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Harj Gill talks to Asian Trader about the evolution of his family's Windmill Select & Save store over the last 30 years.
How did you start out in retailing?
My parents bought the store around 1980 and we've been in retailing for about 30 years. Me and my brothers grew up in the store – it was a natural progression for them to move into retail but I chose to go to college. When I found out college wasn't really for me, I came back to the store full time, which was about 20 years ago now.
What are the biggest strengths of your store?
In the space of time we've had the shop, we've had three extensions and grown floor space from around 800sq ft to around 2,700sq ft. With the last extension, which took place around six years ago, we extended our chilled section from 3.75 metres to 9.75 metres, and also grew chilled alcohol from 3.75 metres to 9.75 metres. It was a big investment but it has been very handy to have. In the summer we do very well on chilled beers and rosé wine. Working with Nisa through Select & Save has also helped to improve our availability and offers.
How else do you stand out from local competition?
We have two schools nearby so we're very big on confectionery, soft drinks and snacks. We run a lot of promotions offered to us every three weeks through Nisa but we also do our own deals as well. With the amount of pound shops around, it's important that we stand out on value. We also do home deliveries for customers as well. We used to have three or four stores offering this in the village but now we're the only ones still doing it. Customers can place orders by phone and it's still an important part of our business.
How do you plan to improve your business this year?
We're not huge on food to go – we've tried things over the course of the last 20 years such as slush machines and popcorn that haven't really taken off – but that is something we're looking to improve this year. We've also just done a review of our chilled range and we're now working with a new meat supplier, so we'll see how that goes. We're also thinking about changing our coffee machine. We have a Nescafé & Go machine but we're now looking at offering fresh bean coffee. And we're also looking to extend our 1.5 metre £1 bay to three metres, as that has been going well. Retail is changing so fast and trends are changing all the time, and we need to keep up.
Do you work closely with manufacturers on product ranging and merchandising?
We work with the likes of Mars and Mondelez on confectionery and they have helped us with our range. It is useful, and we always take information from manufacturers on board. If I'm being honest, I don't think we do enough with them, and that is something we were looking to focus on this year. We also work closely with our business development manager from Select & Save and we do our own range reviews twice a year, which helps us delist slower sellers.
What are the most rewarding and challenging aspects of being an independent retailer?
The long hours and lack of holidays can be a challenge, and we're facing confusion over TPD and tobacco legislation. That's why we're trying to make our e-cigarette range more prominent in the store. But we're lucky in that we don't have to worry too much about crime, as we're located on a small estate that has a nice community feel to it. And watching the business grow from where it was to what it is today over the last 20 years has been rewarding. We've got quite a lot of positive feedback from customers about the work we've done.


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Terry.childs needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 74 designs submitted by 4 freelance designers.
Six Foot Track
The Six Foot Track is a 45 km walking track located just west of Sydney in the Blue Mountains of Australia. The Track is the best way to get the true feel of NSW's rich history and its evolution over the last 200 years. Winding through State Forests and National Parks, the track follows the original 1884 horse track from Katoomba to Jenolan Caves.
It usually takes 3 days to walk the whole track, but shorter walks can also be taken on sections of the track. The track crosses differences in altitude, aspect, climate and soil types leading to a wide variety of flora and fauna. Campsites are located at Cox's River, Alum Creek and on the Black Range. A key feature of the track is the Bowtell's swing bridge which is a suspension bridge across the Cox's river.
The logo is required to clearly identify the Six Foot Track for our target audience which includes individual walkers, small family groups, school groups, armed forces who uses the track as a training activity, guided walks/trips with commercial operators, day trippers etc. I would like to see the logo used on various printed material along with future promotional items.
In the logo I would like to see mountain either green or blue in colour to define the Blue Mountains) I would like to see an sandstone escarpment on the mountain (refer to the photo below to get an idea - SFT Getaway 001.jpg). Also inclue a river flowing from the mountain flowing under a suspension bridge (refer photo attached - Bowells Swing Bridge (2).jpg). Also include a walking track leading from out of the mountain and across the bridge. Perhaps also a sun rising over the mountain and a bird in the sky. Please also use the words "Six Foot Track" within the logo.
I would like to see the logo in two styles one as a round shape (for possible use as a badge) and one in the normal rectangular shape.
Looking forward to some creative ideas, Thanks.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.

subset: commoncrawl


text: The inspiration for SHARK comes from the shark fin with its powerful lines. The unique shape challenges the belief that all plates should be round or square. A round plate can only be used in one way, while SHARK gives you three different usage scenarios, bringing dynamism to your dinner table. It creates new experiences and opportunities with its special style, based on how you place the plate on your table.


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Silverline small and versatile 1oz ball pein hammer with a flat end for flattening small wires and thin sheets and…
Silverline small and versatile 1oz swiss style hammer designed with a flat end for flattening wires and sheets and a…
Silverline 2.6oz (75g) hammer with 6 interchangeable screw on heads for general craft use and measures 185mm long.
Silverline 4oz (113g) Hardwood Ball Pein Pin Hammer.
This small versatile 4oz ball pein pin hammer designed for accurate…


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Last year I threw away all of my makeup that contained tons of chemicals, and that wasn't cruelty free. I cleaned house and threw away soaps, shampoos and conditioners, and the normal household cleaning products.
It makes me happy that Target offers alternative products that I can trust in my house. We love using Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus Shea Butter Soap. This is my go-to bar of soap - and the whole family uses it. It doesn't dry out your skin like other soaps. They stand behind no animal testing, natural and organic, and they use ethically sourced ingredients.
Another great find is Nourish Organic body lotion in Lavender Mint. This body lotion smells AMAZING. It is so calming and relaxing, and goes on really smooth. Their products are 100% chemical free, vegan, Leaping Bunny approved, gluten free, and organic - just to name a few.
Say Yes to Carrots is another brand I really like. I am not the girl that continually uses the same face wash. I like to try new brands, and then I go back to ones that I really like. Say Yes to Carrots is one that I have used in the past, and really have zero complaints. Their Daily Cream Face Cleanser is a great morning face wash. Their product is 96% natural, petroleum and paraben free, and cruelty free!
If you are out, and see some of these products, you should give them a try!
xo, p+c


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Services: Chemical Cleaning and Efficiency Improvement
AquaChem provides a specialised service to chemically remove unwanted deposits from boilers, cooling towers, heat exchangers, heating and chilled systems plus reactor vessels.
Since 1997 we have successfully used chemical and non-chemical solutions for cleaning systems and in this time have gained considerable expertise in this field.
Why chemically clean?
The build up of scale and other deposits in boilers, heat exchangers, cooling towers and system pipework reduces efficiency of the equipment. In the case of steam boilers this can cause the boiler to be dangerous to operate. On-line chemical cleaning or in exceptional circumstances acid cleaning may have to be considered in order to remove these the deposits as a method of restoring the heat transfer efficiency.
Calcium, magnesium and silica scales which build up on boiler heat exchange surfaces act as an insulator which results in an increase in temperature of the boiler metal. Unless treated or removed the scale will cause the metal to overheat resulting in blisters and eventually tube or furnace failure. The effect on the boiler efficiency can be seen from the following table.
Thickness of Boiler
Deposit mm
Fuel Wasted
When should a system be acid cleaned ?
Boilers - usually, with boilers the insurance inspector will fail a boiler if it considered to be in a dangerous condition and will not allow the boiler to operate until cleaned satisfactorily. For higher pressure boilers chemical cleaning may also be carried out to restore heat transfer efficiency and this decision may be taken by maintenance personnel in conjunction with their water treatment company.
Heat Exchangers and Pipework – if the system suffers from blockages, restricted flow and increased pressure drop caused by poor or inadequate water treatment this will result in a reduction in heat transfer efficiency. Chemical cleaning including acid cleaning must be carried out before the pipework is blocked completely otherwise the chemical solution cannot be circulated throughout the system.
Cooling Towers - scale build up in a cooling tower can encourage the growth of Legionella bacteria and so it is a requirement that systems are clean. In addition scale formation can lead to a dramatic increase in the energy costs required to operate cooling towers. Where heavy scale build-up has occurred chemical cleaning may have to be considered and any heat exchanger associated with the cooling system will also require chemical cleaning.
Evaporative Condensers – as for cooling towers scale build up on the coils of an evaporative condenser can encourage the growth of Legionella bacteria. These coils generally cool refrigeration gases or in some cases closed cooling water circuits. Scale build-up will result in reduced in cooling efficiency so the refrigeration plant will also be inefficient because the gas is not cooled correctly. Where heavy scale build-up has occurred on the coils chemical cleaning may have to be considered to comply with safety requirements and to reduce the running costs associated with operation of Evaporative Condensers.
What is involved in acid cleaning ?
Chemical cleaning involves the circulation of acid at low concentration around the equipment to remove scale. The acid used will depend on the type of deposit and the equipment material that is being descaled and typically are hydrochloric, sulphamic, citric, formic, hydroflouric and phosphoric.
The procedure uses specialised equipment designed for chemical cleaning and the procedure will involve the following:
- A sample of the deposit is analysed to establish the most suitable acid to be used.
- The equipment to be cleaned is isolated to ensure that the cleaning solution cannot escape and contaminate other equipment, pipes or water courses.
- Pumps are connected for recirculation.
- The equipment is filled with acid to the required strength.
- A corrosion inhibitor is added to prevent acid attack on any exposed metal.
- The solution is monitored for acid strength and further acid added if required.
- The procedure is stopped when the acid strength remains constant which indicates that no more scale removal is taking place or by visual examination if this is possible.
- The acid cleaning solution is removed to drain and neutralised at the same time.
- The equipment is refilled with water with a small amount of alkaline solution to neutralise any residual acid.
What can be done to prevent scale formation ?
Scale deposition can usually be prevented by awell designed and controlled water treatment programme.
Systems such as steam generation, cooling towers and evaporative condensers which are supplied with hard water generally have some form of external water treatment equipment such as a water softener or reverse osmosis system to remove the hardness from the water before it enters the equipment. This is the only long term satisfactory method of ensuring scale free conditions and will be successful as long as the equipment is maintained and monitored correctly. See our Plant & Equipment section for further information on this type of plant.
If external water treatment equipment is not used, then scale formation can be expected, but the amount will depend upon the levels of hardness in the incoming water, the quantity of water being used and the temperature at which the system operates. Some types of systems where scale can be a problem include:


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Hey reality TV fans, take a look at this link. It's got thirteen secrets reality TV producers won't tell you.
This article touches on some key things, like the fact that it takes a ton of footage to bring an hourlong episode to television, and the fact that producers can cut and splice footage as they please, so what you're hearing may not even correlate with the images you see on a screen.
You can read the article to learn what it has to say, but this got me thinking about some things I've seen with reality television.
I know of someone who was on a competition style show where the same competitors participated each week, with one or two being kicked off with each episode. Viewers played a role in who stayed and who was eliminated. The person I am talking about was given no introduction in the audition episode of the show, whereas every other finalist was given screen time. The audience never got a chance to connect with this person, and even though she did great on the show, I think the audience's lack of connection to her became a part of her downfall. It was surprising that she was denied her introduction, given that she has had a difficult past - and people love hearing about that - but she wasn't given the chance to tell her story.
Producers do not promise honesty to contestants. Do some research into the show I Wanna Marry Harry. Remember that disaster that was cancelled before it even finished airing? I remember reading that people thought the contestants were morons for thinking they were actually dating Prince Harry, but what they don't know is that producers and other staffers were whispering behind the scenes to plant these ideas in the ladies' heads. Seriously, look it up. I read about this online, you can too. I tried to find the article where I read this and can't at the moment, but if I do, I'll edit this to add it.
Things are not always as happy as they seem. I wrote a post a while back about all of the damage done by Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Families were torn apart, people were forced out of their homes due to increased tax burdens and more. It's not all as pretty as it looks.
I've also read about home renovation shows where projects are left half finished and the décor is purely for the show and not permanent. I can't verify if that's true or not (we read lots of things on the internet!) but if the show has a deadline and budget that it can't meet, it's got to do something, and this option seems plausible.
These are just some things to think about as you watch your next reality TV show.
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Link - Thirteen Secrets Reality TV Producers Won't Tell You - And My Comments
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You Have Questions About Abby Lee Miller and Cathy Stein From Dance Moms? Less Than Reality Has Answers!After looking into what some readers are searching online about Dance Moms, I gathered some information about Abby Lee Miller and Cathy Stei...
I just finished watching tonight's episode of MTV's Catfish (8/20/13) with Jesse and Brian, and I'm left feeling somewhat less t...
Okay, Teresa , you were not in the right to go off on Danielle, but seriously, Danielle is nuts. Bonkers. Crazy. Off the wall. Get the point...


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All our Aberfield rams will be MOT'd, quarantine treated and supplied with full health treatment records.
We believe in our products and will work with you to help you to maximise returns from our genetics.
If you are interested in the Innovis Aberfield, please contact your Technical Adviser or contact us.
Committed to research and development this has enabled us to build upon our successful and established crossbreeding programmes.
Take a look at our range of 2019 sales and selection dates across the UK.
Please contact your local representative:
Gwydion Owen - North Wales - 07817 273596
Matthew Harding - Central England - 07855 745454
Claire Irving - Northern England - 07792 096999
Daniel Stout - Scotland - 07833 226884
"Combine carefully selected Innovis genetics with detailed attention to management, and I don't know of any other livestock farming enterprise that could beat sheep farming in terms of profitability for a starter..."
Jim Beary – Aberfield
"We're having a trial run over a portion of the flock. Our first draw of Primera cross lambs reached 19kg target finishing weight at 11 weeks, both the twin Primera and Abermax cross lambs..."
James Teasdale – Abermax
Since introducing the New Zealand bred Highlander to his Devon unit three years ago, finished sheep production has increased by 42% to 342kg per acre while a traditional indoor...
Mike Tewson – Highlander
Producing tailored made replacement ewes featuring Innovis genetics within a traditional stratified system is proving to be a win win venture for two sheep farming businesses...
Ben Anthony - Aberfield Crossbred


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Creamed Parmesan SpinachFrom lucky513 12 years ago
- 1 Block cream cheese shopping list
- 1 Cup parmesan cheese shopping list
- 2 Frozen Packs of Defrosted spinach shopping list
How to make it
- Defrost Spinach
- Take a clean kitchen towel or double up on paper towels and squeeze all excess water from spinach
- Start melting Cream cheese on stove top over low flame
- Add Parmesan Cheese
- Then add the drained spinach
- Cook on med. low until fully mixed and warm
People Who Like This Dish 11
Reviews & Comments 5
The Cooklucky513 Simi Valley, CA
The Rating2 people
Great, cooking nowm and taste tasting. wowtinadunlap in Greenwood loved it
The Groups
- Not added to any groups yet!


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Last weekend we spent a busy, fun-packed two days exploring London with East Midlands Trains.
Our capital city has so many attractions to offer families; fantastic sightseeing spots, world-class museums, beautiful parks, and a wealth of live entertainment, to name but a few. London is a brilliant option for a short break, and with the summer holidays on the way it's the perfect destination to keep the kids busy.
With such a wide choice of things to do, it can be a little daunting planning a family trip to London. To make it easier, I've teamed up with East Midlands Trains to produce a brilliant trip planner, with a range of itineraries to choose from.
Whether you're a first time tourist, keen to see London on a budget, or planning for a rainy day of exploring, there's a trip planner for you. Each one features an itinerary of all the recommended attractions to visit, complete with costs, travel times, and nearest public transport. There's also a map for each itinerary to help you find your way around; this includes local tube stops, restaurants, toilets and baby changing, so it's really useful for families.
To help East Midlands Trains create the trip planners, we spent the weekend visiting some of London's top attractions. I know, I know, it's a tough job!
Our six key activities were:
- London Eye and South Bank
- A river cruise
- Tate Modern
- The Science Museum
- The Natural History Museum
- Regent's Park
Here's how we got on.
Nottingham to London by train in under 2 hours
We travelled with East Midlands Trains from Nottingham to London St Pancras International, stocking up on snacks from the station café before boarding our train.
Our journey was really quick (around 1 hour 45 minutes), comfortable, and arrived on time. The kids busied themselves with comics and snacks and the journey flew by.
At London St Pancras International we transferred onto the underground system to head to our first sightseeing spot.
The London Eye
Located on the beautiful South Bank, London SE1 7PB, the London Eye is a must-visit if you want to see the capital from above.
Tickets start at £21.20 for adults and £16.10 for children, with under-4's going free. However, you can get discounts on certain attractions when you book train tickets through East Midlands Trains, meaning you could purchase tickets for a family of four on the London Eye for just £69.40.
The nearest tube stop is Waterloo, which is direct from Euston, southbound on the Northern Line. If you have a pushchair or require disabled access, you can take the Circle Line from King's Cross St Pancras to Westminster; both stations have disabled access.
There is often a pretty long queue for the Eye, but with each capsule holding up to 28 people, it does move quite quickly. For £5-7 more you can buy a Fast Pass Ticket, which cuts your queueing time down to around 20 minutes.
If you've got a pushchair with you, be aware that you can't take it onto the London Eye unless it can be fully folded down. There's a buggy area in the ticket hall, so you can drop it off before you start queueing; you'll need to take any valuables with you.
The experience takes about 30 minutes, during which time your capsule will complete a full rotation. There's plenty of time to take lots of pictures.
The Eye is a bit like a giant ferris wheel, with enclosed capsules; you do go up very high, but the movement is very slow and smooth so it's hard to feel nervous, especially with so much to see.
From your capsule you can identify lots of famous landmarks, including the Houses of Parliament, St Paul's Cathedral and The Shard. There's an interactive map in each capsule to help you spot things, and a bench in the middle if you need a few minutes off your feet.
The kids were wide-eyed as they peered through the glass. London looks incredibly beautiful from above, and Jay couldn't believe how much we could see from our little pod.
Our visit to the London Eye was very family-friendly; the staff were all more than happy to help people on and off the capsules, there's a snack stand located in the queue, and there are toilets directly opposite the Eye. It costs 50p to use the toilets, but I think that's reasonable since they're clean, well-maintained, child-friendly, and very conveniently located.
Top family tip: bring binoculars for the kids (or purchase them at the kiosk for £6 each).
Walking and eating on the South Bank
After our bird's eye view of the city, we headed along the South Bank towards our next destination, the Tate Modern.
Tate Modern is just one tube stop from the London Eye, but I actually think it's better to not bother with the tube, particularly if you have a buggy with you, as it's a really pretty mile-long walk along the Thames.
There's so much going on too; we enjoyed street performers and food markets, as well as being able to spot lots of landmarks. Buy an ice cream and take it slow – it's preferable to the tube on a hot day and J and Jay adored the walk, remarking that it felt like being at the fair.
There are a huge number of cafés, street food vans and restaurants to choose from on the South Bank, with everything from chains to little independents.
We ate at Wahaca, a family-friendly Mexican restaurant with a great children's menu. Wahaca is accessible via stairs, so you may need assistance from a kind passer-by if you're struggling with a buggy. It's not very many steps though, and it gives you a great view of the Thames.
Children can order "Build your own tacos" which arrive with plenty of salad, chicken or fish, some tortilla chips and a couple of soft tortillas for them to construct as they wish; lots of fun (and quite a bit of mess!).
Mark and I had burritos which turned out to be HUGE so we were more than satisfactorily refuelled for the walk ahead.
Lots to see and do at Tate Modern
If you do take the tube to Tate Modern, it's just one stop from the London Eye; travel on the Jubilee Line from Waterloo to Southwark, both of which are accessible stations.
Located by the Thames on Bankside, London SE1 9TG, Tate Modern is a huge, spacious modern art gallery. It's free to enter, and there's a programme of workshops and free activities for children.
From a family point of view, Tate Modern is very accessible. There are plenty of clean, free toilets, a restaurant on the top floor, and lots of escalators. There are also lifts, but these may be out of order, as they were when we visited.
Both children were completely engaged during this visit, staring contently at the exhibits, asking questions about different shapes and colours, and happily soaking up the creativity the runs freely around the museum.
Outside, we also discovered a lovely secret garden which the kids loved. It's perfect for burning off some energy before entering the gallery.
Top family tip: check the website for dates and times of the children's activities.
A relaxed City Cruises ride along the Thames
If the kids – or adults for that matter – are flagging, a Thames river cruise is a great way to see the sights.
City Cruises river tours are located on the South Bank, and can be boarded at either Tower Pier (next to Tower Bridge) going west, or London Eye Pier / Westminster Pier going east. Westminster Pier is accessed from buggy-friendly Westminster Tube station on the Circle Line.
Boats depart every 30 minutes, and tickets for a family of four booked through east Midlands Trains is just £54. It's best to buy tickets in advance, then queue to board at the pier; don't try to board at other piers, as your journey may not stop there and you'll queue only to be sent away!
The smaller boats aren't practical for a buggy, but some boats are fully accessible to wheelchair users. There are limited spaces available so it's best to contact the operators in advance and work out the best slot for you. If you can fold your buggy it's worth doing so, as there may be limitations if it would otherwise restrict the gangway.
A one-way cruise takes about 25-40 minutes, and a return cruise takes 50-80 minutes. The cruise takes you along the Thames, with comical and relaxed commentary explaining local landmarks (there are some slightly blue jokes, but nothing that is above PG).
The boat moves slowly so there's plenty of opportunities to take photos. Some of the larger boats have drink and snack facilities. There's a roofed section in case of rain, but space is limited, so if the heavens open you'll have to be quick!
Having already walked along part of South Bank earlier in the day, the children really enjoyed spotting the major landmarks, pointing enthusiastically the whole way.
Top family tip: stock up on snacks if you're boarding a smaller boat.
Hilton Metropole
After a hard day's sightseeing, we headed to our hotel, the Hilton Metropole Edgeware Road. It's in a great location, but centrally located hotels needn't cost a fortune. Check sites like lastminute.com and hotels.com for discounts and last minute deals.
Our family room was spacious and comfortable, perfect for a good rest before our second day. My kids LOVE staying in hotels – it's like an adventure in itself – so they settled in happily for the night without any fuss.
Natural History Museum
After a good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast, we headed back out into the city for day two of family sightseeing trip. First stop was the Natural History Museum, located at Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD.
The Natural History Museum is packed to the rafters with things to see, do and explore. The nearest tube station is South Kensington, which can be reached direct from London St Pancras International on the Circle Line. South Kensington doesn't have disabled access, but you could stay on the tube to Earl's Court and walk the last mile to the museum.
The museum is free to enter and super-popular, so you need to be prepared for long queues, particularly during school holidays. It opens at 10am and tends to be extremely busy then, but if you wait an hour it settles down quite a bit.
Once inside, the sheer scale of what's on offer takes your breath away. There's an incredible exhibit that feels like you're entering the Earth's core, animatronic dinosaurs, and interactive human biological exhibits, and that's just for starters.
Also JD is really familiar with the Natural History Museum from multiple visits when I worked near by, Jay is much less so, and she was almost overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the place, often looking to her brother for reassurance.
Being the amazing big brother that he is, in response to her uncertainty, JD took Jay's hand and guided her round the museum, explaining the exhibits softly as they walked. What cuties!
Thinking practically, there are toilets with baby changing facilities located throughout the museum. Escalators cover some floors, and the lifts can be limited to certain floors during renovation work.
Food-wise, there's a food hall inside the museum and snack and drinks carts in the grassy area outside. This was a great spot for allowing the kids to stretch their legs and obviously we all simply had to have ice creams.
Top family tip: Drop as much off as you can in the cloakroom (for a small fee) as you may be using the stairs a lot.
Science Museum
If you've been to the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum is a two-minute walk around the corner, on Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD. As with the Natural History Museum, the nearest tube station is South Kensington on the Circle Line.
Another free-to-enter attraction, the Science Museum offers lots to do on several floors, including exhibits on themes such as space, transport, early inventors and computer science. It's very hands-on and educational, with lots for kids to touch and feel. My two loved it, tapping on every screen they could find!
There are toilets with baby changing facilities located throughout the museum; some are only accessible by stairs or lift. For a small fee you can use the cloakroom.
The museum has three restaurants, all of which are family-friendly. We ate lunch at Deep Blue, a futuristic-looking venue serving good quality, healthy meals prepared on the premises, and a range of child-friendly options. The kids ate well, which is always a good litmus test since little'uns are often the fussiest eaters.
Top family tip: the lifts may be out of order at one end, but working elsewhere in the building, so ask staff if you get stuck.
Regent's Park
If you need to break up the sightseeing for the kids, Regent's Park is a great place to get them into the open air.
Located at Chester Road, London NW1 4NR, the nearest underground station is Regent's Park on the Bakerloo line. From London St Pancras International or Euston, you can travel south on the Picadilly or Northern lines and switch to Bakerloo; alternatively you can take the Circle, District or Metropolitan line direct to Baker Street and walk from there. You'll find some great waffles outside Baker Street station, so that's worth the trip!
If you'd prefer to avoid the underground with a buggy, the 205 bus connects Kings Cross and Euston to Regent's Park. You'll be able to leave your buggy up, as long as there isn't already another one on board.
Regents Park is free to enter and there's plenty to see and do. There are buggy-friendly paths and a play area with climbing frames, swings and slides at the Hanover Terrace end of the park.
It's well-located for access to other tourist attractions too, with Madame Tussauds, ZSL London Zoo and the Sherlock Holmes Museum (at 221b Baker Street, of course!) close by.
It really is a beautiful park, with large stretches of grass, plenty of trees (some suitable for little climbers), wildlife, cafes, clean public toilets and a bandstand. After spending most of the weekend in the bustle of the city, they were delighted to escape into nature and hopped from tree, to path, to tree with glee.
If you want to use the toilets there's a 20p charge, unless you need the baby changing facilities in which case it's free, but you'll need to ask the attendant for a radar key. If you stop off for a drink or snack at the park cafés, you can use the café's toilet facilities free of charge.
We watched live music on the bandstand, and hired pedalos on the lake, which costs £4 each for 20 minutes. It really felt like an exceptionally gorgeous day, even when the sun started to hide behind the clouds.
We stopped for a snack at the Boathouse Café, which is a family restaurant selling ice creams, meals and drinks. There's a large terrace seating area, which is the perfect spot to enjoy lunch in the sun overlooking the park.
Again, ice cream was essential…
Train home
After chilling out in the park for as long as we possible could, enjoying every last drop of our adventure, it was time to head back to London St Pancras International for our train home.
Stocking up on snacks at one of our favourite station cafés, The Curious Pig, we climbed about our train and whizzed home again in time for baths and bed.
As I'm sure you can tell, we packed so much into our London weekend, it all went by in a blur and the kids loved every minute. I lost count of how many times they announced it was the "best weekend ever!"
If you're thinking about making a family trip to London this Summer, I'd say go for it – and do check out the East Midlands Trains trip planners to help you plan your visit.
Will you be checking out all that London has to offer soon? Let me know what sights you're planning!
This is a commissioned post for East Midlands Trains


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In last week's Reamaze Recipe session we taught you the basics on creating some custom form fields in the Reamaze Shoutbox, Lightbox, and Embedded Contact Form. These custom form fields were then used to capture customers' moods and we created workflows to automatically tag the conversations for priotization. That simple recipe gave you a glimpse into how Reamaze's many features actually behave like lego blocks. You can build them however you want!
This week we want to share a new recipe with you. Try to imagine for a moment that you've segmented your customers into different pools based on how valuable they are to your business. And while it's important to take care of everyone, someone in the VIP pool definitely requires your most immediate attention. How do you go about doing this?


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Mt Burr the town is named after a local mountain called Mount Burr; it measures 240 metres (790 feet) tall and is one of 15 dormant or extinct volcanoes within the Limestone Coast.
Mt Burr is located 14kms east of Millicent on the Millicent to Penola road. Mt Burr is is 39kms west of Penola and 51kms from Beachport via Millicent. The local industries are forestry, Transport and Agriculture.
The town of Mt Burr was established in 1931 along with a sawmill operation. It was the first of all the milling towns in the region. Mt Burr was a government town built from locally sawn material and erected on a forest reserve. The government established all facilities including shops, schooling and homes. The sawmill closed in 2000.
|Millicent Golf Course
|Mount Muirhead Lookout


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School Messenger
School Messenger
Sent: December 4, 2017
Time: 6 pm – 9 pm
To: 7th & 8th grade
Good Afternoon
This is Palacios Jr. High School. All of our students will be traveling to El Campo on Thursday to watch the movie "Wonder". Please make sure you sign your student's permission slip and return it to the school tomorrow.
To hear this message again, press star.
Thank you…
Sent: December 1, 2017
Time: 6 pm – 9 pm
To: 7th & 8th grade
Good Afternoon:
This is the Palacios Jr. High School with some information on the Boys Basketball game with Tidehaven on Monday. There will be two 7th grade games and only one 8th grade game.
The order of the games will be 7B, 7A and 8A. The games will start at 5 pm.
Thank you.
To: East Side Students
Broadcast on Wednesday, November 29, 2017 between 6:00 and 9:00 pm
East Side Intermediate will be conducting a "lock down" drill on Thursday, November 30th @ 1:30 PM.
During the drill, a sign will be posted on the front door alerting visitors of the drill.
All outside access doors into the campus will be locked and no one will be allowed into the building until the completion of the drill.
The drill should last no more than 15-20 minutes.
We appreciate your cooperation as we work to insure the safety and security of our children.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact East Side @ 361-972-2016.
Thank you.
To: All student
Broadcast on: Monday, May 15, 2017 between 5:00 and 9:00 pm
Palacios Jr. High will be having its awards ceremony on Wednesday, May 17 at 2 pm in the Fine Arts Building.
Students will be recognized and awarded medals in all subject areas as well as our top AR point readers for the year.
A representative from the Matagorda Co chapter of the DAR will be here to present medals to two of our 8th graders.
If your student is receiving a medal on that day, they would have received notice today at school. Please check with your student.
We hope to see you there as we recognize our students. Again, this will be held on Wednesday, May 17 at 2 pm
If you have any questions, please call the Jr. High School at 972-2417.
Thank You……..
October 19, 2016
Sent to 7th and 8th grade students
Broadcast on 10/19/16 between 5 pm and 9 pm
Good Afternoon:
This is a message from Palacios Jr. High School. Tomorrow and Friday are early release days. Students will be dismissed at 1 pm on both days… Because of the shortened schedule, we will not be having brunch for students on those two days. If students want to eat breakfast at school, they will need to come to the cafeteria between 7:30 am and 7:50.
On Thursday afternoon between 2 pm and 7 pm we will be distributing report cards to parents. We invite all parents to come by between those hours to collect your student's report card. Your child's 5th period teacher will have that available for you. At this time, you can also browse the book fair which is set up in the library.
We hope to see you tomorrow afternoon.
Thank you!!


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Mandaean History
In this section you will find a series of educational classes such as GInza Studies, Mandaean History lessons, Mandaean Language classes and a Mandaean Library of texts.
This section is still under construction. If you would like to stay informed as to when this section will be running, please send us an email with your contact details and check back regularly.


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Cookie-cutter school reforms cement class and race divisions and hide the black genius in our backyards.
In 1992 and fresh out of Yale, David Levin was on his
way to becoming what has become a stereotype of the Teach for America recruit: white, privileged, well-meaning and utterly unprepared to manage his class of mostly poor students of color in Houston.
Then he watched educator Harriett Ball in action. Even sitting down in front of the chalkboard, she was a physically imposing woman, over 6-feet, skin the rich color of coffee, shoulders bouncing, neck bopping to the beat. A youtube clip showed the classroom wizard at work:
"Not the two liter," she says in a smoker's rasp. She thrusts a two-plus inch acrylic fingernail toward the kids. "But the one liter. How long is a decimeter? That's a half a hand." Her Texas drawl unfurled. "And the centimeter? My nail bed. Come on, brag to me. Look, look! That's what I sayyy-yed."
She applied units of measurements to their local landscape: how far from the McDonald's? How big is a coke bottle, a paper clip, bag of sand? The kids and Ball chanted the final verse in unison: "It doesn't matter, how long or short it is. It doesn't matter how heavy or hot it is. I know how to measure! So ask us, it's our pleasure!"
Ball mentored both Levin and his fellow TFA enlistee, Mike Feinberg, according to Post reporter Jay Mathews' admiring book on the origins of KIPP, "Work Hard. Be Nice." The pair used Ball's techniques, chants, "finger rolls" and behavior-management to create the nation's largest franchise of public charter schools called Knowledge is Power Program (named for one of Ball's chants.)
As it built into a national network, KIPP students' test scores soared, attracting media attention, and then millions in corporate and public support. It seemed, they had perfected the "formula" for student success-- at least for poor, black and brown kids anyways: Long hours, militaristic discipline, constant and scientific assessment, and teachers working around the clock. For many deep-pocketed reformers, these elements have become the gold standard for how "urban" students can and should learn. Public schools that do not show similar "results" are being privatized or closed.
The franchise approach to urban school reform raises some uncomfortable questions about class, race and community. It is creating two permanent tracks of schooling: one for the wealthy and one for the black and brown, and poor. It also raises questions about what public schools should be for poor and black children. Are they organic, self-sustaining parts of the urban fabric? Are they charities? Are they for-profit companies?
My family is among of the unlucky Ward 5 residents whose neighborhood middle school has been closed. When we shopped for a middle school, my husband suggested we enroll our son in KIPP. A black friend, a lawyer who worked in education, warned against it: "That's like prison! They make those kids walk on lines like they're in the chain gang!" Although I know kids who have thrived there, it's a perception I've heard repe ted by countless teachers, education policy folks and even school district leaders. An education consultant advising white middle class parents told The Post's Emma Brown that she tells her clients not be fooled by the high test scores-- KIPP and its imitators would not be a "good fit." We have to ask ourselves why.
Wealthy and middle class schools are all about developing an independent voice and passions, exploring ideas and creativity. It treats children as individuals of innate value with powerful destinies to be realized. Many charters franchises (throw in the for-profit B.A.S.I.S.) often emphasize compliance, repetition, "drill and kill." I am uncomfortable sending my child on that track. So how could I advocate it to other people's children who happen to look like mine? Why should we allow such policies to be applied to the whole traditional neighborhood system?
To apply this external mold on children, whether it is through standardized tests or a charter franchise, is to treat them as "gaps" to be bridged. It also creates awkward expectations for how black people should be treated.It's like when strange white men introduce themselves to my husband with a soul power grip instead of a handshake or white women address me (and maybe every other black woman) as "girlfriend." To have those assumptions about how urban minds work baked in the bread of how schools do business is dangerous. It also fuels and reifies racial and economic segregation.
For kids who are falling behind, extra interventions and classroom time are needed--and much appreciated. But certain types of interventions aren't always welcome. Fingerprinting systems at one charter that one 16-year-old said reminded her "of juvenile hall," many punitive disciplinary methods that show a contempt for the poor who lack the resources to defend themselves.
And, these interventions definitely don't come free. Right now, the price is being paid by idealistic young teachers who have the luxury of living as missionairies for a few years after college with their students calling their cell phones around the clock. And of course, it is heavily subsidized by corporate philanthropies eager to make a point about unions and private management.
Charter chains and TFA have important roles to play, but at a certain point we have to start thinking of public education less as a charitable enterprise or for-profit business and more of a core value in our communities. Schools should begin by building on what assets the community values and what their goals are for their children's future, not what the franchise decides are best practices. Schools should be part of the ecosystem of a community, one that replenishes itself and stands on its own feet. The conversation has to shift away from recruiting the nation's best charter operators, and instead recruiting, nurturing and retaining the next generation of Harriett Balls.
To modern eyes, Ball's methods seem dated, but I have no doubt they were the culmination of years of loving and learning from the children in front of her. She was a genius at seeing herself in them. She knew they could hold on to who they were while at the same time becoming better. Up until her death in 2011 at age 64, Ball was very supportive of her proteges, but she "warned them that if they just copied her routine, they would not be doing their students much good," Mathews wrote. She was right. I'm sure the first McDonald's hamburger was delicious.
The reasons why Ball declined to join Levin and Feinberg in starting their education franchise was even more telling about who gets a seat a the table. "But Harriet, it was all your idea. You created this," Levin said, according Mathews. Ball refused. "I can't do it. I have four kids. I have a mortgage and no child support...I'll be here for you. But if it doesn't pay my bills, I have no one to go to. You're young and you can start over. I don't have that luxury."
Would a 46-year-old black, single mother of four survive in today's corporate school reform climate? Will the next generation of homegrown geniuses get proper protection and investment? A big part of the puzzle of school reform is making sure they do.
Natalie Hopkinson is a contributing writer to The Washington Post. You can reach her at firstname.lastname@example.com. Join her, Allison Brown Consulting and The Root DC for a discussion on race and class in D.C. public schools at noon on June 15 at Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE.


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Is your Instagram presence starting to feel a bit… stale?
Are you looking for ways to spice up your Instagram posts and profile, and ultimately boost your engagement numbers?
If so, you've come to the right place!
At Social Report, we've been in the same Instagram rut. So we spent hours scouring the net in search of the best Instagram hacks in hopes that we'd lure ourselves out.
In the end, we came up with 20 awesome Instagram hacks that will not only make your profile look more complete, but will give you higher quality posts that—in turn—bring more engagement.
And in this article, we'll show you them. Below, we've run through why each Instagram hack works and took a look at how you can implement them into your Instagram strategy.
So without further ado… let's dive in!
1. Use Linktree to drive traffic to your best work
One of the toughest parts of Instagram marketing is that you can't put links in your posts. In fact, you only get one place to promote an external website on your entire Instagram presence: in the link box in your bio.
So, make the most of your single link with Linktree. This tool lets you quickly build mobile-friendly micro-websites that link to your best blog posts, products, and merchandise right from your bio link.
Oh, and let's be real: doesn't saying "check my Linktree" sound so much cooler than "Link in bio"?
2. Use location tags for more engagements
Location tags a crucial part of any Instagram post. In fact, studies show that posts with a location tag get 79% more engagement than those without, meaning that you're giving up valuable engagements and reach by not using them.
This works because—when you add a location tag to a post—it's added to the location's Instagram page. Instagram users can then browse these location tags and find your content in the process.
In our experience, we recommend posting your location tag to broad locations. For example, instead of tagging a specific coffee shop or your office, tag the surrounding area or neighborhood. Ultimately, this will get your photo in front of people visiting the area and looking for things to do.
So, how do you add a location tag? Simple: just tap the Add Location button underneath the caption section when posting to Instagram. You can also add location tags in step ⅗ of the Social Report scheduler.
3. Make an Instagram stories playlist
Instagram recently added the ability to add "story highlights" to your Instagram profile. These highlights look the same as any other Instagram story, but instead remain on your profile permanently (instead of disappearing in 24 hours).
You can create these by navigating to your Instagram profile and clicking on the plus button underneath the Story Highlights header. You'll be presented with a log of your past Instagram stories content, and you can click and choose which you want to add to your highlight.
We recommend making Instagram story highlights that teach your audience how to do something. Like in the albums example above, you can use this to create tutorials and other how-to content that your audience members will find interesting.
Alternatively, you can use these to show off your best work. For example, if you're a design agency, you may want to use story highlights to show off your best designs and client work.
However you use story highlights though, make sure you're showing off awesome content that boosts your brand image and makes people want to look deeper into your brand.
4. Use shorter captions (because we're all time-poor)
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Want people to actually read your captions? Don't try and max out the character limit.
Instead, we highly recommend sticking with short, punchy, and straight-to-the-point captions on Instagram.
This makes your captions easy to read when people are scrolling through their Instagram feeds late at night or on their subway commute to work. And with more people wearing glasses than ever, you'll make your nearsighted followers happy too 😉
We found this clever Instagram hack by looking through top-performing posts from some of the most well-known brands on Instagram (think Glossier, Girlfriend, Casper, and others) and looking at their top performing posts.
In the end, we found that a majority of these accounts use captions between 20 and 50 characters in length. These brands are nothing to scoff at, so make sure to follow their lead and experiment with shorter captions yourself.
5. Let a user know when you reshare their posts
Resharing another Instagram account's posts—whether on your feed or your story—can be an awesome way to show some love to accounts you like while expanding your reach at the same time.
After all, if a brand sees you share its best work, chances are they'll give your profile a look and give you a follow too. Oh, and if karma is any indication, maybe they'll even share your posts in the future!
However, when you reshare someone's post, they're not immediately notified that you did it.
Because of this, it's on you to write a "thank you" note of sorts after sharing Instagram content. In this message, give the account a heads up that you shared its post, and tell them to keep up the awesome work.
6. Use up to 30 different hashtags (with care)
Nowadays, Instagram lets you add 30 different hashtags to the captions of your Instagram posts. The benefit to this is—when you add hashtags to your post—your posts become visible in a search for said hashtag.
So if, for example, you're a skateboard company, using hashtags like #skateboards, #skateboarding, and #skatepark would make your posts visible to people searching in those hashtags.
Further, Instagram users can now follow hashtags that they're interested in. When following a specific hashtag, they'll get notifications when there are new posts in said hashtag, making it easier to find new Instagram accounts that post content they're interested in.
Make sure to capitalize on this and consistently use related hashtags in your posts. This will—like mentioned earlier—get your content in front of new eyes that are hungry for the content that you're already posting.
Just note that it's never a good idea to use hashtags that aren't related to your content. This will only make your posts look spammy and serve your posts to people that aren't interested in your content.
7. Consider running a high-quality photo contest
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💙 RIF x UNDERLINED SWEEPS 💙 #sweepstakes To thank our readers for getting us to 10k followers on Instagram, we partnered with @getunderlined for a special sweepstakes! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ One GRAND PRIZE WINNER will receive everything pictured here + a $25 @outofprint gift card 😍 It's a book-lover's dream. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Here's how to enter: 1. Like this post ❤ 2. Tag a friend in the comments! 3. Follow @readitforward and @getunderlined 👌🏽 Head over to @getunderlined's post for another chance to win. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter between June 12, 2019 and June 18, 2019. Open to US residents, 18 and older. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. See Official Rules at https://bit.ly/2ZkEk4X for full details. ————————————————— #booksweeps #entertowin #outofprint #booknerd #underlined #nancydrew #contemporaryfiction #yabooks #jojomoyes #alwaysreading #booklovers #readitforward #10kgiveaway
Sweepstakes and contests are one of the easiest ways to boost your engagement and help you gain followers in a pinch. But instead of hosting a random giveaway, get creative and host a photo contest.
In this contest, have your followers take a photo of your product or of another subject of your choosing. Then, have them post the photo to their Instagram feed, tag your account, and use a giveaway-specific hashtag.
Run the contest for a few weeks and pick your favorite photo as the winner. When all is said and done, you'll have made one of your followers happy, and expanded your network by having your followers post about your products for an entry.
It's truly a win-win for everyone!
8. Post content at all the right times
Timing is a super important thing to keep in mind when posting content to your Instagram feed.
Despite the network moving away from a strictly chronological feed, we've found that recently posted content still performs better than older content in terms of ranking at the top of the Instagram timeline—that is, if you're posting when your followers are most likely to check Instagram.
Obviously, though, everyone's followers are different.
Each set of followers logs on at different times, ultimately engaging with content at different times too. Because of this, you'll need to get creative (dare we say "scientific"?) when finding the best times of day to post to Instagram.
One of the best ways of doing this is by looking at historical engagement data. Simply put: this is when you look at when people have interacted with your content in the past.
However, this can be a tough statistic to find manually. So with that in mind, we recommend using Social Report's optimization report to find the data and crunch the numbers for you.
In this report, you can view when your followers are liking your posts within any given reporting period. You can use this historical data to guide when you post to social media, all the way down to the hour.
Additionally, keep your audience in mind when choosing when to post. For example, if you run a local coffeehouse in Brooklyn, chances are you'll want to post before and after New York working hours when people are most likely to check their Instagram feeds.
9. Likewise, don't post too little… or too much
Timing isn't everything though—you need to know how much to post to Instagram too.
This is crucial because posting too much to Instagram will make your feed look inactive, while posting too much may raise concerns about your account being a spambot.
But that begs the question: how often should you post to Instagram?
Well, our friends at Union Metrics recently pulled data from the top 55 Instagram accounts and found that they post—on average—1.5 times per day. So if you want to run with the big leagues, follow their lead alternate between posting once and twice per day.
10. Post photo albums that tell a story
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Driven by a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine, the new Cayenne Turbo Coupé is as powerful as it looks. #ShapedbyPerformance #CayenneCoupe #Porsche #PorscheCayenne #Cayenne __ Combined fuel consumption in accordance with EU 6: Cayenne Turbo Coupé: 11.4 – 11.3 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions 261 – 258 g/km
You probably already know that you can post multiple Instagram photos at once. But did you know you can use this feature to massively increase your engagement and the time people spend actually looking at your posts too?
Yup, it's possible and surprisingly simple to do too—just make your multi-image posts tell a story. Here's how.
First, start with a punchy, eye-grabbing first image. This will draw your followers' attention and convince them to swipe through the rest of the images in your album. Then, make sure the rest of the images in your post are high-quality and flow together.
For example, you can make a post that shows the story of one of your products being developed. Or, alternatively, you can show someone how to make something new themselves—think arts and crafts, recipes, and other how-to's.
Then, once you've selected your images, add a cool caption that brings the photo album together. This can include a call-to-action or a "link in bio" that will encourage your followers to check out more of your content.
11. Keep an eye on what your competitors are posting
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@afthenaysayer - Amahl Abdul-Khaliq. Rides the Bianchi Super Pista on various velodrome tracks all the while being a well known musician. Art/Cycling/Music is his life. Maybe not in that order but it defines the man. We are honored that Amahl rides Bianchi! Interesting interview with Amahl on www.dno.la check it out! #afthenaysayer #Bianchi #SuperPista #dnola #track #velodrome
No matter the social network, it's always important to keep tabs on what your competitors are posting to social media.
This will help you brainstorm new content ideas and find types of content that are working for others in your field.
In other words: let your competitors take the risk of posting new and experimental content for you, and take inspiration from what works for them.
We recommend taking a particularly close look at what types of content performs best for your clients—in other words: look for posts with high numbers of likes and comments.
After you've found content that works for them, take your own spin on it when reposting to your social feeds—never copy the same visual media or caption word-for-word.
12. Add line breaks to your Instagram profile
One of the weird quirks of Instagram is that it doesn't let you use the return key when writing post captions or writing a bio in your profile. On iOS, for example, it simply doesn't give you the "return" key option on your keyboard.
This makes it seemingly impossible to write lists in your bio, so it's hard to format large chunks of content or separate things onto different lines.
Thankfully, though, we found a sneaky little workaround.
Turns out, the return key reappears when you hit the 123 button on your iPhone's keyboard—and, amazingly enough, the return key actually works when pressed!
This means that you're free to add line breaks in your Instagram caption, so you can list out things like your business' location, new products, and even add phone numbers and other ways to contact your business right in your bio.
Even cooler, this works in post captions too, so you can make multi-line captions and even divide up hashtags and the captions in your posts.
13. Use the tried-and-true like and follow strategy
One of the easiest ways to grow your Instagram follower count is the tried-and-true like and follow strategy. Simply put, this is when you find an Instagram page similar to your own, follow it, and like a post or two.
Doing this will get your Instagram page in front of similar pages. This will encourage the admin of the page to follow you back and check out your content, in turn building out your Instagram network and giving you useful connections within your industry.
Just one word of advice: make sure to do this manually and only follow accounts that are truly relevant to the types of content you post. Automation could get you banned from Instagram, and following accounts randomly won't provide any sort of benefit.
Oh, and one more thing: don't overdo this. If you follow hundreds of new accounts per day, you run the risk of looking like a bot. This can tank your brand image and ultimately ruin your Instagram presence.
14. Add Instagram follow buttons to your website, blog, and newsletters
One of the easiest ways to build your Instagram following is by promoting your Instagram account on places where you already have a following—like your blog, website, and newsletter.
Our favorite way of doing this is by using a free tool like ShareThis to add Instagram follow buttons to your web properties. Just grab the free button pack from their website, configure it with your social accounts, and you'll wrangle in new followers quickly.
15. Use Pexels to find free, high-quality Instagram content
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This week our featured Hero is @ekrulila, who captures stunning photos of Istanbul's streets. See her work at the link in our Story. ⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ #streetphotography #istanbul #streetphotographer #architecture #archilovers #architecturelovers #getoutside #pexels #pexelsphotos #pexelshero
Don't have the time to create original photo and video content? Don't write off Instagram just yet. Instead, use a high-quality free image repository like Pexels to find premade content that you can post without charge or attribution.
Pexels curates content from all of the web's biggest royalty free image sites, giving you tens-of-thousands of images and video clips that you can repost to your own Instagram feed without charge.
You can post these to your Instagram account when you're out of ideas, or when your content library has run dry.
Just make sure that you mix this content up with actual in-house content, so that you get the upside of posting original content while still posting consistently.
16. Play with Instagram story stickers
Likewise, make sure you're using all of the available stories features when you create Instagram stories on your account. Namely, add interactive Instagram stickers like quizzes, Q&A, and polls to your stories.
These stickers give your audience a super easy way to interact with your brand. For example, someone can vote on a poll in just seconds when tapping through your Instagram story as they don't have to type or take a photo of anything.
Plus, these stickers also make your audience feel like you actually care about their opinion. So use them often, and you'll see a nice boost in engagement and the public's perception of your brand.
17. Experiment with a private account (with caution)
Recently, some brands have had success gaining (and retaining) followers by using a private Instagram account. The thinking here is that people will be enticed by your private profile, and that they'll think twice before unfollowing.
However, the harsh reality here is that most brands and influencers shouldn't have a private Instagram account.
Nowadays, brands and influencers need a public-facing Instagram account to build a brand. And unless you're getting a ton of private message shares, there's a good chance your growth will stagnate compared when using a private account.
But private accounts may still work for some—check out our full guide to private Instagram accounts for more info!
18. Start posting videos regularly
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You have heard of the great oat drink shortage, right? Well, that's something that we are not too proud of, but also something that has been impossible to predict and control. Don't get us wrong, we accept full responsibility for introducing oat drink to the world and then finding it nearly impossible to supply the demand. The only thing we can do to make the situation better is build factories, as many as we can and as fast as we can, and that is exactly what we have been doing. So if you happen to be near Millville, New Jersey or Vlissingen, Netherlands this summer drop by and say hi. Or maybe just drive by and wave because everyone at both those facilities will be working around the clock to end the concept of the great oat drink shortage once and for all. And when that happens, we hope that all of you who have shown us patience and loyalty will be able to once again enjoy your coffee and morning cereal with oat drink. At least until the next…next…nothing. Forget that part.
Videos are huge on Instagram. In fact, from 2017 to 2018, Instagram video views more than quadrupled. This signals that Instagram users are not only posting more video content, but crave more of it too.
Use this to your advantage and post more videos to your Instagram feed. These can be as simple as a quick office tour to a full-blown edited video interview with a well-known influencer in your industry.
Whatever you do though, make sure that you're posting short and punchy content that can be digested easily. There's a strict one-minute video length limit on Instagram, and we've found that the shorter the video, the more views and engagements it gets.
19. Schedule your Instagram posts in advance
If you're new to Instagram marketing, there's a good chance that you're managing Instagram differently than the rest of the social networks you post to. So while you may have a Twitter and Facebook scheduling tool, you're likely posting Instagram direct from your phone.
This presents a myriad of issues. If you're on vacation, for example, you can't just set your Instagram app to auto-post for you. Instead, you'll have to manually log on and post your new Instagram post, interrupting your vacation in the process.
But what if we told you there was an easier way? A way so easy, that it doesn't even require a smartphone to post?
Well, today, we're here to tell you just that.
Our social media management app—Social Report—has built-in Instagram scheduling tools that you can use to schedule new Instagram posts right from your web browser. Just create an account, link your Instagram business profile, and you can post immediately.
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Bottom line
In this article, we introduced you to 20 awesome Instagram hacks that are proven to spark engagement and make your profile shine. Put these into play, and you'll undoubtedly walk away with a better Instagram presence for you, your brand, or your clients.
But now it's your turn. What are your favorite Instagram hacks? Let us know in the comments below this article—we're excited to hear from you!
Need an awesome Instagram management tool? Try Social Report free for 30 days.


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"Sell Me This Pen" for the Modern Age
Update your sales candidate interview questions to up your chances of hiring professionals who will succeed in the modern age.
August 29, 2017
Almost every salesperson knows about the classic job interview question: "Sell me this pen." But just as the pen loses much of its utility here in the digital age, so too does this clichéd inquiry (especially in the B2B market).
Today, sales organizations should call upon a more relevant go-to question when gauging how sales candidates perform when they are put on the spot.
Sell Me Your Engagement Strategy
A straightforward product sell revolves around features and benefits. In the B2B world, though, features and benefits are only part of a much bigger picture. So, rather than selling a pen, it makes more sense to create a scenario where your candidate sells, say, corporate-branded stylus pens in bulk. Even better, create a scenario that aligns with your offering. That way, candidates will have an opportunity to show off their pre-interview prep (or not). Either way, you'll gain insight into their approach.
When creating your scenario, aim for a current state in which sales candidates have limited information to work from. After all, you want to see how candidates approach the unanswered questions that are common in B2B selling.
For example, you might provide:
- An overview of your company, your offering, and your value proposition
- A high-level overview of the target account
- The buying signal that indicates the account might be a qualified prospect
- Information about a contact at the account that can normally be gleaned from social media profiles (For example, name, title, alma mater, previous company, interests)
- Within the overview, provide a few "clues" that a savvy candidate would pick up on (For example, the title of the eBook they downloaded, or the fact that the contact worked at the same company as our CMO)
Now ask, "How would you engage this account?"
Here's what your sales candidates are up against: the #1 reason why B2B buyers don't engage with sales reps is irrelevance. In fact, nearly 90% of buyers turn away sales professionals if they don't have insights or knowledge about their business.
Similar to the "sell me this pen" scenario, you want your sales candidates to ask questions. Ideally, your candidate will try to work through following to ensure relevant engagement:
- How can I tell if this prospect is really qualified? Is this worth my time?
- Is there a warm path I can leverage so that I don't have to go in cold?
- What is the business problem I'm trying to solve?
- What are my most pressing questions for this prospect?
- Who else should I engage at this account besides my contact?
- How will I earn the attention of this prospect? What insight will this person care about?
This understanding is the foundation of connecting with relevance. Bonus if candidates mention the use of social networks and their extended networks in conducting this research. Whatever process they use, the candidates should align the proposed engagement strategy with the insights they've surfaced.
It's okay if they don't have all the answers – you just want to get a sense for their strategy. Can you see them successfully selling your offering? Sometimes the best answers come in the form of "here's what else I'd like to learn before engaging this account."
Sell Me This Plot
If creating a scenario isn't your thing, here's another (perhaps simpler) route you could take. Sticking with the "standing out" theme, sales reps need to find new and compelling ways to engage buyers in the attention economy. Top sales professionals are adept at creating a sense of drama and urgency while establishing an emotional connection with the buyer. The following interview scenario will allow you to see these skills in action.
Challenge candidates to sell you on a plot for a book or movie so you can assess their ability to use narrative and storytelling in persuasive ways. While you'd need to come up with a simple plot, the sales rep should build upon the framework in a way that gets you to truly see what's being described and transports you to another world. Just like a strong sales pitch, the narrative should be built around a protagonist, a conflict, and a resolution that shines a light on the protagonist.
It's a given that you want to hire sales reps who are a good fit for your culture and organization. But smart sales managers also look for the professionals who can effectively sell in modern sales scenarios by calling upon all the tools and information available to them. See how well your candidates handle these scenarios and you'll be better positioned to separate the standouts from those who struggle to stand out.
Find more ideas for building and developing the modern sales organization when you subscribe to the LinkedIn Sales Solution blog.


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Wyoming State Veterinarian Jim Logan reported the first confirmed case of Equine Herpes Virus 1 in a horse in Johnson County this week, but in a follow-up interview he said there is no reason for horse owners to panic, just be aware of the situation and take some common-sense precautions to protect their animals.
The virus, he said, is common and most of the time only causes a mild upper-respiratory infection in horses, donkeys, mules, alpacas and llamas if they are exposed. It usually clears up on its own without the owner ever being aware there is an infection.
There are some instances where the virus can cause problems.
Logan said the best way to safeguard your horse is to take a few precautions. He suggested keeping distance between your horse and others, use only your equipment, tack, and water and feed buckets and don't use community watering troughs.
Also, make sure your horse is updated on all vaccinations, and practice good sanitation practices in stalls and barns.
Individuals may choose not to participate in events like rodeos or horse shows, but Logan said he did not want it to sound like he was suggesting opting out of or canceling these events.
He said precautions and common sense should protect most animals in most cases, and he doesn't expect this virus to spread unless some unforeseen problem arises.


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I have had a few conversations with friends recently that have surprised me. It takes a long time to get to really know someone so I suppose I shouldn't have been, surprised that it is. But I was, because the information has changed the way I perceive them as people. I read many blogs but only know a handful of those writers in real life, blogs often provide a snapshot or window into the writers life. It is easy for the reader to be lulled into thinking that their lives are always that way, full of creativity, celebrations, beautiful homes and wonderful days out. The mundane, the day to day is often absent, but it is still there in the background swamping us from time to time with their needs, crucial as they are to our existence.
I had one of those swamping moments earlier this week, with so many jobs that needed doing I wrote myself a list. I used to be a compulsive list writer. In the days when I was in paid employment I needed them to function and remember the many tasks I needed to do, although they were also depressing as I often crossed a job off the top of the list and wrote another on the bottom. My list, written this week, was done so in trepidation. When I became a mother I ceased being a jobs list writer, most of the time the list would bash me round the head with all the undone jobs on it. I was sporadic about cleaning and keeping things tidying, doing it when I had moments here and there or when visitors were imminent. My children are a little older now and Mondays have turned into a morning for the house, a bit of cleaning, tidying and ironing. This is all works fine until a few Mondays in a row we are not at home, or doing something else and then we go away, return, have a busy week and the house takes on the burgled look.
Last year we took a lot of camping trips, in the space of three months we did five. Whilst planning these into the diary I failed to remember how long it takes to organise, the week before for preparing, then being away and the week after for putting away. Three weeks for each trip and the whole of three months disappeared into a camping hole. We loved each trip but it was too much. This year I have had one trip in the same period but foolishly filled the time before and after with lots of other stuff so the putting away in particular just didn't happen. What did happen is more getting stuff out so that my hall resembled a Kim's game, remember that, ha ha! A kettle, a plastic cup, the remains of days out bags with coats, jumpers, waterproofs, paperwork files some of this in bags some on the floor and underneath it all I found a half emptied veg bag we have delivered each week.
So, I worked my way, not very efficiently through my list. Hoovering that should be easy to complete but I need to


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November 03, 2011
DOOM: I fall to pieces
It looks like the gentle hippie "occupiers" in Oakland got a little out of hand last night. So now a major port is shut down because of these idiots, causing who knows how much more economic damage to the country. And to what end? Not even the idiots who are protesting can really explain themselves.
More US citizens oppose the "occupy" retards than support them, and I don't think that's a new development. It's always been the case, but the media worked really hard to sanctify these idiots in the eyes of the public. But in light of the rapes, the drug-use, the general lawlessness, and the utter incoherence of the movement's aims and goals, it's hard to cast these people as anything other than a dangerous mob.
I sometimes think that maybe I am too DOOM-y, that maybe Im letting my innate cynicism get the better of me. Then I read stuff like this and think that Im not DOOM-y enough.
"The Big Ugly" -- the Fed massively cuts its economic outlook. I don't think Bammer can count on a surge in the economy to carry him to victory in 2012.
Greece: Papandreou may be stepping down. Or not? This seems like some kind of power-play on Papandreou's part, and it may be a strategem to head off an internal vote of no-confidence (or even a coup). It's clear that things in Greece are moving quickly to some kind of crisis, though.
Eurozone to Greece: S**t or get off the pot. Nothing but ruin and hardship await the Greeks, whichever path they choose: default and reversion back to the drachma means an abrupt return to third-world nation status for about a decade, while staying inside the Euro means...a decade of grinding austerity, hardship, and financial ruin. And the most bitter pill for the Greeks to swallow is that they brought much of this ruin upon themselves.
If the Eurozone is gonna kick Greece to the curb, maybe they ought to just completely clean house and get rid of Portugal, Spain, and Italy while theyre at it. Or, you know, maybe just admit that this whole Euro project is just a catastrophe all around and let everyone go back to their national currencies.
Jeremy Warner of The Telegraph: The euro tragedy is reaching its bloody end. It's going to get worse before it gets better.
The trade that killed Jon Corzine's MF Global. This is why I keep talking about the European sovereign debt crisis: what happens over there has a big impact on what happens here. Everything is connected.
Rick Perry's flat tax plan: intergenerational warfare?
Teh Bernank fears that the US faces the same stagnation as Japan. Which is odd, because he's making the same damned Keynesian mistakes Japan has made, and with the same results.
Politically-correct employment.
I think that this is a good time to raise some challenging questions about college education as we know it.
The New York Post advises Mayor Bloomberg to throw the bums out. I hope he leaves them right where they are. This Fellini-esque display of squalor, incoherence, and lawlessness only helps the conservative cause. The longer it goes on, the better our chances are of an electoral landslide in 2012. (Plus the thought of a bunch of blue, shivering hippies trying to survive a Manhattan winter warms my cold black cinder of a heart.)
China's millionaires: "Get me outta here!" A person in China is "rich" only at the forbearance of their own government -- an authoritarian, Communist regime. That wealth could disappear in a moment if the government decides it should, and China's entrepreneurs and business-owners know that.
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Yay today got finished imported all Mahou Sensei Negima!, you dont have to go Pangya! JP to see this most popular outfit. Lemme do it for you =)
Personal Note for their Sound file :
– Negi [Nuri] : Best !
– Asuna [Erika] : Best ! + Kawaii
– Konoka [Lucia Type A] : Best ! + Kawaii
– Setuna [Lucia Type B] : Sound like a Male ? or a Female with high pitch sound ?
– Chiu [Arin] : Best + Kawaii
– Eva [Kooh] : Too Mature
– Feito [Kaz] : Too Flat, Like a Robot
– Nodoka [Nell] : Too bad, Sound were great and so Kawaii, but just 'Nell' ruin all #LOL
Please take a seat and enjoy the outfit =)
Negima Copyright Kodansha Japan and Pangya! Copyright Ntreev Soft co,ltd.
Here some Screeny of Them, see all Full gallery at http://kurisutaru.minus.com/m3aDNtVjs/


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Within minutes you can be whisked across the bays indulging in Sydney's finest seafood overlooking the ocean, or the more rustic but equally appealing fish n chips at local favourite Watsons Bay. Head Across to Manly for a surf lesson followed by a refreshment at the overwater Manly Skiff Sailing club or an ice cream on the boulevard. If you brought your snorkel you might spot the blue grouper fish just around the corner at Shelley beach.
Taronga zoo is also accessed by ferry and is set in a wonderfully lush environment. We love the bird show featuring Australia's greats in the outdoor amphitheatre which has the city skyline as its dramatic backdrop.
Alighting your vessel at Circular quay or Kings Street wharf offers virtually endless restaurants as you watch the street performers. Then it's only a gentle wander past the Opera House and onto the Sydney botanical gardens.
View this experience on our mapMAP VIEW
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Add it to your bucket list to help us create a personalised Australian Experience for youADD TO BUCKET LIST


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The teaching and the non teaching faculty at Soundarya Institution focus singularly on one thing – your child. We as a team prepare your child to face challenges and opportunities both in and out of the classNameroom. The teachers bring their passions into the classNameroom, they develop a connect and bond with the child that inspire a true love of learning. Our teachers pay close attention to the social, academic and emotional needs of the student and simultaneously fuel them with benefiting knowledge.
The teachers at Soundarya School prepare their students intellectually, emotionally and ethically and can serve the purpose of all round nurturing in the child's abilities, hence helping them face the competitive world.


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The problem with conservatism isn't our principles – it's that people confuse a return to those founding principles with a return to the late 1700s social norms that were in place when the founders were alive. Take this essay from Fox News – authored by Suzanne Venker – which argues that women who work are not womanly enough for marriage, no one wants to marry them, and women should leave the workforce so that men can have their jobs back, because men should have jobs, and women should be women, and we should all just get along. She claims, "In a nutshell, women are angry. They're also defensive, though often unknowingly. That's because they've been raised to think of men as the enemy."
WHOA. Venker, though an esteemed researcher, gets conservatism all wrong. She gets women all wrong, too. We're not angry. We're just ambitious. And if any man can't accept this, then how much of a man is he really?
We cannot be – nor should we be – the side that thinks women are too ambitious, too smart, or too driven. America needs all hands on deck to pull us out of this recession. Individual liberty, personal responsibility, and freedom can still work for us today. These principles are strongest when everyone, including women, participates.
This is real conservative feminism: Women have the same freedoms as men and the same responsibilities as men. Wealth is allocated according to what we do with our freedoms and how we manage our responsibilities. Gender doesn't need to enter the equation. The Left is going to freak out about it because they think women need special government "help." But what we're seeing now is that it's just not true – we aren't some feeble, marginalized group that flounders without Big Brother.
Venker claims that men don't want to get married because "women just aren't women anymore." What? That's not a reason – it's an excuse. Holding down a job and working really, really hard at it does not make me any less of a woman. If anything, it's taken a college kid, put her in lipstick and pencil skirts and made her really, really appreciate the guys who hold doors when you've got a tote bag in one hand and a coffee mug in the other. Those guys still do exist. And I bet you that they're not the ones making excuses.
The idea that women are crowding men out of the workforce is – to put it kindly – wrong. Men lost more jobs during the recession because our factories were hit the hardest. And who worked in those factories? Mostly men. But not to worry, they've bounced back: Men gained more jobs in this "recovery" than women did.
It is true that women are getting more college degrees than our male counterparts. That's not because we are angry. It's because you have to compete to get into college and the majority of the recent winners have been female. It is not because we are female that we have won: Competition drives the application process. Competition is what also should drive the economy. When we compete based on merit, and one team wins, all competitors improve in the process (I see you there, Adam Smith).
It is also true that division of labor within any pairing allows for maximum productivity. (Oh look, it's Adam Smith again.) This means that when one person on the team specializes in one thing, like raising children, and the other person specializes in the other, like working in an office, the household maximizes its productivity. Now, there are certainly jobs for which women and men are each better suited. For example: It is an optimal outcome when the Victoria's Secret Angels are exclusively women, and the NFL linebackers are exclusively male, but this kind of gender exclusivity doesn't really exist outside of those very specific workplaces.
No one gender is entirely best at bringing home the bacon. And no gender that's entirely better than its partner at cooking it. Throw in same-sex partnerships, which, like it or not, are a reality in this country, and you've got a big gender jumble in which who goes to work is determined by different talents and not by different chromosomes. Oh, and thanks to this Obama economy, it's uncommon for households to be able to survive on one income. When mom and dad both have to work, it negatively impacts dad and kids when mom can't get a job.
Conservatism, at its core, means equality of opportunity. We're not there yet in this country, but we get closer every time we cut bureaucracy and improve our schools. This is, after all, what makes it easiest for more people to achieve at a high level. In a free market we all compete with one another. In a free market workers are valued for their skills, and not because of any union or demographic group they may belong to. The free market cares about cost and value. It does not care about male versus female. Venker's "war on men" is unfounded, just like the "war on women." It's time for men and women on both ends of the political spectrum to call for a ceasefire.
Angela Morabito | Georgetown University | @_AngelaMorabito