The Best Way to Clean your Living Room

 

If you or your family tend to spend a lot of time in the living room, chances are it’s going to need cleaning quite often. However, the thought of cleaning the room might fill you with dread.  You no doubt have a least one sofa, some rugs, a window or two to clean, and so much more! The good news is that cleaning your living room does not have to be a task you dread. You can make life so much easier on yourself, and here’s how:

Clear Out the Clutter

You’ll find it so much easier to clean your living room if you clear out the clutter. Or if you tidy it up, at least. Put all those games, books and devices where they belong so you can clean everything. Trust me, once you’ve had a bit of a tidy up the whole room will look better already.

Do a Spot of Vacuuming

Now it’s time for you to do a spot of vacuuming. Make sure you get into those corners and the skirting boards. If you have blinds you can give them a quick vacuum too. You might also want to do light fittings and fixtures. Don’t be afraid to go over the same spot a few times, just to make sure you’ve picked up all the dirt. Just make sure you approach the spot from a different angle so your vacuum has a better chance of sucking up more.

Cleaning your Carpets

If you want to go for a real deep clean then you could consider cleaning your carpets. However, this is quite a bit job so it might be worth asking a carpet cleaning company to do it for you. If you have children, the best time to clean your carpets could be when they’re asleep. You won’t have to worry about your little ones walking all over the damp carpet. Alternatively, you could clean them when the little ones are at school.

Clean your TV

If you spend a lot of time watching television, chances are you won’t have realised how dirty it has become. Give it a wipe with a duster and remove those fingerprints. Chances are your TV will look much cleaner than it has in a long time.

Refreshing your Curtains

Many people neglect their curtains because they simply forget about them. Give your curtains a shake and don’t be afraid to vacuum them. You might also want to spray them with some deodoriser so they smell nice and fresh. Consider re-hanging your curtains if they’re looking a little droopy.

Polish all Surfaces

Lastly, you might want to consider polishing any table tops and legs in your living room. Bookshelves and windowsills will also need a bit of care and attention so they look good. A bit of polish can breathe new life into the surfaces and make them look much better.

With a little bit of work, you can make your living room look wonderfully clean, making it an even more enjoyable place to be.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Trip

 

When you travel to a new destination, you would obviously want to make the most out of your trip. In this article, we will share with you some of the strategies that will help you see more of the place with the limited time that you have.

Do your research about the destination.

Do your homework about the city and take note of the operating hours of the attractions that you would want to visit, as well as the travel time and ways on how to get there for better planning. You can also look at travel books and online resources for ideas on the places to visit. There are a lot of travel blogs nowadays which serve as city guides that tell you the best views and restaurants.

Book early outbound flight and late return flight.

Doing this strategy allows you to have the maximum time at the place that you will visit. You can book an airport hotel in the night before if your flight is early or get some sleep while on the plane.

Book an accommodation in the central area.

It is highly recommended to book your hotel or accommodation which is locates close to the tourist spots that you would want to visit or in an area where local transportation is easily accessible. This will not only save you time, but also money.

Look for restaurants online before you travel to the place.

This is recommended especially if you are a picky eater. Do your research on the good restaurants available in order to save time looking for where to eat while you’re there.

Use public transportation.

You can use local transportation system including buses, trains, trams, and subways in order to move around the area much faster. If you want to see local streets and the city is safe and not too big, you can also walk around.

Final Thoughts

These are just some of the best ways to make the most out of your trip. With experience, you will surely learn how to quickly adapt to new places. In the end, what is important is that you enjoyed your trip, whether or not you are able to accomplish everything that you wanted to do.

 

Most Effective Ways to Avoid Excessive Baggage Fees

 

One of the things that many travellers hate is being told that their baggage is over the allowed weight and that they need to pay a certain fee. These excess luggage fees can be costly and can lead to stress because it means going over your budget. In order to avoid this unpleasant situation, here are some effective tips that you should try.

Just use a small suitcase.

Although your tendency is to use a large suitcase that can fit in many item, it is recommended to just  small one in order to prevent yourself from bringing more than what you actually need. However, if you don’t have any other choice than to usea large one, then just put the heavy items in your cabin luggage.

Weigh your luggage before your date of travel.

Weigh your luggage yourself to make sure that you don’t go over the limit. By doing this simple step of checking your bags in a scale, you will be able to spare yourself from all the stress when you’re already in the airport.

Choose generous airlines.

Some airlines are more generous than others when it comes to hand luggage allowance. It is recommended to choose these airlines that don’t offer weight restriction to save money.

Don’t be sneaky with your additional hand luggage.

Some people in the boarding gate bring trolley cabin bags and large handbags, but their allowance is only for a single item. These people will be told by the staff and will be ordered to put their handbag inside the trolley bag, but it wouldn’t fit and they will be asked to pay extra fees. Before your travel date, check if you are allowed to bring two items of hand luggage or just a single one.

Put heavy items inside your coat pockets if they can fit and wear heavy clothes.

By keeping these heavy items inside the pockets of your coat, you will be able to save a few extra kilograms. You can also wear heavy clothing including coats and boots which can easily add weight to your luggage.

Final Thoughts

By doing the tips shared in this article, you won’t go through the hassle and incur unexpected expenses due to your excess luggage ever again. Though they are just seemingly simple pieces of advice, they can be extremely beneficial for you as a traveller.

The Traveller’s Guide on How to Make the Perfect Itinerary

 

One of the most essential tools for travellers is the itinerary because it ensures that you will be able to get the most out of your trip and there will be no wasted time. An itinerary can offer a clear view of different travel aspects because it can help set daily and total budget, uncover the different activities offered, provide a better understanding of the new destination, and ultimately make your trip more remarkable and unforgettable. In this article, we will share some tips on how to create the ultimate travel itinerary.

Know what type of traveller you are.

It is important to establish what type of traveller you are in order to create an itinerary that will suit your preferences, interests, and lifestyle. It will also enable you to have a tailored experience and optimized trip.

Choose a destination and set a budget.

Your drive to pursue certain activities on a trip often depends on your core interests. Different destinations provide unique experiences and therefore you must choose a place which fits into these interests and the type of traveller you are. This will also help you think about what you want to obtain from your trip.

After determining what you want you want to do and where you want to go, you should then set a budget. Costs for your flight and accommodation will vary depending on where you will go. So after you decide on the destination to visit, you should set how much you are willing to spend on your trip. For instance, a halfway trip will obviously be more expensive than a road trip within your country. Hence, it is important to do your own research and set the budget.

Do your research about the travel destination.

Researching about the place is beneficial in many aspects. One, it can help you find out the different tourist attractions that are worth visiting and there will be a lower risk of missing out on certain tourist spots.

In addition, you will be able to know which cities are most affordable to stay in, how you can get around the place, as well as how much should you expect public transportation and meals to cost. In short, it will also help you set the budget.

Organize your itinerary.

An unorganized itinerary will result to confusion instead of serving as a helpful tool. Format and organize your itinerary in an easy to understand manner in order to save time and energy especially during high-stress instances.

You can indicate the travel date, highlight important dates, travel time from one destination to the next, names of cities, hotels, and the attractions and activities. You can also use color coding to make it even more organized.

Keep all paperwork together.

Organize all the important papers such as flight and hotel bookings, insurance, booked tours, among others in a single folder. Prepare this days before you will need it and backup these papers online using cloud storage just for emergency.

Final Thoughts

Creative a travel itinerary allows you to have a deeper understanding of the place even before you arrive. It can prevent you from having any unexpected expenses and from experiencing unpleasant situations.

One thing to keep in mind though that an itinerary doesn’t have to be strictly followed. Also, don’t get frustrated if you weren’t able to accomplish everything in your itinerary—just enjoy the trip!

 

Travel for Free or Very Close to It

 

So, you have been bitten by the travel bug but your wallet hasn’t gotten on board with the whole idea of you seeing the world.  That’s okay there are ways where you can travel for free or very close to it.  Here are some travel tips that the gurus swear by to get you around the globe even on a very limited budget.

Travel for Free or Very Close to It

Get a Rewards Credit Card

If you haven’t already signed up for a travel rewards credit card then you are really losing out.  This doesn’t mean charging plane tickets you can’t afford, but using your card for day to day expenses that you have to pay anyway.  Most card companies have some kind of travel rewards card that you can use to accumulate travel points, just remember to read the fine print and use it responsibly.

Teach English Abroad

You can live abroad for anywhere from 9 months to a year or longer if you like and you can get paid to teach English.  There are plenty of countries that don’t require you to have your TEFL certification, but it is recommended.  You can head to Asia or Europe and help the locals master conversational and written English and many of these programs will offer free room and board at the same time.  Here is how to get your TEFL certification.

Go House Sitting

There are two ways that you can do this, you can offer to house sit for someone else, or you can swap houses if you’re willing to let someone else use your home.  Sites like GuestToGuest can help you find someone willing to swap with you.  You can also sign up with for one of the sites where you can house sit for someone else.

Take a Car Across the Country

Got a week or two to spare, they you can see the country by driving someone else’s car from one destination to another.  You will need to be at least 23 and have a valid license, then head over to AutoDriveaway.  You will need to put down a deposit (it is refundable at the destination) and on top of that you will be paid either per mile driven or a flat rate.  The cost of gas is also covered by the car owner.

Become a Volunteer with WWOOF

WWOOF is Willing Workers on Organic Farms is a work exchange program that gives you free accommodations, food and the chance to learn some new skills along the way.  You will have to pay the travel costs yourself but room and board is free.  If you don’t want to do any farm work there are other opportunities as well.

These are just a couple of ways that you can travel for free or very close to it.  Go and explore your world!

Tips for Traveling Solo

 

If you enjoy traveling it can be hard sometime to find a friend who has the time to go with you.  If you have been traveling for a while already, you might want to consider traveling alone.  The thought might be a bit scary but it really isn’t as frightening as you think.  Traveling on your own can be fun, you can see and do whatever you want.  Going solo means doing a little more prep work than normal, here are some tips for traveling solo.

Make a List and Check it Twice

Traveling, solo or not, is much better when you are prepared.  Make a list of everything that you are going to need for your trip and double check that you have everything.  Do this a couple of days in advance not the morning you are supposed to be leaving.  You are going to need to bring with you things like your passport, cash, tickets, gadgets (camera etc) and any medication that you require.  You won’t have anyone with you to ask for help so preparation is key.

“When in Rome”

Learn a little bit about the culture and customs before you go.  Learn about the area around your hotel and find interesting things you want to see.  Find out about the weather so you know how to pack for the trip.  When you are visiting a foreign country, remember their customs may be vastly different than what you are used to back home.  Learning about different cultures is part of the excitement of travel once you get there don’t be afraid to immerse yourself in the culture.

Tips for Traveling Solo

Don’t Be Afraid to Meet New People

Traveling on your own means you should be cautious but at the same time don’t be afraid to meet new people along the way.  Once you meet some locals you can find some interesting places that only locals know about.  You can also find out about the best or cheapest places to eat while you’re on your trip.  Check into some solo travel blogs and learn about their experiences to learn how they handled being in a new city.

Traveling alone doesn’t have to be scary or intimidating, in fact you can have a great adventure completely on your own.  Overcoming your shyness and head out on your own can be uplifting.  Head to a travel website and start looking at some destinations.