HFrom elegant affairs and a night out with the girls to office shindigs, the holidays are fast filling up with pre-holiday and holiday parties. While you’re no doubt looking forward to the festive season and all the fun that comes with it, the inevitable question is: What should I wear? JD Williams has a fabulous collection of party dresses which will suit every taste, style, and event.

Of course, you want to look as dapper as possible, but you also want to be comfortable in an outfit that both flatters and dazzles. When it comes to picking the perfect dress, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and choose the nearest party dress without really considering if it’s the right garb for the occasion.And while you may fancy specific silhouettes, it will be worth your while to consider an outfit that’s truly suited for the fete.

The key thing is to avoid looking out of place which whichever dress choice you decide to go with. So, here are a few tips that will ensure this season goes off with a bang.

The Office Party

Work parties may at times be a bit difficult to get right, especially the end year Christmas party. The trick is to strike a balance between maintaining a certain degree of professionalism while still looking stylish. Although it might be tempting to go with a sequin look, a more classic look would be more appropriate.

Keep the cleavage of the dress to a minimum. Go for a higher neckline. It will look flattering while giving you a professional look. If that seems like a bland choice, add a necklace. Consider where the hemline hits. You can go a bit higher than the “two inches above the knee” rule; however, be careful not to pick a very short dress. After all, you don’t want to have to worry about fixing your outfit while your manager is talking to you.

If your office party is going to have bright lights, it’s better to stay away from sheer fabrics. They may end up revealing more than you’d have liked.

The Family Gathering

There’s nothing as beautiful as celebrating with family. A relaxed style would be appropriate for such a setting. A dress that’s fuss-free will look stylish while allowing overindulgence. Swap your tottery pair of high heels for elegantflats.

When picking out a party dress for family gathering celebrations, consider familytraditions. If you’re not allowed to put on certain items, don’t. It will go along way in keeping the tone relaxed and happy.

If there’s a theme for the celebrations, stick to it. Find out if the event will be held indoors or outdoors. If it’s outdoors, you’ll want to check the weather lest you go with a short sleeveless dress when it’s really cold.

A Girl’s Night Out

Going out with your girls is the perfect opportunity to explore the season’s main trends and have a fashion-forward look. You can choose an opulent and embellished cocktail dress which will match well with kitten heels. A gorgeous sequin dress is a stellar choice for a girls’ night out. Also, you can don velvet in a variety of midnight shades for a Gothic appeal. Go heavy on your jewelry choice. And, highlight your look with berry-stained lips.

Have you been struggling with hard water in your home? The presence of minerals in your drinking water are often due to where you live and where you get your water from. Water that comes from porous rock (rather than volcanic rock) tends to be very hard.

Hard water is harmless when you drink it (there may even be health benefits from the minerals), but it can be expensive. Hard water causes limescale to form on kettles, water heaters, coolers, and other industrial equipment. Hard water also prevents soap from lathering. You may need a water softener to solve the problem.

A water softener is a unit that removes minerals from the water that comes through your pipes and out the faucets. Calcium and magnesium are minerals that harden your drinking water and become an issue. When you pour yourself a glass of water, the white and cloudy sediment that floats around in the glass may be due to the presence of those minerals.

A water softener uses a brine tank (where salt is stored) and a media tank, which contains honeycomb-shaped beads that filter your water. Calcium and magnesium stick to the beads instead of coming through your faucet. Eventually, these beads reach their capacity for filtering water and need to be regenerated, typically at night. A valve will trigger a backwash & drain cycle, followed by a brining stage that flushes all the minerals stuck to the beads. Next, a flush stage washes away both brine and any remaining minerals, preparing your water softener for another busy day of usage.

Now that you know what a water softener does, you need to know how to tell if you need a water softener in your home.

Some of the tell-tale signs that you have a hard water problem include:

• Problems with your laundry, especially dinginess, stiffness, or dull colors.
• Showers and baths that feel like they’re missing something. Next time, pay attention to whether or not you struggle to create a lather with soap. Soap that refuses or struggles to form is a sure sign of hard water.
• Excessive limescale build up on appliances that use water, including appliances like your dishwasher or your water heater. You can even tell from your shower faucets. Limescale build up can shorten the lifespan of expensive appliances.
• Difficulty cleaning dishes, showers, and bathtubs. Excess limescale is a challenge to scrub away. Even your dishes can be left with a filmy residue immediately after cleaning.

There are no health risks to hard water, but it can shorten the lifespan of your appliances, make cleaning a challenge, and leave your laundry wanting. A water softener can quickly set your problems straight, and you can click here to learn about your options when it comes to buying a water softener.

In North America, hard water is common in areas like Texas, Arizona, Utah, Kansas, and southern California, as well as the Canadian Prairies and parts of Ontario including the Grand River Valley (including Guelph and Waterloo Region). Water softeners are readily available from plumbing & HVAC companies. Call one in your area for a water softener.

Lots of people like to collect things, and this can be anything from trading cards, ornaments, antique silver, or jewellery. Silver is very common to collect as this semi-precious metal is a lot cheaper than gold and can look visually stunning. If you are looking to start or already have a collection of silver items and want to expand on this, here are some tips to help you grow your collection without spending too much of your hard-earned money.

Knowing The Current Price Of Silver

The price of silver changes every day just the same as oil and gold, so to be able to work out an estimate of the value of a silver item, you will need to know what the current price is for scrap silver. You can get the latest silver prices on many websites such as cnn.com, which are also regularly updated.

Know Where To Shop

There are many places where you can purchase antique silver, but you will pay more for certain types of establishments than others. For example, you will most likely end up paying a higher price in an antique store than you will on a market stall, although with some searching you can find some bargains.

An excellent place to pick up a bargain or two is a local antique fair, although you do need to be careful as some markets specialise in specific types of antiques so make sure that they offer what you want before visiting. Here you will find many full time and part time dealers that set up their stall and sell various antiques for sale. The beauty of purchasing at these types of places is that you can haggle over the price and bash out yourself a bargain.

Other excellent places to pick up bargains are car boot sales and flea markets. You will often find all sorts of bric-a-brac at these types of events, and there are usually some excellent bargains to be had. Just as with antique fairs, you can haggle over the price, and one of the benefits of purchasing from these types of places is that the sellers often do not know the real value of some of the items that they are selling. If you have a keen eye, you could end up getting a terrific bargain and walking away paying peanuts for something that is quite rare or valuable.

Shopping Online

You can also find many auction websites online that are good places for people to shop for antique silverware and other antique pieces. Sites such as eBay are a good place to start, and you also get to look at the seller’s reputation to help ensure that you are dealing with someone that is reputable. Many auction dealers also sell items on these types of websites, so sometimes the bargains are few and far between.

Be Careful When Making A Purchase

Before committing to a purchase, you should always know what it is that you are buying. If it is an antique you will want to try and find out the provenance of the item, and always ensure that you know whether it is sterling silver, or silver plated. If something seems to good to be true, it often is, so do not rush into any transaction, take your time and be prepared to walk away if the price is too high. With some digging around and travelling to various auctions and markets, you can find some excellent pieces to help grow your antique silver collection, without having to break the bank to do so.

Dating coaches are here to make the dating game easier for you and help you to develop a healthy relationship. A lot of people wonder: “what is a dating coach?” They are dating experts in every aspect of the relationship process, similar to love coaches. If you think you are the only person afraid of internet dating, you are wrong. Most people are terrified. But once you get into the swing of things, there is nothing to be afraid of, and that’s the job of a dating coach, to hold your hand and guide you through the process so that you will be confident enough to go it alone when it comes to finding stunning Russian brides. If you feel that now is the right time for you to start dating, and you want to know how you can be successful, here are some great tips dating coaches can give to assist you.

A Great Profile

Online dating is more or less the same as offline dating; be it a short or a long-term relationship. If you don’t look presentable, don’t expect a woman to show any interest in you. Dating coaches will suggest that you take a nice picture that shows your full body. Make sure it’s a recent one because you don’t want to risk disappointing your date when you meet them face to face. According to the BBC, studies show that the majority of the content on your profile should be about you, but you should also write about what you want in a partner.

Don’t Send too Many Messages

So, you’ve been using dating apps for a while and seen someone you like, that’s great! But bombarding them with messages isn’t going to get them to like you any faster. Take your time. If you send a message and don’t get a response within 24 hours, send a message the following day just to make sure everything is ok with them. However, if you are not getting a response, it’s more than likely she is not interested.

Give Her Compliments

Now, there is no need to go over the top with this; however, Russian women take great pride in their appearance, and they appreciate it when other people notice. You can say something along the lines of, “The dress you have on really compliments you.”

Bring Flowers

If you do decide to get together with someone face to face, never turn up to a date with a Russian girl with your arms swinging! Buy a nice bunch of flowers and let her know that you bought them just for her.

Learn the Language

Russian is a very complex language, and if you can learn a few words before you go, that will really impress your potential girlfriend. You see, Russians are very proud of their culture, and they will expect you to take an interest in it. So make the effort to learn the basics, and drop a few words in here and there.

Be a Gentleman

This goes without saying really, but it is still important to mention. If you are having dinner, pull the chair back for your girlfriend, hold the door, wait until everyone has their food before you start eating, etc. Also, if you happen to go out for the day, make sure you carry any shopping bags that you acquire and offer to pay when there is a bill.

Be Friendly

No matter how nervous or shy you feel, or how much you feel as if you are stepping outside of your comfort zone, don’t let it stop you from being friendly. You should be as open and sociable with your possible girlfriend. The main reason why you are meeting her is so she can get to know you. It is not the time to be an introvert.

So, these are just some basic tips on how you can make a good impression on your Russian date and hopefully find love. To get more information, you can read other tips from experts or look through some Russian dating reviews from people that have been in a relationship with Russian ladies. However, there is always a lot more to learn when it comes to dating life because dating someone from another culture is never going to be easy. If you want to have a successful relationship with a Russian girl, you are going to have to make some sacrifices and learn about where she is from. The good news is that dating coaches can give you some great dating advice and help you improve your relationship skills and make sure that you are well prepared for that special day. So, if you are curious about the question if dating coaches are worth it? We hope this article has answered it.

Creating a budget is a simple way to make sure you stay on track with your finances. It’s a helpful tool to make sure you are making all payments necessary every month, including fixed expenses such as payments for rent/mortgage, car loans, title loans, credit cards, and insurance, as well as more variable expenses such as transportation, electricity and phone bills. Here are some very basic steps to budget for yourself and your family.

Step One: Add Up All Sources of Income

This step is usually very simple, as most people only have one source of income, but if you get income from more than one source, such as form a student stipend or investment income, include it in this area of the spreadsheet. Here is an example:

It is important to put your net income here, as that is what is important to your budget. Net income that you can’t spend can’t go towards expenses, so it shouldn’t be added to your budget.

Step Two: Calculate and Track All of Your Monthly and Quarterly Expenses

The first step to creating a successful budget is knowing all of your bills, expenses and costs, and whether they are the same each month, or they fluctuate.

Fixed expenses, or expenses that are the same each month, are things like your rent, where the amount due each month is the same.

Variable expenses are costs that aren’t fixed and can change month to month, like the amount you spend on gas for your car or food for yourself and your family.

Fixed expenses are the easy part, so get those down first. Add all of your expenses liny by line to a spreadsheet and add them up. It should look something like this:

These are all things that you must pay every month, but it is a good idea to include expenses such as “discretionary spending” where you take a variable expense and allocate a specific amount for it every month that you don’t exceed. This can also be done with transportation as long as you spend about the same every month. Car insurance is fixed, but gas isn’t, however if you drive the same route to work every day and have very set routines, you’ll probably use about the same amount every month. This is a way of treating a variable expense as a fixed expense.

Once fixed expenses are accounted for, it is time to add in variable expenses. If you go out to eat often, or even just a few times a month, you need to budget for how much you are spending on that every month. This can be difficult, as it changes every month, but you can budget for this by either averaging out what you’ve spent in previous months. You can also inflate the estimated costs as well a bit to give a little breathing room in case you go over budget.

Step Three: Budget for Savings

You’ve already included debt repayment in your fixed expenses, as well as all the money that you pay everyone else, but it is important to pay yourself too, or future you in the case of savings. Some recommend saving 20% of total net income for savings, but this isn’t attainable for many. However, you should always designate a set amount every month to go towards savings. You’ve worked hard for your money, so why not keep some of it. To do this, simply subtract all of your expenses from your income and whatever is left is money that can be put towards savings!

It’s That Easy

These three easy steps have set you up for a strong financial foundation. There are more complex methods out there, but if you don’t have a budget at all, start with this to make it a great, helpful habit and develop your savings skills. Track your expenses and spending every month and make sure you’re not going over budget, and if you are going over budget every month, either adjust your spending or adjust your budget.

If you are like most people, you generally are aware that steel is used quite pervasively and in a variety of different “things.” With that said, if you are like most people, you likely only have a limited understanding of how important steel has been and continues to be throughout the past couple of hundred years, and up until today.

Recycled Steel Has Been Used for Generations

One of the most remarkable things about steel and its uses is that the recycled version of the metal has been used for many generations. In fact, recycled steel has been used for over 150 years.

Steel represents one of the first items that was recycled. It remains one of the most widely recycled substances in this day and age. Nearly every steel object in use today contains recycled steel Indeed, a typical steel product contains from about 25 percent to 100 percent recycled content.

Steel itself is completely recyclable. In addition, it is cheaper to recycle steel than it is to mine and process virgin steel. About 65 million tons of steel is recycled in the United States annually at this juncture in time.

Steel and the U.S. Railroad System

Although people realize that trains run on tracks, when quizzed, many people do not realize that railroad tracks are steel.

The railroad system, using significant amounts of steel, started to come into being in a more major way in the mid-1800s. By 1850, about 9,000 miles of steel railroad tracks had been placed in the United States. Slowly but surely, the U.S. railway system was moving westward.

The pinnacle of the efforts to link the east and west coasts of the United States with rail service occurred on May 10, 1869. On this date, the final stretch of steel railroad tracks was placed in California, linking the entire country from east to west to the railway system.

Steel Made High Rise Structures Possible

In the early 1900s, steel became an important element in commercial construction projects. Thanks to the use of steel in building projects, high rise structures like the Empire State Building and other towering structures became possible.

Steel permits the framework to be created necessary to construct buildings many stories higher than was ever possible before its use in commercial construction projects. As an aside, steel also played a vital role in the creation and development of the elevator. The elevator has also been an important element in the construction of ever taller buildings.

Steel has made the amazingly tall buildings constructed in recent years possible. This includes the tallest building on the planet, the Burj Khalifa, which is 2,722 feet tall. That is about a half a mile in height. The Empire State Building is 1,454 feet tall. One World Trade Center, currently the tallest building in the United States, is 1,776 tall.

Surgical Instruments

During the course of a lifetime, nearly all individuals will end up facing some type of surgery. People certainly are aware that a variety of instruments are utilized in surgical and other types of medical procedures. However, this represents another area in which people are not fully aware of the ubiquitous use of steel in the creation of surgical instruments, and other types of medical tools and devices.

In addition to surgical instruments themselves, a broad spectrum of medical devices rely on steel. This includes medical devices that are placed inside a person’s body via some type of surgical procedure.

Some of these devices that are placed into a person’s body require very small quantities of steel to function. These small medical devices present one of the spectrum in which varying quantities of steel are utilized. The construction of mammoth buildings represents the other end of the spectrum.

Steel and Exploration

Steel is also playing an important role in exploration. Even in this day and age, when pretty much the entire planet has been mapped out, there remain places on the globe that we are still exploring. Steel is playing a significant role in these exploratory endeavors.

One part of the planet that remains largely foreign to us is the Antarctic. Steel is vital in the creation of strong, weather resistant structures in what many consider to be the most hostile location on the planet.

In addition, steel is being utilized in underwater crafts that are permitting exploration into the deepest depths of the oceans of the world. Without steel in these underwater crafts, what we would be able to explore under the water would be significantly limited.

Jessica Kane writes for Advance Online, a leading provider of web-based OSHA. DOT. and HAZWOPER training.

One of the hot topics of discussion in the United States, and elsewhere around the world, in recent years has been about the pros and cons of solar energy versus coal power. Making decisions regarding solar energy versus coal power does necessitate an understanding of some of the key facts associated with both types of energy.

Trends Relating to Coal Use

Less than two decades ago. coal was responsible for 56 percent of all electricity generated in the United States. Since that time, the utilization of coal as a means of generating electricity has been in retreat. An examination of what types of underlying energy resources are being utilized in new power generation facilities illustrates the point.

Coal Versus Solar in New Power Generation Facilities

The most remarkable change in regard to the utilization of coal versus solar power is found in the type of energy resource being utilized to run new generation facilities. In 2014, solar and wind were utilized with 52 percent of all new power generating facilities that went online in the United States. In that same year, coal accounted for 1 percent of new power generation facilities.

The trend shifted more dramatically still a year later. In 2015, solar and wind power were utilized with 69 percent of new power generation facilities and coal was used at none.

Construction Costs of Solar Versus Coal Power Generating Facilities

One of the main reasons why solar is winning the new power generation facilities race in recent years is the fact that the construction of a solar facility is cheaper than building a coal plant that has so-called clean coal technology. In recent years, with regulations and other considerations, the movement has been moved to the construction of coal plants with clean coal technology, at least when those plants were being built.

The estimated cost for building a coal power plant that utilizes clean coal technology is $2.6 billion. On the other hand, a typical solar power plant costs $1.8 billion.

As noted, traditional coal plants are not even particularly considered when it comes to the construction of new power generation facilities. But, in the interests of full disclosure, if there was a shift back to building old style coal power plants, the cost of such a facility would be $1.5 billion.

The cheapest type of power plant to build is one that runs on natural gas. The cost for constructing this type of plant is $482 million.

Materials Used in Power Plant Construction

There is some commonality in the types of materials that are utilized in constructing coal, solar, and natural gas power plants. The same holds true if you add wind power into the mix.

One type of material that is found in the construction of all types of power generating resources is steel. For example, steel pipe is utilized in different ways in coal, solar, and natural gas power plants. Steel pipe is also an important component in the generation of wind power as well.

The Future of Coal Power Plants

Another trend associated with coal power plants is going to become clearer in the not too distant future. As mentioned a moment ago, traditional coal power plants were not really being build at all for some time. In addition, the rate of construction of new coal plants with clean coal technology bottomed out all together.

The typical coal plant has a useful lifespan of about 30 years. After that, the plant typically is shuttered and decommissioned. Historically, a new plant would be constructed to take its place.

As plants in operation today begin to approach the their 30 year anniversary of operation, there has been little movement to construct replacements. Therefore, in the approaching future, there is likely to be a good many coal plants permanently decommissioned and not replaced with even some type of next generation coal plant alternative.

Of course, what policies take root in Washington, D.C., will play some role in the future of coal and solar energy. This can, and does, change from one Administration to the next. The Obama Administration was decidedly more favorable to alternative energy resources and contributed to the lessening of use of coal for the generation of electricity. The Trump Administration appears to be intent on returning to the use of coal on a broader scale, but that evident determination has not yet played any appreciable role when it comes to building new or replacing old coal power plants. Determining what will happen in that regard will take a few years.

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Jessica Kane is a professional blogger who writes for Federal Steel Supply, Inc., a leading steel tubing suppliers of carbon, alloy and stainless steel pipe, tubes, fittings and flanges.

When a person finally reaches the point at which he or she retires, it really is a milestone. If you have someone in your life that is getting ready to retire, you likely are wondering what type of gift to give. There are seven categories from which an ideal retirement gift can be drawn.

Years of Service Gift

For generations, the most common type of retirement gift was one focused on years of service. This type of gift oftentimes was given by an employer. However, that was during a time period when most people spent the greater part of their working lives in one, or perhaps two, jobs.

With that noted, a years of service gift is still a solid choice, even if it doesn’t officially or formally come from an employer. This type of gift could come from family, friends, or colleagues and will still have a nice impact.

Examples of years of services gifts include things like a watch or some type of jewelry. Silver is a solid choice when it comes to this type of years of service gift.

Hobby Gift

If the new retiree enjoys some type of hobby, a gift related to that endeavor is wise choice. People have a wide range of hobbies in this day and age, some of which are easier to find an appropriate gift. For example, if a person is a wine connoisseur, you will likely be able to come up with some obvious options.

If your associate has a hobby you are not particularly familiar with, reach out to that person. Ask him or her what type of item would be highly useful in the pursuit of that hobby.

Travel Gift

If the retiree is fond of travel, or has indicated a desire to spend time traveling once retired, considering giving the individual some type of travel gift. Examples of these types of gifts include luggage, passport holder, or personalized luggage tags. Books about possible travel destinations are solid ideas.

Depending on your relationship with the retiree, and your own budgetary considerations, giving a trip is a wonderful gift for a retiree. If the cost of a trip is beyond your own budget, odds are you will be able to organize people to collectively buy this type of gift for a retiree.

Experiences Gift

By the time many people reach retirement age, they have accumulated a good deal of “stuff.” Another idea for a perfect retirement gift is something from the experiences category.

Examples of what you can consider giving from the experiences category includes tickers to a concert, theatre, or sporting event. A gift certificate to a nice restaurant is another idea.

You can take one of two approaches when you give an experience gift. First, you can take the retiree and his or her significant other, if there is one, to the experience. Second, you can purchase tickets and let the retiree plan the specifics with whoever he or she would like to take.

Industry Gift

Another category of retirement recognition is the industry gift. As the name suggests, this type of gift is something associated with the industry or profession in which the person worked. This type of gift does hearken back to days gone by when an industry gift was more commonplace. As with a years of service gift, some years ago, this type of gift was quite commonly given by an employer as a means of commemorating the work of a retiree.

Charitable Contribution Gift

Many people heading into retirement have spent at least part of their working career in support of some type of charitable organization, at least in some manner. In other words, there is a strong possibility that the retiree has what is best described as a favorite charity.

If that is the case, you might want to consider making a contribution to a particular charity on behalf of the retiree. If the retiree doesn’t seem to have a favorite charity, you could ask the individual if there is one he or she would like to see a donation go.

Social Gift

This is something of a derivation of the experience gift. A social gift oftentimes is something added to another type of gift.

In basic terms, a social gift is one in which you invite the retiree to join you for something like lunch or dinner at some point in the future. You could be creative and make a coupon which the retiree can redeem at some point in the future for a social connection of some sort.

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Jessica Kane is a writer for Silver Superstore, home of the internet’s best flatware.