Wednesday, January 4, 2017

7 Steps To More Love In Your Relationship

Love is an emotion that seems wonderful, joyful and elusive all at the same time. We associate love with feelings of happiness, support and strength, yet it can be the hardest thing to keep alive in a relationship. Simply put, love takes hard work in every relationship.

Social psychologists and neuroscientists have longed tried to understand this emotion. Here are insights from the world of science to navigate the world of love.

1. Celebrate the differences

It’s natural to think we might enjoy the company of a person with tastes and likes similar to our own. Yet, studies show the opposite. The book, A Book About Love, features a 2010 study of twenty-three thousand married couples. The study showed that matching people who have the same likes and preferences hardly accounted for 0.5 percent of spousal satisfaction. In short, having a spouse with tastes different than yours made no difference at all.

2. How you handle those differences makes a difference

John Gottman, the world’s foremost expert in the study of relationships suggests that differences in our styles of handling emotions play a very important part in the relationship. If you believe in venting, but he believes in letting it cool off without ever raising the topic, it is an indication of trouble.

3. Give out gold stars generously

The thing about relationships is that, after a while, they pervade our lives so much that we stop noticing even important things. Appreciation is a fundamental human need and the lack of it can gradually lead to a decline in the quality of the relationship simply because everything seems taken for granted.

Also, women seem to seek more of it. Gretchen Rubin, in her book, Happier at Home, points out that the opposite is true. Men also seek approval and appreciation, and while women draw support from a larger community, men are often left with only the spouse to appreciate their efforts. Which means, the gold stars need to come out more, especially from women.

4. Snuggle up

It is an irrefutable fact that a good sex life helps in keeping the relationship alive. However, the honeymoon phase in relationships does not last forever because, well, life happens. Having kids and managing work can be big contributors to stress which doesn’t take too long to start showing its effects on the relationship. Taking time every day to hug and snuggle can release happy hormones that can help in keeping the relationship alive through the tough times.

5.  Use Real Facetime

It might be tempting to plonk yourself in front of the television to wind down after a hectic day. However, A 2007 study published in the Journal of Family Psychology found that women are generally happier the more they communicate with their partners face-to-face.

It kindles connection and understanding, which leads to planning your days better since we know more about each other’s work and schedules.

6. Stare into each other’s eyes

Vulnerability is scary, but if it mutual, it fosters closeness. In a study by Arthur Aron (and others), the psychologists issued a set of 36 questions that were designed to accelerate intimacy between a couple. The questions were designed to open up both partners in the most difficult areas of their lives.  “One key pattern associated with the development of a close relationship among peers is sustained, escalating, reciprocal, personal self-disclosure.” This is an exercise that forces openness and vulnerability.

7. Put in the hard work

Just like everything else, relationships take work too. Working out differences with mutual respect, doing chores, wading through everyday life requires the deliberation of intention and the ability to sift through the mundane stuff.

Angela Duckworth, the world’s leading researcher on grit demonstrated that relationships that had gritty individuals (especially men) were about 17% more likely to last in a marriage.

Featured photo credit: Alice Donovan Rouse via Unsplash via unsplash.com

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6 Good Reasons Why You Ought To Buy Facebook Likes

As a business minded person who wants to grow his/her business you need to take it to the next level by exploring some online social media options. One of these social media options is Facebook. If you want to make your Facebook profile and business known to the business world and your customers you will need “likes.”

Why do you need Facebook likes? More likes increases your audience. Individuals have a tendency to look at the profiles on the friends/communities that have the biggest audience. The ones that don’t have such a large number remain relatively mysterious. It can take a lot of time to get likes. A quicker approach to getting those Facebook likes may be by purchasing them.

Here are 6 good reasons why you ought to buy Facebook likes:

1. They help influence your potential customers

If a potential client views your Facebook page and sees a large number of likes, it will confirm to them that this is an important page. People are attracted to what other people are attracted to. When potential clients see how many likes you have, they may be tempted to like your Facebook page too and even send you a friend request. (Please know there are other ways to draw potential clients to your Facebook page.)

Also, know that you don’t have to keep on buying Facebook likes; it may be that you just need to initially do that in order to build a base for your business.

2. It may indicate that you may be an influencer

Yes, people like to take after mainstream individuals or institutions. A decent number of likes will demonstrate that you may be an influencer and worth being taken seriously. The more likes you get the more well known you are, and the more attractive it will be for individuals to join your page.

3. You will increase the likelihood of retaining your Facebook friends

New “likes” will send new people to your group, which will verify to older Facebook friends it was a good choice to friend you.

New subscribers are typically more passionate and effective, commenting and liking your posts, which may propel your original friends to do such too.

4. It may make your profile stand out

When someone likes your page, it will appear as a recommendation to other people in his/her friend network; his/her friends may view your page and become interested. So it merits doing all that you can to encourage people to like your page. Bought likes may be able to begin this process.

5. It may help attract more friends

Typically, original followers or friends may quit being so dynamic before long, so this might be the time when you ought to begin attracting new ones.

On the off chance that you see people backing off of your page, purchasing a few likes may invigorate individuals to remain following you as well as attract new Facebook friends.

6. It works like a push in the practical world

A high number of likes are telling individuals “Hey! Here is something intriguing to see!” So the more Facebook likes you get the more intrigued people may be to follow you.

Also, note you don’t have to directly buy Facebook likes if you’re uncomfortable about that. You may be able to attract friends/followers with Facebook ads that promote your page.

Buying Facebook likes may be something you want to consider (for the short term). At the same time, there are cons to this. People may not find your business credible if you buy likes. It may put your page and profile at risk of ranking low on Facebook because Facebook ranks based off of invested fans (having a bunch of inactive ones won’t help with that).

(An effective social media strategy and interesting content are your best chance for getting and retaining likes and followers in the long run.)

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15 Simple Things To A Happier You In 2017

In a world where life is going 100 mph, it’s often hard to be present. Most people don’t know what ‘being present’ even means. People are so bombarded with distractions from daily life that their minds are full, their hearts are sad, and their anxiety levels are soaring.

People are striving to be happier, but they don’t know how to achieve it. “If I get this job, I will be happier.” “If I buy that new iPhone, that new dress, or go on that dream holiday, I will be happier.” “If I lose 6lbs, I will be happier.” “If my partner gives me more attention, I will be happier.” Often, the happiness that we get from attaining those things is only short lived. Little do we realize that the power to be happier is inside us; it starts with us, it ends with us, and no material item, person, or place can make us happier – it has to come from within. Try some of these simple things for a happier you in 2017.

1. Embrace yourself.

They say if we spoke to others how we talked to ourselves, we wouldn’t have any friends. Make 2017 the year that you are kind to yourself. Say nice things to yourself, love yourself for who you are. Take a moment to realize how amazing your body is and instead of focusing on how it looks, thank it for everything else. Our bodies do so much more for us than we give it credit for. Practice self-love, find beautiful words to say to yourself, and ignore that “horrible voice” that just brings self-doubt.

2. Be kind to yourself.

Some days we are on point; we can seem to glide through the day and be the best version of ourselves. Other days, everything seems to go wrong. Learn not to punish yourselves on those days; listen to your body and ask it what it needs. If you need a day on the sofa in your pj’s watching movies, then do it. If you can’t be bothered to do the endless list of chores that you have set yourself, then don’t do it. We strive too much to be perfect, but life isn’t like that. Be kind to yourself this year!

3. Don’t compare yourselves to others.

In a world where social media can make other people’s lives look perfect, we need to remember that it’s often fake; just like the movies, it’s often not real life. Comparing yourself to others is the worst thing that you can do for your self-esteem. Take a moment to look at all your personal achievements, no matter how small they may seem. We all have something, every single one of us. Spend less time looking at other people lives, and start to realize how great you are!

4. Don’t always listen to the negative noise.

We have an inbuilt “pain in the butt” noise called ‘self-doubt.” That noise is there for a reason; to help us survive. However, in a world where there is no longer a Saber-tooth tiger chasing us, we don’t need to fear for our lives as much as our brain thinks we do; be mindful of this. That self-doubting voice can get really loud sometimes, but find the strength to push through it. You got this; you are braver and stronger than you believe!

5. Learn to love yourself.

I say this in a non-narcissistic way of course. Loving yourself is not posting selfies onto social media looking absolutely fabulous and hashtagging the living daylights out of the picture. Self-love is about being kind to yourself and nurturing yourself; it’s about doing things that make you happy. Spending time with friends and family, walking in nature, yoga…whatever it is, make 2017 a year where you do more of this. Appreciate yourself for the wonderfully unique person that you are.

6. Go for walks in nature.

It’s so important that we take some time most days to switch off and walk in nature. Don’t put pressure on yourself to go for a long walk or hike, just start small. If walking is new to you, just try a few minutes a couple of times a week; aim to do this without your phone or music device. Listen to the birds and the trees, and let your senses awaken. We are so connected to our phones these days that we are aren’t giving ourselves any free time to “just be.”

Whenever you can, kick off your shoes and walk barefoot. There is something so enriching and calming about walking barefoot; some call it “earthing.” When we walk barefoot on the earth, we can be recharged by the planet. Make sure that you look up; we are all so used to looking down at our phones that we forget to look above us. Watch the clouds, notice the birds, and stare at the stars; your inner child will thank you for it!

7. Try meditation this year.

So many people avoid meditation, since they feel they can’t switch off. Even thinking about mindfulness or meditation can be so daunting; our minds are now so full of data and images from other people’s lives, that our thoughts are in constant overdrive! The very best thing that you can do for yourself is to give your mind a little holiday! Even a few minutes a day, a couple of times each week is a step in the right direction.

8. Don’t go to bed or wake up with your phone.

We have now become so surgically attached to our phones that we check them as soon as we wake. Our ancestors would wake with the sun; now we wake with the blue light from our phones. Take a few moments to wake up naturally. Hug your partner or your dog, cuddle your kids, open the blinds and watch the world wake up. Give yourself some time until you start connecting with the outside world, if only for a few minutes. Try and leave your phone out of the bedroom; it’s difficult, but worth a try, and you might find that you fall asleep quicker and sleep better!

9. Look at yourself naked in the mirror and thank your body.

In a society where we see “perfect bodies” all over magazines, television, and social media, it can make us feel insecure about our bodies, but they do so much more for us than just “look good.” Bodies keep us alive, and they allow most of us to walk and talk and connect with others. We have arms to hug the people that we love the most, we have legs to allow us to walk in nature, swim, and run. We have eyes to see and ears to hear, yet we get angry at ourselves because we don’t have the perfect beach body. Embrace your incredible body. Stand naked in the mirror and thank your body for all the wonderful things it does for you. Remember that even the people in the magazines and on social media don’t look that, either! Be real, be you, and be kind to yourself.

10. See yourself through the eyes of someone who loves you.

Our “negative voice” can be so mean to us. Look at yourself from the eyes of someone who loves you: your parents, your grandparents, friends, partner, or children. See how much they love you for who you are. The things that you may dislike about yourself may be the very thing that makes you perfect to them. You could even ask them, “What is something that you love about me?” Their answers could surprise you!

11. Connect with your children more, instead of your iPhone.

You are right in the middle of finding the perfect Instagram filter. You captured the perfect shot, and you are hashtagging the heck out of it and uploading it to social media.Your little three-year-old, who’s just given you a perfect smile for the picture, runs over and wants you to look at the dead spider with missing legs. You know what happens next, right? You shrug them off and tell them you are busy. No one is perfect, so let’s not beat ourselves up here. However, sometimes happiness is found in the simplest of things, and spending two minutes talking about where the spider’s other legs might be, or where its Mommy and Daddy may have gone, could make your soul smile. Trying to be more present with our children can make us happier. Children see the world from a different perspective than us; they notice things: clouds, nature, dead spiders with missing legs, and we all need a bit more of that in our lives.

12. Listen to your gut!

Our guts are so intuitive, yet we’ve stopped listening to them as much as we should. Instead, we listen to that negative inner voice which only creates doubt and anxiety. In 2017, make it a year that you are going to listen to your gut; go with it, trust it, and believe in it, because it has the answers to your problems that your head hasn’t quite worked out yet.

13. Do more of what makes you feel good.

If coffee makes you feel great, then drink it and enjoy it, but if makes you feel edgy and jittery, think about a different drink. If alcohol works for you then great, but if it doesn’t and it makes your feel anxious and depressed the next day, then you know what to do. If pumping iron in the gym makes you feel awesome, then do more of that, but if it doesn’t and you are the sort of person who needs the grounding and calming from yoga, then do that. This is your life, your journey, and your body and mind. Feed your soul with things that work for you.

14. Take a moment to breathe.

In the western world, we have become a society that does a million things at once. We can achieve so much while waiting for the kettle to boil. We answer emails and texts while in the bathroom. No one is beating you up for this, but we aren’t allowing ourselves any quiet time every single time we do this. Taking just ten slow breaths in and out can help us to achieve a calmer mindset. So, next time you want to try and fit in twenty things while the kettle boils, just take some time to stop and breathe instead. Or, next time you are at the traffic lights and you reach for your phone, stop and use this time to practice slow breathing. Try and get slow breathing into your daily routine: shower, brush teeth, slow breathing.

15. Start to believe that you are enough.

Billions of people share this planet, yet you are so unique that there is only one of you. You are on this planet for a reason; only you know that reason, so embrace it, and if you don’t know what it is yet, make 2017 the year that you find it! Be proud of who you are, be proud of your achievements in life, no matter how small. We are all part of this planet; we are all connected, and we all have the ability to love. It’s one of the greatest gifts that humanity can offer, but this year, make sure that you love you!

2017 can be a year for great progression! In numerology, 2017 is considered as year 1 in the new 9-year life cycle, which means it’ll be a year for plenty of new elements and lots of hope! The best gift that you can give yourself is not to dwell on anything that happened last year. Whether 2016 was a good year or a bad year for you, it is now in the past, and this is a new year with new hopes, dreams, and opportunities.

Try not to worry about what will be or what has been, just aim to be more present in the everyday moments. This year, embrace yourself and give yourself a pat on the back for all that is great about you. Be your biggest fan, because with a little self-love and self-care your happiness will reflect off of you like sunshine!

Featured photo credit: Thomas Kelley via unsplash.com

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Choosing the Best Flat Iron for Black Hair

A flat iron is a tool which can be used for styling your hair including straightening, creating basic curls, waves or crimps, and giving your hair a smooth and silky finish. Let’s try to understand few aspects of Hair, different types of Flat Irons, precautions while using the flat irons, along with features and cost differences. This should help you in getting an overview about flat irons to be used for black hair, though some information is applicable to hair of another color also.

Different types of hair

Based on an individual’s hair density, the hair can be classified as Thick, Medium, or Thin. The curl type and pattern are divided into straight, wavy, curly and coily, or kinky. Straight hair with absolutely no curls or coils are classified as Type 1. Wavy is between straight and curly, and has three subtypes, which are all classified as Type 2. All S-shaped hair is considered curly, and they also have three sub-types, all under Type 3. Tightly coiled or wiry hair is known as Type 4. Each type of hair has specific properties and the way you need to take care of your type of hair differs. Your hair can be further classified based on porosity, oiliness, and softness. Another important factor is the natural color of your hair, a classification useful for deciding hair styles.

Different types of flat irons

Flat irons can be divided by plate sizes, where the 1-inch plate is most common, but you can get flat irons with different plate sizes; the type of flat iron plate is a crucial feature in your selection process. Your hair type should determine the size of the flat iron plate. Temperature settings, as well as how long it takes a flat iron to heat up, make all the difference in the lasting effect of your styles. The plate material is another important factor in your decision making; ceramic, tourmaline, and titanium are the three basic types of material used along with aluminium with alloy, and ionic, as additional uncommon types.

If you are buying a flat iron for your personal needs, you may opt for a simple and cost effective one. If the usage is very high (like, for example, if you are a hair stylist) then you will choose a professional iron. The professional irons will provide temperature control; they will also maintain the temperature for a longer time and will be made with high technology. Based on features and brand, the cost of flat irons will vary, anywhere from just a few dollars to several hundred dollars.

Precautions while using flat irons

While using a flat iron for black hair, some precautions need to be taken. The iron works better on well-conditioned and moisturized hair. If you use the iron as soon as you have washed your hair, that’s a good time. Soothing balms have proved to be helpful while styling the hair with a flat iron. Don’t select the highest temperature, and never keep the iron in one place for a very long time. Also, make use of the right heat protectant. Avoid applying any kind of oil to your hair, and use the flat iron very slowly and steadily.

Conclusion

Make sure you know as much as possible about your hair type. Take your time to research and choose the right type of flat iron to make sure that it will work for you. Flat iron selection can be based the plate material, heat control mechanism, amount of time it takes to heat up, and obviously, the cost. Based on these parameters, you can buy the best suitable flat iron for your black hair and do great styles!

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4 Grooming Tips for Millennials Starting their First Professional Job

men's fashion

Starting your first professional job can be both exciting and scary. Millennials often don’t know what to wear at their first professional job. Here are some grooming tips that will help you make a great impression on your boss on new coworkers.

1. Choose Clothes That Make You Look Older

In the workforce, people tend to equate age with experience and expertise. This can put millennial professionals at a disadvantage, regardless of how qualified they are.

It is a good idea to choose a wardrobe that makes you look older. Even if your company lets you get away with wearing jeans, you may want to at least wear khakis.

Young male professionals may also want to try growing a little bit of a beard. It can add a few years to your face, which will make you seem a little wiser and more mature.

2. Take Care of Your Facial Hair

Young men need to know how to deal with their facial hair. On the one hand, it makes them look older. However, it’s also important to keep your beard trimmed and tidy.

Learn how to use beard balm to trim your beard properly. You need to take care of it regularly to truly fit in at your first professional job. If you can’t, it’s better to shave it.

3. Customize Your Wardrobe for Your Profession

Most people think that dressing professionally requires wearing a suit. That may be the case in many industries, but it isn’t necessary or even appropriate in many professional jobs. For some jobs, a multi-threaded suit is perfect. In other jobs, such as tech startups, everyone is expected to wear jeans and a plaid shirt.

“You don’t want to show up in a suit if everyone wears jeans,” Rosemary Haefner, the vice president of human resources at Careerbuilder.com, told Forbes contributor Jacquelyn Smith. “One size doesn’t fit all. People assume ‘professional’ means a suit, but it depends on the company or industry.”

You need to know the company’s dress code. Some companies have both a formal and unspoken dress code. The dress code may not technically require you to wear a tie, but it may still be an expectation.

If you are unsure what to wear, it is best to speak to either your supervisor or a trusted, more experienced coworker. They will be happy to give you some advice.

4. Women Should Downplay Their Attractiveness

Attractive young women have to work harder to be taken seriously. They should generally choose an outfit that downplays their attractiveness, without hiding it entirely.

Shellie Karabell recently wrote an article discussing the challenges women face as they dress to impress their new employers. Karabell pointed out that they must meet conflicting expectations – trying to be conservative and still trying to look attractive.

In particular, attractive women in their 20’s have to work harder and dress wisely to earn respect. It is recommended to wear outfits that hide their curves and avoid anything that is too low-cut or tight.

Of course, there are always exceptions. Women working in the fashion industry need to look attractive to succeed, so they need to play by a different set of rules.

Have Some Essential Clothes in Your Wardrobe

There are a number of clothes that you will need to wear regularly. Of course, these accessories depend on your company’s dress code. Melissa Suzuno, a writer of After College, says that her wardrobe includes the following:

  • A few blazers
  • Several pairs of fitted, non-jean pants
  • Cropped, black pants
  • Appropriate heels
  • Sleeveless blouses with the appropriate length

Your own wardrobe may be a little different, but these are some good staples for women in most workplaces. An appropriate wardrobe for men may look similar, except they should have loafer shoes and a dress shirt instead of heels and a blouse.

Conclusion

Transitioning from college to the workforce is never easy, but it can be made less intimidating if you know how to dress like a professional. Things will go smoothly if you follow these tips.

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8 Tips On Overcoming Drug Addiction

Are you struggling with the drug addiction? If so, you might feel sobriety is an unattainable goal, but that’s not the truth. No matter how hopeless your situation seems, recovery is never out of reach. By addressing the root cause of your addiction and with the right treatment and support, change is achievable. No doubt, the recovery process might involve impediments, but once you examine the problem and start thinking about the change, then you are all set to go.

1. Make Your Recovery Process A Priority

The first and the foremost tip on the overwhelming challenge of drug addiction is making your recovery process a priority. It’s really important to put yourself first. Stay connected with health experts who know you and can give you complete treatment options along with a sound advice throughout the entire recovery process.

2. Learn To Say No

At times, criticism or fear of negative reaction from our friends or family keeps us from doing what we know is right. Or you can say that it seems like ‘ everyone is doing it,’ but in reality, that’s not the case. Never allow someone else to make your life decisions. You have the right to say no in situations like someone (from friends or family) pressuring you to take drugs or drink alcohol. You don’t need to give them any reason why. Just keep it to yourself and stay away!

3. Build A Fruitful Relationship With Your Parents Or Other Mentors

Drug addiction makes you isolated, so it’s very important for you to make connections with the ones you trust, to whom you can talk about life, challenges and your decision about drug and alcohol addiction. When you build a positive relationship with your parents or other people you look up to, you will have the opportunity to learn from their life experiences and can help put things in perspective. Having a strong support system around you is the key to your success and absolutely priceless.

4. Change Your Surroundings

Another good tip to deal with the overwhelming challenge of drug addiction is to change your environment or surroundings. If you want to maintain a healthy recovery process, you have to replace your bad habits with the new ones. Positive people, belongings, and experiences can make a real difference! Stay up-to-date regarding cultural events and activities in your area as it helps to stimulate your mind and body in a thrilling and healthy way.

5. Go To The Gym

Get out and exercise!  Exercise will not only help in boosting your physical strength but it also improves your mental condition and reduces stress. Physical activity also boosts endorphins, elevating your mood and keeping you motivated on your path to recovery.

6. Make Some Changes In Your Diet Plan

In addition to exercise, improving your diet plan is also important. Eating right is also a vital ingredient for a successful recovery. You can get help from your nutritionist regarding what to eat and what not to eat! Making some improvements in your diet plan will help you to stay healthy, physically as well as mentally.

7. Stay Informed About Drugs

Don’t trust blindly in the misconceptions and myths circulating over the internet and possibly among your friends. If you want to make the right decisions, you have to stay informed and educated. Try to learn information from authentic sources and most importantly, share what you’re learning with your family and friends. Reminding yourself of the negative health consequences of drugs and the science behind addiction can help you to stay moving forward.

8. Don’t Give Up

Despite the obstacles and challenges you face, don’t give up and never lose hope. Trust your friends, family and other support sources to overcome your negative temptations and to keep going in difficult days. You can do this!

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How To Turn Your Printer Into A Cloud Printer

Google currently offers a cloud printer service through which anyone can make just about any printer accessible via the web. If you need be able to access a printer from anywhere on any of your devices, this post will tell you what needs to be done to get it set up. You will be able to print from anywhere in the world, and from any device that has an Internet connection.

Now, why would you be interested in a cloud printer? There could be occasions where the option to print from anywhere and from any device could come in handy; businesses, especially, could benefit from cloud-enabled printers. Let’s imagine you’re away from the office and you need to print a document for a co-worker. You can just pick up your smartphone and have it printed in the office thanks to the cloud.

The fact that you can print directly via the Internet also means that you don’t even need to install potential software on your computer or your smartphone. You can just use your browser, which all computers and smartphones already have in the first place.

I could mention many other examples of why a cloud-enabled printer could be a good thing, but let’s keep it down to one example. You may very well end up in a situation one day where you wish you could just print a document or image via the cloud, but you don’t have your printer set up for it.

Many newer model printers come standard with Google’s Cloud print built right in, and they’re capable of taking commands directly over a web connection. It’s really not that difficult to get one of the older printers connected, though. If the printer that you’re going to be using is not capable of accessing the Internet, what you’ll have to do is leave the computer it’s attached to running. That makes the printer connected to the internet via the computer, which is a requirement for this to work.

Before going any further, you should connect the printer to your main computer, the one you’ll be accessing it through. Consult your owner’s manual or your manufacturer’s support team whenever you need to, and particularly if you don’t know how to connect your computer to your printer.

Step 1: Connection

The first step is basically to have the printer and computer connected. Once you’ve set the printer up so that it is recognized by your computer, you will then be able to add it to Cloud Print.

Step 2: Installation

The next step is to get Google Chrome installed if you don’t already have it. To bring up the list of devices on your computer that Chrome can currently work with go to the address bar and enter chrome://devices then click the Add Printer button that appears, making sure the printer you wish to connect is ticked. Note that you can also manage any of your printers from this same screen.

Step 3: Access

From here, simply click the Manage button next to either printer that you see listed in order to add a new printing job, remove or rename a printer, or share your printer by assigning someone access to it.

Other Options

You can also print from your mobile devices as well; to do so, you’ll need to open the Cloud Print app on your Android device and the print option will appear. This option is not quite as simple, but you can still set the cloud print up so it prints from Google’s iOS apps. As an alternative, you can also use PrintCentral Pro. This setup will also work fine with Chromebooks.

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5 Tips To Churn Your Way To Free Travel

Churning is the credit card strategy the banks don’t want you to know about. In fact, it’s so effective, banks have been setting up new rules year after to year to prevent gamers from exploiting the opportunity. The good news is, travel hackers are still ahead of the banks, and we’ll share their secrets.

Churning is simply the strategy whereby you open a credit card, collect welcome bonus miles, use them for a free flight and either close or stop using the credit card. You then do the same thing over and over again. That’s right, you get multiple free flights every year just by signing-up for new credit cards.

Some people needlessly spend dollar after dollar, day after day, year after year, trying to earn enough points from their credit cards for a free flight. That strategy is needlessly long and inefficient. Why spend $50,000 to get 50,000 miles, when you can get them just by signing-up for a new credit card?

Getting new credit cards is the fastest and cheapest way to exploit credit card incentive offers. While many other industries have high switching costs (mobile you may have a contract, insurance you may have a 1 year term, mortgage you may have a pre-payment penalty), getting a new credit card is easy. In fact, you don’t even have to get rid of your old one. Some people carry over 40 active credit cards! Here’s how to churn your way to free flights.

1. Find a Credit Card With A Free Flight Welcome Bonus

There are a ton of credit cards that offer sign-up bonuses offering free flights. However, not all bonuses are created equal. For example, some bonuses are large enough for return airfare to anywhere in North America, others are only good for a short-haul flight. Do a little research in advance to figure out the best opportunities.

2. Watch Out For Minimum Spending Requirements

Credit card issuers got wise to churning years ago. As a result, many require that you spend a minimum amount on your credit card within the first 3 months to become eligible for the welcome bonus. Make sure you find out what threshold you have to meet, if any, to become eligible to receive the bonus.

If the minimum spend requirement exceeds your budget, you may want to consider manufacturing your spend by pulling some of your future expenses forward by purchasing gift cards for gas or groceries. For example, if you’re $400 short of meeting your $1,500 spend requirement, buy $400 of gas and grocery gift cards you know you’ll use the following month.

3. Focus on First Year Free (FYF) Offers

To make churning really profitable, focus on credit cards that waive the first year annual fee—that way the flight is truly free. Before the end of the first year, simply cancel your card to avoid the annual fee.

That said, there are some cards that never waive their annual fee and are still worth churning. Why? So long as the welcome bonus is worth more than the annual fee, then it’s profitable to churn. That said, with so many first year free offers in the marketplace, you’re best off focusing on those first.

4. Time It Right

Credit card issuers provide different sized welcome bonuses throughout the year. Familiarize yourself with their offers so that when that too good to be true bonus becomes available, you’re ready to pounce. The same issuer can double the size of a welcome bonus from one month to the next, so it pays to keep yourself informed of the best credit card deals in the marketplace.

5. Rinse, Wash, Repeat

After you’ve done it once, do it over and over again. You don’t want to apply for too many cards at the same time, as your credit score will suffer. However, if your credit score is strong to begin with, applying for a new credit card 3-4 times a year is very doable. You can also monitor your credit score throughout the year to ensure you’re not being overly aggressive.

Featured photo credit: ThePixelman/Pixabay via pixabay.com

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