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December 2021

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Seeing Home Through Fresh Eyes

by Ambrose Lennon on

When you’ve lived somewhere for a while, it can be easy to lose sight of why you moved there. The mundane routines of work and life keep you pinned in place and can stop you appreciating the city around you.

Today we’re taking a look at a few simple ways to take a look at your home through fresh eyes and reinvigorate your passion for the city where you live.

Live Like a Tourist

Thanks to Covid, the staycation is currently the most popular form of holiday for people in the UK. All too often, though, people don’t stay for their staycations – they travel! If you’re feeling a bit worn out and jaded by the city you call home, the solution might be, counterintuitively, to stay there longer!

Stay home in Newcastle! Staycate in Liverpool! Give yourself time off the daily grind and find out what tourists see in the city you’re struggling to appreciate. If you google “things to do Manchester” you’ll instantly make a short list of tourist hot spots and create an itinerary that’ll make your home feel new again.

Travel on Foot

We often experience cities as small nodes linked by driving or public transport. It’s possible to live in a city for years and have no idea how these little bubbles around your home, work and shopping centres link up. Find out what’s in between by ditching the car or train and taking a walk. If you’re able to, walk home from work – at least once, if not regularly. You’ll find new pubs, new parks, streets lined with beautiful buildings and shortcuts you’d never imagined. It’s also a great, low impact way to stay in shape after a day stuck in front of a computer.

Change Your Schedule

Whether it’s asking about flexible working hours, changing when date night falls or mixing up your weekend, you don’t have to change what you do to see a new side of home. Simply changing when you do it opens up new possibilities. Starting work early and finishing in the afternoon opens new hours of daylight for you to explore and exercise in more safely. Going out for a date on a different night might mean a different menu, money saving offers or whole new activities becoming available.Simply seeing your city at a different time of day – drenched in late afternoon sunlight or lit up in neon at night can make it seem like a whole new place and one you can explore all over again.

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Family

Funerals and Memorials: The Obvious Necessities in Planning Your Services

by Ambrose Lennon on

When planning a funeral or memorial ceremony, it is important to personalize the event to celebrate the life of your loved one. There are many ways to do this, and the options vary depending on your religious or cultural beliefs and your budget. If you require any assistance, visit website Sacred Endings to know more about funeral and memorial services.

What are some necessities in planning your services?

  1. Choose a venue.

There are many different venues you can choose from, depending on your needs and budget. For example, you may want to have the ceremony at a place of worship or hold it in a park or other outdoor location. On the other hand, if you’re looking for something more formal, many beautiful indoor spaces can be rented for the day.

The type of venue you choose may also depend on the number of people expected to attend. For example, if just a few close friends and family memberscome, an intimate location might be best. However, if there are too many guests for this type of space, consider choosing something larger or holding multiple ceremonies simultaneously.

  1. Write a eulogy.

Similar to when you give a speech at an award ceremony, writing the eulogy ahead of time will help ease your mind and make it more likely that you’ll sound composed during the service itself. If this is difficult for you, consider having someone close to you write one on your behalf. It could be read aloud by a family member or friend or even played as an audio recording.

  1. Choose music.

Music is a very important part of any funeral or memorial service, as it can help to evoke strong emotions in those in attendance. If you have a specific song that your loved one loved, consider playing it during the ceremony. You can also choose more general pieces that reflect the mood you’re hoping to create.

  1. Decorate the venue.

You may want to decorate your chosen space with photos, ornaments, and flowers representing aspects of your loved one’s life. For example, if they are nature lovers, you might choose to have trees around their casket during the ceremony. If they were religious, you could place candles at their feet before their casket is closed. If they enjoyed being around children, you could choose to have a baby grand piano at the front of their funeral home during visitation hours before the ceremony itself.

  1. Plan the food.

Although it might not be at the forefront of your mind, food is an important part of any funeral or memorial service. You may want to have a buffet or light refreshments available for guests after the ceremony. If you’re planning a reception afterward, plan and ask people if they have any dietary restrictions.

Funeral and memorial services are important ways to celebrate the life of your loved one. By personalizing them, you can make sure that everyone who attends feels welcome and connected with their memory somehow. In addition, knowing what is available for planning these events will help you feel more prepared on the day itself.

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Lifestyle

The USA’s Top 5 Winter Watersport Destinations

by Ambrose Lennon on

Whether you’re finding out about the unrivalled thrills that come from watersports or you’re a seasoned adventurer looking to take their favourite activity to the next level, the United States has an amazing variety of destinations to explore. Because of its biodiversity and vastness, there are also a selection of destinations that make for incredible visits even during winter.

The season also brings about the potential to trial new winter water sports too, such as ice diving and snow kayaking, those which necessitate the brilliance of seasonal landscapes. There are many such places in the USA that not only offer the opportunity to enjoy these winter watersports but celebrate them, making use of natural environments to achieve the best experiences around.

Ketchikan, Alaska

Kayaking on the open waters of an Alaskan cove likely already appears on many bucket lists but Orca Cove in Ketchikan is one that should top all others. Here, among the icy sheets and cold winds, you can paddle your kayaking alongside groups of majestic orca whales.

The cove is a short boat ride away from Ketchikan and only small groups are taken out at any time meaning that, if you make the journey there, you will be rewarded with an amazing and intimate experience.

Lake Michigan

While open and oceanic waters are often at the top of people’s bucket lists, be sure you don’t forget lakes. There are a number of fantastic lakes within America with Lake Michigan being one of the most notable. Its size is so vast that it even has tides!

Lake Michigan is accessible from a few states, including Michigan itself, and has become a destination for many watersport enthusiasts, especially when it freezes over, giving people the perfect opportunity to ice dive, ice fish, or even try and paddle across it.

Lake Superior

If you’re a surfer, you may be familiar with the Icy Beard group or, more specifically, Dan Schetter. This dedicated group of surfers, it may surprise you, take to the waters of Lake Superior for their adventures, finding unbeatable joy in the freezing waters.

If you’re an avid surfer and you haven’t yet experienced the thrill of riding waters that are freckled with ice or are yet to feel the cold air literally freeze your hair together, then this destination might just be the best way to welcome in the New Year.

Yakutat, Alaska

Beneath the mountains and by the water sits the city of Yakutat. It is one of the least populated cities in Alaska with those living there keeping an amazing natural secret. Known as Icy Bay, this body of water is ideal for many winter watersports all year round, however, it is during the winter months when thrill-seekers will find the most return.

Lake Winnipesaukee

New Hampshire has an amazing selection of lakes and, yet, remains off the radar for watersports enthusiasts. Lake Winnipesaukee, however, is starting to break this trend with its budding ice sailing popularity.

During the winter months, it becomes covered in ice, making for an amazing sight, especially with the White Mountains in the background. As it still remains relatively undiscovered, it continues to be one of the most fantastic winter watersports destinations in the US.

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