Tammie's Take~

Top 5 Shopping Spots of Goa for The Shopaholics

Reviews · November 22, 2017

The smallest state of India, Goa is among the top holiday destinations, owing to its vibrant culture, beautiful history, nightlife, beaches, food, and budget-friendly shopping. Hotels in Goa also present the same culture and a host of activities to make sure that you have a comfortable stay in the city.

There are many shopping malls in Goa, but the real essence of shopping comes when you choose things from the stalls and beachside markets. This shopping will be a great treat for your mind and heart when you will be exploring the flea markets and night bazaars. So, if you are a shopaholic, you cannot afford to miss shopping at these places:

Anjuna Flea Market: Located in North Goa, Anjuna Flea Market is a paradise for shopaholics. It is held every Wednesday and experience many footfalls that is due to its location as well as the products it offers. You can shop for hammocks, handicrafts, footwear, beachwear, bed covers, musical instruments, wall hangings, wooden carvings, jewellery, and many other beautiful things. Along with this, you can also buy small trinkets and clothes that are a representative of Goan art and culture. If you are tight on budget, do not worry! You can push the shopkeepers for a good bargain.

Mapusa Market: A Goan bazaar for the residents as well as travellers who are enthusiastic shoppers, Mapusa market gives you real flavour or shopping in Goa. The market has local vendors and traders from all over the city from whom you can shop for everyday items and clothes. Items that you can shop for include pottery, handicrafts, fresh fish, pickles, vegetables, textiles, coir mats, jewellery, and much more. This shopping will be highly amazing and fun-filled. You can bargain here as well for the things you need to buy. So, this is the right time to test your bargaining skills.

Panjim Market: Nestled in the Panjim city of Goa, Panjim Market is a great combination of shopping malls and street-side stalls. If you are in search of budget shopping, you can shop for handicrafts, jewellery, groceries, sweets, spices, cashew nuts, wine, and eateries from these street-side stalls. You need to make a plan to visit this market as you may fall short of time while exploring the shops here. This is because it is known as the largest market in the city with touches from peculiar Goan culture. The market allows you to take beautiful memories and things with you.

Calangute Market Square: Though a haunted beach spot in Goa, Calangute has its own market with amazing beach-side stalls and shacks. From normal clothing to beachwear, you can shop for all types of clothing here with a little bargaining. Along with this, you can buy handicrafts, souvenirs, jewellery, textiles, leather products, sea shells, trinkets, and savour delectable food. Here you can also treat yourself with fried prawns and chilled brewed beer. You can visit the market anytime during the day. The best part about this market is that its proximity to all hotels in Goa ensures that you are near a popular tourist shopping destination.

Mackie’s Night Bazaar: As the name suggests, the market is set up under the beautiful starred sky with hundreds of stalls to shop from. It is held every Saturday until midnight on the Arpora-Baga Road. The market is packed with a number of shopping hangouts which sell clothing, jewellery, antiques, handicrafts, and lip-smacking cuisines. To add more fun and entertainment to your shopping, there is also a live band performing with lively music.

So, get ready to explore these markets with a great and budgeted shopping. Also, when you are preparing your itinerary, do mention all these shopping destinations so that you do not miss any of these.

Clothing Tips for During and After Walking in The Rain

Reviews · November 21, 2017

As much as we may love walking, there are not many walking enthusiasts who would say that a walk in heavy rain was their favourite thing to do. However, whether you get caught in bad weather on a hike, or you have to go out in the rain because your dog needs exercise or you need to get somewhere on foot, sometimes it is unavoidable to get a bit drenched out there!

Caught in A Downpour

If you know you are going out in the rain, then it is a slightly different situation to when you go out on a lovely spring day only to get caught in a downpour. Here are some tips for keeping, or at least getting, your clothing dry if you were not prepared with waterproof overclothes or even an umbrella when you set out:

Stop Somewhere Dry if You Can and Get Rid of The Worst Of It

If you are on a walk in the countryside and suddenly find yourself on the brunt of heavy rain in unsuitable clothes (actually, almost any clothes not designed for wet weather are unsuitable as you have probably found!), try and find somewhere you can stop and get the worst of the water out of your clothes and off of your skin. A pub can often be a very good option, as you can go in their bathroom and attempt to wring out your socks and any other very wet clothing, and use paper towels or a hand dryer to somewhat dry off your clothes and skin.

This won’t obviously thoroughly dry things out, but at least you won’t squelch when you walk, and you should feel a little more comfortable. If the rain seems like it was just a brief but heavy shower, relax and wait for it to end, or consider the option of calling a taxi if you don’t fancy hiking home or back to your car.

If this isn’t an option, it’s generally best to abort your walk if you can and take the shortest route to somewhere you can get dry, especially if it is cold as well as wet.

Once You Get Home

When you get home, you need to dry out your clothes as quickly as possible so they won’t start to smell bad. With most things, including trainers, this is simply a case of putting them straight in the washing machine. However, with some other things like wool or leather coats you’ll need to air dry them quickly. Hang them up as well as you can with something underneath them to catch drips, and turn on a fan if you have one, or place them next to a window that is open with a window actuator rather than wide open, so it won’t be letting further rain in but will aerate your gear.

Then, take a nice hot shower, as being in wet clothes is terrible for your skin!

We’ve all been caught in the rain at some point, but by trying to get your clothes dry during and after the walk, you should be able to prevent any damage to them.

Handcrafted Wooden JORD Watch #Review & $100 Giveaway- The perfect Gift #HGG17 @woodwatches_com

Reviews · November 21, 2017

I received the below complimentary product either for free or at a discounted rate for the purpose of this review. Whether or not you agree, All opinions and thoughts are 100% my own.

Have a favorite watch? I am here to tell you that after reading this post, YOU are going to want this watch. I was thrilled when the opportunity arose to review the Handcrafted Wooden JORD Watch.

About JORD ~

JORD is run by artists, designers, marketers, and minders. We spend our days creating, considering, arguing, and hopefully agreeing. Then we’ll scrap it all for the joy of starting new. We have fun. This is our journey.
We are focused on creating timepieces that are modeled after a modern lifestyle. We value sustainability, efficiency, and experiential living. We make our watches for people who don’t just have somewhere to be, they have somewhere to go.
The value of a watch is not in being able to tell how much time has passed, but in being aware of the need to make that time count. Moments are bigger than minutes and your watch should tell more than time.

This is really a hand-crafted wood timepiece. Raw material, refined design JORD is run by artists, designers, marketers, and minders. We spend our days creating, considering, arguing, and hopefully agreeing. Then we’ll scrap it all for the joy of starting new. We have fun. This is our journey. We are focused on creating timepieces that are modeled after a modern lifestyle. We value sustainability, efficiency, and experiential living. We make our watches for people who don’t just have somewhere to be, they have somewhere to go. The value of a watch is not in being able to tell how much time has passed, but in being aware of the need to make that time count. Moments are bigger than minutes and your watch should tell more than time. www.jordwatches.com

My Review/Thoughts~

I keep saying presentation is everything and this product did not misrepresent. When the box arrived, I could not wait to open it. When I did, There was a wooden box inside-I know anticipation.

When I opened the wooden box, I found the wooden JORD watch. It was unlike any I have ever saw. Uniquely crafted of high quality materials, It was the most elegant watch I have ever saw. The attention to detail was simply over the top. I was so impressed with the wooden JORD watch that I am going to give it to my husband as his Holiday Gift.

I give the Handcrafted Wooden JORD watch my thumbs up and my highest recommendation. If you are looking for that unique and different Holiday Gift that I can assure you that the special person on our list would love then you can also go HERE to order one for yourself and you will save 25% off any watch by entering “tpankuch” as your coupon code or register below for your chance to win a $100 GC to JORD.

Ladies Wood Watch

Winning Moves- Game of the States & Cadoo #Review #HGG17

Reviews · November 20, 2017

I received the below mentioned complimentary product wither for free or a discounted price for the purpose of this review. All opinions and thoughts are 100% my own.

Do you have a family game night in your house? This was something we started when the kids were little. I feel it helps bring our family closer together. We share about our day and our hopes and dreams. This is why I was thrlled when the opportunity came about to review the Game of the States & Cadoo Games from Winning Moves.

About Winning Moves~

Winning Moves USA (WMUSA) is a leading maker of board games, card games, and puzzles. Since WMUSA’s first year of operation in 1995, the company has forged a close relationship with one of the world’s largest game companies, Hasbro, Inc., owner of Parker Brothers and Milton Bradley. WMUSA also has a great relationship with Seven Towns, Ltd. (the owners of the Rubik’s brand). As a result, many long-lived Parker Brothers and Milton Bradley games & Rubik’s puzzles are now marketed by WMUSA!
WMUSA proudly markest best-selling titles like Pass The Pigs®, Rubik’s® Cube, Scattergories® Categories, Rack-O®, No Stress Chess®, and hot new sellers like The Rubik’s® Void Puzzle®, Pass The Pigs® Big Pigs™, Brynk® and Brainspin™.
WMUSA was founded in 1995 by four highly esteemed game industry professionals:
Phil E. Orbanes: The long-time head of research and development for Parker Brothers and the leading expert on the game Monopoly.
Mike Meyers: The long-time head of research and development for Milton Bradley.
Tom Kremer: One of the most successful game agents in history for “discovering” Erno Rubik and the Rubik’s® Cube in the late 1970’s.
Alex Randolph: One of Europe’s most distinguished game inventors while he was alive.
With a talented group of game marketers and developers, WMUSA’s mission is to provide happiness to consumers by offering Classic, Retro, Cool and Fun games for play with friends and family.

My Review/Thoughts~

Game of the States- Kids learn all about the United States by racing their trucks across country buying and selling goods along the way. Players will become familiar with the fifty states, their locations, capital cities, top products and learn interesting STEM facts about each state!

Ages:8 and up
Players:2 to 4
Contents:Bi-fold gameboard, deck of 50 State cards, 4 plastic truck movers, pad of play money, 16 wood packages, spinner and instructions.

Cadoo-The original version is back by popular demand and todays kids will be puzzling, sketching, sculpting, acting and code-cracking with the Cranium Cadoo game.

Ages:7 and up
Players:2 or more
Contents:Gameboard, 2 decks of Challenge cards in card boxes, 1 custom die, 40 plastic scoring tokens, special red decoder mask, Cranium modeling clay in plastic zip bag, sand timer, sketch pad and illustrated instructions.

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I was very pleased to add these games to our list of the ones we already owned. My family could not rave enough on how fun these were to play. The instructions were very clear in their directions on how to play. When I usually buy games they maybe play them once and throw them into the pile only never to play them again but when they played the Game of the States and Cadoo- I would enter a room only to see them playing them. I cannot wait to hopefully try more games from Winning Moves~

These would make the perfect holiday gift for anyone on your gift list.

I give these games my thumbs up and my highest recommendation.

5 DIY Plumbing Jobs for Beginners

Reviews · November 17, 2017

Most people will attempt to fix a plumbing issue themselves before resorting to hiring a professional. Of course, if you can solve the problem using something simple like a plunger, then there’s no reason to immediately dial a local plumber. Luckily, you’ll be relieved to know that most jobs fall under the “reasonably doable for a DIYer” category. With that said, here are five plumbing jobs that the majority of beginners will have no problem doing on their own.

1. Installing a New Toilet, Sink, or Bathtub

Installing new plumbing fixtures is a simple job that can be done by anyone with basic tools and the ability to follow instructions. Sites like theplumbinginfo.com provide plenty of DIY guides that cover all the steps involved, including cutting PVC pipe, taking measurements, disassembling existing fixtures, and assembling/installing new components.

2. Fixing a Clogged Toilet

Clogged toilets can be messy, nasty, and intimidating challenges, especially when you’ve got one that’s overflowing and leaking dirty toilet water onto the bathroom floor. Luckily, it’s a problem that a plunger will usually fix, so long as there isn’t a significant hard obstruction in the drain pipe. If you can’t get it unclogged with a conventional plunger, try upgrading to a master plunger – the kind that looks like an accordion – to build up maximum suction. It’s also a good idea to watch a video on proper plunger use before you start sloshing around cluelessly.

3. Unclogging a Bathroom Sink

Unclogged bathroom sinks are typically much easier to fix than kitchen sinks. Usually, the problem is related to an accumulation of hair, soap gunk, and/or small objects that have fallen into the drain. Fortunately, there’s almost always a P-trap under the sink, which catches items before they get down to the main pipe. Thus, removing the P-trap and cleaning it out usually solves the problem.

4. Installing a Garbage Disposal

Every kitchen sink should have a garbage disposal to minimize the possibility of food items and other debris accumulating in the drain. They’re cheap, easy to install, and most models come with very detailed installation instructions. It’s worth noting that this investment will eventually “pay for itself” by preventing expensive plumbing issues that would wind up costing many times more than the garbage disposal itself.

5. Using a Drain Camera to Inspect Pipes

Finally, a drain camera/flexible boroscope is a surprisingly cheap yet effective tool to use during one of the above projects, or just to have around in case you need to inspect your pipes in the future. Although professional plumbing boroscope kits can cost a few hundred dollars, there are also incredibly cheap consumer-oriented options on sites like Amazon and Walmart.com, many of which connect directly to your smartphone. Simply searching for “waterproof smartphone boroscope” will lead you in the right direction.

Jobs That Shouldn’t Be Attempted by Beginners

While the above jobs are simple enough for anyone to do without experience or special knowledge, there are some plumbing jobs that are better left to the professionals. In particular, if you have damaged pipes, sewer/septic line issues, a clog in the main pipe, or any other issue that will require extensive skilled labor or expensive industrial equipment, you may want to consult with a pro before proceeding.