Journeys Are My Diary

Busking is a great way to fund a round the world trip. If you can play an instrument, then packing it into your luggage and heading for far-flung destinations is easier than ever. Some people are heading off on round the world vacations and paying for the experience with nothing more than a few hours a day performing in the streets. It’s not without its issues though, so if you’re tempted to pack your guitar, sax, or keyboard and head off on your travels with nothing but a playlist and your first EP, then here are some valuable tips that might help you complete a full trek of the planet with nothing more than a love of entertaining others.

1: Research

You can’t just plonk down and start playing whatever you like. Every country and city has its own rules and regulations regarding busking. Make sure that you don’t fall foul of the law by doing some research into your destination before you set off.

2: Control Your Volume

If you’re too loud, then people are just going to get annoyed at you. Everyone has seen and heard those buskers with no sense of volume, and you can be sure that if you stray from entertainment into annoyance, then you’re not going to get the money in your hat you need for the next stage of your journey.

3: The Right Instrument

Of course, the most common kind of busking instrument is the guitar. Easy to travel with and with no end of songs to choose from, it’s easy to see why guitars are a mainstay of the travelling busker’s world. However, it’s not your only choice. Classical music, or even popular songs played with a classical instrument, might earn you a lot more respect and money from passersby. Invest in Dawkes bass clarinets before you start travelling and you’ll see a lot more money thrown in your hat.

4: Don’t Improvise

Performing on the street is no place to practice. If you’re performing, then you need to know how to play and what to play. Perfect a one hour set and continuously update it as you learn new tracks. Mix up your types of music and don’t be afraid to experiment with different genres, but do that in your own time and not when you’re trying to earn cash for your next flight.

5: Dress Well

Even if you’re living out of a backpack, there’s no reason not to dress the part when you’re busking. The smarter that you look, the more likely that people will be happy to throw their spare change in your guitar or clarinet case. If you dress like a scruffy backpacker, then people aren’t going to be as keen on handing over their cash, and that might mean you get stuck for another day trying to scrounge up money for the next train out of dodge.

Being a busker can be hard work, but with more people than ever funding their holidays with some well-timed and well-rehearsed musical accompaniment, you could be using your musical talent and love of performing to see much more of the world.

Becoming a homeowner is a major milestone in most people’s lives and can reveal itself to be a great investment when managed correctly. However, after taking account for things like homeowners’ insurance, utilities, and HOA fees, there are some things that many weren’t prepared for. These minor, and sometimes major costs can start adding up and make mortgage payments more difficult than expected. But when you’re prepared, you can come up with a plan of action to either mitigate them or at least plan for them. Here are some of the most common hidden costs of homeownership.

Weather Damage

People often don’t take into account how the weather can affect how much you’ll have to pay to maintain your home. This is especially true for people who have to experience all four seasons. Asphalt runways wear out faster in colder climates because of things like contraction and expansion. Pouring salt also can cause accelerated damage to different types of driveways. This means you’ll have to cut some of the years off the average lifespan of a driveway if you want to plan for resurfacing or replacement.

Additionally, the weather can damage your pipes, both interior and exterior. For example, frost and cold weather can make pipes burst, causing a vast amount of damage to your home. This happens when water inside the pipes expands when it gets close to freezing, and the pressure becomes too much for the pipe to hold. If you are online searching for “plumbers in my area”, however, Porch can provide a list of reliable tradespeople who can assist you with any job you need completing, including fixing and maintaining pipes and water heaters.  

Property Taxes

A lot of people think that because they’re spending $1200 and more for the current place they’re renting, they can actually afford to pay a mortgage. But there are so many more fixed expenses you’ll have to account for. 

One of them is property tax. Before you take the number you got from your mortgage calculator and run with it, make sure that you divide your property tax by twelve and add it to your monthly payments. Also, keep in mind that taxes only go up, so you’ll have to be prepared for a possible tax hike in the future.

Aesthetic Changes

Everybody has an idea of their dream house in their heads, but most of the time, this house may not even exist in the market they’re in. So, chances are compromises had to be made. 

Maybe the basement isn’t really the rec room you had in mind, or you don’t really care for the pot garden in the backyard. Either way, you’ll probably get to working on some changes as soon as you get the house so you can make it feel more like home. Whether it’s adding pavers, exterior lighting, or stone veneers, prepare to spend quite a lot on making aesthetic changes in the first few years.

Your Front Lawn

If you think paying someone a few dollars a month to mow the lawn is enough maintenance, you’re in for a surprise. Maintaining a nice looking lawn can cost a lot of money. Especially if it’s covered by snow half of the year. 

You might have to invest in some new sod, pay for things like fertilizer, pest control, and weed killer, maybe add some annuals here and there. Either way, expect to pay much more than the minimum if you want your lawn to look good all year.

Zoning Issues

Another thing you’ll have to consider is zoning rules around the area where you live. You just never know when someone could buy the home next to you just to tear it down and build a 5-story condo building. This could significantly reduce your home’s value. Likewise, if you decide to live near commercial property, you never know when the quaint little mom and pop strip mall could turn into a cineplex overnight and bring traffic up, bringing property values down in the process. Not only will knowing zoning laws give you some indication as to what to expect but will protect you from committing violations if you ever intend to get some work done yourself.

Homeownership is serious business, and you’ll need to have a solid plan and budget in place to make sure that it remains a good investment. Make sure that you look out for these hidden costs and that you’re ready to face some more unexpected expenses as well.

Life insurance, in general, is an agreement between a policyholder and the insurer. The life insurance company requires the insured to make several payments in a year with the promise that should the insured pass away, his or her family would receive a sum of money. In case you die, the company should pay a particular amount of money to the family of the loved ones.

If the cause of death is natural, getting a payout can be easy. Suicides, on the other hand, could complicate the situation. However, does that mean you cannot get the money from the insurance company? And “does life insurance pay for suicidal death in the US?” 

Today, you will learn the truths and the relationship between these two, insurance and suicide.

The relation between life insurance and suicide

CDC, in the 2016 findings, found out that about 45, 000 people died because of suicidal death. Not many of the survivors got their payouts, maybe because they did not know that there could be a possibility of one.

The truth is, not many people know this fact. You can get a payout as long as you consider various factors.

What are these factors?

Fundamentally, two things can block you from getting the money the deceased left. They are:

– Incontestable clause

The clause allows the company to carry out thorough investigations on the cause of suicide. If they find out that there is fraud, they might refuse to pay the amount. On the other hand, they will pay if they find that the general cause of death was accidental.

On the other hand, the contestable period is between two years between the start of the policy to the death. If this time lapses, be sure that the life insurance company will not be able to contest. Therefore, there will be an immediate payout.

– The life insurance policy

Many insurers take utmost precautions when someone applies for this type of insurance. The customer will have to produce health documents (both physical and mental), their age, medical history, nicotine use, and gender. All these details are essential to the insurer when coming up with the right premiums for the policyholder.

Some insurance firms will include policies that will exclude them from paying out any claims in the case of suicide.

These policies are put to stop people who would choose to self-injure themselves intentionally so that their family can benefit from the claim.

Will the insurer consider a payout in physician-assisted suicide?

Chronic illness can overwhelm a patient. Instead of letting the disease kill you, some people will often turn to physician-assisted suicide. In such a situation, the insurer will consider the two factors mentioned above.

Some states have laws that protect the right to assisted suicide. Hence, it will be easy to claim in this situation.

Summing it up

Insurers can refuse to pay out, sometimes. What can you do in such an instance?

Many people go unattended because they could not get the right help. A lawyer can help you know whether it will be possible to get the payout or not.

The law firm you contact, because they know how expensive the lawsuit can be, they will only demand payment after you win your case.

If you love to travel, then organizing your next trip away is likely to be at the forefront of your mind. Traveling is thrilling, and once you’ve got the bug for it, it’s hard to shake it off – but why would you want to? Traveling opens your eyes and your mind, and it enriches your life. After all, it’s the only thing you pay for that makes you richer. 

Instead of doing what you always do and getting a plane to somewhere you’ve never been to before, this year try something a little different. If you’re up for a challenge, then think about seeing more of your own country with the help of a home on wheels, by volunteering, and by hopping on and off of trains. 

Go Caravanning 

See more of the country that you live in before jetting off to explore uncharted territory. It’s easy to ignore the mesmerizing beauty of your own country when there’s so much to see all over the world. However, traveling in a caravan can be a thoroughly enjoyable way to enjoy some home comforts, to travel more of your homeland, and importantly, share the experience with friends, family, and even your pets. A caravan is a rolling home, so if you’re keen to drive from one state to the other, or weave your way through from the top to the bottom of your county, follow these tips to help you get the show on the road. 

Volunteer Overbroad 

Often when you go away you’re looking to either do as much as you can, and cram in as many activities as possible, or as little and only wanting to relax and stretch out under the sun. Volunteering could give you the best of both worlds and allow you that feel good factor by helping others and the environment too with conservation and education projects. Find out more about what’s out there open to you, and enjoy your time off doing exactly what you love. 

Walking Routes

Walking vacations get you up close and personal with the land, and you can spend days traversing some of the most spectacular landscapes known to man. Trekking can be hard work, and it’s not for those who tire easily. However, it can be utterly exhilarating. Walking tours that operate in Canada, Norway, the Scottish Highlands, and Crete are some of your best options, so be sure to further research where looks good to you. 

Go By Train 

Planes are speedy, efficient, and tend to get you to where you want to be on time and without too much hassle. However, you don’t get to see very much from the air when you fly to your destination. If you wish to see all aspects of a certain country, then consider purchasing an interrailing ticket, and meandering your way across and through the country. Interrailing in Europe has long been popular, so be sure to look at the different routes available, as well as plans, packages, and planners. Do more and see more on your travels by seeing rural life from the comfort of your seat, and gaze out onto landscapes that you wouldn’t otherwise have the luxury to see. 

Healthcare is something that affects all of us, so naturally, lots of people are curious about how the field is developing and evolving over time. While the healthcare field moves way too quickly and unpredictably to talk about with any degree of certainty, we can make a couple of educated guesses. Technology often evolves at an unexpected pace, technology can arrive much sooner, though more often much later than we anticipate.

However, we can certainly make an educated guess as to what is likely to happen over the next couple of decades. There are some technologies that we are just seeing into fruition, but others are still at the incubation stage. Beyond those, we have the speculative world of the far future. Ideas that seem impossible now are still worth exploring because they may well become possible in the future.

Early Life

Up until around 24 weeks, a fetus is unable to survive outside the womb in all but the rarest of cases. At 24 weeks, with all the medical technology available to us today, a 24-week old fetus will have a 50% chance of surviving outside the womb, and it has taken some time to get the figure that high!

Part of the difficulty is that, as yet, we aren’t able to create an artificial machine or equipment that can replicate the environment of the womb. Modern incubators are impressive devices, but we are some way from being able to take a sperm and an egg, mix them together, and then implant the fertilized egg into the artificial womb to grow. This may well be an ultimate goal, as it would enable infertile couples or couples who have trouble conceiving to produce a child together.

Private Investment

We are now seeing the first private businesses beginning to invest in space travel. This is a very exciting time for a number of reasons. With healthcare, many Americans are uneasy about handing control over to the government. However, the overwhelming evidence from around the world is that, while imperfect, government-administered healthcare leads to an overall healthier population.

But the reality is what it is. Private businesses and individuals are making some hugely positive contributions to healthcare in a number of ways. For example, as this article about Jim Plante and the donation he made to a company that is developing a treatment for kidney disease shows, individual patrons can enable pioneering treatments to be attempted.

Diagnosis Madness

Electronics woven into clothes are now becoming a reality. We have already seen a smart shoe from a major sports manufacturer, as well as Samsung announcing the development of a smart shirt. Clothes that are functional in a very literal sense are just around the corner. About a decade ago, a Mexican company released its own smart bra, which was purportedly able to detect cancer and alert the user.

The field of healthcare continues to advance at a breakneck speed. There are few certainties about what the future will look like, but we think that the technologies above are going to play a vital part.

Does it feel like it can be a real struggle to get through your day and stay awake? Are you counting down the hours until you can head back to bed? Do you often lack the energy to get chores, tasks, and even your work done? Do you feel frustrated in the fact you aren’t accomplishing as much as you hoped? A lack of energy can truly dictate your life, affecting both your personal and work life. 

If you’ve decided that you no longer want to be a slave to your lack of energy, and you’re ready to make some changes, then you’ll be relieved to hear there are lots you can do to get a boost of energy. Here we’ll take a look at some simple tips that you can start using immediately so you can feel more energized, focused, productive, satisfied, and happy.

Look Into Hemp Oil Spray

One product that has been getting a lot of attention as of late is sublingual hemp spray. This is a spray that is applied under the tongue in order to provide quick and effective results. Hemp oil spray is being used for all kinds of things such as stress relief, migraine and headache relief, pain relief, and even as a wellness spray.

Take a look at the Hemp Wellness Spray from Life Bloom Organics, which is formulated to energize you. It contains proprietary nanotized hemp formula from organic hemp, along with peppermint oil, green tea extract, stevia leaf extract, olive oil, and other ingredients. This water-based, alcohol-free formulation can be used up to 10 times a day for quick results and effective results. It’s like a little wake-up call.

Start Showering in the Mornings

If you’re the type that showers in the evening before bed, it may be worth switching up your schedule for a bit and see how that works. A quick morning shower can be exactly what you need to wake you up and give you the energy you need to face the day. 

You can even try the “90-second shower” technique wherein you shower with cold water for 30 seconds, then hot water for 30 seconds, and then a final 30 seconds of cold water. By switching the temperature so quickly it actually helps to stimulate your mind and your body, and it even increases blood flow.

Don’t Skip Breakfast

You’ve probably heard it before, but breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day. By choosing a healthy well-balanced breakfast you will be fuelling your body and mind, and increasing your ability to focus, react, perform, and stay alert.

Start Exercising

Regular exercise is another way to increase your energy level. That doesn’t mean you need to join the gym; just aim for 30 minutes of continuous activity each day.

The Jolt of Energy You Need

Each of these tips will help to ensure you get that jolt of energy you need in order to perform at your peak level and feel great all day long. 

Parenting any child is never easy, but children with special needs are more challenging than most. You love them just as much, but they require extra care and support, often for the entirety of their lives. Many parents don’t receive the right information or support, so in this article, we are going to discuss some parenting tips to help you if your child has cerebral palsy.

What is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral palsy is a type of brain damage. It can occur before or during birth. Around one in every 500 babies are born with cerebral palsy, so it is quite common. Children with cerebral palsy typically have problems with movement and posture. They usually require specialist orthotics to help them walk. This makes it harder for a child with cerebral palsy to participate in normal activities, such as playing soccer, riding a bike, or just running around in the park.

A Perceived Lack of Support

A CanChild study found that parents of a child with cerebral palsy don’t receive enough information. Many say the right information would have helped them do things differently. Parents often feel there are not enough support systems in place. They say that having a cerebral palsy child can affect the whole family, as they have less time to focus on siblings. 

There are community programs, so it is important that you check what support services are available in your area. However, bear in mind that some parents find that their child doesn’t enjoy attending specialized community programs. 

The internet is a godsend for parents of children with special needs. If you have internet access, you don’t need to feel isolated. There is always someone available to answer questions or provide a degree of emotional support. Use this to your advantage. Talk to other parents about your concerns. Ask for help and advice and share your own experiences in support groups and forums. 

Physical Issues

As previously stated, cerebral palsy children tend to need extra support with posture and movement. An orthotist will look at their anatomy and biomechanics once they are old enough and devise specialized orthotics to better align their posture and help them walk. 

Ankle foot orthosis (AFO) supports the foot and ankle, ending below the knee. Knee ankle foot orthosis (KAFO) stabilizes the knee joint. Helping your child adjust to orthotics can take time. If your child finds his orthotics uncomfortable, he might find AFO socks, AFO brace socks, or KAFO socks a big help. These specialist socks provide extra protection beneath orthotics and are extremely comfortable to wear. 

Keep Your Child Active

Orthotics help a CP child stay as active as his peers. He might not be a pro athlete when he’s all grown up, but he can still take part in physical activities to the best of his ability. Active kids are healthier and happier, so it’s a win-win for you and your child. 

There will be setbacks along the way, but enjoy spending time with your child and focus on maintaining a positive outlook on life. The sky is the limit!

Are you looking for a dishwasher yet you want to save some money while at it? As they say, spend less and buy more with your money.

However, spending less on home appliances requires some form of tact and knowledge so that you do not end up buying an expensive item that isn’t worth the money spent.

A dishwasher is an essential home appliance as it eases the work of cleaning up the pile of dishes every now and again. It is quite expensive and will require you to have planned well in advance to purchase.

However, do not be frightened. With the tips below, you will be able to save a few bucks on your dishwasher purchase.

Undertake a Thorough Research

Before going out to purchase your desired dishwasher, it is imperative to undertake thorough initial research.

Remember, there are lots of dishwasher models currently in the market with each coming with different features and prices.

Undertaking the initial research will allow you to gauge the different dealers, the models they are selling and the price range that fits your budget. For instance, if you search far enough you will find that one dealer will be selling the dishwasher of your choice for a couple of bucks less than another dealer. This will allow you to save some cash.

Furthermore, you can ask for recommendations from colleagues at work, family and friends for the best deals. Also, read online reviews and be informed appropriately.

Assess the Model Features

Assessing the features of your preferred dishwasher is very essential in helping you save a few bucks during purchase. Normally, the more features a dishwasher will have the more costly it will be.

Dishwashers come with different features, but there are those that you deem important and you cannot do away with. For instance, if the main feature of your dishwasher is operating quietly and you get a dishwasher that cost less and with that feature then you should opt for it.

Deciding the features you need from your dishwasher beforehand will prevent you from unnecessarily being seduced at the showroom.

For the best and quiet dishwasher, check out https://aquietrefuge.com/best-quiet-dishwashers

Mind the Future Operating Cost

Saving money is not all about getting a discount on the initial purchase but also minimizing future cost and expenses that will come after the purchase.

A good dishwasher is one that will save you money in terms of operating cost. Energy and water efficient dishwashers are highly recommended. However, they are very costly but in the long run, you will not fork out much in terms of operating costs.

Be keen and check the energy guide stickers to know about water and energy consumption of the model you are intending to purchase.

Go for Sales and Discount Offers

The best time to buy appliances for your home is during sale offers as you will be guaranteed to get your desired items for a few bucks less.

Online stores usually provide for such offers to their shoppers and you can take advantage of that period. Compare the different sale offers and then select the one that offers you a good deal. Nonetheless, you will be assured to spend less on your dishwasher purchase.

What have you got planned for summer? A nice vacation, perhaps? The chance to spend more time with the kids as they enjoy a break from school. You might even just be looking forward to the opportunity of lounging around in the sun doing nothing much at all.

If you’re sensible though, you’ll be looking to use the summer to get that long-awaited home improvement project underway. That’s because the summer is the perfect season to do it – you should have more time, and the warmer, more reliable weather means there is less chance of the work being derailed by rain or cold.

Are you sold? If so, then here are the three home improvement projects to carry out this summer. Whereas, if you’re not convinced, here are some ideas to prove you wrong.

Get your roof sorted

Given that for an effective roof repair you need warm temperatures and a low chance of rain, the summer is the perfect time for sorting out that most important component of your home.

The first thing to do is get up there and take a look. If the winter weather has left you with only a few loosened shingles, then that is pretty basic work that you can probably carry out yourself. If, however, you find serious damage that looks beyond your skill level, then you’ll need to contact a specialist such as CMS commercial roofing Columbia, SC who’ll be able to fix the problem or even replace the entire roof if necessary.

What you don’t want is not to discover a potential problem or even worse ignore it, only for it to become an issue which requires emergency work in the depths of winter. Prevention is better than a cure as they say, and that’s why you should get your roof sorted this summer.

Reside your home

If the outside of your home is looking a little shabby, then the summer is the perfect time to either give it a fresh lick of paint or reside the exterior altogether. If residing is the route you want to go down, then you should give fiber cementing some serious consideration.

There are plenty of reasons for fiber cementing, but the clearest is that it is incredibly durable, requires very little maintenance other than an annual wash down, and comes in a variety of different colors. That means that you can transform the outside of your home this summer, increasing its curb appeal and making it the envy of the neighborhood.

Build a deck

Most people will want to spend their summer outside in the sunshine, and there is no better place for doing that than in your own garden, on your own decking. Not only is ground level decking relatively easy to build, but it can also add significant value to your home, recouping on average 85.4 percent of the cost of the project.

The summer is the best time for undertaking this sort of home improvement project; not just because it’s when you are likely to get the most use out of your new decking, but also because the ground conditions are also more favorable. If you’re working on it yourself, then you’ll also be able to get more done thanks to the longer days and the better weather.

Did you know that by law your car must carry a valid MOT certificate? When buying a car from brand new, you have three years from the date of purchase, but otherwise getting an MOT test is something you must carry out every year. People who drive their cars without a valid MOT certificate, could actually be fined up to £1,000 if caught but aside from that, its important to make sure your car is safe for the roads and meets environmental standards.

An MOT test can be carried out at one of around 21,000 MOT test centres around the UK. A logo, made up of three blue/white triangles, is displayed in all garages qualified to do this. Each certificate will run for one year, from the date the car is tested (and passes), but they can be renewed slightly earlier and still keep their annual date. MOT tests do vary in costs slightly, depending where in the country you are getting your car tested, but there is a capped price of £54.85 for standard cars. Of course, if your car needs any work done to pass its test, this price will be on top of the MOT cost.

During the MOT test, various checks will be carried out. They include all sorts of testing on your brakes and fuel system, to lights, mirrors, seatbelts and windowscreen wipers. They do not however, check the condition of your engine, gearbox or clutch. An average MOT test takes around 45-60 minutes, however if the car fails it can take much longer for the car to be fixed and be road worthy again. If your car passes its MOT, you will be given a certificate and the MOT will also be recorded in the national database. If your car fails its MOT, you will not be able to drive it away (unless your current certificate still has time remaining on it). Often, even when a car passes, it may have some minor points or “advisories” as they are often called. This is a list of things that are starting to be a problem with your car and could well need fixing in the future, however they weren’t serious enough at the time to cause your car to fail it’s MOT. If your car has failed its MOT and can be fixed, often a retest is free – especially if it’s only a partial retest that will require doing. Often MOT centres allow you to return within 10 days to have your car retested without any additional charge.

This summer we hope to have lots of great adventures, all in the UK. However my MOT is actually due in August so getting that sorted out beforehand will be a major priority so as not to ruin our plans. Living in Lincolnshire we hope to visit some of the nearby counties, such as Derbyshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. Northampton itself, originating as a walled town with a castle, is definitely a must for our sightseeing. For a highly professional MOT in Northampton we may take our car to Calmac MOT Autocentre, they offer VOSA approved MOT test services.

Did you know that you can actually find out when your car is due for it’s MOT renewal by checking on the Gov.uk website? This is great for people who are forgetful or even misplace their MOT certificate.