Well Being

How to Choose the Right College Meal Plan

Posted on by Stephanie Brown
Right College Meal Plan

On top of all the different plans you have to make for college and all of the options that you need to consider, you probably weren’t thinking too much about finding the right meal plan. However insignificant this decision may seem right now, it will actually have a huge impact on your day-to-day routine for the rest of the year, so you want to weigh your options very carefully. If you’re not sure what kinds of considerations you need to weigh, here is how to choose the right college meal plan.

Three Meals Per Day

Most college freshmen choose to do the 3-meal plan, and at some schools, it’s the only choice. Either way, with this option you will be able to enter the cafeteria up to 3 times within a day and you will be able to eat as much as you want. This can be a great option so long as your cafeteria has enough variety to keep you satisfied with eating in the same place each and every day. The only thing you want to consider is that you won’t get rollover meals if you don’t take advantage, so if you decide to eat somewhere else, it’s as though you’re paying for two separate meals no matter what.

Declining Tab

The other option that most schools will give you is to pay for a meal card that acts like a debit card. Each item you buy will have a separate price and the money will be deducted from your meal card. This can be a great option for people who don’t want to eat every meal at the cafeteria, and you can usually use this card to treat your friends and family to food in the cafeteria. This way, you always know what you’re paying for and you don’t have to split ways with someone when you get hungry just because they don’t have a meal plan as well.

Dietary Restrictions

If you have any kind of dietary restrictions, such as gluten intolerance, lactose intolerance, food allergies, or meat restrictions, then you want to make sure that your college cafeteria has plenty of options for you. If it doesn’t, then you might not want to buy a meal plan at all. If there are options, but they’re limited, then you definitely don’t want to buy a plan that gives you three meals per day. Just go for the declining tab option if it’s available, or don’t buy a meal plan at all.

Irregular Hours

If you keep irregular hours, then you want to take that into consideration when you’re looking at your meal plan options. There’s no telling how irregular your hours could be if you’re taking classes because you will get to have full control over your schedule. A lot of students work during the day and take night courses, or online courses so that they can still earn a living. If this is the case, then you won’t be spending a whole lot of time on campus, so you probably only want one or two meals on campus per day.

Well Being

5 Diabetes Symptoms You Shouldn’t Ignore

Posted on by Stephanie Brown
Diabetes Symptoms

When our bodies are not able to properly produce or utilize the insulin (what helps to regulate the metabolism of glucose that we have) within our systems, usually what our doctor will diagnose us with having is diabetes. And when it comes to diabetes, the reason why it’s considered to be such a potentially serious disease is that complications of it can lead to things like heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, blindness, kidney disease, and in extreme cases, amputation and even death.

Being that there are over eight million individuals who have diabetes in America alone, we felt that it would be important to share with you some of the diabetic systems that are directly connected to the disorder. If you or your loved one have any of these, please make an appointment to see a doctor as soon as possible.

Your health depends on it

If you are constantly feeling thirsty

All of us have times throughout the day when we’d like to have something to drink in order to quench our thirst. But if you happen to realize that no matter how much you consume, it seems like you can never get enough, this could be a sign that you are diabetic. The reason why people with diabetes are oftentimes so thirsty is that the disease causes glucose levels to rise which ultimately results in frequent urination. As a direct result, your body requires more fluids to replenish itself. This brings us to the next point.

If you are urinating all of the time

When your glucose levels are pulling fluids from the cells in your bloodstream, it tends to overload your kidneys and ultimately, it can cause you to urinate a lot more than you normally do. So, if you’re taking frequent trips to the bathroom, this is something else that you should take special note of.

If you are unexplainably fatigued or weak

If you haven’t been getting 6-8 hours of sleep or if you’ve had a hard day at work, then you’re going to find yourself feeling pretty tired. But if you’re inexplicably fatigued or weak, this also could be because you have diabetes. Because individuals who are diabetic have a challenging time converting their glucose into insulin, this results in feeling worn out; even when they have received a lot of rest.

If you are losing weight (and don’t exactly know why)

If you were to read a pamphlet about living with diabetes that was published by a company, another symptom of having diabetes that would probably be listed is losing a significant amount of weight but not being able to clearly pinpoint why. When your body cannot properly use the glucose within your food, that combined with all of the urinating leads to a significant amount of weight loss.

If you have cuts or bruises that are taking a long time to heal

One other diabetic symptom that you shouldn’t ignore is if you have cuts or bruises that tend to take a longer time to heal. This is actually another indication that glucose is not working properly within your body. So, if you have a cut that doesn’t scab over or a bruise that remains for more than a couple of weeks, make an appointment to see your health care provider so that they can test you for diabetes just as soon as possible. The sooner you can detect it, the better off you will be.

Renovation

Finding the Right Roofing Solution

Posted on by Stephanie Brown
Right Roofing Solution

For new-build commercial structures, the decision around roofing will be a critical one. Not only must the roof be safe, durable, weatherproof, and light enough to be supported by the underlying building structure, but it must also be cost-effective and in line with the overall architectural vision and design aesthetic. Traditionally, materials such as slate and brick are used, along with concrete and engineered steel and aluminum or tensile fabric structures.

Thermoplastic and EPDM Roofing

Modern alternatives include thermoplastic roofing, which is durable and flexible. It is very good for UV protection and is resistant to chemical exposure, and it lasts for at least two decades. Additional benefits include excellent resistance to high winds and fire. Alternatives include EDPM solutions, which are a very long-lasting type of roof and very easy to install, repair, and maintain.

Solar PV and Green Roofs

These are popular with architects looking to create a ‘green’ solution and can include living roofs and solar PV panels which incorporate energy-generating panels over a rooftop made with glass, tile, or membrane. These are expected to become more popular in the future as businesses seek to lower their carbon footprints.

Looking at Fabric Structures

Why not look at tensile fabric structures? These are a true example of modern engineering, creating beautiful design-led roof forms that could otherwise not be created using traditional roofing methods. Most modern award-winning buildings will use some elements of tensile fabrication, and the technology has been around since the 1970s. Today it allows architects to create stunning works that offer a variety of forms and colors. The structures are also very light, utilizing the properties of tension in order to maintain their 3D form. All of these membrane structures can last for over thirty years, and they are pre-fabricated to exacting specifications using calculations and engineering drawings to suit the exact needs of the building.

The technology can be applied over a range of building elements, including features, entrances, atriums, walkways, exhibitions, retail spaces, landmarks, and more. The resulting structure will be developed and installed by a team of specialist structural engineers, designers, project managers, aluminum fabricators, and membrane fabricators. For an award-winning building that becomes a local landmark, fabric architecture could be the solution.

Contact a roofing specialist for guidance on the right type of roof for your project.

General

How to Determine the Worth of Your College Major

Posted on by Stephanie Brown
Determine the Worth of Your College Major

Earning a college degree should help to increase your job opportunities and your earning potential.  At the very least it will give you some direction where your career path is concerned.

However, not all majors are equal.  Doctors, for example, stand to earn a lot more money than English majors.  Of course, it could also depend on the school you attend, but choosing your major is the first step.

How can you determine what your major is worth?  Knowing what you stand to earn and if you’ll have a job waiting for you when you graduate could definitely play a role in how much you’re willing to spend on your degree.  Here are just a few factors that could help you to figure out the value of a particular major.

Median Salary

There are plenty of websites that can give you a rough idea of what others with degrees in your chosen profession stand to earn.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics is a good place to start, although the information can be somewhat generic.

You might also want to check sites like PayScale and Salary.com that provide median salary information for a wide range of specific jobs.  When you have a major in mind you can look into different careers and determine how much money you’re likely to make.

Anticipated Market Growth

Again, the Bureau of Labor Statistics is a great place to search for information when you want to learn about anticipated growth for the industry or profession that interests you.  It’s important to know if there will be jobs available in the coming years.

This is also a good way to look into potential alternatives.  If your intended major doesn’t look promising in terms of salary and job availability in the coming years, you can consider other interests that may be more fruitful.  After all, you’re going to school to improve your career prospects.

Demand for Goods or Services

Certain types of jobs are always going to be in high demand.  Healthcare, technology, and engineering fields, for example, will always need qualified workers.

Of course, the jobs that are needed within these fields can change.  For example, there is a greater demand for nurses than doctors of late, and jobs in IT security are on the rise.

The point is that you need to consider which goods and services look to remain relevant and popular over the course of time.  This can help you determine if your chosen major is worthwhile.

Competition for Major Programs

It wasn’t that long ago that web design was the most popular major.  These days you can hardly throw a rock without hitting an out-of-work web designer.  The point is that you may not necessarily want to choose a major just because it’s popular right now.

You need to consider a number of factors before choosing your major, including your talents, your interests, and what you will spend on your education versus what you stand to earn once you have your degree.  When you’ve determined the potential value of your chosen major, you can attend the University knowing that the time and money you spend will be worthwhile.

Social Media

5 Tips on using Simple Social Tools for Internal Communications

Posted on by Stephanie Brown
Simple Social Tools for Internal Communications

The digital revolution is transforming the social landscape within work teams at an incredibly fast pace. As a result of this, the urgent need has arisen for companies to make this change as an opportunity to be promoters of the new era of internal communications.

According to the “Change and communication ROI” survey, prepared by Towers Watson, social networks serve to improve company communication. Here it is indicated that 56% of the surveyed employers use various social platforms as a tool for internal communication with their collaborators. Continue reading →

Accommodations

6 Original ideas for furnishing modern apartments

Posted on by Samuel Henry
ideas for furnishing modern apartments

Never as anyone who owns a large interior knows the need to find original ideas for furnishing the modern apartments. It may seem simple, but managing a large house is no small problem.

Designing modern apartments furnishing

In general, those lucky enough to enjoy spacious sizes, villas, or interiors on two or more levels, find themselves in a panic for the following reasons:

  • He wants to eliminate the sense of emptiness that pervades the environment
  • would prefer to find original ideas to make the house more beautiful, from the cover
  • he does not know how to organize spaces, even with many square meters available
  •  if he does not want the bazaar effect at home
  • he would like to make the most of all the spaces, without wasting energy and without buying random furniture
  • if he has only advice and not a project, he is often afraid of making mistakes
  • he is unsure about color combinations
  • furnish your home with original ideas create the right symmetry in hallways or corridors.

Furnish modern apartments with original ideas

Going to a furniture store to solve the impasse NOT is the correct solution because you could risk filling the spaces with many pieces and not giving the right value to the void.

A large house has precisely this advantage: it makes the full read well thanks to the contrast with the void, which must be well dosed.

While in a small house there is a tendency to overload the rooms, rightly so, due to the minimum functions that must always be guaranteed, in the large one there is more room for creativity like a minimalist dorm room. And for completely original solutions.

In general, I recommend that you always have a project created first in plan and then with 3D visualization and photorealistic rendering, because only in this way can you really see what you are getting with the furniture.

Secondly, proceed to purchase the pieces. Not the other. You risk finding expensive items at home that you don’t know how to recycle. Let’s now review some ideas that you can take advantage of in large homes.

These are different ideas than usual, mostly used by our architecture and interior designers, but they can give you an overview of what can be done in a spacious environment.

It is up to you to decide whether to adopt them to your interior or not. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments! You may also be interested in this news and inspiration.

furnish your home with original ideas large paintings or works of art are a great excuse to make the environment very chic

Divide kitchen and living room

Very often large living rooms can be separated from the kitchens through equipped walls, built with furniture.

These are solutions designed by great architects to make the environment fluid, and therefore make the entire open space read, but at the same time scan it correctly.

In fact, when the living room is too large, it is counterproductive to place a sofa on one wall and a TV on the other.

Visual comfort is not guaranteed with excessive distance. Instead, creating a central spine wall allows you to add TVs and containers (even a fireplace, for example) and break the ballroom effect. This mostly happens in villas and lofts.

Another very original solution (which also applies to small houses) is to have more or less transparent sliding doors or windows, to separate two or more rooms.

The larger the windows, the more chic and elegant the effect will be. So, don’t be afraid of an empty or very large environment.

There are tons of ways to create a great design. A note on doors: the trends in luxury homes include full-height doors, to streamline the design and create truly contemporary environments, designed to the millimeter. If it is a house under construction all the better, it will be easier to get them.

Furnishing your home between classic and modern

A self-respecting stately home always has historical pieces of design.

Today it is fashionable to mix them, to avoid the “museum-doll house” effect. Giorgetti, Eames, DePadova, Porada, Cassina, Vitra are some of the iconic names in design, which have created timeless furnishings.

This is an easy expedient (you can also search in flea markets) to furnish your home with an unconventional and above all not “flat” style.

If you then add style accessories, Fornasetti, Arper, Magis, Alessi you have really created an eclectic home with a chic taste.

Furnish modern apartments with a mezzanine

Furnish your modern apartments with original ideas and adviceWalls with oblique cuts to create interesting views. This idea is not for everyone. Or rather, there is an idea for those with a floor space of more than 5m and one for those with high but not excessive ceilings.

If you have high ceilings and equally spacious windows, you can afford to create a mezzanine to use as a private room, study, or other functions of the house.

Furnish your home with original ideas and advice Mezzanine only if you have enough space in height

Obviously, everything must not lead to feelings of suffocation, so it weighs well whether to do it or not. If you already have a lot of space, it’s not necessary.

If you have abundant heights but not exceeding 5 meters, you can choose to install a precious suspension, perhaps chic, that crosses the space with style and without filling too much.

Ideas for decorating a large bedroom

Create an in-room gym, spa, or walk-in closet that’s not separated by walls. Furnish modern apartments with the original SPA ideas bedroom spa? A dream for many Italians. We have already spoken extensively about walk-in wardrobes, but it is not the only way to furnish a large bedroom.

There are those who love absolute relaxation with a spa (bathtub or multifunction shower) in the room, or there are those who love sports so they never miss an opportunity for a home gym, with gym equipment that is real design ideas.

Living in a large bedroom is always a pleasure. You are really spoiled for choice to create your own custom look.

And if you have enough rooms, why not think of a play or relaxation area?

Home and garden outdoor furniture ideas

Don’t forget about outdoor or underground spaces. Generally, we focus on the interiors, neglecting the external parts and especially the underground spaces. The perennial “closet” concept exempts us from planning everything well. In reality, large houses are beautiful when nothing is left to chance.

When the houses are large, original ideas for furnishing do not exclude the outdoors.

Look at these photos and see how they look and perception of a property change when every small space is thought of.

Furnish the bathroom saving money

Create a spectacular bathroom. For large houses, a spectacular bathroom is a must. Few elements, but unusual light effects or textures, without precedent.

To save money, try to order upholstery and furniture directly from the manufacturers, eliminating the middlemen. This will allow you to control your budget more wisely and get special discounts. Very often in generous spaces, just a few elements but well cared for. And designed are enough to obtain a truly extraordinary effect!

Food and Fruits

Healthy Fruit soup: Four recipes for daily life

Posted on by Johnson Clark
Healthy Fruit soup

Along with vegetables, fruits make up a group of essential foods to maintain a healthy diet. There are countless recipes to prepare and taste one or the other: raw – naturally -, in salads, baked, on skewers, canned, boiled, blended, and even in soup. With a unique flavor, ranging from syrupy sweet to a slightly sweet touch, a surprising texture, and colors, fruit soup is made as a starter, first course, and dessert. In some cases they are served hot; in most, cold; but they rarely leave diners indifferent. This article compiles four recipes for fruit soup to make at home and reviews its main nutritional qualities. Continue reading →