Category Archives: Uncategorized

Green Living, Uncategorized

5 Really Cool Gardening Hacks for Those Lacking a Green Thumb


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Did you know that tea and mayonnaise can help make your plants healthier? You will be quite surprised at how many unexpected tips there are to keep houseplants growing, blooming and healthy for years to come. You do not need to have a green thumb to have beautiful plants and flowers growing around your home – all you need is a few tips and hacks!

  • Find a spot with the right light: When you are trying to decide where to place a plant, remember that south-facing windows get a lot lighter than those that face the north. When it comes to east- or west-facing windows, check out how much morning or afternoon sun, they receive before you put plants near them. Keep in mind that plants with foliage in bright colors need more light.
  • Keep soil moist longer: If your potted houseplants tend to dry out too quickly after you have watered them, all you need is a simple trick to keep the soil wet for a longer period of time. Make your pots hold water longer by placing a damp sponge in the bottom of the pot when you repot your plants. The sponge will act as a water reservoir, and if you accidentally over water, it may even help in preventing a pile of water from pouring out.
  • Have a tea party with your ferns: Do you have gardenias and ferns growing? These are acid-loving houseplants that would enjoy a bit of tea from time to time. Arrange a tea party occasionally and water them with brewed tea instead of water or mix in some wet tea leaves into the soil. This will give your plants a fresh and lush look that you will absolutely love.
  • Save leftover egg water or club soda: You often just toss the water you boil eggs in, right? Well, save it instead for your plants. Let the hardboiled egg water cool and water your plants with it. This water contains a plenitude of calcium. The nutrient-filled water will hydrate your houseplants, and they will love you for it. The minerals that club soda contains also help green plants grow. Give your plants a soda drink once a week for maximum benefit.
  • Use mayo to keep plants shiny: Do your plants’ leaves look dull? Do not worry – a bit of mayonnaise can make them look shiny and healthy again. Take a small amount of mayo and rub it on the leaves with a paper towel. This will help keep them looking shiny and bright for weeks, maybe even months, at a time. You can also use a mixture of equal parts of milk and warm water. Dip a soft cloth into the mixture and wipe the leaves down – you will get a pretty shine in minutes.

Balcony Plants

Who says that you need a green thumb to have beautiful, lush plants growing in your home? You can do so much to keep your houseplants healthy with a few secret tricks and hacks. If you have been afraid of keeping plants at home, you can stop and start planting, and give your home that gorgeous touch of nature that every home should have.

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Are You Wasting Electricity With Your Christmas Decorations?


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LED Christmas Lights
Image Source

Now that the holidays are over it’s time to dispose of discarded boxes, ripped paper and finish up the last of the left overs. It’s also time to assess the financial damage to bank accounts and credit cards – and that includes some costs you might not be thinking about – such as energy costs.

Impact of the Holidays on Your Electricity Bill

Back in 2010, a certain price comparison website did a survey in an attempt to compare energy costs for Christmas across the UK, and found that every household which has an outside lighted display of Christmas decorations used an average of 100 bulbs per home. This resulted in a calculation that suggested that for every home with an external Christmas light display, almost 23 days worth of electricity is consumed over the festive period. That is, 23 days of one average household’s full electricity bill. An average household might spend as much as $5 per day, which turns that 23 days into almost $75. Quite a lot, isn’t it? That’s on top of what you’re already paying.

Even fairy lights use more energy than you’d think. In fact, an energy comparison of 400-light string of fairy lights shows that they could cost you as much as $17 extra per day. The lowest estimate is around $3.51 extra on a daily basis.

It might be an obvious step to lose the lights altogether, especially if you have a green conscience, but the dedicated folks of ‘lit-up-like-a-Christmas-tree’ homes across the country (and we know there is at least one on every estate), don’t have to be disappointed just yet.

An Alternative to Standard Christmas Lights – LED Lights

Energy-saving CFL bulbs aren’t suitable for Christmas lights, but there is an alternative: light-emitting diodes, or LEDs.

LEDs have been with us for many years, and the technology is getting better all the time. They might be a little more expensive in the shops, but only by a few quid, and what you pay out on the new fixtures, you save many times over on your electricity bill, year after year. You have to shop around and see which decorations you prefer, and which give off the quantity of light you like – there are, of course, a lot of different standards of LED decorations out there.

There are some serious advantages to buying LED Christmas lights, whether it’s for outdoor use (enveloping your home and garden in the best lights in town) or indoor.

LED lights use between 2 and 17 watts of electricity per bulb. It depends what type and size you buy. This amount is equal to around one-third or one-thirtieth of electricity usage by an incandescent or even a CFL bulb.

LED lights are cool. Okay, we know this, but they’re extra-cool because they don’t allow the build-up of heat. This makes them more energy efficient (because you’re not paying for the lights to heat up the air around them) and it also makes them safer. The UK experiences up to 3-times the number of house fires during the Christmas period, and much of this is put down to the use of decorative lighting. LEDs don’t set on fire. All good.

LED lights are cost efficient. Although they’re initially more expensive than the ordinary type of lights, the costs continue to reduce as the manufacturing technologies improve, and they save you electrical output. This means that cost continues to go down for every year you use the same string of LED fairy lights.

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What To Do If You Have Bed Bugs


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Bed bug infestations are stressful. Waking up to find dozens of bites all over your body is no way to have to start your day, and it takes much more than your grocery store insecticide to get rid of these tiny pests. If you suspect bed bug activity in your home, you need to act quickly, carefully, and thoroughly.

How do I Know I Have Bed Bugs?

The first step to a bug-free home is to confirm that you do have bed bugs. In most cases, the first signs are the bites — itchy red welts, usually in a trail along your arms, underarms, or shoulders. While some people experience itching and burning after being bitten, others may feel nothing at all. While these marks are certainly alarming, you have to be sure that they really are bed bug bites; they may be a skin reaction of some sort, or bites from another critter, like a spider or mosquito.

To be absolutely sure that you’re dealing with a bed bug infestation, carefully inspect the seams of your mattress, the edges of your box spring and bed frame, and inside small nooks and crevices of your bedroom. If a credit card can fit in a slot, a bed bug can too. While the odds of seeing live bed bugs crawling around during the day are slim (as they are most active while you’re asleep), you may find traces of their activity:

  • Feces are usually thin black spots or streaks, composed of digested blood that was excreted by the bedbugs as they returned to their hideout. To confirm that the mark is from a bed bug, try dabbing it with a wet paper towel; it should leave a red smudge.
  • Blood stains are small red spots, often left in trails. They are usually from bed bugs spitting up some of the blood that they had been drinking, or from them being crushed by people rolling over in their sleep.
  • You may also find molted skins. There are 5 stages of development during a bed bug’s maturity. During each stage, a bed bug will shed their skin to make room for a larger skin, like a snake. The skins will be transparent with a gold or amber tint. Since the skin is part of the bed bug’s exoskeleton, it will retain the shape and size of the bug, including its legs and joints.

Bed Bug Lifecycle

The bed bugs themselves are reddish-brown and oval-shaped. They have six legs, small front wings, and no rear wings (bed bugs have lost their ability to fly through evolution, so their wings have no function anymore). They’re very small, usually only a few millimeters long, and are decorated with dark bands. If a bed bug has recently fed on its host, a deep red tint will show through its transparent skin.

Once you’ve confirmed that you do have bed bugs in your home, you’ll want to act quickly to kill the bugs and their eggs, and to prevent future infestations from occurring.

MM Novato is a blogger at www.bedbugsupply.com.

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Real Estate Agent Social Media Strategy That Works


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If you are a real estate agent it is time to look into how you can really start to move the homes for sale you have in your listings. The housing market may be stale at the moment, but somehow realtors with some skill are managing to move homes every week. Their secret is simple; they have tuned into the world of social media and are using it to their advantage to get the word out about the properties they have for sale. It is simple to sell a home if you have the right real estate agent working on your side.

Social Networks

The very first thing that you need to do is take a good look at your current social media strategy because there is a very good chance that you can revamp it to help you out. While you might be on Facebook and Twitter, consider whether or not your business is on these social networks yet. If it is not you might be missing out on a prime opportunity. Every day real estate agents are selling dozens of homes via social networks, and you can be one of them.

It is worth it to jump online with your business portfolio starting with your friends and then branching out to their friends. Before long you will have a strong business following and then you can use the profiles to share photos of listings, advertise your services, and more. Why settle for waiting customers and potential buyers to come to you when you can proactively market to them every day with just the click of a button.

Social Apps

After you are done working with social networks you should consider looking into social apps that can also help you get the word out about your listings. There are dozens of social apps out there that allow you to broaden your reach and advertise your listings. For example, Instagram and Pinterest are typically used for sharing photos, but you can use the easy app to share photos of your listings and hopefully encourage a few more sales from people that like your homes. Taylor Morrison is a great example of a real estate company using these platforms well.

On the other hand, there are some social apps made specifically for real estate agents as well. Zillow for example is a great app that contains listing of top homes in almost every region. It is also one of the most used real estate apps by potential clients so you want to make sure that they pick up all of your listings promptly and that all of the listings are correct. By keeping an eye on these kinds of apps you can make sure that are working for you.

Self-Promotion

Finally, while you are busy work with these social networks and social apps make sure that you spend some time on self-promotion. Without self-promotion you are not going to get any new listings or clients, and that is the real backbone to your business. Therefore, from time to time make sure you promote your own business or real estate logo while online.

Alan Martin is a real estate agent in Utah. He also blogs about social media and online marketing.

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How To Go About Cleaning Your House In Three Easy Steps


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272 | 365 | Peace

These days, house cleaning is considered to be more torturous than waking up at the crack of dawn. Unless you are house-ridden the whole day, you won’t even dream of dusting those dirt particles off the bed you sleep on. You simply throw yourself over the filthy mattress after a hard day’s work. But ever wondered why you are bed-ridden at least once a month? The dirt which gets collected in your house over time contains germs which lead to infectious diseases. So you can’t compromise on cleaning your household on a regular basis. I have listed three easy steps to thoroughly clean your house, no matter the time you get home.

  • Keep an hour aside for cleaning: You don’t work the whole 24 hours now, do you? Say, you spend 8 hours at work, about an hour for commute, a couple of hours for recreation, another couple for meals, and about 6 hours sleep. You are still left with 5 complete hours a day. You will highly benefit in terms of hygiene if you spend about an hour in cleaning your house. Let’s make it a bit simpler. Going by the above calculation, you will be left with around 30 spare hours per week! Clean your house at least once a week. Spending a couple of hours doesn’t seem so cumbersome eh.

Week 12/52: An unhurried sense of time is in itself a form of wealth

  • Hire professional cleaning services once a week: If you are sluggish enough to not spend an hour on cleaning, you may shell out a few bucks to get your house cleaned by professionals in the trade. They take about an hour to completely clean an average house. And you are not even required to slouch out of your bed while the cleaning process is in progress. But take care while picking a cleaning service. Some of the services in the industry are not entirely efficient, and some may even be scams – carrying off less conspicuous but expensive materials along with the dirt. You will be much better off selecting the one recommended by neighbors and friends.
  • Let machines do the work for you: Technology today has escalated to the point of a possible Artificial Intelligence. So you can quite easily find some high-end gadgets that are pre-programmed for cleaning purposes. There is the automated vacuum cleaner, the robot duster, the electronic dishwasher, and even an entire self-cleaning toilet; though the last one may not be trusted with the money it calls for. A statutory warning – these gadgets come at an astounding price. For instance, the robotic vacuum cleaners and dusters may cost you about $500. If you don’t mind spending more for cleaning than for which you purchased the furniture in the first place, by all means go ahead.

order now and you'll get the carwashing adapter FOR FREE!

Though you will have to spend about an hour a month on the maintenance of the gadget, you will get the entire five hours for yourself. If you are bent on stealing a few more minutes for recreation, you may purchase a full-fledged robot that might cost you a fortune.

Richard King is an entrepreneur and runs a business of providing Commercial pressure cleaning services. A humble man, who started out this business 10 years back and has taken the market by storm with his efficient service. The need for cleanliness in a house is of utmost importance he feels and gives advise to people about the best house cleaning practices on his blog.

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Color As The Key To Modern Interior Design


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Transforming your home or business space through color can be an affordable solution to any decorating project. By selecting and thoughtfully using various colors through paint, fabrics, textures and artwork, you add light, drama, balance and a modernized feel to any space. The following are some handy tips to incorporate color into your interior design projects.
Bold color usage for a modern design theme

Layer Your Colors

If you’re looking to make your work or home environment more dynamic and visually interesting, try adding a layer of colors to your room space. Begin by painting one wall a darker color and use a shade or two lighter for the other walls within the room. Hues within the same color scheme usually look best and for a less dramatic effect use only two shades on the room.

Bring Color in Through Fabrics and Materials

Another inexpensive way to change the look of any room in your home or business is to change the upholstery on your furniture. Paint the colors of your walls one solid color and bring in matching patterns and materials through fabrics and prints for your sofas, chairs and love seats. You can also pull any room together with accent pieces such as artwork, matching throw pills, vases and decorative rugs.

Modifying window treatments and curtains is another affordable way to add more color to your work or living space. If you’re looking to create an intimate environment, keep the window treatments and walls similar in color. However, if you’re looking to create something a little more dramatic, you can select patterns and rich tones that accent your wall colors. Bed sheets, lace and bolts of fabric make affordable window coverings.

Pull Color from Artwork

If you have a particular piece of artwork that you love hanging in your home or office space, you can decorate to pull specific colors from the piece. Concentrate on a certain accent color or  repaint the wall that the piece hangs on to bring out it’s brilliance. You can also easily change the matting or frames of your art to create a totally new affect in your room.

Room Colors and the Effect on Your Mood

Colors typically affect a person in one of three ways, neutral, energetic, or calming. Reddish hues can bring energy and excitement to a room. Try hanging a red print, curtains, or other accent to stimulate conversation and get the heart pumping more than any other color. Yellow is a cheerful color that can instill happiness and warmth in a room. Kitchens and bathrooms in the home and office that are popular choices for a yellow color theme. However, studies have shown that young infants tend to cry more in nurseries painted in yellowish tints. If you’re looking to create calm and relaxation in any of the rooms in your home, blue and green have been shown to bring down blood pressure and promote comfort. Neutral colors create more of neutral mood and may have less affect on energy or comfort level.

If you’re looking for ways to change the mood of your work or home environment, incorporating color through paint, fabric and textures are affordable options. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to bring about drama or relaxation through just a few simple touches.

Author and Free-lance artist Molly Pearce also enjoys exercising her creativity and love of vivid color in the rooms of her home and studio. Artismo.com is an online resource offering high-quality, framed art reproductions featuring every color of the rainbow, from a fiery, red print to a black and white pen and ink illustration to a multi-colored landscape painting.

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The Type of Home Insurance You Choose Makes a Big Difference


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There are a wide range of different home insurance, not only companies, but policies within those companies that we each have to choose from. Many people are not aware just how many different options they have and today we are going to break down a few of what we would call the ‘most important’. At the end of the day, what is truly most important depends on what your needs are so be sure to ask your representative as many questions as you feel necessary in order to make sure your coverage is just right for your unique situation. Also keep in mind, titles for different types of coverage may vary between companies. We are using the simplest titles in order to better explain each type of policy on a general basis.

Homeowner’s Insurance (HO1): The Most Basic Type of Coverage

This is the most basic of insurance policies for a single home. At least one person inside a single home must have HO1 to cover things such as natural disaster protection, for things such as fire and storm protection. This type of policy is typically also going to include theft and vandalism, as well. This type of policy is not going to typically include liability insurance so any accidents on the premises are not going to be covered. This type of coverage is not enough for a home that is still being paid off.

HO2: A Little More to Work with

If you feel that HO1 isn’t enough protection for you and are looking for coverage that includes not only your home itself but also other structures on your property, such as that new fence you just built, or your favorite tool shed, then HO2 may be more up your alley. (HO2 includes all of HO1). What types of ‘perils’ are covered depends on your insurance company but typically you’ll have things included on your policy, such as: ‘freezing’ and ‘falling objects’. It is always important to read the fine print and never assume exactly what each peril means. Sometimes how something happens to your home is more important than what happened.

HO3: Getting Even More Specific

HO3 is a nice policy to have because it literally protects you against anything and everything out there, unless said peril is mentioned in the policy as being excluded. This gives much more peace of mind, knowing exactly, without a doubt, what you are looking at. HO3 is like a super HO1 and HO2 combination.

HO4: Renters Insurance; Protecting What You Have

Renters Insurance is important because sometimes a landlord will have their property covered, but this does not do anything for your personal items. Another reason renters insurance is so important is because it offers you liability, for yourself and for others on your property so if anything were to happen in (or around) your home; you won’t have to stress over medical bills and lawsuits.

HO5: The Best of the Best

If you have the money to spend and are looking for a hassle-free insurance policy then HO5 is your best bet. It is similar to HO3 in that only things listed are not covered but it generally is going to have a much broader and extensive coverage.

HO6: Condominiums Only

HO6 is a policy in which condominium owners are covered. This type of coverage is similar to renters insurance in the fact that it is a more specific way to insure your property based on the type of dwelling it is.

HO8: Great for Older Homes

For a rainy day

HO8 is a type of insurance that is specifically designed to insure homes that are already owned and getting on in their years. If you have an older home and the replacement cost is much higher than the market value, then this is going to be the perfect type of insurance for you and your family.

George Smith-Davies is a journalist as well as a blogger at the same time, he has a sound knowledge of all kinds of insurances. He says that you must try to find more information on the types of insurances available before you buy one.

Real Estate, Uncategorized

5 Hidden Secrets Of Efficient Real Estate Photography


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Well, it’s no secret to anyone that the real estate market is a highly competitive niche where every little detail matters more than you think. Considering that modern man has been taught to respond to visual stimuli more than anything else, it is fairly obvious that the way the real estate agent presents the homes for sale plays a key role in helping the buyer decide. Even though realtors understand the importance of displaying their products in the best possible light, the specialty websites are practically flooded with dark, blurry and terrible pictures of the estate properties. I’m here to help, as the quality of your real estate photography can increase significantly by following the tips below.

Get the house ready

First of all, you should prepare the house for the photo shooting session. What this means is that you need to make the property look professionally staged by moving some furniture around, paying attention to small details like closing the toilet lids and also playing with the lighting. In addition, because you will most likely utilize a digital camera, don’t skimp on the amount of photos you take. In fact, you should take as many as possible shots from various angles and browse through them later to decide which ones are suited for uploading.

Get quality equipment

If you want clear and quality photos, then you should invest in good equipment. While you might argue that professional equipment is expensive, it is necessary to mention that DSLRs are quite affordable nowadays. You can even find them on eBay and Craigslist if you don’t mind the idea of used equipment. On a side note, while the best lenses to serve your real estate photo purposes are the 10-22mm ones, it doesn’t hurt to have a few external flashes in your arsenal.

Break the blur curse with a tripod

In general, when uploading a blurry picture of a house, interested clients will not really think of your poor photographer skills, but will most consider you have something to hide. In the event that irrespective of what you do and what angle you shoot from most of your photos are blurry, it is time to purchase a tripod. In order to be certain you won’t obtain any blurring due to movement, you should set your camera on timer mode and utilize a shutter release.

The camera’s settings are there for a reason

Regardless of the fact that you purchased a top of the line camera and you are using a tripod, you cannot expect the photo to impress if you just leave the settings on default or automatic. In case you did not know, most professional photographers prefer the manual mode in order to have the entire setting in focus. In addition, it is preferable to make sure the aperture is above f/8, as otherwise you will have problems with the depth and focus of the field.

Post processing software is godsend

In general, switching to manual mode and adding external flashes will lead to impressive results. However, because your goal is not to impress, but convince potential buyers, it is advisable to invest in post processing software and edit your photos carefully before uploading them.

Brian Perez is a home improvement expert and likes playing golf in his free time. He says that currently a number of Town Houses in Glen Waverley are available for sale.

Uncategorized

Moving Tips: An Expert Guide to Packing Furniture


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One of the greatest challenges when you have to shift your house is packing all of the household furniture. You may damage or break the furniture or home décor items en route if you do not pack them properly. Here are some guidelines and suggestions on how you must go about packing the furniture items to avert any kind of damage.

How to pack furniture items?

You will surely want all your furniture items to stay intact even when you transport it to a new place. Here are some simple packing tips that might prove fruitful.

Chairs

You have to move the chair after packing them perfectly. You will have to wrap it properly before you shift.

  • You may either use a bubble wrap paper or a blank newsprint paper to wrap the chair, stool or any furniture item of this family.
  • You must wrap the arms of the chair with these papers.
  • You will require a tape or a rope to bind it.
  • You can then use old blankets or thick padding to cover the entire chairs.

Beds

Bed often gets spoilt when transported due to improper packing. Here is how you should pack a bed before you transport it.

  • Firstly, you must dissemble the bed into its various members like the footboard, headboard and bed frame.
  • You must give all these parts separate markings.
  • You should tape or tie the rails together.
  • You can transfer all the nuts, bolts and screws into a single polythene bag. Tape it to the bed so that it will be with the bed when you unpack.
  • You should tape or tie blankets or pads to the headboards and footboards.
  • You may pack the mattress into a separate cover so that it stays protected.

Bureaus

You must empty the bureaus completely. This proves convenient for packing.

  • You must remove all the items stored in the bureau into appropriate boxes.
  • You should never tape the drawers into closed position. They may stick to the finish of the cabinet or bureau.
  • You may give a padding of blanket to the bureau. This will prevent the bureau from getting scars or scratches when it is transported.

How to pack household appliances?

Household appliances need to be shifted with utmost care. You may suffer from severe losses if they get affected in the route. Here are some guidelines that may help you.

Air Conditioner

Here is how you should shift your air conditioner.

  • You have to first shut your air conditioner. The coils of the air-conditioner will then cool and dry away.
  • You must either remove or replace the filter.
  • The best way to pack this appliance is in its original box.
  • In case you do not have the original box, you must pack it in a well padded box.
  • You must be careful while you transport the appliance.

Computers

Most modern homes do have computers. These are priceless possessions. You need to carefully shift them.

  • Before you pack the computer, you must make a back up for all the files in your computer. You may purchase a backup drive for this purpose.
  • Original computer boxes would be ideal for packing the computer. You can use a tape to secure it.
  • You may wrap this using Styrofoam peanuts, bubble wrap or newsprint paper.
  • You may pack these in two boxes one inside the other. This will ensure that the gadget stays safe.
  • You must pack the discs into a separate packet that is away from any magnetic field.
  • You must also mark each box as “Fragile”

Washing Machines

It is a meticulous task to pack the washing machine. It is heavy and you may find it cumbersome to pack it up.

  • At least a week prior to shifting, stop using the machine.
  • You must drain away all the water in the washer of your machine.
  • You should then get rid of all the moisture using a good towel.
  • Pack all the machine accessories into a separate packet.
  • You may prevent the tub of the machine from rotating by stuffing some cloth inside.
  • You should also include a box of baking soda. This will help prevent mildew formation.

Refrigerators

Refrigerators are inevitable in most modern households. Here is how you must pack it without any damage.

  • You must first empty the entire fridge of its contents.
  • You should then defrost the refrigerator.
  • You have to empty out the drainage pan.
  • You have to unplug all the electrical contacts carefully.
  • You should wrap the shelves of the refrigerator carefully and tape them together.
  • You must bind a large pad about the refrigerator to protect it.

Bio: This article was developed by Sean Campbell from RugsandBlinds.com which deals with wide range of rugs such as rugs for your kids room, rugs for kitchen and many more

Uncategorized

Top 10 Things To Do in San Francisco for Tourists


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So your off to San Francisco, you have the flowers in your hair and you want to know what to do. Well here are ten tourist hot spots and a few not so known top picks for you…

Alcatraz San Francisco

1. Golden Gate Bridge

This had to be the first one. We’ve all seen this iconic bridge countless times on celluloid. Seeing it in the flesh will blow your mind. A photographers dream, this shimmering beauty isn’t painted gold (as many still think) it’s actually orange and a real hit for tourists. There’s a reason why over nine million people visit this bridge every year. It is truly epic. On May 27 2012 The Golden Gate Festival marks the 75th Anniversary of its erection so it’s a great time to be in the city with all sorts of activities going on around the waterfront.

2.  Ride the cable car

Another iconic symbol of the city is the cable car. It’s a great way to get around and see the city.  San Francisco is known for its steep hills, so take the weight off your feet and hop on board.

3. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

This impressive museum makes for a great day out.  The city buzzes with creative energy and where better to see local artists than at this famous museum.  Showcasing new and exciting modern art, the museum is also a great socializing spot with a brilliant café and bar.

4.  Monterey Bay

Whilst in San Francisco you must visit Monterey Bay.  Only a couple of hours away this picturesque place has beaches and restaurants to die for.  Stroll down the old Fishermans Wharf and indulge in the freshest seafood imaginable.

5. Alcatraz

This notorious island needs no introduction.  Visit ‘The Rock’ and pretend you are one of the world’s most dangerous criminals. How would you escape?

6. Zoo

San Francisco has a strong conservation programme and is a perfect day out for animal lovers.  The creatures here have large enclosures so you can rest assured that they are very happy inhabitants.

7. Chinatown

Who doesn’t love a trip to Chinatown? Every great city in the world has one and San Francisco boasts the largest Chinatown outside of Asia.  You are completely spoilt for choice here with outstanding food at every corner.  Go with an empty belly and get feasting.

8. Napa Valley Wine Tasting

Wine lovers will have long dreamed about the Napa Valley.  The stunning landscape makes for phenomenal wine and delicious produce.  The Valley is home to some exquisite restaurants and beautiful resorts so save a day or two to plan a trip here.

9. Kabuki Springs in Japan Town

Some might say this is unusual but you’ve got to experience the communal bathing in Japan Town.  The hot springs are a real treat and the sauna and steam rooms make it even better.  Male and female days are allocated.

10. Guided Segway Tour

And now for something completely different.  Why not enter the future and take a tour on a Segway? This has grown in popularity and no wonder as there really isn’t a more exciting way to see the sights of San Francisco.

Kiri Bowers+ created her site Travel Bumpkin out of a passion for escapism and discovery.  After graduating with an English Literature degree in London, the only thing on her mind was gallivanting the globe.  Currently on her second round the world adventure, Kiri has explored her roots in India, found love in Australia and eaten her way all over South East Asia.