3 Kids and Us

Family Skiing Trips to Remember

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The United States is blessed with hundreds of ski resorts, and many of them make perfect destinations for a family vacation. As soon as your kids can walk they can start skiing, and in fact the younger they are when they start, the more quickly they will get the hang of it. Children have a unique perspective on the joys of snow, and love to see how it changes the landscape, plus of course building snowmen, making snow angels, and having snowball fights! They will probably find the idea of spending a whole week playing in the snow irresistible, but to make sure they do have the time of their lives, stick to a few basic rules for enjoying your skiing vacation.

Choose the right resort

There are all kinds of resorts, and it’s important to select a family friendly location for your trip. Some resorts are geared more towards the experienced skier, with few facilities for novices and children so that they wouldn’t be a good choice. You want to choose somewhere that welcomes families and has suitable nursery slopes, tutors who are experienced in teaching children, and plenty of off-piste activities to keep everyone entertained. Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Vail in Colorado and Jackson Hole in Wyoming are among the most highly rated resorts, and all have a wide range of facilities to keep all members of the family happy.

Choose the right accommodation

You want the place you stay in to be warm and comfortable, as it will be cold and there could be snowstorms. Feeling snug and secure in your accommodation is a vital counterpoint to bundling up and heading out for a day on the icy slopes. Lodges are a popular choice, which may be self-catering or have a chef service, whereby your meals are prepared and cooked for you each evening. For an indulgent experience and a full range of services, you could choose to stay in top-rated surroundings such as one of the Jackson Hole luxury hotels. This is a great choice if you want to be pampered and not have to worry about cooking and cleaning during your stay.

Get the kids prepared

You’ll need to get the kids some suitable thermal clothing and outerwear to keep them warm. Nothing is as likely to put your kids off the idea of skiing as much as getting wet and cold on the slopes, so make sure they are suitably kitted out with everything they’ll need to keep them warm and dry. You’re better off hiring than buying equipment for kids unless you’re going to be spending a significant amount of time each season out skiing because they grow so quickly that boots and skis will soon be outgrown. Make use of the hiring facilities at your resort, at least until you know how keen the kids are.

With the right planning and preparation, your skiing trip will be a great success, and you’ll have a wonderful time. Making it as much fun as possible for the kids will instill a love of snow sports into them that will last their whole lives.

What Do Leaders Know About Organization That Most People Don’t?

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No matter what you might think, effective leadership will rarely happen by chance. According to Envision NYLF, leadership needs a lot of consideration, training, commitment and the natural ability to organize in an efficient manner. The truth is that organization is really important. It is all about how to effectively use one’s time in order to reach goals. Organized leaders do spend most of their time analyzing and addressing needs instead of doing things.

In the following paragraphs we will take a look at what leaders know about organization and what most people do not know.

Organization Highlights Opportunities

There can be many differences highlighted when comparing the best leaders with those that are just average. One of the big ones is that the best leaders are always ready to organize everything in order to find new opportunities and options. You want to be ready for the opportunities too. At the same time, the best leaders are always willing to become better by creating their own unique opportunity.

Making Relevant Choices

It is always really important to serve the needs of other people. Always seriously evaluate and actually consider rationale, together with the interests that are associated with every single decision that is made. The best leaders are those that always make relevant choices. This is only possible when you are organized in a way in which as many choices as possible are initially noticed. If you are not organized, the choices that become visible for the leader will not be all that exist.

Generating Growth

There are many aspects of growth that can be discussed. Unfortunately, most people from around the world think that growth is all about doing really hard work. This is definitely one part of it but there is so much more than can be said. The really good leaders have to always generate goodwill and focus on the strategies that can be used in order to achieve growth.

The problem with growth is that it has to be controlled. If you are not organized, it is a certainty you are not going to be able to grow as fast as you want to. Organization is what leaders use in order to achieve business and personal growth. They know the steps they have to take because they organize and work to develop them.

Increased Attention

There will always be many different alternatives and options that become visible for the leader as he/she wants to make a choice. The problem is that it is really hard to be attentive in the event that organization is not in place. If you are organized you gain a lot of time. You learn what you have to be attentive about and you quickly figure out what is necessary.

Final Thoughts

To sum up, organization is much more important than what many think. If you want to be a really good leader you need to learn all that you can about organization and how it can be used to grow in business and at a personal level.

What Are The Main Causes Of Breast Cancer?

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Most women these days are afraid of breast cancer or are at least aware of the seriousness of the condition. This is one of the most common of all cancers among women and normally happens in the breast’s lobules or ducts. You want to be sure that you take preventive measures in order to avoid this awful condition. Life Medical Technologies mentions the fact that all women should have proper knowledge when discussing breast cancer causes.

What Causes Breast Cancer?

Nobody really knows the main breast cancer cause at the moment. However, there are different factors that are going to put you at a higher risk of being affected by this disease. Those that you really need to know more about include:

  • Aging– This may be a little hard to believe but the truth is that aging is a really common factor associated with breast cancer. As your body ages, risks grow to be affected.
  • Consuming alcohol – If you excessively drink alcohol you practically double the possibility that you will be affected by breast cancer. Make sure you limit quantities in order to avoid increasing breast cancer risks.
  • Denser Breast Tissue – Some doctors will tell you that when you have denser breast tissue there is a higher chance you are going to be affected by breast cancer. This is because cells that create this disease are going to simply grow faster.
  • Late child birth/not being pregnant– The women that have the first child at older age are at a higher risk of getting breast cancer. In addition, women that cannot easily conceive can be affected by breast cancer.
  • Early menstruation – If you are a woman that has the first period before 12 years old, the risk of getting breast cancer is higher when compared to those that get menstruation after that age.
  • Family history of breast cancer – Unfortunately, if you do have breast cancer in your family history, there is an increased possibility you are going to be affected. At the same time, if you had breast cancer in one of your breasts, the other one will most likely have to be checked since the possibility of getting it there is increased. Statistics show that there is a double possibility of having breast cancer if you have the disease in your family history.

It is really important that women go to the doctor and get checked up from time to time. Proper treatment is mandatory. Remember the fact that if breast cancer is diagnosed early, there is a much higher possibility that you are going to be treated. This is something that doctors do all they can in order to promote at the moment.

Women should know as much as possible about breast cancer. Not much information is available at the moment and you cannot trust all that you find online. Have patience and go talk to an experienced doctor. Learn what increases breast cancer risk and be sure you always respect absolutely all the indications that are offered by the medic.

Most Important Metal Roofing Advantages And Disadvantages

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The modern homebuyer has many things to consider when thinking about roofing since the number of opportunities available is quite large. Metal roofing is very popular and is used in everything from commercial warehouses to modern storage buildings. Metal is much more durable and stronger than traditional products we used to use for roofing in the past.

Metal Roofing Advantages

Community Builders Tulsa highlights that there are two main things that have to be mentioned when referring to metal roofs: cost-effectiveness and safety. These advantages are offered by metal roofing as it can withstand extreme weather dangers like snow, strong windows, hail and rain. Fire protection is also very important and the level offered is higher than with the traditional solutions. You even get access to more color selection. The available variety of color and styles with metal roofing is quite large.

Metal Roofing Disadvantages

One of the disadvantages you want to think about when considering metal roofing is cost. Normally the cost is higher than with traditional roofing options. However, according to experts, the higher cost is compensated by much higher durability, low profitability and lack of need to replace roofs in normal lifetime. In many cases the traditional roof has to be replaced around 20 years, based on architecture or style. Properly installed metal roofing is going to last up to sixty years.

Perception should also be mentioned as a potential disadvantage. There are people that are going to appreciate the look of the metal roof but that is not always the case. There are some homeowner associations that actually have rules against using metal roofing. It is important to check such things before committing to using metal. If there are official prohibitions, you have to be aware of this before making a large investment in your new roof. Conflicts with homeowner associations can be quite hard to navigate.

Keep in mind that it is also possible that metal roofing will become a problem in the event that it is not properly installed. It is vital that the best roofers are chosen to handle metal roofing installation. If metal roofing is not properly installed, its lifetime is not going to be as long as it can be. Be sure that you are patient and that you conduct a good research about contractors so you can work with the one that is the best in your area.

Conclusions

Before you make a final decision you need to think about all the facts that are mentioned above. Talk with local roofing experts in order to get advice and help before you sign contracts or you buy materials. The market at the moment is really competitive and you will be quite surprised to see the difference that can appear in material quality and price. Be sure that you are informed and that you do all that you can to work just with true roofing professionals. Metal roofing can be a very good investment and in many cases it is something that you do want.

Serious Home Upgrades: How to Finance Them

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As homeowners, we always look for ways to improve our homes in order to secure better living conditions for our families and to add more value to our assets. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always go smoothly, as money is often the biggest issue. Also, it’s not uncommon to have the home improvement project turn into a never-ending process that devours your precious budget in the blink of an eye!

For that reason, it’s imperative you take time and make careful financial plans and research all available financing options and possible downfalls. You may also be able to save some money on home upgrades by doing them yourself. For example, there are plenty of assemble yourself cabinets available online that are easy to install. Here are a few other suggestions on how you can deal with this sensitive matter.

Use cash if you can

If you’re undertaking a large-scale home renovation project and it’s possible to divide it into smaller stages, using cash is probably the best option. In that way, the risk of piling up debt decreases significantly.

The average cost of serious home improvements and upgrades is usually around $20,000 and for most people, finding that sum of money in a short period of time is often impossible. So, dividing your project into smaller and more feasible phases is your best chance.

Take a loan

Even the big renovation projects can be scaled down to medium ones as far as the costs go. That means somewhere between $15,000 and $50,000, which will make you eligible for unsecured or personal loans. They’re easy to apply for and you don’t need any collateral.

There’s also the option of longer periods for payback without putting your home as a collateral, but interest rates are much higher and there are no tax benefits to boot. So in the end, you’ll pay more than you initially planned, but most clients claim it’s worth the price.

Combo options

Going with cash or loans only is not your only option. Another feasible option is combining these two and in many cases, experts recommend it. The main advantage is that you’ll be able to reduce the amount you pay in interest. Just bear in mind that the longer you stretch your financial plan, the bigger the odds are that you’ll end up in a tight spot.

Financing program

When thinking of improving and upgrading your home, you need to consider the time we live in now and the future as well. We are already experiencing climatic changes, extreme temperatures, and induced storms, so investing your money into insulation, door, window and roof reinforcement is something to be seriously considered.

Such investment is quite substantial and, for most people, unattainable. However, with financing programs such as PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy), serious improvements and energy-efficient upgrades are now easily done. This is a new concept in financing property improvements that help save energy, harness renewable energy, conserve water and offer protection against natural disasters.

The obvious question here is: how does Pace work? In general, with the help of PACE, homeowners can get full financing for their renovation project, based on the available equity in their property and payment ability. The entire amount, including interest and any applicable fees, is added to your property taxes which you then pay over a period of time. It can be done via your annual or semi-annual property tax bill or as a part of your monthly mortgage installment.

0% credit cards

It’s almost hard to believe, but there are some surprisingly good options here, too, provided you have a decent credit. If that is the case, your bank might offer you a zero-rate credit card that will probably sound like science fiction to you. But, it’s quite a realistic probability and it can finance your project without a cent paid in interest.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t come without potential traps that can easily swallow you, if you’re not careful enough. These are usually sky-high interest rates after the expiration date, the lack of tax benefits, the balance transfer fee, penalties for missing a payment or being late and a short period of time for the payback.

When you’re thinking about the ways to finance your home improvement project, your main consideration is being prudent and thinking about contingency. However enticing and appealing some financial loans or programs may seem initially, you should look beyond the instantly available sum of money. In order to avoid creating more serious problems long term, pick your projects carefully and invest only in those that will add value to your home and improve the quality of your living standard.

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We left our home in Sydney, Australia many moons ago in May 2012 and, other than a brief stint back in Perth for Christmas and a wedding in early 2014, we have been travelling the world nomadically ever since, running a business from our laptops and we’re here to show you how to do it!