If you are planning a wedding reception, birthday bash or anniversary party, consider hiring a professional DJ to supply the music. A professional DJ offers reliability, top-quality equipment and sound, excellent musical variety and experience acting as master of ceremonies.

Reliability

As an event planner, you have enough to think about without wondering if the friend who has agreed to provide music will show up on time and be ready to go. If you hire a professional DJ, on the other hand, you can count on reliability.

Barring some uncontrollable emergency, a professional DJ will arrive on time, set up his or her equipment efficiently, and be ready to go when the event starts. Professional DJs have set up their systems many times and will not get in the way of other event preparations. Your DJ will also be available to meet with you before the event for any last-minute instructions and requests, and you can trust your DJ to remember what you say and put it into action when the time comes.

Top-quality Equipment and Sound

Professional DJs have top-quality equipment that makes your favorite music sound excellent. Your DJ will likely take a look at your venue before the event to make sure he or she uses the proper speakers for the size and layout of the room. Your DJ will also check for sound quality, making adjustments as needed so the music is crisp, clear, and just the right volume. No one at your event need be distracted by muffled lyrics, a too-heavy bass line, or ear-piercing high notes. A professional DJ knows how to use an equalizer to properly balance the sound so the music will be spot-on every time.

Musical Variety

A professional DJ can offer a wide variety of music. He or she likely has access to more artists and songs than you and all your friends put together. That said, though, you should check with your DJ before the event if you have particular requests. Make a list of wedding reception songs, for instance, that includes favorites of the bride, groom, and wedding party, or a list of birthday party songs that reflect the tastes of the guest of honor. Your DJ probably already has these songs available, but if not, he or she can work to access them before the event rather than scrambling at the last minute. Throughout the event, your DJ will provide a balance of musical styles and tempos designed to keep your guests tapping their toes and dancing the whole time.

Master of Ceremonies

Finally, hiring a professional DJ gives you the added bonus of having a master of ceremonies who can direct your guests through your event with charm and efficiency. Give your DJ a schedule beforehand, and ask him or her to take charge of announcing special dances, speeches, cake-cutting and other activities. A professional DJ is also adept at handling music requests from guests and keeping the entire event running smoothly, and this means less stress for you.

Whatever kind of party you’re hosting, then, consider hiring a professional DJ for reliability, quality, variety and peace of mind.

I recently became OBSESSED with the new site The Ann Park Collection. The page is full of vintage and modern Objets d’Art & Animalia that bring a home to life. From Antique Staffordshire to Majolica, and Paintings…The Ann Park Collection has gifts of all sorts for loved ones who love animals. Here is just a sampling of some of the fabulous items you might find when visiting the online shop HERE. And there is still time to get any of the beautiful Ann Park merchandise for Christmas via local delivery!!!!!

Winter is not just about fun and festivities. It is also the official cold and flu season, so you have to be extra conscious about your health. The pandemic makes it even more crucial as you cannot let your guard down. The best bet is to double up on safety measures to protect yourself and your family from the coronavirus and every other virus around. Make sure you take ordinary germs seriously because sickness lowers your immunity. Thankfully, you need not do a lot to survive the flu season. Here are some actionable tips you can rely on.

Bolster your immunity with the right lifestyle

A healthy lifestyle gives you a head start with beating the blues of the flu season. It begins with a balanced diet comprising warm, fresh, and nutritious foods. Pick seasonal fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and probiotics. Avoid sugar and processed foods as they can disrupt gut health and make you sick. Physical activity also boosts your immune system. Work out with thirty minutes of moderate activity at least thrice a week. 

Stay warm inside and outside

Warmth is your best defense against cold and flu, so make sure you are warm inside and outside. Wear ample clothing to keep the cold wind at bay. Covering your hands, feet, and head is important. Avoid going outdoors unless it is necessary. Warm drinks like coffee, tea, and broth are good for avoiding colds. You can double up your defenses by sipping herbal teas and immunity-boosting concoctions. 

Keep up with your vaccination schedules

According to experts, the single best way to avoid getting sick during the season is to get your flu shot each year. Everyone must have their vaccinations, but it is crucial for pregnant women, children, the elderly, and immuno-compromised individuals. Early autumn is the best time for vaccination, though it is not too late if you miss it. Check with your healthcare provider to ensure that you get a vaccine that covers you against the currently active strains. 

Avoid stress and insomnia

Immunity does not depend only on food, exercise, and vaccines. Stress and inadequate sleep can hit it hard. Measures like meditation, deep breathing, and aromatherapy can help you steer clear of stress. The holidays coincide with the flu season, and late nights are common. Make conscious efforts to clean your sleep schedule during the season. Avoid staying up too late, ditch your gadgets, and follow optimal sleep hygiene.

Fight germs with good hand hygiene

Keeping flu at bay is also about fighting germs, and you can do it with good hand hygiene. Following the hand-hygiene rules are easier than ever as you will probably be habitual with frequent hand washing and sanitizers by now. Also, clean the surfaces and avoid high-touch zones as much as possible. The habits can double up your safety against COVID infection as well. 

Surviving the flu season is not as daunting as you imagine. You have to do your bit to ditch the germs around and enhance your immunity. A strong immune system will do the rest. 

Cannabis has long been rumored to support the flow of creative juices and that’s probably why you might find a number of people swarming recreational Seattle dispensaries trying to get their hands on it.

For a long while, the use of cannabis has always had some sort of stigma attached to it as it had been classified as a drug. However, with more cities legalizing its medicinal and recreational use, there has been an increase in the number of businesses supporting the adoption of the use of cannabis into the local communities.

With more acceptance of cannabis use amongst individuals and increased accessibility, a lot more newbies within the creative community have their interest piqued trying to figure out if cannabis is what they really need to get out of their funk and finally get some work done.

Famous successful individuals are on record describing that they indulged in the use of cannabis and it yielded positive results for them thus creating a need to experiment for people who look up to them. We’ll look at notable examples that have promoted the cannabis boosts creativity theory.

Steve Jobs, famous for Apple products and groundbreaking innovative technology, in his biography written by Walter Isaacson revealed that he used Marijuana as well as other drugs in the 1970s and that the effect that it brought to him was relaxation and a creativity boost. Having been considered a genius in his field, his expression of this belief created a powerful lasting impression especially on young people who felt stuck in a rut.

Another notable mention is Tara Wells, a Californian based producer that has won the coveted Emmy award for the production of The Amazing Race tv show, who in her own words described Cannabis as something that makes you feel good emotionally, physically and spiritually and that it heals people and it allows the ego to soften, so acceptance and creativity are more present in the user. Seeing her immense success throughout time, it only seems logical that more and more people buy into the creativity story that has been woven and cemented within the creative community.

Within the music sphere, cannabis has always been regarded highly with many musicians claiming that its use enables them to access a creative space that would otherwise be out of reach. Throughout generations, there have been those who have not been shy to express their love for cannabis and have candidly let the world know that they use it. Some obvious examples are Bob Marley, a famous reggae musician who was seen to smoke even during his live stage performances, and in more recent times, Snoop Dogg, a US-based rapper that has been open about his use of the drug.

Perhaps the words of Adrianigual, a US Latino musician would be able, to sum up, the feeling that cannabis evokes in musicians. He said, making music with cannabis is more fun because you lose touch with reality and are able to laugh more at yourself and therefore create with ease.

In his words, he continues to say that it allows you to get in touch with your mind and have a higher degree of concentration that would have otherwise been challenging to attain.

Even with all the goodness that is expressed about creativity and cannabis, admittedly artists attest that there are numerous occasions where they have experienced instances where they go back to a body of work that they were creating while under the influence and get completely lost and have no understanding about what it is that they were talking about at that particular moment in time.

Creative Thinking

To have a better understanding of creativity, it is important to understand what it is. Creative thinking can broadly be subdivided into two major categories, divergent thinking, and convergent thinking. Divergent thinking is a spontaneous and free-flowing process that leads to the generation of many ideas as a solution to one problem. Convergent thinking on the other hand is as you have assumed, the total opposite of divergent thinking. It focuses on the use of logical reasoning to arrive at a singular answer to an identified problem.

Whilst understanding the correlation of cannabis to creativity, the belief is that it aids greatly in divergent thinking, which creatives believe is paramount to the achievement of their success in their respective fields.

Contrary to popular belief, recent studies have also established that convergent thinking is just as important as divergent thinking in the creative process. The ability to converge all the ideas derived from divergent thinking into a specific execution-able idea to a very large extent determines the degree of creativity in a person.

The following study covered in this article seeks to define from a scientific point of view how cannabis impacts creativity so that you as a reader can make an informed decision whenever you’re thinking of leaning on it to spur your creative juices.

Seeking Creativity from Dispensaries Near Me

Those that are seeking to try out Cannabis for the first time in a bid to boost their creative juices are most likely going to get their information from the budtenders within the dispensaries. There are quite a few dispensaries near me where it is possible to definitely acquire information suitable for first-timers, but what does science really say about the correlation between cannabis use and creativity?

Studies carried out by renowned Clinical psychologist Gráinne Schafer have attempted to debunk the myth of cannabis use and its relation to creativity, and in this article, we shall explore those findings to help you our reader get a better understanding of it.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the interaction between schizotypy, divergent thinking (a measure of creativity) and cannabis use. Previous studies have shown that creative individuals have higher levels of schizotypy, so the study sought to confirm the effects of cannabis on it, and also affirm if it really boosted divergent thinking as claimed.

The study was carried out on 160 users, who were categorized into two distinct groups, those with low-level creativity and those with high-level creativity. The study consisted of a series of tests that were carried out when the participants were intoxicated and when they were not intoxicated. The tests that were carried out were;

1.   Verbal fluency task, a divergent thinking related task that sought to show how many verbal responses a participant was able to give out in a span of 1 min for a given letter.

2.   Category fluency task that also falls in the line of divergent thinking that sought to find out how many responses a participant was able to achieve in a span of one minute for a given category.

3.   Remote associates test. This test consisted of a set of 16 triad words that were provided to the participants who were then tasked with generating a word that related to a particular task. This particular task was given a time range of 4 minutes.

After measurement of the results, these were the findings.

1.   The individuals who were considered low in creativity had their performance significantly boosted in the verbal fluency task that was carried out in relation to divergent thinking when they were intoxicated to the extent that they were almost on a similar level to those with high creativity. When not intoxicated, the low-level creativity group’s performance was less than impressive when compared to the high-level creative group.

2.   In terms of the category fluency task, the individuals falling under high-level creativity outperformed the low-level creativity group in both instances. This result was attributed to the fact that despite both tasks being related to divergent thinking, they were moderated by different parts of the brain. The verbal fluency tasks tap into the area of the brain that is designed to undertake individual mental tasks. The use of cannabis can trigger the release of dopamine into the mesolimbic pathway, which is a part of the frontal cortex, and this is probably the reason why intoxication creates significantly boosted results in a group of low-level creativity. The category fluency task on the other hand taps into the lower lobe of the cortex, sitting close to ear level within the skull. With this regard, it is highly likely that the high creativity group naturally has enhanced functioning in the temporal cortex in comparison to the low creativity group and this may not be affected by cannabis use, and therefore intoxication or not, they will score highly on this task.

3.   The remote associate test also resulted in high-performance scores being registered by the high-level creative group in comparison to the low-level creative group in both instances. This test however also showcased an unexpected result in the high-level creative group. When the performance for before and after intoxication was measured for the high-level creative group, it became clear that the scores reduced after intoxication. Being that the remote associate test covered convergent thinking, it became evident that the use of cannabis negatively impacted convergent thinking which definitely has implications on the overall creative thinking process for an individual. Whilst divergent thinking helps one generate a number of ideas, convergent thinking ties it all together and helps one settle on the best idea.

From this study, it’s quite evident that creativity and cannabis use isn’t as simple as it has been made out to seem. There are certain aspects that the use of cannabis has been determined to positively contribute to. In terms of loosening up an individual and allowing them to let go of their inhibitions and therefore being able to relax and thus easily churn out ideas, that has been seen to be a proper advantage derived from the use of cannabis.

On the other hand, the negative impact that is experienced with regard to convergent thinking may result in the lack of connectivity between the number of generated ideas and therefore the overall ability to solve an actual problem.

Conclusion

It is important to be aware of the THC levels that are appropriate for consumption when the goal is to stimulate creative juices. The use of Delta-9 THC has very powerful effects that may lead to adverse reactions such as heightened anxiety and you may end up missing out on the actual intended effect that you had desired to experience in the first place.

Seattle dispensaries are well known for having experienced budtenders who will guide you on the appropriate cannabis that you should be consuming depending on your desired goal. If you’re looking to get your feet wet, their work will be to ensure that you don’t drown and that you actually get to enjoy the experience and decide whether it’s something that you want to do many times over, or if it was a one-time occurrence.

Everyone is different and has a different tolerance level. Ensure that you have done adequate research that involves finding out the amount that works for you professionally. Coupled with this scientifically-backed research in this article and that very important piece of advice from your experienced budtender, it is now left to you to figure out for yourself whether cannabis helps you unlock your creativity or not.

There are so many cannabis-related products that are on offer for various tolerance levels and that come in different forms. The landscape is so different from what it was a decade ago and with the internet, information is literally at your fingertips. Gone are the days that you would need to benchmark with your friend who you know is a seasoned user. You can absolutely get a tailor-made solution that works for your taste, for your tolerance, and for the type of activity that you need to use it for.

It is also important to be aware that sometimes the things that you may subject yourself to incorporating into your daily routine may eventually refuse to let you stop using them. As you slowly reap the intended effects, you should also be ready and prepared for the occurrence of unintended effects.

Go Through Customer Reviews

Before buying any product online or offline, read customer reviews first to understand what people think about it. It will provide you with valuable insights concerning whether they like it or not and why they feel that way. This way, you’ll know exactly what to expect when using it yourself.

Decide Whether Digital or Analog Is Better for You

Analog alarm clocks are the traditional type that uses needles indicating the time of day. On the other hand, digital alarm clocks display clearly where numbers can be seen. While analog ones are cost-effective and classic, digital models have several useful features such as projection, radio, or USB charging ports. The choice is yours to make.

Check If It Has a Snooze Function

Do you love to sleep? Of course, you do. However, this may not always be possible, especially when you have an important meeting in your office or seminars at school, thus forcing you to reveille matin. For this reason, check whether your prospective purchase comes with a snooze button so that you can delay waking up without changing its settings.

Look Out for Auto-Dimmer

Many alarm clocks come with built-in lights which are bright enough to make you wake up when it’s still dark. However, some people turn this feature off when they want to rest in complete darkness. For this reason, choose an alarm clock with the ability to automatically dim its light so that you can sleep at night without being disturbed by them.

Is It Loud Enough?

This is perhaps one of the most important things to consider when shopping for the best alarm clock. After all, how would you feel if your alarm clock woke up your loved ones instead of yourself? Also, check whether the noise is pleasant because nobody likes unpleasant sounds. With these two factors in mind, it’ll be easier for you to make a decision.

Battery Or Electric Powered?

Alarm clocks come in two types of power: battery and electric. If you’re the type, who forgets to charge things often, then a battery-powered alarm clock would be best for you. However, if you have easy access to an electrical outlet, go for an electrically powered alarm clock. This way, you don’t have to worry about running out of battery juice at the worst possible time.

Price

Last but not least, set a budget before going shopping for an alarm clock. This will help narrow down your options and make it easier to choose the best one that fits your needs and pocket.

With the tips mentioned above in mind, you’re sure to find the best alarm clock for yourself in no time. Do some research, compare prices, and read customer reviews before making your purchase.

With the advancement in technology, many alarm clocks are available on the market today. Many of them come with interesting features which can be quite useful to their users. However, for this reason, it has become increasingly difficult to choose the right one which matches your needs perfectly. Therefore, here are several tips to help you get the best alarm clock ever:

Go Through Customer Reviews

Before buying any product online or offline, read customer reviews first to understand what people think about it. It will provide you with valuable insights concerning whether they like it or not and why they feel that way. This way, you’ll know exactly what to expect when using it yourself.

Decide Whether Digital or Analog Is Better for You

Analog alarm clocks are the traditional type that uses needles indicating the time of day. On the other hand, digital alarm clocks display clearly where numbers can be seen. While analog ones are cost-effective and classic, digital models have several useful features such as projection, radio, or USB charging ports. The choice is yours to make.

Check If It Has a Snooze Function

Do you love to sleep? Of course, you do. However, this may not always be possible, especially when you have an important meeting in your office or seminars at school, thus forcing you to reveille matin. For this reason, check whether your prospective purchase comes with a snooze button so that you can delay waking up without changing its settings.

Look Out for Auto-Dimmer

Many alarm clocks come with built-in lights which are bright enough to make you wake up when it’s still dark. However, some people turn this feature off when they want to rest in complete darkness. For this reason, choose an alarm clock with the ability to automatically dim its light so that you can sleep at night without being disturbed by them.

Is It Loud Enough?

This is perhaps one of the most important things to consider when shopping for the best alarm clock. After all, how would you feel if your alarm clock woke up your loved ones instead of yourself? Also, check whether the noise is pleasant because nobody likes unpleasant sounds. With these two factors in mind, it’ll be easier for you to make a decision.

Battery Or Electric Powered?

Alarm clocks come in two types of power: battery and electric. If you’re the type, who forgets to charge things often, then a battery-powered alarm clock would be best for you. However, if you have easy access to an electrical outlet, go for an electrically powered alarm clock. This way, you don’t have to worry about running out of battery juice at the worst possible time.

Price

Last but not least, set a budget before going shopping for an alarm clock. This will help narrow down your options and make it easier to choose the best one that fits your needs and pocket.

With the tips mentioned above in mind, you’re sure to find the best alarm clock for yourself in no time. Do some research, compare prices, and read customer reviews before making your purchase.

Insomnia is one of the biggest problems suffered by teens and adults globally at the moment. The pandemic, job stress, education model, and many other factors have led everyone to be stressed continuously, affecting the quality of sleep and bedtime. If you’re looking for a solution to help you sleep better, considering CBD oil or tincture can help immensely. This blog will explore the benefits you can reap from just a few drops.

1. Release of undue stress: 2021 has been a very stressful year for many, and you may not even know the pressure you are under. Work and life have gotten challenging to balance, with an overall feeling of uncertainty looming over. Passive stress by observing the news and global events can also be a driving factor for insomnia. Taking a few drops of CBD oil or the prescribed dose of CBD tincture from buymellow can help you level out stress and get some much-needed rest.
2. Relaxes muscles: Tension bunches up in muscles depending upon person to person. However, there are zones where you might feel physically uncomfortable with sore and bunched-up muscles or even experience chronic pain. Such occurrences can be random or triggered, causing broken sleep and irregular cycles. CBD and tinctures are known for their healing properties and can gently help your muscles relax, promoting the necessary blood flow to heal. As a result, sleeping will not be a dreaded event anymore.
3. Eases nerves: There can be many reasons for your nerves to get the best of you, be it night terrors, sleep paralysis, traumatic events, or deep-seated phobias. Many therapists can help you overcome these triggers, which would also prescribe CBD tincture or oil drops to calm your mind and activate the parasympathetic nervous system to help you rest and digest.
4. Mitigates anxiety: In the last two years, we have been hit with a mountain of adversities ranging from a full-blown pandemic to natural calamities, economic depression, and personal losses. The anxiety of the unforeseen future and ongoing events can lead to loss of sleep or poor sleep. If you have insomnia due to anxiety or depression, help is available. Prescription grade CBD has shown tangible results in helping patients manage their symptoms well and get the rest they need to take their minds off overdrive mode.
5. Improves your circadian cycle: We don’t blame you if your sleep pattern seems to have been messed up by 2020 and lockdowns. Many people are still struggling to correct their sleep timings and hence can’t fall asleep, wake up on time, or get quality REM sleep. Using CBD tincture or oil can help you improve your bedtime by helping you establish a routine. After a while, you will no longer need it to induce sleep since there contain no addictive properties.

Wrapping Up:

Getting a good night’s sleep can do much more than help you feel well-rested. Your body performs all the repairs, detoxification, and maintenance as you sleep. This is why sleeping better also improves your overall health and mental outlook. We hope you try out CBD oil and experience the change for yourself.