Whether you are planning a destination wedding or have just sold your dress on, shipping that all-important gown can seem daunting. In fact, with lots of great courier services around – and these simple tips – the process of shipping a wedding dress has never been easier.

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Small and sturdy

You may decide to use a same day courier service in Birmingham or take your parcel to the post office in London but, whatever you do, pack your dress in a small and sturdy box. Don’t choose a box that is so cramped that fine detail on the dress gets damaged, but you should also make sure that it is not so big that the dress moves around too much inside. You also don’t want to be paying any more than you have to for postage. As a general guide, most wedding dresses would fit in an 18 x 16 x 9 inch or 43 x 30 x 14 cm box.

Acid-free paper

Lay a piece of acid-free tissue on a table. Place your dress on top and wrap gently. White muslin can also be used, but steer clear of standard tissue paper containing acid.

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Fold carefully

Fold your dress carefully and separate layers with tissue paper. This is particularly important if your dress has embellishments and jewels, as the paper will prevent the fabric from catching when being transported by mail or by a Same Day Courier service in Birmingham.

Bag it

Once folded and wrapped in tissue, place your gown in a clear bag and fold down its opening. This plastic layer will offer added protection if the box splits or gets wet. Just be sure to dispose of any unused plastic properly. The importance of doing this is explained at https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/why-recycle-plastic-rubbish-oceans-8-million-tonnes-pollution-microplastics-a7541476.html.

Seal with tape

Use thick sticky tape to seal your box shut and use several layers if necessary. Stick on your address label and cover this completely in tape. Make sure to remove any old labels on the box and write ‘wedding gown’ on it to warn couriers that it needs to be handled carefully.

Thank you

If you are selling your dress, buyers really appreciate finding a little note from you inside their parcel. All it needs to do is thank them for buying your dress and wish them luck.

You might be feeling virtuous if you mow your lawn every week in the spring and summer. It needs a good cut in the growing season, and you must leave well alone if there is excessive rain. What about aeration?

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What is aeration?

Aeration is the process of using spikes or tines to open up the ground and let it heal itself. If the ground seems excessively bouncy or spongy, you could have a problem. Another indication that you need to be aerating your lawn is if there are brown patches or if the water sits for too long before draining away. These factors are caused by dead material and moss below the surface, which will prevent nutrients from getting to the roots. Heavy clay soil is particularly prone to these problems. Lawns which have not been aerated are prone to disease. Scarifying involves digging even deeper; slits are cut into the lawn and the process actually involves digging out the moss or thatch.

Public lawns get more wear and tear than domestic lawns. However, examine your grass closely and you will see the damage that can be caused by a combination of a harsh winter and feet trampling over the lawn on a regular basis. You need to aerate at least once a year. The best time to do it is in early or late spring, or in the autumn.

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Do I need any special equipment?

It is a good idea to invest in one of the excellent aerators available. There are two types of machine, which are solid tine (spiked) and hollow tine. They are available as electric or petrol versions, and there are some which can be towed behind your ride-on mower. The alternative to having a full scarifying machine is to remove dead material with a rake and to aerate with a dedicated machine. Combination aerators and scarifiers are available and are the best solution for large gardens.

Make sure that your equipment is functioning efficiently at all times. For replacement parts, look for Briggs and Stratton parts, which you can find here https://diyengineparts.com/, for example.

For expert advice on lawn care, look at the RHS website.

Think of aerating your lawn as the garden equivalent of doing more to your hair than just having a trim at the barbers or hairdressers every few weeks.

When we think of web design, we tend to focus on desktops, laptops and notebooks, even though the way we use the internet has changed quite significantly since its earliest years.

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Smartphone Use Overtakes the Desktop

In fact, in 2016 The Guardian announced to its readership that smartphones and tablets were used to access online content more frequently than desktops and laptops, which meant that web designers were forced to consider a ‘smartphone first’ method of creating websites.

Businesses that failed to consider the implications of designing websites for smaller screens were quickly left behind, as the search engines dropped sites down the rankings if they failed to display accurately across all devices. Web visitors, faced with tiny print on their screens which failed to display in a clear and readable manner, quickly switched their loyalty to companies that had taken the time to ensure that their sites were mobile-friendly, leading the majority of web developers to include mobile-friendly sites for their clients as a matter of course.

This is backed up by figures from a website design company in Gloucester: https://www.net9design.com/ reports that over 60% of web visitors would be unlikely to revisit a mobile website that they had difficulty accessing from their smartphone.

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A New Way of Building Websites Is Launched

Now one entrepreneur has seen a gap in the market and produced software that he hopes will shake up the world of mobile web design. Joe Cohen is the brains behind Universe, a website-building platform created specifically for mobile users that he hopes will transform the way websites are created.

Using a simple app, Universe uses a conventional grid system that allows users to format their mobile websites to their exact requirements. Blocks can be assigned to text, graphics and even video, allowing users to set up their own mobile sites quickly and easily. In fact, the platform’s boast is that an inexperienced user can create their own website within just a few minutes.

It’s still in its infancy, but early trials have produced some promising results from users with little or no experience of creating a website. Ideally suited to small businesses and individuals, Universe could transform the way that websites are created, although it seems unlikely that web designers will be losing sleep over the technology just yet.

Incorporating audio into a video can be incredibly useful in a number of different ways. In some cases you may want to add background music to set the mood or pace of a video, or in others you may wish to include a voiceover to accompany it.

Regardless of the type of audio that you want to add to your videos, you’ll find that it is easy to do with Movavi Video Editor. In fact not only will you be able to add the audio that you want, but you will also be able to ensure it matches the length of the video.

All that you need to do to add audio to a video is launch Movavi Video Editor then click on the ‘Create project in full feature mode’ option in the welcome window. In the editor you should then click on the ‘Add Media Files’ button and select both the video file as well as the audio file that you want to add to it.

After you’ve done that both the video and audio will appear in the ‘Timeline’ area in the ‘Video Track’ and ‘Audio Track’ respectively. Technically you could save it then and there, but before you do you should use Movavi Video Editor to match the length of both tracks.

If the video is shorter than the audio track, you can move the marker to the end of the video and click on the ‘Split’ icon then delete the excess audio. On the other hand if the audio is shorter you could add another audio file to make up the difference, or add the same audio file once again.

For more detailed instructions on how to do all that just head over to https://www.movavi.com/support/how-to/how-to-add-audio-to-video.html.

Once you’re satisfied all that remains is to click on the ‘Export’ button and select the format that you want to save your video in. Before that however, you could use the other features in Movavi Video Editor to enhance the video quality, cut and join other videos, apply effects and filters, edit the audio quality, insert animated transitions, and more.

As you can see nothing about adding audio to videos with Movavi Video Editor is complicated, and the same applies to its other features. If you try them out you’ll be able to see that for yourself, and will be surprised by just how much you can do with its help.

There’s so much to do in the garden in the summer months. The lawn will need frequent cutting and your hedges will need bringing under control. There are weeds to deal with and plants that want watering. Don’t know where to begin? Then here’s some summer gardening advice to get you started.

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Make the most of water

Water is a scarce resource so use the grey water from baths and washing up to keep your pots and hanging baskets blooming. Direct the jet of your hose right into the roots of the plant rather than spraying the leaf canopy – this gets the water where it’s needed and discourages weeds from growing.

Want to save time, money and hard work? An irrigation system that directs water where it’s needed most is a wise investment when the temperature climbs.

Hoe, hoe, hoe

You don’t need weed killer in your garden. If you’re prepared to put in a little hard work you can deal with them far more effectively with a hoe. Run it over beds and borders to get rid of small weeds. If this type of garden work is too much for you or your garden is overrun you’ll need a Gloucestershire grounds maintenance company such as the reputable http://gloucestershiregroundsmaintenance.co.uk who are experienced at bringing problem gardens under control.

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If you have a problem with weeds between pavers or slabs, a weeding knife will make short work of them. Otherwise you can wick them away using a strimmer – make sure you wear protective clothing so you don’t get any debris in your eye.

Keep it blooming

Summer really is the time to go to town with your planting, and now is the ideal time to plant up those hanging baskets and window boxes and add annual bedding plants to your herbaceous borders.

Once your borders are planted, make sure you keep deadheading to keep your garden alive with colour. Keep the weeds down and help water retention with decorative mulch like bark chips or gravel. Don’t forget to stake floppy or tall plants so you can enjoy them properly and give them much needed support.

In the vegetable garden now is the time to pinch outside shoots on your tomatoes and harvest the first of the lettuces, radishes and early potatoes. Your hard work will be rewarded with a wonderful dinner!

If you’ve been attending group fitness classes for years, you’ve likely found that there are things you like and things you don’t. Most people enjoy working out in a group because of the high energy atmosphere and the motivation provided by the group setting. But you’ve probably noticed that instructors can be hit or miss. In fact, you might find yourself thinking that you could do a much better job. Perhaps it’s time to put your money where your mouth is and become a certified group fitness instructor. Here are just a few benefits you’ll gain when you take on this professional pursuit.

1. Stay in shape. One of the best reasons to become a professional group fitness instructor is to stay healthy and fit yourself. Some of us simply aren’t meant to follow, so if you find that the classes you take are boring or they’re not a challenge, consider that you might get more out of it if you were the one planning the routines. Of course, you could simply go it alone. But the energy of a group class is both fun and motivational. And as the instructor, you have the opportunity to not only push other members but to keep yourself healthy and fit and have some fun along the way.
2. Keep your day job. If you’re enthusiastic about exercise and you like leading a group, it’s actually not that hard to become certified as a group instructor. But if you’re not sure you can make a living at it, you can definitely do it on the side. In fact, many group fitness instructors work at other jobs and teach classes as a hobby or a fun way to earn a little extra cash. If you religiously attend classes anyway, and you think you could do a better job than the person leading the group, why not pursue your passion? You don’t necessarily have to give up your day job in the process.
3. Job opportunities. With no shortage of news coverage concerning the obesity epidemic and sundry health problems amongst adults, there are plenty of people looking for ways to get fit, and a good instructor can bring a lot of business to a gym. If you build relationships and develop a following, you’ll have no trouble finding placement at health clubs and other established fitness facilities. Heck, you could even strike out on your own by branding yourself and starting your own gym.
4. The more popular you become, the more opportunities you’ll have to advance your career. You might start out by selecting some regulars from your classes to join you in creating a series of workout videos, for example. And from there you could brand your own line of workout clothing or equipment. If you truly want to make a career out of being a professional group fitness instructor, you’ve got to think big.
5. Enjoy a fulfilling career. Nobody signs up for a gym membership thinking that they’re going to drop out after just a few weeks or months. But that’s what ends up happening most of the time. As a group fitness instructor, you have the opportunity to motivate others who need help reaching their own fitness goals. You have the chance to change lives. And whether you work for an affordable gym or you start a posh and exclusive health club of your own, one of the best reasons to lead group classes is to play a role in helping others to get fit, look and feel better, realize their goals, and generally improve their lives.

Parking your car can be a like a battle zone – you end up leaving the garage with dings, scrapes and an all around battered car. Eventually, these little scrapes and dings can wind up affecting the resale value of your vehicle, which is never a good thing. If you are leasing your vehicle, having all this damage could come out of your pocket if you don’t have comprehensive coverage. This is why you have to learn some defensive parking methods. When it comes to parking lot safety, there are a lot of obvious things you can do, but many of us don’t even think about them – we just want to get our car into a spot and then go on with our day. Here are five parking lot car door dent and ding prevention tips.

1. Don’t park too close to other cars. This is an obvious one, but sometimes people still don’t get the hint. If you don’t want your doors to get dinged up, you want to find a spot that you can actually fit in. Not only will you risk other cars denting your doors, but you may also encourage revengeful drivers who may key your vehicle.
2. Park in a space designated for the size of your car. These days, they have parking for a wide range of vehicle sizes – from ultra compact to truck-size. So, make sure that you find a spot for your vehicle’s specific size. If you have a smaller car, the last thing you want is to park in a spot that is too big, because large vehicles could end up damaging your vehicle. If you have a large truck, you don’t want to park in a space that is meant for smaller cars.
3. Use a specialized bumper protector for when you park. There are some amazing bumper protectors that you can temporarily fit onto your vehicle. These bumpers fit right onto your vehicle via a little clasp that you fit inside your trunk. These bumpers can protect your rear bumper – and even your front bumper – from major damages. When it comes to scrapes and dents in your bumper, they are often extremely difficult to remove, so you want to avoid these damages at all costs.
4. Park in a specialized airport parking lot when you go out of town. For instance, OneStop Parking offers some amazing parking facilities for when you are going on holiday or even a business trip. If you need to leave your car someplace for a few days, you want to know it is in safe hands. The facility should also be well lit and have plenty of security measures because you don’t want to worry about your vehicle when you are away.
5. Look out for cars when you pull out of your spot. It can be very easy to get into a small collision when you pull out of your spot, especially if other drivers aren’t looking. If you have someone with you, it may be smart to have that person guide you out. In the end, you never can be too careful.

Whether you are choosing a primary school for the first time, trying to find the best secondary school, or thinking about making a change to your child’s schooling, making the decision on which school is the best one for your child can be incredibly difficult. Here we take a look at the steps you should take to try and make sure you are choosing the school that is the right one for your child.

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The Government offers advice about the procedural aspects of applying for a school place, but not a huge amount in terms of what you should be looking for from a school and things you need to consider in order to make the decision about whether a particular school is the best one for your child.

How to choose a school

There are several ways to choose a school, but firstly you should make a list of potential schools that you think would be suitable and that would work for the rest of your family. This means schools that are easy to get to, as well as ones that would be a good fit for your child. When you have made a list, go to visit some of these schools. Some schools have ‘open days’, but it works best to try and visit on a day when school is in session, so you can see first-hand what the school is like on a regular day.

How you will know if it is the right one

You will get a feel for whether a school is the right one for your child. However, it’s also important to check the school’s academic record, what they offer in terms of enrichment activities and whether it’s the right learning environment for your child. You may think that a private school would be the right choice and there are plenty to choose from, including Gloucestershire private schools such as https://hopelands.org.uk/.

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Hopefully, this has shown you what you should be looking for when making the decision about your child’s school. The criteria are generally the same, whether it is an older child starting secondary school, a little one starting primary, or one in between who might benefit from switching schools. The most important thing is that the school you choose is the right fit for your particular child.

Summer is the time that many communities decide to hold fun events, whether they are fund-raising for a specific charity or local need or simply to celebrate a feeling of togetherness. Most of us are too busy to stop and have a real conversation with their neighbours. The majority of us probably couldn’t even name the people who live on the same street or block as us, let alone interact or socialise with them. Over the last few decades there has been a tangible disconnect between residents and their communities. One great way of trying to break down these barriers and divides is to organise a fun event, carnival or local fayre.

The Benefits for your Community

Use the summer to come together and organise something special in your community. Whether it’s a small get together for one road organised last minute or a large event that’s been months in the planning, it’s time to bring back face-to-face interaction.

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Re-establish the town, city or village identity – Local events are a great way to celebrate old traditions to prevent them being forgotten. It can also be a chance to invent new traditions that your area becomes well-known for. They offer an ideal opportunity to showcase what makes your local area unique and special, fostering a sense of pride for the residents. Pride is an important aspect in how residents feel about where they live, how they take care of it and a reduction in vandalism and crime levels.

Increase tourism and boost local business – Shops are struggling, especially in inner-urban areas due to changing habits in how we shop. Bringing events to areas like this is a great way to encourage tourists to come and as a result, boost the local economy for businesses there. Larger staged events attract many people from out of town, spreading the word about your area’s unique qualities and spending more money. Don’t forget to book plenty of concession stands, entertainment, kids play equipment and first aid facilities. For Outdoor Medical Cover, visit https://www.outdoormedicalsolutions.co.uk/event-medical-cover/

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Have some fun – As well as the financial and civic benefits already mentioned, community events are a lot of fun for all ages. They provide the area with a goal, something to look forward to and are fun to plan together in the lead up. The day can be enjoyed by all and then provides great memories and the opportunity to reminisce before planning the next one.

Networking – Local businesses are also given the chance to engage in networking, whether inside the community or outside to a wider audience.

Skills – Members of the local community can engage in activities that would otherwise not be available to them. Volunteers might choose to get involved in administration, marketing, financial aspects, delivering leaflets or setting up stalls on the day. For students requiring work experience and retirees looking for interesting activities, a local event can be just the ticket.

If you love cars, then you’ll love this list of some of the strangest and wackiest automobiles ever brought dreamt up, whether still firmly on the designing table or dragged into real-life:

1. Amphibious Lamborghini

These cars normally come with a pretty hefty price tag but here is your chance to get your hands on one for just $27,000. And what’s more, you can combine the joy of having a Lambo with the fact that it can glide across water too! The Amphibious Lamborghini Countach is the only car in its class to be able to take to the water. Imagine how cool you’d look this summer? For those of us who still drive relatively normal cars, don’t forget to book your annual Gloucester MOT

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2. Rinspeed Squba

Here’s another one for those of you who are desperate for a car that can dive underwater like the iconic James Bond vehicle. The Rinspeed Squba is an amphibious concept vehicle designed by the Rinspeed company. The concept was lifted straight from the James Bond movie ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ and the car aims to glide, float, swim and even dive like a sub! On land it will boast a top speed of 120km/h. 

3. Terrafugia Transition

Not only have we dreamed of cars that could swim but most sci-fi films have been promising us flying cars for some time now. Well, the wait might finally be over as the Terrafugia Transition car seeks to change all that. As well as motoring with ease on land, the vehicle can unfold wings like an aircraft! There are only two such vehicles being constructed, with designers and engineers working on the idea since 2006. At nearly a quarter of a million dollars, jumping ahead of the rush hour traffic with your wings is going to cost you.

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4. Peel P50

Bikes – love them or hate them, they do make good economic and time-saving sense. If you’re more of a hater, then why not consider the Peel P50, a fun-size car for one and a great alternative to biking it. It can travel at speeds of 61km/h, weighs a slight 56kg and holds the record for being the smallest car ever manufactured. Sadly, it is no longer in production but there was one auctioned at $176,000 when it originally only cost £200!

5. Superbus

Gone could be the days of the much-loved old rickety bus that is such a common sight on the roads and streets of the world. A Dutch astronaut named Wubbo Ockels, working out of the Delft University of Technology, has given us the Superbus. Running on electricity, this is a high-speed, smooth affair with attractive butterfly doors on each side of its body. It can carry 25 passengers on a journey and reach speeds of 250km/h. No more waiting for the late bus in the rain!

6. Wooden Car

Wood is a highly practical material for constructing many things, but you’d never imagine a car to be from wood. However, a wooden car that looks like a Lamborghini has been made by a chap called Joe Hammon. Surprisingly, it has 700hp and can reach incredible speeds of 368km/h.