Brain Wave, Computers and gadgets

5 Amazing Apps You Need In Your Life

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Technology has given us so many new and exciting things to take advantage of. Needless to say, when used correctly, it has definitely changed our lives. Mobile technology is perhaps the most critical in this aspect. We’re now in a position where we have mini-computers in our pockets whenever we need them. Cell phone technology is mind-boggling, but you might be surprised by what I deem the most brilliant thing about modern phones.

That’s right, the title gives it away, I’m talking about apps. Apps are so incredible as they provide you with everything you need in the palm of your hand. There’s an app for just about everything and anything. So, on that note, here are some fantastic apps that you need in your life right now:

Netflix
There are lots of great streaming apps out there – some would say too many. You’ve got Hulu, Amazon, Disney Plus, etc. Still, I think Netflix offers the best blend of TV and movies across them all. It has a diverse roster of shows or films for every taste. There are new ones every month, and more classic options are being added as well. It’s always good to get recommendations from your friends for things to watch on Netflix as you discover hidden gems all the time. With a streaming app, you’re armed with entertainment in your pocket wherever you go. Plus, Netflix lets you download some shows and films while you’re at home, so you can steam them without using up mobile data!

Flo
Flo is an absolute life-changer for any woman on her period. Essentially, this app lets you track your period and tells you when it’s due. All you have to do is put in when your period last started, and it will figure things out with strange accuracy. The beauty of Flo is that it helps you prepare for your period and also lets you see when you’re ovulating. Thus, it turns into a fantastic app for people who are trying to have a baby. If you successfully conceive, then you can carry on using the app to track your pregnancy and keep tabs on how your baby is growing. Honestly, it’s the definition of an app you can’t live without.

Houseparty
This is one of those apps that’s risen in popularity thanks to the COVID-19 lockdown measures. In essence, it’s a group video calling app where loads of people can get together to have some fun. The difference between Houseparty and other apps is that it comes with a host of party games built-in. So, you and your friends can all have fun playing games as though you’re at a real house party. It’s excellent to use during these times of social distancing, but equally excellent at any other time. If you and your friends are all bored with nothing to do, then fire up the app and have some fun. Also, it’s amazing if you have family that live far away – this app keeps you connected!

Duolingo
I’m aware there are other language apps available, but Duolingo seems to be the best for beginners. Learning a new language is loads of fun, but it’s often hard to get started. With Duolingo, the lessons are so easy to follow and highly addictive. I like how it gives you a daily streak, and you lose it if you don’t go through at least one lesson a day. This keeps you motivated, as do the endless notifications it sends you to make sure you practice. After using the app for a few months, you’ll see a vast improvement in your base knowledge and vocabulary. Is it the best app if you want to be fluent? Probably not, but it’s an app you need if you’re looking to brush up on some old school knowledge or want to pick up a few key phrases for your next trip.

PS Express
Lastly, you need a good photo editing app, and PS Express is the best of all. This is like a condenses version of Adobe Photoshop for your phone. It’s free to use, there are no intruding adverts, and you can play around with so many editing features. If you want an app that will enhance your phone’s camera, then this is my recommendations. As a bonus, it lets you crop the pictures into the ideal size for social media posts or profile pictures, which is a nice touch.

If you’re looking for some app inspiration, then try these out for size. They’re helpful pretty much every day, and you can get them on both Android and Apple devices.

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Brain Wave, Family and Home living, Life in general

Safety First When It Comes to Kids

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Safety first. When it comes to kids, those two words are a must to keep in mind. Kids are prone to accidents what with their fragile limbs and how they just love to explore. There are a lot of expectant couples right now. If you are thinking of something to get them, here are three kid stuff which will keep kids safe.

A Car Seat

Expectant parents are setting aside car seats because they think babies will not need it right away. They are right, in a way, but it is a very essential item that parents need to invest on.

A friend who is in her second trimester of pregnancy had a baby shower recently. She wanted baby stuff which her baby can use as soon as she delivers. One guest, an in-law, thought practically. She told her that a chicco gofit plus backless booster seat will be a great gift to receive. It will save them from buying one in the future, and also, it will keep their baby safe at the back of the car when they are out. Plus, you can always count on the quality of the Chicco brand.

A baby carrier can only last so long. A car seat, though, can be used for quite a number of years especially if it is quality made.

An Air Purifier and Humidifier

With so many kinds of bacteria and virus in the air, an air purifier and humidifier has become a must in the nursery. We could not see what is in the air but we can prevent it from staying inside the room for long. Purify the air inside the nursery, get the humidifier working, and give your baby a secure and clean room to stay at.

I have seen three kinds of air purifier and humidifier at KidslandUSA. Invest in a good one.

Baby Proofing Stuff

A lock strap for the doors, refrigerators, cabinets. Toilet lock. An anti-tip furniture strap. And so much more. These are items that you normally take for granted but when an accident happens, it comes to mind. Better safe than sorry, folks. Get your home baby-proofed! You will not regret getting it done even when the baby can’t crawl or walk yet.

Safety first when it comes to the kids. It will keep them out of harm and it will also give you peace of mind.

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Brain Wave, Family and Home living, Health and medicine, Life in general, Society at large

Spreading Love and Joy Amidst the Lockdown

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Days are blending from one to another. It’s becoming a bit difficult nowadays to keep track of what day it is and how everyone is doing. We all feel disconnected and disjointed, and it is completely understandable. This lockdown brought about by the novel corona virus is hard on all of us. So, to cheer up your love ones who are in isolation or far away from you, here are three suggestions that you can follow and so with your kids.

Video call with a twist

Get the whole family on board the idea of putting on costumes. Any favorite character is welcome. Just make sure that it is not something scary so as not to cause anxiety to the person or persons you will be video calling.

Imagine getting a video call from Çaptain Jack Sparrow, Princess Leia, Darth Vader, or even from a Disney princess! It will be a treat, that’s for sure. Wear your costume, go into position in front of the camera, make sure you have a decent internet connection, and then, make your call.

A video call will bring a big smile to your love ones’ faces. It will also be a sure fire way for you to know that the person on the other line is well and alive.

Arts and crafts to send online

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This suggestion will be like killing two birds with one stone. It is understandable how bored everyone is right now, most especially the kids who are ordered to stay put at home. Cabin fever is setting in so to divert their attention, get them on board for an arts and crafts day!

The idea is to create something inspiring for those isolated from their love ones. Maybe, you have a relative who are alone somewhere and in need of some cheering up. Bring out pens, papers, scissors, glue, glitters, washi tapes, and anything else that will bring color to your message. You can also download a digital love svg you can print, cut and put on paper.

arts-crafts

My nephews have been missing their grandparents who are under a quarantine. The simple message above will be sent to their grandparents through email. We used a digital heart svg and hugs and kisses design that we downloaded from Design Bundles. There are so many more designs to choose from.

Creating art will keep the kids busy for some time and it will also be a great way to keep the spirits of your love ones up when they see what the kids made for them.

Create a video blog

It seems to be the biggest hit among people of all ages these days. Video blogging! Create a video and then upload it online for everyone to watch and enjoy.

One or a few members of the family can be on board this idea. Create a video content for the frontliners. Thank the medical workers, delivery personnel, garbage collectors, supermarket personnel, and everyone who are still outside and working for us to be able to function in the most normal way possible. A simple message will do. Or even a simple thank you and clapping will be bring a smile to those who will see the video.

There are so many other ways to spread love and joy amidst this lockdown. The three suggestions above are just the tip of the iceberg. You can surely come up with a dozen or so more ways to spread cheer in these trying times.

What’s important is for all of us to stay at home, stay healthy, and stay put so the virus will die a natural death very, very soon.

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Brain Wave, Family and Home living, Life in general

Could You Become Accustomed To A Custom Home?

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Like more big things in our life, we have an imaginary perfect home. Every detail right down to the shape of the door handles, we’ve thought about incessantly. Alas, 99% of our dream home is custom. You couldn’t find it anywhere else, except in your mind. Well, if you have money and willpower, you can create a custom home. Be warned, however, once you see how incredible your home begins to look and you feel the new attitude it takes on, you will want to have more of it. You will yearn to become accustomed to a customized home because it’s your soul that you’re living in. That’s what a perfect home is all about, living in a cocoon of your own desires.

The wonders of light

Before you begin to change large parts of your home, adhere to the wonders of light. A well-lit home brings to life corners that were previously dead, shaded areas that were melancholy and nooks that were neglected. When you enter the home, the first thing you’ll notice are the stairs, foyer, hallway and the lighting. Consider placing LED lights in the wall beside each step, so the staircase is lit up by itself. It becomes an entity on its own. Taking a few bricks out of the wall and placing a candle dome inside the gap, would spray the light of a flickering flame on your foyer and hallway. For each room, buy a side table, on which you will place LED lamps of different styles. The oriental, Persian, Victorian and oil lamp styles speak of timeless elegance.

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Brain Wave, Family and Home living

Make Your Home Your Biggest Source of Stress Relief

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As we navigate the trials and tribulations of the COVID-19 lockdown, we’re all focusing our efforts on the home. After all, we’re spending virtually 23 hours a day indoors. Your home has become so much more than just your living space. It’s also your gym, your workplace, your restaurant, your cafe, your bar. It’s the new social hub around which you live your life. We may bemoan the restrictions that the lockdown places on our lifestyles or pine for the simple pleasures like going to the movies or sipping a latte in a coffee shop. But now more than ever it behooves us to light a candle instead of cursing the dark. With a little love and care, your home can be your refuge from the world’s woes. A haven of tranquility, calm and stress relief. Here are some tips to help your home ease your troubled mind and sleep easy every night…

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Let there be light… natural light

Artificial lighting costs money. Even if you’re using handy dandy energy saving bulbs. It can also have a detrimental effect on your mental health. Especially if you’re transitioning from a stressful day’s work right into having to deal with understimulated kids who finished all their schoolwork an hour ago. Artificial light can actually elevate your stress levels. So try and focus on maximizing your home’s natural light levels.

Investing in awning windows, making sure all windows in the home are sparkling clean and switching out heavy drapes for blinds can all help to flood your home with natural light. Not to mention helping to balance your household budget. And knowing you’re not wasting money is a great form of stress relief!

Plant power = positivity!

We need plants now more than ever. First of all, keeping plenty in your kitchen cupboards, freezer and refrigerator can help you to enjoy peak immune function throughout this crisis. A mostly (or entirely) wholefoods plant based diet is loaded with protein, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals which can help to improve immune function, and boost your mood.

But it’s not just the plants you eat that can have mood boosting properties. House plants also help to reduce stress and elevate mood by bringing the outside indoors, oxygenating your space and creating a feeling of calm, wherever you put them.

They really are essential oils!

It isn’t just the things we see that can help us to combat stress. Our sense of smell actually has a profound effect on our mood. Invest in an essential oil diffuser and some oils and you’ll enjoy less stress at work and more restful nights. Use jasmine or lavender to help you sleep, cedar or sandlewood to help you relax in the living room and citrus or mint to help you concentrate in your home office.

Keep it natural, keep it neutral

Finally, try to use natural materials such as wood, stone and natural fabrics like cotton in your home decor. Synthetic materials like plastic, chrome and man made fibers can actually help us feel less comfortable and relaxed. Natural materials and a neutral color palette (with the odd splash of color) are far more helpful in helping you to feel calm… come what may!

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Brain Wave, Family and Home living, Money matters

The Best Ideas To Get Your Household Budget Back On Track

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It can be hard to handle the household financial budget. There are always bills leaving your account and unexpected spending that you need to do. Which is why we can all face problems and let our finances get a little out of control sometimes. However, with a few tips and savvy ideas implemented, you can get your household budget back on track. With that in mind, here are some suggestions to help you do it.

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Take a look at your current budgets

One of the main issues could be hiding in your current budgeting situation and the bills you pay. So take some time out to analyse your bank statements and look at what goes out each day and what comes in. You will be surprised by how many times you go to the food store, or even bills that you thought were canceled still leaving your account. Just doing this exercise alone can help you make some valuable savings to your income.

Are you entitled to any additional aid?

Some people are just not able to work as much as they would like, or simply can’t get in to do the job they once did due to a disability. These situations can often leave you struggling to make ends meet. There are often cases where people didn’t realise they are entitled to some financial aid, that could help you sort your finances out. This can also be researched and explored when it comes to debts. Getting help to enable you to clear things off and get more stability with your finances.

Could you save money by switching providers for your common bills

Sometimes we can find ourselves sticking with the same supplier of household bills for things like energy and insurance products. However, sticking with the same companies doesn’t always mean we are paying the best rates. Which is why switching them over to new companies could provide you with huge savings. This works with things like energy, buildings or contents insurance, or even mobile phone and broadband providers. You could also explore websites such as Prepaid Bill which could help you to see where a change of the way you make payments for certain bills like a phone bill could help you to make some savings. How much money could you save yourself each month?

Think about ways to save on your spending

Sometimes we have control over some of our outgoings like buying food, for example. However, this sort of spending can be reduced if you implement different habits such as meal planning, batch cooking, or simply writing a list before you head to the store. Other things that need to be bought can be children’s clothes or even spending for birthdays and Christmas. Consider using discount codes or coupons to reduce your outlay and bring the overall cost down.

Could you improve your situation in other ways?

Finally, there may be other ways to improve your situation financially. You could consider a different job role with better financial opportunity. You could even think about ways to make money online or in your spare time. There are many ways you can boost your income, but one of the biggest places to start is on your current habits and outgoings.

Let’s hope these tips help you to get your household budget back on track.

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Brain Wave, Money matters

Investing Even When You Have No Cash

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Many investing gurus talk about how recessions are the best time to invest. Currencies are in freefall, and stocks are in decline, providing ample opportunities to pick up a bargain.

But there’s a problem with this idea. It assumes that you have cash available.

“Buying the dip” is one of the great ironies of investing. Right at the moment when assets are at their cheapest, you don’t have money in your bank to snap them up. You want to take advantage of the low prices, but you can’t. It seems like you have to bite the bullet and watch the opportunity pass you by.

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But do you?

In this post, we’re going to take a look at all the ways that you can invest if you have no cash. Some of these are high-risk strategies, so consider yourself warned. Also, this does not constitute advice. It is merely some thoughts on how you might make money when your bank account is relatively empty.

Bet The House

If you have a mortgage and a house, then it is likely that you have built up a considerable amount of equity. One option, therefore, is to go to the bank and take out an equity release plan. You can then use this freed-up cash to invest in other assets that are on sale right now, such as stocks. Remember, it is likely that stocks will recover faster and further than house prices in the coming months and years. So, by the end of the process, you should be in a much better position financially.

Lever Up Your Forex Account

Even if you don’t have much money in your forex account, you can always approach your forex broker and ask for leverage.

The concept here is simple. You borrow money to take advantage of opportunities in the market, and then you pay it back out of your winnings. The idea, therefore, is similar to equity release, except here the loan is unsecured. The organization managing your trading account sends you extra cash. You then attempt to make money on the foreign exchange markets. And then when you do, you pay them back.

Of course, if you decide to go down this route, you need to understand what you’re doing. If you don’t, then you could see the value of your investment fall, making it more challenging to pay back the original loan. If, however, you have a track record making money on the currency markets, then, by all means, lever up. It could amplify your returns.

Buy Part-Shares

Buying a single Google or Amazon share is expensive. Just one slice of the pie can cost you more than a thousand dollars. A lot of people just don’t have that kind of cash lying around.

Now, though, you can buy these stocks via a third party. That organization buys up a bunch of shares and then sells ownership rights to part of them. When you issue a sell order, they give you “fair value” by selling out of cash reserves or liquidating their holdings.

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