There are a lot of different types of games that people play. There are online games and home video game systems, but it seems that one type of game that used to be played a lot is not as in the spotlight as it used to be. These are board games, and although they have seemed to drop in popularity a bit over the past few years they are still great fun to play, especially in a family friendly environment. Everyone that loves board games has their favorites, but here are a few that I love to play.
1. Monopoly - This is the old standby board game that almost everyone has heard of. It is a board game that is generally played for long periods of time and has to do a little bit with the roll of the dice and a lot with strategy of buying real estate (the squares on the playing board) The game is won when one individual owns everything and the other players are totally flat broke. This game has been played in marathon sessions where the company actually had to fly in additional monopoly money.
2. Parcheesi - Here is a great old board game that is a lot of fun to play and doesn't require much brain power (sorry if that offends anyone). You roll the dice and move your piece around the board. The first person to reach the goal wins, but you need to reach that goal with an exact roll of the die.
There are many other board games that can be played, but these are a few that will get you started. If you love these games then you are in good company. If you've never tried them then I suggest getting them and try having a family night where you play them together. You might find that you actually enjoy each others company.
By Steve Miers
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Bras Men Like
What bras do men want to see you in?
I asked my guy.
He said a bra that is easy to take off. Bras that look like lingerie. Black bras. I wasn't satisfied with the answer.
I gave him the unenviable job of going through lingerie catalogs to tell me which bras he finds sexiest.
The verdict.
Strapless bras. A huge surprise to me as I thought these were purely functional. Worn to avoid tiresome straps under tube tops, off shoulder tops or strapless outfits.
His rationale. He just finds strapless bras very sexy. A huge turn on. The simplicity catches his eye. No messy strings. Bare shoulders which he simply loves. Most importantly, they look really easy to take off.
Next in line is the lace bra. That is because lace bras are very beautiful. That I agree with him. Lace bras are very pretty.
In 3rd place is the push up bra.
This one is obvious. Push up bras make your breasts look much bigger. These padded bras add inches to your bustline. The Gel filled bras really boost a girl's assets. A way to get that cleavage without resorting to surgery.
He was saying for girls who really want to turn on the men, go for these 3 types of bras. These are the ones that leave men wanting more.
I do know the kind of bras he simply hates. The fussy types with multiple hooks, the cotton granny type of bra with thick ugly straps that are popular only because of comfort and anything that makes breasts look smaller. In other words, don't waste your time with minimizer bras.
So if you want to dress for your men, what you wear underneath counts too.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The writer is the webmaster of www.buy-bras.net. Check out the Bra size tool to find out your real bra size.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Youth Hostels Guide Part 1 of 2
This is a complete guide to youth hostels, split in 2 parts; this is the part 1 of 2.
Youth Hostels History
The first youth hostel was founded by Richard Schirrmann around 1909. Schirrmann was a German teacher who organized trips and visits with his students.
During one of these excursions, a sudden rainstorm forced his group to seek shelter in an empty school. It was then that Schirrmann had the idea of using schools that were empty during holidays as guest houses for young people that were travelling in groups in the countryside. The idea caught on very quickly, and by the 1930s there were more than two thousand hostels in Germany.
The idea spread out in the rest of Europe, and after an important international conference in 1932, the idea was exported to the United States and many other countries, and the International Youth Hostel Federation was born, with the idea of providing cheap accommodation for young travellers. With time, the concept of hostel has broadened, and now hostels accept guests of all ages, providing cheap but comfortable accommodation and a unique atmosphere that cannot be found in hotels.
Hostels Equipment
If you are travelling for a long time, buy yourself a good backpack, which fits you comfortably, and do not exceed in loading it - a heavy backpack can be very painful to carry when it's summer and it's hot. Choose comfortable shoes, and keep cool shoes for evenings out.
Hostels most often provide you with sheets (often at an extra cost), but you should bring your own, just in case. Some hostels might not allow sleeping bags, for reasons of hygiene (you might have been sleeping anywhere with a sleeping bag, and hostelling is not the same thing as camping).
Some hostels will provide you with a so-called sleep-sheet, which is two sheets sewn together, so they form a sort of sack. This way the bed stays clean. It is not as common as it used to be years ago. You should also bring your own soap and towels, since only some hostels provide these, usually with an extra charge.
Hostels Social Life
Hostels are definitely the place for socializing. Since the guests in a hostel are mostly younger people, there are plenty of occasions to get to know other travellers. Some hostels organize parties, meetings or competitions, or have a bar within or just outside their premises where people can meet and chat to fellow guests.
Hostellers are generally more interested in meeting other people than your average tourist, so it's much easier to get in touch with them, share common interests and exchange advice, tips, etc. Many people travel on their own all over a country or continent more than a year long, and rely on chance meetings to make friends.
Remember: you can always meet people who have opinions (on politics, sex, religion, your country) that are very different from your own, so you must be prepared to be tolerant and understanding other people's positions and views on life. Without a doubt, this will certainly enrich you and broaden your perspective. So if you go to a hostel, expect to meet new friends, (especially if you speak some languages) and put on your best smiling face. Who knows, you might make the best friendships of your life!
Youth Hostels vs Hotels
There are several types of hostels nowadays, and all of them tend to have their special characteristics; some are more like standard hotels, some are a completely different experience. The main difference is that most hostels offer accommodation in dormitories, or shared rooms. Dorms can be bigger or smaller, can be for males/females only or mixed, but anyway this means that you can share your room with strangers.
Although many hostels now provide private rooms with en-suite facilities, the atmosphere is still very different from that of your average hotel. Whereas hotels only tend to just provide their customers a comfortable place where to spend the night, hostels tend to have more of a social atmosphere which often is derived from sharing dining tables, washing machines, dryers, and much more with with other guests.
Many hostels organize parties and excursions for their guests, and many have a bar where people can meet and get to know each other. In a hostel it is much more likely to start a conversation with a fellow traveller or to be asked for advice, tips and information by someone you have never met before.
Basically, hostels are generally a good place to make friends, to meet people from far away countries with ways different than your own, to exchange tips on clubs, museums, shows, shopping and the like.
Different kinds of hostels
Hostels come in all shapes and sizes nowadays. City hostels tend to lean more towards the social/fun aspect of city life, offering information about pubs, tours of the city, thrift shops and night clubs. They can be much noisier than country hostels, since they often have no curfew and are open 24 hours a day. The bigger the hostel, and the more night-life oriented the city it's in, the more social life you will find. Country hostels are a very different thing. They're mostly frequented by people who are travelling through the country, possibly walking or hiking. This means people wake up earlier, and go to sleep earlier, and usually like it quiet!
This guide is brought to you by www.HostelsPrice.com and en.EuropeLowCost.com.
Youth Hostels History
The first youth hostel was founded by Richard Schirrmann around 1909. Schirrmann was a German teacher who organized trips and visits with his students.
During one of these excursions, a sudden rainstorm forced his group to seek shelter in an empty school. It was then that Schirrmann had the idea of using schools that were empty during holidays as guest houses for young people that were travelling in groups in the countryside. The idea caught on very quickly, and by the 1930s there were more than two thousand hostels in Germany.
The idea spread out in the rest of Europe, and after an important international conference in 1932, the idea was exported to the United States and many other countries, and the International Youth Hostel Federation was born, with the idea of providing cheap accommodation for young travellers. With time, the concept of hostel has broadened, and now hostels accept guests of all ages, providing cheap but comfortable accommodation and a unique atmosphere that cannot be found in hotels.
Hostels Equipment
If you are travelling for a long time, buy yourself a good backpack, which fits you comfortably, and do not exceed in loading it - a heavy backpack can be very painful to carry when it's summer and it's hot. Choose comfortable shoes, and keep cool shoes for evenings out.
Hostels most often provide you with sheets (often at an extra cost), but you should bring your own, just in case. Some hostels might not allow sleeping bags, for reasons of hygiene (you might have been sleeping anywhere with a sleeping bag, and hostelling is not the same thing as camping).
Some hostels will provide you with a so-called sleep-sheet, which is two sheets sewn together, so they form a sort of sack. This way the bed stays clean. It is not as common as it used to be years ago. You should also bring your own soap and towels, since only some hostels provide these, usually with an extra charge.
Hostels Social Life
Hostels are definitely the place for socializing. Since the guests in a hostel are mostly younger people, there are plenty of occasions to get to know other travellers. Some hostels organize parties, meetings or competitions, or have a bar within or just outside their premises where people can meet and chat to fellow guests.
Hostellers are generally more interested in meeting other people than your average tourist, so it's much easier to get in touch with them, share common interests and exchange advice, tips, etc. Many people travel on their own all over a country or continent more than a year long, and rely on chance meetings to make friends.
Remember: you can always meet people who have opinions (on politics, sex, religion, your country) that are very different from your own, so you must be prepared to be tolerant and understanding other people's positions and views on life. Without a doubt, this will certainly enrich you and broaden your perspective. So if you go to a hostel, expect to meet new friends, (especially if you speak some languages) and put on your best smiling face. Who knows, you might make the best friendships of your life!
Youth Hostels vs Hotels
There are several types of hostels nowadays, and all of them tend to have their special characteristics; some are more like standard hotels, some are a completely different experience. The main difference is that most hostels offer accommodation in dormitories, or shared rooms. Dorms can be bigger or smaller, can be for males/females only or mixed, but anyway this means that you can share your room with strangers.
Although many hostels now provide private rooms with en-suite facilities, the atmosphere is still very different from that of your average hotel. Whereas hotels only tend to just provide their customers a comfortable place where to spend the night, hostels tend to have more of a social atmosphere which often is derived from sharing dining tables, washing machines, dryers, and much more with with other guests.
Many hostels organize parties and excursions for their guests, and many have a bar where people can meet and get to know each other. In a hostel it is much more likely to start a conversation with a fellow traveller or to be asked for advice, tips and information by someone you have never met before.
Basically, hostels are generally a good place to make friends, to meet people from far away countries with ways different than your own, to exchange tips on clubs, museums, shows, shopping and the like.
Different kinds of hostels
Hostels come in all shapes and sizes nowadays. City hostels tend to lean more towards the social/fun aspect of city life, offering information about pubs, tours of the city, thrift shops and night clubs. They can be much noisier than country hostels, since they often have no curfew and are open 24 hours a day. The bigger the hostel, and the more night-life oriented the city it's in, the more social life you will find. Country hostels are a very different thing. They're mostly frequented by people who are travelling through the country, possibly walking or hiking. This means people wake up earlier, and go to sleep earlier, and usually like it quiet!
This guide is brought to you by www.HostelsPrice.com and en.EuropeLowCost.com.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Developing Your Strategy in a Changing Real Estate Market
Just about every area in the United States has experienced what most would consider a down market. As a real estate professional, it is important to evaluate your business on an on-going basis, specifically, when the market begins to slow down. In the Northeast, we are beginning to see signs of what we would consider a buyer's market. This is unusual for the area, which is an adjustment for sellers, and quite frankly, some of the newer real estate agents that have not been accustomed to taking a consultative approach with their business. There are a few key elements to developing and continuing a steady stream of clients.
Client relationships-Quality real estate agents consistently discover that their business is closely tied to the relationships they have built over many years. Building and nurturing those client relationship results in trusting relationships and referral business. Focusing on client service, with a long-term view of those client relationships, creates value.
Clear, written plan-Successful agents develop a detailed business plan including how many closings they are targeting for the year, the activities tied to reaching their closing goal, and the amount of personal promotion money that they will allocate to build their business. These goals should be visible to the agent, and not just developed at the end of the year (for the next year) and stuffed into a file. Having a focus on your goals on a daily, monthly, quarterly basis will increase your odds of consistent, viable business.
Market Knowledge-As the market begins to turn, it's not only important to have the statistics for your buyers and sellers, but also have the in-depth understanding of the impact. Being able to articulate the changes in each neighborhood, price range, and overall market will add to your credibility as a sales professional.
Communication with your clients-Changing markets do strange things to both buyers and sellers. Anxiety is created with change. The most effective way to help your clients through the change is keeping them apprised of all of the news, whether good or bad. Clear, consistent, and thorough communication also develops long-term client relationships.
Melissa Riley is an Office Leader with Prudential Connecticut Realty. She is a 24-year veteran of real estate and relocation. Visit her website at http://prudentialctcareers.com/
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009
Save Money on Student Property Investment
Share the Risk of Purchasing Student Property and reduce the costs
As students eagerly await exam results parents are seriously considering how they will help their children to cover the costs of a university education. With property prices rising all over the country many parents who had previously thought about buying a property for their children are now wondering if this is a viable option. Rent differs between different university sites but most students can expect to pay ?2,000 to ?3,000 per year on rent whether in the Halls or through a ?bedsit?. With the maximum student loan (outside of London) being ?4,195 most parents can expect to be asked to help out with some of the costs.
Many parents can no longer afford to take on a full mortgage in a University town (the average cost of a property close to the University of Sheffield, for example, has increased by 133% over the last four years) yet are loathed to ?waste? rent money for the three or four years their children are at University.
Could the new era of ?a co-buying network? be the answer to the student property quandary?
A co-buying network involves people from different areas, different backgrounds and different socio-economic levels jointly taking on a mortgage. Owning a property with other parents is a very real solution to the ?rental trap? problem and is becoming an increasingly popular approach.
How Does It Work?
Parents interested in co-buying property should register with UK?s foremost and most experienced co-buying network - www.youtoshare.co.uk. Within their membership profile they would make it clear that they are looking to invest in a property while their child lives in it. They would then specify the area they are looking to buy in and search for other potential co-buyers. Membership of the ?You to Share? co-buying network provides access to a ?Deed of Trust? which is a legal document specifying who is responsible for what payments and provides a ?get out clause? for each party.
This document, typically, will cost between ?350 and ?500 and is provided free through our preferred solicitor(s). Many mortgage lenders are happy to divide a mortgage between three or four individuals which means three or four sets of parents could benefit from their offspring?s time within higher education.
Example Scenario
Mr Smith?s son is going to study Engineering at the University of Leicester. It is a 4 year degree and if renting Mr Smith would be looking at paying approximately ?20,000 in rent over that period. The average price of a four double bedroom terrace house close to the Leicester University campus is ?160 000 as advertised through Keywest Estate Agents in July 2006.
Mr Smith registers with ?You to Share? co-buying network and learns that Mrs Andrews and Mr Ryan also have children about to start at the University and are interested in co-buying a property in the area. The three (or four) parents contact each other via the You to Share co-buying network and arrange to have financial and police checks conducted on themselves so that they can then share this information with each other. They, with their children, search for a property that will meet the needs of each of the students. In certain areas, council tax for students is either very low or zero rated.
You to Share would introduce the potential mortgagees to recommended professional independent brokers who would provide/arrange the most suitable finance deal within this structure. Based on 6% interest rates, the parents will be looking at a monthly interest repayment of ?800.00 which is equivalent to ?12,800 over four years. This compares with up to ?16,800 for deluxe rooms in Halls for four years, if available. (Current rates vary between ?96 and ?116 per week for up to 42 week contracts)
You to Share would arrange also for the parents to meet with a preferred solicitor to complete the formalities and also agree the necessary Deed of Trust, a binding legal document specifying what each co-buyer is responsible for and specifying how the agreement can be terminated. The You to Share co-buying network provides access to specially negotiated reduced conveyancing fees which can incorporate the Deed of Trust, free, within the package.
Following the completion of their degrees the students/parents will be the proud owners of a property that will have increased in value (currently at a rate in excess of 40%). They can decide between them whether to keep or sell it the property. Whatever their decision, each parent can secure a financial return on their investment during their child?s time at university as opposed to having ?given away? four years of rent. The profit on the property would then enable the newly qualified graduate to stay on the property ladder by using the ?profit? as a deposit for their first solo property purchase. A win-win situation.
?I wish the (?You to Share?) co-buying service had been available when I was at University,? says Julia Smart, mother of a soon to be University student. ?My parents
paid out so much on rent which they could have easily paid into a shared mortgage. I have joined the ?You to Share? co-buying network to try to invest in a small property
in Cardiff where my daughter is going to study ? it makes sense to me.?
Naturally there are compromises to be made when co-buying but many of these involve the actual living day to day with your co-buyer. Parents investing in student property are able to act as absentee landlords, secure in the knowledge that their children are coping with home sharing exactly as they would if their parents were paying rent for them.
Essex based PR consultant
Visit http://www.youtoshare.co.uk/ for more information.
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