#perfume is definitely THE big ticket item of the store

[victorluvsalice]

-->Anyway – back to Retail Time! And to the infamous lag on this lot, unfortunately. :( Based on what I saw today, it seems to be primarily tied to Sims actually BUYING stuff, as it seems to happen most often when people are waiting to be rung up or right after they’ve been rung up and they still need to grab their item. Maybe it's because I have a lot of mod-added items for sale? *shrug* Fortunately it wasn’t too bad today, with only a few significant instances, but still – meh.

Despite the game doing its best to stop them, though, the trio persevered, chatting with various customers and doing their best to get them to buy stuff – and succeeding pretty admirably! Victor talked a guy named Patrick into buying a block of beeswax for $18, then immediately rang up visiting teenager Ren for the same thing, while Smiler helped a kid named Wren buy a small $5 lettuce and some dude named Aarush grabbed an avocado from the veggie stands for $25. Alice, meanwhile, was working over an elder named Samuel – but as he found her unattractive (as per Wonderful Whims), I don’t think her attempts to get him to buy stuff worked very well. :p She thus went to ring up Agnes Crumplebottom for a $68 bag of fresh bread instead – fortunately distracting the woman from noticing Smiler lay a cute cheek kiss on Victor. XD Smiler then headed to the center aisle and let off a happy blast to try and improve everyone’s moods –

-->And at this point, everything started getting a little chaotic, as a bunch of people suddenly wanted to be rung up at once! Alice took care of a lady named Giovanna despite the lag’s best efforts, ringing her up for a $70 jar of honey, while Smiler discovered Alice had been more successful at convincing Samuel to buy than she’d realized and rung him up for a box of blackberry jam for $455. They also went around and rung up a kid named Taka for a box of vegetarian MREs for $482 (must be buying them for his parents). Victor, however, was the real winner of the selling spree, managing to sell a Happy Scent perfume to a “loiterer” named Joey (who REALLY had to go to the bathroom) for a cool $1,174! Maybe I should keep that in mind when I think about the future of the store...

-->With that taken care of (and a lady named Fetia snagging herself a $5 Cereberry in the background), Victor went ahead and did some more Scruberooing of shelves and fridges while Smiler and Alice kept attending customers – Smiler ringing up the kid Pierce for a $206 box of canned green beans, and Alice (after an ANNOYINGLY long wait) teen Sofia for a $517 box of strawberry jam. Alice then headed into the break room to make some hamburger sliders, as she was feeling hungry, and I noticed that Victor kind of needed to pee and sent him into the bathroom –

Only for another wave of “hey I would like to buy things” to hit the store! I quickly had Alice stop her sliders (though she DID insist on taking the cutting board all the way down the stairs...then all the way back up again -.-) and Victor stop his attempt to use the toilet and sent them out to help Smiler on the selling floor. Between the three of them, they managed to get Javier a $44 jar of mayonnaise; Liberty Lee an $86 butterscotch cupcake; the returning Ren a $734 chocolate pie; and Makoa a $29 jar of mushroom conserve. Oh, and Aarush came back and bought a plasma fruit for $10. XD Talk about a last-minute rush!

-->And it was indeed the last-minute rush, because I looked over at the retail UI, realized the shop had been open nine hours, and decided it was probably time to close up. So, after an aborted attempt to get Smiler to befriend a customer so she would let them have her plasma (they now know that Kasandra likes the color green), I had them shut up the shop while Alice went and finished her sliders and Victor finally got his bathroom break. By the time they closed at 6:30 PM in-game, they’d made a nice profit of $4,174 on everything they’d sold! :) Yeah, I know Alice and Smiler can make more than that just in royalties on their books and videos, but it’s still pretty good considering I have everything on "sale" prices. Anyway, Alice called everyone down to the basement to eat, and she and Victor enjoyed some sliders while Smiler had a plasma fruit and bred some frogs to create an additional plasma pack to drink. Alice then went to clean up her plate –

And for some reason headed upstairs to do so. Following her, I realized that what she was doing was clearing some rotten raw meat out of the “butcher” display – and that a lot of the remaining meat was ALSO going rotten as she did so. D: Cue me trying to coordinate her and Victor’s efforts to clean up all the spoiled food from both the meat display and the fridges (which lead to a lot of "placing a pile of dirty dishes on the nearest consignment shelf," annoyingly) while Smiler went around and removed a bunch of the “out of stock” signs from the shelves. Eventually, though, everything was cleaned up, with Victor and Smiler finishing things off while Alice caught a few winks on the break room couch (her werewolf instincts were demanding a nap) –

[echannelhub]

Useful Tips for Selling on eBay

Selling online is indeed a lucrative and exciting journey to venture on. When you think of becoming an ecommerce seller, the question of where to start from accompanies the thought of where you should start selling. Fortunately, the option of using multichannel listings tools and multichannel selling software allows you to display your products on multiple platforms. From there, you can make use of helpful tools such as an inventory management software, dropshipping automation, order management tools, and so on, in order to make the task of ecommerce selling easier.

Of the numerous digital platforms you can choose to sell on, eBay is definitely one of the most reputed and popular ones. Not only does eBay has 1.3 billion listings, it also has 182 million active buyers. Therefore, having your products displayed on eBay automatically increases the chances of sales and conversions.

It’s often easy to get a little intimidated at the thought of being an ecommerce seller on a platform as big as eBay. However, if you’re aware of a few tips and tricks of the trade, the process does become easier. Looking forward to becoming a seller on eBay? Read on to know the small things you need to remember when selling on eBay.

Tips for eBay Sellers

Known to provide free listings for up to 50 items, eBay also gives an affordable package for larger sellers. Regardless of whether you’re just starting out on eBay or have been around for quite a while, these tips are sure to help you in being a seller on this remunerative platform:

1. Create SEO Friendly Item Descriptions

The way you craft your item descriptions makes a lot of impact on how well it’s going to sell. The same goes for your item descriptions on eBay, and the one way to make them more attractive is by making them SEO-friendly.

Search engine optimization for your eBay item descriptions isn’t just about looking up the relevant and important keywords associated with the products; it’s also about pairing them with the other related keywords that your customers might possibly look up. For example, if you’re selling a pair of shoes, you should not just talk about its color, material, and other detailed features, but also add the general tags such as the category of shoes it belongs to, etc.

2. Take High Quality Product Photos

A good photo speaks a thousand words, and this motto applies for your product photos on eBay as well. If a product photo looks presentable, the customers will automatically be drawn to it. You don’t need to have a high-end camera to take quality photos for your products; all you need is a smartphone and a few pointers that will make your photos stand out.

When clicking these product photos, it’s important to remember to take them against a neutral background, because that way the product will be displayed clearly. Also, be sure to give your customers an authentic view of the items in questions, which is why you should clearly photograph any flaws the item or items might have.

Don’t ever use stock photos for your listings. It’s easy to identify the difference between a real photo and a stock one, and going for the latter gives a bad impression about your brand. Remember to click photos of the items from multiple angles, and also clearly indicate the size of the product.

3. List Products Every Day and Not Together

Experts suggest that it’s better to list your products day-by-day instead of listing them all together. Putting up a listing every day works better than putting up multiple listings in one day, owing to how the eBay algorithm works.

If you update your inventory on a regular basis, you will have new visitors regularly, and also keep unlisted inventory at bay. You can make use of eBay’s quick listing tool to make the process of item listing quicker and easier.

4. Be Aware of Your Competitors

Being in ecommerce comes with a whole bunch of competition, which is why it’s extremely necessary to be aware of your fellow competitors in order to stay ahead in the game. If the customers find a better option elsewhere, they won’t hesitate in buying the required products from a similar online store.

For instance, if they see your competitors offering the same kind of products at a lower price, they’re bound to go for that. Fortunately, eBay has got you covered with regards to keeping an eye on your competitors. Their feature of the Seller Hub Growth Tab allows you to have insights in three different categories, namely Restock Advice, Sourcing Guidance, and Listing Improvements.

5. Find Things to Sell

The question of what to sell is for new sellers to figure out, which is why landing on the correct option is imperative. With so many items listed on eBay, it could seem intimidating to pinpoint the specific products, but it really isn’t that complicated.

The interesting thing is that the items that seem like they wouldn’t be too popular on eBay are exactly the ones that sell a lot. Some examples of those items include school supplies, empty printer cartridges, broken watches and jewelry, craft supplies, empty perfume bottles, lids from pans and pots, pantyhose, and also unopened razors, cosmetics, and batteries.

It’s better to begin by selling items that cost less than $50. This way, the pressure will be off you as a new seller. Working with inexpensive items in the beginning allows you to learn and sort out things such as shipping, solving customer queries, navigating seller dashboards, and so on. Also, make sure to choose products that are easy to ship, and avoid items that will break easily.

6. Stay Away from Selling Problematic Products

When you just start out on eBay, there will be many out there who will be waiting to pounce on you with scams. One of the best ways of saving yourself from this scenario is by avoiding high-risk items. Some of these products are electronics, designer handbags, event tickets, autographed items that don’t have a COA, and counterfeited products like expensive sunglasses, designer jeans, Ugg boots, Nike shoes, and so on.

If you do wish to sell any of these items, it’s best to first establish yourself as an authentic and reputed seller. In case you are ever caught selling a fake item, you will be suspended immediately. Therefore, never think of treading on that shady path.

7. Pick the Best Listing Type

The listing type you choose has quite a lot of impact on your seller status. Whether you go for fixed price or auction, they both have their set of pros and cons. The auctions of today aren’t like what they used to be, therefore, it’s best to keep the price low in the beginning, even if it means you get just one bid. Fixed price listings, on the other hand, could take longer to sell, but you might end up making more money if you get the right buyer.

8. Enhance Your Feedback Score

Based on your trading experience, every seller on eBay gets a feedback score. This number indicates a combination of selling as well as buying histories. When you have a lot of feedback, it helps you establish yourself as a trusted and authentic seller. Having a low feedback score affects your sales massively.

If you have fewer feedbacks on eBay since you’re new to it, what you can do is buy a few inexpensive products, so that you can receive feedback from the respective sellers. Remember to buy things that you will actually use and like. Once you receive the item, leave a feedback for the seller, and request the seller to leave a feedback for you in return. Having 20 feedbacks is a good starting point if you want to be a seller on eBay.

9. Have a Healthy Return Policy

The return policy could be a tricky subject to wrap your head around, but eBay offers that to all its buyers, so that they feel safe and confident while purchasing a product. Therefore, as a seller, all you need to do is stay ahead of your competition and make sure that your product is authentic, so that your customers won’t even feel the need to return it. In fact, offering a fair return policy only increases the trust they have in you.

If you have a return policy that’s 30 days or longer, you also get rewarded by eBay. This takes place by eBay giving your store a boost in the search results. Therefore, this aids in providing some much-needed search engine optimization as well.

Summing Up

Choosing an online platform to sell on is not too difficult these days. However, it’s important that you choose the right one, and there really is no better name than eBay. With its wide range of listings and giant customer base, you’re in good hands as a seller. Therefore, be it new sellers or veteran ones, these tips are sure to help anyone who is looking to make a profit by selling on eBay.

[themurphyzone]

Secret Santa Ch 6

Sorry about the wait! I went home for Thanksgiving and we just got the Internet back!

So yeah tons of cuteness in the last chapter. Headcanon that Bradley is totally a cat lover! Also Pepper’s original name was Ashley but then I thought Bradley already had a name that ends with -ley and it looked too similar. Besides, salt and pepper go together!

Ch 6- Bradley

“You’re picky, aren’t you?” Bradley asked. Pepper mewed and turned her nose up at the white cat bed Bradley pointed out. “Do you want a darker color?”

Pepper batted at the air in front of her.

“This one’s too big,” Bradley said, kneeling to look at the items on the bottom row. “And this one’s expensive.”

He set Pepper down so he could look at the price tag of a brown, circular bed. The fleece was soft and fluffy, and had room to spare as Pepper grew up.

“What about this one?” he asked, his heart sinking when he realized Pepper hadn’t answered like she normally did. “Pepper?”

It hadn’t been a week and he’d already lost track of his kitten. She couldn’t possibly get into trouble. No, there was no way she could waltz out the door and get chased by stray dogs or hit by a car or be buried in a landslide-

Bradley inhaled deeply, though it didn’t help calm his heart at all. He walked through the aisle twice, but there was no sign of a dark gray kitten anywhere.

“Bradley!” An all-too familiar voice shouted. “Hey! What are you doing here?”

The last thing he needed with this disaster of epic proportions was the epitome of catastrophe himself.

“Milo,” Bradley said flatly. “Go away. Weekends are my breaks.”

“Well, I can’t leave Diogee behind!” Milo cheerfully waved to Diogee, who was behind a large enclosure with a group of five other dogs. Diogee barked at the acknowledgement. “Also, Melissa’s the assistant teacher!”

“Assistant teacher for what?” Bradley asked.

“Oh, you didn’t know?” Milo asked. “Diogee teaches ACL. American Canine Language for short. This pet store lets them use the space on Saturdays at noon. It’s really nice of them to do that.”

Melissa put a fluffy Pomeranian down, opening the door a crack so she could join the conversation but not let the dogs out. “Between you and me, I have no idea what they’re saying. I’m just here to pet some pooches,” she whispered to Bradley.

Bradley pulled away, quickly turning his back on Milo so he didn’t see his cheeks heat up. Of course he’d been thinking about Melissa’s gift, but he only thought about it during school since Pepper wasn’t distracting him. Not that all distractions were bad of course. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to go find Pepper.”

“Did you lose her?” Milo asked. “I can help you look. It’s no trouble. Maybe I can get Diogee to sniff her out for you.”

“Yes, I lost her,” Bradley snapped. “And keep your mutt away.”

No amount of telling Milo to keep out of his business was working, so Bradley had no choice but to let Milo follow behind him. In that timespan, three shopping carts overturned and a large bag of dog food split open, the entire back half of the store now filled with the sounds of crunching kibble and barking dogs.

They checked the bird aisle, the toy section, the aquarium decorations, and the grooming services, but they still couldn’t spot Pepper anywhere.

“It’s hopeless,” Bradley muttered. “We’ll never find her.”

“Don’t give up!” Milo said. “I’m sure she’s fine.”

Bradley scoffed, folding his arms. “And how do you know?”

“Because she’s right next to your head,” Milo replied. “Hi, Pepper! You had us all worried!”

Bradley whipped around, but before he could scoop Pepper up, she turned tail and settled into a black cat bed, curling in on herself and yawning.

“I can’t believe she was napping the entire time,” Bradley said, taking the cat bed off the shelf. “I’m not hanging around longer than I need to. I only came in here to buy her bed.”

Milo nodded. “See you on Monday then! Bye, Pepper!”

“Keep your voice down! She’s asleep!”

Pepper adjusted to his house quickly, so he was able to focus his attention on his gift to Melissa.

She was intelligent, but often forgetful. Bradley had seen her weak throwing arm, so sports equipment was ruled out.

Safety equipment? She was almost always in the splatter zone.

But Melissa never hesitated in telling people off when she thought they were being too paranoid around Milo. In Bradley’s opinion, there was little paranoia in fearing for his life when ‘anything that can go wrong’ did not exclude dying.

He liked to think he had good self-preservation instincts, a skill which many kids at Jefferson County Middle School sorely lacked.

Maybe a second opinion wouldn’t hurt. Girls were complicated after all.

Bradley deliberately hung back while the other kids crossed the street to get to the bus stop. Since there were currently only four functioning buses due to circus elephants stampeding through the parking lot at the main district office, the buses wouldn’t come around for another fifteen minutes.

That was plenty of time to chat.

“Elliot, I have a question for you,” Bradley said.

Elliot was still shaking his fist at Milo. “And if I even see you trying to cover your arm with any bracelet that’s on my prohibited list, you’ll be sorry!”

Bradley rolled his eyes. “Do I want to know why you have a prohibited list for bracelets?”

“Not just for bracelets. Also includes any other pieces of jewelry that can potentially get caught on water heaters, streetlamps, or luggage carts,” Elliot replied. “Always good to help educate a student on safety protocol.”

“No, that was a question formulated out of disbelief,” Bradley sighed. “Say, hypothetically, there was a pretty girl at school and a Secret Santa exchange is coming up in less than a month. What would you get her?”

“Oh, that’s easy,” Elliot said. “Matching safety vests! That way you can walk home at night and the color is bright enough so people can see you! Except make sure the girl in question isn’t also a regionally acclaimed skateboarder. Wendy didn’t like it that much when I gave tickets to all the other skateboarders at the state competition for violating basic safety principles. It totally wasn’t my fault. They deserved those citations for not completely wearing a protective bubble wrap layer while skateboarding along the half-pipe like any sane person would.”

Bradley wouldn’t be caught dead in one of Elliot’s overly saturated safety vests.

He walked to the bus stop with nine minutes to spare. “Thanks for nothing. I have no idea what I was thinking asking him for help,” he muttered.

“Why don’t you ask Milo?” Mort suggested. “He hangs out with Melissa all the time. He’ll probably know a lot of things that she likes.”

Bradley tapped his pencil in irritation and tried to focus on the assignment in front of him. “I am not asking the Boy Blunder for help. I’m not that desperate.”

Mort raised an eyebrow. “You say you aren’t desperate. But your aura is a deep purple like you’re afraid of what will happen in the near future should you fail to procure a suitable present.”

“Don’t try to read my thoughts,” Bradley snapped. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“And there’s a hint of green mixed in there too. Usually it stands for disgust,” Mort said.

Bradley shrugged. “In my defense, they were serving meatloaf for lunch.”

He was not going to regret this. He was not going to watch what little dreams he had crash and burn before they even got off the ground.

“I need help,” he said.

He fought the urge to scream, run, and live like a hermit for the rest of his life. Getting Melissa a present took precedence over his disdain for Milo. It was a constant internal struggle.

Milo gasped, a sickeningly bright smile taking over his face. “Sure! I’d love to help! I don’t know what you might need it for, but consider it accepted anyway!”

As he stood up in excitement, the open water bottle on his desk tipped over, spilling liquid all over the nearby electrical cords. The cords sparked and they quickly moved away from the small fire that sprung up.

He was definitely starting to regret this decision.

Looking around to make sure Melissa wasn’t in the vicinity, Bradley beckoned Milo closer, though he made sure there was an arm’s length between them. “What does Melissa like?”

“Lots of things!” Milo exclaimed. Apparently he never learned volume control, Bradley thought. “Good grades, friends, Diogee, music, risk-taking, bets, and puppies. I’m guessing puppies are kinda out of your budget though.”  

As much as he wanted to disregard Milo, he had good ideas sometimes.

Only sometimes.

“Maybe not every kind of puppy,” Bradley said. “Does she like stuffed animals?”

Milo nodded. “She doesn’t really buy them herself. They’re usually gifts. And you can tell which ones were from me, because there’s always a leg or eye lost between the time I buy them and when she receives them. One time I knocked over the shelf where she displays them and now she has caution tape around the perimeter.”

“That’s all I need to know,” Bradley said. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have somewhere else to be.”

“Where?” Milo asked.

A perfume cloud suddenly enveloped the classroom from a girl’s spilled bottle, causing the people in the back to cough as their senses were overwhelmed.

“Anywhere that doesn’t have an ocean mist scented perfume cloud,” Bradley replied, gathering his things and leaving the class so he didn’t get stuck with the scent all over his clothes. “And don’t think for one minute that asking for your help is going to be a regular occurrence.”

He found himself in the stuffed animal section of a toy store, looking through all the plush dogs on the shelves. They had just about every breed of canine imaginable, and Bradley belatedly realized he didn’t ask Milo about the breeds Melissa liked.

He tried to picture Diogee in his mind, though he had no idea what kind of dog he was. He appeared to be a corgi or dachshund though. It was probably the stubby legs.

After some debate, he picked a small Shiba Inu plushie complete with Santa hat. It wasn’t anything extravagant, but he hoped Melissa would find it cute anyway.

He was sure the plushie could never be as adorable as Pepper though.

[streetlites]

San Myshuno opened Cascabel Plaza in October in order to bring in more sales to businesses within the city during the holiday season. It’s a somewhat popular tourist attraction as well, bringing in people from all over to gawk at a completely festive small scale ‘town’ that you had to be given a map to navigate.  To me, it appeared as if Santa’s workshop vomited all over the city park so I hadn’t really cared to go. That is, I hadn’t until the week before Christmas and I realized that I still hadn’t finished buying presents yet.

“Is this the one that you were looking for,” Yulian asked, pointing at a small toy store with a full display in a shop window.

“No, but I really don’t care anymore,” I complained and we headed inside. I was looking for Ziggy the Zebra – rated one of the season’s worst toys on account of how loudly it spoke. Of course, Miguelito loved the cartoons and had asked to receive one from Santa. I overheard Damian tell the little boy that there was some sort of licensing dispute over at The North Pole and it wasn’t possible to receive that toy from Santa this year. Clever… Except I still think Damian’s a douche and wish him misery.

The hell-toy had been pulled from most shelves but you could still buy it from The Eager Kite somewhere in this godforsaken string-lighted maze. Normally, I would be persistent in whatever efforts I needed to make my sister’s fiancé’s life unbearable but after my activities last night combined with those from earlier today, I was incredibly tired. So inside I went, but with the mindset that if I could not get the loudest toy, I would get the loudest one in this shop.

I strolled around with Yulian, pressing every button on every toy; laughingly rating them by annoyance factor, judging the winces on the other adults’ faces nearby. Then we found it: Andy Roid, a small robot toy with blinding flashing lights, missiles, and a horn that also quizzed children on colors, numbers, and the alphabet.

“This one,” Yulian laughed.

“You think this is the worst?”

“Definitely. Your own sister might be tempted to beat you.”

“Perfect. Do you think that I should buy him two of them so he can set them both off?”

“Are you Satan? Shit, that’s evil,” he said, but reached up to grab the two largest versions from a top shelf for me anyway.

 My parents were easier to buy for. My mother enjoyed perfumes, particularly Femme Rochas which wasn’t particularly expensive or hard to find. My father preferred silly gadgets, tool sets, or socks. For him, all I had to do was walk into a Sharpened Picture and pick out the most ridiculous item in the store – which I felt was the heated slippers. Socks and gadgetry!

Yulian watched me as I selected the perfume for my mother and pointed to a red dress on display, “You should try that one on.”

“My tetas wouldn’t stay inside that one,” I scoffed.

“Oh? Suddenly you’re shy?”

I chuckled, he’s got me there. “Why? Are you planning on buying me a fancy dress?”

He shrugged, “Maybe you might want something to wear to a New Year’s party.”

I looked at the dress with amusement, “The sort of parties that I’d go to, that dress would be out of place. So,” I said, drawing the conversation away from plans that I hadn’t even made yet, “what’d you come here to get?”

“My mom likes those little trinkets with the big eyes, like the angels and stuff. You know, the ones that always look like they’re about to cry?”

I nodded and we went into Giftmarx where they kept a dizzying amount of Sweet Times figurines for sale. Yulian wasn’t sure which his mother already had so he bought her one of each, “She mostly likes unboxing them anyway,” he explained when I asked what if she’d already had one that he’d placed in his handbasket.

 “Fuck, all this is giving me a headache,” Volkov griped when we stopped to rest in front of the fountain, which helped to drown out some of the Christmas music played on the loud speakers.

“Seriously,” I agreed and checked my bags again to make sure I had bought everyone a present. My phone started to blow up, chimes sounding one after the other.

“What’s up?” he asked when I pulled it out of my purse.

“I don’t know, but it’s Cici. No one else sends me texts that fast.” I unlocked my phone to check her messages and felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. Suddenly, everything was too loud – the music, the people talking, the fountain sounds all merged together to a roar in my ears. I sank to my knees, covering my mouth to bite back the bile that rose in my throat.

“Em?!” Yulian cried and dropped to his knees beside me, “What’s wrong? Hey, say something,” he said, trying to pull my hands away from my face.

I shook my head hard, I wouldn’t cry, would not. I barked out a bitter laugh, “I thought you were asking me stupid questions this morning. I must have sounded so stupid. I mean, why wouldn’t I let his sister stay at my apartment?” He looked at me uncertainly, it was really too much. “How long have you known?”

“Known what, Em?”

I grit my teeth angrily, “That he was with THAT WHORE,” I shouted and swung my hand at him.

“Hey,” he said gently and caught my arm, “I found out yesterday. He told me he was going to tell you and I believed him.”

“Give me your keys,” I demanded.

“No,” he answered firmly.

“Give me your fucking keys, Volkov!”

“Any other day but this one. It’s a bad idea, Em.”

“I’m not asking for your goddamn advice,” I growled. “I’m going, get the fuck out of my way.”

He held on to my wrist, “Don’t. Take a few days and calm down before you go. I can get you a ticket to Twikkii Island, you can be there by the morning. You can go by yourself if you need space.”

“Your black card can’t fix this,” I snapped and twisted my arm to break his hold.

“I’m not going to go with you, not for this.” The hurt look on his face did not make me feel guilty. Gene had reason not to tell me, seeing as how we were still fucking as of last night. But Yulian? Why hadn’t he? I felt betrayed by them both.

I glared at him, “Why the fuck would I even want you along?”

[businessliveme]

33 genius travel hacks to upgrade your holiday trips

(Bloomberg) –So it begins: The holidays are upon us, and with them, the crush of holiday travel.

Here, the best pearls of wisdom from Travel Genius, Bloomberg’s original podcast that delivers the cleverest solutions to your most common travel problems. Tips include our hosts’ original reporting, plus words of wisdom from Season 2’s guests, both recent and forthcoming. (Consider this your sneak peek to the weeks ahead.)

With their help, you’ll be well-armed to tackle any holiday travel stress—whether you’ve yet to solidify your plans, are stuck on your shopping list, or simply need to keep the peace amid airport chaos. It’s a holiday survival guide on supersmart steroids.

Get Good Travel Deals, Even in the Highest Season

If you’re booking a last-minute holiday getaway, there’s still hope.

1. Lexie Alford, recognized by Guinness World Records as the youngest person to visit every country in the world, says Skyscanner is “definitely the best for booking last-minute stuff. It’s the most reliable, and it shows many different options: the fastest route, the cheapest route. How many stops you want to make.” She says it also offers an alternative for greener choices. For example: “This flight emits 32% less CO₂ than average for your search.

Read: Golden trip hacks from a Guinness World Record holder for travel

2. Don’t be afraid to negotiate. If your dream hotel has rooms available, and the competitor down the street has better pricing, hop on the phone. Desk agents have a habit of giving in for the sake of a direct, guaranteed booking.

3. By the same token, ask what your hotel includes free of charge. Airport transfers, room service, non-motorized water sports equipment—Moti Ankari, a fashion influencer and co-creator of the menswear shoe brand, Ankari Floruss, has gotten all of these without adding a dime to the cost of his stays.

Image: Pixabay

Ace Your Packing Game

This time of year, the last thing you want to do is check a bag.

4. Skip the jewelry roll, and use a wine cork to stash your earrings, says venture capitalist Hitha Palepu, author of How to Pack. Chipping away bits of the cork also make for improvised backings, should one get lost.

5. Palepu’s other brilliant tip: Use a washed and dried prescription bottle to pack toiletries that don’t come in travel sizes. The shape of the bottles makes them easy to clean; tamper-proof lids mean they’ll never spill.

6. A tiny, tidy stain-removing kit will let you re-wear outfits with confidence. Include baby powder (for grease stains), dryer sheets (to keep everything smelling fresh—even your laundry compartment), and Shout wipes or a Tide pen.

7. Don’t pack what a hotel can give you. Westins provides gym clothes on loan, points out Trevor Project Chief Executive Officer Amit Paley. Many hotels can offer up rain boots, hiking gear, dog beds, and other bulky goods your suitcase can do without.

Be Two Steps Ahead of Any Crisis

When everyone else is melting down, you’ll be cool as a cucumber.

8. Bad Airbnb? Nasty forecast? When your vacation looks like it’s taking a turn for the worse, salvage matters with a strategic pivot. Don’t fall prey to the fallacy of sunk costs. You can always rebook, reroute, and file your complaints and disputes from a much happier place.

Read: Travel Tips From a Rock Star Who Flies 500,000 Miles a Year

9. Nothing will fix a plane full of crying babies as much as a good, stiff drink. Linden Pride, founding partner of Dante, the World’s Best Bar, says the prime option is to mix your own 50/50 martini. “Take a full cup of ice in one plastic cup, then pour equal parts vodka and vermouth over the ice [on long-haul flights, the air team will have vermouth], stir it with a plastic stirrer, then pour it back into a second plastic cup and add a rind of the lemon they’d otherwise serve you with a soft drink. There’s nothing better.”

10. Worried about a potential flight cancellation? Book a hotel proactively, says ABC News correspondent Rebecca Jarvis. Her logic: You can’t cancel a last-minute replacement flight, but refundable rooms are easy to come by. And once that announcement is made, everyone will be scrambling for the last decent room in town—except for you.

11. Use the Flighty app to learn about flight disruptions before anyone else. Yes, it costs $50 per year, but you can get a free trial and hear about delays, cancelations, and aircraft issues well before they’re officially announced.

Turn Airports and Airplanes Into Spa-Like Experiences

Family will be impressed when you land looking (and feeling) like a million bucks.

12. Don’t have lounge access? Look for an airport yoga room. They’re free, underutilized, and usually empty, says Jarvis of ABC News.

13. Jen Rubio, co-founder and chief brand officer of luggage label Away, makes her own in-flight dopp kit to make any coach seat feel like business class: she uses perfumed, hydrating, rinse-free hand wash from Byredo instead of Purell hand sanitizer; Barbara Sturm antipollution serum to keep her skin clean and moisturized; and extremely comfortable silicone earplugs from Savears.

14. Do you shop at Sephora? Grab free samples and stash them in your carry-on bag. When you land, you’ll have a small, pampering surprise waiting for you, says Bobbi Brown.

15. Packing genius Palepu swears by coconut oil as a solution to all your beauty woes, for “everything from mangled cuticles to hangovers, dry mouths on planes—you might even be able to use it as shaving cream.”

16. Actor, designer, and Wes Anderson muse Waris Ahluwalia’s secret sauce for bright, never-puffy eyes? Preparation H and ice water.

17. Ankari, meanwhile, sprays himself with Downy Wrinkle Release to erase creases after hours of sitting still.

Get Around Like a Local VIP

Nothing ruins the holiday spirit like schlepping.

18. The end of the year is the best time to take advantage of airline status-matching offers, such as what Delta is currently offering. Jumping onto a new loyalty program now means you’ll get the benefits through the end of 2020—instead of just this year.

19. Considering train travel? Author Monisha Rajesh, who trekked 45,000 miles while writing the book Around the World in 80 Trains, suggests checking Seat61.com—“the Google for train lovers.” The site compares everything from routes to pricing data to amenities, all under one roof.

Read: Scared to Travel to ‘Dangerous’ Places? Don’t Be

20. Peripatetic traveler Alford wants to make sure you never get taken for a ride again. “Email your hotel before you arrive and ask what the average price is for a taxi from the airport,” she advises. Knowing that price will help you dispute an inflated number. “If you get to the hotel, and the meter is unbelievably high, refuse to pay for it—or call the cops,” she says.

Stay Entertained Anywhere—Without Rocking the Boat

When the conversation turns to impeachment news, divert to one of these strategies.

21. Designer Alhuwalia says a pack of playing cards isn’t just for entertainment—it’s also great for learning a new language. (You can practice your numbers, at the very least.) He uses them to converse with seatmates from other countries of origin, but the strategy is just as good around a newly cleared dining table—especially if you’re considering a 2020 family holiday to, say, España or Deutschland.

22. Palepu, the author, turned us on to Libro.fm, a sort of indie Audible that supports indie bookstores. Just add headphones.

23. Want to plan a perfect day exploring as a plugged-in tourist, whether you’re in your hometown or somewhere new? Try out Journy, which creates a custom-tailored itinerary in most major cities for as little as $25.

24. Out of ideas? Have a pencil? Or a makeup brush you don’t mind washing out later? Order coffee or a glass of wine and start making art. The beverages are your paint, says Alison Mosshart, frontwoman of the Kills.

Shopping Secrets of the Rich and Famous (and Crafty)

Because Black Friday is just the beginning.

25. Splurging on a gift for yourself—or for someone on your holiday list? Try swiping that plastic abroad. The VAT savings on a very big-ticket item, such as a Birkin bag, can offset the cost of an entire weekend in Paris, says master chef Eric Ripert.

26. Don’t let kids buy everything they see and want on vacation. Have them take photos of souvenirs they’re coveting, and then revisit the entire list a day before you head home. This way, you’ll end up only with the one or two things they really love, says Disney expert Susan Veness.

27. Be strategic about airport shopping, says Away’s Rubio. “If you’re looking at a pair of Gucci loafers, the difference between buying them in New York and at Gucci at London Heathrow can be $200 to $300. It’s as much as 35% off—insane!” And if you’re passing through the same airports frequently—say, for Thanksgiving and Christmas—get a business card from the store associate. “Those airport boutiques have a limited selection because they don’t have a ton of space, but they can order things from any other store location and hold it for you.”

Read: Six Tourist Spots in Saudi Arabia That Will Surprise You

28. Another move she uses to get through her holiday shopping list: scoping out personal shopping services at international airports. (Yes, they exist!) “You book it ahead of time, and tell them what stores you want to go to and how much time you have. Then the personal shopper meets you after security and takes you from terminal to terminal to get the stuff you need.”

Make Any Place Feel More Like Home

Because not everyone is—or wants to be—“home for the holidays.”

29. Broadway star Schele Williams has no time for bad coffee, so she packs a portable French Press wherever she goes. (We like this one; for espresso lovers, there’s also the “nanopresso.”) Want to bring your own grounds, too? Head to the baby goods aisle, where tiny containers meant to hold formula or purees will do the trick.

30. Bring your sleep routine with you. For exercise guru Taryn Toomey—who bans cellphones in the bedroom, that means a small, wooden alarm clock. For Away’s Rubio, it’s the small, USB-powered white noise machine from Aurola. “There’s a Pavlovian quality to it,” she says. “No matter where in the world I am, or what kind of room I’m in, the machine turns on and my brain instantly relaxes.”

31. In hotel rooms, tiny closets with too few hangers drive fashion entrepreneur Ankari crazy. (He was Bloomberg’s fashion market editor.) He asks for a rolling rack with additional hangers to be delivered to his room so he can see all his outfits, organize looks, and never leave anything behind.

32. If you find yourself tripping over furniture in hotel rooms, do as beauty legend and new hotelier Bobbi Brown does: Ask staff to simply remove the offending item. More often than not, they can and will.

33. Pack an extension cord. Trevor Project’s Amit says it’ll come in handy well after you’ve juiced up at the airport. No matter where you’re sleeping, it’s a surefire way to make sure there’s an outlet just where you’re used to having one, whether that’s bedside, sink-side, or anywhere in between.

The post 33 genius travel hacks to upgrade your holiday trips appeared first on Businessliveme.com.

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[taesthetes]

(1/?) Travel-anon-hi! Sorry for the late reply, I've been feeling a bit under the weather D: But wow! That's so sweet of you for what you did for your mom! My family's not big on celebrating parent days, but we do go out for dinners - my mom's bday is a couple days before, so we merge the two ;u;~ Thank you! I'll probably come back with a pile of photos, and be super picky which to instagram, haha. Oh! Good idea with the perfume! I normally don't carry any, but this sounds like a good reason to.

(2/?) Aw, you had to give up your internship? I’m sorry D: but on the bright side, vacation? Would you be able to do the internship another time? In terms of expensiveness, I think HK topped it for me. The livelihood there is super high end and overpriced to me :/ And ikr! I wish it were like that here too, but North America’s just too big and spread out for that unless you lived downtown, but that’s expensive D: In December, one Japan night was 24 degrees celsius ouo;; that’s pretty much summer

(3/?) But it does depend where you’re at in Japan! That night I was in Tokyo! It’ll be colder if you’re farther north~ I don’t know if the magikarp promo is still going D: but if it is, you definitely have to try it! I actually like the “crispy sandwich caramel” haagen dazs! I can’t get it where I’m from ;u; so depriveeeed. Your convenience stores sound so much better than mine! All mine have are dollar store things and candy OTL? Usually super grungy looking too. Aw, that’s cute! Do you visit?

(4/?) For the cat, not your sister (well, I guess her too), haha. I don’t remember, did you say you’d try to get a pet in the future for yourself, maybe? Yep! Certain holidays or popular events cause tickets to be more expensive to those countries during those times~ It’s still modern art?! Why isn’t there any traditional ones D:?! I actually prefer modern art, haha; mostly the interactive type ones! I don’t particularly have a favourite artist; I appreciate based on how interesting their-

(5/?) concepts are and how well they executed it. I mean, we did drop a lot of cash on the machines (and won nothing a lot of times), so I’m pretty sure that’s why they took pity on us, haha! I hope you’re lucky enough to either win it yourself, or find someone to help you! I also wish for you to be good at those games ;D! Have you had any more ramen since I last spoke to you? You’re still making me crave for it, and I can’t have any right now ;u; Oo, barely any jet lag can be a good thing!

(6/?) I don’t jet lag much when I travel, but the bits that I do, I accounted for, and used it for long-term traveling within the country! Oo, I hope I get to try a vietnamese hot pot some time then :D! If we ever manage to meet up in another country, let’s hit up vietnamese hot pot, haha. Omg, both of those movies were so good!! Infinity war, I really hope you do get to see it soon D: There’s so many spoilers out already, and it would suck if you got completely ruined to it beforehand!

(7/?) I preordered all 4 albums when they first opened it :D;; If I was only getting 1 of them though, I’d have gotten O! What about you? Did you preorder, or are you going to hit up a store when it’s released where you are? Which is your favourite concept? And, omg, yes. Jimin’s pretty hardcore when it comes to going 0 to 100, so I tend to die fairly often, haha. How do you manage to keep up with Tae?! He’s just as bad, if not worse, than Jimin’s 0-100?! He’s too pretty and amazing as a person!

(8/8) I was going to end this at 7, but well, here’s 8, haha. I follow on yt, and when a notice pops up, I listen and fav the song if it matches my tastes :D NCT is going haaard right now, like wow, almost every other week or two OTL I’ve been into kpop for so long that I like a lot of groups, so it’s hard to recount all of them, haha. What about you? Who else do you listen to? How long have you been into kpop? How was the Tswift concert?! Did you have an amazing time?? How early did you lineup?

hello, m’love!! oh noo, i’m so sorry to hear that ): are you feeling better now? make sure to drink lots of fluids and rest up! and thank you :’) i hope you had a good dinner with your family!! and happy belated birthday to your mom 💕 oh gosh, my instagram is a mess, i just post sporadically and nothing matches. but i think i’ll start trying to make a nicer instagram page though haha. yeah, it’s pretty helpful with the perfume because you can’t bring pepper spray onto planes or anything for travel, so i just pack a small perfume bottle instead!

yeah, i’m excited for the vacation!! i won’t be able to do an internship until next summer then unfortunately. oooh, i heard kong kong is really nice! but i’ll make sure not to go there until i have money lmao. yeah, the only way walking is fine in north america is if i live in one of the big cities, like nyc. oh my god, in december??? it’s going to be even worse since i’m going in the summer D: i think overall it’s going to be very hot in japan because it’s summer when i’ll be there. 

ahhh, even if there’s no magikarp, i’m still excited to eat taiyaki!! omg ok, i’ll make sure to get that ice cream flavor when i’m there :o and that really sucks ): hopefully, you’ll get to come back to japan soon and then you can get the ice cream :D ah yeah, there’s a lot of dollar store items and travel items too and candy. i think most convenience stores are pretty grungy tbh. i visited her last year! but that was before she got a cat sadly ):

and yes!! i want to get a dog and a cat in the future! i suppose there are a few traditional art pieces on display? but i think most people here enjoy modernized art more, like even the buildings and such in the usa are much more modern compared to europe. i guess it’s because the usa hasn’t been a country for as long as european countries, so everything is newer looking. oooh nice!! interactive art is always fun! :D modern art is really beautiful too, but sometimes, i see something like the entire canvas is painted one color with only one stripe down it and i’m like ??? how is this worth 91283472319 dollars???

asdfjkads that’s going to be me. i’m going to spend all my money on the crane machines and win nothing, so let’s hope someone will help me ahah and thank you!! fingers crossed! :’)  and i haven’t had any ramen since ): ramen isn’t the healthiest, so i try not to eat it often. ajsdhfalks but you can’t have any right now? D: did you run out? oooh, and that’s smart! i really hope the jet lag won’t hit so hard because i want to explore everything, but there’s never enough time. and yes!! we’ll definitely get vietnamese hot pot, and then you’ll have to show me all your favorite food places too :D ahhh, i want to see both of them soon! i took my last midterm yesterday, but i still have papers and several projects to do ): and my weekends are packed since i have some things to go to for my friends’ birthdays and i think we might do a road trip for the upcoming memorial weekend since we get monday off.

and omg so lucky!! all four wow :o well, i didn’t preorder it, but i don’t know which album i want either. maybe R or O? because they all look good in denim, but tae had that lip ring.. and unfortunately, they don’t sell kpop merch in stores anywhere near me /: so i’ll have to order it from amazon if i do buy it! honestly all the concepts are pretty though. jimin’s stage presence vs real life is mind blowing with how he can switch so fast. askdlhfjaj i barely keep up with tae, he’s too perfect and he’s such a sweetheart pluS HIS DOGS AND CAT ARE SO CUTE I LOVE THEM SO MUCH

asdf,nasd oh my god i love nct so so so much, like nct dream is my ult boy group favorite, and i’m so sad mark is graduating from the dreamies after this year ): did you see their chain mv? who’s your bias? oh my gosh i’m so excited to hear you like nct alskdjfhalew i really, really, really love taeyeon, like she’s my ult bias, but i also love shinee and blackpink (when will they release a new song)!!! i follow up with those three and nct the most. but i also listen to red velvet, gfriend, twice, kard, day6, wanna one, monsta x, infinite, vixx, astro, and f(x) like when are they coming back ): oh and (g)i-dle!!! i pretty much listen to whatever group that currently makes a comeback, so i know the title songs of most of the kpop groups, but i don’t know each of the members’ names. and i’ve been into kpop since early 2014 :’)

ooooh my god, the taylor swift concert marks the best night of my life, likE I LOVE HER SO MUCH I’VE BEEN A FAN SINCE 2006 AND I CAN’T BELIEVE I FINALLY GOT TO GO TO HER CONCERT!!!! but i got there two hours early for the lineup, and when it started, i sang along for every single song, and when she sang a mashup with long live included, i was over the moon, plus before the concert, i was like oh hey what if she sings the best day because it’s mother’s day tomorrow anD SHE ACTUALLY DID AND I CRIED OMG I GOT SO EMO i was shaking like i tried to get good videos on my phone, but my phone also died and the video will show you how shaky i actually was and wow i just– best experience, i will definitely go to her concerts over and over again and i just loved it so much. so yeah i was pretty excited and super happy overall :’) and how is your week going? 💗