Home

Month: November 2018

  • What Can You Expect to See on Sale This Black Friday?

    What Can You Expect to See on Sale This Black Friday?

    Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year, and shoppers continue to break sales records every year. The massive sale extravaganza is a complete madhouse at certain retailers, and for good reason: the sales are absurd! This year, Black Friday falls on November 23 – but you don’t have to wait until Thanksgiving to start scoring deep discounts.

    Every retailer is trying to grab your attention with incredible deals on Black Friday. If you’re looking to save some money for holiday shopping, here’s what you can expect to see on sale this Black Friday!

    Last Year’s Best Black Friday Deals

    If you want to know what to expect for Black Friday this year, you’ll want to look back to the deals offered in 2017. Each year, retailers keep their sales consistent, offering the biggest bonuses and markdowns on the hottest, most sought after products of the year. Last year, retailers released a host of incredible discounts – and those specials were unveiled as early as November 9th. Some of the top deals shoppers scored included:

      • iPhone + Gift Card Offers: Customers who purchased an Apple iPhone X, iPhone 8, or iPhone 8 Plus received a $300 Walmart gift card.
      • Samsung Galaxy + Gift Card Offers: The popular Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S8, and Galaxy S8 Plus came with a $300 Walmart gift card.
      • PlayStation Bundle Discount: Buy a PlayStation 4 bundled with GranTurismo Sport and a virtual reality set for $100 off.
      • Nintendo Discount: The popular Nintendo Switch console with two controllers and a carrying case was priced at $299.
      • Xbox One X Discount: The Microsoft Xbox One X console with 1 terabyte of storage space was priced at $499.
      • Smart LED TV Discount: A Sharp 55” 4K Smart LED TV was discounted down to just $298.

    Shoppers went wild for these steals – and this year, you can expect Walmart to offer equally great deals for Black Friday.

    Black Friday Sales to Expect This Year

    It’s easy to predict what kinds of deals you can expect to see for Black Friday 2018. Each year, retailers tends to offer similar discounts and bundled packages on new smartphones, TVs, video games and consoles, and so many more tech products. Before retailers releases its 2018 deals in early November, here’s what we’re expecting to see on the list of deals:

    Smart Speakers

    Smart speakers have been some of the hottest Black Friday sellers in recent years, especially now that big names like Amazon and Google are essentially all-in on the connected home. Expect more of the same for shoppers in 2018, with lots of deals on Alexa and Google Assistant gadgets, smart thermostats from names like Nest and Ecobee, home surround sound smart speakers, connected lighting kits, video doorbells app-enabled robot vacuums… you name it.

    Smartphones + Gift Cards

    New iterations of both the iPhone and the Galaxy have been released, along with plenty of other popular smartphones from LG, Huawei, and more. One of the biggest draws Walmart offers year after year is a special on the most sought after smartphones – and for 2018, we can expect to see gift card offers equal to or better than last year’s deals. Expect to see the newest smartphones, from the iPhone XS and XS Max to the Galaxy S9 and Note 9, offered with a gift card of $300 to $350.

    These types of deals reoccur year after year, and they’re a safe bet at large retailers. If you’re planning on upgrading to a new phone or giving one as a gift, keep this in mind!

    Video Game Consoles

    Speaking of the Nintendo Switch, its sure to be a hot seller this year. The little hybrid console is primed for the release of Super Smash Bros Ultimate, Pokemon Let’s Go! and Super Mario Party. Those big-name games will make the console a must-have for gamers this holiday season, so expect to see it discounted.

    For an example, last year retailers had deals including the console, a carrying case and a game for only $300. That’s the normal MSRP of the system, so the carrying case and game were simply all-upside! This year we expect to see similar sales at various retailers. The Super Smash Bros and Pokemon bundles of the Switch are likely targets for big sales. Both include unique docks and controllers based on the games that are bundled in! They’re both likely to be hot-ticket items this year.

    Microsoft and Sony also offer their Xbox and PS4 at $300, respectively. While we don’t expect to see these systems discounted any, it wouldn’t be surprising to see deals including games or controllers as bundles at $300. These sales are more desirable to retailers: they offer value to the consumer while not digging into the company’s profits. In fact, they could even help offload hardware like controllers or carrying cases while increasing traffic around the holidays.

    TV Deals

    You can also expect to see great discounts of TVs. Interestingly, TVs are one of the few things that hasn’t increased in price year over year with inflation. Instead, it’s more affordable than ever to get a big, flat-screen HD TV. That goes double during Black Friday sales when everything has huge discounts!

    Last year large retailers had 55-inch 4K displays as low as $300. Those kinds of prices were around $200-$300 off of MSRP. A lot of retailers even used those huge TV discounts as one of the biggest draws to shopping in their store during the huge holiday sales.

    As crazy as this sounds, you might even be able to pick up 4K Smart TVs for as little as $250 on Black Friday. These deals are sure to be red-hot to boot. Make sure you’re early in line to snag these deals! TVs are one of the fastest-moving items on sale during Black Friday. If you’ve been holding off on upgrading, this year is going to be a really good time to pull the trigger on an upgrade. Given the trajectory of large flat-screens, it’s likely that this year will have some of the lowest prices ever for them.

    There are sure to be dozens of more awesome deals to be found at major retailers this Black Friday. Ads indicating sale prices are usually out by mid-November, so make sure you keep your eyes peeled for early indicators of the big deals this season!

    Laptop & Tablet Deals

    If you’re looking to pick up one of the best laptops or a new MacBook, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the best times to do fetch a winning deal. And, with this year’s celebration of shopping quickly approaching, you might want to gear up for the big day and see how you can ensure you only get the best price.

    Big name brands like Dell, Lenovo and HP should all see price drops for their range of laptops, both budget and high-end. Last year, Dell’s XPS 13 and XPS 15 laptops saw liberal price cuts, and we hope to see similar slashing this year. They are two of the best laptops money can buy, so if you find those getting discounted on Black Friday, definitely consider purchasing them.

    Price cuts to Microsoft’s excellent range of Surface devices are also a common sight on Black Friday. Microsoft just announced the Surface Pro 6, and while Black Friday will be too soon for that new device to see price cuts, it means that its predecessor, the Surface Pro 2017, has a good chance of seeing some decent price cuts. Keep an eye out for the affordable Surface Go as well – we suspect Microsoft will make some prices cuts there as well.

    But, what about Apple? Apple’s MacBook notebooks don’t often receive sizable price cuts, but in recent Black Friday events we’ve seen some good price cuts emerging from retailers like B&H Photo and Adorama. If you don’t mind getting somewhat older MacBook hardware from a year or so ago, then you should be able to score yourself a neat MacBook deal on Black Friday. Finally the new iPad Pro was recently unveiled this year so Apple will undoubtedly have Black Friday deals for their most recent flagship product.


  • What Can You Expect to See on Sale This Black Friday?

    What Can You Expect to See on Sale This Black Friday?

    Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year, and shoppers continue to break sales records every year. The massive sale extravaganza is a complete madhouse at certain retailers, and for good reason: the sales are absurd! This year, Black Friday falls on November 23 – but you don’t have to wait until Thanksgiving to start scoring deep discounts.

    Every retailer is trying to grab your attention with incredible deals on Black Friday. If you’re looking to save some money for holiday shopping, here’s what you can expect to see on sale this Black Friday!

    Last Year’s Best Black Friday Deals

    If you want to know what to expect for Black Friday this year, you’ll want to look back to the deals offered in 2017. Each year, retailers keep their sales consistent, offering the biggest bonuses and markdowns on the hottest, most sought after products of the year. Last year, retailers released a host of incredible discounts – and those specials were unveiled as early as November 9th. Some of the top deals shoppers scored included:

      • iPhone + Gift Card Offers: Customers who purchased an Apple iPhone X, iPhone 8, or iPhone 8 Plus received a $300 Walmart gift card.
      • Samsung Galaxy + Gift Card Offers: The popular Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S8, and Galaxy S8 Plus came with a $300 Walmart gift card.
      • PlayStation Bundle Discount: Buy a PlayStation 4 bundled with GranTurismo Sport and a virtual reality set for $100 off.
      • Nintendo Discount: The popular Nintendo Switch console with two controllers and a carrying case was priced at $299.
      • Xbox One X Discount: The Microsoft Xbox One X console with 1 terabyte of storage space was priced at $499.
      • Smart LED TV Discount: A Sharp 55” 4K Smart LED TV was discounted down to just $298.

    Shoppers went wild for these steals – and this year, you can expect Walmart to offer equally great deals for Black Friday.

    Black Friday Sales to Expect This Year

    It’s easy to predict what kinds of deals you can expect to see for Black Friday 2018. Each year, retailers tends to offer similar discounts and bundled packages on new smartphones, TVs, video games and consoles, and so many more tech products. Before retailers releases its 2018 deals in early November, here’s what we’re expecting to see on the list of deals:

    Smart Speakers

    Smart speakers have been some of the hottest Black Friday sellers in recent years, especially now that big names like Amazon and Google are essentially all-in on the connected home. Expect more of the same for shoppers in 2018, with lots of deals on Alexa and Google Assistant gadgets, smart thermostats from names like Nest and Ecobee, home surround sound smart speakers, connected lighting kits, video doorbells app-enabled robot vacuums… you name it.

    Smartphones + Gift Cards

    New iterations of both the iPhone and the Galaxy have been released, along with plenty of other popular smartphones from LG, Huawei, and more. One of the biggest draws Walmart offers year after year is a special on the most sought after smartphones – and for 2018, we can expect to see gift card offers equal to or better than last year’s deals. Expect to see the newest smartphones, from the iPhone XS and XS Max to the Galaxy S9 and Note 9, offered with a gift card of $300 to $350.

    These types of deals reoccur year after year, and they’re a safe bet at large retailers. If you’re planning on upgrading to a new phone or giving one as a gift, keep this in mind!

    Video Game Consoles

    Speaking of the Nintendo Switch, its sure to be a hot seller this year. The little hybrid console is primed for the release of Super Smash Bros Ultimate, Pokemon Let’s Go! and Super Mario Party. Those big-name games will make the console a must-have for gamers this holiday season, so expect to see it discounted.

    For an example, last year retailers had deals including the console, a carrying case and a game for only $300. That’s the normal MSRP of the system, so the carrying case and game were simply all-upside! This year we expect to see similar sales at various retailers. The Super Smash Bros and Pokemon bundles of the Switch are likely targets for big sales. Both include unique docks and controllers based on the games that are bundled in! They’re both likely to be hot-ticket items this year.

    Microsoft and Sony also offer their Xbox and PS4 at $300, respectively. While we don’t expect to see these systems discounted any, it wouldn’t be surprising to see deals including games or controllers as bundles at $300. These sales are more desirable to retailers: they offer value to the consumer while not digging into the company’s profits. In fact, they could even help offload hardware like controllers or carrying cases while increasing traffic around the holidays.

    TV Deals

    You can also expect to see great discounts of TVs. Interestingly, TVs are one of the few things that hasn’t increased in price year over year with inflation. Instead, it’s more affordable than ever to get a big, flat-screen HD TV. That goes double during Black Friday sales when everything has huge discounts!

    Last year large retailers had 55-inch 4K displays as low as $300. Those kinds of prices were around $200-$300 off of MSRP. A lot of retailers even used those huge TV discounts as one of the biggest draws to shopping in their store during the huge holiday sales.

    As crazy as this sounds, you might even be able to pick up 4K Smart TVs for as little as $250 on Black Friday. These deals are sure to be red-hot to boot. Make sure you’re early in line to snag these deals! TVs are one of the fastest-moving items on sale during Black Friday. If you’ve been holding off on upgrading, this year is going to be a really good time to pull the trigger on an upgrade. Given the trajectory of large flat-screens, it’s likely that this year will have some of the lowest prices ever for them.

    There are sure to be dozens of more awesome deals to be found at major retailers this Black Friday. Ads indicating sale prices are usually out by mid-November, so make sure you keep your eyes peeled for early indicators of the big deals this season!

    Laptop & Tablet Deals

    If you’re looking to pick up one of the best laptops or a new MacBook, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the best times to do fetch a winning deal. And, with this year’s celebration of shopping quickly approaching, you might want to gear up for the big day and see how you can ensure you only get the best price.

    Big name brands like Dell, Lenovo and HP should all see price drops for their range of laptops, both budget and high-end. Last year, Dell’s XPS 13 and XPS 15 laptops saw liberal price cuts, and we hope to see similar slashing this year. They are two of the best laptops money can buy, so if you find those getting discounted on Black Friday, definitely consider purchasing them.

    Price cuts to Microsoft’s excellent range of Surface devices are also a common sight on Black Friday. Microsoft just announced the Surface Pro 6, and while Black Friday will be too soon for that new device to see price cuts, it means that its predecessor, the Surface Pro 2017, has a good chance of seeing some decent price cuts. Keep an eye out for the affordable Surface Go as well – we suspect Microsoft will make some prices cuts there as well.

    But, what about Apple? Apple’s MacBook notebooks don’t often receive sizable price cuts, but in recent Black Friday events we’ve seen some good price cuts emerging from retailers like B&H Photo and Adorama. If you don’t mind getting somewhat older MacBook hardware from a year or so ago, then you should be able to score yourself a neat MacBook deal on Black Friday. Finally the new iPad Pro was recently unveiled this year so Apple will undoubtedly have Black Friday deals for their most recent flagship product.


  • What Can You Expect to See on Sale This Black Friday?

    What Can You Expect to See on Sale This Black Friday?

    Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year, and shoppers continue to break sales records every year. The massive sale extravaganza is a complete madhouse at certain retailers, and for good reason: the sales are absurd! This year, Black Friday falls on November 23 – but you don’t have to wait until Thanksgiving to start scoring deep discounts.

    Every retailer is trying to grab your attention with incredible deals on Black Friday. If you’re looking to save some money for holiday shopping, here’s what you can expect to see on sale this Black Friday!

    Last Year’s Best Black Friday Deals

    If you want to know what to expect for Black Friday this year, you’ll want to look back to the deals offered in 2017. Each year, retailers keep their sales consistent, offering the biggest bonuses and markdowns on the hottest, most sought after products of the year. Last year, retailers released a host of incredible discounts – and those specials were unveiled as early as November 9th. Some of the top deals shoppers scored included:

      • iPhone + Gift Card Offers: Customers who purchased an Apple iPhone X, iPhone 8, or iPhone 8 Plus received a $300 Walmart gift card.
      • Samsung Galaxy + Gift Card Offers: The popular Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S8, and Galaxy S8 Plus came with a $300 Walmart gift card.
      • PlayStation Bundle Discount: Buy a PlayStation 4 bundled with GranTurismo Sport and a virtual reality set for $100 off.
      • Nintendo Discount: The popular Nintendo Switch console with two controllers and a carrying case was priced at $299.
      • Xbox One X Discount: The Microsoft Xbox One X console with 1 terabyte of storage space was priced at $499.
      • Smart LED TV Discount: A Sharp 55” 4K Smart LED TV was discounted down to just $298.

    Shoppers went wild for these steals – and this year, you can expect Walmart to offer equally great deals for Black Friday.

    Black Friday Sales to Expect This Year

    It’s easy to predict what kinds of deals you can expect to see for Black Friday 2018. Each year, retailers tends to offer similar discounts and bundled packages on new smartphones, TVs, video games and consoles, and so many more tech products. Before retailers releases its 2018 deals in early November, here’s what we’re expecting to see on the list of deals:

    Smart Speakers

    Smart speakers have been some of the hottest Black Friday sellers in recent years, especially now that big names like Amazon and Google are essentially all-in on the connected home. Expect more of the same for shoppers in 2018, with lots of deals on Alexa and Google Assistant gadgets, smart thermostats from names like Nest and Ecobee, home surround sound smart speakers, connected lighting kits, video doorbells app-enabled robot vacuums… you name it.

    Smartphones + Gift Cards

    New iterations of both the iPhone and the Galaxy have been released, along with plenty of other popular smartphones from LG, Huawei, and more. One of the biggest draws Walmart offers year after year is a special on the most sought after smartphones – and for 2018, we can expect to see gift card offers equal to or better than last year’s deals. Expect to see the newest smartphones, from the iPhone XS and XS Max to the Galaxy S9 and Note 9, offered with a gift card of $300 to $350.

    These types of deals reoccur year after year, and they’re a safe bet at large retailers. If you’re planning on upgrading to a new phone or giving one as a gift, keep this in mind!

    Video Game Consoles

    Speaking of the Nintendo Switch, its sure to be a hot seller this year. The little hybrid console is primed for the release of Super Smash Bros Ultimate, Pokemon Let’s Go! and Super Mario Party. Those big-name games will make the console a must-have for gamers this holiday season, so expect to see it discounted.

    For an example, last year retailers had deals including the console, a carrying case and a game for only $300. That’s the normal MSRP of the system, so the carrying case and game were simply all-upside! This year we expect to see similar sales at various retailers. The Super Smash Bros and Pokemon bundles of the Switch are likely targets for big sales. Both include unique docks and controllers based on the games that are bundled in! They’re both likely to be hot-ticket items this year.

    Microsoft and Sony also offer their Xbox and PS4 at $300, respectively. While we don’t expect to see these systems discounted any, it wouldn’t be surprising to see deals including games or controllers as bundles at $300. These sales are more desirable to retailers: they offer value to the consumer while not digging into the company’s profits. In fact, they could even help offload hardware like controllers or carrying cases while increasing traffic around the holidays.

    TV Deals

    You can also expect to see great discounts of TVs. Interestingly, TVs are one of the few things that hasn’t increased in price year over year with inflation. Instead, it’s more affordable than ever to get a big, flat-screen HD TV. That goes double during Black Friday sales when everything has huge discounts!

    Last year large retailers had 55-inch 4K displays as low as $300. Those kinds of prices were around $200-$300 off of MSRP. A lot of retailers even used those huge TV discounts as one of the biggest draws to shopping in their store during the huge holiday sales.

    As crazy as this sounds, you might even be able to pick up 4K Smart TVs for as little as $250 on Black Friday. These deals are sure to be red-hot to boot. Make sure you’re early in line to snag these deals! TVs are one of the fastest-moving items on sale during Black Friday. If you’ve been holding off on upgrading, this year is going to be a really good time to pull the trigger on an upgrade. Given the trajectory of large flat-screens, it’s likely that this year will have some of the lowest prices ever for them.

    There are sure to be dozens of more awesome deals to be found at major retailers this Black Friday. Ads indicating sale prices are usually out by mid-November, so make sure you keep your eyes peeled for early indicators of the big deals this season!

    Laptop & Tablet Deals

    If you’re looking to pick up one of the best laptops or a new MacBook, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the best times to do fetch a winning deal. And, with this year’s celebration of shopping quickly approaching, you might want to gear up for the big day and see how you can ensure you only get the best price.

    Big name brands like Dell, Lenovo and HP should all see price drops for their range of laptops, both budget and high-end. Last year, Dell’s XPS 13 and XPS 15 laptops saw liberal price cuts, and we hope to see similar slashing this year. They are two of the best laptops money can buy, so if you find those getting discounted on Black Friday, definitely consider purchasing them.

    Price cuts to Microsoft’s excellent range of Surface devices are also a common sight on Black Friday. Microsoft just announced the Surface Pro 6, and while Black Friday will be too soon for that new device to see price cuts, it means that its predecessor, the Surface Pro 2017, has a good chance of seeing some decent price cuts. Keep an eye out for the affordable Surface Go as well – we suspect Microsoft will make some prices cuts there as well.

    But, what about Apple? Apple’s MacBook notebooks don’t often receive sizable price cuts, but in recent Black Friday events we’ve seen some good price cuts emerging from retailers like B&H Photo and Adorama. If you don’t mind getting somewhat older MacBook hardware from a year or so ago, then you should be able to score yourself a neat MacBook deal on Black Friday. Finally the new iPad Pro was recently unveiled this year so Apple will undoubtedly have Black Friday deals for their most recent flagship product.


  • Is Your Basement Trapping Moisture? Here’s how to Dry a Damp Basement

    Is Your Basement Trapping Moisture? Here’s how to Dry a Damp Basement

    Depending on where you live, basement humidity might be a serious issue for you. A damp basement can seriously affect the value of your home and can even result in structural damage. Fighting this humidity can be quite the uphill battle. If you’re at your wit’s end with a damp basement, here’s some tips for trying to dry it out!

    How to Dry out a Damp Basement

    Ventilate Well

    Make sure the basement is well-ventilated! Still, stagnate air is ideal for moisture to accumulate. Dark, still and quiet areas are also prime real estate for mold growth. The last thing you want in your house is mold! On a dry day, open doors or basement windows and put fans in the basement. Get that air circulating! Move it the heck out of your basement! Pair this with things like a dehumidifier to make sure you’re really drying the place out.

    Dehumidifier

    A straightforward solution might just be to run a dehumidifier in your basement. A lot of folks overthink their damp basement problems and don’t think about this incredibly straightforward and cost-effective solution. For around $200, a dehumidifier alone might just solve your entire problem.

    Just set up a medium-sized dehumidifier in the basement and let it run. These are a great idea for a number of reasons. For one thing, they can keep moisture buildup from resulting in dangerous puddles. For another, they can also reduce the growth of mold, which loves dark, moist areas. This means that running a dehumidifier can do wonders for your health!

    Reseal and Plug Leaks

    The concrete in your basement may need resealing if a dehumidifier alone can’t solve your problem. If this is the case, don’t panic.  If you’re noticing a lot of condensation through the concrete walls or floor of your basement, you can address the problem by resealing the concrete. You can go to any hardware store and find concrete paint and sealer. There are varieties for both walls and floors, so make sure you get the one that addresses your specific issues.

    While you’re resealing your concrete, make sure you address any potential leaks too. Things like basement windows, openings for your dryer to vent heat and the like can be entryways for a lot of moisture. This is especially true in rainy regions or during wet times of the year. Make sure to seal these areas well with silicone seals or weather strips. Then, make sure you run a dehumidifier and ventilate the area well.

    Address Any Issues with your Gutters

    If your gutters have spouts that let out close to your foundation, they could be pouring water into your basement. This can ruin even the best weather-treatment or sealing. To remedy this, make sure the spouts from your gutters let out at least four feet from your home. Additionally, make sure that the water that leaves the spout runs downhill away from your home. It won’t do any good to just have it roll back into your house!

    This is better for you home in general, too, not just your basement. The erosion this can cause around your foundation is pretty severe. The value of a home with a compromised foundation is negligible compared to one with a solid foundation! This should be high on your list of considerations if you have gutters that let out near your home.

    Air Out Wet Items Outside

    If you’ve got wet items from the basement flooding or just general dampness, take them out of the basement. It might seem like a good place to air them out but think about it. If you’re trying to dry the basement out, you really don’t need to have damp items airing out. That’s just going to work against all the hard work you’re doing trying to dry the place!

    Instead, take things like wet suitcases or furniture outside to a patio or deck. That way, they’re exposed to open air and sunlight and will dry out much faster. This also ensures that your home isn’t exposed to even more moisture! If the items you’re drying can’t go outside, consider drying them in the garage or a bedroom that is well ventilated.

  • Is Your Home Ready for Winter? Don’t Miss Our Checklist

    Is Your Home Ready for Winter? Don’t Miss Our Checklist

    Winter is coming, and you don’t want to be caught flat-footed! Take steps now to make sure your home is ready for Winter. The last thing you want is to be stuck with a broken heating unit or frozen water pipes in the middle of the season!

    Make Sure Your Home is Ready for Winter

    Get Your Heating System Checked

    This is an easy step that could save you a ton of trouble down the line. Get an HVAC technician to come out and double-check your system. They will be able to make sure everything is clean and in good condition. These “tune-up” style services generally cost around $90 or so. They could potentially save your hundreds or thousands of dollars if a technician identifies a problem before it gets bad.

    The other huge upside to being proactive, instead of reactive, is ensuring your home will be comfortable and safe all winter. If your heating system fails in the middle of the coldest night of the year, you’re not going to be very happy. You’ll also be near the back of the line for repairs, as everyone else in town is having the overworked repairman come to fix their heat. Don’t get stuck shivering in the middle of Winter!

    Check Your Roof

    Make sure that your roof is ready for winter, too. If you can see to your roof, look for any missing or damaged shingles. If you can’t see it from the ground level, get a professional roofing company to come inspect it for you. We advise you don’t go up there yourself, as it could be dangerous!

    A professional roofing company can tell you whether any shingles are damaged or missing. Then, they can offer you a quote for repairs. You’d much rather have them be proactive and replace it before winter storms and snow cause leaks into your attic! That kind of damage can be very hard to reverse.

    While You’re Up There…

    Make sure your gutters are clean and clear. If you don’t have covered gutters, this is a major concern. A lot of leaves and other detritus blocking your gutters can be a major problem in Winter. These blockages can cause major water backup, which is awful for your house and gutters alike. You can even have ice dams form in your gutters from these types of backup.

    If you have covered gutters, however, you should be okay! Just have them check to make sure there’s no blockages in there. Ice dams can still form in covered gutters, even though they’re much less likely. You just want to make sure everything is clean and snow and rain has a place to go!

    Another important note about gutters: make sure they divert water at least three feet from the foundation. If they don’t, you could get some serious erosion around the base of your house.

    General Winter-Proofing

    If your home doesn’t have cold-proof outdoor faucets, make sure you shut them off from the main valve in your home. Then, turn them on from the outside and let the excess water flow out of them. That way the water doesn’t freeze in the pipes and burst them! The same goes for any sprinkles or irrigation systems you might have.

    If you plan on using your chimney at all this season, make sure you call in a chimney sweep, too! You don’t want to accidentally cause a house fire by setting some detritus ablaze! If you follow these easy tips, your home should be ready for winter!

    High Ceilings? Run Your Fans Backwards

    If you have very high, vault-style ceilings, you’ve likely learned the hard way that heat rises. Homes with vaulted ceilings and hardwood floors have notoriously cold floors in the winter. The best way to deal with this issue is to reverse the flow of your ceiling fans. If your fan has a reverse option, turn it on and let it run backwards. This will create an updraft, pulling the cold air off of the floor and displacing the hot air near the ceiling.

    This turning of air makes your rooms feel more comfortable and can also help your power bill. By having your ceiling fans keep hot air well-distributed, your home will be more comfortable. This will let you keep your heating system a little lower and stay comfortable in your own home!

  • Religion on the Go: Online Bible Schools

    Religion on the Go: Online Bible Schools

    The Bible  is a collection of sacred texts or scriptures that of divine inspiration and a record of the relationship between God and humans. With estimated total sales of over 5 billion copies. It is widely considered to be the most influential and best-selling book of all time. It is undoubtedly profound, mesmerizing, and astonishing in wisdom. Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face- Ronald Reagan.

     

    Theology is essentially the way in which the Christian church has received the Word of God revealed to us in the Bible and in Jesus Christ. The early church inherited the Hebrew Scriptures and accepted them as a true picture of who God is and what he is like. He is absolutely unique and sovereign over everything that exists, which he created out of nothing and for a purpose. Theologist have studied the Bible to impensly unimaginable depths for 4000 years. Cut to today and there are a plethora of Online Bible Schools to get you started as clergy or a theologist.  Lets take a look at some of the best 21rst century online Bible schools.

     

    Earning an online degree in bible study is a way to begin or further a career in ministry. They offer the flexibility and autonomy available in online learning. It’s important to find a quality program; one that offers the history and connection that’s needed to be successful in Christian ministry. We’ve compiled a list of some of the best schools for Bible study in 2017. Then provided them here for you so you can make the best decision possible about where you earn your degree. Lets take a look at the top 5 best online Bible schools

     

    Virginia Baptist College

    Virginia Baptist College is a Christian school located in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Bible focused minors are in music, church office management and youth ministries. Adults who feel called to serve in ministry at the local church and vocational ministry levels can enroll in the Bachelor of Ministry program. Bible is one of the concentrations in the program. Church ministries, pastoral studies and church business are other concentrations. Graduate Bible studies are delivered through the Master of Ministry, the Master of Biblical Studies and the Master of Christian Education programs. These are online degree programs that take four to five years to complete.

    Manhattan Christian College

    Classes in biblical studies at the Manhattan Christian College run on an eight week schedule. Each class requires a 14 to 15 hour commitment on a weekly basis. Students enrolled in online options generally only have to log into class at set times to participate in scheduled class discussions. The college operates on a semester schedule. It is possible to transfer credits earned at another school into the degree programs. Traditional and dual degrees awarded at the college are the Bachelor of Science in Bible and Leadership.  The Bachelor of Arts in Bible and Leadership and the Bachelor of Arts in Bible and Leadership.

     

    Johnson University Florida

    Since 1893, Johnson University has been a leader in Christian higher education. The University’s flagship campus in Knoxville, Tennessee, was established by Ashley S. Johnson as the “School of the Evangelists” primarily to train preachers.  The School was later renamed “Johnson Bible College,” then “Johnson University” as the scope of the School’s offerings expanded to include additional strategic vocations to extend the kingdom of God.

    Oral Roberts University

    Those who feel called by God to Christian service will find a welcoming academic home within the College of Theology and Ministry. When you enroll in the graduate program, you will be part of a seminary recognized for the highest academic standards by  accreditation from the Association of Theological Schools (ATS). This assures you of an education that is academically challenging and a degree that is well respected across denominations and by most other universities. All of Oral Robert professors hold earned doctorate degrees and are graduates of such respected institutions as Yale, Duke, Hebrew University, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Fuller Seminary, Drew, and the University of Aberdeen, to name a few.

    One of the great strengths of this program is the rich international character of our student body. Theology and Ministry students come to ORU from countries around the world. They study in a program that is Spirit-led and focused on taking the message of Christ to a hungry world. However, you can do this online with their online Bible schools program.

     

    Notre Dame Online Bible Schools

    The Department of Theology represents the heart of the education in faith and reason. The University of Notre Dame strives to give this to its students. Guided by the ideal of “faith seeking understanding,” its faculty conduct critical reflection in six areas. Moral theology, history of Christianity, liturgy, biblical studies, systematic theology and world religion and world Church, in service to all students, the larger Church, the academy, and the broader public.

     

     

  • Crazy Ways to Get a Good Scholarship

    Crazy Ways to Get a Good Scholarship

    College is expensive. There’s no two ways about this. The ballooning costs of a college education are a serious problem in the US. While there are loans available for students, they’re generally not a great idea. The interest rates and penalties on private loans are downright predatory, and government loans don’t usually cover everything. To help you out, here are some crazy ways to get a good scholarship!

    Great Websites for Finding a Good Scholarship

    Collegeboard.org

    This site has a great number of features for you to check out. The site is primarily aimed at being a college planning site, but it has a whole division set aside for scholarship. Fill out your profile as accurately as you can and it will help you sniff out great scholarships! If you’ve been in extracurricular activities, have a high GPA or were on a sports team, include that!

    Even students who didn’t do any of those things might find good scholarships. Make sure you fill out all the info about your background, your family and where you’re from. There are scholarships for all kinds of things! You never know what types of markers you might have that make you a good candidate for a scholarship. That’s why it’s so important to fill out the paperwork as accurately and thoroughly as you can!

    Scholarships.com

    It should come as no surprise that a site called Scholarships.com can help you find scholarships. Jokes aside, this is a fantastic resource for college hopefuls. The site features scholarships from a wide variety of sources, and you’re bound to find something that applies to you.

    There are a ton of search criteria you can use to try to find a scholarship for you. Everything from scholarships for academics, sports, clubs and even backgrounds can be found on Scholarships.com. That’s not to say you shouldn’t also make a detailed profile! Again, you can never know just how many great scholarships are just waiting for you!

    Chegg

    Chegg is a cool site for a few reasons. The first reason is pretty evident right away: they’re a great site for finding textbooks! While getting textbooks for your classes is going to be expensive, it’s well worth it. You’ll usually fall behind your classmates and fail the course if you try to wing it without a textbook. It can be tempting to try to find the book for free online, but that’s not always an option. Some books are hard to find, and others are far too big to parse in PDF form.

    All that being said, Chegg is a great place to buy college textbooks from. They have good prices and a great search function. Whether you’re a freshman going in or a returning upperclassman, you should check out Chegg’s bookstore. As for the scholarships, they have a wide variety you can search on their site too!

    Simply go to the homepage and select “colleges.” Then, in the drop menu, select “scholarships.” As you would expect, there are a number of criteria you can search through to find a scholarship that’s right for you. They even have a “top scholarships this week” filter to help you find some of the most popular options among other students.

    As with the other sites in this list, you can also make a detailed profile. Make sure to include all pertinent information: it can help you get the best scholarships! Every little bit helps!

    The U.S. Labor Department’s Free Search Tool

    It’s good to check with this free search tool, as well. If you’ve already applied for FAFSA, this should be your next step. The government has a number of programs in place to help you figure out good ways to pay for college. Remember: people want you to succeed. Your success is important! Government programs like this is funded by taxes and made to help the people. That’s you!

    If you still need help after checking all of these sites, consider speaking to your university’s financial aid office. It can be really difficult to find enough assistance to pay for school! Just remember that you can take government subsidized loans out relatively safely. Just be really careful that you don’t take out more loans than you’ll be able to pay back!

  • Easy Tips for Starting Your Own Blog

    Easy Tips for Starting Your Own Blog

    Are you trying to start your own blog? If so, there’s a lot to cover when it comes to getting started. You’ll have to figure out what platform, whether to self-host and what kind of design you want. Today we’re going to take a look at some of the most popular options and give you some tips for starting your own blog!

    How to Get Started with Your Own Blog

    Choose a Platform

    First, you’ll need to choose a blogging platform. Put simply, this is the interface you’ll use to put your blog up on the internet. There are a few options, but the biggest one by far is WordPress. If you hadn’t guessed, the very post you’re reading was made in WordPress. Roughly half of all the blog on the internet were made using the WordPress platform.

    Why is WordPress so popular? There are a few reasons. Firstly, it’s very well laid-out, offering a clean and simple way to manage your content. Secondly, it’s easy to search for a layout and template you like the look of. This makes your content look very professional and makes monetization significantly easier! Not everyone who blogs is going to make a ton of money, but if money is your goal in this then WordPress is likely your best bet. It’s simply the most professional-looking mass-market blog platform.

    Alternatives

    As for alternatives, there are a few you can look into. The biggest other platform out there is called Blogger. It’s a fine resource, if a bit more limited than WordPress. If you prefer Blogger’s style and layout, however, that’s totally fine. You can make an awesome-looking blog with Blogger.

    The next biggest blogging platform is a website called Tumblr. Tumblr’s a bit of a cross between a blogging site and a social media platform. It’s a bit atypical in terms of hardcore blogging, but it’s worth keeping in mind. If you want to do something more social and off the wall then you might like Tumblr’s looser, more casual approach.

    Self-hosting or Free

    Once you’ve picked a blog platform, you’ll need to figure out whether you’ll self-host or not. Self-hosting costs money, but it gives you a lot more control. Not self-hosting means your blog will be free, which is cool, but it comes with some notable limitations. For one thing, you won’t have your own domain name. Your domain, instead, will be hosted under the platform you’ve chosen.

    For example, a blog hosted by WordPress would have a WordPress domain name. For all intents and purposes, it would belong to WordPress. If they wanted to delete your blog, they could. It’s unlikely, but the point stands. The other option is self-hosting. Self-hosting costs money, but it gives you a lot more freedom. You get your own domain name, you have more monetization options and you own your site.

    The price is also lower than you might expect. The average price is about $5 or $10 per month. That’s not too bad, especially if your site is making more than that each month.

    Design an Attractive Blog

    If you’re new webpage design, don’t sweat it. You can make a great-looking blog through a blog platform like WordPress without needing a design degree. The first step is deciding what your blog’s theme should be. If your blog is all about video games, you should opt for a game-related theme. WordPress has a wide variety of themes, so choosing one that fits your blog and your style is important.

    The next thing to remember is that a clean, easy-to-navigate website gets way more traffic than an ugly, cluttered one. If your site’s visitors can’t find an article pretty quickly, they’re going to move on. That’s no good! You need a design that grabs attention and is easy to navigate.

    The Internet is Your Friend

    If you get stuck or confused and can’t figure out where to go next, don’t freak out. There’s a ton of options for you to check out and get your bearings. The internet is downright full of resources made just for people starting their own blogs. If you’re hitting a snag, you can bet someone else has hit it before and written a guide on it.

    There you have it! Those are some of the first considerations you’ll make in starting your own blog. Remember to have fun with it and make it your own! If you’re having fun and doing what you love, everything else will come naturally!

  • Easy Ways to Start Arts and Crafts for Kids 

    Easy Ways to Start Arts and Crafts for Kids 

    Kids need to be constantly occupied. They are generally not know for sitting is quiet contemplation or meditation. If you don’t find something to expand their ever growing mind and keep them entertained problems arise. Thats where is good to know some arts and crafts for kids.

     

    CHildren by nature are exploratory and crafty. They are constantly looking to build and make and craft anything they can get their hands on. There is a litany of benefits for getting your kids started with some arts and crafts. It improves their coordination and fine motor skills. Arts and crafts usually require kids to use both hands in a certain manner, which can help them develop fine motor skills and bilateral coordination. It gives them a sense of accomplishment and releases the fear of trying something new they don’t know they can do. Then the Self esteem. Making something and finishing a project, then putting it on display in your home boosts your child’s self esteem. Lets take a look at some easy way to get start crafting with kids

     

    Paint

    Kids love to paint! Children of all ages love to paint! These painting activities for kids range from the simplest painting with a brush or hands to more elaborate spin art, marble painting, and painting a fort. Paint is an art material that is easily adaptable to a wide variety of kids’ art activities. Some of the best and easiest painting activities are tempera paint, acrylic paint,BioColor paint. OR stick with the old classic finger paint.

    Try this one to get started. You can paint fall leaves with coffee filters and a glue gun.  Help your kid by drawing the outlines of leaves on the coffee filters and help them cut out on the outlines. Let your kid make the lines on the leaves using a glue gun. Set the coffee filters aside till the glue has completely dried. Now help your kid color the coffee filter leaves using the water color shades of his choice. Its simple easy and fun

    Lastly try the  Batik Painting. Use Glue Gel (NB regular white glue doesn’t work for batik painting), a white t-shirt and acrylic paints. Draw your pattern on with the glue. Tip put a paper bag between the front and back of the t-shirt so the glue doesn’t go through both layers). Then once the glue is dry paint over the design (don’t layer on too much paint or it will be hard to get off), soak the t-shirts in warm water overnight and the glue will begin to dissolve and reveal the white designs.

     

    Drawing

    Kids have a natural instinct to draw. Try this experiment, place a marker and something really important of yours in place of a child. Watch as the child will quickly cover it with any kids of drawing they can fathom. point is they love to draw, any kind of drawing,  including observational drawing, drawing prompts, and creative drawing exercises and drawing games. It is a very easy and inexpensive arts and crafts for kids activity.

    Get Started with a Draw Me Paintings. You’ll need a huge piece of paper as big as your child. Get them to lie down and draw around their outline. Then they can paint and decorate themselves! If you don’t have long paper you can do draw around your hand outlines and paint and decorate your hands with rings and bracelets.

    I also like the  Draw Your Town project as well.  On a big piece of paper ask your child to draw their town out starting with your house and drawing on roads, buildings, parks and monuments. You might need to go for a few walks to remind yourselves where everything is.

    Origami And Hama Beads

    Hama bead are the latest and greatest arts and crafts for kids projects. Hama Beads burst onto the scene a few years ago. If your kids have forgotten them, it’s a good craft activity and there’s no limit to creativity and inventing shapes and designs. And once your child’s finished designing with Hama Beads how to iron them so the design stays together is a trick worth knowing.

    Origami is a classic. It is cheap easy and a lot of fun arts and crafts for kids.  Origami is a good craft to do with your child, as you get to sit down and interact while transforming a simple piece of paper into something beautiful.

     

     

     

  • You Won’t Believe Which City is the Best for Visiting a Tiny House

    You Won’t Believe Which City is the Best for Visiting a Tiny House

    Have you been thinking about living in a tiny house? If so, you’re probably wondering where you should go to get your tiny house fill. Which city is the best for these adorable little abodes? Look no further! Today we’re counting down some of the best cities for tiny house vacation living so you can try it before you get your own tiny house!

    Best Cities for Visiting a Tiny House

    There are ample tiny houses for rent in cities across the US. They’re priced like hotel rooms, but they have great amenities that make them comparable to a vacation house.

    Portland

    Portland, Oregon is a great place to visit to try out a tiny home. There are tons of wonderful little places to rent, which isn’t surprising. The Northwest is all about small living spaces. There are a few reasons for that: it’s crowded, housing is expensive and so on.  Whatever the reason, though, we recommend Portland highly for trying out tiny home living.

    There are a number of interesting tiny home rentals available here. One such example is the Caravan Tiny House Hotel. It features a number of tiny homes on wheels that you can rent. The tiny homes are arranged like a caravan, moving from place to place and showing off how luxurious tiny spaces can be. After spending some time in this little caravan you might not want a regular-sized home anymore!

    While you’re visiting Portland, make sure to try out the awesome food in the city! Portland is renowned as one of the best food cities in the country. The Northwest is a very unique and fun region, so visiting here is always a treat!

    Lyons

    The next city on our list is Lyons, Colorado. The most notable tiny home experience in the city is a resort called WeeCasa, which is touted as one of the largest tiny house hotels in the world. Located near Boulder, Colorado, WeeCasa is a really unique experience.

    When you visit, you’ll likely notice the large number of styles and builders on display in this resort. If you’ve been looking to figure out what you like in a tiny home, WeeCasa is a great place to start. You can try out a really wide variety of tiny home styles and build types while you’re here. You might be surprised at how much luxury you can squeeze into these small spaces.

    Colorado is also a beautiful region of the country. Tall trees, stunning mountains and friendly people make Colorado a worthy destination of any vacation. You can also enjoy the local food and nightlife, especially in nearby Boulder!

    Eatonton

    Eatonton is a city in Georgia that is home to United Tiny House Rentals. This makes it an ideal destination in the southeast for tiny home visiting! While United Tiny House Rentals can deliver your rental to places other than Eatonton, we recommend visiting the gorgeous countryside of Georgia.

    There are ample lakefront camping regions in and around the state of Georgia that will make you long for the great outdoors. If you’ve never been to the region, we have to recommend you visit sometime soon! Friendly locals, delicious regional cuisine and unparalleled wilderness make it prime for camping.

    If you do visit the southeast, make sure to try regional favorite dishes like shrimp and grits and sweet tea! While you’re enjoying the luxury of a tiny wagon-style house you can also enjoy the great vistas. If you’re a fan of hobbies like fishing, Georgia’s lakes are also famous for their ample fishing opportunities. This makes it one of the best places in the country for visiting for tiny home rentals!

    McHenry

    McHenry, Maryland is home to a beautiful mountain resort named Blue Moon Rising. This tiny home resort is a great place to come for a remote getaway. If you need a break from the hustle and bustle of daily life, McHenry is the place to get it.

    The resort is near a deep, beautiful lake high in the mountains. The numerous tiny homes on display are varied and of differing builds and styles. This remote location, coupled with the otherworldly tiny homes, makes McHenry feel like a place out of a fairy tale. We’d highly advise you consider this Maryland hamlet for your tiny home getaway vacation!