The hair can shine radiantly like a late summer afternoon sun, but then, it can also become lackluster, helpless, and bereft of grace and awe.

It’s pretty unusual to meet a woman who has not faced hair issues. Cleveland Clinic reports that 50% of women worldwide will experience varying hair issues in their lifetimes.

An interview with Root Root Hair Care explores the questions surrounding the hair, including reasons why your hair may not grow well.

Is everyone’s hair meant to grow into long and beautiful lines?

Honestly, no. Not everyone will have naturally long hair. First, there is the genetic factor that often determines our hair length, thickness, and color.

We also have the environmental, psychological, and physiological factors that work within the genetic makeup and determine the genes’ morphology.

So, hair length fundamentally depends on genes?

If your mother, grandmother, and great grandma had short hair, you probably would have short hair also. Take the Indians: many Indian women have very long hair.

These women do not have to do too much to grow a healthy, shining, and youthful mane. Their long hairs are natural parts of their genetic makeup.

But also, there are many chemical, psychological, physical, and mental factors that can lead to stunted hair growth.

What are the top five reasons why the hair might not grow?

Like we explained, genetics sits atop the reasons why your hair might not grow. Below are other reasons:

1. Alopecia: Alopecia is a condition where your hair stops growing because your immune system attacks your hair follicles. Alopecia is a common hair condition and can lead to baldness and a receding hairline.

If you suffer from stunted hair growth, it’s usually advisable to see a doctor. The hair loss may be due to a severe underlying health condition.

2. Stress: Stress is one of the most potent causes of stunted hair growth and change in hair color. When stress accumulates over time, your body and mental health deteriorate.

If you notice changes in your health, like hair thinning, breakage, grey hair, then you may need to slow down for a breath of fresh air.

3. Health Choices: If you drink and smoke consistently, your overall welfare hangs on a balance. Hair defects and issues are usually a sign of a more serious underlying health issue.

It’s time to put a brake on those bad habits. Everything you do have consequences.

4. Hair Styles: Styling your hair is unavoidable. The styles you choose and the method your stylist use may break and remove hair strands.

Over-shampooing, use of hot rods, styles that drawback your hair—leaving you with a migraine, are wrong. If your hair is virgin or short, you should avoid a hairstyle that will further deteriorate its state.

5. The elements: If you always expose your hair to the sun, Ultraviolet A rays and Ultraviolet B rays will have easy access to them, leaving them weak and lackluster.

Are There Any Other Reasons Why A Person’s Hair Would Not Grow?

Dyeing and Bleaching: Bleaching your hair is the most effective way to change your hair color; however, the practice doesn’t come without its risks.

Bleach works by breaking down protein structures within the body. Your hair contains 95% fibrous helicoidal protein, also known as keratin.

When you consistently use bleach, your hair’s fundamental components are broken down, leaving them weak, thin, and easily damageable.

How Can We Keep Our Hair Safe?

– Stay positive. Avoid stress.

– Eat a balanced diet with sufficient protein, vitamins, and minerals.

– Use hair supplements and serums from trusted brands like Root Root Hair Care.

– Understand yourself and notice your stressors. Remove all stress triggers from your environment.

– Exercise regularly.

– Avoid hairstyles that damage your hair.

– Bleach sparingly or avoid it altogether.

– Do not expose your hair to the sun for a long time. If you must, use an SPF50++ sunscreen.

Root Root Hair Care just announced the redesign and relaunch of their website. Take advantage of their limited offer today!

Einstein once said that imagination is more essential than knowledge. Because knowledge is limited and imagination embraces the whole world.

It’s difficult to overstate just how essential creativity and imagination are for the positive development of children. Creativity, imagination, and thinking outside of the box opens up doors to limitless possibilities and opportunities. But despite being born with a creative curiosity, many children quickly lose it. So here are just a few reasons why creativity plays such a vital role for children.

Problem solving

When children are enthusiastically drawing or painting, they make their own choices and learn new combinations whenever they get spontaneous thoughts. They then take these ideas from inside of their heads and apply them directly into the physical world. So creativity teaches children skills like critical thinking and problem-solving, as well as a basic understanding of math and geometry. It isn’t just an important skill for artists and musicians, it’s crucial for everyone.

Creative curiosity

Children are typically motivated by their curiosity. They ask seemingly endless questions, they learn through their experiments, and they never let the normal usage of objects limit their imagination during playtime. Creativity is how children discover solutions to challenges or imagine original concepts, before actually turning them into reality. Because it’s this type of imaginative play where children start learning all about their world.

Emotional Development

Children of all ages are able to use their creative skills as an outlet for expressing themselves. Using crayons, playdough, paints, clay, and pencils in a fun, safe, and accessible environment like an early childhood education centre in Sunbury. These methods are important to communicate their feelings, ideas, and emotions from a relatively young age. When they get older, they’ll add scissors and glue into the mix. This type of creative play is an emotional release which often leads to them creating games and imagining scenarios in their heads which help them with their feelings.

Fine Motor Skills

Practising drawing, writing, painting, and moulding with paintbrushes, pencils, crayons, and kid-safe scissors has more benefits than just something to put on the fridge. By using these different mediums and materials when drawing or painting, children can help with their fine motor skills. And as all help development of their fine motor skills, they’ll be ready to learn how to write much quicker and easier when they reach elementary school. These are also useful skills for other areas of their everyday life, such as tying their shoelaces or using a knife, fork, and spoon.

Fun With Social Benefits

Creativity also helps children interact with other kids which teaches them different social and communication skills. Creative play lets children use their arts and crafts skills in a safe environment where they also build relationships while learning to work together as a team with others. While being social is important, so too is having fun and finding pleasure in their creativity. By letting children be children, they can find their own creative self-expression while experimenting, testing, and making their own mistakes. Because they are all important for children learn about and discover.

Being happy is a positive choice you can make in your life. If you are not currently happy or content with your life then now is the time to take action and make some changes. Changes do not have to be large but they have to make a difference that is noticeable. Even if you are currently very busy within your life then you need to carve out some time in your day to focus on your wellbeing and happiness. Remember that if you do not make time for yourself then nobody else will.

Why You need to Make Time for You

If you are not happy or content, then what are you contributing to the lives of those around you and what are you getting out of your life? Being stressed, always wanting more and not being content will make your life unenjoyable, and it will leave you feeling unmotivated to do anything. It is difficult to make time for yourself especially when you have other priorities and bills to pay, but nevertheless it is still important.

What You Can Do

What interests you and what makes you happy? Do you enjoy spending time with other people, do you enjoy traveling or trying new activities? Doing things that make you feel good will improve your wellbeing and approach to life. Enjoying your free time and making the most of it is important to your overall wellbeing. Before you fill up your newly free time it is important to take some time out to think about what you can do and what you enjoy doing.

Are There Any Aids, Supplements or Similar That You May Benefit from?

If you are in need of a pick me up in your day, or you are after unlocking some extra energy then you may want to look at taking a multivitamin supplement which will make sure you get your recommended daily allowances of everything including proteins and essential vitamins (such as vitamin C and D). As well as looking at supplements you may also want to look at taking a CBD capsule from www.vapecbdworld.com to see if they can help to relive stress or give you more energy.

Making Time for Everyone in Your Life

Family, friends and loved ones need you in their lives just as you need them. Your happiness and wellbeing are often affected by the people who you spend time with, so make sure you spend it with those that you love, and those that enhance your mood and your life. Creating time for others is very important as they are often there in times of need, and they are often there when you need a listening ear, so maintain positive relationships where you can as these will benefit you.

The journey to continued happiness and wellbeing may be one that is long and ever changing, but if you make little steps along the way then each day you will find yourself getting closer to achieving true happiness and a good state of wellbeing.

 

2020 was an odd year, indeed. Not only was the world gripped by an invisible threat but life as we all knew it changed. Toilet paper became a rare commodity, hugs were replaced by Zoom calls, and children did pushups in their living rooms, instead of playing kick ball, on the field, at school. Travel came to a standstill and for the most part, cars were left alone, in driveways and garages, used only for the occasional, necessary trip to the grocery store.

Now, armed with vaccines, and promises that life will get back to normal soon, 2021 is turning out to be the prom queen, to 2020’s wallflower. What does this mean for the average person? It means that domestic highways, and byways, are opening up, and those long-sitting vehicles that have gone relatively unused for so long, can once again transport us to all of the places we missed last year.

Prepare to explore places such as Grandma and Grandpa’s house, Yellowstone, Route 1 along the east coast, and Route 66, the iconic road cutting through the center of the country. Virtually nothing is off limits which is exhilarating and exciting. That said this new freedom forces us to re-evaluate the safety of the cars and trucks, once idle for months, to ensure that they will get us to these exquisite destinations.

With a whopping 9.54 million square miles to cover in North America, it makes sense that you would want to be sure that your vehicle is ready for any climatic situation. From the deserts in the American southwest, frigid temperatures in the north, and oppressive humidity in the south, vehicles may not respond as humans do, to variations in temperature. Vehicles, like people, are certainly affected. Urban and rural driving wears on a vehicle differently, also, making it necessary for regular brake, steering, and fluid checks.

What cars are considered the most reliable, the most comfortable, and the most cost-effective? When looking to purchase a new vehicle, there are many options to consider. 2020 did not provide much incentive for car shopping, as individuals had much more pressing issues to prioritize. But now that the road is open again, and that call for adventure is like a whisper on the wind, it is time to re-prioritize things like safety, confidence, and reliability in your vehicle.

Piling everyone into the family car and heading off down the road has been the American mindset since the invention of the gas-powered vehicle well over a century ago. The classic road trip symbolizes freedom and youthful spirit with the intention of bonding over shared experiences, in new and exciting places.

Preparing for the trip should must include a vehicle check-up to be as sure as you can that you won’t be left stranded when you’re far from home.

Road-Ready Vehicle Checklist

• Check the windshield wiper blades – Make sure that they aren’t torn or broken. Remember the back wipers, too!
• Check all fluids – Fluids are the lifeblood of your vehicle’s engine. Be sure to check the brake fluid, windshield wiper fluid, radiator fluid, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, etc.
• Is your spare tire packed and ready to go? A full-sized tire works best if you’re able to fit it in your car. Consider if you’ll need to drive far for a replacement, or not.
• Check the tires – Remember, they should have the proper pressure, (you can find that number in your car manual, or inside the driver’s side door frame), good tread, and they should be properly aligned. If the car is veering to one side, get the alignment checked. Also, they should be free of cracks, fissures, tears, and obvious penetrations.
• Do the brakes work properly? Are the brakes stopping the vehicle at the appropriate car lengths, for the speed you are traveling? Are they making chattering, squeaks, or clunking noises? If there’s any question at all, get a mechanic to evaluate their performance.

The Ultimate Road Ready Insurance

Focusing on the checklist captioned above and even taking your ride to a trusted mechanic is a great idea when you’re preparing for a road trip of any distance. But, while these technicians make certain that the vehicle is sound at the beginning of your journey, there is no guarantee that your car will remain that way for the entirety of your adventure.

Freeway Insurance will help ensure that you are providing safety for your family, and coverage for your vehicle, for the length of your trip. Exceptional customer service, and nationwide availability only enhances the value of their affordable rates, and devotion to their clients.

It’s hard to answer the call for adventure and not have some level of risk involved but when it comes to your vehicle’s coverage, why chance it? Let yourself fully embrace 2021, and the travel boom that has emerged from our long year of isolation. Do this with the pride and security of knowing that car maintenance and excellent insurance coverage will now provide the ultimate pathway, to memory-making-moments you’ve been dreaming of during these seeming endless, months of patient vigilance, and mitigation. Roll down the windows, open the moon roof, and enjoy the ride.

Most older parents wish to stay in their long-time homes where they’ve settled comfortably with their loved ones. Sadly, doing so is oftentimes no longer doable for the children, or safe for the older adult, making assisted living residences a better option. So, how can you ensure that they transition smoothly to senior housing — whether they’re ready or hesitant?

1. Communicate gently and plan together.

Aged parents can get emotionally attached to their homes, so they naturally feel sad about transferring to assisted living residences. Conversing with your elders about it can be difficult, but give them some time to grieve this change and discuss why and where they’re moving. Additionally, when seniors need to leave their homes, they usually feel uptight because they feel like losing control. So, allow your beloved elderlies as much choice as you possibly can while you plan and implement the transfer together.

2. Find the best senior home nearby.

After discussing where your elderly want to live, you need to search for an ideal senior home. This can get tedious as you consider the nitty-gritty of their needs and preferences. Soon you will be able to simplify your search by using Happy Seniors. Because the platform is building partnerships with well-known local institutions nationwide, it will give you an excellent range of choices for assisted living.

This platform will reveal valuable information about each residence: geographic location, weekly activity schedules, pricing, amenities available, gender ratios, and much more. With this tool, you won’t need to drive cross-country or call every assisted living residence for these details. Instead, you will have a centralized venue for a productive senior housing search.

3. Request your relatives’ assistance.

Transitioning to assisted living residences is a huge task, so don’t be afraid to ask for help from your family and relatives. Encourage your siblings and other close family members to be on work leave for a few days. Children and younger individuals can also join in and help in their unique ways. When you surround your elderly with supportive friends and loved ones, you alleviate the emotional strain that comes with the transition.

4. Keep in touch with the staff.

Regularly stay in touch with the housing personnel, especially on days you can’t visit and ask how your aged loved ones are doing. While you usually do this through phone calls, Happy Seniors offer an excellent alternative through a direct communication line with the manager and housing staff. You can chat or call them on the Happy Seniors platform for any inquiry or concern about your elderlies’ transitional needs and conditions. Plus, using Happy Seniors, the staff can quickly update you on the residents’ general mood for the adjustment period, medical conditions, and more.

Final Thoughts

Ensuring seamless elderly transition from your house to an assisted living residence is no small feat. Give yourself, your seniors, and your family time to process emotions and adjust to the change. Additionally, allow space for any fallout and extend grace when things get initially tough.

 

If you have any dreams of becoming a photographer then the first place to start is with your mobile phone, believe it or not. Smartphone technology is absolutely incredible and the cameras which they possess in the modern age are good enough for you to become a really good photographer. World famous photographer Alan Bohms has even been speaking recently about how he also looks to use his smartphone from time to time, when he needs to capture a shot quickly.

If you want to block your phone’s ability for photography, here is how to do it.

Online Guides

The best for anyone looking to take great smartphone shots to star is on YouTube where you will find some sensational how-to guides which will seriously help you out. There are some seriously smart people in this world and they will walk you through what settings you need to take advantage of and some of the more technical stuff about the phone itself, and how the cameras work.

Using Filters

Filters are the best weapons which you have in your arsenal when it comes to taking great phone shots. Preset filters are designed to give you a wide variety of options when it comes to making your photos look incredible. These can be added both before you take the photo and afterwards, to give the photo which you have taken a really great finish. Play around and get to know the filters so that you can understand what they will do for your images and when the best time to use them is.

Being Disciplined

The most important thing when it comes to learning about taking shots with your phone is to be disciplined. This means learning about different times of the day to take your photos, understanding how the light affects the images. This also means being disciplined in taking shots of the same surroundings such as nature or urban landscapes. There is no single rule when it comes to taking images, it is about understanding what works best in which particular environment. If you stay disciplined and focused then you will be able to really get a deep understanding of what works, and where.

Speaking to Others

Another great way to get better at taking shots on your phone is to ask others what they think about a certain image. Sometimes we can get so hung up in looking at certain areas of the image that we can lose sight of how the shot actually looks. Others will be able to give you great feedback and tell you honestly how they think the shot looks. Getting the opinions of others is certainly a great way for you to stay on track and monitor the progress which you are making.

The smartphone is an incredible device and the cameras that you will find are truly high quality and will enable you to take some fantastic shots.

Sleep and Health are Symbiotic
Without proper sleep, you may well “expire”, to put it mildly. In clinical trials, rats kept awake too long all died. Now, the reason for death was never directly the result of sleep deprivation. Rather, it was the collateral outcome of sleeplessness. When you’re sleep deprived, you make poor decisions nutritionally and socially.

Somebody a few hours shy of sleep is actually in a mental state very similar to inebriation. Accordingly, the same sorts of mistakes happen emotionally, and collaterally. Get too many beers in you, and you may walk into a busy street without meaning to. Miss enough sleep, and it’s conceivable that a person may do just the same. Fatigue causes many car accidents.

1. Dreams Can Psychologically “Unwind” the Day’s Events
Beyond metaphysical implications of dreams, there’s a direct psychological purpose to them which is a distinct part of the sleeping process. While as yet the function of dreams in slumber isn’t fully known, it is known that our most restful sleep is of the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) variety. That’s when you dream—at least, when most “memorable” dreams occur.

Some think that dreams are the brain’s way of processing through the day’s events. That could well be the case. Regardless, whatever the brain does during sleep is fundamental to proper mental acuity, functionality, and overall peace of mind.

2. Musculature and Nutrition are Maximized in Sleep
If you can get decent sleep between strong workouts, your body will recover more quickly. Musculature is “repaired” during sleep. Also, you digest as you sleep. That’s why if you eat the wrong food before hitting the sack, you’ll get heartburn: the body is still digesting.

When digestion and musculature “maintenance” are properly combined, as in balanced sleep, it’s best for the body.

3. Properly Balanced Sleep Maintains Healthy Weight
If you don’t sleep enough, the body will start storing away food in the form of fat—people who don’t sleep enough tend to gain weight. Similarly, those who sleep too much also gain weight. Healthy sleep balance is required for overall bodily health, at minimum, in terms of your weight. For healthy balanced sleep, finding the best mattress is fundamental.

A mattress that’s conducive to around eight or nine hours’ sleep is necessary, but isn’t so soft you can never get up again! You’re looking for balance, and what works for you may not work for someone else. For married couples having difficulty here, a solution like memory foam may be in order.

4. Emotional Stability is Greater With Proper Sleep
When a person is tired, they get irritable. Everyone’s encountered a sleep-deprived so-and-so with a bad attitude. Well, it turns out, emotionally, it’s more difficult to regulate oneself when there hasn’t been enough sleep. So in terms of emotional stability, acquiring and maintaining it virtually requires healthy sleep patterns.

5. Emotional and Physical Stability Expand Quality of Life
When a person is both physically and emotionally stable, that gives them clarity of mind and strength of body requisite to advance their own social position. Granted, this won’t happen for everybody; but when you can give 100% of yourself to growing your personal wealth, you’re more likely to be successful. Proper sleep is enormously helpful here.

A Proper Sleep Schedule is Key to Balanced Health
Emotional and physical stability make it easier for you to advance in life—sleep is fundamental to that, in balanced quantities. When you sleep in a balanced way, it can help stabilize your weight. Also, you’ll be more emotionally “on the ball”, as it were. What you’ve eaten and how it nourishes your body are also qualities of life enhanced by sleep.

Lastly, the importance of dreams psychologically may not be fully understood, but it’s certainly a feature that recommends proper sleep. There is a relationship between the sleeping mind and the waking mind, and too little slumber deprives an individual of that necessary relationship. So in a nutshell: balanced sleep is good for you, inside and out.

The teenager, a unique breed of human that grunts, groans, is always hungry but never happy. Yes, they do exist, and they can be the most daunting demographic to shop for, especially on their birthday. Unless you have that unique teenager that has no problem speaking up about what they want, it can prove to be a most difficult task.

Teens are up to speed on the newest and coolest gadgets, electronics and media. They know what they have, what their friends have, what their social media friends have, yet leave us clueless as to what they want. So where do you start, when you have nothing to work with?

Below is a list of 10 birthday gifts for even the most challenging teen that will turn those grunts and groans into laughs and smiles! There may even be a thank you somewhere in there. Imagine that!

A Pair of Airpods

Teenagers and their electronics! Well, this is a gift that will compliment all of their compatible electronics. Airpods are wireless, Bluetooth, discreet and non-confining. They are comfortable, trendy, and teens are well versed in their functionality.

Echo Dot

The Echo Dot is extremely popular among teens, and it offers all of the same capabilities of the Alexa. This includes weather, music, news, recipes, and updates to mention a few. It’s affordable and it is a very compact device.

Gift Basket

What is one thing all teens can agree on? Food! Their hunger never seems to cease, so how do you satisfy that relentless appetite? Birthday gift baskets, complete with treats like gourmet cookies, brownies and pastries, dried fruits and nuts, and a variety of other goodies to choose from. It’s the ideal gift even the most challenging teen will take delight in!

Multicolor Cinema Light Box

Give the teen in your life a positive means of self-expression. Inspired by cinema marquees, these light boxes come with 100 symbols and letters to create personal messages. They are also available with custom color-changing LED lights.

Nintendo Switch

The Nintendo Switch is a favorite of teens all over! It’s more of a big- ticket gift, but it has capability to be played at home or on the go. There is also a wide selection of games available for this game system! Teens can play alone, or with a group of friends.

Fingerless Mittens

The colder temperatures come with their own set of challenges, like chilly weather, snow and ice. Fingerless mittens are great for teens, because they fit like gloves, without covering their fingertips. They can keep their hands warm, and still have the option to answer those important texts and media comments.

New Sneakers

Teens are always on the look out for some stylish “new kicks” to complement their specific apparel style. Whether they prefer Nike to Adidas, or whatever brand suits their style, sneakers are a gift that you can get for any teen and know you absolutely can-not go wrong!

Board Games

Give the teenager in your life a break from their electronic circle, and give them a board game or two for their birthday. With so many to choose from, such as Clue, Monopoly, or even that well know classic, Battleship, you’ll be sure to find games they can enjoy with their friends while taking a break from the social media world.

Sunglasses

What teen doesn’t want to sport a cool pair of shades? Make sure you do your research on this one. Teens have their own particular style and way they choose to present themselves. Sunglasses are great regardless of the season their birthday falls in, and can be worn year-round.

Gift Card

If you know what the teen in your life is into, but still not quite sure what to get, a gift card may be in order. It could be to the local Game Stop, or Applebee’s if they like to go out to eat with friends. Then, there is always the Visa or bank gift card, giving your teenager the option of where and how they would prefer to send their gift card.

No matter how complicated it may be to find that perfect gift for the teen in your life, there is bound to be something out there they would love and appreciate. So, don’t lose hope! You never know what you may find! Whether it be from the list of birthday gift ideas above, or something that presents itself by pure chance, there is that perfect to be found!

 

Most residents of the third largest country on the planet earth, America, have been looking out or down, but not up. Or potentially, not high up or, with purpose. The objects of human fascination are often found contained within the confines of the cozy home space, while binge-watching Netflix, or other live-streaming tv.

Above your focus lies numerous phenomenon, containing all the elements necessary for an incredible adventure. As the sunsets, and the darkness of the fall and winter season engulf you, the stargazing party begins.

Partying with the Cosmos

The simple act of stargazing offers an incredible view of the stars within the Milky Way, almost nightly. The feeling of being on an unending orbit around a yellow star, in the outer spiral arms of that galaxy, is exhilarating. The multitudes of stars can be seen, along with the Andromeda galaxy’s 400 million stars, on moonless nights, with the naked eye.

When you and your partner, family, or family, venture out, to leave the city lights behind, and view the sky from darker places, for a stargazing party, you are fully engaging in astro-tourism. Have this exciting festivity, safely.

Night driving, to destinations which offer stunning views of the constellations, meteor showers, and shooting stars, also provides a plethora of potential driving challenges. Going off road, or down infrequently traveled paths, to rural parks, and fields, for unobstructed views, can result in flat tires, or being stuck in mud. To be party ready, safely, be sure you’re properly insured. Freeway Auto Insurance encourages adventures, and offers full coverage that lets you venture on, road-concern-free.

A Star Seeker’s Guide to Night Sky Readiness

Party preparation for an evening of twinkling, star gazing, and heavenly exploration, requires a few key essentials. Location, weather, timing, the phases of the moon, must all be considered, to view as many stars, meteor showers, and constellations, as possible.

You will need the following party planning supplies:

• Binoculars for spotting sparkling, pointy orbs, the big dipper, and even space junk, burning in the sky.
• Folding camp chairs for observing this high above, celestial performance, in comfort.
• Digital or paper star charts, or maps, for all attendees.
• Red flashlights to help your eyes adjust to the darkness, (red cellophane, or red paper, placed over an ordinary flashlight, will work.
• A laser pointer, to focus everyone’s gaze on found objects.
• A tripod or portable telescope for magnified, hands on, viewing.
• Internet apps which are compatible with your android, or iPhone These apps, like Google Sky, let you explore space through the assistance of the Hubble Space Telescope. Sky Map, a hand-held planetarium, lets you point at the sky, as it charts your location, and identifies galaxies, nebulae, and the universe, with ultraviolet and infrared light.
• Water for hydration, energy bars, and the party munching food, and hot beverages, your awed, excited, and perhaps chilly, group craves.
• Soft music, to accompany the magic night sky, for any dancing that it might inspire.
• Portable batteries for your techie equipment, and the telescope, if you take one along.

Off the Sofa and Under the Stars – But Where?

The dark skies are the star’s besties. They are every stargazer’s celestial platform for viewing the miraculous, and majestic formulation of a grand light show. Planning is necessary, to have in place, the elements which insure a true “sky reveal”. Choose the right setting for viewing. It could be a local field, the shoreline of a beach, with unobstructed sky views, the countryside, a mountain top, a national park, or the desert. These locations are quiet, and darkness aligns with just a little moonlight, to allow for observing the sky, with extraordinarily little” light pollution”, which can filter, and obscure the objects, within your gazers’ viewing bliss.

Check the weather in advance. Star gazing is good anytime, but a crystal-clear sky, presents the universe at its spectacular best, for phenomenal viewing. The international web site, Metcheck, offers frequently updated, radar and satellite predictions, specifically for stargazers, everywhere.

Try Stargazing; Seeing is Believing!

If you still find yourself wondering why you may embark upon such a stargazing experience. Consider this:

• Its free
• There is always something mysterious happening, such as the dimming, and dying of old stars, space junk, meteor showers, craters careening towards earth, and the orbiting of the International Space Station (ISS).
• It is possible to see, with a telescope or app, puffy clouds of gases and dust, like Orion Nebula, which are creating starbirth regions of tiny baby stars, in the night sky. This is total coolness.

If you love Astronomy, and time spent gazing at the sky, due to deep celestial curiosity, finding new objects, and witnessing the beginnings of tiny, forming, bright, and twinkling, pointy, colorful, massive entities; you are an adventurer. It is wise to appreciate that the sky is truly a new frontier, which may be a hugely significant destination, for earthlings, in the coming decade, when astrotourism is the new cool, and happening with regularity.

Let’s face it, our sex lives always need a little boost. They get a little stale, they get de-prioritized, we find things we love more than sex (like naps or HBO Max), and one day it dawns on us: We don’t need more research, we just need more ideas. This may not surprise you at all, but novelty and excitement are some of the key elements of passion and arousal. The good news is that you don’t need to push the limits and have Eyes Wide Shut parties every weekend to get that little oomph you’ve been craving.

Here are 4 easy, simple, and sexy games for you and your partner to try this year (because 2021’s already been stressful enough):

• Guess This Item

Blindfold your partner and grab a few random objects from around the house (it can be a feather, a belt, an ice cube, or a piece of rope, anything you can find – it doesn’t have to be inherently sexy!). While they’re laying down, trace an item lightly over their skin. The longer it takes them to guess, the further south you trace… it’s a game where there are no losers.

• Truth or Dare – Minus The Truth

If you’ve ever gone to middle school, you know the drill. Go back and forth daring each other to do increasingly high-stakes things – hopefully, they’re a little on the sexy side – and agree on a ruthless punishment if either of you passes. It can be anything like “I dare you to fake an orgasm” or “I dare you to tell me your wildest fantasy.”

• “Aural’” Sex

Find an erotic story and read it to your partner. It sounds simple, but this stimulates your senses: your auditory senses. Research has shown that reading or listening to erotic fiction is actually more arousing than watching porn. There is something about using our imagination to conjure up a scenario that makes it even more powerful.

• Sexy Spin The Bottle

This isn’t your average spin the bottle game. Cut one piece of paper into 4 squares, then ask your partner to do the same. Write down 4 sexy things you’d like the other person to do for you, or to you. Spread out the 8 slips of paper in a circle, and take turns spinning. You might not make it through all 8, in fact, you might get a bit distracted after the first few, but that’s just the beauty of it.