Thursday, December 8, 2016

5 Things You Should Consider Before Buying Your Field Hockey Equipment

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The origins of field hockey go back thousands of years, though the modern version was developed during the 18th century. If you have a little one who wants to be a field hockey athlete or aspire to be one yourself, there are quite a few items to help you be the best hockey player out there. This includes, but is not limited to, sticks, goggles, gloves, shin guards, etc. With that much time being associated with the sport, the amount of modern equipment that is now available can seem overwhelming.

To help you decide which equipment is right for you, here are five things to consider before making any purchases.

Rules and Requirements

If you or your child are playing in a league, the first source of guidance for all of your equipment decisions should be the rules and regulations in place. Certain points, like mandatory safety equipment and approved stick weights, might be controlled by the league in which you intend to play. Regardless of personal preferences, you have to make sure your choices are within the scope of the rules. Otherwise, you won’t be allowed to play with the equipment you have. That means you will be stuck buying more just to play with the field hockey group you already joined.

Player Position

While most participants in the sport of field hockey use the same equipment, that isn’t always the case. If you or your child plan to play goalie, then you will need to purchase different kinds of equipment in comparison to other players.

For example, goalies need a helmet with proper face protection. Additionally, you will need to invest in additional padding, including arm and hand protection. The size of the pads may be dictated by the league, so make sure to refer to any associated rules and regulations before purchasing goalie equipment as well.

Local Weather

Traditionally, field hockey is an outdoor sport. That means your local weather may impact some of your purchasing decisions. For example, certain field hockey shoes may perform better on wet or muddy fields than others. If you live in an area with a lot of rain, choosing the right shoes can help prevent slips and falls.

Another weather consideration is the average temperature. Certain materials breathe better than others, making them better choices in warm or hot climates. Others are more insulating, which may be appropriate for cooler locations.

Potential Growth

A point some parents fail to consider when purchasing equipment for their child is the likelihood that they will grow out of the equipment. While it is always critical to make sure that the equipment is accurate by basing your purchases on the player’s current size, you might not want to invest in more expensive options if you expect your child to have a growth spurt in the near future. In contrast, you might feel more comfortable investing in more expensive options if you don’t expect a dramatic change in size.

Even if you think you or your child might outgrow the equipment rather quickly, that doesn’t mean you should ignore quality entirely. However, you might want to consider when a replacement may be necessary in order to help determine a comfortable price point, that way you don’t over invest in an item that will no longer be usable after a single season.

Comfort

No matter how fancy or expensive a piece of equipment may be, you don’t want to choose something that is uncomfortable to use. For example, field hockey sticks come in a number of lengths and weights. Sticks that are too short or too long will feel awkward to use. Similarly, a stick that is too heavy or light may not provide the power or control for which you are looking.

Goggles, gloves, shoes, shin guards, and mouth pieces all need to be the right size. Not only will this make you more comfortable, but it also ensures that everything is performing their function in the best way possible.

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Lying To Ourselves Can Keep Us From Growing And Learning New Things

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People lie to one another for obvious reasons: to keep their jobs, to avoid an argument, or because they want to protect themselves from the repercussions of telling the truth. It may be wrong to lie, but we sometimes figure that it’s the best option in a sea of bad choices.

Lying to ourselves, though? It happens quite often, and as it turns out, we’re pretty good at it. We convince ourselves that we really need that new device, that we made a wise financial choice, or everything is fine in our lives (when it isn’t). Even if everything proves otherwise, we stick to what we tell ourselves and refuse to back down.

It may come as a surprise to you, but more often than not, the lies we tell ourselves are harmful to our well-being and can be more damaging than we realize. So why do we do it?

There are three reasons:

1. We want to be right.

Whatever we do, we want our actions, attitudes, and beliefs to line up with one another. So if you perform an action that goes against your beliefs, such as making a snide remark about someone, it makes you feel uncomfortable.

This feeling is the result of cognitive dissonance, which happens when your thoughts and beliefs fail to align with what you do. We try to get rid of the dissonance, so we either justify our actions or change our beliefs to fit what we did.

For instance, you might feel bad about the hurtful things you said so you try to reduce your feelings of guilt by telling yourself, “Everyone else is doing it, so it must be okay.” While doing so helps us sleep at night, there are times that our justifications can have serious repercussions.

So here’s the question: what is the price we pay to be right? Is it worth forgoing an opportunity to improve ourselves, to improve current practices, or possibly risking someone’s life?

Of course not. But it’s tempting to do whatever it takes to avoid those uncomfortable feelings of dissonance.

2. We want to avoid change.

If someone is in a toxic relationship, the solution is clear: leave! But to the person in this situation, the answer isn’t so obvious. Friends will point out red flags and the person directly involved refuse to believe any of it.

The power of denial is so strong that we hold onto false beliefs, even if the evidence overwhelmingly points against it. We do this partly because of our fear of change. We hold onto old things and refuse to let go, which clogs up space for new ideas, people, or opportunities.

Sometimes we take denial a step further by going out of our way to confirm a lie. When we get stuck in our careers, we hold onto a false hope that things will automatically change on their own. Instead of looking for a new position or changing directions, we convince ourselves to stay where we are. “My boss always compliments my work and tells me I do a good job”, we might tell ourselves.

The other reason behind our denial is the time investment involved. When we spend so much time and energy trying to make something work, it becomes harder to cut our losses and move on. Eventually, there comes a point when we need to realize that we’re better off somewhere else.

3. We don’t want to get hurt.

Many of us would like to think that if we witnessed unethical practices in a company, we would do the right thing. The consequences though, can be daunting.

For instance, if you witness wrongdoing, you might back away and decide not to do anything about it. “I don’t want to be a troublemaker” or “it has nothing to do with me” are two phrases that come to mind. It feels too dangerous to rock the boat, so we make excuses instead.

In many situations, it seems easier just to maintain status quo, rather than confronting someone, reflecting on how we behave, or investigating something suspicious. We naturally want to keep going down the same route and maintain the same habits, even if we have to lie to ourselves.

Listen to How You Feel

Our interests, hobbies, and personality quirks are things that differentiate us. We might love to go hiking in the woods and have certain friends, but hate heading to certain places. And while these traits and behaviors can make us interesting as people, they also indicate certain things about who we are.

If someone uses a phrase that sets us off for an inexplicable reason and causes us to instantly dislike that person, it could be due to a negative experience in the past. Maybe another person we knew said the same thing and ended up breaking our trust. So whenever we hear that phrase or see something that reminds us of that person, alarm bells go off.

“I don’t trust that person. She seems like the type of person to go back on her word,” we reason. If we react strongly to someone or something without a clear explanation, it’s likely because of a painful and memorable event in our lives. Fairly or not, we justify our actions, thoughts, or behaviors with a reason that may or may not fully make sense.

If it feels like your behavior isn’t lining up with who you want to be, stop and think about why that’s the case. Why do you feel a certain way? What’s causing your behavior? Are the justifications you tell yourself truthful or do they simply cover up the real reasons?

We’re afraid of being wrong because it feels like a failure on our part. But look at it another way. Not all failures are bad; they’re just a necessary part of learning.

It’s hard to open up to yourself about why you feel and act the way you do. But once you start becoming honest about yourself, everything becomes much clearer.

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8 Incredible Research Paper Assistance Tools Every Student Should Know For A Well Written Dissertation

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The term “dissertation” is not the most popular of terms, so a definition should is in order. A dissertation is a term used to refer to a piece of writing that is similar to an extended essay written and submitted in conjunction with a possible expectancy for an academic degree or honor. Dissertation requirements vary across countries, institutions, and individuals to some extent. While it may be an essay, it requires more careful attention to detail than the essay you write in high school about your favorite book.

The relevance attached to dissertations is further emphasized with the fact that schools allow students the lot of two to three months, and sometimes over a year, to engage in relevant researches and come up with a piece of dissertation. Here, is a heads-up for the student on eight research assistance tools that may come in handy as you pursue a well-served dissertation to your school authorities:

1. Small SEO Tools Plagiarism Checker

Even seasoned writers know how much negativity plagiarized content wields; for a professional novelist it can be career damaging, but for you, a student it can lead to some other consequences which include a repeat of the dissertation, a denial from the aim of the dissertation, or expulsion. This tool will help you test for the level of plagiarism in your work line by line.

2. Citavi

This is one of the tools to keep close when thinking of doing a dissertation. Sometimes finding a starting point for your essay can be very tedious. At this point, you’ll definitely appreciate that Citavi allows you access to large resources of information. With Citavi, you can easily organize and analyze content, save quotations, and more to get your started with your dissertation on the right foot.

3. TermPaperEasy

Sometimes due to circumstances beyond our control we fail to finish up on our dissertation. TermPaperEasy is a team of experts that provides professional academic assistance and support to complete your essay, dissertation, and all writing projects irrespective of the subject line or discipline. They provide a unique and standard service, while offering excellent guidance along the writing process.

4. Canva

A dissertation is mostly writing, but a well-executed imagery of your ideas is always welcome. The numerous templates and tools on Canva can help you create relevant imagery to accompany your dissertation.

5. Dragon Naturally Speaking

Firstly, you should know this software is only useful when paid for, and secondly, it is a powerful speech recognition software that allows you to use the voice recognition tool to dictate essays, send emails, and even search the web. This is a must-have research paper assistance tool for all students.

6. Mendeley

Writing a dissertation is hectic enough, but will only become worse if you allow disorganization to get in the mix. Mendeley software helps you organize your references, documents, and notes all in one place. This is a research paper assistance tool that will do the magic for you when it comes to organizing your work

7. Evernote

Doing a dissertation takes time, and at different times, you will find yourself doing the work for your dissertation on different devices – maybe a tablet today and a PC tomorrow. Evernote is designed to give you a platform where you can create text, photo, audio notes, and then synchronize them easily across your various devices.

8. Dictionary

Dissertations are very crucial and it can be very fatal for your grade if a professor or instructor found incorrect spellings, or poor grammatical structures in your paper. As you get deeper into your research, you will encounter a lot of familiar words and then quite a few new words. While context clues are effective, never assume the meaning of what the words might be – especially within your academic writing. Dictionary.com is a dictionary software with a large database of words and phrases to guide anyone looking.

You have great research paper assistance tools in your hands now. With these, you can say “no” to ever doing a mediocre essay or dissertation in your academic endeavors. Strap up and deliver a well-written dissertation.

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5 Last-Minute Holiday Shopping Tips to Beat the Holiday Rush

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Think you can’t avoid the shopping frenzy of the holiday season? You might be one of those shoppers who want to wait to capitalize on holiday sales to get that big screen TV you have your heart set on or you might be the king or queen of procrastinating and prefer to wait until the last minute to accomplish things on your list. Either way, with preparation, you can improve your shopping efficiency and effectiveness so that you can better fulfill your wish lists. As with other errands, it’s key to do your homework before heading out so you can save time, money, and your sanity. These 5 last-minute holiday shopping hacks will help you get through the frenzy of this holiday shopping season:

Compare prices before going to the store

‘Tis the season for holiday shopping, but don’t leave the house unless you’re prepared because malls and stores will be packed. First, write down the items you want to buy and use your smartphone as a price-comparison tool. Mobile apps like Amazon Price Check, Shelfbucks, and ShopSavvy let you compare prices on thousands of products. And many retailers will lower their price to match a competitor’s, so show them (on your phone).

Secondly, consider using coupon apps such as Ibotta, SavingStar, and Checkout 51. Printable coupon sites found online include Coupons.com and SmartSource. If shipping costs weigh on your mind, sign up for a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime, which offers free two-day shipping on eligible items.

Guarantee your access to limited items

The retail industry is implementing various practices to improve their customers’ buying experiences, so take advantage. For instance, Best Buy, and other big retailers, are issuing color-coded tickets to ensure that customers get the products they came for. Check out your retailer’s website and print these tickets so you won’t waste time staring at “Sold Out” signs. And call the store in advance to see if a certain product is available. Some outlets will let you reserve an item if you give them your information.

Preparation is key, or you could leave the parking lot with nothing in tow. According to a 2015 study by Box Technologies, more than one-third (38 percent) of UK shoppers leave the store empty-handed because of long checkout lines, and 24 percent of respondents said five minutes is as long as they are prepared to wait before leaving without purchasing anything.

Digitize your transactions

Swiping at the counter makes checkout much faster and more convenient. If you’re a cardholder, consider using mobile payment technology, such as Apple Pay or Capital One Wallet, to digitize your transactions. These payment technologies are designed to make beginning-to-end shopping a seamless and integrated experience. A mobile wallet avoids a paper trail of receipts, gift cards, and warranty cards that can easily get lost in the holiday shuffle, and conversely, a digital trail facilitates product returns, refunds, gift exchanges and other transactions more easily.

A study by Capital One finds that nearly half (48 percent) of mobile wallet users plan to make at least one gift purchase through this technology — reflecting the growing adoption of mobile wallet. Capital One’s version helps shoppers get instant purchase notifications on their mobile device the moment their credit card is used, lock their card through their phone, as well as, digitize receipts and multiple gift cards at one time.

Experts predict that mobile wallet will see record use this holiday season. It offers better security and retailers can store loyalty rewards and other enticements on your smartphone. Mobile accounts for over half (56 percent) of online store visits during the 2016 holidays, according to Adobe Digital Insights.

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Get help from shopping assistants

Target, Kohl’s, and Walmart are a few retailers who are providing “holiday helpers” to assist customers with shopping tasks, such as looking for related items and comparing similar products. In-store helpers can also go back to the aisles to fetch forgotten goods as the customer waits at the checkout line.

Store assistants are helpful in multiplying your shopping efficiency. While there are other considerations in choosing which retailer you’ll patronize, you should call a store and see if they offer assistance to shoppers. When a store is crowded, frustrations can run high. A Box Technologies survey finds that 38 percent of shoppers leave the store empty-handed if they wait nine minutes or longer at the checkout line.

Protect yourself from scams

ACI Worldwide predicts that online fraud attempts during this holiday season will rise by 43 percent in the US. The FBI recommends creating long passwords to protect your digital accounts from hackers. Experts suggest multi-word passwords such as “mycatisfurry” or “mywifelakersfan” that involve facts about your daily life that only you would know.

And be weary of gift card scams, which become more common the closer it is to Christmas Eve. Gift cards are an alluring target for fraudsters because they can be easily resold. Ask the retailer if they have security measures involving gift cards, such as PIN numbers, scratch-off labels, magnetic strips, and activation of the card when the gift recipient redeems it (as opposed to immediately activating the card when the customer buys it).

Holiday shopping is anything but jolly. But with preparation, you can overcome the rush and make fulfilling your wish lists a more enjoyable experience.

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5 Lessons Single Moms Can Learn From Their Kids

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Being a single mom is tough work. If you’re a lone mother, you’re on the job 24-7, and all-too-often solely responsible for supporting the family financially as well as emotionally. On the other hand, if you share custody, it often feels like something so important is missing when the kids are away.

Most of us never expected to end up single parents; we didn’t sign up for this! Whether your ex is still in your kids’ lives or not, you probably often feel overwhelmed by a to-do list the length of your arm, as well as feeling isolated and like you’ve lost all sense of “me” when you became a single mom. And if you’re the only adult in the house, you don’t have a shoulder to cry on; you don’t want your kids to be worried about you, so you do your best to put on a brave face even when you really feel like curling up into the fetal position, in a fortress of blankets, with a bottle of wine (glass not necessary).

All of this is perfectly normal. It’d be hard to find a single mother who doesn’t feel this way sometimes. But so much of happiness is about outlook, not circumstances; some things are out of your control, but there are always still plenty of things to be grateful and happy for!

Kids have a way of seeing the joy in life, getting excited over little things and having fun. You’ve taught your kids lots of important things, but they have some lessons to teach you too!

1. You need to take more me-time.

A research study of single mothers in Japan found that single mothers living with at least one other adult (usually a parent) are much happier than mothers living just with their children. Being all alone in the house with no adult company and no one to relieve you of duty can really get you down. Kids usually don’t have to think about taking me-time, since they have a lot less responsibilities than you do, but if you’re the only adult in the house, you really need to make the effort to carve some out.

2. The small things in life are actually pretty awesome.

Remember the joys of playing in the sandpit as a kid? Paper-mache? Coloring? Forget the trappings of adulthood now and then, and get in on that finger-painting fun. If you’ve been too stressed to stop and smell the flowers, it’s time to do so.

3. Sometimes, you’ve gotta nag to get what you want.

Over time, you’ve probably been socialized with the idea that you should keep your head down and not make a fuss. Your kids aren’t too concerned with that when they’re nagging you for that Popsicle. In life, sometimes you have to assert yourself and protect your rights (not that a Popsicle is a right, but you see where I’m going here) instead of being worried about what people will think of you. If you’re doing the right thing, you don’t need to worry about someone else’s approval.

4. Get some exercise!

Your kids love to frolic in the playground, play chase and hopscotch. Adults tend to think of exercise as something that you do at the gym, a boring punishment for that donut you ate for lunch. There’s actually a lot of fun exercise you can do, and get the kids involved with: hiking, swimming, or even mommy-toddler yoga!

5. Learn something new every day.

If you’ve been away from formal education, it has probably been a while since you’ve felt intellectually stimulated, especially if your kids are young (i.e. you’re knee-deep in ABCs and diapers). By the end of the day, you might just feel like vegetating in front of the TV. But the world is a fascinating place and there’s always exciting new things to learn about.

Bonus: When your kids see you passionate about learning for learning’s sake, not just for grades, it’ll inspire them too, and if you share what you’ve learned it can make for very interesting dinner-table conversations!

You will still have lots of stressed, overwhelmed moments, but if you get in touch with your inner child, and remember how to play, you should feel like you can handle them better. Enjoy these years; they go by too fast!

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Why You Shouldn't Trust Just Anyone To Handle Your Wedding Photography

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You’re finally making plans for your big day. You pick the venue and get the perfect flowers. You select a caterer and organize a scrumptious meal. And then, you make the mistake of thinking all photographers (professional and amateur) are the same, so you decide to just pick the first one that has the date available. Or worse yet, you decide to forgo the pro and use a friend or family member who enjoys doing photography as a hobby.

But, there are at least two good reasons why you shouldn’t let just anyone do your wedding photography. And we’ll explore them both here.

1. Your Wedding Only Happens Once

The biggest reason you shouldn’t treat your wedding photography haphazardly is simple: you only get married once. These memories are special and you are going to want them preserved. Choosing a photographer randomly out of the phonebook or as an answer to an online ad isn’t going to cut it. For one, photographers often specialize in particular styles and events, so it pays to research options carefully. Second, photographers have different skill levels, even if they are all professionals.

A wedding photographer has experience in the kinds of shots you will want. For example, if you want all of the basic poses and group shots, it helps to work with someone who knows them all by heart. Additionally, those with experience will be able to help everyone adjust their positioning to ensure the most flattering photos possible. While other professionals may have notable skills in their area, it helps to have someone who can anticipate what you are likely to want.

During the ceremony and reception, certain key events can occur in only a few moments notice, if any is given at all. Someone experienced in photographing weddings will be familiar with the timing and tempo of these events, making it easier for them to capture the big moments as they occur.

Working with a friend or family member can be even riskier, especially if their interest in photography is casual. Aside from being unfamiliar with posing techniques and the timing of the ceremony, they are also more inclined to be distracted during the event, or even somewhat inebriated if alcohol is served.

2. Your Friends And Family Are There To Celebrate

Aside from the risk of missing important moments being photographed if you allow a friend or family member to handle the duty, you both miss out on the opportunity to enjoy each other’s company during the event. Photographing a wedding is a time-consuming project, as it can require hundreds of photos to be taken to capture a few dozen great shots. That means, if your friend or family member is trying to take pictures and have fun during the festivities, some photographic opportunities will be lost. And, if they capture all of the shots, they may miss out on enjoying the celebration in you and your partner’s honor.

Either way, there is the risk of conflict. If they don’t get all of the pictures you hoped for, you may be upset based on their performance. Similarly, they may be resentful of being asked to work so diligently while others had the chance to enjoy themselves.

A professional wedding photographer normally has no direct connection to members of the bridal party or their friends or family. That means they can be fully dedicated to the task at hand and won’t feel like they are being pulled away from a joyous event.

So, if you want to make sure you get high-quality pictures of every important moment during the ceremony and reception, going with a professional wedding photographer is your best bet. And, remember, your wedding only happens once, so make sure you have the best moments captured for future enjoyment and reflection.

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5 New And Innovative Things You Can Use In Your Home And Personal Life

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Life is rapidly changing. Technology has made it more possible now than ever to live the life of our choice and dreams.

New technology has improved our homes, offices, and overall environment. Technology, like home-controlling devices, self-driving cars, 3D printers, and food ordering apps are just few examples of how things are rapidly changing .

Here are five of the new and innovative technologies, products, and services you can use to make your life lot easier:

1. Tech-Savvy Toilets

The toilet is something everyone uses every day. Some luxury toilets come with a price tag of as high as $75,000, which is certainly a price point most of us would never be able to afford in our lives. But there are a bevy of new toilet innovations that are worth looking into.

Toilets with SD Card slots, remote controls to adjust its heights, automatic opening and closing of the seat cover, air drying, and automatic deodorants are some of the technological advances that are emerging in new toilets nowadays.

But before you start looking for the best toilet to suit your needs, you must make sure it is in line with your budget. A bathroom is more than just a toilet, so if you are buying a high-tech toilet, you should not ignore other necessities and accessories for your bathrooms.

2. RFID Blocking Card Wallets

RFID skimming is a common fraud. People who commit fraud in advanced technology can easily scan information from the cards placed in your wallets through the use of RFID Scanners.

To avoid being digitally cheated and to save yourself from digital pick-pocketing that occurs, you may need RFID blocking card wallets.

You can choose between using slim leather RFID blocking card wallets to secure your cards or you can also use larger RFID blocking wallets to keep your money along with your cards in one wallet.

3. Lighting Controls

Are you still switching off your appliances and lights the old fashioned way? Well, the new technologies and apps that are emerging can help you control your entire home just through your smartphone.

Apple launched its own Home app to make your home smarter and easier to control and operate, while you’re indoors and outside of the home. A task like adjusting your thermostat while you’re away from home can easily be done without much of the effort on your part, just a click of a button.

4. Wi-Fi Based Switches

Can you believe that it is possible to use the internet to turn your appliances on and off? Well, you can. Belkin has rolled out Wi-Fi enabled switches.

Next time if you want to switch off your lamp, you can easily do so through your wireless internet connection and do not have to move an inch to physically turn off appliances at the source.

5. Amazon Echo

I am sure you are aware of the Jarvis, the artificial intelligence assistance in the Iron Man series. If you want to have a Jarvis of your own, Amazon Echo is the tech innovation for you.

Amazon Echo is like a physical version of Siri or a Google Now assistant. It can tell you the weather or help you crawl the web. It can even help you play music and control other enabled devices in your home. If you are a busy person and can’t manage things on your own, Amazon Echo fills those voids by acting as a virtual assistant.

Above is a simple list of some new and innovative technologies the world has to offer that you can start using in your home immediately. Though they are a bit pricey, the improvements they make to your home and personal lifestyle can prove to be worth the investment.

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