Tuesday, December 1, 2020

5 Wildlife Gift Ideas Reviewed

bird in a tree
Bird In Tree By Raintree Annie
It is wonderful to buy a gift that will be appreciated and be of use and joy to the receiver long after the day it is given. 

If your loved ones are interested in wildlife or like gardening with wildlife in mind here are some beautiful gifts they will enjoy for a long time. 

These gifts are perfect for helping our wildlife and give hours of happiness and interest to your loved ones. They will enjoy watching the birds, carefully observing the many insects and spiders and learning about the fascinating world of wildlife. 

Many of these gifts are suitable for children to seniors and will keep on being of interest, not just when they open the gift but for all year long.  Here are a few ideas of wildlife gifts from my own experience.

1. Insect Or Bug House. 

These are fantastic for attracting all manner of insects and spiders. You simply hang it up in a sheltered spot away from winds in the garden and ideally about 6-7 foot high. I find it is ideal to place an insect house near a pond if you have one, or a hedge or trees or a mixed flower bed. 

You will know that you are providing a lovely home for all manner of insects such as lacewings, ladybugs and butterflies that will make it their home or resting place and often provide beneficial activities for the garden in terms of predating and pollinating. 

Gardeners will love it as it will attract beneficial insects to help them in the garden and anyone interested in insect life will appreciate being able to observe the bug hotel filling up! I have one and although it takes a little while for the insects to know it is there once they find it they move in!


 A lovely gift for a young child interested in bugs through to an adult gardener. 


2.Wildlife Books

A wildlife book for a child just starting on the discovery of nature is a beautiful and thoughtful gift. When introducing children to the fascinating world of wildlife you want the book to be fun educational and interesting.

 A book like this can be the very start of a lifelong love of nature and wildlife that will bring joy, understanding, fun and interest to children and develop a deep love of wildlife and conservation that can last a lifetime. A beautiful thoughtful and truly giving gift.

If gifting to an adult a beautiful wildlife book gift is Kate Bradbury's "The Wildlife Gardener."I have given this book as a gift myself and it was very well received. I then ordered another one for myself it was so good! You can read more about it in Diary Of A Wild Country Garden Why I Bought The Wildlife Gardener Book Twice! 


3.Bird Bath 

One of the most important things we can provide to wildlife is fresh clean water. It is essential for birds to drink every day and bathe to clean their feathers every day for their good health. 

In towns and cities especially, birds need birdbaths with fresh clean water in as many gardens as possible. If you have a birdbath in your garden you will attract a wide variety of birds all year round and once they know it is there it is likely to become very popular!

Our birdbath has bird visitors from robins, sparrows, blue tits and blackbirds to name a few every single day all year round!

This is a fantastic gift for many people from the enthusiastic birdwatcher, to anyone who simply enjoys watching the antics of the birds, to the bird photographer who can gain many opportunities to take amazing photographs of birds in action at the birdbath throughout the year.

Many of these birdbaths are also very beautiful decorative pieces for the garden.


4. Bird Feeders Station
 
Especially in winter but really all year round birds need additional food to help them survive. A bird feeder set will be lovely to look at, help the birds and give immense pleasure all year round to anyone who loves birds and enjoys watching their antics or learning more about them.

 Great if a young birdwatcher is learning about how to identify different birds as they will visit birdfeeders again and again and with luck will attract a wide variety of birds to learn about.

For anyone, it is beautiful to spend some relaxing time simply watching the birds and often getting to know regular visitors.  I can spend hours simply watching the birds without realising how much time has gone by! It adds interest to the day and a wonderful connection with our wild visitors.
 
A very useful addition to this gift is to give with a supply of good quality bird feed so that they can get started right away on Christmas day!    

There are various ideas and gifts for attracting birds to a garden along with various birdfeeder products in this post from Diary Of A Wild Country Garden Wild Birds Visiting Our Garden 

bird perched on a rail looking around
Baby Robin By Raintree Annie


5.Birdbox.

Many people like to attract wildlife to their gardens and a great way to do this is to hang up a birdbox. Smaller birds like bluetits often love to use these and I have had success in my own garden.

Anyone of any age interested in wildlife can spend ages watching the birds bringing in nest material and identifying them. If fortunate, they may see the baby birds fledge all the while learning more and appreciating wildlife!

Simply hang the birdbox in a sheltered shady spot far away from any birdfeeders or birdbaths so that it is not too busy or noisy for the nesting birds to raise their brood. Ideally, it should be sited in a place where it will not get too hot as this may be difficult for the baby birds to tolerate. 

Then it is a matter of waiting to see if you can attract a breeding pair and raise young in the garden. I feel it's a good idea to have bird nesting boxes in place by early January at the latest so that the birds have time to get used to a new feature in the garden and can assess it long before nesting time. 

It is amazing to watch and highly educational for young people and a real pleasure at any age. 
 


Whichever gift you choose for your loved one, if they love birds and wildlife they will love the thoughtful nature of your gift to them. 




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Monday, November 30, 2020

Reviewing Fragrance Oils from Bramble Berry

 I have recently begun making my own soaps. While making soaps, I've started to purchase fragrance oils and I am already learning which fragrances I prefer. Which fragrance oils I can depend on. Bramble Berry is quickly becoming my favorite fragrance oil supplier.

Reviewing Bramble Berry fragrance oils 


Bramble Berry Fragrance Oils

I discovered Bramble Berry while looking for video tutorials related to soap-making.  They have a channel with many tutorials. I learned that they also offer supplies: molds, fragrances, oils, and more. Initially, I continued ordering supplies from Amazon - based on fragrance rather than brand or supplier.

One shipment from Amazon (from one of "these sellers") arrived and despite seemingly being packaged adequately (including bubble wrap) the oils had leaked making both a mess and triggered a migraine from the over-powering scent.

Other fragrances I've ordered work great in Melt & Pour soap recipes, but end up loosing strength in the cold process soaps I'm learning to make.

So far, the fragrance oils from Bramble Berry have been wrapped so that they don't break or leak during shipping. The lids are taped (or shrink wrapped?) to ensure they do not leak. These fragrances are rich-smelling and as described. The Bramble Berry scents remain through the saponification process (when the lye and oils turn to soap while some of the other scents I've used have weakened to the point of creating a nearly unscented soap.

The Bramble Berry fragrance is immediately one of my favorite oils. I have a cold process wine soap loaf curing now. The apartment smells divine. The Bramble Berry site describes this fragrance as:

"It is a sweet scent of bergamot, blackberry, raspberry, peony, honeysuckle, and violet leaf. Notes of white woods, golden amber, and musk add complexity and depth"

Even if you aren't interested in making soaps, people use fragrance oils for a variety of things: lotions, home and office oil diffusers, cleaning supplies, vaporizers, candles, and more.  

Pros:

  • wonderful, rich scents that smell as described
  • scents that remain through the saponification process; creating wonderful scented soaps
  • a variety of fragrances to choose from
  • packaged to prevent breaks or leaks
Cons:
  • compared to Amazon prime's very quick delivery, receiving an order from Bramble Berry takes longer (but delivery is within the time frame given).
  • some of the packing (padding) materials are large in size and while they are printed with recycle symbols, it seems like a lot. (Then again - I'd complain if the bottles leaked during transit wouldn't I?)
If you are interested in learning more about Bramble Berry, visit their website.

Related Link: Bulk Apothecary (Nature's Oils) on Amazon

When I MUST have a fragrance a few days sooner than Bramble Berry can pack and deliver, I do order with confidence from Amazon. But only when I order from the Bulk Apothecary Amazon store. They offer a "Nature's Oils" line of fragrance oils. 

My favorite scents from Nature's Oils are the Cinnamon, Orange, Clove and the Roasted Oatmeal Stout.





Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Sunday, November 29, 2020

Why I Love Grammarly Premium and Why It's Worth the Investment

Why I Love Grammarly Premium

Last year I decided to tackle several bucket-list items. One of those items was writing and publishing a poetry book, which led to self-publishing a full series of originally written riddle books. Yes, I know, it's crazy that I can write riddles - but, yah, it turns out I can. Weirdest skill ever.

At any rate, this article isn't specifically about my books. You'll find several articles I've already written on that topic posted below. Instead, this article is about one of my favorite paid premium tools, Grammarly. 

By the way, Grammarly doesn't have a referral program, so everything I'm typing here has nothing to do with receiving a commission from them - This is just a straight review of what I love about it.

Grammarly Premium - Your Own Writing Assistant

I originally used the free version, but after writing several books, I decided the Grammarly premium features were worth it. Grammarly's ability to capture wordiness and make alternate suggestions is one of the most useful writing tools. It gives you a better-worded sentence to choose from. It's my favorite feature. 

Here's a brief video explaining Grammarly's artificial intelligence: Viewing Via Mobile? Here's the Link.



When your brain is tired, Grammarly Premium is like having a personal assistant. Grammarly installs on your browsers and shows up on everything you're typing online, even Facebook posts. In fact, as I'm typing this right now, there's a "G" at the bottom of this post tallying up better writing suggestions.

Grammarly Has a Tone Detector

This is a fantastic feature. When writing, the mood we think we're conveying may not actually be conveyed on the screen. Grammarly's mood detector lets you know how your writing is coming across; confident, joyous, formal, friendly, optimistic, and so on. This video provides a brief outline of the tone detector: Viewing via mobile? Here's the link.



Install Grammarly on Your Phone, Microsoft Office, and All Your Browsers and Other Devices

You can also open Grammarly and post passages, paragraphs, and so on directly into the program. That's very handy indeed: When I'm writing a riddle book, I always copy each riddle into Grammarly (opened on a second screen) to double-check for typos or other errors. Since I use Libre-Office to write my riddle books, I haven't installed Grammarly directly into it yet. However, I'm sure that's coming. 

You CAN download Grammarly directly into Microsoft Office. Also, if you prepare documents using Google Documents, Grammarly automatically works there as well. Essentially it provides you with the ability to correct anywhere on any document on your device. Are you viewing via mobile? Here's the link.



If you haven't used Grammarly yet, give the free version a try, then upgrade if you feel it's something that would serve you well. In terms of pricing, as of this date, the annual fee for Grammarly Premium is $139.95. Here's a link to Grammarly Premium outlining the service and features.

If you're thinking about self-publishing your own books, here are additional articles I've written on the subject to date.

Introducing My Latest Self-Published Riddle Book - Volume 6 Released November 24, 2020

By the way, I ended this article by checking Grammarly's tone detector; it said the post sounds 'friendly'. :)





Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Saturday, November 28, 2020

Dog Christmas Cards

As a dog lover I love seeing dog-inspired Christmas cards and as a Zazzle affiliate I know I'm not alone as I sell quite a few dog-inspired Christmas cards every year.


Selection of festive Christmas cards for dog lovers
Card designs by Christmas Holidays on Zazzle



My most popular dog Christmas card features a pug, but this year I've sold quite a few dalmatian Christmas cards designed by fellow Zazzlers.

If you're wondering what this Zazzle is that I speak of then let me tell you about it.   Zazzle is a website where designers from around the world can upload their designs to various different products such as cards, t-shirts, mugs even yoga mats!

Buying something from Zazzle means you are helping a designer to provide for their family.   Some people 'Zazzle' alongside a 'day job', others do it alongside being a stay at home parent, yet more people do it as they have a disability that means they are unable to work outside of the home.   A few are able to survive solely on their Zazzle income.

I have brought a few products through Zazzle and I have always loved their quality.   You can see a selection of dog-inspired Christmas cards on this site - Dog Christmas Cards - from a selection of different designers.

Check out how I created my popular Pug Christmas card on this post - designing a pug Christmas card.

Here's a collection of my own dog-inspired Christmas cards that you can find on Zazzle:





Something else that I love about Zazzle is that you can personalize the cards - many people will upload their own dog photos to send out with their cards or even write a verse for the cards. Have you ever used Zazzle for any products?    I would love to hear about your experience.





Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Friday, November 27, 2020

Deluxe Spicy Shelf for Spice Organization in Kitchen Cabinets or Pantries Reviewed

Spice Organization
Two years ago, I added gripper clips to my cabinet pantry door for easy access to the spices I use most often. They are truly fabulous and convenient. However, I still had dozens of spices, seasonings, baking extracts, powders, etc. tucked away and often lost in the depths of my pantry.  

I've had a carousel tray on the top shelf of my pantry to at least keep the spices all together, but the small containers somehow managed to flip off the carousel and get lost.  Or worse, they would keep the carousel from turning and cause an avalanche of spice containers.  Of course, that always happened when I was cooking and trying to find something quickly.

My son often heard me complain about my pantry cabinet and spice organization.  This past Mother's Day, he surprised me with the Deluxe Spicy Shelf.  I was thrilled!  I had never seen one before, but the picture on the box looked totally awesome and perfect for my needs.  Then, I opened the box!  Yikes!!!  The number of pieces to assemble my new deluxe spicy shelf intimidated me immediately.  I set the gift aside to construct "later".  Even I didn't realize "later" meant 5 months later.


Assembling My Deluxe Spicy Shelf

Deluxe Spice Shelf
Knowing the holidays were fast approaching and I would soon be seeking out those least often used spices, I set aside an afternoon to assemble my much needed organizer shelf.  With no small amount of dread, I opened the box once again.

Imagine my utter shock that it took me less than 30 minutes to assemble the shelves, remove the content from my pantry, and set it all back in completely organized, easy to see and so much easier to find a specific item.  I was so giddy that is was all accomplished in so little time that I considered putting it all in alphabetical order.  I stayed my hand there though because I wanted the things I would need for Thanksgiving toward the front.  Extra, unopened spices went to the back, but I can easily see them!  

As you can see in the photo below, I even found a great use for my carousel.  It has been serving me for so long, I didn't have the heart to toss it.

Spice Shelf

Because my cabinet pantry is so deep, I set one shelf in front of the other, instead of stacking them.  As you can see, that is perfect for me.  My short spices now tower over the taller bottles.

Because I have a few economy size spice bottles, I set them just in front of my carousel.  They are very easy to lift out and grab what I need from behind them.  No more tearing the cabinet apart to find one small bottle.

Spicy Shelf Organizer


 Spicy Shelf Deluxe - Expandable Spice Rack and Stackable Cabinet & Pantry Organizer (1 Set of 2 shelves) - As seen on TV Deluxe (Spicy Shelf Organizer)Check Price

 



Read More Product Reviews On
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House of Sylvestermouse






Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Thursday, November 26, 2020

Thankfulness in 2020

 

autumn tree


In this crazy year we call 2020, it is easy to find lots to complain about, but I would like to take a few minutes to reflect on those things for which I am thankful.  Won't you join me?

Family and Friends

I am very thankful for my family and friends.  During times when we couldn't get together we have family and good friends who have stayed in touch by phone call, texts, and emails.  At the beginning of April my husband and I spent 12 days in the hospital and we never missed a day without hearing from so many people that are near and dear to us.

Now that we are home, and our health is good, these friends and family continue to contact us.  When the weather was good and we could sit out on our deck with masks and social distancing our friends would join us.  We had several small groups gather and it was wonderful to see people.

My next door neighbor is working from home and we are able to take daily walks in the fresh air.  We often go to a park near our house.  I am thankful for Teresa.  Sometimes we bring our cameras and take photos along the way.

fountain grass and trees

bench surrounded by autumn leaves



Technology

I am very grateful for technology this year.  It has allowed us to connect in ways we otherwise couldn't.
  • We have live streamed our church services every Sunday on our TV and it has been a great comfort to worship in this manner.  



church sanctuary decorated for Christmas

  • Our church has increased online opportunities for Bible study and for prayer services.  They are available on Zoom, Facebook, and You Tube.
  • Zoom allowed us to have visits with our doctor while we were safe in our own home.
  • Zoom also allowed my photography club to meet so we could share ideas and connect with each other.  I had never used Zoom before and it has certainly been a blessing this year.
  • We also did a Zoom call with our family for my husband's birthday.

  • Books

    I have always enjoyed reading books, but this year I am particularly thankful for the opportunities that a book brings.  Here is a quote that I think is very fitting.

               Reading gives us someplace to go
               when we have to stay where we are.
                             Mason Cooley

    Photography

    Hobbies are a wonderful thing to occupy your time.  I am very thankful for my hobby of photography.  It has certainly helped to keep me grounded this year and also to help me appreciate all that is beautiful in nature.

    I have had plenty of time to take online classes in photography and various software programs.  I have spent hours honing my skills and this has brought hours of enjoyment to me.  

    I have then taken the skills I have learned and visited "safe places" like my yard, my neighborhood, and nearby parks.  I am so thankful for all the time I have had to devote to my hobby this year.

    Here are a few of the photos that I have taken. 

    close up of ornament grass

    close up of red maple leaves

    autumn sky



    Today is Thanksgiving Day in the USA.  May you and your family have a blessed Thanksgiving.  May you take a few minutes to reflect on the things for which you are thankful.






    Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


    Wednesday, November 25, 2020

    Christmas Family Fun, Incredible Memories are Made of This-Gift Ideas

    That time of year is coming upon us very quickly now.  You know the one holiday that everyone has been gearing up for since the beginning of the month.  No, it's not Thanksgiving, although that is just a day away! Rather it's the holiday that features good Ole St. Nick, eight tiny reindeers, singing carols by candlelight and sharing our love for one another!  Christmas is just a month away!

    This is a gift and application review, to help make Christmas a little brighter for everyone!

    christmas teddy bear with red ornament
    Image by Susanne Jutzeler, suju-foto from Pixabay

    We all know that this year 2020 has been full of challenges and many missed opportunities to be with our families and friends.  Everyone is feeling kind of glum over restrictions that have been put into place to keep the spread of COVID down.  (Nothing beats staying healthy)

    But that doesn't mean that we can't still have our fun!  We just need to look at different ways to make our holidays special within the safety of our homes, while still sharing the joy!

    Many families will not be able to get together this year as they have in past years, but that is not a reason to give up on being with each other.  There are ways to still be in each other's presence without being "right there"!  ZOOM meetings can be arranged ahead of time, so that family in all parts can "tune in" at a certain time and share the excitement happening all around.  Just click on the ZOOM to download the application for PC's.  

    Just think of the fun you could have with everyone done up in their Christmas PJ's, sharing the morning eggnog with Gramma and Grandpa, Aunts and Uncles and Cousins who live far away. It can be done!

    Make it a plan that every family will join the ZOOM MEETING in their Christmas Pajamas. Set the time to meet and designate one person to extend the invitation to all other members of the family.  So that when you are all ready, it's a matter of joining the meeting and everyone will be able to see and talk to each other.  

    There is time on your hands right now to order the "Special" PJ sets for each family unit, so that on Christmas morning everyone is decked out in their finest matching Pajamas.  



    When the time is right, everyone will be online in their finest and ready to share in the fun.  I'll bet there will be more than one camera grabbing pictures of everyone and really letting the joy of the morning come through.  Matching pajamas can be had in many different styles and colors.  Christmas themes are everywhere and you can choose to mix and match within a family, or just match everyone in one family!  The fun is in seeing everyone donning their best Christmas outfit and being relaxed and comfortable at the same time.

    If PJ's aren't your thing, think in terms of Christmas sweaters or sweatshirts.  Some of these are very nice and other's fit into that "UGLY Christmas Sweater" category.  The choices are up to you and the fun is for everyone.  Getting everyone organized is the key.  

    Call or email your family members and get a consensus of what everyone would like to do, and then plan and execute the idea in a timely fashion.  Like right after everyone has had their Turkey!  

    Orders should be in before too long so that everyone who is participating can be ready for their Christmas debut flaunting their own special outfits.  

    When everyone is all decked out, make sure you take the time to get a good family picture and share it with your whole extended family where ever they may be.  Holiday times are the best and sharing pictures from year to year will make those memories even better.  

    I love the idea of being in my Pajamas, relaxed and cozy, while all the grandkids and other "bigger" kids are having a blast as well.  It's nice to be able to sit back and enjoy the fun and the smiles that are sure to be a part of this great holiday time.

    While we are called to take care of everyone, by staying within our family "bubble" safely, don't let Christmas pass you by without reaching out with every method possible to be with our loved ones.  


    happy holidays merry christmas banner



    Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


    Tuesday, November 24, 2020

    The Lost Vintage Book Review

    Ann Mah's The Lost Vintage: A historical and modern-day tale of French food, culture, history, love and of course, wine. My review here.

    I've visited World War II Europe in my readings on numerous occasions in books like Cilka's Journey, The Girl They Left Behind and The Nightingale. This month I revisited the era via Ann Mah's 2018 novel, The Lost Vintage. I enjoyed the trip though of course, the situation was not always a pleasant one. 

    The Lost Vintage travels between current day California and France and World War II France, where one family did as best they could to survive the German occupation. 

    Living on a prestigious wine domaine in the Burgundy region of France, they managed for a while to avoid drawing attention to themselves by keeping their heads down but eventually they were drawn into the war in one way or another. 

    The mystery that drags the current generation down in the modern day part of the book is whether or not members of the family were Nazi collaborators or members of the resistance.  The idea that our ancestors were on the right side of history is an interesting one that cannot be true for all of us.

    Because this book is well written, I had no problem switching back and forth between the different time periods. I was a bit less enthusiastic about the inclusion of the occasional French phrase, sometimes translated and sometimes not. I expect the French was included to give a French feeling to the book and translation is not necessary but I did find the practice intrusive.

    As the back of the book says, this story contains a mystery, a love story and of course, a history lesson.  It is packed with French food, culture and of course, wine. It is well written and it is easy to read. If you enjoy historical fiction, wine and/or reading about France, I believe that you will enjoy The Lost Vintage. You may even find yourself needing to read "just one more chapter", wanting to drink a bit of wine and desiring a trip to France.

    Without giving away the secrets of this book, I will mention that it deals with a little discussed part of the story of France. That is, what happened to French women when the country was liberated from the Germans. French women were often treated as traitors and found guilty without a trial by what was really mob justice. No allowances were made for varying situations like the difference between women who slept willingly with German soldiers and those who were raped. 

    This book comes HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me. You can buy your copy of The Lost Vintage from Amazon by clicking right here.

    See you
    at the bookstore!
    Brenda 

    The Boy in the Striped Pajamas movie reviewed.




    Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


    Monday, November 23, 2020

    Review: Liven Up Your Zoom Background With A Green Chromakey Backdrop

    Have you ever wondered how it seems everyone in a virtual meeting has THE perfect office as seen from the background of the camera. The perfect bookshelves, the perfectly clean office, the perfectly arranged room which shines from behind on the computer screen.

    It is an illusion. An illusion provided by a green chromakey backdrop ala the green screen we are used to seeing in the creation of movies with special effects. The green screen is now available for online meetings and the ZOOM platform does make it very easy to switch in and out your favorite background.

    Green Chromakey Backdrop

    As working at home is the new normal for many or for seasoned virtual workers, the Chromakey Green Backdrop is a great gift or stocking stuffer! This is the gift any virtual employee will appreciate and may not want to buy, but will love receiving.

    A gift certificate to iron (see below!) and install the backdrop would be an added bonus!

    How To Hang The Backdrop

    What is key for this backdrop is your iron! Yes, I am not a fan of ironing. But as noted by many of the over 2,000 reviews the backdrop must be free of wrinkles to work properly. Have you ever been in a ZOOM meeting where one person seems to fade in and out of their background? A wrinkle is probably to blame. 

    The illusion is slightly ruined when a face starts dropping in and out of the gorgeous window we thought?! was in the office. After the ironing is complete the installation of the Green Backdrop is very easy.

    Installation Tips

    Avoid breezes, fans, air ducts and heat return ducts! Air flow will create the same effect as a wrinkle. Viewers will suddenly find yourself in your actual room instead of the virtual background of your choice when the air conditioning or heat turns on.

    My green backdrop is now hung with an inexpensive curtain rod at the top of the wall. If you'd like to try out the backdrop first before investing in a hardware or putting holes in the wall then the backdrop can be adhered to a blank wall with painters tape. Again, the backdrop still needs to be ironed.

    chromakey muslin backdrop

    The permanent but portable solution is to purchase a backdrop frame on wheels. This looks similar to a rolling luggage rack and allows the backdrop to be easily moved from room to room or from desktop to a laptop in a different room. The backdrop does come with hanging clips for the installment option which works best for your virtual office.

    Where To Find Fun And Free Zoom Backgrounds

    Once your backdrop is ironed and ready to go then the fun can begin with shopping for backgrounds. A multitude of free resources exist to download backgrounds. Travel from the artic to the tropics to the office you wish you had! with the click of a download.

    A few favorites to shop for ZOOM backgrounds:

    Unsplash Sleek and modern

    Pexels  Huge variety from all parts of the world!

    Good Housekeeping  (Hallmark fan alert, there are Hallmark backgrounds!)

    and ZOOM 

    Shop around the web and find the background to make your virtual meeting just a little more interesting!

    Green Chromakey Backdrop





    Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


    Sunday, November 22, 2020

    5 Health Related Gift Ideas

    Review of 5 Health-Related Gift Ideas

    Especially during Covid times, health-related gifts are something to consider.

    Some people may have had enough thinking about Covid and prefer not to be reminded of it via gifts. However, these items are practical beyond this crazy time.

    Here's a List of Health-Related Gift Ideas

    Product Page Featuring the Items Listed Below Is Here

    1. A Pulse Oximeter

    We recently bought a pulse oximeter; it's similar to this one. Ours requires two AAA batteries. After watching endless news reports on how tracking your oxygen levels with Covid is wise, I decided we needed to have one on hand. According to medical experts, Covid may cause your oxygen levels to drop quickly, so tracking is important. Fortunately, so far we've avoided the Covid nightmare here (knock-on-wood), but just to be safe, I ordered one. 

    2. A Blood Pressure Device

    Several people in my family have one of these on hand. I decided, yep, time for us to get with the program. I have the blood-pressure monitor app on my phone; however, it's a bit awkward. The Health App is handy when you're on the road, but an actual blood pressure device is nice to have in the home. On the above product page, you'll notice they range in price from lower to higher.

    3. Face Masks

    One year ago, would we have ever considered face-masks as a gift-thing? The world is slipping off its axis or something. Most of us have masks now, but a lovely gift idea is personalizing it to the user's taste. I would love something that fits my personality and likes. I'm too busy to hunt for them or make them; I need someone else to do it for me, lol.

    4. Air Purifiers & Humidifiers

    Not just during Covid times, but all year round, an air purifier serves a valuable purpose; it cleans the air. Since most of us resist purchasing what we consider 'extras,' this item makes both a thoughtful and practical gift. Who wouldn't love to get one of these? When you visit the product page (link is above), you'll notice they can be a bit expensive depending on the one you choose. When pooling resources, this makes a quality gift.

    If an air purifier is out of the price range, consider a small table-top humidifier. They're especially useful for apartment dwellers. We purchased several a few years ago and gave them out as gifts. They were very much appreciated.

    5. Adjustable Thermostats

    We have one, as most people do. If a loved one or friend doesn't happen to have an adjustable thermostat, consider it a practical gift. Check out the Google Nest Auto Learning Thermostat as well. Ours is a different brand and not self-learning, but we use it for both heat and air conditioning. I have various times of the day stored at different temperatures. Very handy. Highly recommended.

    Build a Personalized Health-Related Gift Basket

    Consider making a health gift basket with cold and flu products, a thermometer, masks, healthy juices, boost, bandaids, vitamins, candles, creams, and lotions - throw in a book or two.

    Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas <3

    P.S. - I'm not a doctor or medical professional - These recommendations are strictly my personal suggestions.





    Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


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