Simply Europe

A taste of Segovia

2019-01-13T11:21:00.000-08:00

Been travelling through Spain and Portugal a lot lately. Here are our pictures taken in Segivia- Spain. We have no settled in Portugal and started a sustainable and off grig new life.

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Learn to teach English and travel the world.

2018-10-09T05:17:00.000-07:00

Do you like to travel (without being a tourist) ?
Want to immerse yourself in other cultures and get to know local people (more than the local waiters and hotel receptionists) ?
Want to make a positive contribution to other people's lives, helping them achieve a skill that they will forever thank you for?
Are you a friendly, communicative, easy going person?
Do you speak English?
Do you want to change your current work situation?
If you answered yes to any of this questions, go ahead and click here. Earn money teaching English abroad . You'll enter a world of life changing opportunity, new experiences and self improvement. You'll travel and earn your living by teaching English.

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Already in a non - English Speaking country? I am and expat in Madrid at the moment and there is a huge demand for TEFL certified English Teachers. I already started my combined TEFL course with a ""30% Off TEFL ". Review to follow in a few weeks. Click here to find your TEFL course where you are or Online TEFL course.
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Explore the incredible sights,, develop valuable teaching skills and earn some cash teaching English with a TEFL Internship: TEFL internships give you full TEFL training followed by a supported short-term placement at a reputable school. You’ll also get a free place to stay, loads of advice and support, and more than enough money each month to really enjoy your time away. Thailand Internship; Thailand Internship or Click here for Train and Teach Vietnam Internship

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You might also like to keep your feet warm during your first lesson....

The ruggedly stylish UGG® Australia Adirondack boots offer serious all weather all terrain comfort and quality.Full grain weather treated sheepskin and leather uppers in a mid-calf style featuring duck style toe stitching and a variable fold down cuffLace up frontInsulating fleece lining with a fleece topped cushioned comfort footbedRubber toe and heel wraparound bumpersHiking style traction outsole

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Have you ever been in love?

2018-02-16T12:46:00.000-08:00

Cody Rayne Downes, Medium member since Jan 2018 and an

Ambiverted fan of effervescent witticisms asks us:

Have you ever been in love?

Has your definition of that word ever changed?

Have you ever replayed scenes over and over again in your mind of a setting you’ve never been in? For a guy, imagine for a moment, waking up just as the sun is starting to rise. It’s winter so the air in the room is cold, but the blankets are warm. There’s a particular girl next you, buried deep in the over-abundance of blankets on the bed. She breathes in and out slowly, you see the gentle rise and fall of the covers, but it’s hardly perceivable. On the other side of the room there’s a small gap in the curtains and a soft, narrow beam of sunlight stretches lazily across the bed and the dust dances gently in it’s light. As the light makes it’s way to your face, you feel the comfort of it’s gentle warmth and feel completely at peace. For a moment the world is still. That vale of anxiety and stress fades away. You are with her, and she is with you, and that’s all that matters. The sunlight now reaches her face and like the blossom of a morning glory she starts to wake. When she opens her eyes the sunlight amplifies those already gorgeous irises, like gold. She smiles sleepily and you say “Good Morning Beautiful.” and softly kiss her forehead. She thinks she looks awful in the morning, but in actuality you know that she is the most beautiful, precious thing on this earth. Eventually that day does come. And you experience that scene, but it’s better than you imagined. It’s real. You smile to yourself and feel happy.

Unfortunately, day-to-day life and the stresses it brings will eventually get to you. What was once constant thoughtful romantic gestures and untamed passion at some point become replaced with lack of communication and passive aggression. Suddenly it begins to feel like you’ve been on auto-pilot. Were you just living a fantasy when you first fell in love? You might question if you were actually only in love with an idea of someone rather than the actual person. Which brings me to the seemingly shocking title of the article and a potentially controversial idea that marrying your best-friend is a glorified concept we should completely forget about. Now you’re thinking about all those totally adorable posts on social media, “Today I married my best friend!” Before you completely dismiss that idea and stay resolute in your determination to find a suitable best-friend and then marry them, let me explain myself.

It may be one of the most appealing yet illusory concepts, that of marrying your best-friend. But all to often we hear of couples who marry someone that initially seemed perfect and that they connected with so closely, only to find that love start to cool off. Maybe they settled on a partner and then resentment grew, maybe they changed, or maybe you just didn’t know the person like you originally thought you did. Then you see a couple who are absolutely great for each other, they seem perfect, they have the same sense of humor, they like the same things and they are inseparable. You think to yourself, “I need me some of that…” But how does one become someone’s best-friend? Typically it happens organically, out of a mutual shared mindset… but at times you’re probably terrible for each other, although in a fun, cathartic way. You’ll fight, you’ll laugh, you’ll defend them to the grave, love them, protect them, and they’ll do the same for you. Sounds great right? But one of the nicest things about the relationship you share with your best-friend is that in most cases it originated and stays to some degree, effortless. Which is my main cause for concern when people daydream about marrying someone with the expectation of a best-friend.

Like most people I am completely unqualified to offer advice or insight, although I am human. The majority of us are all very similar in nature when it comes to our struggle with emotion. We have a wonderful and terrible mind that erases and a heart that changes. We rock back and forth between highs and lows as we attempt to chart a successful course through the ebbs and flows of life. Marriage is an institution that we choose to enter and the blame or accolade from success or failure of that bond falls solely on us and our partner. It’s an odd thing that your spouse is the only family member that you didn’t always love unconditionally. And by unconditional love, I mean that overwhelmingly sincere obligation and honor, to care for another human to the highest degree without even having to know them first. To put it simpler, if you fall out of love with your spouse you will still love the child you share, even if the child breaks your heart, disappoints you, leaves, or maybe even kills someone… If you expect to have that undying bond with someone you marry without working your ass off, it will fail. This demands a higher caliber of connection and effort than what we expect out of a best-friend.

In many countries the custom of arranged marriage is still a thing. Statistics show that in the first couple years of an arranged marriage, many report being less happy compared to those who chose their partner. But statistics also show that ironically, they report being happier in the long-term compared to those who chose their partner. A possible reason as to why is that they enter the relationship with the idea of it being a partnership. A relationship that they have to make work. Now I’m not an advocate for arranged marriages, that said, the principle is akin to marital success and happiness. Infatuation and crushes will fade but trust and reliance built over time with consistent work contributes to a deeper love. Whether you chose to marry, relationships will have a bell curve of twitterpation and confusion. At first your partner can do no wrong, you’ll ignore the red flags and dismiss the advice of your friends or family. Or you do the opposite. People close to you may love your new beau but deep down you have this nagging feeling they aren’t the one because of an internal fantasy of what love should be. The tragic and conflicted heart will always do its best to screw you over, if you let it. The idea of what love should be is forged at a young age. It could be from the culture or environment you grew up in, or in some cases just your fierce determination to be different from your parents.

At this point it may come across that I am painting a rather grim picture of love. True love though, is in fact one of the only things I know for certain is real. Yet we fool ourselves if we pretend that we cannot even fathom the idea of being attracted to someone that is not our spouse. Thus we may run the risk of taking that love for granted. The reason someone in a lasting marriage stays faithful is that they are honest with themselves, know their weaknesses but those weaknesses are overpowered by the loyalty that deep mutual respect and true love demands. The reasons we stay loyal will be unique to us, and by remembering how much better our partner has made us. The surety that we would be utterly lost without them, and that cheapening that bond would completely devastate us. While they may annoy us to no end, not always understand us, or be able to read our minds like we wish they could, they are the greatest thing on this earth. And they feel the exact same way about us. Compromise may seem like a bummer of a concept but it is the solid foundation that this proverbial church is built on. This involves constant effort on our end to not take things for granted and keep our fantasies in check. Reality is always better than fantasy. Unless of course you’re the sort of person who would be content with obnoxiously winning monopoly every time while at the same time having a 520 credit score in real life.

Thankfully the world and the rules of the universe do not dictate things in black and white, in fact the majority of things fall in a quasi-comfortable grey-area. You can marry someone you are close with, who is your friend, soul-mate and still be fiercely attracted to them. One of the keys though perhaps ironically in the context of this article, is to in fact, be friends. Perhaps not best-friends when you get married, just true-friends with all-encompassing benefits and deep respect. Many years down the road you’ll be that cute couple still holding each other’s now wrinkled hands, still holding the door open for her, and buying her flowers, to you she is still the most beautiful thing on this earth. You are with her, and she is with you, and that’s all that matters. Now the thing you fear the most is the possibility of losing your best-friend.

So while my personal opinion is that you shouldn’t marry your best-friend, I do believe that eventually… you should find yourself married to your best-friend. The only way you will know what type of person you will be happy with in the long run, is to first know yourself to the best of your ability. Make sure the person that you invest your time in makes you better. They make you laugh. And most important, you see a positive future with them where you can grow in love together. The investment in a long-lasting partnership that is full of love does take work but it is far greater than the common alternative. Instead of fantasizing about what you think love should be, put in the hard work and see the blessings that result. Because whatever that scene is that you play over and over again in your head, you’ll find eventually that day does come. And you experience that scene, but it’s better than you imagined. It’s real. You’ll smile to yourself and feel happy.

Row and Kat - Portugal Wildfires Crowdfunder 2017

2017-11-01T17:23:00.001-07:00

on lifestyle: Halloween Decoration Made Easy with Cricut

2017-10-20T04:32:00.001-07:00

on lifestyle: Halloween Decoration Made Easy with Cricut: Halloween inspires so many delightfully devilish crafting projects that it is no wonder there should be a celebration! Enter to win the ...

Dicionário de Língua Gestual Portuguesa | Porto Editora Parte 2

2017-10-17T14:50:00.001-07:00

How to stay positive, Great new insights. THis guy makes it sound so easy.

2017-10-03T12:56:00.001-07:00

5 Top current marketing tips

2017-10-03T12:47:00.001-07:00

What is a sales funnel?

2017-10-03T12:38:00.001-07:00

What is a sales funnel?

2017-10-03T12:37:00.001-07:00

Extracción de Bolas de Bichat - Bichectomía HD

2017-10-02T03:47:00.003-07:00

Rinoplastía HD 1

2017-10-02T03:47:00.001-07:00

What have we seen from the cable car (Teleferico) Madrid

2016-07-09T04:43:00.000-07:00

On a breezy summer day of 2012, we drove to the center of Madrid, Paseo del Pintor Rosales, parked in the designated car park, queued up for 15 minutes, bought the tickets (5.35 euros return) and got up in one of these cute cable cars that you are going to see in the photos below. We asked for the comments to be in english and we had a very instructive and fun trip.

Walking through Casa de Campo, the cable cars can be spotted, It is also possible to walk under the cable car route from one end to the other.

On Paseo del Pintor Rosales, this sculpture/waterfall/ fountain impressed me

Cathedral de la Almudena

Raiway station - Principe Pio

River Manzanare

Cathedral de la Almudena

Perspective over Madrid, from the cable car...

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Attractions Park visible from Plaza de los Pasos Perdidos where the other cable car station is located. There you may park your car for free and spend some time, walking, picnicking, amusing the kids in a big playground or simply enjoy the views over the surounding areas.

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Valentine's Day looks with Rent the Runway

2016-02-05T06:34:00.001-08:00

This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase.
Do you want to look classy, sassy, sophisticated or provocative this Valentine's Day?
Whatever look you're going for this year, you can bet Rent the Runway's got it all ready to ship just in time to Valentine's Day.

Rent the Runway has transformed the fashion industry by making the designer dress and accessory experience more accessible wherever you are. Women can rent dresses for a special event or just add game-changing pieces to their everyday style. Dresses come in sizes 0-22, and customers can choose a free backup size. They also have more than 25 stylists on hand to help women find the perfect look. Designers include Vera Wang, Opening Ceremony, Narciso Rodriguez, Reem Acra, Badgley Mischka and much more

Shop Rent the Runway's selection of Valentine's Day styles and get an outfit that will set your sweetheart's heart pumping.
Below are some of my favorite Red Hot Valentine's Day looks from Rent the Runway:

Warby Parker Gift Cards

2015-12-14T09:00:00.001-08:00

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

Looking for an extra-special present to give to someone this holiday season? Give the gift of Warby Parker! Whether it's an e-gift card or their physical card (which are quite colorful and fun!), a Warby Parker gift card is a gift that will keep on giving the whole year through. Also, a fun little extra is that every physical gift card includes a crop of original buttons — decoration for your holiday celebrations and beyond!

Happy Holidays!

Cricut Explore Air™ Machine at an incredible discount

2015-11-12T09:32:00.003-08:00

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links.

Want to be able to easily make pretty décor, personalized gifts, and fun cards for upcoming holidays? Then you need to treat yourself to a Cricut Explore Air™ — Cricut's very popular electronic cutting machine. It's the best DIY crafting tool to be developed since the sewing machine!

The Cricut Explore Air is versatile, easy to use, and allows for very precise cuts. It's also incredibly affordable, especially since Cricut generously discounted the cost by up to $200 on the machine and bundles — just in time for the holiday crafting season!

With the Cricut Explore Air™, you can cut over 60 different types of material, including paper, fabric, plastic and vinyl to name a few. The Explore Air also features Cut Smart™ technology, which allows you to cut a wide range of shapes and sizes with exceptional precision, from ¼" tall up to 11½" wide x 23½" tall.

This Cricut Explore machine is called the Air because it has built-in Bluetooth® capability. This means you can use Cricut’s free iPad app and design anything you want from your iPad, just like you would on your home computer, but with the convenience of being able to take your projects with you anywhere. Then, you can just wirelessly send your project from your iPad to your Explore Air to bring it to life.

While the Cricut Explore Air is impressive on its own, purchasing it with one of Cricut's bundle offerings makes it even more valuable. Each bundle comes with different accessories that allow you to expand your creativity and make your crafting projects even more simple and fun to create. Plus, by purchasing your Explore Air with a bundle, you're able to save a bundle in the process!

Go to Cricut.com and check out the savings Cricut is offering on their Cricut Explore Air™ and bundles today so you can get your very own in time to make this holiday season your most creative one yet!

Happy Crafting!

Great Value Photobooks For the Upcoming Holiday Season

2015-11-05T03:56:00.001-08:00

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

To kick-off the season of thanksgiving, gratitude, and giving, Blurb is offering all new customers $5 off their Blurb orders of $20 or more now through November 30th! Just use the code GIVE5 at checkout to receive your savings. This makes it even easier for you to create that special photo book — just in time for the holiday season!

Offer: New Customers Get $5 Off on Blurb Orders of $20+ with Code GIVE5
Valid:11/2-11/30
Code: GIVE5
Terms & Conditions: Offer valid from November 2 to November 30 2015 (11:59 p.m. local time). Valid for printed books only. Get $5 off (USD), $5 off (CAD), $5 off (AUD), 5€ off (EUR), £5 off (GBP) your product total with a minimum order of USD $20, CAD $20, AUD $20, EUR 20€ or GBP £20. This offer is good for one-time use, and cannot be combined with volume discounts, other promotional codes, gift cards, or used for adjustments on previous orders. Offer valid for 30 days after user's FIRST REGISTRATION.

One to one Mod Cloth Shopping in San Francisco

2015-07-20T13:58:00.000-07:00

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links.

ModCloth's fabulously fun and unique online fashion shop is headed to the heart of San Francisco from July 30th-August 17th! Explore their colorful collection of dresses, tops, cardis, and more in person, try on exclusive styles, and get sizing and fit help from their terrific team. Drop by and browse their Union Square location, or book a free appointment to skip the lines, guarantee a fitting room, and shop with 1-on-1 assistance from their friendly staff (hurry, spots are limited). ModCloth can't wait to meet you!

To book an appointment, visit: http://www.modcloth.com/fitshop-sf Or call us: 1-844-FITSHOP

One tool for any crafting need: Cricut Explore one

2015-07-15T13:01:00.001-07:00

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links.

Now that you’re more familiar with Cricut Explore One™, Cricut Explore Air™ and Cricut Design Space™, it’s time to chat about some of the really neat things you can create when you put it all together.

As you’re getting familiar with your Cricut machine, it’s a great idea to take advantage of the free Make it Now™ projects and images that you get with Cricut Design Space™.

For example, check out this adorable 3D Hot Air Balloons Mobile. It’s a fun, easy starter project and makes for the perfect baby shower or toddler’s birthday gift (and can you believe it's made with felt?). And what’s a gift without a card? Cricut has an incredible selection of card examples made with Cricut Explore machines. There’s even a whole selection dedicated to everything baby, which is where I came across this cute baby shower card.

Birthday
What better way to tell someone how special they are than with a hand/Cricut-made card and gift? This super fun shaker card is perfect for a 21+ birthday. And even if you purchase a gift, you can always use your Cricut Explore machine to personalize it. For example, if you bought a friend a purse or a wallet, you could use your machine to monogram it with their initials. Or if you bought them a plain shirt or sweater, you could customize it with a fun image or statement.

I love this sparkly pineapple t-shirt. All you need is a blank shirt, a roll of Cricut Iron-on, and images from the Cricut® Summer Love image set.

Pool Party
Soak up the summer fun with a pool party! You can use your Cricut Explore to create everything from invitations to decorations. Here are some really creative ideas for how to add some special splash to a pool party.

Engagement/Wedding
Make your own beautiful table decorations, banners, party favor boxes, cards, and more for the happy couple in just a few minutes! You’ll find some really impressive ideas in Cricut’s Design Space, such as this lovely Mr. & Mrs. card.

There are an unbelievable number of project examples in the Design Space, which are categorized by type (e.g. baby, holidays, home décor, school, food, etc.) and by level (easy, moderate, and advanced). You can also find a ton of great ideas for projects on Cricut's Blog and Pinterest page.

The summer season is a perfect time to get your very own Cricut machine and familiarize yourself with Design Space and all the incredible projects you can create. Try out a few projects each month and you’ll be amazed at how easy it is. By the time the holiday season rolls around, you’ll be a Cricut pro and will wow your friends and family with your stunning crafting skills!

Happy crafting!

Fantasy UFC game for UFC 189: Mendes vs. McGregor

2015-07-08T10:43:00.002-07:00

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links

Reebok, the official athletic footwear and apparel partner of the UFC, will also be partnering with DraftKings to run a fantasy UFC game for UFC 189: Mendes vs. McGregor on the night of July 11th.

This highly anticipated fight will debut Reebok's UFC Fight Kit from their new Fight Shop.

DraftKings is a major online fantasy gaming site with brand partnerships including UFC, MLB, and other US pro sports leagues and teams. Prize for the game will include:

Cash prize contributed by Draft Kings
Shopping spree or gear pack from Reebok's online Fight Shop

Cricut’s Design Space™ free software with the Cricut machine

2015-07-02T04:31:00.002-07:00

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links.

If you read last week’s post, you now know why Cricut’s Explore One™ and Explore Air™ machines are so incredible – and a must-have for any crafter.

But what bridges the gap between the creative ideas in your head and the Cricut machine is the Cricut Design Space™.

Cricut’s Design Space™ is software for PC, Mac®, iPhone® and iPad® that you get for free with your Cricut machine of choice.

Instead of trying to figure out how to make your project, Design Space gives you the ability to focus on what you want to make. Your Cricut machine takes it from there and brings it to life.

With Design Space, you can start designing from scratch on your computer, iPhone® or iPad®, or you can use a pre-designed, Make It Now™ project. These ready-to-make projects are created by professional artists and include everything from home décor to fashion to paper crafting, and even a variety of FREE projects.

If you want to use one of Cricut’s 50K+ images, you can try them out in the Design Space to see which will look best in your project before you commit to purchasing it.

Uploading Images

When you’re ready to start designing, you can either use one of Cricut’s 50K+ images or easily upload your own using the “Upload Images” tool in Design Space. You can upload and cut .svg, .jpg, .png, .bmp, .gif, and .dxf files absolutely FREE. You can even use fonts already installed on your computer.

Cut What You Want® tool

The Design Space’s Cut What You Want® tool makes it easy to convert your design into a cuttable image in just a few clicks!

The Cricut Design Space™ app for iPad® and iPhone®

Cricut’s easy-to-use app for the iPad® and iPhone® makes it possible for you can design anytime and anywhere inspiration strikes you.

It also allows you to access all the project’s that you’ve personally designed, whether on your iOs device or your PC or Mac, and gives you access to all the Make-it-Now projects.

With this app, you can start a project while at the beach, enhance it at the ice-cream shop, add some embellishments while cozying up on your couch, and then cut it on the Cricut Explore in your craft room. Plus, it’s cloud-based, so your projects are always synced across all your devices.

P.S. Cricut is working on an Android™ app right now, so don’t feel left out if you don’t have an iPad or iPhone.

In a nutshell, Cricut Design Space™ gives you the creative freedom to design just about anything! Make party invitations, decorations, and favors. Create seasonal home décor or personalize wedding gifts. Add embellishments to your favorite photo memories.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! That’s why next week’s post (the last on in this series) will focus on some really fun and interesting projects that people have created using their Cricut machine and the Cricut Design Space.

Stay tuned!

Fight Shop apparel at Reebok

2015-07-02T04:28:00.001-07:00

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links

Exciting news for all you MMA fans! Reebok recently unveiled their new Fight Shop. It's a destination where fighters, and those who train like fighters, can find all the apparel they need.

In Reebok's Fight Shop, you'll be able to gear up for the main event and shop the official UFC Fight Kit worn by all UFC fighters on Fight Night. The line of apparel in the Fight Kit was developed by Reebok in collaboration with Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters, for fighters.

The kit will debut for the first time in the Octagon at UFC® 189: MENDES vs. MCGREGOR on July 11.

In the Fight Shop, you'll also find UFC Fan Gear, so you can show your support for your favorite fighter, and Reebok Combat, gear that is light and breathable, enabling you to train like a fighter.

Crafter's helpers: personal electronic cutting machines

2015-06-17T13:47:00.000-07:00

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links.

If you’re reading this post, chances are, you’re a creative type. You like to craft, explore your creativity, and share your creations with others. And it’s for people like you that Cricut created their line of personal electronic cutting machines.

A little known fact about Cricut is that they’ve actually been in business for over 50 years, and their primary purpose has been to develop tools that inspire creativity in people.

Today, millions of people use Cricut’s award-winning products to create beautiful, inventive, and personal projects.

So, what is Cricut? Cricut is actually a family of electronic cutting machines that make it possible for you to easily create amazing do-it-yourself (DIY) projects. Well, not totally DIY because Cricut’s incredible machine’s do a LOT of the heavy lifting.

The two machines that Cricut offers are:

the Cricut Explore One™ - allows you to cut
the Cricut Explore Air™ - allows you to cut and write wirelessly

To give you loads of creative freedom and versatility, Cricut developed the Cricut Design Space™, a cloud-based software that works seamlessly with the Cricut Explore® family of machines.

Design Space gives you access to all of your images and projects from any compatible computer or iPad, so you can design just about anything, anytime, and anywhere.

Once you’ve uploaded your design (or pre-designed image) to your Cricut Explore cutting machine, you can sit back and watch it magically bring your design to life.

There are so many interesting things you can make and do with Cricut – which we’ll be sure to cover in a future post. But before we get too ahead of ourselves, it’s best to go over each of Cricut’s machines, what they do, and how they are different. And since I’ve given you quite a bit of info already, we’ll pick up on there in next week’s post!

Until then … happy crafting!

Stop the Spread of #unprotectedtext"

2015-06-04T03:06:00.000-07:00

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

Be honest. Have you ever used a phone with a cracked screen? If so, you've engaged in unprotected text, a very risky activity. But all is not lost. As a part of their Stop the Spread of #unprotectedtext campaign,Gazelle is giving you the opportunity to bare your soul on their Facebook page!

In 50 words or less, share your story about how you broke your phone and why you continued to use it. Be sure to use hashtag #unprotectedtext and @Gazelle in your social post.

When you post, you'll be automatically entered to win a Gazelle Certified pre-owned iPhone or iPad.

Now is your opportunity to help stop this epidemic from spreading!

Tell your story with Blurb

2015-05-08T13:34:00.001-07:00

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links.

Over the past few weeks I’ve been sharing how and why Blurb is such an incredible source for telling your story—whether it includes photos, words, or both. I realize that not everyone has the desire to write a novel or sell a book of their photos. Some people just want to commemorate a trip, an event, or a special occasion. Others may want to visually capture a business concept or life experience. Whatever the inclination, Blurb makes it easy and affordable to realize it.

Chances are you already have an idea for the kind of book you want to create. But in case you need a little inspiration, here are a few ways people have used Blurb to create their own creative and useful books:

Gifts
A beautiful, custom-made book is one of the most thoughtful, meaningful gifts you can give. With Father’s Day, graduation, and wedding season just around the corner, this type of book can make the perfect gift that keeps on giving. And with Blurb’s cutting-edge book-making tools, you can add photos, words, stories, drawings—anything you want—and make something that’s truly one-of-a-kind. Ideas include: a favorite recipes book, a baby’s first year book, a book of poems, a senior year book, etc.

Memoirs
You have a story to tell. Ok, so you may not have hiked across the Sahara or been on Broadway, but that doesn’t mean that you haven’t impacted lives or had interesting life experiences. And it certainly doesn’t mean that you don’t have valuable insights to impart. Even if you have no interest in sharing your memoir with anyone, the process of reflecting on your life and writing down some of your thoughts and experiences can be incredibly eye-opening and cathartic.

Pet Books
What better way to showcase your best friend than with their very own book. It could be something as simple as pictures and quips of trips to the park, naps on the couch, playing with a favorite toy, or basking in the sun, to a more in-depth life story book about your pet. These can be shared as gifts, sold to fellow pet-lovers, or just kept for your own personal enjoyment.

Non-Profit Fundraising Books
With Blurb, non-profits can share their story with compelling words and images and then sell them via Blurb’s Sell & Distribute option to fundraise for their organization. For example, Gerrit Greve’s Hearts for Healing book showcases how kids interpret a giving heart through art. It also chronicles how Greve’s students gained new confidence in themselves and their abilities knowing that their art could make a difference in someone’s life and health. This beautiful book is an example of how Blurb’s platforms can be used to support a cause that’s important to you.

These are just a few ways that you can use Blurb to share your story or promote a purpose, but know that there are many, many others. Get creative! Honestly, the most important part is just clicking on the “Get Started” link on Blurb.com. As you start the process of creating your own book, you’ll be surprised at how quickly the creativity floodgates open!

And when it does and you’ve created your own book, be sure to tell me about it—if you’re okay with me doing so, I’d love to promote it to other readers. Who knows? You may inspire someone else to create a book of their own!

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