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4 Fantastic Ways To Enhance Your Travels

By
Elizabeth Williams

Travel is a truly transformational activity that can change your life for the better in a multitude of ways.

It’s your opportunity to explore exotic landscapes, discover more about the world and unleash your full potential as a human being.

However, some people fail to take full advantage of the opportunities afforded to them by travel and so, its impact on them is limited.

To help ensure that you don’t fall into this trap, here are four fantastic ways to enhance your travel experience like a Limo Find. 

  1. Mobile apps 

Some people see relying on technology as cheating and devaluing to an authentic travel experience. But, like it or not, tech such as mobile apps are a part of modern society and so, you should embrace them while travelling.

There are apps to show you the coolest spots to visit, to help you get from A to B and much more – so why not utilise them? This way, you’ll have more time to focus on the fun and stimulating activities that will help you grow as a person.

For inspiration, take a look at this travel apps article on Newsweek which discusses the best ones. 

  1. Hang with the locals

Hanging out with the locals allows you to learn from the people who know your destination best. They’ll be able to recommend unique activities that take you off-the-beaten path, resulting in an experience that’s far more varied, enriching and stems beyond the tourist hotspots.

As well as this, you’ll make new friends who can join you as you create your precious travel memories. Over time, you’ll end up with a global network of mates who you can revisit or maybe even travel with, for years to come.

  1. Learn the language

Making the effort to learn at least the basics of the native language of the place you’re visiting is a great idea.

Learning a language involves much more than picking up new words – it’s a gateway into a new culture that requires an understanding of the customs, quirks and history of your chosen location.

Learning a language will also make communicating with locals easier and they’ll really respect the fact that you’re making the effort to embrace their culture.

This language tips article on Babbel is a useful starting point on your mission to fluency. 

  1. Drive to the airport

Anxiety about getting to the airport on time can be a serious source of stress that ruins the start of your holiday. However, by opting to drive rather than take unreliable public transport, you’ll have more control over your route and be able to travel at exactly the time that suits you best.

If you do drive, you’ll find first-class deals for airport parking on SkyParkSecure.com for Manchester and other major British airports.

Put these tips into action and you’ll be nicely set up for a life-changing travel experience where you’ve made the most of your time away.

What are your tips for enhancing your travels? Share them in the comments section.

Here’s Why She Got Emotionally Attached To You So Easily

By
Riley Cooper

She fell in love with you the moment she first saw you. The second you smiled at her, she knew that you were the man she was searching for. She knew you were the one she wanted to be with.

And when you started dating, it was all over. She fell deeply and madly in love with you. She got emotionally attached to you.

But, no! She did not get attached to you because she couldn’t resist your smile or the way you looked at her or caressed her. Instead, she got attached to you since you made her feel in ways she never felt before. You made her feel cherished, appreciated, and important. You made her feel like she was the only girl in the world.

She got attached to you since she saw something beautiful and pure in you. She saw a future. She saw faith.  She saw hope.

This woman has been to hell and back. She’s had a couple of toxic, draining relationships. She’s been manipulated, deceived, and betrayed. She’s been hurt time and time again.

But you know what?

She’s never given up on love. She still believes that true love exists. She still believes that there are people out there who are capable of loving genuinely and deeply.

And she hopes that you are one of them. She believes that you’re the one who will love her wholeheartedly and unconditionally. The one who will treat her the way she deserves. The one who will show her that love doesn’t always have to be hard and painful.

She hopes that you hold a door open for her and bring her cute love cards because you’re truly in love with her, not because you’re just trying to make her jump into your bed.

She hopes that you’re capable of loving her the way she loves you: honestly, intensely, selflessly, and deeply.

And, please, don’t let the intensity of her love scare you off. Don’t be intimidated by the way she loves you. Because she doesn’t know other way of loving but hard and genuinely.

Instead of fearing her love for you or hating the fact that she gets easily attached, shower her with attention and love. Show her how you feel about her. Wear your heart on your sleeve. Undress your soul in front of her.

Accept her the way she is. Respect and cherish her for who she is. Embrace her imperfections and let her know that she’s perfect to you.

Show her that you value genuine emotional intimacy as much as she does.

Love her the way she deserves and show her that she wasn’t wrong choosing you.

Life Taught Me That I Shouldn’t Chase After Love, But Instead Focus On My Own Personal Growth

By
Stephanie Reeds

Love isn’t the most important thing in life. Finding a soulmate is not the only thing there is to life. There I said it.

And believe me, I’ve been through a lot of things to prove this to you.

Yes, being in love is a remarkable feeling that doesn’t happen to everyone. But it is not the only valuable experience that will make your life worthwhile. It’s scary how most of us often overlook everything else and only focus on finding love.

What about self-love and self-care people?

Who will do that for you if you don’t bother to do it for yourself?

No one, that’s who.

To be honest, I wasn’t always this conscious about myself. There was a time in my life when I was blinded by my desperation. I was alone and all I could think was finding someone who would love me and fill in all the blanks in my heart that I convinced myself I couldn’t fill.

There was a time in my life when I wasn’t enough for myself. I was incomplete and I was convinced that I should do whatever it takes to find my other half. Nothing I did could ever make up for the emptiness inside of me. When I say nothing, I really mean nothing. Because eventually, I found a boyfriend. But the feeling inside my heart never left.

Until one day I realized that I’d spend my whole life searching for my happiness someplace else when it has always been a part of me. After going through all that in life, I learned the hard way that the only person I can truly rely on is and always have been myself.

It’s scary how much time and energy I had wasted searching for that life, when in reality it was there in front of me, all the time. That was the moment when I realized that I will no longer chase after love but focus on myself and my personal growth.

That period of time wasn’t the easiest for me, but here I am. It took me a lot of tears, many sleepless nights, a few heartbreaks and a few disappointments. Luckily, I had my loved ones beside me. And so, I made it. I found myself and I realized that there is more to life than just relationships.

I learned to cherish myself and cherish the opportunity to be alive and well, right here at this moment.

I learned to appreciate my solitude and enjoy my time alone.

I learned to open up and talk to myself more.

I learned to let go of people who are not destined to be a part of my life.

I learned that self-love and self-care always come first.

I learned that I am the only person that can truly help me find myself.

Either Choose Her Every Day Or Let Her Find Someone Who Will

By
Stephanie Reeds

I spent five precious years of my life struggling in a relationship. You are probably wondering how I let myself get stuck in something that was clearly bad for me. Well, here’s the answer. I was in love. Wait, let me paraphrase that. I was the biggest fool in love.

He was the first person to whom I opened my heart. There are not enough words for me to explain the intensity of the love I had for him. He was the love of my life and the first person that ever made me realize what is love. But I made a mistake. I believed in his words that I too am the greatest love of his life. Because, as I turned out, I wasn’t.

At the beginning everything was fine. We were two love birds who couldn’t get enough of each other. He was my favorite little nook and I was his happy place. Every day he told me how lucky he is to be with me. Every day he chose me all over again. But then something changed. Something in him shifted and he was no longer the same. I remember the day as if it was yesterday…

As months passed, he chose me less and less. Every day, for five years, he chose me less.

All the while, I was aware of it but didn’t do anything. He convinced me that everything is fine, and poor me kept believing him. I guess deep down, it was too painful for me to lose this man from my life, so for some reason, I thought that having him by my side like this is better than not having him at all. Boy, was I wrong…

The man that I was deeply convinced he loved me was only stringing me along.

For a very long time, I was in denial. It took me a few years to realize that I was actually hurting myself. And I finally did it. I left him and the memory of him behind me because I realized that I deserve better. It also took me quite a while to forgive myself for giving my unconditional love to someone who couldn’t love me the same. But now it’s all in the past.

And the only thing I have to say to all the men out there is this…

Either choose her every day and let her know that she is loved or leave her alone and let her find someone who will do that. She deserves more than your lousy, half-assed love. She deserves more than your maybe and your we’ll see. She is a human being with a pure soul, and she loves you more than you anyone ever loved you. Find the courage inside of you and let her know how you feel. I know that it must feel hard for you, but it will be even harder for her when you break her heart.

Don’t ever let her go through that if you care for her, even a little bit. If you aren’t capable of loving her the way she deserves to be loved, just let her go. She will struggle, but eventually, she will find her path in life.

So, please choose wisely.

Either choose her every day and let her know how loved she is or leave her alone.

Bright Girls: Here’s Why They’re Often Their Own Worst Enemies

By
Riley Cooper

Being a nice girl is certainly not easy, but it appears that being a smart, nice girl is even more difficult, as explained by Dr. Heidi Grant Halvorson.

Dr. Grant Halvorson explains that intelligent and talented women seldom realize that one of the hardest obstacles they’ll have to surmount to be successful in any male-dominated profession and look competent as our male coworkers do actually lies within. The reason for this is that we judge our own intellect and abilities more harshly and in a significantly different way than men do. Figuring out the reason(s) why we do this is the first step to putting right a great wrong.

To do that, Grant Halvorson focuses on the results of a series of studies which psychologist Carol S. Dweck carried out in the 1980s, analyzing how smart girls and boys in the 5th grade dealt with new, complex material.

What Dweck found was that when bright girls were given foreign or confusing material to learn, they were more likely to throw in the towel and the higher their IQ was, the quicker they were to give up than bright boys. On the other hand, boys found the material challenging and energizing and they were more likely to put in additional effort rather than throw in the towel.

So, the question is: What’s the reason for this? What makes bright girls lose their confidence when they should be the most confident children in the room?

Girls usually do better than boys in every subject, including science and math at the fifth grade level. But, there wasn’t any difference between these girls and boys in ability. The one thing they differed in was how they interpreted difficulty, i.e. what difficulty meant to them when material appeared difficult to learn. Smart girls were quicker to become less successful learners, lose confidence, and doubt their ability consequently.

Researchers have brought to light the reason for the difference in how difficulty is perceived and understood, and here it is: bright girls commonly believe that their abilities are inborn and unmodifiable, whereas smart boys believe they can develop ability through practice and effort.

Grant Halvorson traces the reason for this back to childhood feedback, i.e. the messages we get from both teachers and parents in our childhood. Namely, girls, who are more able to follow instructions and develop self-control skills earlier in life, are oftentimes praised for cleverness or goodness. This type of praise suggests that characteristics such as goodness and smartness are qualities you either possess or you don’t.

On the other hand, boys commonly receive feedback from parents and teachers that accentuate effort, for example: “If you’d only pay attention and try a little bit harder, you could do this right.”

We go on to carry these beliefs, more often than not, unknowingly, with us throughout our adulthood. And since smart girls tend to perceive their abilities as inborn and unmodifiable, they grow into individuals that are way too hard on themselves, i.e. individuals that will too soon conclude that they lack what it takes to be successful in a particular arena and throw in the towel prematurely.

This means that even if every obstacle to a woman’s achieving success in her workplace and career is removed  as well as every challenge that we deal with balancing family and work, every gender stereotype, and every inequality, we’d still have to face the fact that due to our wrong beliefs about our abilities, we may actually be our own worst enemy.

So, what you need to remember is that intelligence, self-control, creativity, or charm is changeable. When it comes to learning and/or improving any skill, your persistence, effort, and experience are all important.

So, if you are a bright girl, it is time for you to get rid of your wrong belief about your abilities, accept the fact that you can always do better, and regain the confidence to face any challenge you didn’t respond to or maybe lost years ago.

I Am A Modern Woman, But I’ll Always Cherish These Old-Fashioned Dating Habits

By
Riley Cooper

I am a hardcore feminist. I am an independent and modern woman that knows how to take care of and stand up for herself. But, when it comes to love and dating, I must admit that I still like those old-fashioned dating habits.

I don’t settle for mediocre love. Instead, I want to experience love in its most genuine form. I want to experience the kind of love poets write poems about.

I love men who are not afraid to openly express their emotions. Men who are not scared to love with every fiber of their being and from the bottom of their hearts.

Yes, I get it. We live in a modern-dating society of the 21st century in which most people think that chivalry is dead. But, I don’t share that opinion. I don’t think that chivalry is dead. Instead, I think that there’s actually a great number of both women and men out there who still cherish and hold onto real values.

Here are 8 old-fashioned dating traditions which I will always cherish:

1. Asking for my permission for things.

It’s not like I expect my boyfriend to always ask me if he could hug me or kiss me. But, when you go out on a date with a guy for the first time and he doesn’t ask before kissing you, this might make you feel uncomfortable or even weird, especially if you happen to be a shy person.

P.S. I believe that many ladies out there will agree that when a guy asks for your permission to kiss you on a first date, this makes him incredibly sexy.

2. Holding a door opened for me.

Yes, it appears like a small and seemingly unimportant gesture, but it’s actually one that means a lot to me, and I’m sure, to every lady out there as well. I completely melt when a man takes his time to open a door for me. This gesture shows me that he’s a real caring gentleman.

3. Dressing nicely for dates.

It takes me a lot of time to get ready for dates. I always make sure I look tidy and elegant. That’s why I respect guys that take care of their style. I respect guys that put a great deal of effort into their appearance and care about the way they look around me. When a guy always dresses nicely for a date, this shows me that he is thoughtful and that he cares about what I think.

4. Being picked up for a date.

Don’t doubt that I am capable of driving or walking to the place where I am supposed to meet my date, but there is something really thoughtful and irresistible in being picked up for a date. This move is a sign of respect and care.

5. Being clearly asked out on a date.

In the era of Tinder and all other dating sites, being openly asked out on a date has become pretty hard. I am the kind of person that appreciates open communication and I want to know what the other person wants and expects from me. That’s why I always prefer a straightforward approach. No mixed messages or emotions, just the truth.

6. Being showered with attention.

Unfortunately, we live in a time when phones and social media attract most of our attention. But, the truth is that when someone is truly interested in you, they won’t allow their mobile phone, tablet, or profile on social media to prevent them from showering you with attention, especially if you’re on a first date.

7. Being surprised with a cute card or flowers.

There’s something powerful and irresistible when a guy brings you a cute love card or a bouquet of roses on a first date. It’s a small gesture, yet one that can make your heart go crazy.

8. Not assuming that there’ll be sex on a first date.

… or on the second or third date. When it comes to such assumptions, there’s only one thing I can say – I hate them. As a matter of fact, I believe that any smart and self-respecting woman does.

Sometimes Life Makes Us Feel Lost, Alone And Confused But That’s Okay. It’s All A Part of The Journey

By
Stephanie Reeds

Sometimes life makes you doubt everything. Everything is well and you feel fine and then you suddenly fall off the track and lose balance. The next thing you know, you are in complete darkness.  You don’t feel sure about anything anymore. You start to doubt every person around you, every relationship in your life and every situation that you experience. Nothing feels the same anymore.

Sometimes it makes you feel like the loneliest person in the world. It forces you to convince yourself that no one truly cares for you. It puts you into a bad place. A place where self-doubt and self-hate flourish. You stop believing in what others say. You stop believing in yourself. You isolate yourself from the whole world and you soak in your own misery. The world has made you feel like you are not enough.

Sometimes it makes feel overwhelmed for nothing. You feel like crying and staying in bed. You cannot imagine yourself allowing the sun to kiss your skin because it would probably burn you. The only thing you need is your own comfort and your own embrace. But it doesn’t feel comforting enough, because your emotions are much more intense than ever.

Sometimes it makes you give up on everything and leave for good. Something shifts in your mind and you no longer feel okay with what you have. People are jealous of you for having it all, but only you know how ‘having it all’ feels inside your heart. You don’t have it al. You are far from having it all. That is why you feel like giving up and getting lost.

Sometimes it makes you question your mission, your journey here on Earth. There are days when you are confident about where you are headed, and then there are days when you feel completely lost. You start to doubt your actions, question your purpose here on earth, fear for your life, worry that you don’t have time and you completely lose your mind. You don’t think that you have what it takes to make it. Your insecurities inside of you whisper make you feel like one big loser.

Sometimes it forces you to focus your mind on dark thoughts. Sometimes life sabotages you. Your mind starts to make up certain scenarios that make your skin crawl. You feel like you lost control. You start to push people away. And you lock yourself inside your comfort box. Only now it is not as warm as it used to be. It is dark and cold.

Sometimes life does this to you and more. Sometimes it punishes you and sometimes it awards you. But each time, it teaches you a valuable lesson.

Because all of those ups and downs, failures and successes, are a part of the journey. Sometimes you lose hope that there is an end to all of this, but luckily life is always here to remind that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Even though you cannot see it right now. Even though you don’t want to see it right now.

Be With A Man Who Is Not Afraid To Pursue You Long After They’ve Got You

By
Stephanie Reeds

I know… People meet people. They fall in love. They bend over backward to show their partners how much they love them. And then after a while, they find their comfort zone, they fall into a nice, little routine. All of a sudden, everything becomes a habit and life gets pretty much dull. But it is what it is, right? Everyone goes through the same experiences…

Well, hell no!

I refuse to follow that path in life. You should do the same!

Pursuing a woman is not something that happens when you are at the beginning of your relationship. Seducing her by pretending to be everything but yourself is not a smart move. Doing your best to get the girl and then turning into a lazy, inconsiderate and indifferent partner is unacceptable.

A man, a real man who is serious about the woman he loves, doesn’t stop pursuing her. He keeps proving his love to her long after he’s got her. He keeps fighting for her even after a long time. He keeps showing her how special she is even though she is convinced that his love for her is real. A man who truly loves a woman knows the importance of pursuing her.

He gets excited every time he thinks of her and sees her pretty smile.

He thinks about her because his only wish is to make the woman of his life the happiest woman alive.

He spends a lot of time planning the details of his romantic dates.

He is not afraid to show his woman how big his love for her is and how much she means to him.

He is endlessly fascinated with his woman and he is proud to be a part of his life.

He is certain that wants to spend his life with her by his side and he lets her know that his intentions are serious.

He is aware that he is the luckiest person alive with her beside him.

He never lets her question his thoughts or feelings. His heart is an open book to her.

He never stops proving his love for her.

He loves her the way she deserves to be loved.

He makes her feel chosen every day all over again.

He remembers every little thing that makes your heart flourish, eyes glisten and heart beat faster.

He cares for her because she is the only love of his life.

A man who truly loves the woman in his life will do all of this and more. He will never ever forget the importance of pursuing. Most importantly, he will never take you for granted. This man will unconditionally adore you.

It’s Time To Make Kindergarten An Engaging Place For Learning Again

By
Riley Cooper

It’s a fact – kindergartens have changed. Nowadays, not only in the US but all over the world as well, children that attend kindergartens study more and play less than they did two centuries ago. More academics and less play – this is what kindergarten has turned into and it’s definitely not going to do kindergarteners any good.

According to Christopher Brown, Ph.D., professor of Curriculum and Instruction in Early Childhood Education in the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin, explains that the constant pressure on kindergarteners to learn to spell, read, and do math through routinized activities can have a negative influence on their learning both in elementary school and high school.

So, the question is: What measures can we take to make kindergarten engaging for children again?

For a couple of years, Christopher Brown and his research team have been carrying out interviews with kindergarteners, their families, school administrators, teachers, policy analysts, policymakers, university educators, lobbyists, and researchers. They’ve done their research in Texas, Washington D.C., and West Virginia and their intention was to identify what these stakeholders think that should happen in kindergarten classrooms.

What they found was that almost every person they interviewed is concerned about the changes in kindergarten. One principal in Texas told them: “We’re killing their joy for school in kindergarten. We have to ask ourselves, ‘What are we setting children up for later?’”

In order to make kindergarten an engaging place for learning again, these stakeholders put forward a variety of suggestions, including: more play, less testing, more interaction with and among the kindergarteners so that teachers can encourage children’s creativity, interest and inquiry, and sense of wonder, and ensuring that kindergarten don’t be as first grade.

The stakeholders said that they want school administrators and policymakers to implement reforms which provide more time during the day for emotional and social learning and for the kindergarteners to have more opportunities to communicate and play with each other.

They also want to better teacher training in order for teachers to have the professional knowledge to help kindergarteners gain learning experiences which support their physical, emotional, cognitive, and social learning while boosting their academic success.

In relation to state and national policy change, the stakeholders want new program and content standards to be established and implemented across the whole K-12 education system.

So, based on this study, it turns out that it’d be beneficial for everyone if all of us stop thinking that being ready to achieve both kindergarten and school success means that kids must gain knowledge and specific academic skills.

Instead, we all should think about how teachers, schools, and families can work together with kindergarteners and students so as to create an engaging learning environment which helps children grow into as well as perceive themselves as competent learners.

For How Many Hours Your Child Should Sleep

By
Elizabeth Williams

Sleep is an important factor for your child’s growth. If your child is not sleeping for the right amount of time then it will not facilitate the growth which your baby is entitled to. Therefore, you have to see whether your child is sleeping in a proper way or not. Many parents complain that their child is facing the problem of lack of sleep which is creating health issues. However, what you need to know is, you have to figure out how many hours of sleep is enough for your child.

Generally, the amount of sleep your kids require depends on essential factors, including age. Below is the recommended hours according to your kid’s age:

  • Babies (aged 0 to 11 months old) – 12 to 16 hours
  • Toddlers (aged 1 to 2 years old) – 11 to 14 hours
  • Preschool (aged 3 to 5 years old) – 10 to 13 hours
  • School-age (aged 6 to 12 years old) – 9 to 11 hours
  • Teenagers (aged 13 to 17 years old) – 8 to 10 hours

Knowing the standard sleep requirements can be essential to ensure kids’ physical and mental health. If they don’t get enough sleep, they become tired throughout the day and have trouble concentrating. Hence, you must figure out the cause of sleep deprivation and how to address it effectively.  

Also, it’s important to know that there are certain things that can help facilitate the sleeping of your child. You have to understand everything that revolves around your child’s sleeping and then take any step regarding his sleeping. So, let’s see those things which will help you to make your child’s sleep proper.

The Bed Size Matters

If you know that the bed size matters for proper sleeping of the adults, you should also know that it is the same for the children as well. If your child sleeps in a separate room, you have to take a look at which bed he or she is sleeping in. The possibility of the bed being bigger or smaller than what it should be is immense.

If that is the case then it is absolutely certain that the bed needs to be changed. You cannot let your child sleep in such a bed because it is the reason why your child is facing the problem of sleep. What you can do instead is understand the bed sizes in meters properly. If you understand the proper size of the bed your child needs, you should buy such a bed for your child. As it is a matter of your child’s growth, you have to consider changing the bed.

Provide A Well-Balanced Diet  

Diet can also play a crucial role in your child’s sleeping patterns. For instance, eating sugary or starchy foods can cause blood sugar spikes, adversely affecting your kid’s sleeping behavior.  

Because of this, it’s essential to feed your little one a well-balanced diet. For example, if you have a baby, provide them with foods rich in protein, healthy fats, and other organic ingredients. This can help minimize the risk of blood sugar spikes and avoid sleep interruptions.  

However, if you want to know more about why babies refuse to sleep and how to help them get the rest they need, you may check some reputable websites like Serenity Kids to get valuable information.

Period of Sleeping

When you have the right bed for your child and your child is still struggling because of the lack of sleep, it is time to consider the period of time for your child’s sleep. Now, this is an imperative aspect. There is a huge confusion out there among the experts as far as the proper sleeping time is concerned. Some advocate sleeping 7 to 8 hours, some thinks 9 to 10 and some even believe over 11 hours is the right period of sleep for your baby.

So, how can you determine the exact time period for your child’s sleep? Well, you will find some websites where you can get a sleep calculator for kids. Visit those websites, fill the details, and you will find the exact sleep cycles that your child needs to complete. In this way, you will be able to understand how many hours your child should sleep.

Choose the Right Pillow

Apart from the two things mentioned above, another thing that plays a key role in making your child’s sleep proper is the pillow for bed. Now, some parents buy very soft pillows for their child. It might look nice and comfortable but when your child uses it during his or her sleep, it can cause neck problems. Also, going for hard pillows may not work because it can also cause the same problem. Therefore, you should go for moderately soft pillows which will help your child to sleep in a sound manner.

Final Thoughts

You have to do everything you can to ensure that your child is having a good night’s sleep which will make him or her energized to continue the exploration the next day. So, follow these things and you will know for how many hours your child should sleep and your child will be able to sleep in a better way.

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