Everything You Didn’t Know About Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea is an English tradition that dates back to the 1800′s. The traditional proceedings combine loose tea, brewed in a pot with a side of sugar and milk. The caffeine with sugar provided a good boost of energy against the usual 3pm dullness of the working poor in the early 20th century. Jobs back then were more physically demanding, and afternoon tea quickly became a daily measure.

For the labor class, the tea would be accompanied by a sandwich or baked goods, such as scones. The more privileged would enjoy their tea with better quality sandwiches, cakes, and pastries. A fruitcake, Victoria sponge, or a cream and jam scone would all be amongst the traditional choices.

Today

In today’s day, a formal afternoon tea is served with a biscuit or two from a tea shop. It’s much simpler and usually more frequent. The highest quality hotels in London and Britain have adopted the tradition and serve an elegant afternoon tea with an alternative option of champagne.

The actual purpose of an afternoon tea is to refresh your mind after a tough day’s work. Socialising and clearing your head while taking a break in a calm space has become a usual for many people across Britain today. Enjoying a cucumber sandwich while washing it down with some fresh loose-leaf tea seems like a delicacy we can’t live without.

Etiquette

Tea is meant to be calming. It’s supposed to be enjoyed, so you can clear your mind of any worries. A busy and hectic lifestyle finds it rare that we take some time in our day for ourselves. Stopping whatever you’re doing for some tea will go a long way. But remember, you’re not a construction worker downing your tea from a big mug on your 5-minute-break. Adhering to afternoon tea etiquette will only make the experience more enjoyable. Small sips of your tea is polite, no matter how much of a hurry you’re in.

Tea Facts You Didn’t Know

  • Every day, more than 165,000,000 cups of tea are drunk by Brits alone.
  • Rinse your brunette hair in tea to add some extra shine.
  • Tea acts as a source of fluoride and helps prevent tooth decay.
  • The most expensive tea bag cost £7,500, filled with 280 diamonds and rare tea leaves.
  • There are an estimated 1,500 variations of tea

How To Plan Your Wedding

Whether you are the sort of person who has dreamed of an elaborate Princess style wedding or the type who is not too concerned and is happy with low-key and intimate, you still have to follow the same process of planning your wedding. It doesn’t have to be a daunting task, read through these top- tips to make the run up to your wedding day a smooth one, whatever you decide to do.

  • Budget: The first thing to do is jot down all the things that are important to you. This will help you set out a realistic budget. If you really want the extended family and all your friends and neighbors there or if you prefer just immediate family and close friends, this will all have an impact on where the bulk of your budget goes. Other things to take into consideration are the costs attached to a photographer, catering, DJ/Band, flowers right down to the smaller things like a guestbook and stamps for the invitations. The small things soon add up.
  • Venue: Once you have decided what sort of wedding you want you can then decide upon a venue. Whether it is a luxury country hotel, Place of Worship, Beach or Registry Office, the choice of venue is up to you. Obviously, they all incur a cost of some sort but remember they do need to be big enough to accommodate your wedding party. Also, take into account how long you want your reception to last; will there be an evening reception? Or is it a simple drinks reception after the ceremony? Make sure it is clear on the invitations so guests aren’t left confused.
  • Details: Transport, Dress, Accessories, Suits, Bridesmaids, photographer. These are all the important details that need to be addressed will you need transport for guests? Is the reception venue nearby? A wedding organizer will help you keep track of your budget and for writing out comparisons for suppliers as well as a reminder to do certain tasks. Decide if you want bridesmaids and a best man – they aren’t compulsory; however, they can make organizing the day a lot easier.
  • Decide on a theme and colors, does it suit the venue? From here you can work out what style of dress you want and what your attendants will wear. Flowers and table decorations all need to fall in with the chosen theme or your day will end up looking untidy and mismatched.
  • If you having a wedding abroad or somewhere that requires the majority of your guests to travel then you need to send out the invitations well enough in advance. This will allow people to make the necessary travel & accommodation arrangements, ‘Save the Date’ cards are a popular way of notifying your guests of your plans and can be sent out as early as 9 months before the big day.
  • Remembering to thank the people who helped you is a pivotal part of the day too. This can be done either before the ceremony or as part of the speeches. For example, a well thought out bridesmaid gift or best man gift will be hugely appreciated by them and a nice way of showing gratitude for their help. A well-prepared speech will help you remember to mention everybody who has contributed to your special day in some way or other. During the preparation stages, just jot down the names of people who have helped in your wedding organizer.

Surprising Things That Damage Skin

We all want beautiful skin and a glowing complexion, so we need to know the things to avoid that can damage our fresh-faced appearance. Here are some surprising things that can make our skin look less than peachy:

  1. Sleeping in your make-up

This is a big no-no. No matter how tired you are, you should always make the effort to remove make-up before falling asleep. It can clog up pores, cause acne and even cause bacterial infections. If you often forget to remove your cosmetics, then keep some make-up removal wipes by your bedside.

  1. Dirty make-up brushes

Most of us use the same brushes day in and day out without thinking too much about it. However, bacteria can spread around your face if you’re wiping a dirty brush across your cheeks and chin. A very handy gadget to avoid this situation is the Stylpro cleaner available at http://www.beautymatters.ie It will keep your brushes fresh and clean which is better for your make-up and better for your skin.

  1. Pimple Popping

While it might be tempting, especially on a day we need to look good, it’s terribly bad for your skin and you shouldn’t do it. The danger is that you push the bacteria and dirt deeper into your pores, which could lead to an even bigger outbreak!

  1. Very Hot Showers

If you love to sizzle and steam in a super-hot shower, you might want to think again. Occasional steamy showers are good but too many and you risk drying out your skin, causing scales and stripping away the top layer of epidermis. This will damage your skin if you’re doing it every day.

  1. Dehydration

Many of us underestimate the amount of water we should be drinking daily. By making sure we stay fully hydrated, we prevent unnecessary aging, rough skin and a wrinkly, shrunken appearance. Make sure you drink the recommended amount and you’ll notice a healthy glow returning in no time.

  1. Phone Time

Did you know that constantly having your mobile phone stuck to your ear can cause unpleasant outbreaks along your jawline and cheek? Think about how often we touch our phones and how little we clean them, and you get the general idea! Carry some antibacterial wipes in your bag to remind you to give your phone a good wipe once in a while.

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  1. Too Salty

Eating too much salt is also not beneficial to skin health. Too much salt literally sucks the moisture from your skin, leaving it looking dull and dry. The best advice is to cut back on salty foods and get yourself a high-quality hydrating facial moisturiser.

  1. Over Exfoliation

We all love a cooling face mask and body scrub, but too much exfoliating will have the opposite effect. Too much and you risk stripping your skin of its important essential oils. It’s these oils that give your skin its healthy, nourished glow. Aim to exfoliate no more than once a week.

How essential oils can benefit your pets

If you’ve ever had a massage with essential oils, such as lavender, ylang ylang or sandalwood, you will know how relaxing it is, and many people enjoy recreating this experience at home using bath and skin products, air diffusers and oil burners, but are these only for humans to enjoy?

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The answer is: no! Nowadays, pet parents are very keen to share the brain-boosting and body-healing properties of essential oils with their furry companions.

Ways to use essential oils

Some animals can take the direct application of oils, so ask your vet whether this is the case for your pet. Popular ways to share essential oils with pets include:

•       Oil spray diffusers. But always provide an exit route for pets
•       Water diffuser. This is safer to use in closed rooms than oil spray diffusers as the oil is diluted. However, avoid using it near your pet’s food
•       Spritzing. A great option for birds or for a furry pet’s bedding
•       Directly onto skin or dropped into food (but seek advice from your vet first).

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How can essential oils help pets?

Pets with either physical problems (such as arthritis) or emotional issues (such as a fear of noise, aggressive responses, general anxiety, fear of other animals or depression when left alone) can be successfully helped with essential oils. There are many oils and blends to play with when addressing physical problems, including peppermint and lemon for allergies, while natural remedies from stores such as https://www.stinky-stuff.co.uk/product-cat/dog-remedies/ can be invaluable for providing itchy dogs with some much-needed relief.

General health maintenance

Pets don’t need to have a specific condition to benefit from essential oils, as they can be used to boost pets’ general health and immune system.

Exercise caution

Pet parents without training in essential oils should always consult an expert, consider taking a course, and do plenty of research before administering any kind of essential oil to their pet.

Oils should be high grade rather than designed for cosmetic use, and some oils are unsuitable for use with certain animals, or those with particular health conditions. Cats can find many substances toxic, so double-check before using any product around them that may contain problematic oils.

There’s no doubt that essential oils can be beneficial to pets – just be sure to tread carefully and use them safely.

When the Pictures Matter, Hire a Professional Photographer

Almost everyone has a camera or smartphone and in today’s world, we’re used to uploading and sharing; all the other stuff that comes with quick and easy photo-taking. But would you be willing to trust that special occasion to your own camera? Anyone can take a picture, but doing it well means hiring a professional. Only a professional photographer can turn those special events into a lasting memory.

Whether fashion photography, landscapes, and nature, weddings and events, glamour, documentary, urban scene, photojournalism, even “paparazzi”, photographers usually concentrate on one specialty. News organizations and law enforcement agencies have on-staff photographers, as do others, but photographers generally are self-employed or do contract work.

Copyrights (who owns the photographs and for how long), is an important component to understand before you hire a photographer. Pretend you hire a photographer to take private and special photo journal of your child growing up. Are those photographs yours or do you have to worry that the free world will be viewing your child’s special moments? A legally binding contract between you and your photographer protects you from this risk. Don’t change your right to privacy by omitting a contract, as without a contract protecting you, your child’s shots could end up anywhere.

Ask your friends and family if they can recommend anyone. If you can’t get references, just go online and perform a thorough search. Plug in the type of photos you’re looking for, along with your local zip. Next, check out their sites and see if they meet your professional standards. Are reviews of work listed? Read them. After this initial exploration, check public records; notice anything that could signify legal actions, or financial issues before making your choice. .

It’s not tough to find a professional local photographer, just be sure you find one who is a perfect fit. you follow these guidelines, you can be certain that your own personal expert will give you the results you want. Good luck!

Finding The Right Attorney For Hire

You might be considering representing yourself in an upcoming court case. It is possible to do this because there are resources available online and elsewhere that give you the information you would need. However, not everyone is up to the big challenge that this faces, and if yours is a case in which you have vested emotional interest, it might be better to choose a professional lawyer to represent you in court instead.

Although you may have thought otherwise, a lawyer and an attorney are not one and the same. An attorney is someone who has been granted legal standing to act on someone else’s behalf. A lawyer, on the other hand, is a person who has gone to school for several years, passed extensive examinations, and received a license to practice law as a professional. Lawyer licenses are issued by each individual state.

So what does “power of attorney” mean, then? Simply, if someone, perhaps an aging elder, has given you their power of attorney, it means that you are now in charge of taking care of certain important issues on their behalf. You are not a lawyer in this instance; you might work as a store clerk, or a postal worker, or a mechanic, but you still qualify as being capable of handling the power of attorney for another person.

The law is very complicated and differs from state to state. This is why many people hire a lawyer to represent them in court. You might be facing a criminal suit, where a crime has been committed, or a civil suit, where a lawsuit or a contract dispute is in question, but in either situation, you will want a lawyer there who understands the law and will represent your interests professionally.

Just as physicians have areas of specialization, so, too, do lawyers. You might need a tax lawyer, or a contract lawyer, or a criminal lawyer, or a lawyer for a class-action lawsuit, and there are lawyers in these areas of expertise ready to help you. It saves time and often money, in the long run, to utilize the services of a professional lawyer when you have to go to court.

5 more tips to a successful buy to let

Buy-to-let investment remains an interesting choice in the UK because more people are now renting. High house prices mean more people cannot afford to buy, and the demand from tenants continues to rise. Here are five more tips for a successful buy-to-let.

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Go for yields

It is true that property investment has created millionaires, but it is more realistic to consider rental yields from your properties and not whether their prices are likely to grow. It is practical to invest for income rather than capital growth. You can use online rental property sites such as Rightmove to see average rents and work out the yields.

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Look further afield

If you are going to use a property management company to look after your investments, you can afford to look further afield for properties. Although London may look like a good option, yields are low and prices are very high. Your money will go further in northern university cities, for example. Here you will have high demand, lower property prices and healthier rental yields.

Buy rundown properties

If you like a challenge or have knowledge of the building trade, you could buy a cheaper property in a good area that is run-down and needs renovating. This is one way to boost your investment. Calculate the renovation costs to make sure they will be more than covered by the increase in value or the rent you can attract. Larger properties could also be converted so that they all have en-suite bathrooms to attract professionals, or they could be turned into flats or houses of multiple occupancy, such as bedsits.

Make sure you’re covered

You can take out specialist insurance that will cover for any loss of rental income, damage or legal expenses. Think about the specialist insurance you need and make sure you have adequate cover. You can find out about cheap landlords insurance from companies such as https://brokersdirect.co.uk/?product=landlords-insurance.

Look at the work involved

Investing in property is the first step, but you need to think about what happens next. Are you going to do the work yourself to find tenants, check inventories, draw up contracts and undertake maintenance, or will you use a letting agent? Agents will charge a fee, which will need to be factored in to your expenses, but they have the experience to market your property properly.

North Yorkshire dentist recalls his time with the Inuit

A dentist’s work is never easy, especially when it comes to pulling out teeth, and doing so in the heart of the Arctic in a wooden shack might prove even more difficult. However, for Professor Martin Curzon of Thornton-le-Moor, near Northallerton, this was all part of the day job during his time with the Inuit upon his appointment as senior dental officer on Baffin Island.

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Now at the University of Leeds as Emeritus Professor of Child Dental Health, he continues to give talks about his experiences from the early 1970s working with Eskimos, where he managed to extract an impressive 7,000 teeth over the space of three years.

Extreme dentistry…

From his base at Frobisher Bay – now known as Iqaluit – and with the help of a small plane, he was responsible for 400,000 square miles containing 13 villages. Working with patients from 5 days old to 85 years old, Prof Curzon dealt with treating tooth decay and gum problems brought on by a switch to a more Western diet. He reports that the Inuit, who were used to living in harsh conditions, were stoic in their handling of pain.

His clinic was made up of a simple portable dental chair and would be set up in a school gymnasium or a wooden shack. It was a far cry from the tools provided by dental equipment suppliers today such as those found at Photo Surgical Systems the new name of Surgical Systems ltd. The Inuit would come not only to have their teeth pulled, but also to socialise and watch the procedures.

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Challenging times

Once his work was done, Professor Curzon would wait for his plane to pick him up – a wait that once lasted four days. The wait was not even the worst part; the flights were extremely gruelling, and even though you’d probably survive if you crashed, the chances of being found were remote. The Professor took two to three weeks worth of food supplies, along with a tiny pot of heating fuel.

Prof Curzon was evidently successful in his role, and the Inuits were grateful for the service he provided. By the end of his time with them, he had collected 30 carvings, including one of an Eskimo with an abscess on his tooth!

What to Expect From Your Childcare Provider

Childcare can and should be a wonderful experience for you and your children. Looking for safe, healthy and positive childcare is one of the most important jobs you’ll have as a parent. Here are some things you should expect to find at any good childcare center.

Every childcare center and provider is different, depending on the size of the center and the amount of the budget they have to work with. Some outstanding childcare centers have smaller budgets but hire staff wisely and use creativity and resourcefulness to love and care for your child. Centers with large budgets that are run wisely, with an absolute focus on your child can also be outstanding centers. No matter the size or budget of the center, these guidelines should be followed when searching for appropriate childcare for your children.

Every good childcare center should offer open access to their establishment. This rule applies to every center no matter how big, or how small. Parents should be allowed to walk in or call unannounced at any time, or call whenever they like. Also a good childcare center should be safe at all times for all the children they care for. Every effort should be made to review and institute rules and precautions for a safe environment. Some of these guidelines include keeping sharp objects in a safe place and out of a child’s reach, plugging electrical sockets, and using safe and well cared for toys and equipment.

Honesty from the director and staff members of any childcare center should be expected. This honesty helps build confidence in the center. Also you and your children should expect confidence regarding information about your child. No one should be given any information about your child without your written permission. Also, the childcare center should make every effort to comply with your wishes as a parent about what your child eats, the activities they partake in, and special requirements for your child.

Notice should be given to parents when any changes are going to take place at the childcare center. This notice should give enough time for parents to clearly understand the changes and make any mention to their children. There should be no abrupt surprises to parents or children. A good childcare center should leave parenting to the parents in each family. They should not get involved or take it upon themselves to meddle in family matters. Along the same lines, parents should never be judged or given advice on how to raise their children.

The people who come in contact with your child while they are at the center should be trustworthy and trained. At large childcare centers children come in contact with a wide variety of people. Each of these people should be certified and checked for safety. You should also look for and expect an open communication policy between parents and the center to make sure parents are kept up to date on the care of your children.

As parents you should never get any big surprises regarding the center or the care of your children. This means the center should never replace caregivers without notice and time to allow children to get used to the change. No one should leave or disappear without sufficient notice.

You don’t have to spend hours on the Web looking for information about preschool childcare.

Refinancing Homes Just Got Safer with Nee Mortgage Industry Reform

Whether you are buying a new house or looking to remortgage your current house, changes in the mortgage industry means getting a loan affects you. While some naysayers worry this will have a negative impact on the housing market, the changes are there to protect homebuyers from predatory lenders. Be on the lookout for three key things to protect yourself and you will see the changes make the housing market a better place for everyone.

#1 The Application Loophole – The application loophole is still in place but it is still nothing scary. Application fees are still charged by legitimate and illegitimate places alike. The one thing you need to be aware of is you do not need to feel pressure to stay with a place just because you paid the application fee. You can back out at any time if you find a better lender or you just do not like the company.

#2 The Safe Act is for Your Protection – The Safe Act states a loan writer must pass a test before they can write a loan. This works to your advantage. You can ask the person you are working with if they have passed the test. If they have not, then you know they cannot possibly write the loan. This means they are either a negotiator, agent, or some other type of go between but they are not a lender. You can find this out before you pay your application fee and before you decide if you want to work with them.

#3 The Good Faith Estimate – As of January 2010, the laws changed about when lenders had to tell you about changes. Now lenders must tell you within 3 days of finding out about changes. They also must give you time before closing. This gives you time to think about what you are signing instead of springing it on you last minute.

You don’t have to spend hours on the Web looking for information about credit equity home line loan in ormond beach .