EU Residency: 6 most fascinating European towns for a living

While the entire Europe is worth exploring, certain towns have an almost inexpressible charm drawing tourists from all over the world. Besides being attractive, these cities have a distinct feel that’ll inspire you for EU residency.

1.   Esslingen, Germany

image:en.wikipedia.org

Esslingen, in the southwest of Germany is a perfect combination of serenity and liveliness. The town has secured a strong position being a major trading centre, courtesy of the two bridges over Neckar River; a significant interchange for medieval traders.

The Old Town is a perfect picture of timber-framed buildings that dates back to 13^th and 16^th century backed by picturesque canals and market place. Its Germany’s most impressive Christmas bazaar as more or less 200 tradesmen here celebrate the event wearing colourful costumes and sell genuine crafts from the Middle-Ages! With European residency, Esslingen is the first choice for a living.

2.   Lucca, Italy

Despite some of the most extraordinary churches, minarets and precious artwork, Lucca in Italy is another remarkable city famous for an easy-going and fun-filled charisma. The etched and decorated marble of the San Michele in Foro’s Façade is simply incredible and so are the beautiful arts and decors inside the cathedral. Climbing the Guinigi Tower would give you a bird’s eye view of all the surrounding.

A garden with trees on top of the conventional tower which is more like a shaded walkway sits right on the walls barricading the town. Yellow shaded buildings are neatly visible from here that were originally carved from the walls of a Roman Arena that once stood here.

3.   Marvão, Portugal

Marvão is the most historic and best preserved town of Portugal, Spain known for keeping a watchful eye of the country’s border. The entire village is jutted on top of a slope with closed walls and a single entryway. Origins of the castle dates back to the Moorish rule that oversee the church, the low streets and whitewashed houses.

4.   Stein am Rhein, Switzerland

The main street of Stein am Rhein with a combination of colourful murals and neat timbered buildings represents a stage for Hansel and Gretel’s performance. Despite the surreal feel, the town is a reality and offers the best living features on your EU residency. The Hohenklingen Castle; constructed in the 1225 has been transformed into a local history museum is worth visiting and a total eye candy.

5.   Ålesund, Norway

The historic fire that consumed Ålesund in 1904 is unforgettable but this port town of Norway came over the tragedy with its architectural movement and artwork backed by a strong economy. Nestled majestically at the foot of the island, Ålesund offers the best scene and a friendly environment unlike anything. The waterside restaurants is where you can enjoy the best seafood and there’s plenty more to explore when there.

6.   Winchester, England

image:en.wikipedia.org

Once a capital of England from the time of Anglo-Saxon till 13^th century and the rule of Alfred the Great, the history of Winchester is amazing in a unique way! The Winchester Cathedral is also a final resting place of Alfred the Great as well as a site where William the Conqueror had his coronation. Winchester is a great place to learn about England’s history and for a living with EU residency.

Conclusion

The above towns across the EU are among the best places to live and learn all about the country so make the most of it.

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Fun DIY Projects You Can Do with Your Kids

Kids are a bundle of energy. No matter how rambunctious they can get, there’s nothing more than watching them have fun and being happy about it.

There are a lot of ways you can bond with your kids, from playing catch with them in the backyard or playing make-believe with them. But what better way to bond with them than doing DIY projects. They’re a fun and creative way to explore your child’s intuitiveness and creativity. From having fun with DIY slime to making hand puppets, here are other projects that are just as fun to do with your kids:

1.   DIY Slime

Playing with slime nowadays is extremely addicting to kids and adults alike. The feeling of smooshing a moldable of object that’s mess-free is nothing short of a satisfying. What’s also fun is that making it is just as easy as playing with it. What you’ll need are the following:

·         Glue

·         Water

·         Borax

·         A bowl

·         Food coloring (OPTIONAL)

Once you have your ingredients with you, all you have is add the glue in the bowl then add water to mix. If you want to add color to your slime, just add a few drops of your food coloring and then mix. Afterwards, pour in your Borax and the mixture will begin to form a slime-like consistency. Once that happens, just mix it then dig in with your hands and knead it until it no longer sticks on the bowl that much. And there you have it! Slime for you and your kids to smash and squish around.

2.   DIY Play-Doh

This one is a childhood relic. As kids yourselves, you had fun playing around with this moldable miracle. Now that you have your own kids and the various sets that Play-Doh can come in different prices, you now have the ability to craft this for your child’s enjoyment. For this, you’ll need the following:

·         Water

·         Vegetable oil

·         Salt

·         Food coloring

·         Saucepan

Add 1 cup of water, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, ½ cup of salt, and drops of food coloring in the pan and heat until warm. Once warm enough, let it cool then add the flour. Knead the dough until it’s smooth enough.

3.   Sock Puppets

If Play-Doh was a childhood relic, here’s another one. With this, you and your child can fuel each other’s imaginations and let them run wild. Just grab an old pair of socks, some glitter, a pair of googly eyes and some yarn for hair then just go crazy on what you can create!

4.   Decorative Flower Vase

Here’s another easy one. If you want your flowers to stand out even more, do this with your kids. Just take a plain-looking vase, some sequins or coins, glue and other decorative items. Then just have fun sticking a bunch of stuff on the vase and let your creativity flourish.

So there you have it! Not only will you enjoy with your kids with these projects, but you’ll be unlocking their hidden potentials as well.

About the Author:

Laurel Santos may be a 24 year old adult but at her core she is just a little girl full of wonder. She lives in the city and works as a freelance photographer in the Philippines. She manages a small pet shop inside her village. She has a big heart for animals, especially stray dogs. She is an avid traveller because she believes that life is not lived within the borders of your own home.  Despite her busy schedule she always finds time to do one thing that she is very passionate about and that is writing.

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Making Carpet Cleaning in Bermondsey Eco-Friendly

Why bother to clean your carpets the eco-friendly way? Lots of people in Bermondsey find this a time-consuming and laborious task and are put off by the idea because it requires effort and money. However carpet cleaning can be done the green way easily and without this to cost you a fortune. Bermondsey is an area located near Central London which means that many cleaning companies operate in the local area. Nowadays most of them offer services that are eco-friendly and won’t harm your health or the environment. Here you can find a few tips on how to make cleaning carpets green.

Buy only eco-friendly cleaning solutions

If you want to live in a healthier environment then you should buy only non-toxic detergents and stain removal solutions. They are not expensive and are beneficial to the health of your family and pets in Bermondsey. If you want to reduce the cost of carpet cleaning you can make your own cleaning solutions. Home-made solutions are cheap and efficient and will help you keep your carpet clean with ease. Mix lukewarm water, white vinegar and baking soda and you have the perfect solution. This won’t help you if you have stubborn stains that are deeply set within the fibres of your carpet. If you have to deal with pesky stains you should contact professional carpet cleaners in Bermondsey who know how to treat them.

Hire eco-conscious carpet cleaners

Not all cleaning companies in the area offer environmentally friendly services.You should do an extensive research and find the company that can accommodate your requirements and deliver an eco-friendly service that won’t cost you an arm and a leg. Hiring a green service doesn’t always mean paying a fortune. Many Bermondsey carpet cleaners in the area offer cheap prices and take pride in their green credentials. You just need to contact the right company and book with them.

What are the benefits of green carpet cleaning?

The benefits are many. The most important benefit is that it is good for your health. Living in a cleaner environment is beneficial to your overall health. The air quality is good and it is easier to keep your home clean on a regular basis. People who don’t clean their carpets often have allergies or problems with the respiratory tract.Avoid health problems by cleaning your carpets the green way and regularly. Green carpet cleaning can turn up to be cheaper than the traditional methods of cleaning.

Steam cleaning or dry carpet cleaning?

Both methods can have a positive effect on your health but steam cleaning is the eco-friendly option. It is used for deep cleaning as this method removes the dust and particles from deep into the fibres of the carpet. It uses a hot water extraction system to achieve impressive results. Keep in mind that there are chemicals involved in the dry carpet cleaning process. The carpets get dry faster but the solutions used in the process can be toxic. Ask your cleaners what cleaning agents they use before booking with them.

Tips for keeping your carpet clean

Use doormats. Make sure that you have doormats outside and inside doors to ensure a minimal amount of dust and dirt is brought in your Bermondsey home.

Remove the stains immediately. Don’t let the stain set. Clean the area immediately after it is stained.

Shoes off! If you want to keep dirt out of your home, take your shoes off before entering your house and you will have cleaner carpets for a longer period of time.

Vacuum regularly. No need to wait for months before vacuuming your carpets. Vacuum them once a week and you will not have to worry about your health.

As you can see there is no need to use harsh cleaning products to keep your carpets and rugs clean. You can try the DIY option or hire a professional cleaning company to help you deal with the task. Whatever you choose, make sure that the cleaning process is carried out in the environmentally friendly way.

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Overcoming the Struggles of Being an Introverted Parent

In the Philippines,the best academic schools have a number of introverted parents. Communication with these people is sometimes a challenge since most of the time the parents don’t want to make time to talk to the teachers on PTA meetings; this, of course, is a must so that they can work together to improve their child’s learning skills.

It’s a good thing that there are some things introverted parents can do in order to overcome such challenges. But before that, they must understand their introversion.

Understanding Introversion

Many people believe that introversion amounts to shyness however, according to Harvard Business Review there is no direct correlation between the two characteristics. It even adds that there are many extroverts who also happen to be shy.

Introversion is simply an overall preference for being alone or belonging in a small group of people. Introverts favor their “inner world” instead of the alternative; being in the outer world drains their energy which is why they find the need to recharge after attending a social event especially those with a large number of attendees.

Being an introvert does not mean you are anti-social, in fact, an average introvert loves to socialize particularly with their close friends and family. But unlike extroverts, they realize that they need solitude after a long time of interacting with other people. Introverts can get easily distracted, overwhelmed, and unfocused if they continue to be in a place with too much stimulation.

There are many struggles introverts face in their day to day lives. Some of them may find them in their workplace while others may face them in their own homes; but being an introverted parent is like having a special kind of brand wherein you may face a different set of struggles altogether.

4 Struggles Introverted Parents Face

Firstly, if you are an introverted parent, you may find that you seldom find time for your own self. The time to seek solitude for yourself to be able to recharge your energy has been taken from you primarily because you are now responsible for your child’s well-being. Often, parents put their child’s needs first before theirs and although it may be selfless, it can also lead to having less and less energy to deal with other things.

Secondly, introverted parents also find themselves having to socialize more than what they are used to. As your child grows up, you realize that you will have to attend uncomfortable social events such as birthday parties, play dates, parent-teacher conferences, family get-togethers, and other friendly events not only to appease your child but also to get to know them, their friends, as well as other parents.

Thirdly, you will find that people will misunderstand you a lot for being an introvert. People, who do not understand introversion, may find you aloof or anti-social simply because you like to keep to yourself. Also, you often times find yourself in awkward situations when you have to interact and communicate with other people, especially other parents, who have no problem socializing and they may believe your lack of engagement into their conversation means that you do not like to talk to them.

Fourthly, you realize that as an introverted parent you are quite hesitant to ask other people for help when you need one. Introverts are often independent individuals who like to be self-sufficient but there are moments when you need assistance when it comes to dealing with important matters such as parenting and the best thing for you and your child is to ask support or advice from someone else.

Overcoming the Struggles

The first thing you need to realize if you want to overcome the struggles of an introverted parent is to accept that you are an introvert. There is nothing wrong with you preferring to spend your time in a small group of people or with yourself from time to time.

Everyone, including introverts and extroverts, has their own strengths and weaknesses and you need to understand yours to also overcome the struggles that you face daily.

As a parent, you understand that everything you do ultimately affects your child. Think about how your struggles may affect your child or children in the long run. You have to establish a better communication with them if you want them to understand you as an introvert. Remember that your child could also be one and it may be easier for them to understand this concept earlier in life.

It is also better to have your children understand that you need time for yourself every once in while in order to recharge your energy. This way they are more likely to realize and comprehend that you are not simply being selfish when you want to spend your time in solitude.

Overcoming these struggles is a gradual process. Don’t be frustrated if developments do not happen instantly. Give yourself time and exert enough effort; it will eventually happen.

           

About the author:

Katrina is your average gal living inside the metro who has passion for writing, travel and photography. She admires nature at its finest and always wanted to become one of them. Dreaming to have the Cinderella life one day, humming with the birds, dancing with the clouds

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