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Making Travel Safe in 2020

Every industry all over the world has felt the effects of the ongoing pandemic one way or another. Some of them benefited from it – think video streaming services, video conferencing products, and video games – while others have seen their revenues melt away, with the pandemic endangering their very existence.

The travel and hospitality industry was perhaps the hardest hit by the disease, with the number of people traveling by air decreasing to a never-before-seen minimum, with casino cruises canceled, with hotels and restaurants, pubs and other venues closing due to the various measures taken by governments around the world to slow down the spread of the disease.

In many parts of the world, the first wave of the SARS-COV-2 pandemic seems to have passed – these countries are now slowly relaxing their strict restrictions, giving hope to those with wanderlust in their souls that they’ll be able to travel after all. While restrictions are still in place, resorts in Spain, Greece, and many other countries are already announcing they’ll be able to accommodate visitors from certain countries of origin starting next month. How will they be able to do this safely – and how to get there? Well, there are plans and products for this, too.

Airplane seating upgrades

Italian airplane interiors designer Aviointeriors has created a product it calls Glassafe that may be a solution to keeping passengers isolated on flights without the need to leave an entire row of seats empty (something airlines are strongly opposing, by the way). The solution can be installed on existing seats, creating a barrier between passengers sitting next to each other, thus minimizing exposure to pathogens – and, being made of a completely transparent material, it doesn’t even disrupt the aesthetic of the passenger area.

This, combined with the measures taken by airports, will help travelers fly to their destinations with peace of mind.

Hotel safety measures

Hotels will have to adapt to the new reality, at least until a vaccine to the disease becomes available. This means that many of the amenities we’ve gotten used to over the years will have to disappear – think buffets, valet service, bellhops, and others relying on personal contact.

The rooms and common areas will be continuously disinfected – some hotels are already implementing the widespread use of UV lamps and electrostatic sprayers. Keyless check-in will become the new norm, and so will contactless room service. And, depending on the venue, the number of people riding the elevator at the same time will likely also be limited.

Social distancing beaches

Greece is among the first countries to reopen its beaches as the temperatures start to rise – but they, too, have many measures in place to keep visitors from being infected. For one, they don’t permit more than 40 people to stay per every 1000 square meters (about 10800 square feet) of the beach, the umbrella poles are set 4 meters (approximately 13 feet 2 inches), sun-beds and benches will be disinfected after each customer, and calls to maintain the required “social distance” between beachgoers are constant.

Similar measures can be expected to be introduced in countries like Italy and Spain as they reopen their resorts to visitors.

Getting in will be tricky

This is where it becomes tricky.

While countries do reopen their tourist destinations as we speak, they won’t be accessible to every visitor coming from every country of origin.

Greece will reopen its borders to travelers coming from just 19 countries worldwide – Cyprus, Israel, China, Japan, Australia, Norway, Denmark, Austria, Bulgaria, Serbia, Romania, Albania, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Czechia. Visitors from these countries will be able to travel to the country without having to undergo mandatory isolation or quarantine.

Spain will allow foreigners to enter in July, with no word of any country-based restrictions so far. Croatia will open its borders to Slovak, Czech, Hungarian and Austrian visitors starting May 29. And Italy is expected to welcome European tourists from June 3. Unfortunately, there’s no word on whether or when these countries will be open once again to visitors from the rest of the countries.

A Simple Guide to What’s Inside: What Parts Form the Immune System?

How much do you know about how your body works?

The immune system is something of a hot topic right now. We need it to function correctly to ensure that we don’t get sick. It allows us to maintain good health and avoid any infections when we get scrapes or cuts.

The immune system isn’t just one ambiguous thing though. Different parts of the immune system work together as a machine to keep your body running smoothly.

If you want to learn more about how your body teams up to keep your immune system functioning, keep reading.

Parts of the Immune System: Blood Cells and Organs

The immune system isn’t just made up of a network of organs. Some of the most important work is done by the blood and other interlacing systems. The immune system handles a lot of delicate processes naturally (or with a little help from you by boosting the immune system) to keep everything in working order.

Lymphatic System

Within the immune system is another system altogether: the lymphatic system. This system is made up of lymph nodes, lymph vessels, and the most crucial: white blood cells (or lymphocytes).

White blood cells are some of the most important players in the immune system response. They look for microbes invading the body that are unfamiliar and attack, launching an immune response.

These responses can look like swelling or redness on the outside but are really the white blood cells doing the work that they’re supposed to do.

Bone Marrow

Bone marrow makes some people very uncomfortable, mostly from stories of painful extraction.

Bone marrow produces many important contributors to the immune system which is one of the reasons that we conduct bone marrow transplants. It makes rich red blood cells that help to oxygenate the blood and the white blood cells that the body needs to fight off infection.

The Spleen

The spleen is one of those organs that many people can’t really identify. What’s it there for anyway?

The spleen actually acts as a filter. It filters out harmful microbes and some old blood cells that aren’t doing their jobs anymore. It can also create antibodies and lymphocytes which help your immune system function properly.

The Thymus

The thymus is an organ that rests on the spine and shrinks as you approach and go through puberty.

It protects the body by producing special kinds of lymphocyte cells: T-cells. They help to protect you from deadly pathogens.

Your Immune System Protects You From Illness

How acquainted are you with the different parts of the immune system? There’s a lot going on in your body that you likely never think about when you’re going about your day, but your immune system is always hard at work keeping you from getting sick.

If you get a scrape or eat something that disagrees with you, your body is already working to protect you from harm. Isn’t that neat?

For more posts like this, visit the rest of our site.

Bring on Balboa Island

With restrictions being lifted around the country we have decided to take a look back at some destinations that can be reached easily without needing to get on an airplane. I’m sure quite a few of us are not ready to make that jump just yet. Our first stop is Balboa Island in Southern California… CONTINUE READING >> 

It’s not often that we stumble upon a place that we have never heard of, but that was the case a few weeks ago when we met up with our son in Orange County California.

When seeking something to while away an afternoon we spotted a dot on the map in the middle of Newport Bay and, on closer inspection, we discovered the little landmass had a name, Balboa Island.

With our curiosity piqued, we headed over and began with an introduction at the Museum and Historical Society where we got the full scoop on the island’s origins and a peek at the inside of one of its famous cottages.

Balboa sprung forth from the minds of a pair of brothers, James and Bob McFadden, and a good bit of dredging. Back in the late 1860s the boys began to dig out the bay to facilitate shipping that they hoped would lead to a fortune. In the process, they piled all of the dredged up silt into a new parcel of terra firma.

In 1902 McFadden sold the Newport property to William S. Collins and C. A. Hanson and, not being ones to miss an opportunity, they immediately began to partition and sell lots. Little did they know that one day those parcels would be as valuable as almost anywhere in the world.

In fact, Balboa Island is now considered the most expensive real estate in America outside of Manhattan, with a modest two-bedroom house often going for around three million dollars. Yikes! Yes it’s all about the houses on the island.

That quickly became apparent as we walked around the quaint neighborhoods, but there is one other claim to fame here, the Balboa Bar.

While the origin is shrouded in mystery, there is no doubt that these ice cream squares coated with chocolate and dipped in sprinkles or crushed candy are the signature sweet of the island…

…unless they’re not, in which case a banana treated to the same process would be.

Either way, the treats are best procured at Dad’s Donuts or Sugar N Spice, where a long standing rivalry has raged as to who has the original and the best.

We tried both, and our opinion, not that it is expert in any way, shape, or form, is that it’s a toss-up. We found both to be A-OK.

Having had our dessert (and eaten it too) we decided to pop into Crocker’s “The Well Dressed Frank” for a main course. Backwards yes, but it felt right in keeping with our afternoon island escape. The Crocker name goes back quite a ways on the island, all the way to 1927 when grandpa was the first paid fire chief.

We must say, these were no ordinary dogs. Our Chicago Frank and Balboa Bratwurst sausages had it going on. Plump, snappy to the teeth, and deliciously piled high with toppings, we were glad we didn’t try to take them walking with us.

At the end of Marine Avenue, which serves as the main drag, we hit the bay, hung a right, and found the real top end real estate. These waterfront properties are the crème de la crème and along this stretch we found two of Balboa’s best known residences.

The first caught our attention not so much for the structure, but for the fact that a life sized likenesses of President Ronald Reagan was out front saying howdy. We soon noticed that the bronze Gipper wasn’t the only figure gazing out over the bay from the porch.

The President was flanked across the patio by an African woman sitting cross-legged in the shrubbery. We didn’t see any resemblance to the Eastern mystic, but for some reason she has become known as the Balboa Buddha.

Both are the work of the home’s resident, Miriam Baker, who has also portrayed Abraham Lincoln, Mozart, Ella Fitzgerald, and Cecile B. DeMille with stunning realism and to some acclaim. Her works are shown in the Smithsonian, several universities, and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in Hollywood.

Just a few steps away we were intrigued again, this time by a house that itself is a work of art. Designed by renowned architect John Edward Lautner, this is one eye catching casa. The islanders call it the Jaws house, for the jaw-like appearance of the balcony.

Lautner’s fame as an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright helped to earn the home a spot on the National Register of Historic Places and Newport Beach’s list of historical landmarks, as well as upping the ante on the price into the 4 to 5 million range. Ouch!

High as that price tag is, there is one thing on the island that remains a real bargain, the ferry. To get the full island feel we took a little trip across the sea, well, maybe a half a mile or so, for only a buck.

The little boat can carry three cars and a dozen or so people to the mainland on Balboa Peninsula, where we were greeted by a small, and somewhat cheesy, amusement park.

But judging by the signs, what the rides lacked in size they made up for in length, as the Ferris Wheel claimed to be the world’s longest.

We didn’t stick around to find out. After all, we only had the afternoon.

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

Why People Are Still Moving to Southern California

Southern California is home to more than 24 million people, and the population continues to grow. Despite the rising housing costs, excessive traffic, and record-high cost of living (California is second only to Hawaii), more and more people continue to make their home in the Golden State. Aside from the bragging rights, there are a few key reasons why SoCal remains so popular.

1. The Weather

Bottom line: Southern California has one of the best climates—if not the best climate—in the nation. We have a temperate Mediterranean climate with year-round sunshine, and we don’t have to worry about hurricanes, tornadoes, or other disastrous weather conditions (yes, yes, earthquakes are another story). Winter snow is still available by request, as we can always drive up to the mountains if we want to ski, snowboard, or enjoy a spirited snowball fight. And while inland temperatures can get high in the summer, it’s a small price to pay for living in one of the nation’s calmest climates.

2. The Attractions

Regardless of where you reside in Southern California, you’re probably no more than two hours from the beach, the mountains, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the Happiest Place on Earth. We have world-famous concert venues, museums, sports franchises, film studios, and amusement parks. No other location on Earth has such a diverse array of renowned entertainment attractions.

3. The Job Market

California’s job growth outpaces the nation, with unemployment at a record low and new jobs being added at a pace not seen since the 1960s. Part of this success is due to Los Angeles’s growing tech sector. Other fast-expanding industries include health, education, construction, government, and hospitality. Many people are coming here because this is where the jobs are.

4. The Real Estate

The price of real estate is one of the main reasons why people fear moving to California. But while housing costs can be on the high end, there are still excellent deals to be found. Compared to cities like San Francisco and San Jose, LA’s beach cities like Manhattan Beach and Palos Verdes still offer an amazing value. Make sure to work with reputable local realtors like Maureen Megowan to help you find your perfect future home.

In addition, Southern California real estate is one of the best investments you can make for your portfolio. Because the region remains so popular, home values increase more quickly than in other parts of the nation and tend to remain strong even during rocky economic periods. If you want to earn some real equity, this is the place to do it.

5. The Culture

Southern California is a unique melting pot of cultural diversity, business ingenuity, bohemian creativity, and Hollywood glamor. There’s truly something for everybody, whether you prefer the metropolitan excitement of central LA, the pastoral serenity of Norco, or the coastal beauty of Laguna Beach.

Southern California Remains Popular for Good Reason

Sure, So Cal has its frustrations and its shortcomings. But one thing is for certain: you’ll never find a more exciting and diverse place to call home. Where else can you ski, surf, enjoy authentic world cuisine, and cross paths with world-famous celebrities all in the same day? California, truly, is one of a kind.

Best Unique Theme Park Gifts

Part of the fun of going to a theme park is buying mementos of your favorite moments and experiences! Plus, it’s always wise to buy a few things for the people back home. But it can be very boring to get the same old t-shirts and postcards from family every time they travel. So, here are 5 unique gifts that you can give to someone from your theme park trip!

1. TRADING/LAPEL PINS

This is one of the things that people don’t even realize are sold at theme parks, but tend to have a cult following. Big theme parks sell trading pins and usually have an elaborate trading system in place, but outside of that, they are well-designed and easily transportable gifts. Plus, you can custom order some lapel pins to give to people at theme parks or family members that couldn’t make it. 

2. MAPS

On a budget? Well, park maps are a perfect present! You can see all of the fun places and adventures to someone you love, all without adding to that already expensive vacation. Plus, maps are incredibly fun to look at, collect, and are a great way to see the changes in a location if you repetitively visit one location. It’s an awesome and cheap way to remember your favorite vacation destination.

3. STUFFED ANIMALS

Aw, isn’t he cute? Most theme parks carry stuffed animals of their popular characters or famous animals. And what a better (or cuter) way to remember a valuable character? This is for the littler kids in your life, or the unafraid collectors! Some people have plush collections that are incredibly well developed and serve almost as a time machine for how a character or park has changed over time. 

4. CANDY

Surprisingly, some theme parks carry a special kind of candy that only they produce! It’s a sweet way to remember your time. And, most candy products travel easily and won’t spoil on your ventures home. Just make sure you don’t eat it all before you get home!

5. COFFEE MUGS

The perfect blend for the perfect blend! This gift is both fun and useful. Everyone uses coffee mugs, and most theme parks sell a huge variety of them! They can be a really cool way to capture your favorite moments every morning while drinking your morning cup. Plus, they will last a LONG time, so you can always have your memory as long as you have coffee to make!

4 Simple On-The-Go Recipes Using CBD Isolate

Your alarm didn’t wake you up! You get into such a rush to get ready and run out the door that you forget one of the most important things a person can forget. No, it’s not your cellphone or car keys.

It’s breakfast. It’s the most important meal of the day, but you feel like you never give yourself the time to grab anything. It sounds like you need to invest in a few on the go snacks and meals.

Here are some CBD isolate recipes that will give you the healthy pick me up that you need to get through your day.

1. Crackers 

Crackers are super easy to munch on while you’re on your way to work or school, and they’re not too hard to make. This recipe makes an entire box of crackers, so you’ll have plenty of snacks for a while to come.

Ingredients

To make your crackers, you’re going to need to stock your pantry with 1/2 a gram of CBD isolate wholesale, a 16oz box of saltine crackers, a packet of ranch dressing, 1/2 a cup of olive oil (veggie oil will work too), 2 tsp of red pepper flakes (if you don’t like spicy food you can put less than that), and 2 tsp of garlic powder.

Before you can really get cooking, you’ll need to infuse the CBD isolate with your oil of choice. To do this, you’re going to pour your oil into a glass cup and place it in a pot of water on the stove.

Keep the stove on low heat until your oil becomes warm. Take the pot off the stove and stir in the CBD isolate. This method is called the double boiling method, and it only takes about 5 minutes to accomplish.

Directions 

Now that you have your infused oil, you’re ready to preheat your oven to 200 degrees and get started. While your oven is doing its thing, mix the infused oil, crushed red pepper, and ranch dressing packet together in a bowl.

Put your saltine crackers on a baking sheet and pour the mixture over them. Place them in the oven for 10 minutes. When the time is up, take them out and let them cool down.

2. Guacamole

Got a bunch on the go ingredients but have nothing to dip them in? This CBD infused guacamole recipe offers a tasty way to solve that issue.

Ingredients 

Head to the grocery store and grab 4-8 avocados, a tomato, half a red onion, 3 jalapenos, 4 cloves of garlic, 3 serranos, 2 limes, cilantro, ground black pepper, pink Himalayan salt, 1 tsp of coconut oil, and 1/2 a gram of CBD isolate.

Again, before you can start cooking, a little prep work has to be done. Meaning, you’ll need to infuse the CBD isolate with the coconut oil.

Don’t worry. Even though you’re working with different oil, the concept is still the same. The double boiling method will work fine.

Directions 

Mash up the avocados and dice all your veggies before you mix them together in a large bowl. Toss in your CBD infused oil and squeeze in the lime juice.

Sprinkle in the salt and pepper and mix well. Make sure to taste it along the way and make adjustments if your guacamole tastes a little off. You may have to add more or less of something to suit your needs.

3. Toasted Coconut Smoothie 

One of the best on the go breakfast items is smoothies. They don’t take long to make, and they give you plenty of energy to get through your day. This toasted coconut smoothie recipe is no exception.

Ingredients

To get started you’re going to need 1tsp of coconut oil, 3/4 cups of sweetened coconut flakes, 1/2 a gram of CBD isolate, one cup of sweetened coconut milk, 2 tablespoons of flaxseeds, a single banana, 1/4 cup of hemp hearts, and 1 tsp of vanilla extract.

Use the double boiling method to infuse the coconut oil with your CBD and grab your blender.

Directions

Put your coconut flakes onto a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for around 5 minutes. Once the coconut flakes are a nice golden-brown color, you can take them out and throw all your ingredients into a blender except for the hemp hearts and 1/4 cup of the roasted flakes.

Blend your ingredients until they’re nice and smooth and pour the smoothie into a cup. Garnish with the rest of the coconut flakes and hemp hearts and enjoy.

4. Blueberry Parfait with CBD Infused Honey 

If smoothies aren’t your thing, then why not try out a parfait for breakfast instead? A blueberry parfait with CBD infused honey is a great day to start the day, and it works for a quick snack too.

Ingredients 

You’re going to need 6 ounces of fresh blueberries, 1/2 a cup of granola, 2/3 cups of Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons of honey, a bit of cinnamon, a bit of salt, and 3/4 teaspoons of CBD isolate.

Honey isn’t an oil, but you’re still going to need to use the double boiling method to combine it with the CBD isolate.

Directions 

Grab a small bowl and mix up the Greek yogurt with the cinnamon and salt. Pour about half of the yogurt mix into a drinking cup of your choice.

Top the layer of yogurt with 1/4 cup of granola. Top the granola layer with 3 ounces of blueberries.

Pour half of the CBD infused honey on top of the blueberries and repeat the layers. That’s all there is to it. It’s one of the easiest and fastest CBD recipes to make.

CBD Isolate Recipes That You’ll Love 

With how busy you are, it can be hard to make time for meals. To help make your complicated life a little easier, you need to invest in a couple of healthy on the go options.

Try out some of these tasty CBD isolate recipes and keep yourself fueled up throughout the entire day.

These CBD edibles recipes are the perfect thing to take on a road trip. For more travel snack options, check out our blog.

5 Air Cooler Maintenance Tips

Summer is up, and the sun is more scorching than ever. If you are from India, then you pretty much know how hard it is even staying indoors. Without an Air cooler or an air conditioner, it is extremely difficult to survive this scorching heat.

On top of it, if your air cooler is not working, then you are pretty much doomed. If you are looking for an AC, then instead of buying, you can get an air cooler on rent in Noida. If you have already purchased one, what can you do to prevent your air cooler from going out of order?

In this article, we have emphasized the five tips that could help prevent your cooler from breaking down.

    1. Unplug when not in use

Always unplug the air cooler when not in use. What will happen is, if there is a power surge, the air cooler plugged to the power socket might blast out. Unnecessary damage that could have been prevented if the plug was removed from the socket.

By doing this, you could also end up saving a whole lot of energy. Even if you use an air conditioner, always see to it you unplug them at the time of cleaning. If you are facing problems with your old AC, you can get an ac for rent in Noida at an affordable price as a stand buy.

    1. Cleaning the air pads

Cleaning the air pads on a regular basis will enhance the life of the air cooler. It shall not only produce cool air but also prevent your cooler from breakdown. The air pads are the first point of contact for any dust particle in an air cooler. Always try to get it cleaned every odd day.

    1. Maintaining the water tank.

If you’ve already been using an air cooler, then you’d probably know that air coolers have a water tank that stores the water. This acts as the catalyst for converting hot air into a heavenly breeze.

Always check the water tank, whether it still can hold water or not. Sometimes the tank sustains a few cracks and the entire water deposits at the bottom. See to it that this doesn’t happen.

    1. Cleaning the exterior

Usually, people tend to clean the interior thoroughly and forget about the exterior. This results in the formation of rust. Within no time, your new air cooler looks awful and dirty. Keep it clean so that it not only pleases you with its pleasant breeze but also with its aesthetics.

    1. Air cooler pump

The air cooler has a small pump. Sometimes the pump wears out. All you got to do is spend Rs.100 and get it replaced. The pump replacement would do you wonders. It will enhance the efficiency and the speed of the cooler.

Closing thoughts

Air coolers are a must to keep you all cool this summer. If you still don’t have one, check out the air coolers list with price on Amazon or eBay. I hope this article brought to light on how to maintain your air cooler. These hacks will help you enjoy a cool summer.