This week’s Book Club choice is The People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry. If you are looking for a fun summer read, this is it!!! Its a NYT Best Seller, and an Oprah Magazine pick.
Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2021 by Newsweek ∙ Oprah Magazine ∙ The Skimm ∙Marie Claire∙ Parade ∙ The Wall Street Journal ∙ Chicago Tribune ∙ PopSugar ∙ BookPage∙ BookBub ∙ Betches ∙ SheReads ∙ Good Housekeeping ∙ BuzzFeed ∙Business Insider ∙ Real Simple ∙ Frolic ∙ and more!
Two best friends. Ten summer trips. One last chance to fall in love.
From the New York Times bestselling author ofBeach Read comesa sparkling new novel that will leave you with the warm, hazy afterglow usually reserved for the best vacations.
Poppy and Alex. Alex and Poppy. They have nothing in common. She’s a wild child; he wears khakis. She has insatiable wanderlust; he prefers to stay home with a book. And somehow, ever since a fateful car share home from college many years ago, they are the very best of friends. For most of the year they live far apart—she’s in New York City, and he’s in their small hometown—but every summer, for a decade, they have taken one glorious week of vacation together.
Until two years ago, when they ruined everything. They haven’t spoken since.
Poppy has everything she should want, but she’s stuck in a rut. When someone asks when she was last truly happy, she knows, without a doubt, it was on that ill-fated, final trip with Alex. And so, she decides to convince her best friend to take one more vacation together—lay everything on the table, make it all right. Miraculously, he agrees.
Now she has a week to fix everything. If only she can get around the one big truth that has always stood quietly in the middle of their seemingly perfect relationship. What could possibly go wrong? – Amazon.com
To for more information or to purchase this book, click HERE.
Father’s Day is just about a week away and we are celebrating Dad with some fabulous choices from Castaway Nantucket Clothing. I choose to partner with them for Dad’s special day because I love their classic style and the quality is incredible. The fabrics and fit are much better than many of the other men’s casual wear companies.
Castaway Nantucket Clothing has a deep history in making menswear for generations. You might be familiar with their shop Murray’s Toggery on Nantucket, home of the “world-famous” Nantucket reds. On a side note, I bought a pair for my husband 25 years ago, before we were married and he still wears them to this day!!!! Honestly, they still look amazing and really got better with age.
Andrew and Matt are the fourth generation of the Murray family and started Castaway in 2005. Their original signature embroidered pants and shorts are still a best-seller today.
I am so happy to have been able to partner with this fab company. Here are some of my favorite picks to brighten up Dad’s special day.
I think the embroidered flags are my favorite
These Mahi Mahi shorts are so much fun..perfect for the fisherman in your life!!!! Also Father/son is avaialable too!!!
The world-famous Nantucket Reds..
I have never purchased the shoes but they are on my list for my husband’s birthday next month!!!!!
The Nantucket Red Blazier is a show stopper!!!
This quarter zip pullover is my husband and son’s favorite..in this color too!!!!
And they have some cute ladies clothing too!!!!
Nylon vs leather, which is better? The finished products of both bags look elegant but depend on your needs since they vary in some ways. Leather bags are made from animal hides which are processed, cleaned to remove hair and debris. Then, mix with chemicals to either soften it for fashion or harden it for travel purposes.
Leather bags are fashionable, durable, and quite strong. On the other hand, nylon bags are basically flexible. Nylon makes good travel bags and wallets. They are relatively cost-effective compared to leather bags. Moreover, they come in different forms and colors. However, when you want to purchase a quality bag, it is vital to consider the following factors.
Comfort
When purchasing a bag, the most important factor to consider is its comfort. You don’t want to get a bag that will hurt your back. You will use it often, and the worst could be injuring yourself. Look for a bag easy to carry, with a comfortable backside, shoulder straps, and padding. Some bags are designed with comfortable back panels, optional hip belts, and padded shoulder straps, which help distribute the body’s weight. The padded shoulder straps should be adjustable to allow the bag to comfortably sit on your back and reduce straining and back pains.
Durability
Everyone wants a quality bag. No one can withstand the humiliation of carrying a bag that is susceptible to tears. You can get a heavy-duty bag made from strong nylon material. Leather bags might drive up the bag’s price if you wish to purchase, especially when you don’t have enough cash. Both materials are worth considering, but it depends on your pocket. Moreover, check the sewing and thread materials. Ensure the bag has double stitching, and check out what you should carry with the bag not to overload it.
Protection
Weather can sometimes be harsh when you least expected it. You need a bag that is somehow waterproof and with padding to protect delicate equipment like electronics from getting damaged. For example, bags made from nylon are sometimes semi-waterproof. Such a bag can protect the contents you’re carrying in emergency cases.
Size
To get a perfect size bag is necessary. You need to select a bag that is proportional to your body. It should fit the items you intend to carry. The right-sized bag needs to have the right torso length. Also, it needs to have a comfortably snug grip on your waist or hips. You need to realize that the majority of your bag’s weight is supported by your hips. Therefore, make sure you have a bag adjustable hipbelts that you can adjust to fit your required size.
Your activity needs
When you are selecting the bags, look for the right design that meets your needs and purpose. Ask yourself; is the bag comfortable to fit all necessary utilities you need? Can you carry around with ease all day long? Will weather changes affect it or destroy your utilities inside? These questions will help you in determining the best bag to buy that caters to your specific needs.
If you’re not familiar with the term, an “influencer” is someone who has a large following on social media. They’re followed by swarths of fans who regularly view their content and respect what they have to say.
In this way, they have influence over specific groups of people. That isn’t to say that this is a negative sort of influence, only that influencers have a good deal of respect in their respective niches.
Another thing that’s great about influencers is that their influence is so specific. Typically, an influencer is an expert in some kind of field. Whether it’s beauty, outdoor exploration, video games, skateboarding, or any other topic that humans have an interest in, there’s probably an influencer that has a decent following in that field.
This gives you the ability to reach out to influencers in your field and use them to help you expose thousands of interested customers to your product. For marketers, an interested audience with a respected endorsement is invaluable.
If you’re having trouble finding great influencers to work with, we can help you out with some more ideas. You can find a complete guide to influencer networks if you wish to learn more.
How to Connect with Influencers
Your goal should be to find influencers who most directly speak to your target audience. If your business is closely related to their field of expertise, there’s a good chance that they will agree to use you as a sponsor.
It’s also important that they respect your business and are willing to get behind your message and product.
Your agreement should include a particular set of specifications to include your product in their content. Decide how many pieces of content you’d like to be spotlighted in, what kind of spotlight you’d like, and how much each instance of exposure will cost.
Then create a payment agreement that you can work with the influencer on. Typically, they’ll have specific rates for each sponsorship and you might have to adhere to what they say on that fact.
Remember, influencers have created a career for themselves that they can direct however they please. They have nobody to answer to, and odds are that there are a lot of companies that would be happy to sponsor them.
Once you’ve got the agreement laid out, your business will be supported by a respected member of your target audience. That endorsement can do a great deal for your business, especially if their content features themselves using your product and uses a call to action for followers to make a purchase.
It never hurts if you include a discount code for references, either.
Need More Marketing Help?
Getting more business through influencer marketing is easy if you can manage a great campaign. If you’re having trouble finding great influencers to work with, we can help you out with some more ideas.
Explore our site for more ideas on digital marketing and how to get your business to see better results.
Considering buying a house? This is great news! By buying your own home, you can gain a lot more control over your life, as you aren’t worried about potentially having to move properties every time a tenancy or lease comes to an end. You will also find yourself investing in something that you get to keep for yourself, sell later down the line or pass on to loved ones. Of course, buying a house is no minor step. Your home tends to be the biggest asset you spend money on in your lifetime, so you’re going to want to take the process seriously and do what you can to get the best house you can for your money. Here are a few steps that can guide you along this path and help you experience success in your house-buying journey!
Determining Your Budget
When you start seriously considering making the move from renting to buying, you are going to need to know how much you can realistically spend on your house. Having a budget will give you insight into what you can afford. This will then give you the freedom to start browsing houses and seeing what you might be able to get for your money. There are a few different ways you can determine your budget, but those outlined below provide a good place to start out!
Use a Mortgage Calculator
Next, you need to know how much you need to save. This is where mortgage calculators come in useful. When you use a mortgage calculator, it will take your income and essential outgoings into account. It will then determine what is a reasonable mortgage amount that you’re likely to be approved for. There are plenty available online and the majority are free to use, such as tdsr.
Consult a Financial Advisor
Of course, mortgage calculators are a tool that can work well if you input information completely honestly and openly. But a financial advisor will be able to get to know you better as a person, including details concerning your field of work, your job security, your spending habits, and more. All of this information can then be drawn together to conjure up a long-term financial forecast for you. This can help to make a truly realistic budget that you are much more likely to stick to and live happily with. Sure, financial advisors may cost more, but often, they’re worth the investment.
Saving Your Deposit
Once you know how much you can spend on your home, you can get an idea of what kind of mortgage deposit you’re going to have to save. Generally speaking, mortgage lenders expect anything between a 0% deposit to a 20% deposit. Remember, the bigger a deposit you put down, the smaller your monthly mortgage payments will be. So, often, people like to put down as big a deposit as they possibly can. Now, saving a deposit is easier said than done, but here are some tips that can help you to achieve your goal in the best time possible.
Clear Any Outstanding Debt First
The first step you need to take before starting to save your mortgage deposit is to clear any outstanding debt that you may already have. At the end of the day, it doesn’t make sense to save when you already owe money out. By clearing your debts, you can avoid interest payments and funnel this money into your savings instead. Being debt free is also likely to help your mortgage application, as your lender will be able to see that you manage your finances responsibly.
Reduce Spending and Maximise Saving
Once you’re debt free, you’ll have a new slate and can start working towards your goal of saving your mortgage deposit. Now really is the time to start saving! But what steps can you do to maximize this skill and to put away as much as possible? Here are some suggestions that could prove pretty useful throughout this journey!
- Open a LISA – when saving a mortgage deposit, you’re most likely best off putting your money into a LISA, or lifetime ISA. Put simply, this is a high interest savings account that will help you to save your mortgage deposit. Not only does it offer you a space that is separate from your personal finances to save your money in – preventing you from dipping into it – but you will gain interest on the money that is in your account too! This account has a high interest rate in exchange for you building up the money in the account without withdrawing, so make sure to read the terms and conditions surrounding making withdrawals before depositing your money. If you don’t want to be fined for accessing your money if you need it, you can look into other high interest savings accounts with more flexibility.
- Earn Money Online – remember that there are countless ways to earn extra money around your salary online. This means you can work your regular hours and then make some extra cash alongside what you earn from your usual job. Consider setting up an eBay store to sell on old or unwanted belongings. You could start up a freelance role and complete projects on a remote basis for a client or agency.
- Request Overtime – if your workplace allows for overtime, you may want to consider booking some in. By putting in some requests for extra work andb by taking on the extra extra hours on offer, you can significantly increase your income, giving you more disposable income to put aside for extra savings towards your deposit.
Once you’ve completed these steps, you’ll have your deposit saved, you will know how much you’re planning on spending overall and you can start getting in touch with estate agents to begin the official house hunting process. These are exciting times and, hopefully, some of the information provided will help you to get your hands on the house you truly want!
Every other summer I feel like I need to buy a new set of beach towels. I searched the internet for some of the best towels for the Summer of 2021. Here is what I found…I really like them all. It is tough to narrow it down…I love the look of a striped towel but some of these prints are looking so nice too!!! Decisions…Decisions!!!
These striped towels come in a bunch of colors and in a set of 6!!!
These green palm design towels are FAB…If you are wanting more of a print…
I really like the look of this Missoni dupe. It is very glamorous!!
Dying over this gorgeous Ikat print…
This tie-dye stripe version is beautiful..love the color combination…
This pattern is very Beverly Hill Hotel…might be my fave so far!!!!
I like the idea of a wavy stripe…very different and also great colors!
This is a great classic stripped towel from Amazon.
My friend had a bunch of Turkish towels by her pool. They looked fabulous!!
