July 2022

Come Spring, the Preppy Look’s Back In

It’s the trend that keeps popping in and out of our lives, and now it’s back one more time. But these days you don’t have to have a rich ma and pa or have attended an excellent, expensive school to get the preppy look – it’s all about what you wear, and the attitude you’ve got to go with it.

It’s not all about sneering or snobbery, a true preppy may look unapproachable or have an icy demeanour, but would never be rude or look down on others – it’s just so d?�class?�. Preppies know what they like and they love the classics: timeless pieces that can be worn again and again. Some garments may be n the expensive side, but think about it: it’s an investment. Can you really put a price on looking fabulous? Key brands include Tommy Hilfiger, Lacoste, J Crew and, of course, the king of prep Ralph Lauren.

With the preppy look, the devil is in the details. Starting at the very bottom, the favoured shoe styles for any proud preppy would the flat ballet pump or the boat shoe. They’re instantly recognisable symbols of preppiness and never go out of fashion. Keep the colours plain. Gaudy patterns simply won’t do.

Working our way up to the bottom half, it can only be a skirt for the ladies or, if you’re feeling adventurous some plain Bermuda shorts or khakis. Again, keep your colours muted and respectable. Your style should be a whisper, not a shout.

The polo shirt is the staple piece of any self-respecting preppy’s uniform. The general rule is basic, basic, basic. Plain colours are best, and make sure it fits you well. If you want to be a little more formal, an immaculately ironed, crisp, clean dress shirt in a flattering fit is the way to go. White, baby pink or light blue are the must-wear colours, and you can always be a little more adventurous and go for a striped shirt, but keep it low-key.

To keep warm, a cardigan is essential for the warmer months, or a carefully draped pullover around your shoulders. The perfect finishing touch is the preppy blazer. Forget garish stripes and on-trend colours; only sleek and sedate navy blue will do.

Accessorising well is second nature to most preppy devotees. A tote bag will set off your outfit perfectly and a canvas version from legendary LL Bean will make you stand out as true preppy. Add a skinny or ribbon belt to your look in a navy and white or navy and red stripe is about as jaunty as you’re allowed to get. For the ladies a headband is a nice touch, but, aside from a small bow, it should be as plain as possible.

When it comes to jewellery, classy and antique are the buzzwords. You don’t have to dig out the family heirlooms, but source some vintage items to stay on-style. Think pearls, bracelets and even a tasteful brooch. Like everything preppy, it pays not to overdo it – ‘understated’ should be your mantra.…

When Planning Your Barcelona Trip, You Do Not Have to Bother About Expenses

If you are keen on planning a Barcelona Trip but are worried about the costs of things, you can plan a budget trip and have all the fun you want in Barcelona. Barcelona caters for all budgets and no matter how big or small yours happens to be, you are in for a great time.

You do not have to spend a fortune to have a ball

There are so many things that you can do to make your trip to this place a great one, without having to spend a fortune. A good idea to start off on a budget is by booking your tickets very early.

If you do so, you will be able to avail of the best possible deals and promotions that are available to early bookers. Now that you are off to a good start, you may wonder how you can cut down on costs while you are in Barcelona.

Transportation can be a cheap affair

Transportation would of course depend upon the amount of time that you intend staying. If you are staying for a week, you might as well rent a car because it can save a lot of your daily transportation expenses.

On the other hand if you are staying for just 3 days or less, you need just simply hop on the bus or take the metro and enjoy the commute time. As Barcelona isn’t the biggest of cities, travel times are reduced and everything is within a stone’s throw, as it were.

Get the card that saves you money

You could also get the Barcelona Card, a card that is designed to save you money. With this card you will get to enjoy lots of freebies and discounts to many tourist destinations. Here are some of the things you get with the card:

• You will get discounts at 8 different shops plus 3 different nightclubs and bars.

• You can avail of up to 3 free leisure activities.

• You get up to 10%-50% discounts to other museums.

• Up to 12 free trips to museums like CosmoCaixa, Jardi Botanic among others.

So you see, the Barcelona Card will save you both time and money and you will get to see a lot of this majestic city into the price. Barcelona has a lot to offer and you will be back for another trip I am quite sure.

Now you do not have to worry about expenses when you are planning your Barcelona Trip.…

Cheap Online Shopping

Finding cheap online shopping bargains nowadays is part art and part know-how. Once you acquire the know-how, the art will come naturally, and you’ll never want to pay full retail prices at brick-and-mortar stores again.

One of the first things you’ll learn is that a big part of finding cheap online shopping bargains is knowing how to do a little quick-and-dirty research on whatever product you’re planning to purchase, or class of products, be it clothing, furniture, office supplies, or even a generic category like Christmas gifts.

The best starting point is a review website – but use one of the truly objective ones, not the kind that pitch products in return for affiliate fees (there are thousands of those out there, often advertised in Google’s “sponsored results” column with headings like, “Don’t Buy Until You Read Our Reviews”).

Probably the most reliable product review sites are , , and . Just enter the product you’re shopping for in the website’s search box and, presto! — back come a number of consumer reviews. These should help you considerably in selecting the specific brand names of products you want to buy. Next comes price research. Where can you get the best prices on those selected brand names?

Well, there are also comparison sites for this, too, believe it or not. The best known – and also probably the best — are , , and . There are a lot others, of course. But these have the great virtue of being objective – they don’t accept payment from manufacturers for their listings.

By spending a little time on these sites comparing prices, you’ll probably be able to save some serious money compared to what you’d pay in retail outlets. Try it – you’ll see why online shopping is taking off in the US.

Rebates and Coupons

You can save even more by using rebates and/or coupons. With rebates you purchase a product, submit a claim and get some of your money back. But will rebates be available on your particular product? It may be, no matter what it is. Try checking out . Just enter the product’s or manufacturer’s name and see if anyone is offering rebates on it – simple as that.

Another good strategy for finding cheap online shopping bargains is using coupons. It’s not like the kind of tedious hassle you often witness in supermarket check-out lines, when people hold up the line while they riffle through stacks of clipped-out coupons. Online you don’t have to deal with actual coupons. Rather, you get coupon codes. Then when you order the product from the online retailer, you enter the coupon code and get your discount. To find out if any coupons are available for the product you’re shopping for, go to .

Overstock Sites

Overstock sites represent cheap online shopping at its cheapest! You can save a bunch of money by using these sites if you know what you’re doing.

Overstock and wholesale items can be bought online in either of two ways, in bulk or as single items. If you’re an eBay aficionado, buying in bulk (also called bulk liquidation buying) may be the way to go if you’re looking for a source of merchandise to sell at auction. In this case, a good online source for you is .

But if you don’t need a hundred smart phones or file cabinets, and are looking to purchase just one item at a time, try or .

Still another possibility to consider is specialty wholesale distributors– here you’ll find rock bottom prices, but the catch is it’s not always easy to find a specialty distributor who deals in the specific product or products you’re interested in (e.g., shirts, luggage, computers, whatever.) and is willing to sell to the public (as opposed to a retail outlet). The best place to start your search is with a directory that lists wholesale distributors. The major wholesale directories are , , and .

Happy online shopping!…

Basic Guide to Neighborhood Shopping

There are different stages involved in the home buying process, including budgeting, applying for prequalification, filling out loan applications, and so on. One of the most important part of house hunting is neighborhood shopping. This means that you don’t only have to look for the right house, but you also have to find the right location and community. Before you decide to purchase a particular house for you and your family, there are other factors that must be considered aside from the size and layout of the property or the community. Here are some factors that you need to look into when neighborhood shopping.

Safety And Security

When checking out the neighborhoods and communities, it is advisable to look into their security and safety. For instance, you need to check for any of the following safety features:

Are there any streetlights and sidewalks?

Are the main roads easily accessible?

Are children safe on the street while they wait at the bus stop or when they ride their bike?

In addition, it is also a good idea to visit the local police station and inquire about any important details surrounding the neighborhood. You can even check the neighborhood’s crime rate to make sure that you are not going to stay in a place where you or your family members are at risk. It is also advisable to look for communities with a neighborhood watch. This way, you can be assured that the members of the community are taking part in ensuring the safety of the neighborhood.

Quality And Accessibility Of Schools And Other Establishments

If you have children, it is vital that the neighborhood is located near schools. If so, you need to visit the school and do some research. You have to determine whether the school’s standards are high enough to ensure high quality education for your child. When visiting the schools, you need to pay attention to their safety features, the cleanliness of the school, and the behavior of the students. As an additional tip, you can also ask the parents as well as the local business owners about their opinion regarding the schools in the community.

Aside from schools, you must also determine the neighborhood’s proximity to other important establishments, such as offices, hospitals, shopping districts, public transportation, church, and so on.

Surrounding Community

Once you have found the neighborhood that meets your standards and needs, you have to consider its surrounding community as well. You must determine whether the neighborhood is near smelly factories, unpleasant businesses, or busy main roads. These factors are essential since it might affect your decision. Remember that if you decide to purchase the property- with less desirable homes and surrounding communities, then sell it in the coming years, you might have a hard time finding a buyer for your home.…

Shopping For Baby Gifts Online

If you will access the available online resources, you will surely find that it is indeed possible to shop at home and still find the best baby gifts baskets in just a few clicks.

It is indeed possible to do your shopping and not leave anywhere anymore just by logging on the web these days. To get started, you can log online and simply type the corresponding keywords in your favorite search engine. In minutes, thousands (or even millions) of related results will already be right before your eyes.

You can then begin browsing different websites that have extensive collection of baby products displayed in their gallery. Adorable collections of baby boy gifts are always accessible through the internet and you will surely have fun visiting the sites of the online sellers. The online archives they have also includes many other adorable baby products that come in affordable prices and you might also want to check them out. It really goes without saying that many of these sites are considered now as a useful tool that brings great convenience for any shopper that wants to find the best baby products. What’s more, comparing the prices offered by different brand names can be done very easily and this could be perfect for anyone hoping to get the best savings.

Giving baby gifts baskets have truly become more fun and easy these days. By placing your orders online and giving all the required information, your gift will already be delivered to the addressee in just a few days. These offers are definitely very hard to resist that’s why you should absolutely take advantage of all these available benefits. This gives you the guarantee of having your gifts delivered safe, secure and on time – avoiding any hassles that you may encounter along the way. As if all that wasn’t enough, the ordered products will also arrive wrapped in pretty packages and that will surely delight anyone who opens it.

You can surely gain the best advantages if you rely on the online resources for all your needs when it comes to baby boy gifts. With the low prices and excellent services being offered, you can surely bet that these online providers for baby boy gifts should always be your main choice.…

Pre Holiday Christmas Shopping Gifts

There is a way to get your entire Christmas gift shopping out of the way before Christmas. You have 11 months to prepare for December the easy way. Unlike all the people who wait until month of December the week or day before Christmas.

Sit down in January when the family and the gifts are fresh in your thoughts and make a list then for the gift items to look for. Some types of gifts are seasonal and you might want to quickly, pick those up shortly after the holidays for the next year.

Now that you have your list made each time, you go shopping simply pick a person on the list to add to your shopping for the gifts this year. This way you can take your time and shop at leisure for the one person. This helps take the hurry up and get it done feeling away. You’re much more relaxed and can concentrate.

Once you have found the perfect Christmas and or birthday or whatever gift you may need for that year for that one person. Simply mark a line threw the name.

Then the next time you go shopping do the same thing with the next person on your list. Repeat this until all the names are, completed and you are done. This is the easiest way to prepare for the next holiday and or birthdays, anniversaries or any event. Much less, stress and more time to choose just the right gift or gifts.

You can even use this method for the holiday preparations as well then all you will have to worry about when December comes is preparing the foods and your family.…