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7 deadly sins that lead to hoarding

<p>If you’ve watched <em>Enough Already!</em> on <em>Oprah</em> with equal parts sympathy and fear, thinking to yourself “That better not be me one day”, then you’ll want to read on. Non-hoarders tend to picture hoarders as people who have rooms brimming with old newspapers piled to the roof and hallway cupboards that they can not open for fear of the contents swallowing them up. The word hoarder just sounds dirty. While researchers are still trying to understand the disorder, here are some clues that could signal you need to enlist some help. </p> <p><strong>Every room has a “storage area”</strong> – If your dedicated storage area is so full that you need to keep the extra microwave in the living room, you may have a problem. When your storage overflows into the rest of the home and continues to grow – check yourself.
</p> <p><strong>Keeping old magazines and newspapers</strong> – Do you hold on magazines and newspapers thinking, “I might like to reread that one day…” Stop it! Just get rid of them. Apart from coffee table-worthy magazines, everything should be thrown out. Besides a lot of stuff is now online.
</p> <p><strong>Storing clothes you don’t wear</strong> – While it’s ok to hold onto your favourite band T-shirt from your younger years, holding onto old clothes – especially those that don’t fit or have holes in them – it just plain silly. Donate all items that fall into this category to charity immediately!</p> <p><strong>Stowing away broken electronics and appliances</strong> – Don’t kid yourself, you’re never go to get around to fixing that printer or TV! Recycle or donate used electronic items that you no longer use.</p> <p><strong>Storing free loot (aka junk)</strong> – Yes, yes we’ve all fallen victim to being giddy with excitement over a free key ring or pen we pocketed at a show or the RTA. But just because you got a free mug doesn’t mean it should be stashed in your drawer or kitchen never to see the light of day again. Chuck it!</p> <p><strong>Your car becomes “extra” storage</strong> – If you keep more than just spare tire and pair of shoes in your car boot, then you are hoarder territory. If you need to keep DVDs and camping gear in the car because they wont fit in the house, it’s time for drop-off to the Salvos. </p> <p><strong>Daily life becomes musical chairs</strong> – If there is no where to sit and eat dinner because every chair is piled high with papers and you can’t sleep comfortably because the bed is covered in clothes, seek help immediately!</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p>

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Frequent flyer discusses the biggest sins of travelling

<p dir="ltr">A frequent traveller has shared what she believes are the biggest sins of travelling. </p> <p dir="ltr">Posting a series of videos on TikTok, frequent flyer and travel influencer Tinx bluntly exposed the “worst things” people can do in airports and on planes. </p> <p dir="ltr">The 32-year-old regularly flies between London and New York to visit family, and understands that having to deal with the annoying behaviours of fellow passengers is not an easy task. </p> <p dir="ltr">Now Tinx, whose real name is Christina Najjar, has voiced her frustrations with her followers, revealing the “worst” behaviours that make for “awful travellers”, while urging anyone who is guilty of such sins to “take a long hard look at yourself in the mirror before you travel again.”</p> <p dir="ltr">While there are many things travellers can do that annoy their fellow holiday-goers, Tinx said being “unprepared” is the worst travel sin of all. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Let's begin with people that are unprepared at the front of the security line. It's a security line, you know what's coming, and yet there are still people who are fumbling around with their laptop like a child who forgot their homework.” </p> <p dir="ltr">"'Do I have to take off my jacket?’ Yes, spoiler alert, you always have to take off your jacket. Please keep the theatrical water chugging to the Uber,” she joked.</p> <p dir="ltr">Next up, Tinx trashed the “gate crowders” for their lack of awareness. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Next, let's discuss the gate crowders, they haven't even put up our flight on the little digital board and you're crowding around the gate like it's the stampede from The Lion King, grinding your foot into the ground like you're about to run with the bulls,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Aside from the fact that you're in group five, I got to tell you buddy, we're all going to the same place, we're all getting on the same plane.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Lastly, the influencer explained her anger at the other passengers who are “a**holes” when it comes to the overhead bins. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It always baffles me with the bins because it's very simple, just don't be an a**hole.” </p> <p dir="ltr">“Put your overstuffed away suitcase and your ugly little personal item in the seat in front of you,” she said. </p> <p dir="ltr">Many of Tinx’s viewers agreed with her travel qualms, with the comments being flooded with additional faux pas that get under the skin of frequent flyers. </p> <p dir="ltr">One user said, “How about those who as soon as the plane is stopped and the seatbelt sign is off they rush to the front of the plane.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Another commented, “What about the people that go back and forth in the aisle trying to choose a seat that suits their preference while other people are boarding?”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: TikTok</em></p>

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3 dating faux pas to avoid

<p><em><strong>Renee Slansky is an Australian TV Presenter, writer, dating and relationship coach and founder of Australia’s number 1 dating blog, <a href="http://thedatingdirectory.co/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Dating Directory</span></a>.</strong></em></p> <p>We all know that the first date can be a little daunting, there's always a certain amount of pressure and expectation, even if you're just meeting up for a coffee! Leaving a good first impression is usually at the forefront of our minds, but sometimes we can get carried away in the excitement, or perhaps let the nerves get the better of us and make a little (or large) blunder that could seal our fate and even cut all chances of a second date! So, how do we avoid such faux pas? </p> <p>Here are a few quick tips to get you on your way and to make sure things run smoothly from the beginning:</p> <p><strong>1. Plan ahead</strong></p> <p>It's important to actually have a game plan. It's no good just turning up to a restaurant to see if they have a spare seat or two.  Cover yourself by ringing and booking a few days in advance so that you are guaranteed a spot and don't have to stress (or look unorganised). Make sure you check the weather if you are planning on a date outdoors; picnics in the rain aren't nearly as romantic as one would like! Or, if you need to buy tickets for a movie or show then do so in advance, so that once again you aren't left with one seat or worse two seats several aisles apart! </p> <p><strong>2. Listen properly</strong></p> <p>This is pretty important as you don't want to be taking your vegetarian date to an all-you-can-eat steakhouse by mistake. Ask questions about what they like and what they prefer, then take a mental note of what they say so you can use it as a guideline on how to impress them. This goes for everything and not just food, chances are you've already been speaking a bit and have started to get to know each other, so try to remember sensitive topics and handle them gracefully... or avoid them altogether! If you really want to earn yourself a second date, then make them feel like they are a priority to you. The best way to do this is to listen and respond accordingly to what they have said. </p> <p><strong>3. Don't forget your manners</strong></p> <p>Good manners are a sure (and easy way) to impress someone. Turning up on time, not texting through dinner, opening doors etc. are all simple and obvious ways of being courteous. However, there might be a few other ones we can overlook such as waiting till your date's meal arrives before you start eating yours, checking to see if they got home safely, make sure they always have a drink even if you haven't finished yours and of course laughing at their jokes (within reason) and making them feel comfortable.  You don't want awkward silences to become the most memorable moments of the date! </p> <p>Of course nobody is perfect and we all make mistakes, most of the time we can laugh them off and make a mental note for next time.</p> <p>Good luck out there! Happy dating!</p> <p><em>Written by Renee Slansky. First appeared on <a href="http://www.datehub.com.au/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Datehub.com.au</span></strong></a>. </em></p>

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