3 Hacks That Can Make You A Smarter Christmas Shopper

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The holidays provide the perfect opportunity to show the ones we love just how much we care about them. We cook delicious meals and buy thoughtful gifts, all for our family to enjoy. But while it is the most wonderful time of year, it can also be the most expensive. Especially if you have a big family who you need to buy for. This can, unfortunately, lead to you overspending and put your finances under strain. Thankfully, there are things you can do to save money and still be jolly during the holiday season. Here are three hacks every Christmas shopper should use to their advantage.

Use cashback sites

If you intend to do a significant portion of your shopping online this year, then you might want to consider using cashback sites. These sites work by encouraging you to use their affiliate links to particular retail merchants. These merchants will vary from site to site, but Amazon and Best Buy are often included. When you use these links, the cashback sites gain a commission, of which they will give you a percentage. So effectively you are being paid to shop for your Christmas gifts. There is no limit on what you can buy and may cashback sites are free to sign up to. To learn more, go online and visit cashback sites such as Ebates to read their terms and conditions.

Take advantage of pre-Christmas sales

Many retail stores will be currently having sales to get rid of stock before the holiday season. To be a savvy Christmas shopper, you need to use these sales to your advantage. Browsing through the sale section of a department store can be time-consuming, and you may not always find what you want. But there could be items included at fantastically low prices which could make the ideal gift. So it’s well worth taking the time to find out. Don’t forget to check the sale section of your favorite stores online too. You might be able to find coupons that reduce the price of these sale items even more.

Check Groupon regularly

Groupon is an important resource that all Christmas shoppers should be using. The Groupon website promotes daily deals and discounts in your local area. If you buy recommended products through the Groupon site, you can take advantage of substantial discounts. This can be as much as 60-70% in some cases. The product which are recommended each day can vary from kids toys to women's fashions. This broad range of choice means you can save money and still find something for every member of your family. So if you’re eager to spend less this holiday shopping season, you need to use Groupon. Sign up to the site is quick and easy and won’t cost you a penny.

Now you know how to save this Christmas, your family won’t have to do without a single thing this holiday season. Some of these hacks can be used throughout the rest of the year too for even more saving opportunities. So start shopping smarter and make this Christmas the cheapest and most enjoyable one yet.

Create Delicious Meats at Home with a Smoker Box

Creating Delicious Meats at Home

Gourmet cooking has become increasingly popular throughout the country. More people are eager to try out cooking methods that they see on TV and create dishes that they once were only able to find in high-end restaurants. Among the many culinary practices on the rise in the U.S., meat smoking continues to be one that garners particular favor with people. You can create your own savory smoked meats at home by investing in equipment like liquid smoke, a stainless steel smoker, scented wood chips, and more that can be found online today.


Equipment for Smoking Meats

When you shop online, you will find an array of equipment that is designed just for smoking meat. The first item that you may consider buying is the smoker box. The box itself may look ordinary and rather simple. However, when used correctly, it can transform tough and flavorless cuts of meat into juicy and tender meat that you can serve to your family.

The box is designed to fit on top of your grill and can accommodate most grill sizes. Once you place it on the grill, you can then surround it with your favorite fruit wood before lighting the wood and any kindling you might use. The box allows in the smoke while keeping out ash and other debris. It creates smoked meat in a short amount of time.

You can also find wood and chips for sale on the website. The site is set up to offer you everything you need to smoke meats in the comfort of your own home.


Safety Information

If you have never before used a meat smoker, you may do well to learn how to use it safely so that you and others avoid getting hurt. The website gives you some basics on the smoker's safe use. Most importantly, you should avoid touching the box without some sort of safety gear like an oven mitt or pot holder. The box gets very hot while it is on the grill. 

You also should avoid removing the lid of the box immediately after cooking to avoid suffering a steam burn. As the website indicates, allow the box to sit for a few minutes and then use a pair of pliers to remove the lid carefully. This step allows you to avoid injury.


Smoking meat at home is easy with this smoker box and other equipment. You can buy it today online.

Happy 18-Year Anniversary to Aron and Kerrie McLoughlin

This post originally appeared one year ago today and I'm pretty much just recycling it! Twenty-one years together, eighteen married today. Planning on heading out for lunch alone together today. No cruise planned, no island vacation. We are weird and we prefer being around our babies, who are not babies anymore. You see, we had SIX YEARS of knowing each other before we had kids so we had lots of time to sow our wild oats ... fancy dinners, movies out, quiet times by the fireplace, even a trip to New England for two weeks. We'll have time together after the kids move out as well. I dig him and he digs me and there you go. Have a great week!

Wedding day 10/10/98 I love you even more today, Aron!

Honeymoon in San Diego ... this is at Disneyland

And this is what our love has made :-)

Aron is such a great guy that he lets me do things like this to him!

His is the king of our world

More honeymoon ... a little harbor cruise in San Diego ... let's go back with the kids!!! Well, we went back with four of them in 2008 but Sam needs to go too

Bouncing Back When Your Baby's Born: What To Expect Now

Having a baby is many things. Most of them - almost all of them - are good. You'll spend most of the early days just staring at the new little person in awe and wonder. You have the chance to raise a kid who'll make you proud in countless ways. You have someone to share your wisdom and also your weirdness with. As we say, having a baby is almost all upside.

But we are human, and that means to some extent we are glass-half-empty creatures. And in among all the great things, it is hard not to have half a mind on the things that we aren't so happy about. Although the trade-off is more than worth it, in the aftermath of having a child you will be aware of just how much the process has taken out of you. You've got a bouncing baby, and now it's time to bounce back.

If you're expecting your first child, you could be forgiven for some trepidation on a number of fronts. Not least of these is the way pregnancy is portrayed in the movies. We see a lot of blissful smiles from expectant mothers who seem to live in a cornfield with a permanent sunset over their shoulders. And if you're currently experiencing pregnancy, you might wonder where that portrayal came from.

Image Source: Pixabay

Being pregnant, and giving birth, are not easy. They say nothing worth having comes easy, and motherhood is perhaps the best example of that. So the first thing to bear in mind is that it's entirely normal to feel exhausted, worried, moody and confused. Often all four at the same time. You have been pulled in countless directions for forty weeks, and that's not about to stop. But you can get back on the front foot.

The First Thing To Do Is Recover

The media is full of dynamic new mothers who have their first kid, and seemingly after a weekend's rest are back on their feet. It's enough to make anyone feel like they don't measure up. And the reason you may feel that way is that it's an unrealistic expectation. What you have been through in the last week, and the several months before it, is a series of incredible stresses and strains.

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You're entitled to be waited on, hand and foot, for as long as you're feeling the after-effects of pregnancy. Mentally, emotionally, and physically you've been through the mill. Those dynamic new mothers will often have a fleet of nannies and helpers doing the footwork. You don't, so don't expect to be grinning broadly and wearing white right away.

Getting Back To Normal

As soon as you feel ready, it is time to phase in the things you did before the pregnancy. Getting back to your routine is important for various reasons, not least of which is the fact that you'll crave normality. You don't have to get back to work - the early months are important in terms of bonding with the baby. But doing things around the house and running errands again can be beneficial.

You'll also want to look at getting back in balance physically. Pregnancy, and childbirth, take a lot out of you and leave their toll. You've been supporting another life inside you for some time. Chances are you're now feeling quite depleted in terms of nutrients, so it is essential that you eat well and help your body recover.

Image Source: Wikipedia

It won't have escaped you - because it's the focus of so many features in magazines and on TV - that there is the question of baby weight. People expect nursing mothers to be carrying a bit of weight. Sooner or later you'll want to lose that, and there are numerous ways to do it properly. Pick up Babycare Mag for lots of helps with being a new parent!

Don't Be Afraid To Ask For Help

While you are pregnant, you will - hopefully - get used to people making allowances for you. Often this can even get annoying, as people can try to help in the wrong way. You haven't become a helpless child overnight, but you'll start to feel like people see you that way. And then, when you've had your baby, you'd be amazed how quickly some people snap back to expecting you to be as you were pre-pregnancy.

It's often after you've given birth that you'll be looking for help more than ever. Although postpartum depression doesn't happen to all new mothers, it's common enough. You'll need people to provide a listening ear, to do tasks you're still not ready to do and to provide a safety net when you're getting back on your feet.

Be clear about the fact that your involvement with doctors and hospitals does not end with childbirth. You'll have post-natal check-ups for the baby and you alike. During this time there is no question too stupid to ask the professionals. One quirk of pregnancy, even after the birth, is that hormonal changes and lack of sleep can cloud your thinking. So double-checking things with doctors is a very wise move.

Being a new mother is a challenge, but one well worth facing. You've got someone to fend for, and that parental feeling will never leave you. It provides a very strong boost to the enthusiasm that will otherwise be hard to come by early on. Get good friends around you and take the help on offer from your family. Even if it comes with a side order of lectures and judgment every once in a while, it's valuable.

But perhaps the most important thing you can do as you recover from childbirth is going at your own pace. People might expect you to be back at work as soon as possible, or to remain behind closed doors for months. There is no perfect schedule for this, just the one that works for you. It's for other people to understand this rather than impose their impressions on your experience.

Deciphering Degree Levels: The Different Types And What They Mean

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There are two sides of the fence when it comes to people’s thoughts on higher education. Some are pro-university, and some prefer to start in a junior position and work their way up the career ladder. There are obviously many careers that require complex and long degrees. These include law, medicine, architecture and veterinarians. But there are other degrees such as English Literature, Business, Media and Geography which aren’t necessarily needed for certain jobs. But a degree in these subjects will stand you in good stead and still make an impact on your CV. No matter what side of the fence you are on, it’s still worth considering higher education. Let's take a look at the different types of degree levels out there, so you can decide if higher education is for you.

Associate Degree

These are two-year programs in the US and some parts of Canada, Hong Kong and Australia. They are considered to be a higher level of education than a high school diploma but less than a Bachelor’s Degree which is a four-year commitment. The equivalent in the UK would be a Diploma. Most people who take an Associate Degree are looking to enhance their technical skills in certain fields. This will give them better job prospects. Associate Degrees can be taken part time which allows you to work and earn money at the same time. You can take an Associate of Arts, an Associate of Science, an Associate of Applied Science or an Associate of Applied Arts Degree. Jobs that you can apply for with an Associate Degree? These include air traffic control, legal assistant, dental hygienist, and engineer.

Bachelor’s Degree

A Bachelor’s Degree usually last four years. On this undergraduate program, you will choose a major subject to study. This subject can be anything from communications to biology or finance to languages/literature. The four types are Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Applied Science. Apply for a Bachelor’s Degree if you know that the career you want requires one. Or if you are interested in continuing your higher education studies to further your future career prospects. Your Bachelor's Degree will require a lengthy dissertation in the final year. For this part of the course, it is worth investing in dissertation proofreading services to ensure your complex manuscript is free of all grammatical and punctuation errors. A degree at this level should be taken seriously as it another four years out of your adult life. Many choose to carry on at university for the social life and freedom on offer. But remember these degrees are expensive, so it is a time to study hard as you are shaving four years off of a salary you could be earning.

Master’s Degree

To apply for a Master’s Degree, you must already hold a Bachelor’s Degree. A Master’s takes 1-2 years and enables you to study further in a specialized subject. This is an intensive program that requires complex study and a high level of academic knowledge.  Many Master’s Degrees enable working professionals to continue a career while studying. So they also require dedication, motivation and a lot of hard work. A Master’s Degree is ideal for those that love academia and want to make a lasting impact on their CV. A Master’s Degree can also be undertaken if you wish to change direction in your career and need qualifications in a new chosen subject.

Ph.D.

A Ph.D. stand for a Doctorate of Philosophy and is and intensive academic program that requires a lot of independent research. This is one of the highest degrees you can earn and will stand you in good stead for future career prospects. A Ph.D. is time-consuming, complex, intellectual and creative. You will need to complete a thesis in your chosen subject that shows original research in your subject matter.  Ph.D. holders will get higher salaries and will be able to work in academic research industry jobs. However, competition is tough and while you are doing your Ph.D. you will also have to get as much of your work published as possible.