Things to consider when decorating a 12 foot Christmas tree
Things to consider when decorating a 12 foot Christmas tree

A magical Christmas time feels incomplete without a 12 foot Christmas tree. Christmas trees come in various sizes, but with the passage of time, a 12 foot Christmas tree somehow became a popular choice for Christmas decorations.

Types of Christmas trees
You can find various kinds of Christmas trees for your Christmas decoration. Given below are some of the choices:
Pre-lit or Non-pre-lit: Pre-lit Christmas trees come with lights already attached to them. These are only found on artificial trees. Christmas trees which aren’t pre-lit are the normal ones. These can be artificial or not.
Type: You need to choose the kind of tree you’d want. The three choices are a true needle, pine needle, or classic needle.
Sizes: The sizes for a Christmas tree vary and are mainly 7 foot Christmas tree, 4 foot Christmas tree, 4 foot lighted Christmas tree, 5 foot Christmas tree, and 9 foot Christmas tree.

Things to keep in mind while decorating a 12 foot Christmas tree
Christmas tree decoration is a piece of cake if you know what you’re doing. Here are a few tips which will allow you to decorate a 12 foot Christmas tree like a pro:
Location: Always find a place to showcase your tree. The location should not only be a great place to view the tree but should also give you room to decorate the tree.

Decorations: While gathering decorations, the room and environment should be greatly favored. It doesn’t do justice to the tree if you have mismatched decorations. The tree should be a part of the room.

Lights: Hang lights to your Christmas tree. Christmas lights or any other form of lights can be used. You can even use a specific color for your Christmas tree if you want. Specific colors will give you a more personalized look for your tree. Remember not to add too many lights. Too many lights will take away the beauty of the tree.

Ornaments: Ornaments are the best way to make your tree look beautiful. Be it Christmas toppers or simple Christmas balls, wooden, or plastic, you can always add any kind of ornaments to your Christmas tree. Remember not to overload the trees as overloading will spoil your ornaments as well as the tree.

Garlands: Make use of different kinds of garlands. A foil or tin garland can be loosely spread out on the tree, a beaded garland can be added from branch to branch, and glittery garlands can be used anywhere. It must be remembered that garlands go around the tree. Never drape garlands vertically. Also, the volume of the garlands should gradually increase when you go downwards.

Use the tips mentioned above to decorate your 12 foot Christmas tree.

  • Top smartphone data plan choices by T-Mobile

    Finding cheap mobile data plans for your family or friends circle is still a harrowing and lengthy process. Going through all the plans by all the carriers is actually a huge process. T-Mobile has a quite fair pricing for its plans and also offers the best plans and bonuses. Nowadays, they are offering wide range of fringe benefits such as free surprise gifts on Tuesdays, free international service, unlimited data plans, unlimited music and video streaming etc. T-Mobile also offers another service, the One plan:

    • T-Mobile One Plus is a premium upgrade and it costs $5 per month. It includes many other features such as caller ID, voicemail to text and unlimited GoGo in-flight WiFi. It also offers a good international plan such as landline calls in 70 countries and unlimited LTE hotspots and other best benefits. This is one of the best cell phone data plans.
    • T-Mobile One Plan is one of the best mobile data plans and offers unlimited data. If you are using the minimum data per month, its price increases in the range of $20-$70. If you are happy with your current data plan, you will get an unlimited offer while staying in the old plan without having to spend extra cash.
    • If your family needs tethering mobile hotspots and international calls, you can choose T-Mobile’s One plan unlimited offers.

    Even though T-Mobile One Plus has many upsides, it has a downside too.

    • LTE mobile-hotspot data of 10GB
    • Charges $5 per line for each month if you are going to auto pay your bills
    • Spotty coverage in rural areas
    • Tethering speed limited to 3G speeds

    The benefits of T-Mobile’s best cell phone data plan:

    • Music freedom: Without using your complete data allowance, you can stream on your favorite music through different apps like Spotify.
    • Jump in demand: You can exchange and get the latest plan with an upgradation.
    • T-Mobile Tuesdays: You can get tremendous Tuesday offers like Frosty from Wendy’s or $15 in Lyft credit by downloading the iOS and Android app.
    • No overages on data: No overages for unlimited plan members.
    • Mobile without borders: If you are in Canada, Mexico or in the states, you are lucky to have unlimited text, call and data. Users from other countries can grab this offer with lower 3G/2G speeds with call rate 20 cents per minute.
    • Free Netflix subscription: Unlimited two or more lines of account for customers.
    • Speeds won’t slow down until 50GB: You can enjoy your data plan until it reaches 50GB.
    • Voicemail to text: You can convert voice to text through T-Mobile One Plus plans.

     

     

    Read more
  • Five most popular VPN services

    A Virtual Private Network (VPN) secures and protects your internet connection by providing a secure and private network that is routed through multiple locations. Any information shared on a public network is vulnerable to hackers and cybercriminals. It is a good idea to invest in premium VPN services that mask the connection to protect sensitive data.

    Here is a list of the most popular VPN services available in the market.

    ExpressVPN
    This service is compatible across multiple platforms like Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Linux. Express VPN offers fast and reliable speeds that support heavy uploading, downloading, and video streaming with a global average speed of over 47 Mbps. An ExpressVPN connection is available across 90 countries. You can subscribe to 15 months of service for a price of $6.67/month approximately.

    NordVPN
    This VPN service offers multiple privacy options with secure protocols, an AES-256 based encryption technology, support for TCP Port 443, and a killswitch feature among other advanced options. The average global speed of 46 Mbps supports heavy data streaming over a decent connection network spanning 59 countries. Nord VPN is also one of the most affordable VPN services with a three-year subscription that is available for about $2.75/month.

    IPVanish VPN
    This is an ideal option for P2P users as the VPN service sponsors high upload speeds over a global network spanning 61 countries. The service features an instant setup and a simple user interface. The service also has a zero log policy making your connection private and secure, unlike some alternatives that keep a log of user data. The cost of IPVanish is around $6.49/month for the year-long plan.

    CyberGhost VPN
    Strong privacy features and excellent connection speeds are the two key features of this VPN service. Compatibility is another highlight of this affordable VPN service as it is available across Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Linux. There is additional support for popular browser extensions like Google Chrome, and the VPN can also be configured for manual routers, consoles, and external streaming devices. CyberGhost is a value for money deal available for approximately $2.75/month for one year.

    HideMyAss VPN
    This VPN service has the highest number of global server connections to securely reroute your connection spanning across 190 countries and over 100,000 IP addresses. The private network is secured using AES-256 encryption technology and protocols. The service, however, keeps a log of user information. The cost of HideMyAss VPN about $6.99/month.

    Read more
  • 10 best sedans for and under USD 30,000

    Finding a good car on a budget is a mammoth task. If your budget is USD 30,000 or under, you have a number of top-class options that when it comes to style and comfort. Following is a list of the 10 best sedans that are available to you in such a budget.

    Audi A3
    The base model of the Audi A3 is priced at USD 30,000. This car has a 1.8-liter turbo four-cylinder engine that produces a strong 170 horsepower. The Audi A3 gives a mileage of 24 MPG in the city and 33 MPG on the highway, making it among the 10 best sedans available today.

    Ford Focus
    The Ford Focus is one of the best sedans sold in the country for less than USD 30,000. The base model of Focus is priced at USD 18,000. Its engine produces 123 horsepower and gives a mileage of 26 MPG in the city and 36 MPG on the highway.

    Chevrolet Sonic
    The Chevrolet Sonic has a starting price of USD 17,305. It is a compact sedan with a V4 rated engine that produces 138 horsepower and gives a mileage of 27 MPG in the city and 34 MPG on the highway.

    Honda Accord
    Honda’s Accord is one of the most established sedans, making it to the list of the 10 best available today. Its starting price is USD 23,040. It comes fitted with a V4 engine that produces a strong 184 horsepower and has a mileage of 18 MPG in the city and 28 MPG on the highways.

    Scion FR-S
    The Scion FR-S has a starting price of USD 26,100 and is one of the top class sedans in the market. The engine is one of the most powerful in the segment that produces 200 horsepower. The car has a mileage of 23 MPG in the city and 30 MPG on the highways.

    Mazda 3
    The Mazda 3 is in the list of 10 best sedans due to the high mileage it offers at an economical price. It has a starting price of USD 18,680. This car has a V4 rated engine that produces 155 horsepower. It gives a mileage of 29 MPG in the city and 41 MPG on the highway.

    Honda Civic
    The Honda Civic is an established name in the sedan market. It has a 2.0 liter V4 rated engine that produces 158 horsepower and produces an impressive mileage of 27 MPG in the city and 38 MPG on the highway.

    Subaru WRX
    The Subaru WRX is a sedan with the capabilities of a racing car. This car is priced at USD 27,390 and has an engine that produces 268 horsepower coupled with a six-speed manual transmission. The car manages to give 21 MPG in the city limits and 28 MPG on the highway. The WRX is easily a top choice among the 10 best sedans mentioned herein.

    Ford Fusion
    The base model of the Ford Fusion has a 175-horsepower engine, and this can be changed by going for a 240 horsepower engine. The car is priced at USD 23,475 and is the top choice of people who want a car that doesn’t only suit the racer but also the family man.

    Mazda 6
    The Mazda 6 is priced at USD 22,330, which is a fair price for a car that produces 184 horsepower and has four-wheel drive. This car is capable of giving a mileage of 28 MPG in the city and 40 MPG on the highways.

    From the aforementioned list of the top 10 best and affordable luxury sedans, which one would like to do drive?

    Read more
  • Ways to find free and low cost dental clinics

    Every morning we brush our teeth and floss them. But most of the time, our dental care, and dental hygiene stops right there. Not many of us are aware of the complete dental care and how to do it. Dental care is not restricted and limited to brushing and flossing in the morning. There is way more to it than just that. When the health of your teeth goes wrong, you need to visit a dentist as it is almost impossible for you to perform daily activities because of the pain in your gums. But dental treatments are not low cost. They are expensive and can cost you a dent in your pocket. But there are ways to find low cost and free dental clinics.

    Here are the things you can try to get low cost of free dental clinics:

    Go for community health centers The federal government’s health resources and services administration funds the community health centers. Some of these community health centers have the dental care to offer and take dental emergencies and chronic oral health problems. Though this is a better alternative when it comes to getting low cost or free dental treatment, you cannot expect it to be like a regular dental clinic where you are given an appointment. Here you have a waitlist and might even have to show up early to get to your treatment.

    Medicare and Medicaid These two facilities are for the low income and there are also some limitations you will have to face. If it is not a regular dental treatment, then you can avail your Medicare. You must know that the government does not let Medicare cover routine dental procedures. But if there is a serious/emergency illness related to the dental issue, such as reconstructing of the jaw after an injury, then those costs will be covered. You can, however, try Medicaid for dental treatment but you also need to check with the office to find out more details on the same.

    State oral health programs There are many oral health programs offered by various state governments. These programs are therefore funded by the state government. You can get through to the local resources that provide information about quality dental care. You can get more information about the state oral health programs by visiting the government website. You may check Centers for Disease Control and Prevention site online and get more information.

    Read more
  • Sleep disorders – Diagnosis and treatment

    There are about 17 or so sleep disorders varying from teeth grinding and bed wetting to far more severe, like fear of falling asleep. Many have serious underlying causes or are indicative of their beginning. It is not within the scope of this write-up to deal all of them and is confined to REM sleep disorders. The fundamental cause for this appears to be that the nerve pathways in the brain fail to prevent the movements of limbs during REM sleep. Normally there is a temporary paralysis of the locomotor system during REM sleep.

    Above 50 years, brain disease or use of certain tranquilizers in youngsters, certain brain degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s, dementia with Lewy body or multiple system atrophy and Narcolepsy are just some of the disorders.

    International Classification of Sleep Disorder has set certain criteria to identify the myriads of sleep disorders. Diagnosis is, therefore, based on the presented symptoms conforming to these rules. The criteria for REM sleep disorder specifies that the patient exhibits repeated arousals in sleep where one talks, make noises or perform complex motor behavior like kicking, punching or running movements that often relates to the contents of the dream.

    The patient recalls dreams associated with these movements or sounds. If the patient is fully alert, not confused or disoriented if he wakes up during the dreaming episode. A polysomnogram shows increased muscular activity during REM sleep. The disorder is not the result of any other sleep disturbance, mental health condition, medicine or substance abuse.

    The treatment is to ensure the safety of the patient and sleep partner from physical injury. Removing all objects that can cause physical injury to either, even remotely, clutter in the bed room and pad the surrounding of the bed or protect the windows.

    Commonly there are two medicines that are prescribed, and both seem to be equally effective. However, the anxiety drug has some side reactions like loss of balance, sleepiness in daytime and worsening sleep apnea. The other is a dietary supplement which helps reduce or even eliminate the symptoms. Search for better and more efficient ones are ongoing.

    Read more
  • 5 low-calorie recipes you should definitely try

    Following a diet can be difficult, especially because you’re expected to be strict in terms of timing and quantity. Nonetheless, following a diet doesn’t mean you can’t indulge in delicious food. Herein, we have put together five recipes that will help you stay on a diet while indulging in quick and delicious food every day.

    One-pot chicken with lemon, herbs, and rice
    Within half an hour, you can create a dinner that is delicious, low on calories, and easy. Just take a deep pot, melt some butter in it, and toss the chicken in. Then, add the rice, broth, seasoning, and previously half-cooked chicken. This recipe is very customizable and can be easily frozen to be eaten later.

    Three-ingredient salmon
    Three ingredients and less than half an hour in the kitchen are enough to create an incredibly healthy and delicious dinner that will seem almost seamless. You will need fresh salmon, some lemon juice, and seasoning. Simply marinate the salmon in freshly squeezed lemon juice and seasoning. Bake for ten minutes and serve along with some rice or noodles.

    One-pan chicken breast with tomatoes and garlic
    This is one of the healthiest and tastiest options for anyone who’s on a diet. First, you need to season and sear the chicken in the pan until cooked. Next, cook the tomatoes in the same pan. You can also add some mushrooms or cheese here. Lastly, pour the chicken into the tomatoes, and voila, your quick and delicious chicken with tomatoes and garlic is ready

    Tomato sourdough soup
    This low-calorie meal is tasty, quick, and super-easy to make. Begin by tossing the onions in a pan until translucent, followed by fresh tomatoes. Add the vegetable broth, seasoning, and sourdough bread and cook for a couple of minutes. Give it a quick mix and your delicious vegetarian tomato soup is ready. Top it with some cilantro and serve it with a side of bread.

    BBQ turkey burgers
    Dieting doesn’t always imply having bland and unappetizing food. It also does not mean that you have to give up your favorite foods, there are always alternatives. Just like these delicious BBQ Turkey burgers. Season the turkey, shape it in the form of a patty, and grill it on a pan. Place between whole wheat burger buns with onions, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, homemade sauce, and enjoy with a side of oven-baked fries.

    Read more
  • 3 cities where affordable apartment rentals are a reality

    Finding an apartment that fits all the primary criteria on your checklist and one that also won’t create a dent in your budget almost seems like a foreign thing. Irrespective of whether you are a retiree, student, or a young couple, deciding on a city where you want to apartment rentals is a big decision. Besides the budget, standard of living, security, entertainment, education, job opportunities, and climate are a few of the several factors that you need to consider before you go ahead and choose the city you want to live in.
    If you are looking for a city that houses affordable apartment rentals, here are three handpicked cities that fit the role:

    Indianapolis
    Surveys suggest that only 13.8% of the total income of people who live in apartment rentals in Indianapolis goes in paying their rent. If you compare this percentage to many of the top cities of the nation, you will be in awe of the rent rates of this city. The median rent price of the city is somewhere around $937, which is quite decent.

    Toledo
    If you have been researching about cheap cities to rent in the country, till now you might have realized that Ohio is clearly a paradise for renters who have a strict budget. Toledo happens to be one of the many cities in Ohio that is light on the pocket and yet a great place to live in. The median house price in the city is roughly around $550. However, keep in mind that the price of apartment rentals in this city is rising steadily, with a whopping rise of around 14.6% in just a year.

    Kansas City
    Known for its jazz culture, barbecue, museums, and fountains, one would think that apartment rentals in this city of Missouri won’t be cheap, but the Kansas City is full of surprises. It costs about a mere $850 to rent an apartment here; to top it off, the mortgage rate here is unbelievably affordable. With the crazy number of arcades, amusement parks, and museums, you won’t run out of entertainment options if you decide to live in the city.

    So, which of these cities caught your attention? Moreover, what are the primary things that you look for in a city?

    Tag: Apartment rentals

    Read more
  • Immediate pain relief measures for gout

    A type of arthritis, gout results in sudden attack thereby causing burning pain, swelling in the joints, stiffness in a joint, etc. Unless and until the person suffering from gout treats the problem, the attacks continue to happen. Over the period of time, these attacks cause severe harm to the joints, tissues, and tendons. In case a person happens to get a gout attack, and you do not what to do for immediate pain relief, here are some of the measures that can come handy.

    Applying ice on the affected area
    In order to get instant pain relief when gout strikes, one can apply ice on the affected area. Ice works as a quick therapy for inflammation. All the more, ice will cause numbness in the joints thereby relieving the pain. One can continue to apply an ice pack for around 15 to 20 minutes in order to get immediate pain relief from the gout attack.

    Home remedy with Epsom salt
    Considered as one of the popular home treatments for immediate gout pain relief, Epsom salt helps in lowering the blood pressure. It contains magnesium that also improves blood circulation. All you have to do is, pour around two to three cups of Epsom salt to the bath and soak the affected area in the water until you get relieved from the pain.

    Cider vinegar daily can be an effective measure
    Cider vinegar has properties of curing acid reflux, improving diabetes, and also helping in weight loss. Similarly, if you have cider vinegar regularly with some honey twice a day, then it helps in avoiding gout pain.

    Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration
    Dehydration will cause the gout attack to turn severe and you would not be able to tolerate the excruciating pain. It is a known fact that a dehydrated body is more susceptible to gout attacks and so, it is very important to drink plenty of water daily. This also helps in proper functioning of the kidneys and leads to frequent urination that excretes the uric acid from the system. Water is helpful in preventing the formation of uric acid in the joints, thereby keeping gout pain away. In order to get immediate relief from gout pain, drink plenty of water daily to keep your body hydrated.

    Read more