get Affordable Home Insurance in Calgary

There are many reasons to get home insurance in Calgary. First of all, you want to make sure your house, cottage, or tenancy is covered for damage, theft, and flooding. Secondly, you want to know if you are overpaying for home insurance, and if you are, you want to know if you have access to a more affordable insurer. We can help you connect with a live insurance broker who will give you the information you need to insure your house in Calgary. You can also request a quote from at least 10 Canadian home insurers, so you can compare rates.Typical Home Insurance Premiums
Home protection prices are different for rented and owned properties. Tenants insurance for rented homes covers the basic contents of a house and some liability (you may need a separate policy for fine art, wine collections, furs, and other expensive, atypical items). Tenants insurance is often cheaper than homeowners insurance.Homeowners insurance covers the building and its exterior, as well as risks connected to theft, fire, earthquake, etc. Since the value of the building is much higher than the contents of a rented unit, homeowners insurance premiums are significantly higher than are the premiums for tenants insurance.In order to have a broader picture of home insurance rates in Canada, here are statistics of the average home rates in Alberta, Ontario, British Columbia, and Canada. These statistics are provided by InsurEye.In Alberta, monthly house insurance rates are typically $84 for homeowners and $49 for renters.In Ontario, monthly home insurance rates are typically $78 for homeowners and $42 for renters.In British Columbia, monthly home protection rates are typically $85 for homeowners and $47 for renters.Across Canada, monthly home insurance rates are typically $77 for homeowners and $41 for renters.Examples of Calgary Home Insurance Quotes
Home insurance quotes in Calgary depend on the size of a building, its location, and possible risks (like flooding). The following examples of house insurance quotes will help you better understand how much home insurance can potentially cost you:· For a 2,800 square foot, two-storey house in Calgary, in the neighbourhood of Altadore near River Park, expect approximately $98 monthly ($1,176 a year).· For an 850 square foot, two-bedroom condominium on the 12th floor in downtown Calgary, next to Central Memorial Park, the insurance costs are approximately $23 a month ($276 a year).· For a one-storey house in Calgary, in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood, located close to 4th St NW and the Trans-Canada Highway, the insurance is approximately $62 monthly ($744 a year).Flooding Coverage for Homes in Calgary
Since Calgary often sees flooding, every homeowner should be prepared for the possibility of this risk and should understand the main aspects of home protection and flooding. One thing you should keep in mind is that home protection in the flood-endangered areas of the city is more expensive because of the much higher risk.There are four main types of flooding. It is important to remember that your home insurance policy treats each of them differently:1. Overland flooding occurs as a consequence of water (rain or melting snow) entering your house from the outdoors. Standard insurance in Calgary does not cover expenses from overland flooding. However, some companies do provide coverage for this type of flooding at an additional cost.2. Roof leakage can be covered or not covered, depending on the factors that caused it. If the roof was in poor condition from the beginning, your insurance provider will not cover the damage. Your home insurance will most likely cover damage from a natural cause, like hail.3. Your insurer will cover plumbing issues, only if you comply with the rules in your policy, such as having somebody visit your home while you are not there for extended periods of time (for example, while you are on vacation).4. Sewer backup happens when wastewater is driven back into your house. Traditional home protection does not cover this type of flooding. However, you can always purchase this type of coverage as an addition to your home insurance policy.The Difference Between Condo and Tenants Insurance in Calgary
Owners of condos can purchase homeowners insurance for their condo. The condominium corporation purchases commercial condo insurance. The difference between these two policies is in what part of the condo they cover. The homeowners insurance covers the contents of the condominium. The coverage also includes protection for upgrades, locker contents, third party liability, theft, additional living expenses, and sometimes special insurance assessments.The commercial condominium corporation’s insurance covers the building’s exterior (envelope), together with its infrastructure and common areas.Condo renters in Calgary need tenants insurance to cover the contents of their condos. This type of protection is usually mandatory and is part of the rental contract. In addition to the coverage of contents against theft, fire, and other hazards, the insurance also extends to third party liability and additional living expenses. Living expenses are for the cases when the condo is unlivable (due to earthquake, flood, fire, etc.), so the renter is forced to live in a hotel or rental unit until the condo repairs are complete.10 Ways to Save on Home Insurance in Calgary
Here are a few ways to save on your home coverage. For more savings, get an insurance quote and contact an insurance expert.1. Professional membership. Members of unions or professional organizations can get a discount on their home insurance. Insurance companies, like Meloche Monnex Insurance, also provide their members with insurance policies.2. Hydrant or fire station. If your home is close to one of these things, you can ask for a discount from your insurance provider.3. Discounts for students. Some insurance providers give discounts for students. As for dependent students who live alone, their parent’s home insurance may cover the insurance on their apartment at no additional charge. For example, Desjardins Insurance provides this discount.4. Discounts for graduates. TD Insurance is an example of an insurer that offers discounts for graduates from post-secondary institutions like McGill University or the University of Toronto.5. Quit smoking. Many insurance companies increase home protection premiums for smokers due to the potential fire risk.6. Change your policy. Those with tenant insurance should rethink the size of their coverage – perhaps some things that do not have much value do not need additional coverage.7. Security of your home. Does your home have additional security, like a doorman or security guard? This might get you a discount from your insurance provider.8. Direct insurer. Also called a captive agent, a direct insurer represents one company and can offer their products for a cheaper price when compared to insurance agents or brokers.9. Consumer reviews. Other home insurance consumers often share their experiences of purchasing insurance and making claims. Thanks to these insights, you will be able to avoid unexpected costs and overpayment.10. Compare prices. You can get home insurance quote in Calgary for a cheaper price thanks to the price comparison tools that show you the rates of the same services provided by different insurance companies.

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