Fashion has always been a champion for individualism, and it’s no different when it comes to prom dresses. Prom style has evolved from the stock-standard varieties we think of like those seen in many teen movies to be more inclusive, daring, or 100% unique.

Let’s take a look at how prom dresses have changed over time and what we will be expecting from prom dresses 2019.

Classic Prom Gowns

When you think of archetypal prom gowns, you probably picture floor-length dresses, with a bit of sparkle somewhere, paired with sky-high stilettos. This hasn’t changed too much – it is still the norm to pick something traditional like beautiful white prom dresses, so if that’s what you have in mind, go for it!

The best thing about this day and age is there as so many options out there to suit any budget, shape, or taste. What has changed is if this style doesJJn’t suit you, there are other perfectly acceptable options available – or you could even create your own!

Gender Fluid Options

As a society, we are no longer bound by as many expectations and constraints as we were in the past. Wearing a dress to prom is now an option for anyone, regardless of gender. It comes down to what you feel comfortable in and doesn’t need to be an expensive exercise if there are no suitable off-the-rack options.

Companies such as JJ’s House can create custom, made-to-order dresses, for an extremely reasonable price – all you need is your measurements! A sheath or column dress looks fantastic on just about anyone and would be easy to have tailored for a perfect fit.

A suit or tuxedo is another type of formal wear that looks fantastic on any gender. Cara Delevingne stole the show at Princess Eugenie’s wedding in 2018 pairing a tuxedo jacket with slim fit pants and a top hat! Imagine wearing that for your prom dress in 2019!

The bottom line is the rules for prom outfits these days have changed – they are now what we make them, and there are no longer any hard and fast expectations.

What Is DIY For Prom?

DIY prom dresses can mean something as simple as sewing your own dress from a pattern right through to coming up with a creation that looks like it belongs in a fashion museum!

If you’re looking to create something really unique, that doesn’t look like a traditional prom dress you can really have some fun with it. Inspiration can be drawn from the catwalks of Milan to fashion museums or even Broadway to create something truly amazing.

Sewing your own dress isn’t something new – in fact, it’s an old-fashioned approach to prom! Many years ago, it would have been entirely reasonable to sew your own dresses for any and all occasions; however, women learned to sew from childhood. Sewing novices probably shouldn’t try and tackle creating a prom gown from scratch as their first project as it can quickly go wrong!

 

You can do the laundry at home, or you can ask for dry cleaning services. Between these two options, you’ll probably prefer to ask dry cleaners to do the job. If your goal is to ensure that your clothes are clean and let them stay protected, it is not a good idea to do the washing at home. There are things dry cleaners do that you don’t to protect the clothes and keep them clean.

Read instructions on the label

How often do you read the instructions on the label before washing? Usually, you put all the clothes inside the washing machine and let them spin. You treat all clothes as the same. As a result, some of them end up getting destroyed or damaged. Dry cleaners take the extra step of carefully analysing the labels to ensure that the clothes will remain in perfect condition after washing.

Use the right cleaning supplies

Do you take the time to analyse the cleaning supplies you use for washing the clothes? When you are shopping at a local grocery store, you pick anything that you find on the shelf. Some of you might only look at the price and get the cheapest option possible. Dry cleaners took their time to compare the choices and found the right cleaning supplies that are perfect for all clothes. They won’t use anything that can cause allergic reactions, has a strong scent or is unable to remove stains thoroughly.

They can bleach the clothes appropriately

When bleaching clothes, you only bleach a specific portion where you can find the problematic stains. However, if you are too lazy to bleach, you might decide to put bleach on the entire clothing, resulting in white spots all over. You can’t use these clothes anymore because of your laziness. Dry cleaners are careful when using bleach, and will not use any agent that is too harsh on the clothes.

Deal with stains the right way

You might not have the ability to remove stains since you don’t know how to work with different types of stains. There are ways to remove stains depending on the cause. You don’t have the time to analyse these stains and work on them. Dry cleaners, on the other hand, know what to do. They have worked with all sorts of clothing issues in the past, and they will guarantee that the clothes will look as good as new upon return.

Given that dry cleaners can professionally handle the laundry, you should ask for their services rather than do the job yourself. Besides, if you are too meticulous in cleaning the clothes, it could take a while before you get things done. For dry cleaners, you need to put the clothes in a container, wait for them to arrive to pick the clothes up and wait for them to return the clothes on the date you agreed on.

If you want this service now, look at dry cleaning in Chelsea for more information.

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It is no doubt that women love to be impressed. Whether you are buying a birthday gift for your sister, an anniversary gift for your mom, or you want to keep some stock for the holidays – you are probably looking for something that will melt her heart away. In most cases, it is advisable to look for a gift that is likely to be remembered over eternity.

Here are a few suggestions about gifts that women love

1. A smartwatch

A lovely Garmin watch will put a smile to a woman’s face especially the working out enthusiasts. This is a favorite gift for many people. In fact, most women would love to have a collection of watches even if they are not funs of wearing watches, and a smartwatch would just be the perfect fit!

2. A pearl necklace

Every woman loves a pearl necklace. The best thing about this necklace is that they are perfect for any occasion and for any woman, whether young or old. The meaning of a pearl gift can vary from the age of the gifted, who the giver is, to what is going on in the life of the person receiving the gift.

3. Quality skin care product

A smooth and hydrated skin is an asset to all women. It will be a nice idea to contribute to this by getting them a make-up kit that works perfectly. A mask would make a perfect gift, particularly a night treatment gel that makes a woman wake up young and fresh.

4. A holiday handbag

Most ladies often get together over the weekend or holidays to a have a little chit-chat. During such moments, they need to be in their best outfit, not just the dress but also other accompanying accessories such as the handbag. A diamond clutch bag or a handbag leather would complete the outfit.

5. Cooking accessories

There are those who love spending their time in the kitchen. Accessories like ovens, pressure cookers, and microwaves would make a perfect gift, especially for the newlyweds. One good thing about these accessories is that they will last for a lifetime and with them will be the memories you share.

6. A hair dryer

Women have a thing for their hair. In fact, no woman would feel comfortable in an undone hair – as they say, ‘the best days are defined by good hair’. You will never go wrong with a good hair dryer as a gift to the woman in your life. However, make sure that you get a special hair dryer; perhaps one that is fast drying.

Picking out the best gift to impress a lady can be difficult. Women give much attention to color and quality. As such, it is advisable to carry out a thorough research on what she loves lest you get her quality or a color that does not match her tastes and preferences. Well, our list includes some of the gifts that most ladies would love. We hope you have a nice pick and enjoy your shopping!

One of the toughest areas to clean in the house is the kitchen, simply because it can get real messy real fast, even if you’re careful with how you use it. However if you have Coloured Acrylic Splashbacks, that can make cleaning that little bit easier. There’s also the fact that it’s also one of the most important areas to keep clean, as neglecting it could result in food-borne diseases that you absolutely don’t want going anywhere near your family.

To help you have an easier time cleaning your kitchen like a pro and protect your family’s health, here are some convenient life hack tips that does just that.

Use Microfiber cloths or towels instead of regular fabric cloths

When it comes to helping you mop up messes, spills and stains on your kitchen surfaces, nothing can be more effective and efficient than a microfiber towel. A microfiber towel is not only more absorbent than regular towels, it can easily pick up bacteria and viruses surfaces with just a couple of passes—no detergent required!

This is thanks to the millions of tiny, microscopic fibers that dot its entire surface, with each one small enough to “hook” onto miniscule objects and keep hold of them. Because it’s important to keep your kitchen free of any harmful germs and microbes, having a microfiber towel handy at all times is essential. Toss away your filthy rags and wipes and get microfiber towels instead!

Use baking soda as an all-purpose kitchen cleaner

Do you desperately need to clean something in your kitchen, but you’ve run out of detergent or cleaning solution, and you can’t pop out to buy a fresh supply? Then don’t despair, because if you have an ample amount of baking soda in your kitchen, then you can clean anything. Baking soda, as many innovating homeowners and housewives have found out, can actually be used as a cleaning solution, able to cut through dirt, grime, and even grease without much hassle. Pots, pans, sinks, drains, stoves, even silverware—if it needs cleaning, baking soda can handle it.

But how do you use baking soda to clean? Simple enough: just sprinkle baking soda evenly on the surface that you want to clean, add a bit of water to make it have the consistency of thick paste, and then scrub away using either a scouring pad or a toothbrush. If you need to amplify its scouring power for a tougher job, such as cutting through years-old grease buildup on your kitchen cabinet doors, then add a bit of hydrogen peroxide to your mixture.

Boil a cup of water and lemon to deodorize and de-grease your microwave oven

One of the most well-used appliances in our kitchen that rarely gets the attention it deserves is the humble but convenient microwave oven. Even if you think that all it does is reheat microwaveable food, it can still get as greasy or as dirty as other types of ovens and stoves, thus having the need to clean it regularly and thoroughly. Otherwise, you may find your reheated food smelling or tasting off.

To help you clean your microwave oven a lot more easily as well as remove the odor build-up inside it, place a cup full of water with some lemon slices inside. Let it boil for a minute or two, allowing the steam sit inside for a while before carefully taking the cup out. You’ll find that the built-up grease in your microwave’s inner walls will be a lot easier to remove with a damp microfiber cloth. It’ll also smell a whole lot nicer too!

Blend water and soap in your blender for faster clean-up

Another particularly difficult kitchen appliance to clean is the blender. This is due to the fact that small bits of fruit, vegetable, or spices can get stuck in its moving parts, and stay there even after repeated and thorough rinsing. To ensure that they’re all dislodged and washed away, pour some water and dish soap into your blender and pulse blend it a couple of times. The blending action combined with the soapy water will ensure that anything stuck on or underneath the blades are removed. This is also a great way to quickly clean the blender if you need it to process different ingredients in quick succession. Just remember to rinse it out thoroughly!

Use Cream of Tartar and White Vinegar to clean and polish stainless steel

While it’s true that you can easily degrease most of your common kitchen appliances and surfaces with baking soda, nothing works better in making stainless steel shine like a mixture of cream of tartar and white vinegar. Simply mix 1 cup of distilled white vinegar with 1/4 cup cream of tartar in a glass or plastic container, and then use that mixture to scrub away at stainless steel surfaces. Not only will it cut through grease and stains easily, it’ll also give them a nice, lustrous shine.

Clean dirty, greasy pans with dryer sheets

Cooking up a storm in the kitchen will always be a fun and rewarding experience, especially when you’re cooking for your family and loved ones. However, things usually end up with a lot of filthy and grease-caked pans, which can be a hassle to clean up, especially if you’ve left them on the sink or stove overnight.

Cut down on the elbow grease you’ll need to clean them by using dryer sheets to melt the grease away. Simply place a folded-up dryer sheet right on the floor of the pan itself, then pour warm or hot water into the pan, up until it’s mostly full. As it soaks in the hot water, the dryer sheet will begin to release grease-removing bubbles, softening the caked-on grit and allowing you to easily scrub it away without any effort.

Use aluminum foil to scrub your glass bakeware

Glass or crystal bakeware can be tough to clean properly, as they’re prone to being scratched if you scrub too hard or use a scouring pad that’s too abrasive. To remedy this, use aluminum foil that’s been dabbed with a bit of dishwashing liquid instead. Aluminum foil’s inherent smoothness will prevent it from giving your precious glassware any scratches, while still providing an abrasive surface to scrape away grease and grime.

Conclusion

Cleaning your kitchen doesn’t have to be all that difficult, nor that painstaking. By taking the above-listed life hacks in mind, getting your kitchen spic-and-span will be a cinch, requiring not only less effort on your part but also inexpensive cleaning equipment or implements.

Most of us dream about creating a sustainable source of income. This type of financial “buffer” allows us to enjoy life to the fullest and many of the stresses associated with fiscal concerns are no longer present. It is therefore quite ironic that only a handful of individuals ever reach the point when this dream begins to conglomerate into a reality. The main issue is that few would-be entrepreneurs are equipped with a plan. Simply looking towards the heavens was never enough to travel into outer space. A great deal of preparation and research first needed to take place. This same analogy can be used in relation to carving out your own financial niche. So, where do you begin and what professional advice will come in useful along the way?

Encountering Access to Capital

This should always be the first step, as you will need to possess the financial liquidity required to begin your operations. While taking out a small business loan is certainly a possibility, never forget that this is another form of debt. Many astute entrepreneurs are choosing to leverage the dynamic tools associated with online investing. Of course, choosing the platform is just as important as appreciating which stocks will produce viable returns. Not only is CMC Markets one of the most respected trading portals on the planet, but CMC’s platform trading tools will provide you with the actionable insight required to make the appropriate decisions at the right times.

Think Beyond the Horizon

Any self-imposed limitations can have grave effects upon your ability to achieve financial freedom. One of the most common is failing to market a product or service to a significantly large audience. Were you aware than more than 58 per cent of all small business owners now deal with international customers on a regular basis? This point should be taken seriously, as a larger market demographic equates to greater chances of turning a profit.

Addressing the Demons of Debt

Money comes and money goes. This is a slightly misleading statement, as it hints that you should spend any funds as soon as they become available. This is also an excellent way to rack up a mountain of debt within an incredibly short period of time. It is critical that you avoid such a situation at all costs. Not only can debt quickly eat into any profit margins, but poor credit will inevitably make it more difficult to borrow money from accredited lenders in the future. Two worthwhile suggestions to keep in mind are to set monthly spending limits and to develop an emergency fund which can be used to pay off any sudden expenses. If approached in the correct manner, debt is a demon which can be entirely avoided.

On a final note, always recall that building a lucrative nest egg will take time and effort. Barring extraordinary situations such as suddenly wining the lottery, both insight and patience will be required. The steps and suggestions mentioned above are intended to provide you with a rough framework as opposed to an exacting outline. They should be enacted with a degree of flexibility depending upon your personal goals and objectives. Still, carving out your own independent financial niche is much easier than you may have realised.

It might seem like a very niche post; after all, there are a whole host of things to consider when you move home and the kitchen is just a small cog.

Unfortunately, it happens to be the most complicated cog. After all, this is the room that people use the most in the house, and it means that it can be difficult to tackle once you take the plunge and decide to move home.

Bearing this in mind, the rest of today’s post will look at everything you should consider to make kitchen life a lot easier when you do move.

The elusive box of essentials

First and foremost, you need to prepare a box of essentials. There is no online checklist to proceed with here; as what is defined as a kitchen essential for one person certainly isn’t going to be the same for another.

However, your box of essentials is simply the items that you need on a day-to-day basis to use your kitchen. Example items include the likes of plates, cutlery and basic pans – just so you can get by. One of the big reasons why the kitchen is such a tricky room to conquer is because you use it so often. As such, keep all items that you do use in one place, and start to pack everything else.

Preparing your larger appliances

Something else that you need to overcome is your larger appliances. The washing machine and fridge freezer tend to be the ones that most people have, unless you are lucky enough to have a dishwasher as well.

Transporting these is obviously a mission in itself, but let’s home in on the fridge freezer. This is one appliance that needs particular attention and we would urge you to look at tips on how to defrost your freezer long before your move to help you along your way. You’ll usually need to start this process at least 24 hours before your move date, so bear this in mind.

Be wary of frozen food

On a similar subject, make provisions for the frozen food in the appliance. Some people will decide to gradually lower their shopping bill and just not buy much frozen food before they move, while others will decide to move it all themselves. The latter can be challenging, and you will need the appropriate packaging and also the assurances that the fridge freezer at the other end is ready and functioning properly.

Devise an efficient labelling process

Due to the magnitude of different items, an efficient labelling process is more important than ever before when it comes to your kitchen. Blindly placing items into boxes just isn’t going to do you any favors here – you need to know where all of the different items are. Sure, your essentials box will help you some of the way here, but clearly marking each box (perhaps by cupboard) will make it much easier to move things into your new kitchen at the other end.

 

Horizontal directional drilling is turning into an industry standard as it provides the efficient groundwork for pipelines while having minimal effects on the surrounding environment and structures. Directional drilling companies take note of four essential factors when it comes to dealing with a project that requires Horizontal Directional Drilling. These four factors include the pilot hole, the reamer size, the drilling fluid, and the work areas entry and exit points.

Understanding the pilot hole curvature

First and foremost, the drill path is the most critical aspect of dealing with a drilling project. The curvature dictates the radius that the drilling path will follow. Too much of a bend will lead to reducing the resistance of pipes against collapsing from the increase in tensile strength. Proper planning and calculation must be made when it comes to finding the entry point and exit point of the drilling so that plotting it will be accurate and precise.

The process of pulling the pipe needs to be spacious enough to be made in one segment without the danger of breaking during the pull. Fusion welding and proper handling of the tubes is assessed to avoid and minimise bending. In understanding the process, drilling companies need to consider the mud flow rate together with the application of drilling liquid along with a plethora of other factors to make sure that the pullback continues seamlessly.

Dealing with reamer size

Once the hole is drilled, a margin of over 1.2 to 1.5 times the actual pipe’s diameter is made in expanding the gap to ensure that the tube can be pulled in without any obstruction from the soil. After the pipe is placed inside the borehole, it’ll deal with vertical earth pressure that will be pressed upon it depending on the factors such as the depth of the drill done from the surface area to the soil’s natural stability.

Assessing drilling fluid viscosity

After digging the pilot hole, the drilling fluid must be applied for the pipe to push through. The drilling fluid comes from a mixture of water and bentonite which lubricates the hole during the process of continuous drilling and reaming which keeps the hole’s structure intact while reducing the torque of the drill to avoid disturbing the ground. Understanding the right fluid viscosity makes sure that the gap is kept intact. An uneven thickness could result in delays regarding the pipe pullback after the end of the drilling process.

Workspace area

The most significant benefit of using the Horizontal Directional Drilling method is that it can do work in limited spaces, but it still needs to have an ample work area to finish a project efficiently. When dealing with larger pipes, a larger quantity of pumps, mud storage, and drilling fluid will be necessary to avoid any setbacks in the drilling process. A standard 1000-feet crossing would require a square space of 100 x 150 feet both on entry and exit points so that there would be enough space for the fusing of pipes made seamlessly through one continuous string.

 

Social media use is commonplace everywhere in the world. As of 2017, there are 39 million social media users in the UK. This number is estimated to go up to 42 million. This number is equivalent to 58% social media reach with Facebook taking the top spot in the share. What’s interesting about social media is that it caters to a wide range of age brackets, which means that every business is likely going to reach their target market more effectively through these channels.

Most businesses today invest heavily in social media marketing. It is not only because social media is popular across all age levels, but there are other compelling reasons why every business needs social media marketing.

Bolster brand recognition

Users of social media rely on the internet for convenience when searching for products and services they want to buy. As such, an active social media presence brings potential customers closer. Through social media, customers can get a glimpse of your company and have an easy point of contact in case they have enquiries about purchasing products or certain services. Social media is a faster tool to increase brand recognition. Even well-known companies take advantage of the speed of information sharing and dissemination through social media channels.

Optimise search engine visibility

Experienced digital marketing experts like Digital Agency Sheffield understand the importance of search engine optimisation. Search engines like Google prioritise social media pages when you search for a company. If you search your company name, for example, all your social media accounts will appear first on the page. Thus, social media is an effective way to gain exposure and attract organic traffic to your website.

Higher website sales and conversions

Social media increases brand loyalty more than any other form of advertising. Users of social media platforms can follow and share posts from your social media page which also increases conversions. With little effort on your part, followers of your page will take it upon themselves to influence their friends and own followers regarding the product and services you offer.

To ensure that these likes, shares and follows convert into actual sales, you can also use your social media presence to follow-up and interact with potential customers.

Diversify your marketing portfolio

If you want to remain competitive and stay ahead of other similar businesses, you need to diversify your marketing strategies. It is not wise to rely on one strategy alone. Since technology continues to evolve, some marketing strategies which used to bring in results may eventually become outdated. For example, about a decade ago email marketing used to be big. Nowadays, sophisticated spam filters make it harder for companies to reach their target audience through this medium.

No marketing strategy is safe from the effects of technological advancements. While social media marketing is still hot, you should take advantage of its full potential. With the changing times and the evolving advertising landscape, who knows what’s in store in the coming years when it comes to marketing strategies and tools.

We all deal with a lot of negativity every day of our lives. Sometimes it can become too hard to handle and could wash over our entire energy. We all have friends, colleagues and family who complain about everything from work, money, health and anything else they can think of. Even if you speak with them for fifteen minutes, you will feel drained and then it might take hours for that effect to wear off. Nobody is going to be the last negative person you come across, you will have to deal with them on a regular basis and you need to look for ways to find value even in those people.

Set limits

Negative people rarely focus on the solutions and continue exaggerating their problems. They want others to join in their pity party so that they can feel better about themselves. If you are pressurized to listen to them and cannot say no because you do not want to sound rude, there is a thin line between being compassionate and getting sucked into their negativity. You can easily avoid the drama by setting limits and distancing yourself when you think it is necessary.

If you think that it is impossible to distance yourself from them, you can set limits and ask them how do they plan to fix their current situation. This will redirect the conversation or calm them down.

Do not react, respond

Do not give a hot, thoughtless reaction to them. It could be driven by your ego and not from your logical mind. You need to offer a perspective to them and even if you feel angry, you need to respond mindfully. It will make you feel like you handled the situation with grace and poise. If someone is talking negatively, do not respond by joining them or insulting them, keep your dignity and offer a well thought out answer to them. You can also choose to simply ignore them and walk away.

Introduce lighter topics of discussion

If you want to learn how to block negative energy from others, you need to start talking about lighter topics. If the person you are talking to is constantly bringing your energy down with negative talk, you need to address the situation practically and lighten the mood. Talk about mutual friends or funny memories to change the topic. You can choose any topic that the person will feel positive about.

Look for solutions and not problems

Whatever you focus on, will determine your emotional state. When you constantly focus on the problems you face, you will create negative emotions and cause stress to your own self. Instead, if you shift your focus towards positive events and actions, you will create a positive emotion and reduce stress. When dealing with negative people, you need to forget how stressful they are and look for a solution to their problems. Stop thinking about their problems and focus on how you can help resolve them. This will put you in the driver’s seat and will reduce your stress.

Detach yourself from what people think about you

You need to maintain emotional detachment in order to keep stress at a distance. You need to ensure that negative people do not put weight of their troubles on your back. It all comes down to how you look at yourself and believe in yourself. If you know how to handle stress and concentrate on your well being, you will be able to manage your life effectively. Negative people have a habit of blaming others and this can have an impact on your mind.

You need to value yourself and spend time on self care. You need to know your worth before others can blame you for anything. Emotionally strong individuals feel good about themselves and they do not let the opinion of others have an impact on their mind.

You cannot literally run away from people who are talking negatively or who give out negative energy. Rather, you can take steps to block that energy from moving into your mind and body and this can be done by feeling positive about your life and yourself. Do not let the opinion of others matter to you. Always know your self worth and know where to draw the line. Even if they are your closest friends, if their behavior is causing you stress, you need to maintain distance from them in whatever manner possible. Always place yourself above everyone else.