The world’s best secret islands Looking for a romantic spot that's (almost) all yours? Here’s a list from our brand new Best in Travel 2011 guide to reignite your love affair with desert islands, with picks from across the globe. 1. Torres Strait Islands, Australia Image by Killer White Fluff As far as you can go in Oz without falling off the map, the Torres Strait Islands are Australia as it might have been if Europeans had never arrived. Permits to visit outlying islands must be obtained at least one month in advance from the Torres Strait Regional Authority. 2. Image by ajari The idyllic Yaeyama Islands are tucked away at the very southern tip of the Japanese archipelago. Japan Transocean Air flies daily from Tokyo to Ishigaki, which is connected to the other islands by regular ferries. 3. Image by Antoine Hubert Most people have heard of Devil’s Island, but few would be able to stick a pin on a map. 4. Image by hkinuthia It’s easy to see the appeal of tiny Ulleungdo. 5. Image by Fathzer 6. Image by hsuyo 7. 8. 9.
Top 10 Civilizations That Mysteriously Disappeared Throughout our history, most civilizations have either met a slow demise or were wiped out by natural disasters or invasion. But there are a few societies whose disappearance has scholars truly stumped: 10. The Olmec One of the first Mesoamerican societies, the Olmec inhabited the tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico. Where did they go? Around 400 BC the eastern half of the Olmec’s lands was depopulated- possibly due to environmental changes. 9. The Nabateans were a Semitic culture that inhabited parts of Jordan, Canaan and Arabia from around the sixth century BC. During the fourth century AD, the Nabateans abandoned Petra and no one really knows why. 8. The Aksumite Empire began in the first century AD in what is now Ethiopia and is believed to be the home of the Queen of Sheba. According to local legend, a Jewish Queen named Yodit defeated the Aksumite Empire and burned its churches and literature. 7.The Mycenaeans 6. 5.The Cucuteni-Trypillian Culture 4. 3.The Minoans 2.The Anasazi 1.
10 Fun Uses for Pool Noodles « Quiver Full of Blessings May22 Pool noodles are everywhere this time of year and are usually sold pretty cheaply. Here’s a list of fun and creative ways you can use pool noodles outside of the pool this summer: Use coordinating colors to make a fun headboard for a kids’ room.familyfun.go.com This is a cheaper alternative to buying wreath forms–bend pool noodles into a circle and tape securely. Cut slices of pool noodles to make big beads for little ones to lace. Use slices for painting pictures. Tape a bunch of circled pool noodles together for a backyard obstacle course. My little boys would love this idea since they already use noodles as pretend swords–fashion light sabers out of lengths of noodle. A fun idea for a summer party! This is one of my favorite ideas. Use chunks of noodle along with toothpicks or golf tees to make your own silly creatures. Set up as arches in your yard as hurdles, to kick balls through, or as a giant croquet game. Like this: Like Loading...
Still Looking For Paradise? Maldives - justpaste.it Double chain of twenty-six atolls… The Republic of Maldives, or simply the Maldives, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean. It consists of approximately 1,190 coral islands grouped in a double chain of 26 atolls, along the north-south direction, spread over roughly 90,000 square kilometers, making this one of the most disparate countries in the world. The atolls are composed of live coral reefs and sand bars, situated atop a submarine ridge 960 kilometers long that rises abruptly from the depths of the Indian Ocean and runs from north to south. Crystal clear waters, beautiful white sand beaches, swaying palm trees and fabulous dive sites – that’s why the Maldives, is known for being one of the best tropical holiday destinations in the world. ...and no need to climb ;) With an average ground level of 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) above sea level, it is the lowest country on the planet. Summer never ends ... Crystal clear waters and azure blue lagoons... Resorts in the Maldives
BitTorrent Piracy Boosts Music Sales, Study Finds A new academic paper by a researcher from the North Carolina State University has examined the link between BitTorrent downloads and music album sales. Contrary to what’s often claimed by the major record labels, the paper concludes that there is absolutely no evidence that unauthorized downloads negatively impact sales. Instead, the research finds that more piracy directly leads to more album sales. For more than a decade researchers have been looking into the effects of music piracy on the revenues of the record industry, with mixed results. None of these researchers, however, used a large sample of accurate download statistics from a BitTorrent tracker to examine this topic. In a paper titled “Profit Leak? Between May 2010 and January 2011 the professor collected a variety of download statistics of new albums that were released on the largest private BitTorrent tracker dedicated to music. In total the sample includes 1,095 albums from 1,075 artists.
Make Your Own Bouncy Balls - Guest Post from Adventures of Home Life I am delighted to have a guest post from Adventures of Home Life. If you haven't checked out this blog yet, you must head over as soon as you finish reading this. In it, a mom shares her crafts and projects, easy recipes and parenting experiences. I think you will find yourself encouraged and inspired as you read her stuff. Today we will be learning how to make bouncy balls which I never even knew you could do at home. I don't know about your house, but mine is filled with those small rubber bouncy balls. 2 plastic cups (I labeled mine "Borax" and "Ball" so I wouldn't get confusedWarm waterBoraxFood coloring (optional)White/school glueCornstarchTablespoonTeaspoonZipper baggie Combine 2 Tablespoons of warm water and 1/2 teaspoon of Borax and mix in the "Borax" cup. Continue to stir this mixture until it becomes almost impossible to do so anymore. Place in your hands and roll into a ball shape. This is close to what your finished product will look like: Thank you!
I think we all need something like this. Do you agree? Recycled Paper Mobiles... - Buzzmills Hi there!! If you are stopping by via Pinterest or from another link, thanks so much for coming! And, while you're at it, take a look around...there's lots of fun stuff to see! Have you heard about the fun going on over at Stumbles and Stitches? Angel and Jenny are having a Feather your Nest stitch along. It also happens to be a contest too! In the meantime, thanks to them, I got inspired and am getting a few little projects done around here... One of the rules of the stitch along is that you must use some sort of recycled or upcycled materials. So, the first project up...I am embarrassed to say that my Shamrocks were up until just yesterday (so were my Easter decorations for that matter...)! First I started here, my recycle bin... Then I drew the flying bird template and cut...The cutting part was a bit more involved then I had originally anticipated. (oops, I guess...I should focuss on some window cleaning too!!)
T Shirt Dress DIY - Make a cute Summer Dress : DIY Fashion by Trinkets in Bloom If a basic T shirt is a must have for any wardrobe, then a basic T shirt dress is a must have for Summer. This simple DIY tutorial will show you how to turn a basic t shirt into a cute Summer dress. To see step by step instructions and photos click here. 1 T Shirt in your size (try to find one thats a little long, I found mine at Old Navy)1 T Shirt at least 2 sizes largerScissorsTape measurePinsSewing machine Step 1 Take your larger T shirt and lay it flat on a table, measure how long you want your skirt to be, mark it and cut your shirt straight across. Step 2 Cut open the side seams on both strips that you will be using for your skirt. Step 3 Pin and sew a hem in your 2nd strip of fabric that you will be using for your skirt, use the existing hem for as much of your skirt as you can. Step 4 Sew 2 parallel stitch lines along the cut edge of your skirt. Step 5 Lay out your top T shirt flat on a table and place your skirt (inside out and upside down) on top.