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As trends come and go and taste changes, people’s style evolves along with it. Change is a normal process, but the Coronavirus pandemic drastically and unexpectedly altered fashion trends in many ways. Many people are looking to trade in their loungewear and reclaim their style as life returns to some degree of ordinary. Here are some tips for finding your look and becoming more stylish.

Reevaluate Your Look

Think about your style and what you feel comfortable wearing. Consider what your style was before and think about whether your style has changed in any way. Think about the brands you typically wear and check out fashion blogs and social media to determine if any brands or labels are a better representation of your current style. If you gravitate to specific cuts or colors, or brands like Zimmermann, you will want to incorporate these changes into your existing wardrobe.

Commit to Your Style

Go through your closet and ditch anything that no longer aligns with the way you dress. Maybe you bought something outside of your comfort zone or a garment on sale, and you thought it would work out, but it just has not. If you have no intention of ever wearing it, then it needs to go.

It seems illogical to keep or purchase items that do not fit, but it happens. If you cannot comfortably wear an article of clothing, do not buy it, and if you own clothing that does not fit, do not keep it. You may intend to lose weight, and maybe you will, but plan on updating your wardrobe when that happens. 

Sort through your clothing and sell or donate garments that still have life left and recycle past-their-prime items. Getting rid of clothing, particularly things in good condition, can be tough, but it is worth it. 

Repair Items

There is no place in your closet for items that have visible wear and tear, but clothing that matches up with your style and has slight damage can still find a place in your collection. Dropped hems, broken zippers, and loose buttons can be repaired. There are plenty of YouTube videos that can help walk you through making these repairs, or you can find a local seamstress to fix items. Repairing quality garments that you like and represent your style allows you to get the most use and enjoyment from these items.

Stock Up On Basics

You certainly want anchor items that accurately represent your style and put your taste on display. However, you also need a basic wardrobe. These basic or staple items typically include simple pants and blouses, tee shirts, denim jackets, and other pieces that complement your style-forward garments. Make sure you have enough of these pieces to round out your look. 

Try to Be Mostly Practical

People are dressing more casually as a result of the pandemic. Professionals who once had to dress in business attire when working out of an office may no longer need to do so. If you are returning to a formal work setting, it makes sense to hold on to pieces that you can wear to an office. Although, if working from home is your permanent routine, you need to evaluate how you want to dress. Working from home allows for a much more casual way of dressing, but you should still dress in a way that represents your style even if it is a more comfortable version of your style. 

Selecting a stylish outfit can help you feel put together, confident, and ready to take on your day, whether heading out to the office or working from your home setup. Clothing choices are about showcasing your style and accurately representing yourself. Just because you may not be coming into contact with as many people these days does not mean you should forgo your style.

Shop Smart

Once you have a handle on your style and your existing wardrobe, make sure to stick to that look when shopping for new pieces. Don’t be distracted by sales or garments you think you might wear. Stay true to your look and buy clothes you like and will be right at home in your closet. Select versatile clothing that can be dressed up for special occasions but still help you get through a random workday. 

Know Your Look

The pandemic put so many things on hold, and in some ways, fashion was sidelined. When many people began working remotely or stopped going out socially, they may have lost touch with their style. It is possible to regain your look and the confidence that comes with an on-trend outfit. A carefully curated wardrobe can take work, but it offers many benefits, like a consistent style and even an easier time selecting what to wear each day. Following some easy tips can help you reclaim your style and harness the confidence that comes with fashionable dressing.

Betting on sports is a fun hobby that has been around for centuries but has recently enjoyed a resurgence in popularity. Gambling or betting on sports has an undeserved reputation for being improper, but this is because it was prohibited in most of the U.S. for many years. Find out why betting on sports is a fun activity and how to get started placing your bets and becoming part of the action.

Understanding Sports Betting

Betting on sports is similar to other forms of gambling in that you are placing a wager on a specific outcome. While in a card game, the wager is that you will win the hand or game, or in roulette, you try to guess the number and color where the ball will land. Betting on a specific team to win a game is the most basic form of sports betting. 

Depending on the sportsbook, the organization that accepts and coordinates bets, you may also be able to bet on other aspects of the game, like point spreads and over/under totals. Some sportsbooks accept parley or combo bets, which are several different bets linked together, and each bet must win to pay out a greater amount. 

Ease of Placing Bets

Placing a sports bet used to mean going to a sportsbook and standing in line. Now most people tend to choose online sportsbooks to place bets, but in today’s day and age, you can also use some innovative sports betting apps seen on Basketball Insiders. The use of betting apps would allow you to place bets wherever you are, not being tied to your laptop or desktop computer. 

Entertainment 

Watching live sports is fun, but wagering on the game can increase the entertainment value. Many people find they become more engaged and interested in the action when they have placed a bet. They are now invested in the game and feel more involved, and they share more in the experience.

Many people who bet on sports become more engrossed and involved when they routinely place bets. They read up on different teams and players and try to make informed bets that are likely to pay off. This additional research gets the individual placing the bet more involved in the sports betting hobby and more interested in the sport. They develop a better appreciation and understanding of the game, which allows them to gain even more enjoyment and entertainment from the experience.  

Expand Your Horizon 

Betting on a game that does not include your favorite team is a great way to get excited and interested in a game that you would not otherwise care about much, if at all. You may be exposed to players you would not usually see and develop a greater understanding and appreciation of the game, other teams, and other players. 

Betting on sports that you are not very familiar with is a great way to learn more about that sport. Learning a new sport and picking up all of the rules and strategies can be challenging and maybe even a bit boring, but a wager will keep you engaged and give you more of a reason to stick with the game. 

May Make Money 

Watching a game offers plenty of entertainment, but the ability to make money also adds to the fun. You may end up walking away glad that your prediction was correct, but you may have some extra money in your pocket, too.

When betting on sports, it is crucial to place bets that you are comfortable making. If you can afford to wager $10 or $20, then that is what you should do. Wagering large sums of money may pay out more if you win, but if the stress of the bet will ruin the experience and enjoyment of the game, then stick to amounts that make you more comfortable.  

Cost-Effective Hobby  

Whenever you place a bet, there is always the chance that you may lose the bet and your money. That is part of the fun, and losing sometimes makes winning that much more enjoyable. Sports wagering can be a cost-effective hobby since it costs whatever amount you choose to bet. You can easily keep the expenses within your budget, and there are no additional costs. For example, if you were to go to the movies, you would have to buy a ticket, or if you join a sports league, you would need to buy gear or equipment. When it comes to betting on sports, you only spend the amount you wager, and you can control that amount to ensure you do not pay more than you want or can afford. 

Place Your Bets

Sports betting continues to gain in popularity, and for good reasons. Wagering helps make sporting events more exciting and enjoyable, it is a great way to learn more about a game or other types of sports, and you may make money.  

If you’ve ever had to write anything serious, from an essay in school to more creative projects like a novel, chances are you have experienced the mind crippling phenomenon that is writer’s block. You keep writing the beginning of the same sentence over and over again or even worse, you keep staring at your blank screen, hating yourself while waiting for the magic to happen and get you going.

This experience is far more common than you might realize, but that doesn’t mean it’s difficult to tackle. On the contrary, you can turn things around fairly quickly if you can find the root of the problem.

Shut Off the Critic in Your Head (Temporarily)

Some professional writers believe that writer’s block doesn’t exist; it’s merely a sign of lack of confidence in our ability to write something good enough and it’s akin to the fear of rejection. Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with this sentiment, you can’t deny the fact that at least it’s some part of it. And it’s not exclusive to writing either, all creatives experience it in some shape or form.

The lack of confidence usually manifests itself as the critical voice in our head. It’s not useless. It’s a quality control center that has our best interest at heart. It is what gives us authenticity and makes every one of us unique. But, it also gets in the way and makes our creative flow falter. The key is to control it instead of being controlled by it.

Writing is thinking on paper. We cannot control our thought patterns, nor we are aware of all the thinking that happens in our minds. The vast majority of our thinking processes happen subconsciously and of those that we are conscious of, we only control a tiny fraction of it. This is why many novelists believe that stories write themselves and authors are only vessels in the process. 

What we do is that we set up checkpoints on the way to evaluate what’s being written which often breaks the train of thought and brings everything to a halt. The more frequent these checkpoints appear, the less productive and the more crippling the writing process will become.

By keeping this cerebral critic dormant while are writing, we make progress. This is partly the reason why brainstorming can be so effective as a technique. Brainstorming allows the participants to think freely because the premise is that in order to eventually generate innovative ideas, judgments and biases must be set aside.

But what about the quality you may ask? This is when editing comes into play. We can still benefit from that judgmental part of our mind to satisfy our need to produce high-quality material. In fact, it’s necessary to do so as sloppy and unedited writing brings with it negative feedback which further feeds the critical voice’s desire to be cynical and disruptive.

Gain Clarity Before Making a Judgement

Another reason why we should postpone quality control to the editing phase is that what’s in our minds is drastically different from what we set down. Writing is a process and putting words and sentences down on paper is just a tiny part of it.

While in our heads, thoughts are formless and abstract. By saying them out loud or writing them down, we shape them into tangible entities that can be assessed. We gain clarity through writing because when the ideas are out there in the open, we can better see their faults and imperfections. We can trade shoes with the reader to see things from their perspective. Judging ideas that haven’t been materialized yet is just not as accurate or helpful.

Ideas, Pressure, and Anxiety

Writer’s block can happen for any type of writing and it’s not all about perfectionism or the fear of rejection. Sometimes we get stagnant simply because we don’t have an idea or lack enough knowledge to talk about a specific subject. Other times, we might be suffering from deadline-induced anxiety because we just have too much on our plates.

There are solutions to all of these issues. First, we should bear in mind that creativity does not occur in isolation. It’s the clash between different ideas that fosters creative and imaginative thinking. Exposure to other people’s work and creative projects often bestows us with new and interesting ideas to work with.

Additionally, while writing is mostly a solitary activity, it doesn’t have to be. Involving others in your process or getting help from peers and professionals can help to conquer mental constipation and get things going. If you don’t have anyone around you that can lend you a hand, look up online communities like the best essay writing service Reddit and you’ll find people that are eager to help.

And in cases where we lack in-depth knowledge about a subject, setting a separate research session can be quite useful. The idea is to temporarily forget about writing, and research the topic from various sources to genuinely understand it. When you get rid of the pressure to write, you often find yourself engaged in the concepts, and by comparing different sources and a little bit of analysis, you can develop a fresh angle to work on.

Planning for a road trip during this coronavirus outbreak? As holidays roll about and restrictions are starting to ease around the country, going on a long-distance road trip sounds like the best idea to ease those restless travel bugs.

In fact, a Harvest Hosts survey shows 2021 to be the year of the road trip and notes that many Americans are ready to travel domestically. Though not by plane, many prefer RV travel instead as a more economical option for accommodation while avoiding crowded spaces. 

Then again, embarking on a road trip is no simple undertaking, with or without a pandemic. To make sure you will have a fun and safe road trip during your holidays, here are a few helpful tips to take note of while road-tripping during the pandemic. 

Check Your Vehicle Condition

Road trips are great, but only if you don’t run into any car problems. This may be a flat tire or failing engine, and it can cost extra during emergencies. Plus, the thing is, you know you can easily avoid all this if you have checked your vehicle condition for the big journey.

So before you hit the road, make sure you bring your vehicle to the mechanic for preventive maintenance. Check your brakes and battery if they are in good condition, examine your tires’ air pressure to see if they are ideal. When the air pressure is too low, it can consume more fuel due to the more vigorous friction between the tires and the road.

Also, inspect your vehicle fluids to ensure they are within normal functioning parameters. For safeguard, you can even consider bringing some extra fluids in your trunk, along with a spare tire and emergency roadside assistance kit in your bunk.

But honestly, it’s hard to predict what will happen on the road. Even with the best preparations, with your vehicle traveling long miles, there is still a chance that accidents may occur. 

So last but not least, write down the contact number of the towing service in the area you are traveling. Because you never know if you will be stranded in the middle of nowhere with no network connectivity.

Plan Some Road Entertainment

A long road trip can feel exciting at first, but the feeling can quickly wear out when you look at the same scenery repeating outside your window. Not to mention, you may start feeling uncomfortable with every passing hour being stuck in the car.

Especially if your road trip will span several days, you’d definitely want to plan the process as well as the end destination. Include rest stops along the way for everyone to stretch and take a breather. Add detours to local landmarks or delicious food spots to make the whole process to your destination more exciting.  

You can also plan some entertainment during the drive, like having a karaoke session with a playlist of everyone’s favorite songs. Or, if you are traveling with kids, you can even play some fun road trip games like ‘I spy’ or a deck of cards to pass the time. 

Another great idea you can consider is to document your trip. Whether it’s just Instagram or recording with a video camera, this will give you and your travel companion some activity to do during the long journey. Plus, you will have something to remember from the trip.

Stay Hydrated and Well-Rested

Get a full night’s sleep before you hit the road. Studies have shown that drowsy driving is the same as drunk driving. If you are awake for more than 18 hours, your ability to drive is impaired in the same way as drinking alcohol. Lack of sleep can make you less alert and result in slow reflexes, dizziness, and blurred vision, which is dangerous if you drive on the road. 

Another tip is staying hydrated to avoid experiencing tiredness or fatigue. We are constantly under the air conditioner in the vehicle, which can easily make us dehydrate faster, affecting your focus during the drive. So while you may want to avoid going to the toilet too often, you want to be constantly taking small sips of water to stay hydrated. 

But still, we encourage you to take more frequent breaks on long-distance road trips. Because from a safety standpoint, it will keep your energy up and help you stay alert while driving. 

Staying Safe During the Coronavirus Outbreak

As we are in extraordinary times, check for any COVID-specific travel restrictions when planning your road trip. Get your information from the state or territory health department to get the most up-to-date and accurate details.

Of course, pack a sufficient amount of masks, disinfectant wipes, and hand sanitizer with you on your trip and use them often. Avoid touching your face and make it a habit to frequently sanitize your hands and clean surfaces. 

Most importantly, keep yourself and your family safe. If anyone in your group is experiencing COVID-like symptoms, however mild, be sure to try and clear for COVID before leaving. 

If the idea of stucco repair, changing your car’s oil or filing your own taxes gives you the heebie-jeebies, don’t worry—you aren’t alone. In the many stages of life, major milestones like moving out and getting a new house are undoubtedly daunting and the list of potential problems that one may encounter once leaving the nest is paralyzing. While we may claim to live in the age of information, most youths seem to lack the life skills needed to lead healthy and productive lives once they’re on their own.

Although it may not seem glamorous, there are a number of important life skills that one should learn before claiming ‘independence’. Simply knowing how to make non-microwavable meals and how to make a doctor’s appointment is barely scratching the surface of what proper ‘adulting’ entails. So here’s some skills you should consider learning that will save you a lot of time (and money) down the road:

Basic Home Repair 

Wear and tear are par for the course if you plan to settle down somewhere for a while or if you’re the newest tenant of a ‘gently used’ building. This can be anything from leaky faucets, cracks in the wall or that one sink that has trouble draining. While it’s all too tempting to just shrug and sigh (or maybe call a handyman to come down and have a go at fixing it), learning how to fix these issues is often relatively inexpensive and not too difficult.

Most hardware stalls carry what you need to carry out small repairs and the internet is full of helpful step by step guides (with pictures!) that will take you through how to fix the issue. The leaky faucet may be something that doesn’t drive you crazy, but allowing small problems like that to persist can actually result in costly and damaging consequences that will take far more money and time to fix.  

Basic Sewing 

In a world full of fast fashion, it often seems easier to just throw away a shirt with a hole and get a new one rather than try to fix it. To be fair, it’s not completely the consumer’s fault. Fast fashion has created a fashion world where the output is ruled by quantity and low prices rather than quality. Shirts are getting flimsier, shoe soles are getting thinner and our wallets get lighter every time we go online to order yet another t-shirt with a funny caption that will likely only last a month before having to be replaced.

Basic sewing may feel like a skill best acquired by fussy mothers and doting grandmothers and a product of a bygone era, but it’s quite invaluable. Most craft shops or even pharmacies will sell a basic sewing kit for under $5 and all you really need to get started is a needle and some thread.

You don’t have to become Martha Stewart or start aspiring to open a tailoring service, but simple clothes repairs like sewing a loose button, mending a hole and stitching up a tear are not only time savers but also save you money. With some practice, such quick fixes generally take less than five minutes and cost far less compared to ordering something new online or having to go down to the shops to buy a similar item. On top of that, if done well, it often isn’t noticeable and can extend the lifespan of a clothing item by several more months. 

How To Manage Finances

Budgeting may be the last thing on your mind once you achieve any modicum of financial freedom. This is not surprising considering that many of us see payday as a chance to indulge and treat ourselves to whatever we feel that we have rightfully earned. However, those of us who have partaken in such a carefree mindset, have also often found that money begins to get tight far too early into the month.

While most of us dread the idea of ever having to use math once we graduated high school, learning skills like financial planning and balancing a checkbook are essential to ensuring one’s long term financial welfare. Learning how to budget is important because it helps us to better plan our monthly expenses and what to prioritize in our spending. It also gives us the chance to better predict and plan for emergencies both big and small. Even starting a savings account and learning the discipline needed to regularly use it will set you in the right direction for achieving a healthy bank balance.

As the world grows increasingly complex, the list of skills needed to survive feels like it’s growing ever longer. While many of us champion skills like tech-savviness, good interpersonal communication and the ability to multitask (for good reason as these are important too), it is important to also be able to solve small, everyday problems. Now that basic guides on how to solve most of these issues are readily available online, all the more, we should take advantage of the surplus of resources available to us and add some practical skills to our ‘adulting’ toolbelt.

It’s easy to neglect your space when life gets busy, but keeping your home organized and clean can go a long way to help you maintain your sanity. Studies have shown that your environment is linked to your cortisol levels and that messy or cluttered homes can add to everyday stress. 

In fact, the simple sight of a clean and organized home can be necessary for people to unwind and destress after an overwhelming day. But while we all adore beautiful homes with clutter-free tabletops and sparkling floorboards, it can be challenging to maintain everything in perfect order day by day.

So how exactly do some people manage to pull it off, and what’s their secret to having a clean and tidy home? Here we will give you some quick tips to incorporate a cleaning routine and habit into your life. 

Keeping only the Essentials

Having fewer items is the key to keeping things tidy. Nowadays, many people are adopting minimalism as a simple living lifestyle to minimize clutter in their life. 

That’s why the first step to having a clean and tidy space is to get rid of the clutter. Go through each room, closet, and drawer to separate the essentials from things you no longer need. To take the guesswork out of what the essentials are, ask yourself these few questions.

Do you use the item regularly, occasionally, or never at all? Is it an important memorabilia, and in the words of Marie Kondo – does it spark joy? The items you keep should only add value to your life, be it through functionality or emotionally. 

The thing is, we often hold on to things we no longer have a use for. Ditching the clutter will not only free up space, but as a bonus, you don’t have to dust or wipe as many things.

Plus, do not be afraid to remove larger objects from your house. You can always employ junk removal companies to help you take unwanted items off your hands quickly and efficiently. 

The next best thing you can also consider doing is to donate them. Go through all your items and separate items that are still perfectly functional. Give them away to your friends and family, or donate them to your local charity. 

Create a Space for Everything

Once you clear out everything you don’t need, you are left with only the important stuff. Now is the time to create a dedicated spot for them. Though this might sound simple, having a proper place to put your items away can drastically reduce the amount of clutter in your home. 

This will go a long way and make things easier for you to keep your home space and mind space tidy and clean. For example, many often misplace their keys and can spend hours hunting for them. 

If that is you, here’s an easy solution. Install a key rack or place a bowl anywhere near your front door, make sure it is in view, and you will save all the hassle. 

Drawer organizers, storage bins, and wardrobe storage systems can revolutionize your space for the better. Once you have an efficient organizational system in place, you’ll be truly amazed at how much easier it is to stay organized and tidy.  

Allow Yourself One Messy Drawer 

Though we prefer tidy spaces, it’s tough to maintain everything in order every day. There are just those days when you come back from work exhausted, and you feel like slumping on the bed right away.

For those who would like a cheat day, you can have a ‘messy drawer’ or a single space where you can keep unorganized. 

This is also great for people who have a hard time letting go of items they may need in the future or would like to stack up against your messes until the weekend. However, make sure to clear out your junk drawer when and don’t let it pile till you overflow. 

Do Your Cleaning Regularly

There’s no other way about it. To keep your space clean and tidy, you need to perpetually clean your home and work hard to keep it that way. 

Form good habits and make sure you keep things today regularly. Folding your blanket, putting things back where they belong, and cleaning dishes right after eating are all good habits you need to adopt. 

A simple rule is that if it takes 2 minutes or less, do it immediately. If you get in the habit of doing small things right away, it clears your mind for the more significant tasks on your list, which will help you to be more productive in your day. 

Additionally, designate a specific day each week as your cleaning day. This is the day where you vacuum the floors, change bedsheets, wash towels, clean your bathroom and do more tedious cleaning tasks. 

Ultimately, the goal is to make cleaning a routine and lifestyle, so you won’t feel it is a workout to keep your space tidy. 

Online classes have made it a lot easier to attend courses. You have the flexibility and freedom to learn conveniently from anywhere and at your own comfort. Students have the opportunity to pick from numerous classes and learn direct from here with the likes of MasterClass. 

One potential downside to this is that students can get laid back because of the open-ended nature of the programs. That’s why we’ve put together this article and covered four essential tips for taking online classes and acing them. Keep reading to learn more. 

Take Online Courses Seriously

It’s easy for students not to take online courses seriously. Showing up to a classroom physically and having a teacher or professor conduct the class is obviously more engaging, but that doesn’t justify slacking off during an online program. You must exercise discipline and approach the course with the dedication to follow it through properly. 

These courses may give you the flexibility to complete assignments at your convenience, but there’s a tendency to procrastinate and put off work with online programs. A simple way to take the course seriously is to remind yourself that you’ve paid fees to attend it, just like a traditional program. Being aware of this can help you show up and take the coursework seriously. 

Set Up a Dedicated Study Space

You need to set up a space that’s specifically for studying, like it was at school or college. When you repeatedly complete your tasks in that space, it’ll establish a routine and make it easier for you to switch your focus mode on when you’re sitting there. The options are numerous when studying from home—you have your kitchen table, hall, or even the bedroom(s). 

You’ll have to decide what environment is most suitable for you. Are you prone to lying down and dozing off in your bedroom? Is your kitchen too noisy? It’ll be better to study in a different place if the environment isn’t conducive to productivity. Make sure your dedicated study space is well-lit with plenty of natural light; it’ll enhance your productivity. Importantly, ensure you have access to high-speed internet from whatever area you’re occupying. A slow connection will hinder your learning process and lower productivity. 

A simple way to focus better during online classes is to use headphones, especially noise cancellation ones, if you are studying in a space with many ambient sounds. 

Get Rid of Distractions

There are way too many things that can distract a person—from Instagram and YouTube to Netflix and HBO Max. It can be very easy to lose yourself down that rabbit hole of distraction if you’re not focused. Rather than fighting off distractions while you’re studying, you need to minimize the distractions so that you can focus on your class instead of exercising your self-control. 

If you find it hard to stay off social media and other entertainment apps, it will help to keep your smartphone or tablet away so that you’re less inclined to check it every now and then. If there’s too much noise in your study space, you could always use headphones to make things quiet, or even better, rely on a productivity app to make it easy to focus. 

Understand Your Productivity Patterns

Once you get a good understanding of your productivity patterns, you will see your efficiency skyrocket. This means observing and tapping into situations and routines that help bring out your efficiency. If you’re a morning person, make sure to study first thing in the morning. If you work better on an empty stomach, then schedule your study sessions before meals rather than immediately after. 

Picking out the perfect gift is not always easy, but when you give someone a gift that they appreciate and are excited to receive, the effort to find the gift is worth it. The right gift should be fun and functional, or memorable. An item that can be used and admired will very likely be treasured and remind your recipient about your thoughtful gesture every time it is put to use. Gift shopping just got easier thanks to this list of top holiday gifts for baseball fans.

Fan Gear

Make it easy for your loved ones to show their team pride by gifting them with gear bearing their team’s logo. Mugs are one of the best Christmas gifts for baseball lovers, and you can make the experience of receiving a mug extra special by including the additional packaging. Tee shirts, jerseys, and hats are always popular items that will be put to good use whether they are cheering for their team from the stands or at home. For fans who live in colder climates, jackets, gloves, and winter hats are a great way to stay warm during the playoffs or show their support during the offseason. 

If you are unsure about the size or style of branded clothing, consider gifting items with the team colors and logo that are not size specific, like a throw blanket, bracelet, or keychain. You can even find home goods, luggage, and more gear that will allow your recipient to show their team pride.

Baseball Equipment

A new glove or bat is a sure winner for the baseball fan who likes to get in on the action. Whether your loved one needs new gear for the upcoming baseball or softball season or if they want to get in some long toss, the right equipment can make all the difference. New cleats or batting gloves can also be useful gifts that will let your loved one experience the game they love while putting their skills to the test. If purchasing gear that will be used in a baseball or softball league, just make sure to follow any guidelines regarding bats.

Memorabilia

Go big with your gifting by finding a piece of baseball history your gift recipient can call their own. Stores that specialize in memorabilia and online auctions make it possible to find old seats, game-worn items, bats, balls, dirt from a pitcher’s mound, and more. Search for an object connected to their favorite player or track down an item from their favorite stadium for a one-of-a-kind gift that will certainly be proudly displayed in their home.

Take In a Game

Surprising your friend or loved one with tickets to a game is a gift that is sure to cause excitement. Make the experience even more memorable by getting a ticket for yourself so you can attend the game together and share the experience. It will not matter if you have seats behind home plate or in the upper deck because this gift is an experience that is about spending time together.

Spending time together can help people connect and create new memories. A baseball game is a great way to connect because you can watch the game and talk about the activity and the plays. During the time between innings or other lulls in the action, you can talk about baseball or other interests and better understand each other while enjoying the game and one another’s company.

While catching a major league game is always exciting, consider going to a minor league game instead if a major league game is not possible due to distance or other constraints. You will still get to experience the excitement of a live game while also maybe catching a glimpse of up-and-coming players and spending quality time together. 

Visit the Stadium

If scheduling is a problem and attending a game is not possible, consider arranging a stadium tour. Many baseball stadiums offer tours of the facility that provide a behind-the-scenes look at areas not normally accessible to fans. Each baseball stadium has its own unique quirks that make it an integral part of the game, and many people are just as much fans of the stadium as they are the home team.

The Perfect Gift

The right gift for the baseball fan in your life will be something heartfelt and meaningful. Taking the time to find a gift that allows them to enjoy their favorite team and sport will show that you care. Spending time together is a great way to make a statement and create fond memories you can both share for years to come. However, a unique mug or hard-to-find piece of memorabilia will be a representation of their love of the game and your thoughtfulness that your loved one can always treasure.

Running a business is not easy. Creating a successful business is even harder. There are many challenges to starting and growing a business—finding the right people, financial management, keeping up with the market, and more. 

But ever since the pandemic hit in early 2020, more small businesses are appearing despite a volatile market and economic uncertainty. Many people are taking the opportunity to start businesses in COVID-19 friendly industries and digital solutions. 

As the business magnate, Warren Buffet once said, “Be fearful when others are greedy and be greedy when others are fearful.” Sometimes, businesses created amidst adversaries can flourish better. 

But before you start your own business, here are some quick entrepreneurial tips to help smooth the bumps along the way.

Keep Detailed Financial Records

Running a business can be backbreaking and exhausting enough without the complexity of filing taxes each year. So make sure you have the process handled correctly right from the very beginning. 

You will need to keep a thorough and accurate record of the transactions and expenses throughout the year to file your tax returns correctly. Failing to do so might put yourself and your company at risk. To avoid this, consider hiring a trusted accountant to get the job done while you have more time and headspace to focus on what truly matters for your business. 

As a small or medium business, the last thing you want to do is give your hard-earned business income to the government. Luckily, there are some tax deduction strategies to reduce your taxable income. An increasing number of governments are offering special incentives for R&D expenditures. 

Suppose your business is focused on expanding and researching, and developing to innovate new products or services. In that case, you can consider asking your accountant about the R&D tax credit claim using R&D software. 

This tax credit is eligible for businesses of all sizes and not just for major corporations with an expensive list of R&D activities qualifying for the credit. Doing this can not only grow your business but help reduce your tax payables.

Connect With Your Audience

For business-to-consumer (B2C) businesses, you want to make social media your holy grail. Solving your customer needs and exceeding expectations is what drives business growth. This means connecting with your customers where they are and establishing a stronger connection with them through meeting their needs.

Besides, interacting with your audience is essential as it positions your business as a brand that cares and takes time to deal with customers’ feedback and problems. You can try putting up a poll or Q&A session on your Instagram or post a Facebook story for better reach and engagement.

Let’s say you are running a home baking business. You could ask your audience or followers what problems they face while baking cupcakes or cakes. Then, reply to the questions with proper solutions or suggestions to the problem they stated. Doing this will reinforce your authority as a business with experience and boosts audience trust towards your business. 

Rank Your Customers 

If you’re a small business just starting out with a few clients, then you might know your customers by their name as every order or purchase means a lot to you. You can take this information to another level by ranking your customers based on key attributes. 

Let’s take one attribute, “spend the most”, then generate a list of the customers. This way, you will be able to contact them for feedback, and if the response is good, they might even reorder!

When you follow up or provide an excellent after-sales service, it portrays that your business genuinely cares about your customers. In return, they have a higher possibility of becoming your loyal customers. 

Returning customers are more valuable than new customers as you can count on them on days without sales. They are the customers who you should be rolling out the red carpet for your “A-list customers”. At the same time, you should also have a B, C or even a D list of customers as you can convert these prospects into your future customers. 

To make this process easier, you can try out some accounting software that will allow you to sort your customers based on their purchases quickly. By investing your time and resources into this process, you can expect some long-term and valuable customer relationships that will pay off. 

The Bottom Line 

As a small business owner starting out, you will need to wear MANY different hats, and it will take a toll on you at the end of the day. 

Regardless, like anything else in life, you have to put in the time and more effort than others to reap the benefits of running a business. Our advice is not to focus on the short-term gains but instead look for the long-term. Perseverance and patience is key to a successful business!

The human spirit is resilient. Out of the gloom and doom of Covid-19, with the help of the internet, new lives are emerging and new industries are flourishing. Shut-in, for months, in isolation, initially drove people crazy, some literally. But at the same time, it has triggered intense introspection and self-discovery. Hidden physically, people presence on the internet exploded. C.S. Lewis said, “We read to know we are not alone”, and the pandemic has shown us that we also write to reach out and connect with others.

In the past, under the traditional publishing model, books were generally written by established authors who had already won prestigious book prizes and awards, or at least published and sold their books. Now, with e-books and self-publishing the norm, anyone with a good story can publish a book. Even established authors like Salman Rushdie and Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk have hopped onto the self-publishing wagon. 

Building the Foundations

Publishing your first book can be daunting, but it’s actually not as hard as you might think.

In the last decade or so, the internet has made self-publishing much easier. If you can write the content, there are expert tools available for formatting your book that will add the professional touch and make sure your launch is successful. Tools like this are worth it, because the difference between a professionally presented book and a PDF exported from your computer cannot be overstated. It is a small expense that will pay off big time when you’re trying to market your newly published manuscript.

In terms of file formats, the most common ones accepted by publishers at the moment are, in order of use and preference: epub, pdf and docx. You don’t need to worry about this too much though, because there are also many free online conversion tools where you can convert your documents into the format for the platform you wish to publish on. Self-publishing is so popular now that there is no shortage of YouTube videos and online guides to using the various programs available. Most publishing marketplaces also offer free publishing guidelines and these are easily accessible and downloadable for reference. Remember that they want your book, so they are here to help you!

Next there is the front and back matter. The type of matter you will need and include depends mostly on the genre of your book: fiction versus non-fiction. Do your research on the matter needed for a book. This page provides a good overview of what you will likely need to include. The matter needed for a book comes under the topic of “book design” and is a vital part of making your book look professional. 

The Nuts And Bolts

There is a lot more to know about self-publishing. Included in book design are the little elements that come together to play a big part in making your book a beautiful reality, and not just a book you self-published.

First comes the form—this decides the structure of your page—and this should be replicated on every page to look uniform and neat. This means choosing the right margins, understanding bleeds, and choosing the right headers, footers and page numbers. It will also include getting your indents, spacing and rags correct. This can be tricky to understand, and is a place where professionals can add a lot of value.

The font also determines how friendly and readable your book is going to be. The font should allow the reader to have a smooth and enjoyable time reading what you have written. There is always a temptation to be different, to stand out and every author wants that. But in the book world, it’s the content that matters. Don’t try to be fancy—pick something simple and readable.

Finally, remember to acknowledge everyone who has helped you with your book. This is important, as it helps portray you as human to potential readers. As well as those who have helped you professionally, consider thanking your friends and family especially if they have contributed thoughts and ideas to your book.

All this may sound a little daunting initially, especially if it’s your first book. I was nervous when I took my first step as well! But stick with it. In the beginning, everything may seem difficult. After the first time, it will be a breeze.

There are many online graphic designers and professional editors that can help out, and software available as mentioned above. Whatever you choose to do, just get your first book out. You will be really glad once you have.