Author: PuckerMob Staffer

5 Top Christmas Travel Destinations

It’s the holiday season when many people start to prepare to host family and friends. If you’re like me, however, I am preparing to get as far away as possible from my family and friends this holiday season.

With these five destinations, there will be plenty of opportunities to get away from the drudgery of hosting and spending time with family while experiencing how other parts of the world celebrate Christmas.

1. Fiji

Fiji is considered a romantic getaway so it’s a great Christmas destination for couples and young families – especially at Christmas. The Fijians party hard at this time of year, with a mixture of celebrations throughout the entire two-week period building up to New Year’s Eve. Communities come together to sing, dance and feast on “lovo” – a variety of dishes that are slow-cooked in banana leaves.

2. New York

First-timers to New York feel as though they are in a film – so you can already imagine that Christmas is a magical time to visit the city that never sleeps. And whilst you’re there, why not take a movie tour and visit the sets of iconic Christmas films including Scrooge, Elf, Home Alone 2 and Miracle on 34th Street. As you would expect from the Americans, New York has the most elaborate decorations, the most lights and the biggest displays including the Lincoln Centre lights, the Rockefeller Tree lights and Bryant Park winter village.

3. Reykjavic Iceland 

Iceland does Christmas like nowhere else; they have 26 days of Christmas, 13 Santas and an irrepressible group of Yule Lads. On top of that, the Christmas markets, ice-skating rinks on frozen ponds and the delicious offerings of Christmas buffets provide a uniquely different Christmas. And with tours to witness the white, pink, green and purple streaks in the night sky provided by the Aurora Borealis, there are no other Christmas lights in the world that compares with this natural light display.

4. Amsterdam, Netherlands

With its awe-inspiring network of canals, Amsterdam is one of the most attractive cities in the world any time of year. At Christmas, the “big village” takes on a truly magical quality that has to be experienced at least once in your lifetime – mainly due to the incredible Light Festival. In addition, you will find an endless chorus of carols, live music shows, sumptuous food, Christmas markets and romantic quality of lights shimmering on the surface of the water. If you want to experience something different this Christmas, Amsterdam is very different!

5. Prague, Czech Republic

Prague’s medieval downtown looks like something straight out of a fairytale. The cobbled streets and gothic architecture around Old Town Square bring the romanticism of Christmas to the surface. Christmas in Prague has a special vibe and is a must for the street food alone – delicious servings of Czech delicacies including deep-fried carp, the mouthwatering winter food, halušky and the sumptuous trdelník, a sweet pastry topped with cream and dressings. Prague is one of the most photogenic cities in the world – at Christmas, it’s even better.

Wherever you decide to go this Christmas and New Year, make sure you have a truly magical experience and hire a local tour guide. The locals know where to go and where to avoid – and with the bustling Christmas crowds, local knowledge is a gift.

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Reconnecting With Your Significant Other After Time Apart

It is a common scenario that plays out with modern relationships: the “taking a break” phase when couples spend time apart to find themselves and work to find appreciation for their partner. This time apart can put a strain on even the most solid and loving of relationships. So you need to make sure that once you two get back together, you both work with one another to get things back to the way they were. Below are the top nine tips on how to make your relationship work again after spending time apart.

Go On A Date

When you’re in a new relationship dates are a key part of your social life, but they soon get forgotten after a few months. If you’ve been apart for some time, then going out on a date or two could really help you to get back together and reconnect with each other. Whatever your budget or tastes, there’s a date night idea out there to suit you, so be creative and host a unique experience you and your partner can enjoy together.

Spice Things Up In The Bedroom

Sex is central to any relationship, so enjoying it again after time apart is crucial to getting things back to the way they were. Try using new positions or incorporating sex toys into your lovemaking to bring you and your partner closer together than ever.

 

Make Time To Relax With Your Partner

Having spent some time apart it can be easy for couples to jump straight back into a hectic social and working routine, so make sure that you both take time to relax and chill out together. This will help you both to reconnect and remember what you love about one another. Try watching a movie together or simply sitting down to have a chat after work.

 

Find A Hobby To Share

Getting back together after some time apart can be tough, so to make the process easier try finding a new hobby that you both can share. This will mean that if you both do have to spend more time apart in the future you will have something to chat about and something to look forward to doing together when you return to one another. There are loads of hobbies for couples who want to get closer together and find an activity that they can enjoy together.

 

Take On A Responsibility Together

Becoming responsible for something can bring two people together, so consider taking on a mutual responsibility with your partner if you want to reconnect with them after being apart. This doesn’t have to be anything as drastic as having a child; you could buy a house together or get a pet. If you’re planning on getting a furry friend to love together then make sure that you choose the right animal and are both completely committing to caring for it throughout its life.

 

Make New Mutual Friends

Your social life may have struggled during your time apart, so consider finding some new friends together so that you can enjoy their company and learn more about one another as well as your new pals. Visit new hangouts, go to parties, or even invite friends to a dinner party to get to know new people and find some friends that you both like to spend time together with.

 

Enjoy New Experiences

Being adventurous together can help you and your partner to find new reasons to enjoy spending time together, so take the time to find a new restaurant to eat at, a new bar to try, or even a new place to explore. Try going as far out of your mutual comfort zone as possible so that you both experience something completely new together and have new memories to share.

 

Take A Vacation

After spending time apart, you and your partner might want to spend as much time at home as possible but going on a vacation and exploring a new place could be equally fun. Find your ideal couples vacation to take your minds off your time apart and set off to make new memories that you can both cherish.

 

Talk It Over

Things may have changed while you and your partner were apart, particularly if you spent a long time away from one another. Make sure that you communicate with your partner once you’re back together and work through any differences. Leaving things unsaid can lead to problems later, so make sure that you are both open and honest with each other, as this will allow you both to reconnect quicker and get on with enjoying your relationship and being happy together.

Dungeons and Dragons Anyone?

Breaking Out The Retro Games During Quarantine

Anyone getting in to puzzles, at home? Maybe some connect four? Or Operation, Hungry Hungry hippo? Sorry, Monopoly Trivial Pursuit, I could go on a and on about retro games.

Playing Some D&D

What a great time to try something new and play a fun little game of D&D. A role playing game that no longer appeals to just white men. One a medieval war game and is now a provocative adventure game that challenges the mind. Have a quest for adventure? Dungeons and Dragons is your game!

You can even play virtually with your friends from around the world. It’s fun, thought-provoking and not quite as nerdy as you might think. Here are some D&D tips to motivate you to roll that 120 sided dice.

Dungeon Master? Sexist game? Well, it used to be. Women are taking the gaming world by storm and D&D has resurged to be more streamlined and accessible for all genders, ethnicities and has actually become a genderless game. A modern take on the original, but now and all age friendly game.

So indulge you and your friends and family in storytelling, using your imagination in a collaborative online setting. And check out our video that explains the games history and just how far this roleplaying game has evolved.

As you may already know, there are many characters in D&D, such as Monk, Fighter, and Barbarian. For those of you who are looking to get into Dungeons and Dragons, or are simply curious about the game, this Dungeons and Dragons 5e Barbarian guide is for you. This character guide will tell you everything you need to know in order to create a successful Dungeons and Dragons 5e Barbarian character. First, let’s talk about what a Barbarian is. A Barbarian is somebody who comes from a savage, uncivilized land and is unafraid of battle. They are fierce warriors who often enter into a blood rage during combat, making them even more dangerous. When creating your Dungeons and Dragons 5e Barbarian character, keep this in mind. Try to come up with a backstory that would fit such a character. Perhaps your character was raised by orcs in the wild or honed their skills as a gladiator in an arena. Once you have an idea of who your character is, it’s time to start thinking about stats.

Staying Occupied During Quarantine

Staying Occupied During A Quarantine

Staying at home all day long without getting out for in-person interactions with friends and family is so tough. And it’s enough to make a girl go completely stir crazy. So here are 10 ways to stay occupied by making the most of this strange time while keep you occupied in quarantine.

 

Number 1 Be A Bookworm

Read A Book — Audio, Hardback, Whatever. Books stir up our creative juices and they can take you everywhere you cannot travel to now. So grab a book and start dreaming.

Number 2 Find Your Fitness

Exercise- Boost your immunity, get your stress out and channel if for good. Follow free workouts online. Move your body and you will get through this in good mental and physical shape.

Number 3 Mediation and Mindfulness

Learn How to Meditate- Bring out your inner zen- Yoga, chill, and find that breath! You need to use this time to get centered. None of these tools are a wasted effort.

Number 4 Pick Up A Pet

Adopt of Foster A Pet So may dogs and cats would love to be your quarantine pal! So adopt don’t shop your furry new bestie.

Number 5 Just Juggle

Learn a hobby- like how to juggle– sure,.. why not.  Anything to change focus, and have fun with it!

Number 6 Learn A Language

Speak a new language– go for it! You can get all set up with Rosetta Stone here.

Number 7 Housekeep your Home

Organize your house, spring cleaning anyone?? All those things you have been meaning to do… do those.

Number 8 Delve into DND

Play Dungeons and Dragons  online — just do it!  7 people on a Zoom call is a good way to connect and use your imagination.

Number 9 Pick Up the Phone

Phone a friend or family member. Take the time that you have and use it for some sweet reconnecting with family and friends.

Number 10 Self Care for Sanity

Find your chill. Whatever is going to work for you, to get through this time. Comfort food, fave movies, find your favorites and find your balance.

 

 

Taking Care of the To-Do List During Quarantine or Not

QUARANTINE QUEST FAIL

Making the most of my time in quarantine or not….. How about you? Any post it, honey do, meaning to get to, one day, someday, at some points you could do… like now? Here are some ideas to get your task master brain turned on and your check box satisfaction happening or not.

Task Master ? Or Task, What Task?

What better time than now? We are all stuck at home due to the stay at home mandate. So why not make lemonade out of these here lemons.. and start knocking out a bunch of to-do list items. Right? Well, easier said than done as always. Here’s a fun list of to-dos that I thought I would get done during my quarantine, but haven’t quite been able to.

  1. Puzzled by the fact that I never got that puzzle finished. Attention span- ZERO
  2. Desk dreams? No, I am a desk hoarder apparently.
  3. Hobbies– not me- I cannot GO there.
  4. Hydrate-? Coffee Wine and Me. Water? Hmmm not so much.
  5. Recipes? My Pinterest board is ready but — Mac and Cheese are my friends.
  6. Actually get dressed? PJS are just soooo comfy. I do not miss Denim.

 

7 Ways To Check in With Your Mental Health During a Quarantine

Check In With Yourself While In Quarantine

Hi everyone. First of all, I miss you all! And to those I have not met yet, I miss you even more. I am a social butterfly, so this ‘Social Isolation’ thing is really giving me some challenges.

So, here we all are.. and we are in this together. But we are locked inside, separately, under quarantine for who knows how long…  And while it can be especially hard for those with mental health issues, It can be a difficult time for ANYONE’S mental health.

So to keep ourselves busy, and sane, we have put together our top 7 great ways to stay in tune with your mental health during quarantine. Listen up. Or read along and watch our cool explainer video.

Top 7 Ways To check in with your mental wellbeing while Social Distancing.

 

Journal

Thats right. Write down your feelings, thoughts, and write out your favorite motivational quotes for yourself to read each morning. Find a mental spring in your step so you get moving on the daily.

Cuddle A Pet

Pets bring us comfort. And we nurture them and they nurture us. Did I mention that they love hugs? So go give them a sweet squeeze and a big forehead smooch. I guarantee that they have NO issue with you staying at home. They probably think you finally understood their whining every time you left and got the message. Way to figure it all out, human!

Get Crafty

Are you an artist waiting to be discovered? Or is baking your thing? Working with your hands will help you feel accomplished, keep your mind busy and give you the gratification you crave. Not to mention, some great content to post for your next quarantine life selfie. So create, build, and BE your best self, in the comfort of your own home.

Stay In Therapy

I know that March for most of us, felt like a year not a month. But the truth is, this all will pass. And when life resumes, you need to be mentally ready to get back in the swing of things and the enjoyment of it all. So STAY in Therapy and continue your mental health activities.

Online therapy is great. And so needed during this time.

Create A Quarantine, Routine

That’s right. You get up, make that bed, brush your teeth, wash your face, take your shower, have your morning coffee. And GET DRESSED.  Remember, even though you are at home, you are still living your life. As humans, we crave routine. So create one. And have some normalcy. But feel free to indulge in your loungewear.. I get it. I really do!

Embrace The Nap

Not only are naps good for you to clear your mental cache and get a mind refresh, studies have shown that sleep contributes to boosting your immune system. So rest up! For your health!

Now Take It Easy….

Finally and most important. Go easy on yourself. Pace yourself. This is an emotionally overwhelming time for all of us. And while we feel all the feels, we need to allow ourselves to take our time with things. Take the personal pressure off a bit. And use this time to reconnect with friends and family by phone and to simply reconnect with ourselves. So use this time to reset. And take all the time that you need. No pressure. Just know that it’s going to be ok.

 

Retro Games That Will Never Go Out of Fashion

So, everyone kind of lost their minds for a few days when Fortnite had its infamous “black hole” moment. Then, there was a collective sigh of release around the globe when Fortnite Chapter 2 went live. The panic was short-lived, of course, and was something of a marketing ploy by Epic Games.

People are now appraising the new updated game, and it seems the Fortnite phenomenon will roll on for a few years yet, much to the chagrin of parents around the world no doubt. But will it be popular 10 years from now? Doubtless, it will be replaced by some shiny new game.

Indeed, despite Fortnite’s claim of being the world’s most popular video game, it has a long way to go to have the longevity of these classics. These four games we love and they will never go out of fashion:

Pac-Man

For many of us, Pac-Man is a big bulky machine that sat proudly in arcades in the 1980s. For others it is the curse of the global economy. Let us explain: Back in 2010 when Google released Pac-Man Doodle, a free to play game to celebrate the anniversary of the original, it was estimated to have caused the loss of around 500 million hours of productivity, costing global business around $100 million. Next year, Pac-Man turns 40, and you can bet that there will be plenty more office hours lost due to employees guiding a yellow disc chomping round a maze. Now, ask yourself if people will be playing Fortnite in the year 2057?

Tetris

Another one which capitalized on the video game console and arcade boom of the 1980s, Tetris was famously designed in the Soviet Union in 1984. The history of the game’s evolution is fascinating, especially against the backdrop of the Cold War. The cold hard numbers don’t like, however, as Tetris is estimated to have sold over 170 million physical copies. Like Pac-Man above, the game moved seamlessly online and on to free mobile apps, where 100s of millions of versions of the game have been downloaded. Amazing when you consider it’s all about lining up falling blocks.

Blackjack

The casino game that vies with roulette for supremacy among gamblers around the world. It’s hard to discern which of the two is more iconic as a casino game, but our preference is for blackjack as it requires more skill. We tried it at Casino.com, and found that there are lots of different variants of the game, and thus lots of ways to keep it fresh. The classic version, with Vegas Strip rules, has a very low house edge, and should be considered one of the ultimate battles of wits in casino games.

Solitaire

There were those of us who wasted early childhoods in the arcades of the 1980s, and some of us didn’t have our brains completely melted by Pac-Man and Asteroids and went on to college in the 1990s. The only problem was that those shiny new PCs that we used for our studies and assignments came loaded with Microsoft Solitaire. Internet was slow back then, so choices were limited, and Solitaire was king. Microsoft has claimed Solitaire is one of the most played games on any Microsoft OS in history, and there are estimates that the game has over 50 million plays daily.

 

Check out our other article on horror flash games.

Top Destinations for Sports Fans

Sports Destinations

Looking for top sports destinations? Girls love sports. And now is the the best time to be a sports fan! With around the clock streaming of major matches, games, events and races, to up to the minute updates delivered right to our mobile devices. Whether you are a casual fan to impress your BF or a hard-core sports enthusiast, you never have to miss a moment of the action.

While following your favorite teams and sports is enjoyable, attending live events is a whole different ball game (pun intended!). These days, as stadiums, sports associations and the athletes themselves really push the boat out to deliver engaging, entertaining and immersive experiences to fans, there is nothing quite like a live sporting event.

Additionally, the wealth of digital technology that we have at our fingertips means that tracking down events and buying tickets is a breeze. This, coupled with the fact that it’s never been easier to travel the globe than it is now, means that sports fans are looking further afield for international destinations that combine the opportunity to attend a major sporting event with whatever type of vacation they fancy at the time.

While practically every major city in the world (and some of the smaller ones too) host sports events of some form, there are a number of places that are the quintessential destination for all sports fans, no matter what sport piques your fancy.

Tokyo

Japan’s captivating capital city is a big deal with international sports fans right now, as it is currently playing host to the Rugby World Cup – as well as Design Art Tokyo and Tokyo Fashion Week, so diverse are the cultural events here. It will also host the 2020 installment of the Olympic Games, beginning in July at the brand new National Stadium in Shinjuku – an architectural wonder in itself.

What many people don’t actually realise is that Tokyo is a great sports destinations. sports-mad city! Baseball is easily the most popular sport here, with famous teams like the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants, Chiba Lotte Marines, Saitama Seibu Lions and Yokohama DeNA Baystars keeping the stadiums packed all season long.

Melbourne

This beauty of an Aussie city really is a must-visit if you love sports. Known as the sporting and cultural capital of Australia, Melbourne is a year-round destination for sports fans. Rarely a month goes by when there isn’t a major sporting or cultural event happening in the city, so you can easily catch some exciting action no matter what time of the year you visit.

Some of the most iconic events held in Melbourne include the Melbourne Cup – aka the horse race that “stops the nation” – the “happy slam” Australian Tennis Open, the Boxing Day cricket test match, the Australian Grand Prix…the list is endless!

London

There are two top sports destinations in London. And as one of the most famous capital cities in Europe, you’d expect London to cater to the sports fan – and it really doesn’t disappoint. Of course, the two most popular sports in Great Britain (tennis and football) both feature heavily in the action on offer in the Big Smoke.

Wembley Stadium, arguably still one of the best football stadiums in the world, plays host to every semi-final and finals game of the FA Cup, whilst the All England Tennis Club is the home of the annual Wimbledon grand slam tennis tournament. And let’s not forget the world famous Twickenham Stadium, where you’ll find both the current “home of England Rugby” and the World Rugby Museum.

Boston

If you’re a diverse sports fan on the other side of the pond and London’s a bit too far to travel, then the city of Boston has got you covered. Whether you love baseball, basketball, hockey or professional football, you’ll find plenty to keep you entertained in this city. It’s not just a place that takes sporting culture seriously – you’ll be hard pushed to find a local who doesn’t support a team, player or regularly attend games – it’s also home to some pretty important historical sporting attractions. You can find many top sports destinations here.

Fenway Park should be first on the list for any sports fan visiting the city; just soaking up the atmosphere in this iconic stadium will keep you happy for months. As well as the Red Sox, Boston is also home to the Boston Celtics and the infamous New England Patriots – six-time winners of the NFL Super Bowl.

Ready to travel? Read our article about 5 gadgets and accessories for female travelers.

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