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How to Create a Comfortable and Inviting Family Room

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For most homeowners, the family room tends to be the place that everyone just naturally congregates in. It’s meant to be an inviting and relaxing space that you can retire to in order to watch TV, chat, play games, and just hang out. If your family room is leaving you less than inspired as of late, then it may be time for an overhaul.

Here’s a look at how you can create a comfortable and inviting family room that will end up being the most popular room in the whole house.

Put Thought Into the Seating

One of the main things you’ll need in your family room is seating. Rather than shopping for an item that just looks nice, you want to be sure you’re able to combine design with comfort. The seating in your family room will get a lot of use, so you want something that’s durable and comfortable, and can offer you years’ worth of relaxation.

When it comes to the ultimate in luxurious comfort mixed with popular contemporary design, Ekornes is a pro. These sofas can be customized to match your decor and space, allowing customers to pick their wood stain, upholstery or leather. These sofas can last up to 20 years, which makes it more of an investment piece. It’s a good idea to shop around for the best prices for Ekornes sofas and find one that fits your budget and tastes.

Use Built-Ins for Storage and Function

Built-in shelving is a great addition to any family room. These perform two tasks at once. They provide functional space, such as housing your TV and sound system, while also providing you with plenty of storage space for decor, books, collectibles, and more. You can opt for open shelves or close them off with doors, whatever you prefer.

If you’re working on a tight budget, you can always create the look of built-in shelving by using pre-made shelving units and fixing them to the wall.

Add Plushness to the Room

Part of a room feeling comfortable is adding plenty of soft and cushy items to cozy up next to. Large overstuffed pillows and soft throws placed on couches and chairs will give people something comfy to settle into. These can also act as pops of color in the room.

Keep it Casual

If you are trying to put the emphasis on cozy, comfortable, and inviting, then you will want to keep the space casual. Save the formal look for a living room instead. Mixing in different prints, colors, and textures can help to make a space feel more casual. When it comes to décor, don’t go overboard trying to make everything match. As long as the space flows, and you feel comfortable in it, it will work.

A Space You’ll Enjoy

Creating a comfortable and inviting family room can be achieved by following these tips. The end result will be a room you feel inspired by and can fully relax in.

Owing a Timeshare Opens a World of Travel Opportunities

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If you have dreamed of having a perfect vacation in a luxury resort with all the top features and amenities, but think it is out of your budget, think again. Owing a Westgate timeshare means you have a home away from home in a top resort for a fraction of what you may ordinarily expect to pay.

Timeshares offer the benefit of owning a vacation home along with the amenities of a luxury hotel. You buy a share of the resort and have the right to spend a week or two there every year. For those who want a guaranteed annual vacation in their favorite resort, owning a timeshare is much more cost-effective than renting a hotel room, especially in a luxury resort.

Vacation ownership means you can select from a variety of floor plans to have a private home that suits your needs. You may want a romantic weekend getaway or a golfing vacation and only require a studio apartment, or you may want a full family vacation with two or three bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, laundry facilities, complimentary Wi-Fi, separate living and dining areas, furnished patios or decks, gorgeous interior décor and entertainment systems throughout.

Since your timeshare is in a luxury resort, you also have access to all the resort’s amenities. These may include indoor and outdoor pools, fitness rooms, spas, barbecue areas and sports courts including nearby championship golf courses. Many resorts offer concierge service for planning tours of the locality and acquiring theme-park tickets as well as providing planned activities for children.

You will have the flexibility to choose when and where you want to travel because timeshares can be traded for a comparable unit in another destination. For example, owning an Orlando timeshare is extremely desirable because Orlando is one of the top vacation destinations in the world. You may not have any trouble trading it for a timeshare in Whistler, BC, Mexico or Europe.

Timeshares offer you the privacy and convenience of a vacation home without the expense. When you have a vacation home, you may use if for a few weeks every year, but you still have to pay for it just like your original home. With a timeshare, you only pay for the time you use it because the cost is shared with others throughout the year.

You get all the advantages of a private vacation home along with the amenities of the luxury resort without the worry of upkeep and maintenance. With an annual maintenance fee, you never need to worry about cleaning, tax, insurance or utility charges. You always have onsite management which is not the case for vacation homes and condominiums that sit vacant most of the year.

Once you enter the world of timeshare ownership, you enter the world of travel. Many Westgate resorts have multiple locations you just need to choose your next destination. If you do not choose to travel, you have a guaranteed luxury vacation at your Orlando timeshare.

Timeshares are cheaper for a full family vacation than hotel rooms. Even in a budget hotel, you may need two rooms and you will not have the facility of a fully stocked kitchen which can cut your vacation budget even more because you can cook your own meals. On the days you do not feel like cooking, most resorts have excellent restaurants on-site or nearby.

Finally, timeshares may be a good investment in your future because you gain equity while vacationing. They can be bequeathed to a family member to be kept it in the family for another generation.

Whether you have a favorite vacation destination every year, or want to travel the world for an affordable price, owning a timeshare may be your best option. You will stay in luxury resorts and enjoy all they have to offer guests without paying a small fortune.

Emily Kil is a professional blogger that writes about small business, family, and digital marketing.  She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, son, and two dogs.

Travelling the World on a Budget

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Have you ever dreamed about going on a long voyage around the world, but always feel restricted due to money? Well due to the rise of budget airlines and travel providers, getting around is now affordable for even those on a tight budget.

With that in mind, there are still various things to take into account to ensure your travels stay in that low-cost zone. Because there are pitfalls to avoid that could cause you to pay more than expected. So whether you are going on a cross-country trip or want to explore the globe, read on for some quick tips on how to do so on a budget.

Search around for the best prices

In this day and age, finding the best deal for travelling and accommodation is made easy thanks to the Internet.

In terms of flights, you have the likes of Kayak and Skyscanner that compare airline providers and find the best prices available. If you are flexible with your travel plans, they also give you the opportunity to search for the cheapest dates for flying.

As for hotels, motels and other accommodation options, you will no doubt know about trivago and TripAdvisor – two of the biggest search comparison tools in this particular field. Like the aforementioned flight-related firms in terms of prices, these provide the cheapest places to stay. Although keep in mind, booking accommodation far in advance – rather than leaving it to the last minute – will usually supply the best bang for your buck.

Use your own car

While renting a vehicle is a possibility, using your own car is the more cost-effective option overall. As you will avoid having to buy plane, train and bus tickets, this point is especially beneficial if you’re travelling as a family – where you need to purchase multiple tickets at a time – as opposed to going solo. Other than needing the confidence to tackle foreign roads/routes and requiring parking as part of your accommodation options, there is one major thing to consider: the maintenance of your car.

After all, the last thing you need is for your car to break down in the middle of your journey. Not only is it a stressful and time-consuming experience, but it will most likely incur a sizeable wedge of cash to repair – which goes against the budget philosophy explored in this article! As a result, ensure your vehicle is checked over by a specialist maintenance/repair company like Revolution Automotive before setting off. For example if you own a BMW, use the Revolution Automotive BMW service for that peace of mind during your travels.

Landing your first big client how to get it done

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Just started your own business? You may have gotten some revenue coming in from a hodgepodge of small clients, but so far, it’s only enough to cover your business and personal needs.

If you want to live the high life, you’ll want to go after big corporate concerns – to do that, you’ll need to evolve.

Think that it is too hard? John Bradberry was once in the same position as you, as he was barely keeping the lights on at his consulting company.

With a shift in focus, he started to catch the big fish he was missing before, leading him to become the success he is today.

By keying in on a few areas, he was able to get it done. Here’s how you can do the same.

1) Make adjustments to your process

If you want to attract the attention of Fortune 500 players, you will need to make adjustments with respect to how you attract new accounts.

While it is possible to attract small companies via e-mail and internet marketing channels, reaching large corporations is not so simple.

If you want to win their business, you’ll need to up your game by making adjustments in your client acquisition process.

By demonstrating in a clear and precise manner how you can create massive value for them, it will be easier for their key decision makers to say yes.

2) Do your research

Don’t wing it when it comes to winning the business of a major player. There’s no way around it – you’ll need to work harder than you have before if you hope to convince busy executives that you have the know-how to drive their profits to new heights.

If you want to craft killer unique selling propositions that will achieve this goal, you need to suck it up and do your research.

Learn about their weaknesses, strengths, and where they hope to take the corporation over the long term.

If they are a stock-issuing concern, scour their financial reports from top to bottom. If they are a private entity, assemble every media report about them over the past few years so you can get a clear picture of their current position.

This way, you’ll be ready when the time comes to woo representatives that have the authority to grant you that big contract.

3) Who are the decision makers?

Crafting a compelling case for decision makers is one thing, but finding them can be another matter altogether. So, how does one go about finding these individuals?

Do you know someone in a specific company? If so, convince them to make an introduction on your behalf.

If you aren’t that fortunate, you’ll need to hunt through reams of online data and/or make phone calls to find the person you need to speak with at length.

Even if you don’t manage to find the exact person initially, chances are excellent someone will know who you’ll need to contact.

Impress them with your detailed plan to add value to their company, and one of them will eventually make an introduction for you.

To Become a Sports Leader Develop these Skills

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To become a sports leader takes a set of skills beyond an ability to play your sport. In every sport, there are those like Jack Elway, who have great statistics and excel. Yet many of these players have peers who do not look up to them or count on them for their leadership. While there are others that everyone in the league agrees is a true leader. The difference between these two players is that the second has developed leadership qualities. Here is a description of two of the most important qualities of a sports leader.

Have High Emotional Intelligence

At the root of all decision making sits emotional intelligence, which forms the base for emotional well-being and how that person makes decisions. It also forms the foundations for self-esteem which provides us with an ability to take on tough challenges. Sports leaders have matured emotionally and have a strong sense of self-worth; knowing how they want to treat people and be treated.

The core of this confidence can often be traced back to the person’s childhood and how they interacted with their parents. Did they have healthy and productive relationships with them? If so, there is a good chance that they matured a lot emotionally during that time. As they grew into their teens and peer focus became prevalent, if they had a great emotional foundation established with their parents, they could use this to set up relationships with their peers. If not, they might tend to gain an emotional grounding from their peer group, which can be shaky and often leads to problems for the young person. You will often hear sports leaders talk about someone who had a major emotional impact in their life. It might be a dad, mom or even a coach who acted as a father figure and provided an emotional grounding, and the key elements of emotional intelligence: how to identify their feelings, comprehend where they come from, and then learn how to deal with them.

Research has shown that emotional intelligence is a major predictor of success in relationships and can also tell whether the person is likely to make healthy choices in life. So sports leaders are likely to have very high emotional intelligence.

Take Responsibility

Sports leaders are always prepared to take responsibility for the conditions and outcomes of teams and games with which they are involved. Someone who is responsible accepts what their role is and the positive or negative consequences that result from their choices.

In many sports organizations and in society in general today too often qualities like responsibility are not stressed and nurtured and as a result they are not seen enough. The result is that too many people look to pass blame onto others and never get the lessons we all need to get from our failures. Failures often teach us more than victories and in fact they are also often the biggest part of a victory. Any sports leader will tell you that it is the things they learned while failing that made them so strong a competitor and leader. When you take on the responsibility role you also place yourself firmly in a position to fix whatever problem there was that occurred. Own it and then repair it. Sports leaders understand this so they always look to take responsibility.

These two qualities are important to understanding why someone becomes a sports leader. If you want to lead, focus on improving your leadership skills as well as your playing skills.

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