Photographer Cecilia Paredes Hides Herself in Bright Floral Patterns

Peruvian artist Cecilia Paredes is the model of her own richly patterned photographs, yet her figure is often complicated to locate at first. For each portrait, she hangs boldly printed cloths as the background, which she then matches with her skin that is painted, customized clothes, or both. Her torso, arms, and face fade into the background since the curvature of her body along with brown hair become some of the only signs of her existence.

“I wrap, camouflage, or paint my entire body with the same pattern of the material and re-present myself within this picture,” she explains. “Through this act, I am focusing on the subject of constructing my own identification with the entourage or part of the planet where I live or where I feel I could call home. My bio has been explained as Spartan, so perhaps this is also a need for fixing the practice of continuous movement.”

Currently, she has a solo exhibition at Museum of Latin America Art (MOLAA) in Los Angeles through December 30, 2018, and will start a different solo exhibition in the Museum of the University of Navarra (MUN) in Spain on March 27, 2019.

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DAILY BREAD: Still life Compositions in Sourdough

DAILY BREAD is a new food sculpture photography series on still life compositions in sourdough.
It focuses on visualizing balance and measure, two of the fundamentals of bread making.

Styling & Creative Direction by Anna Keville Joyce.
Photography by Magalí Polverino
Breadmaking by Francisco Seubert / Atelier Fuerza (Buenos Aires)

BIO: Anna Keville Joyce / AKJ Foodstyling – Food Stylist & Creative Director, originally from the USA and currently based primarily out of Buenos Aires and NYC, working internationally. With a background in Food Styling, Design, and Anthropology, Anna has participated in a large variety of photography, film, and event projects worldwide, and has been featured in numerous publications and exhibitions. Her creative spark, attention to detail, and keen sense of composition has allowed her to gain a broad international client list. She has the pleasure of collaborating on increasingly creative and dynamic projects, and her work can be seen at www.akjfoodstyling.com

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Promise Rings and What To Consider When Purchasing

Giving promise rings are very beautiful and a significant tradition that may not be as well-known as the engagement ring or wedding bands. Usually, a promise ring is given when a couple is seriously dating and may be considering marriage, although not in the near future. Promise rings may actually also be given by parents to their children as a symbol of love. For others, promise rings may be a tangible reminder of a personal commitment to abstinence until marriage or a commitment to one’s faith or an advocacy.

Regardless of the reason, choosing a promise ring is an important decision. What should you consider when purchasing one?

The Message You Want to Convey

In choosing the promise ring you want to give your loved one, what message are you sending? As aforementioned, the promise ring can stand for so many things and should not be given lightly.

 

• Is it being given as a symbol of devotion and future commitment?
• Are you making a promise to yourself?
• Are you choosing a promise ring to celebrate a child’s or loved one’s milestone?
• Are you and your partner purchasing identical or partner rings to signify your promise to each other?

 

Your intentions in giving or buying a promise ring will have a bearing on the budget you set for it as well as the design you choose.  

The Budget You Will Set Aside for the Promise Ring

As with buying different kinds of jewelry, budget matters. How much are you willing to spend on the promise ring you plan to give?

 

Generally, promise rings are not as expensive as engagement rings or wedding bands. Lack of budget for an engagement and wedding is actually one reason for giving your special someone a promise ring first. Even if it may cost significantly less, promise rings are just as meaningful and beautiful as gifts.

Your budget will dictate the kind of metal and the stones you will select for the promise ring.

The Design for the Promise Ring

There’s more to the design than meets the eye. Here are the things you need to consider in choosing your very own style for the promise ring you will buy.

• Metal
  
  Depending on your budget, there are a variety of metals to choose from. You may choose silver, gold in rose, white or yellow color, or the more expensive and hardy platinum.

 

• • Consider whether your loved one will wear the promise ring everyday or only on special occasions. Silver tends to fade easily, so only choose this metal if the promise ring will only be worn on occasion. Another affordable alternative is to choose gold-plated silver.

 

• • Opt for pure gold if your loved one will wear the promise ring daily or often. If you have the money, investing in a platinum setting will be very much worth it. If you’re buying partner rings, choose the metal you will both be comfortable wearing.
  • You may also want to check your loved one’s often-used pieces of jewelry. Is she more inclined to wearing jewelry in colors of silver/white gold or yellow gold? You may want the promise ring you give to match with and complement the other jewelry pieces your girlfriend or loved one regularly wears.
    
    
    
• Gemstone
  
  After you choose the metal you want, you get to the very interesting part of selecting the gem you want put on the promise ring. What’s lovely is that you don’t have to stick to the traditional diamond for the promise ring you’ll give. You may choose your loved one’s birthstone or even a gem that your girlfriend finds particularly beautiful.
  
  As affordable alternatives to diamonds, going for a gemstone is a good option. You may want to veer away from “soft” gemstones such as opal, as it gets easily broken and scratched. Pearls, on the other hand, are easily affected by water, so this might not be an option for daily wear.  Reasonably-priced yet durable gems are blue and pink sapphires, rubies, amethysts, blue and white topaz. Other options are the pretty emeralds, aquamarine, and quartz with medium-hard durability.
  
  
  
• Personal style of the recipient
  
  When choosing a promise ring, take into consideration the personal style of your loved one.
  • Does she want a slim and dainty ring?
  • Would she prefer a ring that stands out and is eye-catching?
  • Does she like colorful gems or not?

Matching the design of the promise ring you’ll give with her personal style will guarantee that your gift will be very much appreciated.

• Possible designs
  
  You’ve chosen the metal and the gemstones. Now it’s time to settle on the design you want. The possibilities are endless!
  
  

• Solitaire
  The most classic of all ring designs is the solitaire. This has the gemstone at the center and set on a plain band. If your girlfriend is the classic type, you can’t go wrong with choosing a solitaire ring as the design. Because it’s a promise ring, the gemstone or diamond is usually not yet as huge as it would be on an engagement ring.
  
  
  
• Cluster or illusion settings
  More budget-friendly but just as pretty are cluster or illusion settings. Make use of tiny diamonds or gems to adorn the promise ring. The final look is a dainty and sweet arrangement of beautiful stones to convey your promise.
  
  
  
• Trinity
  The trinity design is made up of three gemstones of the same size and placed side by side in the middle of the ring. The three stones symbolize your past, present, and future together as a couple. The idea is based on an old Irish tradition. This design makes for a unique and very meaningful promise ring.
  
  
  
• Eternity
  Because it’s not yet an engagement but a significant step towards a lifelong commitment, another design you may want to consider would be the eternity design. Here, you have tiny diamonds or other gemstones all around the band. What’s lovely with this setting is that you may give her stackable rings for future occasions or anniversaries to wear together with your eternity promise ring.
  
  
  

Surprising your loved one with a promise ring is a very beautiful idea, and it is a gift filled with deep meaning. It can symbolize commitment or celebrate a milestone. Click on this link for a large selection of promise rings to choose from. The options of exquisite designs are plentiful!

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Malta – Just Sun and Sea, or a Packed Cultural Hot-Spot

Home Improvement Projects to Improve Your Home’s Value

Each cent spent to improve your real estate returns a dollar in profit. Now let us discuss the amount invested. You could begin with $100 – 200.

Plant a verdant paradise

An investment in landscape improvement matures over time and adds immense face value to your property. Plant shady trees to cut down cooling costs by 40%. If they yield fruit, then this is the icing on the cake for you. Planting trees and plants make an inviting oasis for the wildlife. This is especially true if you live in an urban area.

Landscaping

Combine nature and culture on your property. Decorating your outdoor space is a great way to boost your home’s value. Use living features such and flora and fauna in tandem with art and craft to enhance the visual appeal. The use of colour, plants, terrain, textures and structures such as a fountain or a statue to add a personality to your home. Landscaping also, blends the outdoors with the indoors, offer seasonal variety of plants and the visiting fauna. This ongoing project, not only adds charm to your place but also enhances its value.

Water filtration system

This is a money saving gadget that purifies your water and reduces your health and grocery bill. These not only remove the pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoans from the drinking water but better the taste of the water. The chlorine used to treat the water and other harmful chemicals like lead, mercury, fluorides etc too are removed. This inexpensive addition to your home with an annual maintenance contract (AMC) not only saves money but also cuts your contribution of plastic bottles to the landfills.

Water saving devices

With a few basic tools such as a wrench, plumbers tape, putty and rags you can do these DIY projects to add value to your home. Just screw on a high-efficiency low-frequency aerator for facets and showerheads. This faucet design has a sieve-like aerator that reduces the flow but not the force of the water. Thus, you clean better with lesser water. The water usage is reduced by 4% for the 15% of household water usage.

You can use timers and automatic shut-off nozzles for showers and garden hoses. You can reduce up to 30% household water by using dual flush toilets. The smaller 0.5-gallon tank is used to flush urine while the 1.5 gallon for the solid wastes. Use drip irrigation hoses to deliver water to the roots thereby reducing water loss by evaporation by up to 50%.

Greywater diverters recycle water from laundry, shower and dishwater into a storage tank. This water is used for flushing toilets and watering the plants. Only make sure you use natural products minus bleach, microbeads, stain lifters, detergents, etc. Just remember these chemicals will return into your system via the biogeochemical cycle and biomagnification.

Net zero water status

You can become independent of municipal utilities by working towards a net zero water status. This can be done by capturing rainwater, managing storm runoff besides reusing grey and blackwater. If you live in an area where you receive regular rainfall you could install a rainwater harvesting (RWH) system. This technique has been used since human civilization learned to manage land. Collect this rainwater in tanks, aquifers via storm drains. Nowadays with excellent waterproofing treatments, rooftop harvesting is also prevalent. The water is made to flow through filters layered with gravel, sand, charcoal and coir that remove solid impurities, gases and odours. This water can be used for bathing, washing and watering the plants. This not only reduces your utility bills but also helps prevent erosion by runoff.

Net zero energy

The use of alternative energy sources helps achieve the off-the-grid, net-zero energy status. You can not only generate your own electricity but also sell it to the utility company. The alternative resources are wind, hydroelectricity, biogas, geothermal and solar energy. The devices for electricity generation from wind, water and solar energy can be bought within $200. While others may require the help of experts and local authorities. Overall these efforts, help reduce energy bills and get tax incentives.

Improves the air quality

The concept of air quality is applicable indoors and outdoors. Check out the condition of the carpets and wallpaper at home. Make sure they are not musty or carrying allergens and contaminants. Invest in a vacuum cleaner – dust and clean your home every week. Do an annual spring-cleaning and remove anything that should be recycled.

Nowadays the air conditioners come with built-in sensors, humidity controllers and air purifiers. This onetime investment will ensure clean air, indoors. Choose environmentally friendly tiles, laminations, woods, etc. These should be easy to clean and not give off odours and fumes. Last but not the least the overall effect should be pleasing to the eye to appeal to the prospective buyer.

In conclusion, creating a comfortable green home not only lowers the utility bills, it also reduces your family’s carbon footprint. Besides you set an example for the community to emulate while the cumulative effect is an increased the value of the home.

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A Japanese Artist Creates Realistic Looking Fish with Resin and Acrylic Paint

Riusuke Fukahori has always admired the appearance of goldfish, immortalizing realistic depictions of fish in layers of acrylic and resin. Previously Fukahori has focused on paintings of goldfish moving inside of Japanese household items such as bamboo hats, wooden sake cups, and handmade bowls. For his newest Irobukuro show his inspiration has been turned to imitate the vessels and scenery of Mong Kok’s Goldfish Market at Hong Kong, in which rows of colorful fish line stall after stall. For the included functions he molds resin to resemble plastic bags filled with water. Rather than realistically depicting the in-depth scales, eyes, and fins of the fish Fukahori paints abstractly to catch the way the goldfish glide through the water.

These works, together with some of his traditionally painted pieces in memory-laden items are included in his next solo exhibition with Joshua Liner Gallery in New York City, titled Goldfish Blossoms.

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8 Tips For Hosting A Christmas Party Your Guests Will Love

Hosting a Christmas party is the best! Not only do you get to invite your closest friends and family to celebrate the season with you, but you also get to decide every little detail that will make the party perfect. From the invitations to the food to the fun, your goal when planning your holiday party is to have the perfect festive atmosphere to create those cherished holiday memories.

Christmas might still be a month away, but the time is right for you to start planning. Here are 8 ways to make sure your next Christmas party is a hit. 

1. Start with the invitations. You will want to formally invite everyone that you want to attend your party. Whether you are mailing an invitation or using a means of e-communication to get the message out, you will want a well-thought-out Christmas invitation with all of the specifics of your party so your guests will be able to let you know if they plan to attend. Asking for and RSVP on an invitation is really helpful for planning the specifics of your party. 

2. Make a list. Take the time in advance to write down everything you will need for the party. Try to consider every aspect of what you might need to pull off the perfect party. You won’t need exact amounts at first. Once you have a good idea of how many people will be attending, you will be able to finalize your list and start buying everything that you will need to host a perfect party. 

3. Plan a menu. Whether you are serving an entire meal or just snacks, appetizers, and sweets, you will want a very specific plan of attack when it comes to planning for the food. You will need to take into account certain dietary needs of some of your guests. While you will want to have plenty of the traditional holiday favorites on hand, it a good idea to offer some vegetarian or healthier options for any of your guests’ specific needs (check out some great turkey recipes here). 

4. Make sure you have enough space. You won’t want to invite more people than your space can comfortably handle. If you have a large guest list, you could consider having separate parties if you don’t have enough room for everyone. You could host one for your friends, and another one for your family. Or, you could rent a larger space to keep everyone together. 

5. Have a plan for adult beverages. This may be a non-issue for some hosts. But, many Christmas parties will involve some, hopefully, responsible drinking. Just decide ahead of time what kind of party you will be having and let your guests know in advance. And, be prepared to monitor alcohol consumption if you decide to serve adult beverages. 

6. Deck the halls. It’s your party. So, have some fun with it. This is your chance to go all out and decorate to your heart’s content. You will want to create a festive, fun atmosphere to entertain your guests. 

7. Work your party. As you are mingling with your guests, keep an eye out for those little messes that will happen with any party. It’s a lot easier to keep the festive atmosphere alive if you tidy up a little as you work the room. 

8. Have fun! It’s your party! Don’t forget to enjoy yourself. Make every moment count when creating those special memories. 

Hosting a successful Christmas is easy as long as you have a plan and part of that plan is to have a good time. Get all of the little details out of the way early so you can spend some quality time with your closest family and friends.

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Building Trust with your Co-workers

A productive workforce is one that feels valued by its employers and has built bonds between its members.  Creating the right environment is essential to ensuring that your team is happy and productive. But team building is one thing; how do you build trust with your co-workers?

There are several steps you can take to encourage co-workers to interact and build trust; it’s not as difficult as it sounds and can be extremely beneficial for everyone; including the company.

Be Consistent

It doesn’t matter what activity you are doing. You need to adopt a consistent approach. This means always putting in your best effort and always responding well to the requests of your co-workers.

This doesn’t mean you need to be walked over and always say yes even if you don’t have the time or the skills. You need to be able to listen and justify your response. This will let your co-workers know that you are being genuine and will help whenever you can.

Plan Group Activities

The boss may plan team building events but there is no reason why workers can’t organize these types of events themselves. The secret to these being successful is to try to select something that everyone will be able to do.

Whitewater rafting will allow you to create teams, build rapport and even add some healthy competition between workers. But, it is unlikely to appeal to everyone n your workplace.

However, if you take a slightly less adrenaline-fuelled approach and try something like a scavenger hunt you’ll find that every member of the tea can be involved.

Every person has their own strengths which can be used and will help co-workers get to know each other better. This will build trust very effectively.

Communication

Of course, it is essential that good communication is enabled between all members of the team at all times. This means internal phones, emails or even the use of an app to allow co-workers to communicate quickly and effectively.

This will allow everyone to benefit from the skills of others in the team and the workplace will benefit from the trust that is built.

Make Time

Perhaps most important is the ability of workers to make time for each other. This can be difficult when the working day is full from start to finish.

That’s why it is important to give adequate break times and provide a good level of facilities. This will encourage staff to stay on site and communicate with each other.

This simple act of making time for co-workers to talk will help them to build relationships. The better people know each other the higher the level of trust.

Praise Where Praise Is Due

If an employee or co-worker has done well then it’s a good idea to praise them and let others know you are doing this. Not only will the worker feel good it will foster an attitude of goodwill towards others; helping to inspire trust and get the best from all the team.

Building trust is not always easy although it can be damaged with a moment’s thoughtless actions. That’s why you need to work on it every day; your colleagues will appreciate and thank you for it.

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The Firefly TV Critic – Max Polyakov Turns into a Screenwriter in an Amazing Evolution

Watching movies will definitely teach you one thing or two about life, no matter the type of movie. One man named Max Polyakov is so interested in movies that at 7, he has watched a lot of TV series. Some of them made significant impacts on his life, especially those blockbusters like “Casino,” that led him into gambling. At his first attempt, Max Polyakov won $1,000 at JoyCasino Ltd. With the money, he took care of some needs. He also got a plasma TV, so that he can enjoy his favourite movies and TV series. He also continued gambling and eventually won enough money to become a movie critique.

Max Polyakov is talented in critiquing movies. But to be proficient in conveying his thoughts, and to give valuable reviews, he had to take some classes in review writing. Max Polyakov remembers ‘Firefly’ as one of his favourites. It’s based on a book by George Orwell, which centred on how a war was used by authoritarians to keep the citizens in constant fear.

 

Max Polyakov’s Firefly Episodes Review

Because of his love for Firefly, movie critic Max Polyakov started writing reviews on every episode. He dropped these firefly reviews on the leading movie review sites. However, he discovered that some expert critiques were employed to talk about the intricacies of the Firefly movie. So, max studied them and their firefly critique style and created a blog where he reviewed each firefly episode every week with a blog post.

Max Polyakov garnered more subscribers and readers in his blog, and because of the Firefly reviews success, he started contemplating writing a movie script. He later found out that this is a huge ambition that he can’t accomplish at his level of movie writing competence if he were to attract a big name movie director.

He spent the entire 2016 trying to write some that that will qualify as a TV series movie. He centred it on his father that died when he was young. He goes by the name Max Polyakov and served in the US army, with deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Max Polyakov still wants this to come out the same way the firefly motion pictures come out. He chose an approach that will get the viewer glued to the screen, even if negative. Negativity brings in emotions and makes people want to watch to the end. He made it in such a way that his father is a war hero who leads through ideas as against an authoritarian. He didn’t want to focus more on the ‘Rambo’ like superhero character, but on that ‘Apocalypse Now’ type. It will reveal how war is used for monetary benefits with no regard to those sent to die in the war front.

Because of these ideas, Max Polyakov chose “Alternatives for everyone,” as the name of the movie script. Here, the military officer was sent to Iraq after the 9/11 bombing and he vowed to bring down the dictator that caused the pain to his people. Max Polyakov tried to portray the pains of patriots and the fact that the protagonists understand who they are really up against.

But this will sound like a conspiracy theory. So, he focused more on the army officer’s life and struggles. It would mean scenes of his family waiting for him to come back when he is on a mission and is not enough for Max Polyakov. So, he had to bring in another lady character scolding his mother as she goes through the wait, struggles and heartbreaks of being a military wife.

 

The First Amateur Movie Script from Max Polyakov

Max’s script caught the attention of an unknown director in Vegas. He saw the potential in the work and they reached a deal. They went to Hollywood and met with some interested sponsors, and that was when max started believing that he can succeed in this endeavour. Due to legal hitches, he hired a lawyer to keep his path in the cinematography world clear.

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This is the mysticism of Joe Roberts

San Francisco-based artist Joe Roberts will be releasing his second book, We Ate The Acid (61)A3HT3TA3), this December. The book features a foreword by journalist and documentarian Hamilton Morris (Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia on Viceland) as well as a conversation with gallerist and actor Leo Fitzpatrick (director of Marlborough Contemporary).

Roberts, who creates works which guides viewers through psychedelic scenery that tends to spiral into a cacophony of shapes, colors, pop culture figures and mystic symbolism. Existing somewhere between fear and curious euphoria, Roberts’ trips wind through various terrain and media – incorporating collage, diorama, drawing and painting evocative of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Joseph Cornell.

Roberts boasts an impressive stable of collaborations with musicians, filmmakers, and streetwear companies – most notably to date with Supreme for their Fall 2017 line, producing a line of signature t-shirts. We Ate The Acid features distorted pop culture references in increasingly phantasmagoric scenes where countless arches and pathways serve as portals to Roberts’ psyche.

The book chronicles UFOs and chemical constellations as they appear in city and nature scenes alike, while alien faces and indigenous symbolism rest at the center of geometric mandalas. Fluctuating between dark landscapes and the tunnelling, termite-like architectural surges of smiley faces, Roberts prefaces the book’s disorienting journey with an unpretentious declaration: “The way you choose to explore it is the way you choose to explore it. Make sure you take notes.”

We Ate The Acid likens an art object itself, using various paper textures bound in a “skeleton” manner exposing the worn, traveled nature of its subject matter. As part of the first edition, an undisclosed number of artist prints will be placed inside a handful of books available on the publisher’s website.

Published by Anthology Editions, We Ate the Acid is slated for release December 4th, 2018.

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How Does an Emotional Support Animal Help You Feel Better?

Did you know, roughly around one in four adults in the USA have a mental illness or emotional condition, and one in 25 has a mental condition so serious that it interferes with their daily lives? From anxiety and depression to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and more, there are almost 50 million adults in America dealing with these conditions day in, day out.

While therapy or medications remain popular treatment options for mental illnesses, many people are turning to more holistic therapies for help. Among them is perhaps the cuddliest option of all: emotional support animals. But what do these furry friends do, and how can they help people to feel better? Read on to find out!

What Exactly is an ESA, and How Do I Get One?

Let’s begin by getting clear on what an emotional support animal actually is. An emotional support animal, or ESA for short, is a pet that supports its owner’s emotional wellbeing and helps to alleviate the symptoms of mental illnesses. They do this not through any special training, but by being a source of love, companionship, and affection.

Any kind of domesticated animal can become an ESA, as long as they are a benefit to the owner’s mental health, can behave properly in public, and do not pose a threat to anyone. Dogs, cats, miniature horses, birds, and even rabbits all make popular ESAs; however, most airlines and housing generally want just cats and dogs.

The only way to get an emotional support animal is to be prescribed one by a licensed mental health professional. After a consultation, the mental health professional will write you an ESA letter, which will state that you have been diagnosed with a mental health condition and the animal is needed for your ongoing treatment. Don’t be tricked by online services that offer to register your animal or give you a letter with no consultation—these are scams! You will need a legitimate emotional support animal registration letter (they last for a year) to bring your ESA into certain places, so make sure you get a valid one, and keep it safe.

Emotional support animals are a type of assistance animal and service animals (like guide dogs). However, under the law, these three types of animals are treated differently, with service dogs being given the most legal protection. We go into more detail about where you can and can’t take your ESA below.

The Science Behind How an ESA Helps

Any animal-lover can tell you how petting an animal makes them feel happy and relaxed, but what exactly is the scientific reason for this? A lot of scientists have looked into this question, and many, including a study from the University of Missouri-Columbia, suggest that petting an animal releases a feel-good cocktail of hormones into the brain, including prolactin, serotonin, and oxytocin, also known as the “love hormone”. Being around dogs also inhibits the stress hormone cortisol. What’s even cuter is that the same reaction is also happening in the dog too!

An ESA is a Source of Unconditional Love and Support

For some people with mental illnesses, it can be easy to feel lonely and isolated, and difficult to make meaningful relationships. An emotional support animal is a source of unconditional love and support—they don’t care if you couldn’t face taking a shower today, or if you’re feeling worried, useless, or afraid. For many people, this love and comfort helps to get them through the day, and can even give them the confidence to get out and meet new people, helping to break the cycle of isolation.

ESAs Can Keep You Calm at Home…

Many people with mental illnesses describe how it is at home that they become the most lonely or worried, especially if they live alone, and how an emotional support animal can help to alleviate these feelings. These benefits are not only limited to people who own their own homes; thanks to government legislation, people living in rented accommodation can also keep ESAs. The Fair Housing Act protects the rights of people with ESAs to keep them in their home, even where pets are not permitted, as long as they have a valid ESA letter.

…And on the Move!

Flying can be a stressful experience at the best of times, but for people with all sorts of mental illnesses or emotional conditions it can simply be a step too far. Luckily, emotional support animals can help here too, by being a calm, dependable presence, and for many people, having an ESA has allowed them to make journeys that they otherwise would not have been able to. The rights of people flying with ESAs are protected by the Air Carriers Access Act (ACAA), which allows them to travel alongside their owners in the cabin, even on airlines that forbid pets. Again, this is subject to having a valid ESA letter, and some airlines restrict ESAs to dogs and cats.

An ESA Teaches You Responsibility and Helps You to Get into a Healthy Routine

While an emotional support animal is more than just a pet, they still need to be cared for just like any other animal. This might include walking, feeding, cleaning out litter trays, trips to the vet and more. Many ESA owners speak of how the responsibility of having an animal has helped them to get into a better routine, whether it’s waking up early, getting more exercise, or simply leaving the house every day. For some people, knowing that they have another living being relying on them helps to break them out of negative spirals and live more mindfully in the present.

If you think an emotional support animal could help you or a loved one, the first step is to get in contact with a licensed mental health professional in your state. There are online services that can help with this, and the best ones even offer a free pre-screening process to help you see if you would be eligible.

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The Futurum Award Monaco – a Celebration of Technology and Art in Monaco

Amazon FBA small business marketing coaching ideas

Right at the tips of our fingers, Amazon rolled out a service called FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon), which provides a one-stop shop for your e-commerce business. From posting to shipping to receiving payment, FBA has you covered. It’s high time to start your business venture as Amazon makes selling more convenient than it’s ever been before. FBA is Amazon’s new initiative helping out small businesses with the whole selling process with a platform that’s convenient and easy to use. Amazon’s FBA tools present a window of opportunity for small businesses to open new markets and establish themselves online.

Just to give you an idea, below are the steps involved in the Amazon FBA service:

Step 1: Products are shipped from your supplier’s factory to Amazon warehouses. A clear advantage to this scheme is the outsourcing of inventory warehousing to Amazon. E-Commerce business owners need not worry about how to store their products—Amazon will do it for them.

Step 2: Amazon’s e-commerce platform reaches millions of people. When people find and like your product on Amazon, they merely click the order button. Amazon’s internal system does the next step for you by alerting their warehouses.

Step 3: Amazon handles all logistic needs including customer service and shipping. Once an order is received, Amazon picks up the item and packages it for you using the standard Amazon packaging. After this, the item is shipped to the consumer and both you and the customer are able to track the shipment real-time. Amazon’s FBA shipment tends to be way cheaper compared to sending the products yourself. In addition, all products under FBA come with a Prime badge—meaning higher exposure, 2-3 days shipping, and higher conversion rates.

Outsourcing shipping and storage lift a heavy weight off the shoulders of business owners— especially those budding entrepreneurs. This guide is tailored to provide tips on how to fully take advantage of Amazon’s FBA offerings so that you may be able to run your business on autopilot.

• Efficient Packing Reduces Costs

Since Amazon takes charge of packing and shipping your goods, Amazon weighs and measures all goods that come to them. To optimize on their service and keep costs low, you must reduce FBA fees as much as possible by packing your products systematically. This means that, for example, soft products are packed tightly to reduce dimensions and in turn reduce charges.

• Utilize Amazon Seller Tools

To fully utilize and optimize the Amazon FBA experience, you must be familiar with all it offers. Amazon FBA has several tools dealing with customer service, shipping fees, and tax guides. Do your research and explore these tools to help you out.

• Optimize Exposure with Amazon’s Platform

The right marketing can take any product to the checkout cart. Amazon allows sellers to create sponsored product campaigns to engage more traffic and boost brand recognition and visibility. Use this tool to promote your products. This has been a proven method to increase sales by a mile.

• Realize the Importance of Reviews

Amazon has an algorithm to crunch data and measure seller performances and customer insights. Specifically, Amazon provides bestseller rankings based on overall performance. One of the factors in the best seller ranking system depends on outselling other sellers— meaning you have to keep sales high. Coupled with that, customer ratings and reviews also come into play when computing for your overall best seller rankings. Pay attention to your ratings and customer comments. Reply to both negative and positive feedback and provide solutions for bad customer reviews. Ensure the best experience for each and every customer, and this might just get you up on the best seller rankings.

• Use Amazon Product Research Tools

Product research is one of the most nitty-gritty, time-consuming tasks for Amazon FBA sellers. Sellers always need to find new products to sell—from wooden speakers to compartmentalized gym bags. Here are a few recommendations to make product research easier:

• Jungle Scout: Available as a chrome extension web app, its algorithm pinpoints the most profitable products and tracks competition.
• Unicorn Smasher: This product research tool provides real-time sales analysis, prices, rankings, ratings, reviews, and projected sales.
• Keyword Planner: This app allows sellers to target the right customer with particular keywords. It pairs search network campaigns with relevant products and target customers.
• Amazon Best Sellers: This tool is useful for getting an idea of which products sell on Amazon.
• Global Sources: This website provides a convenient way of sourcing products to sell on Amazon. It also includes online marketing tools and products.

Now that you have an idea of what Amazon FBA is and how to utilize FBA capabilities to the fullest extent, you can now wait for your products and the Amazon platform to make money for you while you sleep. With Amazon FBA, you can take advantage of meager shipping costs and the outsourcing of logistics, all while gaining better exposure on the platform. For more tips on managing an Amazon FBA business, check out journalreview.org best opportunities. Hope this guide will help you to take advantage of Amazon’s FBA amazing offerings.

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German Street Artist Merges Animals with Mechanical Elements

Instagram is one of the best artist’s business card, and we should be thankful for the daily inspiration. In this gifted artist’s Jayn‘s situation, there is, even more, to be grateful for as his amazing sketches turn ordinary buildings to cutting-edge artistry.

This German graffiti artist caught the attention of over 40k followers with his one-of-a-kind style. Jayn combines lovely illustrations of creatures with harsh, mechanical, and robotic components to make those mesmerizing’chopped’ monsters and then, move them onto the cold, sad walls.

Scroll down to research a number of the most significant examples of urban artistry without even leaving your residence.

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