How To Boost Your Self Esteem In Time For Christmas

Christmas is a time for celebrating with those that you love, and appreciating those that you have around you. Quite often this entails meeting family and friends out and about, or even being invited around to one and others homes. If you’re not feeling at your best and you’re lacking self esteem, the idea of being around lots of people might seem daunting and quite frankly, put you off the idea of attending. Rather than sitting at home and missing out on fun festivities, take a look at these great ways you can boost your self esteem in time for Christmas.

Do a detox and reevaluate your eating habits

Self esteem problems often stem from the way your body looks, and problems in this area often arise from a poor diet and not looking after what you’re putting into your body. Doing a detox can help flush out toxins from your body, leaving your hair, skin and nails looking healthier, and also help you lose a few pounds in the process. Detoxes often consist of cutting out carbs, sugar, and junk food for a week or two so that your body can get rid of any nasties lingering. Once you’ve allowed your body to detox, take a look at these tips on how to maintain your refreshed body and begin changing your eating habits:

• Learning to listen to what your body actually wants is the first thing you should concentrate on. Quite often, people mistake thirst for hunger and end up overeating. When you’re feeling hungry, have a glass of water and wait ten minutes and if you still feel hungry, you know it’s time to eat.
  
  

• Serving smaller portions will help prevent overeating too. Perhaps using a smaller plate might help trick your mind into thinking there’s more!
  
  

• Eat slower so that your stomach can communicate with your brain. It takes time for our stomachs to let the brain know that it’s full. Eating slower means that you’ll feel more satisfied sooner and again, prevent overeating.
  
  

• Preparing healthy meals when you have free time will prevent you from turning to junk food after a long day.

You will find that following these tips will help you retrain your brain and reassess the way that you treat your eating habits. Many people also find that they no longer crave the sugary fatty foods they were eating before because they have learned to listen to what their bodies actually need!

Freshen up your look

It’s all too easy to stick with a familiar style that you know works well for you and quite often, it can lead to an outdated style. Meeting up with friends and family that always look lovely with what they’re wearing can easily make you feel self conscious, so maybe it’s time to freshen up your look. Here’s a few tips on how to do this:

• Dress for your body shape - trust us, it works!

• Add accessories to help vamp up an outfit and make it seem classier.

• Make sure you’re wearing clothes for your size. Quite often people buy a bigger size to hide their bodies. This can lead to adding pounds onto yourself that aren’t there!

• Opt for a more formal dress sense rather than casual, especially if you’re going out with family and friends. Luxus-Marken have a wonderful range of men and women’s shirts that will class up any outfit.

Declutter your home

If it’s your turn to host a Christmas event this year, then you might be feeling self conscious about your home compared to everyone else's. You don’t need to spend endless amounts of money to make any kind of home look respectable and make you feel more confident about showing it off to family and friends:

• Hide personal things such as washing in a dedicated room such as the spare room or utility room. It helps declutter your home and show off what you’ve built!

• Getting rid of clutter and things that are no longer used is a great way of giving your home a fresher, more modern look.

• A lick of paint on the walls, doors, and skirting boards can bring them up as good as new! Alternatively, running a damp cloth over scuffs on the walls can help freshen them back to normal!

• Adding homely touches such as scatter cushions, throws, scented candles, and rugs will help your home appear more welcoming.

Take a trip to the salon!

So you’ve gotten yourself a brand new outfit or two and you can’t wait to show it off at Christmas time? Why not complete your look by taking a trip to the salon? A fresh haircut, new nails, and threaded eyebrows can really help sharpen up your new look! Plus, it’s a great way of boosting self esteem and letting out some pent up stresses!

Drink more water!

Finally, upping your water intake will help make your hair, skin, and nails look healthier and stronger. Not only that, you’ll be flushing even more toxins out of your body, all while feeling more alert during the process! Aim for the recommended 2 liters of water a day, and if you’re struggling, why not try a water bottle that tracks your water intake so that you know you’re getting enough!

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5 Reasons to Build a Bike Online

Gone are the days when a physical store was a must for purchasing a bicycle. Now, with online stores everywhere, your dream bike is just a fingertip away from you.

Buying a bike has now become so easy, you can just click your screen and quality will be delivered to your doorstep in a few days. Some of these stores come with direct-to-consumer sales; which means there will be deeper levels of intimacy between the buyer and seller, and also offers a great DIY customization experience.

You Understand What you Have

The best thing about building a bike online is that you know exactly what you will be getting. You can essentially build a bike online that you always wanted as you can add as many new parts as you wish. With motorbikes, you understand how the motor is placed, how much power is being transferred from the battery to the motor, and how the brake lever wiring works. Putting a bike together guarantees that you have a proper sense of how all the parts works.

You Can Fix It

A benefit that comes with building a bike online and understanding it fully is the things you learn while putting the bike together. Putting parts together and replacing them will be easy enough for you after building your bike. If you want to replace a gear, for instance, since you attached the motor yourself, the task should not be a big deal. Or, you can watch informative videos on how to properly take specific bicycle brand parts apart.

You Choose What you Want

With building a bike online, you have the complete control of whatever colors you would like to see on your bike frame, the quality of chains, tires, rims, lighting quality and others.

With building a bicycle, the first thing you will get to choose is the frame. The frame design, material and build will play a huge part in determining how your bike eventually turns out. The wheels, tires and handlebars are just added bonuses. After selecting your preferred frame, you have the options of selecting the ‘groupset’- the moving parts of a bicycle. You select brakes, wheels, tires, inner tubes and saddles, and then make the final choices of seat posts, saddles, stems and handlebars.

You Start with Your Preferred Bike

Of course, building a bike online guarantees you will make your choices for parts and components based on what you like, your needs and your ultimate aim. There will almost definitely be a sentimental attachment to a bike you build by yourself, and not just a store bought one. The bike would be unique to you in many ways.

You’ll Feel Good

Basically, building things comes with some levels of pride at what we can do. Building a bike online comes with an even greater sense of pride, because it would be yours. The quality and how it works out will boost your ego, and make you feel more capable.

If you plan on building a bike for professional commuting reasons or just for the fun of having a DIY project, you should definitely go forward with the idea. The rewards of your labor will be right before your eyes every day. If you are a woman, you can choose from some of the best bikes for women available online right now. 

 

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A Lobby To Welcome You Home

The list of what to look out for during an apartment hunt can seem never ending. You probably attend each viewing with reams of paper reminding you about things like location and the quality of the view. The more bases you cover, the less chance there is of landing in an imperfect living situation, right?

But, despite a world of preparation, many of us forget to consider one crucial thing; the entrance lobby. It wouldn’t even cross many of our minds to spare this a thought. You aren’t buying the lobby, after all. Surely the apartment should be more important?

When you break it down, though, that lobby is the first thing you’ll see when you arrive home. It’s the first impression your guests will form of where you live. Hence why many landlords go all out by investing in expensive floor tiles, and even contacting aluminum canopy manufacturers to provide an entrance to come home to. The grander the entrance, the better the prospects. With that in mind, you may want to start your next viewing appraisal before entering the potential apartment. For proof of things to look out for, consider the prowess of these top New York lobbies.

The Galleria, 117 East 57th Street

From the moment you set eyes on The Galleria, it’s clear to see that this complex has something to shout about. This entrance canopy ticks all the boxes. Things only improve as you get closer, and spot the iconic swooping glass entrance. Without needing to set foot in the building, it’s clear these apartments come complete with dreamy contemporary designs. What more could a property hunter ask for?

The Osborne, 205 West 57th Street

Many would argue The Osborne has the best lobby in the city, and it’s difficult to disagree. Built back in 1885, this couldn’t be further from the modern glitz you’ll find at the Galleria. Instead, this lobby will put you in mind of a stately manner. The gilded ceiling is only the tip of this lobby iceberg. You also have brownstone walls and traditional paintings galore. You could go as far as to say this is the dream apartment block for fans of Downton Abbey.

River House, 435 East 52nd Street

Of course, New York’s most impressive apartment building had to find its place onto this list at some stage. A pillared stone gate leads you into this beautiful lobby, complete with gardens and river views. The highlight, though, is the cloakrooms which you’ll find there for all your party needs.

The Plaza

Whether you recognize it for its iconic appearance in Home Alone 2, or because you’ve marveled at it many times; The Plaza also deserves a look-in. The lobby for this apartment complex is about as grand as you would imagine. Again, the entrance brings to mind a stately manner house. This image is only furthered by the iconic chandelier you’ll fail to miss when you walk in. How does that sound for impressing anyone you bring home?

 

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Does Selling Your Home Have To Be Such A Source Of Stress?

There are a lot of things in life that can be a major source of stress for a lot of people. From finances to work to your social life, the modern world is full of a whole lot of stressful things that can make life pretty difficult to deal with. However, there are very few things that can cause a more significant amount of stress than trying to sell your home. Moving, in general, can be difficult, with the stress of packing up and finding somewhere new, but when you combine that with trying to go through the incredibly complicated process of selling your home, it can become a waking nightmare. Of course, that's not necessarily the way that things have to be. There are plenty of things that you can do in order to make the whole process a little easier, even if they do take some extra work and careful planning. With that in mind, here are some ways that you can stop selling your home from becoming such a major source of stress in your life.

See the ultimate checklist here

Plan everything carefully

Planning in the most important thing when you're trying to go through a process as complex and potentially stressful as selling your home. You might feel like you're going to be able to wing it but, rest assured, this is the worst possible idea. Instead, think about how the whole process is going to work and try to figure out the best order to do things in and how long they're going to take. If you have a deadline that you're working to, having a plan can make your life a whole lot easier. Otherwise, you run the serious risk of missing details or forgetting things entirely which can often cause the whole thing to fall apart around you. Sure, there will always be things that happen that you can't plan for, but if you try to plan for everything else, then you're going to be in a much more secure position if something does go wrong.

Know who to work with

If there's one thing you should never, ever try to do, it's trying to sell your home entirely on your own. You might think that you'll be able to save money by avoiding things like real estate agent or lawyers fees, but doing that is almost certainly going to end up making your life more difficult than it needs to be. Plus, there are plenty of companies like Otranto Real Estate who can help you sell your house fast without huge fees on top. You also need to think about things like legal representation, otherwise, you could end up in a position where you're either misreading or ignoring important elements of the sale which can put you in a pretty precarious financial and legal position.

Share tasks among your family

When it comes to the actual process of moving out of your home, trying to do everything yourself might be tempting. After all, if you're doing it completely by yourself then you're going to be able to keep track of everything, no matter how much there is, right? Well, the truth is that it's a whole lot more likely that you're just going to end up getting buried under all of the stuff that you have to deal with. Rather than trying to take everything on yourself, share the various jobs out between your family so that you can all take care of things. Even something simple like letting the kids take care of packing away their toys can make a huge difference to the workload that you have to deal with. Not only that but you can cover a lot more ground a lot quicker if you've got a few extra pairs of hands helping out.

Keep notes

Then again, it's not going to matter how many hands you have on deck if you're not able to keep track of everything that's happening. When you're buried under piles and piles of unmarked boxes with no idea what's supposed to go where it can be enough to make you want to curl up into a ball and give up. The best way to avoid this is to keep detailed notes on everything that you pack up so that you know what goes where. Not only should you have the boxes clearly marked on all sides but it's also a good idea to set up something like a spreadsheet which can allow you to keep track of what items from the different rooms have been packed up. That way, you're going to be able to look at it at know exactly what stage of the process you're on at any given point.

Budget carefully

There are a lot of costs involved in buying a home, but a lot of people tend to forget that there are often just as many involved in selling a home as well. Because of that, it's important that you keep a careful budget so that you don't end up spending more than you can afford. After all, things like real estate fees, as well as the cost of moving companies and storage, can often add up a lot more quickly than you might expect. Keep a clear budget and update it every step of the way.

Of course, it's important to remember that no matter what you do, there are still going to be things that could go wrong or things that could make your life more stressful. The truth is that you've got to be ready and willing to put in the effort and not just leave things to the very last minute. Hiding your head in the sand and trying to ignore all of the difficult aspects of selling your home is just going to end up making everything a whole lot more difficult in the long run. No matter how difficult or stressful things might get, trying to ignore them is just going to make your life more unpleasant in the long run.

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Have a listing you think should be featured contact us or email at Jeremy@offthemrkt.com to tell us more! Follow Off The MRKT on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

The Most Indulgently Beautiful Places To Live

You’ve worked hard. You’ve taken the risks to develop your business. You’ve managed to get to the top of your industry. You’ve made investments that make sense and are now reaping the rewards. You have come into funding through your own effort, or perhaps good sense and circumstance. In any case, you deserve to enjoy your funding through a wonderful living situation. Anchoring yourself somewhere beautiful is one thing, but some of the most beautiful places in the world? Why on earth not?

But first, you need to know where the most beautiful places to live are. You needn’t be a millionaire to live in some of the following locations, but there’s no doubt that the following locations emphasize quality, beautiful societies, and a demographic makeup of pure intrigue and gorgeous historical merit.

Consider the following places in our home buying guide:

Bahamas

The Bahamas are known for not only the pristine and idealized geography, the gorgeous, crystal clear water and the white gold beaches, but also a perfect sense of spacial design, allowing Bahamas real estate to take on a luxury feeling while also offering enough access to well-meaning tourists. The balance of tourism trade and residential comfort is perfected in the Bahamas, and living here could truly be considered one of the most beautiful places to relax on Earth.

People enjoy coming here to escape the heavy bustle of the inner-city and once again get an appreciation for the beauty of sunny environments, wonderful culture and perhaps the most down to earth people they can encounter. There’s a reason why when asked their intent after hypothetically winning the lottery, most people will tell you they’d lay back in a chair sipping a margherita, lost in the Bahamas with nothing but their surroundings to support them. That sounds pretty amazing to us.

Paris

The city of love is known by that moniker for a recent, a real palpable feeling of romance floods the city streets here. But why is that? Is it because people are too loose and expressive here with one another, when really they should be a little more considerate of the people near them? Of course not. Paris, the hub of all Francehood, is known for its dilligent apprecation for the arts, and the care of its creative community. Sensational food, historical preservation, artistic enterprise, theatre, dance, film, all of it lends itself to a feeling of observation and representation, of appreciation and care. How could that not be romantic? Renting an apartment in the hub of the city, or perhaps purchasing a gorgeous home on the outskirts not only gives you access to a wonderful and routinely cherished location, but helps you thrive in the heart of this community, impress a lover throughout any stage of the relationship, and celebrate life in a manner that is seemingly only accessible by that secret French beauty.

These two places can provide you with internal and external beauty, a sense of real comfort and a gorgeous, neverending cycle of activities to take part in. With this in mind, you’re sure to enjoy your new surroundings completely.

Have a listing you think should be featured contact us or email at Jeremy@offthemrkt.com to tell us more! Follow Off The MRKT on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

Festive Finds To Dress Up Your Next Open House

By Shaunna Redman

Make your open house the talk of the town this fall. These must have items from Wayfair and Anthropologie will help you stand out against other homes and allow you to feel festive. Liven up your open house this fall with these must have items.

This Brass Wine Rack from Anthropologie is the perfect piece to add to your kitchen for your fall open house. It will show potential residents how great your space will be to host a get together. The color is perfect for fall as it corresponds with golden apples and the golden leaves. Add some bottles of red wine and sparkling wine to the rack to add to your fall flair.

 This Striped Glass Pumpkin from Wayfair will turn any of your rooms festive. The pumpkin is completely handmade using mouth blown glass. The orange and brown colors combined throughout the pumpkin bring the feeling of fall inside.

Consider adding these Recycled Table Vases from Wayfair to your home to bring the rustic feel of fall indoors. Not only does these vases allow you to add your own personal fall flair, they will also help you brighten up the space where you have them placed.

This Tufted Patricia Curtain from Anthropologie offers a small touch of fall for those who don’t want to go very big. The curtains in ochre offer deep red and orange dots against a white background to offer a modern and chic look for your room. These curtains are perfect to show potential residents how homely your house is.

Bring the feeling of the beautiful outdoors indoors with this Willow Leaf Semi Flush Mount from Anthropologie. This light fixture will give you the ultimate fall feeling with the addition of making your room brighter.

Dress up your sofa with this Sarepta Beaded Pumpkin Cotton Throw Pillow from Wayfair. Not only will this pillow provide you the festive feel fall has to offer, it will also provide you the comfort you’re looking for.

Add the smell of fall to your house with these Mini Capri Blue Jar Candle from Anthropologie. The scents include pumpkin clove or spiced cider. The candles come in a decorative jar that will further add warmth to your living space.

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3 Ways to Celebrating Your Anniversary in Style

It doesn’t matter if this is your first, fifth or tenth anniversary together - you should be able to celebrate your time together properly. There are many ways to do this, though, and some of them are small and intimate while others are large and festive.

Choose whatever suits your personality better, and you’ll definitely look forward to your next big anniversary. Look into planning an activity to spice up your date night out. One great activity is a paint and sip session with Pinot & Picasso.

Here is a handful of great ideas on how you can do it to trigger your imagination. While some of the ideas below costs a bit more than others, you can always tweak it to work for the two of you.

#1 Plan a special picnic

As outdoorsy people, you’re going to love a romantic meal out in the open air. Pack a picnic basket fully equipped with a large blanket, some meals that are perfect for picnics, a bottle of wine or champagne, and an extra sweater for each of you in case it gets chilly.

Try to plan the picnic somewhere scenic and see if you’re able to time it for the sunset to make it even more romantic.

You might want to bring a Polaroid camera to have a couple of old-school and charming pictures to look back on where you’re all cuddled up and cosy on your picnic. If you’re particular outdoorsy, you can always make it a hike or spend the night out in a tent together.

Just remember to bring warm clothes, though, as the cold might make it less romantic and more uncomfortable during the night.

#2 Recreate your first date

This is a favourite to many people for a reason; your first date together might have been a grand meal somewhere fancy or it might have been a pack of instant noodles in your campus dorm - it doesn’t matter as long as it feels romantic to you.

Try to cook up the same meal you had on your first date, but consider making it a bit more fancy than that pack of noodles. Serve it up as a starter for jokes, for example, and dazzle him or her with a home cooked meal afterwards to show how far you’ve come.

You can always just cook his or her favourite meal as well, though, and watch your favourite movie together afterwards for an intimate evening. It doesn’t cost much either, and you’ll be able to do exactly what you enjoy: spending time together. If you’d like to add a special touch, you can find some jewelry repair services that can repair or restore any sentimental jewelry pieces on your first date. It’s a great way to celebrate your relationship and your special moments.

#3 Spend the night out

While it’s great to be home and do the things you’re used to, it’s also nice to experience something new. Treat your special someone to a night at the Mirabelle Inn, for example, to make sure you’re properly pampered and that the evening feels special. It’s the kind of stuff you’re going to remember for a while to come, and you’ll definitely look forward to your next big anniversary.

Anniversaries are a celebration of the time you’ve spent together, and how you prefer to do it is, of course, up to you. Let these tips inspire you to find the perfect date for the two of you, and consider yourself the perfect partner.

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