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Online dating with free dating sites

Online dating is a great way to meet someone new but are the free dating sites worth signing up to? Or should you pay out for a better online dating experience? This post explores online dating with free dating sites.

Online dating with free dating sites

Online dating with free dating sites

There has been a rise in the amount of free online dating sites, but are they actually any good? Surely you get what you pay for right? Or maybe that’s not the case. In fact many dating sites are free these days and they’re perfectly good to meet someone new.

Why online dating?

Online dating is a great way to meet someone new if you don’t feel like you have the chance to get out there and meet new people. perhaps you’re always at work or taking care of your children. Or maybe your current commitments just don’t allow for getting out and socialising as much as you’d like. Whatever your reasons for struggling to meet someone new online dating can help you get back into dating.

Online dating can also help if you’re just getting back into the dating scene after a break up, divorce or maybe the loss of a loved one. If you’re a little apprehensive about getting there and dating again then taking things online might help. It could help to ease you back into dating at a more steady pace as you can take things as steady as you like.

Free dating sites vs paid dating sites

There are plenty of completely free dating sites out but are they any good and do you really get what you pay for when it comes to dating sites? Well in my opinion the free dating sites do the job brilliantly. If you’re just looking to meet someone new to meet up with for dates then yes the free sites are perfect.

However if you’re looking for a particular kind of person or you’re a little more fussy with who you would like to meet the paid dating sites might suit you better. On some dating sites you can choose to pay for a little extra exposure or specific features.

What free dating sites are available?

There are so many dating sites out there these days and there seems to be a free dating site for everyone. Mature dating sites for the older generation and even no strings dating sites for people who aren’t looking for anything serious at all. There are even dating sites out there for people in specific locations if you want to limit your search to a particular area.Your best bets is to get onto google and search for dating sites that might suit you best.

Who is online dating for?

Absolutely anyone can get online and start dating. It’s no longer a young generation thing and the older generation are taking uptimes the opportunity to finding love online. If you have a laptop, tablet or smartphone then you can get started with online dating!

This is a collaborative post

Online Dating for the older generation

Online dating is sometimes seen as a younger generation thing but that needn’t be the case any more. Online dating is a great way to meet someone new at any stage in life. In fact there are more and more sites specifically suited to online dating for the older generation now.

Online Dating for the older generation

Online Dating for the older generation

Internet dating is a great way to meet someone new at any age and the rise in mature dating sites is proof of that. Online dating can be a great way to meet someone new especially if you struggle to meet people outside your regular activities.

Why choose mature dating sites?

Getting back into dating can be nerve wracking especially if you’ve been recently divorced or lost a loved one. But trying out online dating can make this a little easier for you. Compared to traditional dating online dating can be a lot more laid back. There’s no getting dressed up or going out to meet new people. You can start meeting and chatting to new people in the comfort of your own home at your computer.

If your worried you might now find someone of a similar age then older dating sites are definitely the way to go! You know when you’re signing up that the people on there are already most likely to be similar age to you.

If you struggle to get out in the evening or you find the only people you’re in contact with everyday are your work collueges then getting yourself online should help. Online dating is a great way to meet someone new especially if you are often busy with work or children. Finding someone online means you can fit dating in around your current commitments without it taking over your life.

How do you register?

Registering to these dating sites is really pretty simple. All you need to do is register with a username and password and then get to work on creating your profile. You might like to use a specific email address just for dating online or you could use an existing one.

How to create your profile page

Your profile page is one of the most important parts of registering to a new dating site. You will need an up to date picture of yourself, if you don’t already have one try taking a nice one with your smartphone or webcam. Complete your profile information to the best of your ability. Try to get in all the important bits of information you feel are relevent and complete each question as best you can.

It is really really important while creating your profile that you are as honest as you can possibly be. Obviously don’t go into great detail if you don’t feel comfortable but don’t lie and definitely make sure your picture is honest and recent. There is nothing worse than getting to know someone special to then have them block you for lying to them about such a silly thing.

This is a collaborative post

Weird and Wonderful things about flats!

With global population ever increasing it’s no wonder that there are more homes than ever. A high proportion of these UK homes are actually flats and the predictions are that by 2050 two thirds of us will live in cities. So this post inspired by Deacon Insurance is all about the weird and wonderful things about flats.

Weird and Wonderful things about flats!

Romans built the first ever flats

It was in fact the Romans who built the first ever flats. With Roman population increasing they started to build upwards with strong concrete buildings. Often the ground floor was a shop with 2 further floors consisting of apartments.

Forest flats in Milan

In the heart of Milan sit 2 apartment buildings named the Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest). These buildings are covered with 20,000 trees and plants from top to bottom creating a vertical forest. These flats were created by Milanese architect Stefano Boeri.

The flat that was frozen in time

Back in 1934 a famous actress called Marthe de Florian fled her apartment in Paris for the south of France and never returned. But what is really weird is that the owner of the apartment building didn’t actually notice. The apartment was discovered again in 2010 when the owner died and experts came in to find out the value of his estate.

The worlds first shape shifting tower block

The worlds first ever shape shifting tower block is set for Dubai by 2020 according to architectural firm Dynamic Group.

Recycling buildings in our inner cities

Lots of familiar buildings in our inner cities are being saved from demolition or neglect by being ‘recycled’ into flats. Take the BBC Television Centre, Battersea Power Station and The Hoover Building all as expamples. This trends doesn’t look like it’s going to stop any time soon either with a huge number of interested buyers.

Living on a train line

In the emerging mega-city of Chongqing chines planners didn’t let a tramline get in the way of them building more flats. They simply built the flats around the train line.

Tallest, Smallest, Largest – where in the world?

The tallest skyscraper in the world is Dubai’s iconic Burj Khalifa standing at 72 metres high although this might not be for long. In 2020 the 1000 metre mile high Jeddah Tower will take over as the worlds tallest skyscraper. But in the Chinese city of Wuhan they have built some of the smallest 50 feet, 2 person apartments. As for the largest The Copan Building in São wins hands down. With over 1,160 apartment units, and 38 stories this huge building is home to over 5,000 residents.

Flats underwater and Underground

Architects are seriously looking into the possibilities of building down instead of up. There have been talks about a so-called Earthscraper for Mexico City, a 35-storey upside down pyramid built underground. It’s still on the drawing board though with all the structural and practical challenges to overcome. As well as underground there have also been talks of an underwater city just off the coast of of Rio de Janeiro.

The most expensive

Hong Kong actually ranks as the number 1 highest cost of a city centre flat. Coming in second is London which isn’t a great surprise as you actually need £7090 a month to live a comfortable life here. Other UK places such as Oxford, Edinburgh and Brighton come in next at around £5000 a month. With Southampton coming it at around £3000 each month to live a comfortable life. The UK’s most expensive flat was actually valued at £160 million in October 2018. The flat address in question is One Hyde Park, London SW1.

The last word

In this day and age it’s still possible to lose your home or flat due to breaking the terms of the lease or not paying service
charges. These land laws in Britain today stem from feudal system that developed following the Norman Conquest. These laws were all abolished in Scotland in 2004 but they still stand in Britain as Law of Property Acts 1925.

 

4 Awesome (budget) Date night ideas

Date nights are a great way for you to reconnect with your loved one but they needn’t break the bank. Here are 4 Awesome (budget) Date night ideas for you to try.

4 Awesome (budget) Date night ideas

At home cinema

Wouldn’t it be great if you could have the entire cinema to yourself? Wouldn’t that be romantic? Well you could recreate your own  at home cinema with a good film, a bowl of popcorn and blankets to snuggle under. Personally I think that’s way better than the cinema and much cheaper.

Take an evening/night time walk

If it’s a nice evening you could take a romantic evening/night time walk under the stars. This really is a lovely thing to do and gives you both a chance to switch off, get surrounded by nature and get to know each other. Just make sure you wrap up warm if it’s a particularly cold night.

Pack a picnic

Can’t afford the fancy restaurant? Then you could pack a romantic picnic instead! Grab a blanket, pack some sandwiches and other treaty nibbles from the supermarket and take your own bottle of wine (or flask of tea/coffee if that’s what you prefer). You’ll get top marks for effort and you know that you haven’t blown your budget.

Cook together

Okay so cooking together may not work for everyone but if you’re both quite relaxed in the kitchen then this could be a winning idea for you. This is a great chance for you to both work together as a team and potentially strengthen your relationship.

I would love to hear what budget date night ideas you have, let me know in the comments.

Where to find affordable fashion

I love fashion, there’s nothing better than putting on some new clothes that you feel super awesome in but do you find it hard to shop for clothes on a budget?

Where to find affordable fashion

I love to pick up a bargain and I’m often first in line at the latest sales but where do you look to find affordable fashion? I’ve made a list of my top places to hunt for budget clothing.

Everythingfivepounds.com

I love this website, it has all the latest fashions for all the family and as the name suggests everything is only … £5! What an absolute bargain hey! There is a lot of choice on the website (more than you may think actually) and there is a wide selection for women including a section dedicated to shoes.

eBay

We’ve all heard of eBay right? It’s a great place to do your bit for the environment and get yourself some pre loved fashion. You can save yourself a huge amount of money too by buying second hand from eBay instead of buying brand new.

But this site isn’t just about second hand, you can also pick up brand new items too. In fact a lot of big brands such as Superdry and Argos have their own outlets on eBay and they sell their brand new products at a fraction of the original price.

Local Charity shops

If you’re a brand snob then you may be surprised with what you find lurking in your local charity shop. Recently I’ve picked up brand new Laura Ashley, Fat Face and River Island clothing all under £10 from local charity shops. I’ve also picked up a lot of only worn once items of clothing and shoes as well as a few vintage numbers too.

I love buying from charity shops! Not only does it help the environment through recycling clothes but it also helps the charity. I think that in the past charity shops have been looked down on a little but there really is some awesome stuff waiting to be found.

I would love to hear where you find your affordable fashion? Let me know in the comments below!

Slow Cooker Brisket Recipe with the easiest onion gravy!

Slow cooker brisket is one of my favourite meats for a thrifty roast dinner. Brisket is a reasonably cheap cut of beef (even cheaper if you can find it yellow stickered). It is a cut that requires slow cooking and although you can easily pop it in your oven, I prefer to use my slow cooker. This recipe also includes my delicious slow cooker onion gravy recipe.

Slow Cooker Brisket Recipe with the easiest onion gravy!

This is just a very basic rough recipe. I tend to judge by eye and taste as I go, so feel free to play around with flavours.

You will need

  • A slow cooker
  • 1kg-1.5kg of brisket (this serves 2 adults and 2 children and you should also have enough leftover for another meal
  • Half a bag of frozen shallots (Or 2-3 onions quartered)
  • English mustard
  • Oil
  • A few sprigs of rosemary
  • 500mls water
  • 1 tablespoon of cornflour
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • Salt and pepper to season

Method

  1. Season the brisket with salt and pepper, rub with oil and brown in hot pan. Pop the shallots or onions in the bottom of the slow cooker. Spread mustard around the edges of the brisket and place on top of the shallots. Cover the beef with the rosemary leaves, add enough water to cover the shallots. Then pop the lid on the slow cooker and set to high for around 4 hours.
  2. Turn the slow cooker to a low setting for another 2 hours. Prepare the rest of your dinner.
  3. To make the gravy, first remove the beef and let it rest. Next ensure the liquid in the bottom of the pot is bubbling gently, turn the setting to high 10 mins before if you need to. Mix the cornflour with 1 tbsp of water to make a thick paste. Then gradually add the other tablespoon so you have a runny paste with no lumps. Add the cornflour mix to the liquid in the slow cooker and stir well until combined and the gravy has thickened.

Tips

  • You can add a beef stock cube to the gravy for even extra flavour.
  • The mustard doesn’t make the beef spicy, when its slow cooked on the beef it turns to a more sweet flavour.
  • I don’t really use specific measurements while cooking. I tend to go on how many I’m feeding and just judge everything by eye. I’m quite a laid back cook so please feel free to experiment with this recipe.