admin, Author at 3 Kids and Us

An Introduction to Digiscoping

May 2, 2017 by admin

If you have been looking for a reason to prise the kids away from their screens and various devices, what better way to encourage them to get outdoors in the fresh air with digiscoping? All kids like watching wildlife, and with digiscoping, they can do just that. Although it requires a lot of practice, it should keep the kids entertained for hours, which is great for those long summer holidays when all you seem to hear is “I’m bored.” Some photographers have perfected the technique of digiscoping to the level where they have photographed some amazing photographs of birds and other wildlife, which would otherwise be impossible with a traditional digital camera.

The first step to digiscoping is to assemble the right kit. Digiscoping is increasing in popularity which is growing the number of products that are available on the market. If your family already owns a digital camera, you’re halfway there. Another piece of kit you will need is a spotting scope, and an adapter to connect your camera and spotting scope. A spotting scope is essentially a kind of telescope that creates an upright image. Unlike a normal telescope, a spotting scope is much smaller, and it doesn’t have as much magnifying power as a regular telescope. Also, the majority of spotting scopes are weatherproof; being resistant to fog and water.

If you don’t have any equipment to start digiscoping, a quick search online will reveal all the equipment that you need, and stores such as Phone Scope offer great and up to date equipment. The best camera is one that has a flexible focus and shooting mode. The camera that you need will also require a 3x optical zoom to stop black circles from appearing around the image.

Digiscoping Basics

Before you begin digiscoping, it is important to understand the camera and the spotting scope, so when you eventually merge them together, you get a great result. Practice first with still objects in the garden like a tree or a garden ornament so you can perfect your technique. Then once you have mastered the basics, you can move on to larger birds such as ducks in the local park or geese at the farm because they move more slowly and are easier to photograph. Then once these have been perfected, you can move onto small animals.

If you are considering digiscoping as a new hobby, you will need to purchase the equipment, but before you decide on buying a spotting scope, it is important that you try it out first. There are two main types of digiscope; straight and angled. The straight scope is best if you intend to use it primarily for photography while an angled scope is more suited to a birder who takes the odd photograph now and again.

Finally, a great digiscoping image is all about the right amount of light. The more light, the more illumination and the less motion blur there will be. If you are using a zoom eyepiece on the spotting scope, it is recommended that you set it at the widest possible setting. This reduces blurry images and camera shake.

Living life with no limits in the French Riviera

April 30, 2017 by admin

Want to check out the south of France this summer? With all the locals living such a rich life, it wouldn’t be proper if you didn’t call up a St Tropez yacht charter company to mingle with them.

The fact of the matter is, if you save a bit of money beforehand, you too can live the privileged life while on vacation in the French Riviera.

In this post, we’ll share some suggestions that will allow you to do just that.

STAY: Hotel Barriere Le Majestic

Begin your French Riviera splurge holiday should by checking into a classy hotel. In this part of France, the Hotel Barriere Le Majestic has few peers when it comes to luxury.

If you plan on visiting during the Cannes Film Festival, this is where you want to be, as it literally sits across from the main venue where countless celebs stroll the red carpet.

It is a solid choice at other times too, as its private beach, vaunted room service, and concierges make a stay here the luxurious experience you are desperately seeking.

EAT: Carte Blanche

With France being home to some of the world’s best cuisine, it is not surprising at all that the French Riviera has some truly mind-blowing restaurants.

While many big time joints have attained many rave reviews, they have become victims of their own success, making it nearly impossible to get reservations there.

As such, those looking to have a remarkable meal will want to find an under-the-radar spot like Carte Blanche.

A small restaurant staffed by chefs and cooks with experience in Michelin Star joints, you’ll be left wondering why this place isn’t booked out like the more touted spots in the French Riviera.

DRINK: Pam Pam

The cities and towns of the French Riviera really come to life after the sun sets. If you want to put an exclamation point on an awesome day, Pam Pam is a spot that is up to the task.

Its Latin theme breaks rank with the prim and proper lounges that can be found everywhere in this region, trading the feel of old money for the vigor of the new world.

Its Brazilian dancers know how to cut loose and have a great time, while its cocktails are tasty enough to justify the elevated prices you’ll be paying for them.

DO: Spend a day on the water

When they want to relax in the French Riviera, the rich and famous take to the water, as it is here they can get away from the unblinking eye of the paparazzi’s camera shutter.

If you want to rub elbows figuratively with the crème de la crème of the world, rent a yacht for a day from harbors like St. Tropez.

With mountainous coastline and several islands offshore, there are plenty of day trips to occupy yourself with once the bodyguards of your favorite celebs shoo you away.

Update your home with trendy furniture this spring

April 30, 2017 by admin

After a long, cold winter, the renewed warmth of spring not only invigorates our spirits, but our creativity as well.

As you go around the house cleaning, design ideas may come as you subconsciously review your home’s setup, making a trip to your favorite modern furniture store in Orange County inevitable.

What should be on your must have list? Below, we’ll float a few suggestions that can make your home the castle it should be.

Complete your living room with a sweet sectional sofa

Want to add a lounging option to your living room that everyone will love? Make this the year you finally get that sectional sofa you’ve always wanted but could never justify – until now.

Now that you got the means, go ahead and spoil yourself. Sectionals encourage a seating plan that is more social, but the segment of the couch that juts out forward from the rest are their best attribute by far.

Allowing you to stretch out and relax like royalty, it will be the scene of many impromptu naps in your immediate future.

Add a corner bar in your dining room

If you are looking for a fun way to spice up dinner parties and holiday gatherings, the addition of a subtle but stylish corner bar is a great way to do just that.

Perfect for home owners with an empty corner in their dining room/nook, it is the perfect place to show off your mixology skills in front of a captive audience.

Many bars have a slim footprint, making them easy to place, have ample shelving beneath the worktop for plenty of liquor bottles, and are put together with materials that give off an understated elegance that will make them mesh well within your dining space.

Revamp your bed setup

For many, the bedroom serves a practical purpose. Yours might do a great job lulling you to sleep, but know that it can also be the inner sanctum you deserve.

By picking out a bed set that imparts design principles to the headboard, the frame, the linens, and the pillows, you can flip your bedroom around from a place where you merely get sleep to a luxurious den you’ll have trouble leaving in the morning.

Get a home office chair that matches your personality

Do you ply your trade at home? It’s time you got an office chair that resonates with who you are as a person.

Whether you choose a high-sided leather chair that screams big-time corporate CEO, or an art house seat that lends credibility to your identity as a creative professional, there is a seating solution out there with more impact than that sad chair you picked up for $99 at Staples two years ago.

Be known for having the sexiest fire pit in the neighborhood

Love entertaining neighbors, friends, and family members in your backyard? Go upscale with your fire pit this year, and you’ll have people thinking you won the lottery.

With models on the market that put up a flame through a polished concrete table, you’ll have a stunning outdoor centerpiece that will make guests feel like they are chilling in the backyard of their favorite Hollywood celeb.

How to Take an Idea and Make it Work

April 29, 2017 by admin

There is a lot of information out there on how to use crowdsource software to generate new ideas. This information is all highly valuable and really important. However, what this information often doesn’t get into, is what to do once ideas have been generated.

Why You Must Plan for Idea Selection

When you crowdsource for ideas, there is the possibility that you will get thousands of replies. This is why it is very important that you plan how ideas are selected, which happens twice. The first time is once they are presented, and the second is when they have been tested. By having a process and plan in place for this, you will be far more likely to end up with an idea that can actually be implemented and made to work. Let’s take a look at some important tips.

Build and Expand on Ideas

First of all, when you crowdsource for ideas, they aren’t complete yet. They must be properly reviewed, clustered into categories, and then expanded upon. An affinity diagram can be a very useful tool for this, as it helps you to identify whether there are any underlying themes. You should also make sure that as many people as possible are involved in this stage, for instance by leaving the crowdsource or idea management software platform fully open.

Meet the Objectives of Your Company

Once you have completed the first step and have various categories of ideas, you need to determine which of those categories actually meet the mission, vision, goals, and objectives of your company. Ideas can be very good, but simply not relevant. Those can be shelved rather than discarded. Other ideas will never be relevant, in which case they should be removed immediately. At this point, internal stakeholders have to be involved, as they understand the company culture and its mission and vision.

Understand that Good Ideas Don’t Have to Be Great Ideas

Many of those who look through ideas only pay attention to those that could really be “the next big thing”. But a small improvement on a relatively insignificant process can have far-reaching positive benefits. In fact, really big, company-changing ideas should be reviewed completely separately (they should be in a different category at step 1, in fact).

Test Whether Any Assumptions Are Right

As human beings, we make assumptions. For instance, we assume we know the customer. While this cannot be helped, what can be helped is taking those assumptions as gospel. Instead, you have to test them. This is absolutely fundamental, as directing a new idea towards a demographic that doesn’t actually exist will lead to instant failure.

Be Ready for Resistance

Last but not least, you have to be ready for some resistance. People do not like change, whether they are your employees, your customers, or your board members. There will always be a nay-sayer who believes things will go completely wrong. You need to channel that into a learning process that delivers something positive.

Starting Out on the Right Road: Teaching your Kids to Be Savvy with Money

April 26, 2017 by admin

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Is your teenager already showing signs of money irresponsibility? Maybe you should have taught them about finances when they were little kids. Don’t worry, though. Money experts say it’s not too late to teach your kids how to build a budget. In the interest of happy families and easier money management, we’re pleased to present the following advice about how and when to teach youngsters ways to be savvy with their cash.

Age-appropriate money lessons

There are perfect ages to teach your kids certain concepts about cash. Between the ages of two and three is a great time to begin giving toddlers a rudimentary explanation about money. A senior research scientist at Yale, Dorothy Singer, says that very young kids are not quite ready to grasp the value of money but can learn the names of coins. Start with a fun identification game. Supervise kids as they trace around coins of different denominations. Color in the shapes and talk about the name of each coin. Explain how a dime, although smaller than a nickel, is worth more. They won’t get the idea of “worth” until they’re somewhat older, but it’s a good place to start. Set up a “store” in the game room and let kids exchange play money for empty cereal boxes and other grocery items, says Parents magazine.

Youngsters aged four and five are ready to handle a bit more money information. Let them use child-safe scissors to clip coupons before grocery shopping day. Six- and seven-year-olds may be old enough to receive a small weekly allowance. Open a bank savings account in their name, and teach your child the joy of tucking away some money every week. Spend some, share some, and save a little extra for a special future purchase.

Save for a reasonable goal

When your child wants a new toy, let them save money toward the purchase and offer to meet them halfway. Choosing a goal that can be attained within a few weeks sets your kid up for success. Say your child has a $10 toy in mind. If they save half of a $2 weekly allowance, they can amass their half of the price in five weeks. Match their five, buy the toy and let your child feel proud that they made a financial goal and reached it. This small act may improve your kid’s money management skills for the rest of their life, say money pros at Forbes magazine.

Set a good example

If your own money skills have been lax, don’t hesitate to consult with a credit counselor who may help you get back on the right track. Check here to learn more about credit card consolidation and other savvy ways to put your money life back together.

Kids who learn how to handle money at a young age tend to be smarter consumers as adults. Show your little ones how to spend, save, and share.