Staying Stylish, Even When The Weather Isn't Your Friend

When you think of stepping out in your favorite outfits, it’s unlikely that rain and fierce winds were part of the look. But sadly, weather comes in all forms and doesn’t care about your clothes, making it all the more important that you’re prepared for whatever the elements have to throw at you. 

But is it actually possible to stay stylish when the weather is less than perfect? Of course it is! You just need to think smarter about your style.

Here are some great tips for maintaining your look, even when it’s awful outside.

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Choose your outerwear wisely

Choosing the right outerwear can not only keep your outfit dry, but make sure you stay on-trend when you’re on the move too. A raincoat is a must-have buy for this time of year, as they’re lightweight enough to stop you overheating, but designed to keep you dry. Plus, they’re a timeless item that you can wear year after year. Learn how to style a raincoat to give you plenty of inspiration for fall looks.

Hats are the perfect wet-weather accessory

Blustery fall weather is no friend to your hair! But luckily, you have plenty of options for keeping your hairstyle intact. Beanies are ideal for colder weather to protect your hair and ears, but if it’s raining, you’ll need to think more tactically about your accessories. A baseball cap is perfect for a more casual look, or you can tuck your hair into a loose bun under a baker boy cap to protect it until you get indoors.

Want to make a big style statement this season? Then a large floppy hat or fedora is the ideal fall accessory.

Make sure your footwear is waterproof

Is there anything worse than wet feet? It’s the sure-fire way of making sure you have a miserable day! Making sure your shoes are waterproof is important to keep your feet dry. You’ll also want to avoid perishable fabrics like suede. Some waterproof sneakers will be perfect for helping you stay dry, and look great for an off-duty look, or when you need to bring some comfort to your workwear style. Keep them close to make sure your feet are kept dry and warm whatever the weather.

Keep a touch-up kit to hand

Rain and wind can cause all kinds of issues to your hair and makeup. Having a touch-up kit in your purse will help you correct any smudged mascara and lipstick and help you feel fresh again. Some hair grips and a dash of hairspray can fix most weather-related hair disasters, helping you create a simple up-do in minutes.

When the weather outside is dreadful, you need to plan your outfit extra carefully to make sure you can survive the elements. It will help knowing you’ve got some warm clothing waiting for you to change into when you get home. A ‘stay home’ fall wardrobe is the cozy antidote to wet seasonal weather, so invest in some chic and comfy knits to keep you nice and toasty at home.

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How Can You Help A Loved One With Financial Trouble?

It’s something we’re all likely to experience at some point. Few people make enough money to live truly free of financial stress, and some people aren’t as well-practiced at managing their finances as others are. There may come a time when you recognize that someone you love is in genuine financial distress and in danger of sinking. You might want to reach out and help, but what is really the best way of doing that? If someone confides in you about money troubles that they are having, then you might want to think carefully about what solutions you propose.

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Give them some cash

There are some people who will flat out warn against either giving a cash gift to a loved one or making a personal loan to them. There is no denying that there’s some risk that you might never get a loan back (which is why it’s wise to lend on the principle of understanding that risk.) However, when it comes to financial emergencies, there is no denying that it can be the most effective way to solve them, especially for people that you know are otherwise financially responsible. If you don’t know that, then you might lend it to them with the stipulation that you get to help them better manage their finances, too.

Sign a loan for them

You can help a loved one get access to money without having to give it or lend it to them yourself, as well. A co-signer on a loan effectively takes some of the responsibility of that loan. If the individual receiving it is not able to pay it back fully, then you might be on the hook for paying the rest, as shown by The Balance.com. This inherent risk does mean that you need to take seriously any decisions to co-sign a loan, but it doesn’t mean that it will always end in disaster. Once more, you can help your loved one get their finances on track to make sure that they’re better able to repay that loan.

Help them get their finances on track

One of the single best ways to get on top of any financial trouble is to start building a better understanding of where your money is going in the process. For instance, putting together a budget allows you to see how much money you should have going towards your financial goals, rather than how you’re actually currently spending your money. This can then make you a lot more cognizant of your own spending, which can help you control it. Offer to go over your loved one’s finances with them with the help of an app like Pigly.Com. If they’re willing, you can probably find them some wiggle room for the cash that they might need.

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Track their expenses with them

Creating a budget is one thing. It can help us have a much better set of expectations when it comes to our own spending and how much we should be paying towards what. However, the case of how much we should be paying and how much we end up paying can be very different. For that reason, it’s a good idea to work with them to track their expenses in real-time using apps that offer those functions as well as budgeting. This way, they can start to better understand the financial habits that they might have that could undermine their attempts to save. Once they’re more cognizant of those habits, it can become a lot easier to break them.

Offer non-financial help

If they need help putting together the money they need to manage their debt or simply to get into a more financially secure position, then there are ways that you can help them that can help them reduce their expenses without outright giving them money. After all, you might not be in a position to do that, yourself. One way to do that is to offer them services that can stop them from having to pay. If they’re parents, for instance, you can help babysit for them. If they’re looking for a job, you can help them network. If they’re having trouble putting food on the table, you can invite them over for dinner. Every one of these gestures helps them end the day with more money in their pocket than they would have otherwise.

Help them find the solutions near them

There may be others that, aside from you, can lend much more direct financial assistance, if only they knew to ask. For instance, if your loved one is having trouble finding employment and you can’t help them directly, you can help them find employment agencies. There are also welfare agencies and other resources as shown at CNBC.com that can help them pay their bills, including some non-profits that can offer a limited amount of cash in an emergency. If they’re looking at things like large debt, then you can help them explore options like consolidation and settlement, working with them to better understand the pros and cons so they don’t make any rash decisions.

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Measure your expectations

You might not be able to help your loved ones as much as you would like to. There are sometimes that they may not need anything other than cash and you’re not able to help. You should also measure your expectations of how willing they are to accept your help. When it comes to budgeting, tracking expenses, and reducing bills, people can get defensive about any implications that they need any help. A good way to break the ice is to show an example in yourself. For instance, if you’re recommending that they make use of a budget, then it’s a good idea to show them your budget and explain how it helps you make better decisions financially.

Sometimes, a small loan can help a loved one get on their feet, but you need to carefully consider whether a handout is safe or viable in each case. Hopefully, the tips above make it clear there are other solutions, too.

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Your Wealth Or Your Health: The Relationship Between Money & Wellness

In trying to look after ourselves, it is often extremely challenging to ensure that we are looking after every aspect of our lives as equally as possible. This is something that can really take a long time to get right, and if you are not careful it could mean that you end up prioritising one thing too much over another. In this post, we are going to look at the thorny issue of money and health: how they interact, how they combine, and how you can make sure that you are not sacrificing one at the benefit of the other.

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Does Money Make You Happy?

One of the central issues in this is the question of whether or not money actually makes you happy. It’s not an easy one to get to the bottom of, but it is worth exploring if we want to better understand the whole concept of wellness as it relates to finances. In fact, studies have been carried out on this specific question, and the apparent answer they have found is a very interesting and enlightening one. So what did they seem to discover with this research?

As it happens, it looks as though money does indeed make you happier - up to a point. Essentially, it makes you happy as long as it is removing other major stresses in your life. So if you are struggling to afford rent and food, earning more and being able to afford those things is obviously going to bring with it some kind of psychological relief. That’s as far as it goes, however. Beyond removing those kinds of difficulties, any money you make past that point does not make you any happier. In a certain sense, you are always going to have the temperament you have, and you will always more or less be as happy as you are, regardless of how much money you have.

What this means for us is simply this: if you are chasing money because you genuinely think that more and more of it will make you happy, you are quite wrong. If anything, the eternal chase is only going to bring about more worry and despair in the long run. Chase money by all means, but don’t expect to be happier as a result of doing so. It’s more likely to be the exact opposite, and then you will wonder why you did it.

Dealing With Financial Stress

As we have seen, money helps you psychologically to the point that it removes stress. You should focus on this as best as you can if you want to improve the relationship between money and wellness in your life. Basically, you might want to think about how you are approaching the issue of financial stress, as that is something that can have a really negative effect on your life if you are not careful. We all have financial stress at different times, and it is something that can really upset things quite profoundly in general.

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In order to try and deal with financial stress, most of what you need to do comes down to planning. The more you plan ahead, the more likely it is that you are going to be able to deal with stress as it arises, as you will have thought about the potential pitfalls and laid traps for them, essentially. This is the essence of good budgeting: ensuring that you have considered what might go wrong, and working around it before it even happens. If you can learn to do that, the vast majority of your financial stress will simply never appear.

For the remainder of it that does appear, you might need to ask yourself whether you are approaching it in the right way psychologically, or whether you need to change around the way you think about money. There is plenty of talk of money mindsets in the world today, but the most important thing is to have a mindset that allows for flexibility, and which doesn’t believe in money as the be-all and end-all of human happiness and woerth. If you can get to that point, you will find your relationship to money is a lot healthier and much easier to manage.

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Preparation & Patience

Often, when you are dealing with money, you need to make sure that you are as fully prepared for the future as possible. If you are about to go into a new venture of some kind, you are going to have to think about whether you are prepared, and that means looking into every aspect of it you can. For instance, let’s say you are about to move home. This is one of the most stressful experiences you can have, but you can make it less so by preparing for the financial elements far in advance.

That means you need to learn more about mortgages, how they work, and what you can expect from them. It also means that you are going to have to develop some patience, which is something that many of us find difficult, especially when it comes to financial issues. We all want things to happen as fast as possible, but sometimes you simply have to wait for it to alter. If you can have preparation in one hand and patience in the other, you are going to find that financial wisdom is yours for the taking - and your health will prosper.

The Poor Mental Health Cycle

It might be worth bearing the following in mind as you try to improve how you approach money. When you are bad with money, it likely leads to poor mental health. That then means that you are less likely to deal with money well, and so on. This unfortunate vicious cycle is one you should aim to avoid, but that is easier said than done. However, if you can keep it in mind you should be able to learn how to manage it a little better - so your money, and more importantly, your mental and physical wellbeing, is in a much better shape.

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5 Ways to Support Your Wellness Through Winter

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The winter is coming, and with it, there will be darker nights and colder days. Without the daily sunshine and inspiring summer activities, there's a danger we will slip into a low mood. To avoid this and to support our wellness instead, look at the tips below. There is sure to be something on the list that catches your attention and gives you an idea. 

Journaling 

Journaling is a seriously underrated way to support your wellness. It's underrated, probably, because people don't know how to make the most of it. There are preconceived ideas that you have to write many pages of personal details, but it doesn't have to be like that. Journaling these days comes in many forms: bullet journals, dream journals, reflective journals, travel journals, the list goes on. By journaling regularly, you keep track of your life, but you also gain a valuable perspective on it that can serve you well. 

Writing Stories 

If you're feeling creative, why not take some of the details from your journal and make up fictional stories. It's a fun activity and easy to do if you know how - see the link for more details. Using your imagination to create new characters and worlds helps to process your creative energy and makes you feel better. You don't have to do anything with the stories or show them to anyone, but if you want to, why not join a creative writing class. It's the perfect thing to do during the winter months. 

Mindfulness Practice 

Mindfulness practice takes many forms. You can simply pay attention to any activity you are presently engaged with, or make it a more formal practice, like a walking meditation, or a breathing one. You can also practice mindful drawing and coloring in, using books from: https://www.pennydellpuzzles.com/coloring/

They are an excellent way to get into a space of mindfulness and forget time and stress for a while. Why not put some music on, light a candle, and play with one of these zen coloring books now and again – it's more pleasant than mediocre television.

Movement Meditation 

Mindfulness meditation is excellent for your mental and emotional states, so is movement meditation, but this is also good for your physical body and energetic balance. So what is it? Put simply it is yoga, or other light forms of movement such as Tai Chi, swimming, or walking. These light movement activities are very good for unlocking stress and blocked energy. Following a short session of this, your mind will feel clearer, and you will feel more like your old self again.

A Hearty Diet 

Winter is a cold and brisk time of year. The weather and darkness make us want to retreat into our homes and hibernate. Sometimes this is the best thing to do, but you want to stay healthy at the same time. In these winter months, heavy nourishing foods are good to eat. Foods like potatoes, pumpkin, warm soup with crusty bread, and of course hot chocolate. Make yourself a hearty meal regularly throughout the winter months to stay warm and cheerful. 

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5 Ways To Stay On Top Of Your Finances In The Pandemic

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If you’re looking for ways to stay on top of your finances during the pandemic but you don’t know where to begin then don’t worry, you have definitely come to the right place. Whether you’re working on reduced hours or you’re worried you may be without work soon, you need to ensure you’re staying on top of your finances during this difficult time. Luckily, there are lots of ways in which you can do exactly that. From keeping an eye on non-essential purchases to setting yourself a monthly budget, the more you’re doing to keep on top of things the better. With that in mind, here are 5 ways to stay on top of your finances in the pandemic. 

Set Yourself A Monthly Budget

One of the best things you can do when it comes to staying on top of your finances is to ensure you’re setting yourself a monthly budget. Not only allow you to see where your money is going, but it will also give you the opportunity to see how much disposable income you have each month. It will give you a clear idea of what you can and cannot buy during this time. If possible, it will also show you how much you can save each month. For a guide to creating a personal budget, you can visit this site here. 

Keep An Eye On Non-Essential Purchases 

Another important tip to bear in mind is to keep a note of how much you’re spending on non-essential purchases. Whether that means you’re buying a takeaway once a week or you’re buying clothes that you don’t need, you may be surprised at how much you’re spending on things you don’t need. 

Consider Pausing Some Of Your Bills If Possible

If you’re struggling for money as a result of reduced work, you may want to consider pausing some of your bills. Although not everyone will have a system that will allow you to do this, a lot of companies are recognising that people need financial help during this time. For a guide to pausing your bills as a result of Coronavirus, you can visit this site here. 

Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help

Although it may be hard, asking for help is incredibly important when you’re struggling. Whether that means asking your friends and family for help or reaching out to a loan company, it’s not something you should be ashamed of. For more information, you can visit Greenpath debt solutions here. 

Keep A Contingency Fund If You Can

Finally, you need to ensure you have a contingency fund that you can access if you need to. While you may not need it, it’s the best way to ensure you’re prepared for the worst. 

With lots of tips and tricks to bear in mind, you can be sure you’re staying on top of your finances during this difficult time. What else do you need to consider? Did we miss anything off of the list? Let us know your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. 

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Your 'Stay Home' Fall Wardrobe

We all know that fall is a great time for fashion; however, things might be looking a little bit different this season, with many of us preparing to stay at home to help the global pandemic.

With fewer outings and an excellent excuse to stay home in the warmth, there won’t be as much need to buy some of the clothes you usually buy at this time of year. But that doesn’t mean you can’t create your own ‘stay home’ wardrobe instead.

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Give your existing clothes some TLC

If you usually invest in key fall pieces like outwear, boots and tonnes of knitwear, you might want to think twice this year. These pieces are usually on the pricier side of the fashion scale, so you’ll be doing yourself a big favor by getting more wear from last year’s items.

One of the ways you can give your clothes some TLC is to learn to mend your clothes. With the help of a bobble remover and a sewing needle, you could help your clothes look fresh once more. Making your clothes last year after year will help you make more responsible choices when it comes to your wardrobe, and is a great way to live more sustainably too.

Invest in some luxury loungewear

Spending a lot of time at home keeping warm requires some cozy loungewear - nobody wants to sit around wearing tight jeans at home! Treating yourself to some luxury loungewear will be the perfect way to enjoy some nights in at home. Fabrics like wool and cashmere are soft and warming, just what you need to relax on those long fall nights.

Check out some of the best loungewear to buy and give yourself a treat this fall! 

Choose snuggly pieces to stay warm

In addition to soft and toasty loungewear, you can’t beat those extra accessories too. A nice pair of fluffy slippers and fleecy socks will complete your stay-home outfit, must-haves for relaxing in front of Netflix. Don’t forget to get some cozy underwear too! Check out some underwear reviews to give you some shopping ideas! With so much coziness going on, you’ll find it hard not to fall into hibernation!

Stay in shape with the right fitness wear

While staying in is a sensible option to help you look after your health this fall, you still need to prioritize your health in other ways. Fitness is important and some daily exercise is good for your mental health as well as keeping you fit and strong. With exercise, it helps to wear clothes that are comfortable and designed for exercise - it will help you stay warm and give you the freedom to move around too.

If it’s been a while since you’ve exercised, there are some things you can do to help you get back on track. Start walking to help build up your fitness, and try some fun workouts you can do at home too! 

Making your stay-home look work-appropriate

Many of us will be embracing home working for a long time to come, and while it’s liberating not to have to wear formal work clothes every day, it’s not a great look for you to be sat on a Zoom call in your PJs! Take some tips on what to wear when working from home, it will help you find the balance between comfortable and work-appropriate.

While it’s natural to want to wear clothes you can relax in, maintaining some form of work wardrobe can help you stay productive and in the mindset for work.

If you’re entertaining, keep it comfy

If you plan on doing some entertaining, even if it’s just an intimate dinner, then it’s nice to dress up a little - despite being at home! But just because you’re entertaining, it doesn’t mean that you have to go all out with your outfit. Keeping it casual will make you feel a little more comfortable while hosting, ready to relax with your friends and family - think elasticated waists and floating fabrics!

Get some inspiration for outfits for entertaining at home that will be perfect for your next dinner party or cocktail hour!

Staying at home presents many challenges, but your wardrobe doesn’t have to be one! With the right attitude to your fall wardrobe, you can still and feel good, without having to overspend or buy clothes you may not wear this season. Embrace all of the comfy, wonderful things about fall with your perfect stay-home wardrobe.

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Healthcare Careers That You Didn't Previously Consider

So you want to work in healthcare but you don't know specifically which career? Fear not, you don’t have to keep searching in Google and hoping to find a career you can fall in love with, because we have you covered. Rather than give you a laundry list of things that are perhaps generic and common, we will expose you to new career options that you haven't thought of yourself. Some of them will be peculiar and perhaps not that attractive to you, but at least you will know they exist so you have a measuring stick for the other careers you might like instead. The healthcare industry is very versatile so don’t worry, you can transfer skills to many similar careers.

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A masters in nursing

Nursing is very popular but did you know that there are different types of nurses? Not all nurses are purely certified, some of them work as operating nurses, management nurses and others as masters of nursing. Take a look at this school where they have one of the most prestigious nursing courses in the country. It will all you to be any kind of nurse you want, from a family nurse, nurse educator, nurse practitioner, etc. the course will cover all the basics, the advanced and the really adept. Nursing is a profession that is more than just caring for patients at their bedside, it involves administering medicines, monitoring, therapy and managing their long term healthcare too. Nursing can be a way to get into a working environment such as a hospital, but also, working in private homes and areas like the military.

Healthcare equipment sales

Did you know that a large part of the economy is importing and exporting healthcare equipment? Everything from stethoscopes, heart monitors, IV drips, hospital beds to scalpels, and operating rooms, are all manufactured, sold, and bought among nations of the world. If you would like to be at the cutting edge of healthcare equipment, you should work in sales. It's a great way to learn the industry, the things that people want and are more concerned about but also, work with hospitals, private care homes, dentistries, military bases, aid companies, charities, etc. healthcare equipment sales is an area which many people find interesting because it involves helping people, saving lives but also, competing with companies. So those that love the competition and helping people, will love this career.

Aid volunteer

Healthcare isn’t about industries and careers all the time. Sometimes it's about being at the right place and the right time. Being an aid volunteer gives you the chance to travel, but also, be on the ground, helping nurses, doctors, militaries, and authorities like the UN to help those in need. When a natural disaster hits in Africa, when there is a war, or when there is an incident that involves mass displacement of peoples, aid workers are always at the frontline helping those in dire circumstances. 

Take a look at these career options, investigate which ones you would fit the most, and explore your options for how to begin your new journey. Good luck! 

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Chasing What You Want in Life: It’s About Your Mindset

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Sometimes we need to learn how to find ourselves. Much as you need to find your style, you have got to find an approach to life that suits your mindset. While mindset is something that can be a little on the corny side, everybody has the right to chase their ambitions in life. And mindset is the one biggest obstacle to achieving any sort of dream. If you are trying to climb a mountain, whether it's in terms of your career or anything in life, you've got to look at your own attitudes towards it. So what does it take to achieve what you want?

Fake It Until You Make It

When we act like we've already achieved our ambitions already, it's a fantastic way to tap into our mindset and change our perspective from the inside out. If you believe you've got financial freedom, you've got to start acting as if you already have it. It's amazing that when we change our mindset that things almost fall into our lap. When you start to think that having money isn't an impossible concept, or that there are ways to get out of debt, you unconsciously start to broaden your horizons. This could be where something like the Debt to Success System can open our minds. Sometimes, we’ve just got to take a leaf out of the hustlers, from the Jay-Zs of this world that came from nothing and used their sheer force of mindset to become the most successful entrepreneurs of the 21st century. You think they went to business school? Not at all; they faked it! 

Really Pinpoint What You Want

You can't just say that you want to have more money, you've got to be so on the money with what you want. You need to take the time to brainstorm and think about what you want and then go after it. What the hell do you want to do? Once you figure out what you want, you've got to keep reminding yourself of this dream. Put it somewhere that you cannot avoid it. Seeing it daily is the reminder that you have to go and chase your goals.

Stop With the Negativity

It's so easy to beat ourselves up when we don't achieve anything. This is why most of us never get off the ground. Stop hating on everyone around you because they are being successful. If someone has come up from the slums like yourself and they have achieved their dreams it's only proof that you can do it as well. Fear and jealousy will stop you from doing more things than you ever imagined. If Scottie Pippen didn't develop a bullish mindset, he would never have got anywhere near the Bulls. Fear and negativity can completely envelop you. If you want to chase your dreams in life, you've got to stop and change your attitude.

The best of us can feel that things aren't going right. But whether you want to start a new career or you want to achieve something in life, it's all about your mindset.

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