Lifestyle

When it comes to diamond rings, no one shops like the Hollywood elite! Luxury and extravagence are the key buzzwords for celebrity engagement rings, providing (sometimes unrealistic) inspiration for brides to be, or wannabe brides to be, across the nation.

Looking for some celebrity inspiration to help you choose your own diamond ring? Here are some of the best celebrity engagement rings of 2019:

Katherine Schwarzenegger

When Chris Pratt proposed to his girlfriend Katherine Schwarzenegger, he used the size of the stone to demonstrate the strength of his love. Katherine’s ring is a classic oversized oval diamond with incredible clarity, set on a thin platinum band which fits perfectly against her slender and delicate fingers.

Oval shaped diamond rings are incredibly popular amongst the Hollywood set, and Katherine isn’t the first celebrity to opt for an oval shaped engagement ring: Blake Liveley famously wears a ring with the same shape.

Jennifer Lopez

When J Lo announced her engagement to baseball star Alex Rodriguez, our engagement ring expectations were high and we certainly weren’t disappointed. Jennifer opted for a single-stone ring that featured a massive emerald-cut diamond set in a low key band. The ring is so large that is dominates her whole hand, helping to make her fingers look slenderer than ever.

If you’re looking for diamond rings than J Lo’s engagement ring will be difficult to recreate, although you could get the look with a more affordable stone instead. Alternatively, if size is the most important aspect of your ring, why not find the size you want with a lesser clarity to fit in with your budget?

Katy Perry

Katy Perry is quirky, eccentric and unique, and her engagement ring perfectly reflects all of these extravert characteristics. Orlando Bloom chose to propose to Katy with an oversized ruby and diamond ring in the shape of a flower. It features a large oval ruby at its centre, with nine smaller diamonds surrounding it to create a petal effect. The stones are set into yellow gold, lending the ring an overall vintage effect.

Although opting for a coloured stone is unusual, Katy isn’t alone in choosing a stone other than a diamond for her engagement ring. Kate Middleton and Heidi Klum both also opted for coloured gemstones to help them really stand out from the crowd.

Hillary Duff

Hillary Duff’s beautiful ring is serious engagement ring goals. When the songstress became engaged to singer-songwriter Matthew Koma she opted for an elegant and timeless square cut solitaire diamond ring. The stone is set into a white gold solitaire setting, and the stone itself has been cushion cut to ensure it really sparkles and shines.

 

For many people, nothing is more personal than being the proud owner of a clean, warm, home. Homeowners take pride in making a home feel welcoming to both their families and to outside guests. If you are a homeowner, chances are you are always looking for new ways to make it feel cosier. Over time, you may want to transform your home but a major renovation in the United Kingdom can cost up to £30,000 or more. Here are some affordable ways to transform your home without breaking the bank.

Move Things Around

The cheapest way is to move things around the house. You do not need to buy new things. If fact, you may need to get rid of non-essential items that take up space. By moving things around such as the seating arrangements and other furniture, you create a new look for your living space. In the process, you may come across items you do not really need. Items you may choose to sell in a yard sale. Instead of spending money, you will be earning and transforming your home at the time.

Light It Up

Sometimes, all you need to do is change the lighting in your home. The right kinds of lighting can completely change the way your home feels. Lighting professionals create different moods for each room in a house. You may do the same. Use bedside lamps to create a subtle, cosy, romantic atmosphere in your bedroom. In the living room, use floor lamps or overhead lighting to create the perfect glow at the corners. To save money from buying more lamps, consider replacing your current light bulbs to warmer colours. Spares2You offers a variety of light bulbs, including appliance lamps, which can be purchased from the convenience of your home and delivered to your doorstep.

Gardening and Landscaping

Gardens, whether in front or behind your home, have the ability to create a refreshing environment that is perfect for a relaxing outdoors. If gardening is not your thing, do not build it because hiring a gardener to maintain it costs about £100-£150 per day. As a UK resident, chances are you have a lawn. Maintaining a clean landscape is the first thing you and your guests will notice every time you arrive home. The secret to maintaining the perfect lawn is using lightweight grass trimmers. Flymo Strimmers spares are some of the best in the market. As part of its wide variety of spare accessories, Spares2You offers Flymo Strimmers spares such as the spool and line, replacement cables, spool cover, trimmer lines and much more. Once or twice a month, find time on the weekends to landscape your lawn and have fun while at it.

Summary

All the above will mean nothing if, at the end of the day, your home is not tidy. Always keep it clean. If you live with family, encourage a neat culture to make everyone responsible for maintaining a clean and elegant home. Neat and clean space will always make your home to feel brand new.

 

 

A wedding is always a special event which friends and family look forward to. A wedding celebration is meant to be a memorable event. The first thing that will impress your guests is the venue you choose. Most families nowadays prefer to hire a banquet hall to hold all the ceremonies. The reason for this is it saves you the trouble of cleaning up your home after the guests have departed.

Remember these when you book

Nearly all hotels have a banquet hall to facilitate a wedding. Naturally the bigger cities have better facilities. However the rules to follow while booking a banquet hall will always be the same whether you are looking at one in a smaller city or booking banquet halls in Delhi for marriage.

Here are some points to take note of when booking a banquet hall.

• Look early: Once the date of a wedding is fixed, don’t wait to start looking for a banquet hall. Even three months ahead is not very early. This will allow you time to plan out the event.
• Select the place: Keep track of where the majority of your guests will come from and book your venue which is at a comfortable distance from their homes and place of work or close to the airport If most of your guests are from outstation.
• Many of your guests will make use of their vehicles so the banquet hall should be equipped with a parking lot which your guests can access.
• Check out the services and amenities available on booking and what you have to pay extra for.

Choose a hall to suit your need

If you happen to be a resident of Delhi you can choose banquet halls in Delhi for marriage depending on what kind of a wedding you want. That is if you want a grand and impressive wedding in a five-star location, a grand one but away from the hustle of the city or an intimate wedding.

There are banquet halls which are located away from the hustle of the city but providing you with the luxury of space. Some of them are impressive with their sophisticated architecture aesthetically done. You will get five-star facilities along with a homely atmosphere. Beautiful green gardens, tastefully done up rooms, skilled and professional staff to take care of your guests. Name it, and you get it.

If you are the kind, who does not want a huge affair but want to celebrate your special day with close family and friends you will find banquet halls in Delhi for marriage to suit your needs. Get a medium-sized hall that you can light up gorgeously to brighten up your wedding.

On the other hand, if you want to make even a simple celebration stand out, you will still find a suitable place.

Most of these banquet halls come with facilities like:

• Decorators
• Photographer
• Make-up Artists
• Mehendi Artists
• Bridal Designers
• Choreographers

These facilities are, of course optional and come at an extra cost. Some banquet halls may provide these as a package. As far as catering is concerned, most of the banquet halls include it in the cost and do not allow outside caterers. Sometimes you have to take what they offer while in some cases you can decide the menu. Whatever be the provisions, it is always a good idea to hire a banquet hall for a wedding as it saves you a lot of worries.

 

 

 

 

 

Your medical bills might start to skyrocket as you age. You get diagnosed with all sorts of illnesses you never thought you would have. Once you start stressing out, it could worsen your physical health. These tips will help you get though the challenge of getting sick at your age.

Check your health insurance

You need to understand what your health insurance covers and what you have to do to receive the coverage. Different rules govern every insurance company, both private and public. It helps if you understand your health insurance now so that you won’t worry when you go to the hospital.

You can also determine if there’s a way to expand the coverage. For instance, you can ask how much will change on the coverage if you start paying higher premiums now. Some insurance companies will allow you to do so.

Change your lifestyle

You won’t have to worry about excessive medical bills if you don’t get hospitalized in the first place. You need to change your lifestyle now even if it entails a lot of sacrifices. Avoid going out to drink and limit your coffee intake. Stop smoking and other unhealthy vices. Sleep early and avoid unnecessary activities at night. When your family has a history of heart attack or diabetes, you need to be more selective with what you eat.

Have a regular check-up

Just because you feel healthy doesn’t mean you are. You can only be sure if you go to the doctor for a check-up. You need regular tests done so that you know your health status. Check everything necessary so there’s no need to speculate. The reason is that you might have a chance of fighting off an illness at an early stage. You will also spend less at this point than when it’s already at a late stage.

Consider getting loans

You can still opt for a loan to pay for medical bills, as long as the terms are fair enough. Yes, you don’t want to get a loan if possible. However, when you are in a dire situation, you have no choice but to get one. The good thing is you can find loans that are reasonable enough like home equity release loans. You can check out http://www.55plusequityrelease.com if you want to get this type of loan.

The primary benefit is that you don’t need to pay the amount back soon. You can borrow an amount based on the current market value of the property. Once you pass on, the creditor will sell the house. The amount gained from the sale will then go to the repayment of the loan. If there’s any extra amount, it will go to your beneficiaries. It’s an easy loan to obtain and it won’t stress you out with repayments.
You worry about medical bills now that you’re ageing, but you don’t have to if you know how to deal with them.

Image: https://unsplash.com/photos/l8Y9fVgxrEE

 

While owning a home can be considered a joy in itself, those who happen to live in smaller apartments can often end up being disheartened by the restricted ambiance of their humble abode. It can be challenging to suffer through a hard day of work only to come home to an apartment that feels like it has more in common with a cell than with a home. While it is undoubtedly disheartening, it does not mean that there is no way to eliminate stress in a small home.

With the help of a few quick home improvement methods, it is more than possible to deal with stress in a tiny apartment. Here are just a few ways to help make your home feel more inviting and eliminate the stress that comes with a small apartment.

Dealing with the issue of natural lighting

Considering that most apartments often have good placement when it comes to windows, it does not change the fact that many small homes are not made for natural light to reach every nook and cranny. To help reflect natural light and make things feel more inviting overall, an excellent solution would be to purchase a few mirrors. By placing a mirror in most areas of your home, it will help bounce around natural light – providing brighter days and a more positive vibe overall.

You do not have to purchase expensive mirrors to get the job done. A few simple frames can help boost natural light and minimize stress.

Tackling the issue of space

Perhaps one of the most disheartening parts of owning a small apartment is the issue of space. While some might take comfort in small spaces, there are plenty of homeowners who end up feeling restricted. Fortunately, it does not take much to solve the problem. For example, making use of glass or rounded furniture (or both) from diiiz.com can make a world of difference. It might not seem like that big a deal, but the use of glass furniture will allow you to see much more of your apartment than you normally would – which maintains the illusion of space. Rounded furniture, on the other hand, can alleviate the issue of your home feeling too boxed-in.

Circumventing the issue of warmth

While natural lighting is a great way to make things feel more positive and inviting, there are other solutions that can also help. For example, you can buy house plants to help inject some extra life into just about any home. Whether you live in a small apartment or in a grand mansion, the benefits of plants remain the same.

There are a few more things you can do to help eliminate the stress of living in a small apartment, such as taking steps to improve your bedroom; or planning a day to declutter the space. By following the steps above, you will be minimizing stress and making it easier to relax in your home.

 

Before you decide to move to a different office to run your company, you might consider negotiating a deal with your landlord first. It could be worth trying since the new agreement might be a lot more favourable to you. Some landlords don’t want to lose their tenants since they could also lose a stable income source.

A cheaper rate

If the landlord is okay to give you a more affordable monthly fee, you need to negotiate. Besides, you already stayed in the office for a while. It makes sense for you to receive a lower monthly fee under a new lease since you already covered some of the expenses during your first contract.

Other privileges 

You might also want to negotiate if you have a chance to receive additional privileges and benefits. For instance, the landlord might offer you extra space within the area. If not, you might have a better payment scheme. You might also want the landlord to offer to fix some areas for free. It could be worth trying if you see these privileges as part of the new deal.

Shorter contract

The primary reason why you want to move to a new office space is that you can’t fit in the same place anymore. Your employees are growing in size. However, if the current office space is still good enough and you get all these new privileges, it could be worth it. Add to that the offer to sign a shorter contract. It means that once it’s over, you can decide if you want to move. You don’t hope to get tied up in a deal for several years when you know that your needs might change after a few months. You will regret that decision instantly.

A good working relationship 

Assess the relationship you’ve had with the landlord over the years. Did you have any serious problems with each other? If no, you can continue the lease. However, if there were several conflicts in the past, you don’t want to continue anymore. Even if the landlord seems nice at the time of negotiation, you don’t want to take the risk. If you experience problems as you go along, it could adversely impact your business operations.

Be willing to listen

If your landlord wants to negotiate with you so you will keep the lease, you have to say yes to a meeting. You don’t need to accept the new lease after the meeting. You can still decide to end the contract and move on. You still have to stay polite even if you intend to leave.

If you decide to move on, you need to inform all your employees so everyone can start packing. You can also seek help from a cleaning service company like www.twinkleclean.co to restore the place as if no one was there before. You want to end your partnership with the landlord on a positive note.

 

Throughout the years, Call of Duty series has become known as one of the best first-person shooter games one can purchase. It’s also true that there’s a new Call of Duty game every other year or so. Some of them were great, some of them – not so much. However, the new Modern Warfare game looks to be something truly special. After a few games that’ve tried to spin the Call of Duty franchise towards a more futuristic sci-fi shooter look, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare brings back the popular series to its glory days.

Single-player

Similar to every other Call of Duty, the new Modern Warfare game will have an intriguing single-player campaign. While we still don’t know much detail about it, we have some tasty bites from the demo shown by the Infinity Ward developers.

In a mission that was featured in the previously mentioned demo piece, we can see that Modern Warfare will take players to North London after a terror attack in Piccadilly Circus. The player has to infiltrate a house full of terrorists and eliminate the multiple threat sources.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bH1lHCirCGI

According to Infinity Ward, the new Modern Warfare game will feature a lot of similar fashion missions across a vast number of European and the Middle East cities. The developers revealed that during the single-player campaign, we’ll get to play as both special force soldiers and as rebel freedom fighters. This means that in addition to high tech guns and gear we’ll be able to play with some improvised weapons as well.

Multi-player

The main thing we should mention, when we talk about the multiplayer mode for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, is that the game will support cross-play. This is a huge step forward for the franchise! It means that PC and console players will be able to share lobbies and play on the same side. And if you’ve been a CoD fan for a while, you know how big of news this is.

As for multiplayer mode, Infinity Ward has already confirmed that the new Modern Warfare game will have a lot of ‘classic’ multiplayer modes in addition to some new ones. According to developers, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will even have an all-new co-op mode which will feature a collection of strategic co-op missions accessible to all skill levels.

There’s also a new 2v2 mode called Gunfight, which has also revealed a couple of intriguing details about the upcoming gameplay elements. From what we’ve seen so far, Gunfight will be much slower if you compare it with some other Call of Duty modes that have already been here for a while. Overall, the game seems to be more grounded and tactical than that of its predecessors.

Of course, nowadays gaming industry trends dictate that every new FPS has to have a battle royale mode, but with the new Modern Warfare game that’s not the case. At least, not now. In one interview, Joe Cecot, the multiplayer design director at Infinity Ward stated that with the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare the team’s top focus is to create an authentic experience. Infinity Ward wants to pull back the Call of Duty series to Modern Warfare times and keep it pure without adding any battle royale modes. However, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will also include something for players looking for 100-player battles – the faithful recreation of Ground War with an option to play 50vs50.

When and where?

If reading all this information about the new Modern Warfare game has you convinced and ready to acquire the title right now, you should mark your calendar with red. The game will come out on October 25th on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One and you should definitely be ready for the upcoming thunderstorm!

Additionally, we should mention that prior to the release of the full game, Infinity Ward developer plans to host a series of beta tests. Here’s the list with beta test dates:

• September 12-13 – PS4 pre-order beta
• September 14-16 – PS4 open beta
• September 19-20 – PC, Xbox One pre-order beta, PS4 open beta
• September 21-23 – PC, Xbox One, PS4 open beta

And lastly, you can already pre-order the game for quite a cheaper price on Eneba digital game store.

To read more on topics like this, check out the lifestyle category.

You may or may not allow smoking in your rental properties, but what about vaping with e-cigarettes?

Almost 1 in 20 US adults vape, so it’s a valid question to ask, because many current and future tenants likely use e-cigarettes.

While many rental properties won’t allow smoking (and in many cases it depends on the state laws), vaping isn’t always as straightforward.

The simple answer: It depends on what you want and whether there are any laws in the locality prohibiting vaping in a rental property.

The problem is that people are torn on the matter. For example, the owner wants to protect other tenants from smoke, but many vape smokers don’t think the vape smoke can hurt anyone else.

Still, the landlord has the right to prohibit tobacco smoke of any kind. Not only that, but the smell of vape smoke could be unpleasant to other residents, and the steam might contain chemicals that can leave residue, causing stains to materials in the home, or harm to other people.

Cleaning up vapor residue can be a strenuous process and requires work on the tenant’s part because the carpets and other fabrics will need deep cleaning to remove the residue. That could mean more money during the cleaning process for the landlord. However, if it’s stated that the tenant isn’t allowed to vape in the apartment, then the tenant is liable and could also be breaking the lease agreement.

Still, if vape smoke causes damage in any way, then that will either cost the tenant or landlord more money during the cleaning/move-out process. If you decide to allow vaping, then you might include or mention an extra cleaning charge in the lease agreement as a result. This can protect you from other charges as well as state these charges to the tenants and hold them liable. Ensuring everyone is on the same page and making things as clear as possible is key.

Depending on how big the complex is and local laws, you might even be able to offer a designated smoking spot, but that’s entirely up to you, and you have to abide by the local laws.

Another reason you might prohibit vaping is because it can be a fire hazard.

A counter argument is that vape smoke is odorless, and it’s also difficult to detect.

Whatever the case, it’s still not clear how harmful second-hand vape smoke is, although there’s evidence stating it’s harmful. This is why it’s a good idea for landlords to ban vaping in rental properties. To be transparent, these types of rules can be stated somewhere in the rental application or landlords can ask whether the future tenant is a smoker.

You always want to be upfront with your tenants and make sure there aren’t any gray areas. Not only that, but you want to have reliable tenants, and one way to secure desirable tenants is during the application process. As an example, if you don’t want people to smoke in your rental properties, then it needs to be stated clearly. You can also run a comprehensive tenant screening to weed out undesirable tenants from desirable ones based on your target audience and what you’re looking for in a tenant.

No matter where you stand on this issue, the main thing to keep in mind is state laws. If your state prohibits smoking in any form, then it needs to be stated clearly that vaping isn’t allowed in your rental properties. This should be closely monitored while more research is done on vaping and whether or not laws and regulations are created surrounding it.

Above all else, the choice ultimately is yours.

To read more on topics like this, check out the lifestyle category.

 

Renting has been seen as the ‘second best’ choice next to buying; for some reason, people think that you only rent because you can’t afford to pay for your own home. But whilst this is true for some, there is now a shift in attitude towards renting in the UK, and more people are opting for renting as a long-term option as opposed to buying. There are now more reasons why renting may well be a good deal for you, especially when you would like to save money and attain more freedom and flexibility in your choices. Here are the main reasons why renting may be a better option for you.

• It offers flexibility

If you decide to rent, you can be more flexible in your lifestyle and your lifestyle choices. Renting allows you to stay flexible and have more freedom, as most contracts run for about a year, which means that after that contract, you can decide to extend your rental arrangement with your current landlord, or you can move to another place or another area altogether. Essentially speaking, with renting, you are not tied down to a piece of property for a long time. If your circumstances or situation changes, you don’t have to worry about the property – you simply have to pack your things and move to another location if necessary or if you so decide. Renting gives you the freedom to try living in a different area, for sure, but it also gives you the freedom to change jobs or careers, try out different layouts or flats, and find the best way of living for your needs.

• It offers quality

Another fact about renting that not many of us think about is that it can give you access to a higher quality home – something you may not be able to afford at all if you decide to buy. For example: if you don’t have the budget for the deposit for a nice home, then you will not be able to live in it at all. This isn’t true with renting – with renting, you can have access to a nice place as you don’t have to worry about coming up with a deposit for the home. All you need is a deposit for renting it, which is often way cheaper, as the expert letting agents from www.clifftons.com can confirm. Also, there are now numerous properties made specifically for rental purposes, so they are designed with the renter in mind.

• It offers easier budgeting

When you rent, you can have an easier way of budgeting your money as well. Think about it – you know exactly how much rent you need to pay per month, and there aren’t often any additions to this. If you have a landlord who manages your utilities, then you know precisely how much those bills are as well. On the other hand, if you own property or if you’re a homeowner, you could be faced with some unexpected expenses, such as repairs and maintenance work. Even if you have a consistent mortgage payment per month, you could still end up spending on unforeseen expenses just because you are responsible for running and managing your own home. If your boiler breaks down, for example, no one can take care of this but you – you don’t have a landlord to arrange for it to be fixed.

To read more on topics like this, check out the lifestyle category.

Writer’s block is something that happens to every writer no matter how good and experienced you are. I know some writers think of writer’s block a myth; an excuse to not write. Unfortunately, it is a real issue that can affect even the best of us.

There are many ways to get around writer’s block but going to a new place and finding the perfect environment to reignite that creativity are the most effective solutions to try. In this article, we are going to pick Belfast as the perfect destination for conquering your writer’s block.

Why Belfast?

Belfast is gorgeous. The city has a unique charm to it. The landscape around Belfast is incredibly beautiful. On top of that, you have plenty of things to do while exploring the city. You will definitely get your writing mojo back in Belfast.

Great Victoria Street is a particularly charming part of the city. Here, you can find the famous saloon known as The Crown Bar. It was built in the 1880s and it is a must-visit every time you are in the city.

The Ulster Museum and the nearby Botanic Gardens are also great places to visit if you are looking for inspiration. The museum features a massive collection of art, with themed displays and exhibitions available for visitors at certain times.

When should I Visit Belfast?

Belfast is generally pleasant all year round, but the best time to visit the city is in the summer. April through October is the period you want to look into, with August – peak summer – being the nicest month of them all.

Belfast never gets too hot, so even peak summer in the city is immensely comfortable. You still get that soothing ambiance the city is known for – and its unique charm to fully absorb – but you also don’t need to wear layers to stay comfortable.

You even have the option to go on an extended holiday in Belfast. That actually brings us to our next question.

What is the Best Way to Enjoy Belfast?

By renting a serviced apartment. Living closer to the action, being able to see the beautiful city from the apartment window and having the option to stay longer without breaking the bank are among the benefits you will be able to enjoy when you stay in a Belfast serviced apartment.

It’s not difficult to find the perfect property to rent either. All you need to do is browse through the options available on https://dreamapartments.co.uk/serviced-apartments-belfast and you will find a suitable apartment for your trip to the city in no time.

Serviced apartments come with the amenities you need to stay comfortable. You get a functional kitchen and access to areas like Dublin Road and Bank Street, along with a chic interior that will keep you inspired for as long as you want to stay in the city.

Belfast is the perfect city for conquering your writer’s block indeed. The city and its charm will inspire you to write your best work yet. Give it a try and experience it for yourself!

To read more on topics like this, check out the lifestyle category.