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Day: July 6, 2017

Essential Guide To Camping For Camping-Haters

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

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Camping is a lot like Marmite. A lot like Marmite. It’s not that you either love it or absolutely loathe it, for those that absolutely loathe it, it’s also the fact you can’t comprehend what there is to like about it. Sleeping is uncomfortable, eating is a challenge, it’s either too hot or too cold and then there is the bathroom situation which, in a nutshell, is not ideal.

Despite all this, we are firmly in the love camp. However, we do sympathise with those that aren’t. We get it. However, it is one of the best ways to get some me time. That is why we have come up with a list of tips and tricks and bits of advice to help you get an enjoyable experience out of it the next time your friends or family convince you to attend such a thing.

Think of this as the essential guide to camping for camp-haters:

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Entertainment Is Essential

One of the reasons why camp-haters detest camping so much is because they miss their creature comforts, which is where entertainment can really help. Bring with you a tablet or a laptop that has a long battery life, such as those new Asus computers, and a bunch of your favourite films too. There is nothing to say you can’t do this. Yes, if you are true camper then you’re going to find this suggest abhorrent, but who cares. You don’t see the chef at a restaurant come out and tell you off putting salt on the meal they’ve just cooked to perfection, and that is because it is a matter of preference. Sam goes here.

Food You Love

It is a big turn off for most camping-haters, which is fair enough. One-pot meals just aren’t to everyone’s fancy. Luckily, it doesn’t say you have to eat stewed roadkill just because you are camping. That’s why we recommend you pack a cooler full of your favourite foods, bring a portable grill with some pans and utensils and cook the foods you like. Want bacon and eggs in the morning instead of cereal bar, then indulge that, especially if it will make your experience more enjoyable.

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Doesn’t Have To Be In-Tents

Just because you are camping, it doesn’t have to mean sleeping in a tent that leaks wind and water and creepy crawlies. You can go with something that is a little more aligned with glamping. Teepees, hammocks, bell tents, campervans with an awning, even a cabin; all of these are totally acceptable, and all of these offer way more space and protection. We’ve seen people with bell tents that have got double beds and sofas in them. Now that’s the life, right there.

Best Bathroom Ever

If you can find a way to enjoy the bathroom experience a bit more then you’ll probably start enjoying the whole camping thing a bit more too. That’s just hard when you have to dig a whole fifteen metres away from your base. However, there are ways to overcome this. First off, take a portable camping toilet with you, and do exactly the same as you do at home, just with a far better view. As for the shower, just grab yourself a solar powered shower with a privacy cubicle and all, which will allow you to enjoy a long warm shower in any secluded spot you fancy.

 

Getting Involved in Cycling To Pedal The Pounds Away

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

It’s difficult to make a lifestyle change, especially one which hurts you in order for you to start getting better. Millions of people around the world say ‘this is the year is the year I start getting serious about my fitness.’ However, many fall short, and many don’t even begin their journey. The first hurdle individuals have to jump over is the fact that they will undoubtedly look like an amateur. Many also feel incredibly self-conscious of how they look. Lots of people just want to hide from sight, so they don’t feel like they’re judged. Obviously, an embarrassment of one’s own body keeps people from changing and remaining in a sedimentary and introverted lifestyle. However, there are sports which you can take part in, exercise for and do so in your own time. The key is to take is steady, because slow is smooth and smooth is fast.

Image by – Ben_Kerckx

Why cycling?

Cycling is a great sport to burn fat because you’re literally moving your entire body weight, and bike’s and you’re pushing against the forces of nature. Cycling is one of those sports that cuts directly to the bone and goes for the jugular regarding fat loss. It attacks your body mass index, and extra pounds you’re carrying. This is achieved because when you cycle, you’re in a concentrated posture that mimics that of squatting. The largest muscles in your body, the quadriceps are then forced into action, along with your calves. Research has shown that a waistline of over 35 inches for women puts them at serious risk of heart disease. So when your legs are working extremely hard, the fat on your thighs, waist, and stomach are the first to feel the burn.

Photo credit – Jeremy Jenum

Modern equipment

First thing’s first, you could start cycling at the gym, but if you wouldn’t feel comfortable with people looking at you, perhaps the au naturel route is better for you. You’ll need information on equipment because the sport requires you to be careful of what you’re getting on and what you’re wearing. A versatile road bike, with a smooth frame that absorbs bumps in the street, is the best option. Modern bikes have over 20 gears, which can behave like your marker in a way. If you’re a novice, start on a higher gear, and work your way down. To get the best out of your bike, it needs to last. Read up on how to maintain your bike, so any problems can be attended to before they start to impact your bike. Certain guides will give you information on how to grease your chain, so if you’ve been riding in rain or through mud, the mechanism doesn’t start to lock up and erode. You’ll also get proper information about tyres pressure for different surfaces, which could potentially save you from a nasty fall.

Health and safety first

Before jumping into the sport, you need to make sure you’re in no danger of getting seriously hurt. The proper, bubble spot grip gloves will allow you to grip the handlebars no matter how fast you’re going and how rough the road is. It goes without saying that a rigid bike helmet is imperative to protect your skull should you fall off or be involved in an accident. Adults don’t have to, but knee pads would also be a great way to protect vulnerable joints.

 

 

 

5 Iconic Whisky Cocktails

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

While some whisky lovers will tell you that it is a drink that has been designed to be enjoyed on its own, there is no doubt that it makes some pretty fine cocktails as well. So, here we will have a quick look through some of the finest ones that you can enjoy. The beauty is that a lot of these are very simple to make as well, so if you are not an experienced mixologist, you are in luck!

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A lot of whisky cocktails involve a simple syrup. Essentially all you need to do is put equal parts water and white sugar over a medium-heat saucepan, remove it from the heat when the sugar has dissolved and allow it to cool. Which whisky you use depends on your taste, so you may be a Jim Beam fan or you could take a look at a kikori whisky review for something different. So, let’s move onto those cocktails.

The Manhattan

Probably the most iconic of them all, Manhattans have been enjoyed for years by many iconic people and characters. The classic way to serve it is to strain it into a cocktail glass with a Maraschino cherry. Your other ingredients are vermouth, bitters, the simple syrup we talked about earlier and lemon peel.

Old Fashioned

 

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There is something especially great about going up to a bar and ordering an Old Fashioned and it is a cocktail that even many whisky purists enjoy from time to time. It is traditionally served in a short tumbler glass. You will need bitters again as well as the simple syrup, but you will also serve it with ice cubes and some orange peel to garnish. Squeeze the peel to release the oil to drop into the drink.

Hot Toddy

Though it may not be the right time of year right now to be enjoying one of these, there is nothing like a Hot Toddy during the cold winter months. Originally it was a drink that was designed to cure a whole range of illnesses, though it is not medically prescribed today! As well as your whisky of choice, you will need honey, cloves, nutmeg and lemon to garnish. Place the ingredients in a mug and pour in some hot water while stirring everything together.

Whisky Sour

The one thing that puts people off this particular cocktail is the frothy raw egg white, so you need to make sure you find the freshest eggs before serving up this particular cocktail. You will need lemon juice and your trusty simple syrup as well as your whisky and egg white. Shake everything vigorously before serving and serve in a glass of your choice.

John Collins

Though this is only a subtle variation on the Whisky Sour, the club soda that you add to the previous ingredients already listed above give it a different sort of edge. If you aren’t sure which one you prefer, it is worth giving both a go side by side!

Got a Passion for Fashion? Turn It into a Profession!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Turning their passion into a profession is the dream of many. Unfortunately, however, not enough people attempt such a venture as they choose to, instead, make do with their ‘safe’ job. But where’s the fun, and the passion, in that? Nobody should stand for letting their passion disappear as they settle for a job that doesn’t provoke any sort of feeling within them. And fashionistas certainly shouldn’t stand for it. There are plenty of ways for fashion lovers to forge a career in the fashion industry — read on to find a few of them.

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  1. Dress well; dress differently

Both when you’re in the comfort of friends and when you’re in your fashion based job — whether this be an internship, an entry level fashion store job or a position of management in such a store — you need to dress differently. You need to prove to everyone that you are someone who knows how to be different with their dress sense. But you also need to prove yourself as someone who is on trend too. So, why not try tweaking the current trend, whatever that may be, in your own, unique way?

  1. Connect with as many fellow fashionistas as possible

Even in the fashion industry it is a case of who you know rather than what you know. This is unfortunate because, really, it should be the other way around. However, it’s not and the sooner you accept this, the better off you’ll be. And the sooner you begin to make vital fashion connections, the better off you’ll be too. Whether this means schmoozing the boss of your internship or entry level store job, or connecting with fashion designers as you climb higher up the ladder and attend networking events, you must do it. And you must do it even if you are prone to shyness.

  1. Always, always, always aim higher

Whether being the CEO of a fashion company is your life’s goal or not, in order to forge a career in the fashion industry you have to show yourself to be someone that always wants more. And to show you always want more, you should always be searching and applying for higher level jobs. There are a host of careers at Belk that suit this description perfectly. At the moment, the company has vacancies in all sort of high level roles: from Director of Brand Management to Sourcing Associate to Technical Designer. And these are the sorts of roles that you should set your sites on. Well, in any case, what’s the harm in applying?

If you are a lover of fashion and have a real passion for it, what’s stopping you from turning it into a profession? Certainly not advice on how to go about it, that’s for sure, because it’s all up there above. Maybe it’s because you’re scared that being in such close proximity to fashion at all times will force you to hate it? If this is the case, then you should know that the best and most amazing hack that every fashionista should know is that a career in fashion will provide them with on-tap clothing. If that’s not enough to entice you into the industry, then what is?

 

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