6 Things to Consider Before Getting a Divorce

Divorces are extremely common throughout the world, and especially in the U.S. Many people have been divorced multiple times and have to deal with the fallout for the rest of their lives. There are also many studies showing that people who get divorced find themselves no happier than they were before getting divorced; so it is important to consider all the options when discussions of a divorce come up. Here are a few things to think about before signing on the dotted line.

1. Emotions

Even the party that wants the divorce usually finds themselves sad and depressed throughout the process. This is true, especially in the immediate aftermath. It’s completely normal and comes with the anxiety of starting over and not knowing what your future holds. There are always some old feelings that still exist, both parties feel it and usually feel regret for whatever rash actions were taken.

2. Consider your kids

Everyone getting divorced is obviously thinking of their kids in the process. It’s hard to anticipate just how big of an impact a divorce can have on children’s lives. Huffington Post did a great study in 2014 where they talked to kids and let them express what kind of effects divorce was having on them. The study revealed seven surprising effects, listed here. One of the most interesting is that children of divorced parents can struggle more as adults.

3. Anger hurts you

Whatever the reason behind your decision to divorce, there is likely to be some anger. Unfortunately, while you may be justified in being angry towards your ex-spouse, your anger will likely hurt you more than it will hurt them. If you are angry, you will probably think of them a lot more than they think of you, and it may eat you up. They will move on with their life and only have to see you occasionally. It is also known that holding anger is bad for your physical and emotional health.

Just let go of the anger, forgive, and move on. You will be happier and you will be able to lead a more normal post-divorce life.

4. It’s never too late

Most states let you pull out of a divorce settlement at any time until the judge has officially made a ruling and filed the paperwork. If you are thinking of pulling out, you can read more about how to cancel a divorce here. It is also worth noting that many states don’t require any waiting period between a divorce and another marriage. That means even if the divorce has occurred but you still want to make it work, you can be married again in less than 24 hours. While this isn’t ideal, it is possible. A relationship in which parents continue to change their feelings toward each other is going to be difficult for any children involved.

5. Never talk bad about your spouse to your kids

Your kids will likely still love both you and your ex. If you find yourself bad-mouthing your spouse to your kids it is probably time to stop. Your kids will struggle with it. They may even turn against you and see you as the reason for the divorce. No matter how much blame there is to go around, let it go, and let your kids figure it out as they grow up. They will appreciate your maturity and willingness to move on no matter how much it hurts to do so.

6. No hurry

Don’t rush into your divorce and don’t try to fast-track your dating life right after the divorce. Divorces are big decisions. Take your time all throughout the process. If you end up seeing your divorce through, take a little time for things to settle. People that are emotionally hurt often don’t make the best decisions. Keep in mind that post-divorce is an extremely important time to make smart decisions, for your kids and yourself.

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11 Ways To Save Money On Medical Bills

CNBC reports that nearly 2 million Americans file bankruptcy annually as a result of unpaid medical bills. It’s not just the uninsured that are suffering. Nearly 10 million Americans with health insurance are still struggling to pay off their medical bills due to high-deductible insurance plans. Here are a few tips to help you save money on your medical bills.

1. Choose an in-network provider

If you have a PPO insurance plan, pick a doctor within your network for the biggest savings. Your cost will be significantly higher if you visit a doctor outside of your network. Most insurance plans will let you browse their list of in-network physicians online. Make a list of doctors you would like to visit ahead of time.

2. Write down your symptoms & questions

Jot down your symptoms and questions ahead of time on a piece of paper or on your smartphone. This will ensure that all your concerns will be addressed during the visit and help you get the most out of your time. It can also prevent future visits.

3. Join a medical trial

If you have a chronic illness, find out if there are any local clinical trials that you can partake in. Joining a trial may give you access to the latest medications and significantly lower your prescription and medical bills.

4. Comparison shop

Many health insurance plans pay a percentage of your medical fees but that doesn’t mean that all doctor’s offices will charge the same fee for a particular procedure. It’s perfectly fine to shop around and call various offices in order to find out how much they charge.

5. Partake in free screenings

Most insurance plans include annual free exams and numerous preventative screenings. Participating in these tests can help catch serious problems before they progress and save you money in the long run. Some pharmacies, such as Walgreens, also offer free health screenings including a cholesterol and diabetes assessment.

6. Call in for recurring issues

If you have a minor recurring issue like allergies or a pink eye, call the doctor’s office for a phone consultation instead of stopping by. You can also reorder a prescription without having to visit the office.

7. Perform tests for yourself

If you have a chronic condition such as high blood pressure or are diabetic, invest in a high blood pressure monitor or glucometer. This will enable you to monitor some of your own symptoms and take a proactive stance towards your own health care.

8. Opt for generic medications

Most generic medications are just as effective as their more expensive brand-name counterparts. Ask for the generic version if it’s available. Providence reports that patients are more likely to use generic drugs on a regular basis while brand name medications are more likely to be left untouched.

9. Research online

WebMD allows you to narrow down your symptoms and learn more about your current illnesses (if any). Gaining knowledge about your health condition will give you more insight when dealing with your doctor. DoctorSpring lets you ask a doctor questions online about your symptoms and even upload photos of your condition. This can be helpful if you have a medical question that’s not an emergency.

10. Ask for a discount

If you need a procedure performed that’s not covered by health insurance, ask your doctor for a discount. You’ll have a better chance of success if you ask your doctor instead of the office manager, who is more likely to decline. Forget about asking for a discount on your co-pay; you’re obligated to pay the full amount legally.

11. Ask for free samples

If your doctor prescribes a pricey brand name medication that you’ve never used before, ask for a free sample. Doctor’s often receive free samples from various prescription brands. You may end up with a supply that will last you a few weeks if not a month.

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6 Questions That Will Deepen Your Connection

A well-connected relationship needs to be nurtured and pampered on a daily basis. Romantic movies and social media platforms do not necessarily set the best examples on how to show your love and affection in the most authentic and down-to-earth ways. Many couples are worried that they have to make big fancy plans to keep each other connected and make their partner feel loved. While many others are scared of making not-good-enough date night plans, so they end up not doing anything in order to avoid failure and disappointment. However, keeping the spark in a relationship does not necessarily require fancy restaurants or expensive gifts. You can create a deeper connection with your partner and make each other feel loved and valued by asking these 6 simple questions daily:

1. What does your day look like today?

Create a morning ritual to check in with your partner before you leave for work or school. This can be done through face-to-face conversation, an email, or a text message, whatever works for you. This is the time for you to share the outline of your day, things that you are excited or worried about, or people you are going to meet. The idea is to keep each other updated with your life and stay connected throughout the day even when you are far away from each other.

2. What are you looking forward to today?

Share some positivity with each other. It can be anything, nothing is too small: the project you are working on, a scheduled meeting, your homemade lunch, the food truck you are planning on visiting during your break, a laid back relaxing day, or simply coming home after work. It also gives you an opportunity to find excitement and something to look forward to for the day.

3. How was your day today?

If you have established a routine for the morning check-in, you can use this time as an opportunity to follow up with your partner. By asking questions about what they shared with you in the morning, it shows that you really listened with your heart and you are thinking of each other. Follow-up questions always make us feel valued and cared for; it is the magic of “you remembered”. This can also be a good time to check in with each other if you didn’t have time to do so in the morning.

4. What was your favorite and least favorite part of the day?

Share your ups and downs with each other. Life is not all sunshine, but two people can share one umbrella and survive the storm together. You can really use this time to be there for each other, to listen, to connect, and to support.

5. What made you laugh today?

Don’t forget to share laughter together. Share what you saw, heard, and read that made you laugh during the day. By asking each other this question daily, you both will start paying more attention to the fun things and people around you. You will not only have more positivity to share at the end of the day but also catch those sweet moments throughout the day more.

6. Would you like to hear about my day?

Open the door for more conversation and connection. Instead of rambling about your day or talking at each other, you are politely inviting your partner to spend time and review the day together with you. When your partner feels invited, he or she is less likely to multitask while you are talking and more likely to dedicate the next 5-10 minutes to hear about your day. You will be surprised how the 5-minute undivided attention will magically bring a sense of deeper connection and love between you and your partner.

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5 Awesome Christmas Dinner Leftover Recipe Ideas

If you’re a food lover, then Christmas is without a doubt the best time of season for you. Whilst it does require a mammoth undertaking to put together, the annual festive meal is likely going to surpass anything else you eat this year. But as it always seems to be with projects such as these, there’s always some leftovers at the end. After December 25^th, you probably don’t want to have to trouble yourself with thoughts of what to cook tomorrow and for the rest of your holiday.

What you need to be thinking about is how can I re-purpose what I’ve already got? Not only is it cheaper and doesn’t require another trip to the shops, but it makes your money go further. It’s remarkable what a little bit of ingenuity in the kitchen can come up with and you’d be surprised by what ingredients combine nicely together. None of the recipes on this list are particularly taxing and can keep the party spirit continuing  till New Years.

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How To Take Product Photos For Your E-commerce Shop While You're On A Budget

We are currently in a world dominated by e-commerce. And if you are in the business of e-commerce, you should know that the way you showcase your products on your e-commerce site affects sales significantly. Amateur-looking product shots erode consumers’ trust in the products/services you offer and decreases conversion rates. However, the reality is that most e-commerce startups do not have the budget for a proper DSLR, let alone a professional studio shoot to take product shots. In this article, we’ll outline what you have to do to take product photos that attract visitors and convert them into customers – all by yourself!

What You Need

1. Smartphone camera with decent resolution
2. Tripod
3. Photography lightbox
4. Large, white sheet of paper
5. Three pure white table lamps

Set-Up

Getting a good set-up (lighting, backdrop, etc.) goes a long way in ensuring that your photos do not require much editing after they’re shot. Using a lightbox diffuses or “softens” the light so that your product is lit evenly, and you do not have to edit individual areas. A tripod eliminates the effects of a shaky camera so that your photo remains clear when zoomed in. By illuminating your product with pure white light, it ensures colour accuracy so that no hue adjustment is required. For the photos later in this guide, we used an all-in-one photography lightbox that already has a backdrop and LED light built in for its simplicity.^[1] However, you can follow the steps outlined below to get the same results if you are using a generic cloth lightbox.

1. Set up the table lamps by placing one on each side of the lightbox and one directly above.
2. Attach the white paper to the upper backside of the lightbox with tape and lay it on the base so that it forms a smooth, continuous curve. This will give the appearance of a white, infinite background to your picture that makes your product the focus of your customers.

Snapping The Photo

Make sure you dust off and wipe the product before taking photos. The menial task of cloning over dust and blemishes can be avoided with this quick step. Mount your camera on the tripod and snap the photo with a voice command or timer instead of using the built-in shutter in order to reduce camera shake. The camera should be positioned at a far enough distance so that the object does not appear distorted from perspective.

Editing Your Photo

Depending on your camera, you might end up with a website-ready photo, or you could end up with something a little less ready where some editing would have to come into play in post to make the photo website-ready.

The photo may appear darker or less vibrant because of your camera, but the colours are there nonetheless. Your photo may look like a long way from perfection, but all you have to do to edit the photo is give it a super simple white point setting that can be done in under two minutes.

Setting A White Point

1. Open your photo on Microsoft Picture Manager. For this method, we’ll be using the one-click Enhance Colour feature of the Picture Manager to correct the colour profile.^[2]
2. Once the photo is opened with Picture Manager, click “Edit Pictures”, “Colour”, then “Enhance Colour”.
3. Select a white, shadowless area near the product with the crosshair – the algorithm will do the rest! This sets that area to white and adjusts the rest of the photo accordingly.

Useful Photography Tips & Tricks

• For shiny objects like metals and glass, make sure the light is not being reflected directly into the camera, or the glare will darken the rest of the object in contrast.
• When photographing transparent glass, putting a roll of black paper on each side of the product helps define the outline. The black paper can be cropped out during editing.
• You can make metals seem more glamorous and shinier by applying a de-saturation filter. This only works if there are no other colours in the photo.

Featured photo credit: SilverFox Talents via silverfoxtalents.com

Reference

[1]	^	http://ift.tt/2hoB9Hy
[2]	^	http://ift.tt/2hEgBqR

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4 Tips for Whitetail Deer Hunting

Deer Hunting is considered the outdoor passion of America. It is not only a great source of outdoor activity but is also a cultural phenomenon where storytelling hunters share their successes and failures.

Deer hunting can be exciting and challenging due to the fact that deer can be found in different settings. You may find them in hilly or flat areas, land which is relatively plain or of agricultural nature. As such deer hunting is a complicated game and requires serious know-how of not only the terrain but also hunting techniques.

Among deer, whitetail hunting is considered more exciting and ubiquitous in nature. Whitetail deer hunting is also popular due to the fact that it is a widely distributed animal across the US. To have an exciting and successful whitetail deer hunt you need to learn some skills.

So, if you are planning to go hunting for deer, here are some tips for you:

1. Strategies vary during the year

A strategy for hunting deer during the rutting season may be different from the usual strategy for hunting before the rutting season begins. There are several methods that apply across the board. Learn about the terrain first before you plan for the expedition and learn from the people who have experience. It is also a fact that deer roam different terrain under different seasons. In the US especially, States like Flordia, Kentucky, Illinois, and Kansas have different deer hunting seasons. You need to plan according to the terrain or place where you are going to hunt.

2. Prepare yourself

Great hunters always prepare in advance and plan ahead. Always get local information about the terrain ahead of time. Once you identify your hunting fields, its time to start preparing.

Hunting guns, caps, jackets, ammunition, water and of course your best hunting boots all need to be with you. Without proper gear and hunting boots, you are not going to sit for the long period of time it takes to wait for the kill. Make sure you always have the right equipment with you before you embark on your hunting journey.

3. Learn where to find the deer

Deer are found in funnels, ridges, creeks and swamps. You can walk specific deer routes too. Finding the waterholes in the deer routes can be one of the easiest ways to find them. Walking along agriculture tracts is another simple way to locate them. When they go into fields to find food, they normally take a route which runs between two fields or connects them.

While navigating the terrain make sure you have a smartphone; or you can use any of the best survival watches for quick and easy navigation of the area. Having GPS enabled devices or watches are critical for safety, especially in an unknown terrain.

4. Take a shower and perfume yourself

It is a fact that deer do not like human odor and can easily be spooked by it. Good hunters always take a bath before going out in the field and also use deodorants and perfumes. You should make sure that you are clean and smell good otherwise you may fail to find a single deer. Also, try not to contaminate your hunting clothes or gear along the way.

Deer hunting is challenging and it is not for everyone. If you want some thrill, excitement and you love to go out and connect with nature, you can follow above tips for a more successful hunt. Make sure you don’t overhunt and do not disturb the ecosystem of nature. Just go for enjoyment and use this as an opportunity to connect with nature and understand how animals live.

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5 Growth Hacking Tips For Startups

Here are 5 growth hacking tips that will help you with your startup.

1. Have A Community

Building a community is a way to create real engagement with your potential customers. Create your own forum. Link it to your website. You can answer questions on Quora or Reddit. Post content on Linkedin. Before making any post, do your research about the platform you are going to post to. You can also find forums related to your niche and create engagement. This drives targetted traffic.
Try adding a little flavor of your startup product or how it can help customers, within your content. Also, the website link to your product in the signature/bio of the forum.

2. Content Content Content

Create shareable content. The key to the most shared content is easy readability and quality of information. Make it easy to share the content with easy and attractive social sharing buttons. Write posts in forms of lists (“10 Awesome ways”), infographics, informative guides(“How to…”), etc. Make SlideShares that advertise your niche. Use long-tail keywords in your content and the search engine description. If you are confused about what to write, use Buzzsumo to see the most shared content for a keyword.

Also, guest post on high authority websites in your niche. You can use tools like Headline analyzer to get insights.

3. Viral Campaigns, The Press, & Twitter

Use Viral Signup Forms to generate momentum in email signups. Pay with a tweet is one of the best referral tools that lets you create a viral Marketing campaign. You may want to inform the Tech-Reporters about what you are doing and have them publish about you. You can use  Pitch Pigeon to notify over 200 tech blogs at once.

Getting noticed by press and media might not be easy but it is totally worth it.

Networking sites can help you get noticed by a lot of people.

Or use Twitter to reach massive amounts of people. The key is to use proper hashtags and mention famous people within your niche.

4. Read Growth Hack Books And Case Studies

Read growth hack books that offer actionable guides, consisting of practical steps that anyone can implement. Read case studies of companies like DropBox and HotMail. Read what companies have been doing for accelerating their marketing campaigns. Their ways might not directly be useful to you but they should definitely provide you with inspiration.

Here are some of the topics you should read about:

• Content Creation & Marketing
• Landing Page Optimization
• E-Mail Marketing
• Traffic Generation
• SEO

5. Influencer Marketing

You may not know how easy it is to get noticed by influencers. (An influencer is an individual who has made a large impact in a specific niche.) There are so many ways to do it. One way is by adding influencers on Linkedin. You can even find influencers by entering the keyword into Google.

Export the email addresses of all the influencers you’ve added to your Linkedin account. Here is a tutorial how to do this. Use these email address to market your startup to them.

While reaching out to influencers, make sure you have an attention-grabbing headline and a solid explanation why they should support you. Research the influencer you are planning on emailing.

Check their social platforms. Maybe they just finished a marathon? Perhaps you both enjoy hiking? Include a sentence in the email, complementing them about their accomplishment or mentioning your shared love of hiking, soccer… Remember they get hundreds of these kinds of emails per day. You want yours to stand out.

You can also reach out to influencers on Twitter, Instagram or blog comments, but emailing seems to have a higher success rate.

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