We’ve all been there: You’re planted on the porch enjoying a glass of lemonade or stretched out on the couch watching your favorite sitcom, when suddenly you look down to see a monstrous line of ants. Where did they come from? You rack your brain for any possible reason for their sudden appearance, but you can’t think of anything obvious that would’ve attracted these little pests. So why in the heck are they invading your home?

Why Do I Have Ants?
There are many reasons ants might have made it into your home, even when preventive steps have been taken to keep out the little varmints:

• Water – Ants are attracted to any place where there is water. Even tiny amounts, such as spilled puddles of water on a bathroom floor, are enough to attract dozens of ants. And once you have a couple…
• Sugar – Despite popular belief, it doesn’t take a spill or sticky mess to attract ants. They can smell sugar from inside your refrigerator and cabinets.
• Food traces – the tiniest of crumbs on the floor and the scent of dirty dishes also draws them inside.

What Can I Do?
Preventative measures should be taken before the presence of ants, but if it is too late for that, follow one or more of the following methods to rid your home of ants:

• Find the nest – This method takes more time and patience than others, but it is somewhat satisfying when you’ve followed the worker ants and tracked down their nest. By locating their home and then spraying boric acid powder between walls or behind tiles near the location, you can be sure to eliminate all, rather than just a small percentage, of the population.

Also check out these 5 natural ways to repel ants:
• Sprinkle cayenne pepper near the area ants are entering your home.
• In a food processor, blend water and citrus peels, specifically lemon peels. Alternatively, mix lemon juice with water. Just spray the area where they are most congested, and where they are entering at.
• Place instant grits in their line of path, and watch them die almost instantly. The grits work as a dehydrator, which drains their body of all its water.
• Mix white vinegar and water for the safest repellent for home use. Spray along the ants’ paths for best results.

Pest Control
Hopefully you will find a few of these tips useful in ridding your home of ants. However, if you don’t have success with any of these tips, you might want to consider calling a pest control service to come out and spray your home. They are equipped with powerful but safe chemicals that will eliminate your ant problem completely.

For business casual, jeans have been a question of style every time an invitation says business casual.

There are some items that are always appropriate for this dress code. These include skirts, long sleeved shirts, blouses, and slacks – in certain colors. Often times, the same shoes that are seen in business formal are appropriate for business casual.

However, depending on where a person works, jeans could be appropriate. Some jobs – such as detective work and teaching – don’t allow jeans to be worn at all. Other jobs – particularly more creative areas or office jobs that don’t have clients come in 24/7 – do allow jeans to be worn.

Often times, the jeans that are allowed are darker in color. There are no tears or holes in the jeans that are appropriate in business casual – save them for the weekend or going out with friends. Dark wash jeans are closer to color compared to suit skirts and pants that used to be worn. When jeans are worn in the work place, they are often paired with a dressy shirt – a blouse for women or a button up shirt for men. T-shirts and jeans are a big no-go for the work place unless it is expressed by the boss.

Another thing to be cautious of when trying to decide if to wear jeans to the work place is the color. If there’s a more relaxed environment, different colors could be appropriate. Colors like red, orange, and yellow are often too ‘out there’. Cooler colors, such as brighter blues and greens, could be okay in certain areas.

Keeping in mind the length of the jeans is another thing to do. Shorts are always a no-go. Going to the dress and skirt standards is always better than guessing. When a company doesn’t allow skirts or dresses to go above the knees, keep jeans below the knee as well.

Another no-go with jeans is wearing sneakers or flip-flops with the jeans. The workplace is not the beach. Flip-flops and sneakers are often too casual unless working in construction – and that’s only for sneakers. Jeans relax an outfit, but they do not give employees a right to wear anything with the jeans – if at all allowed at the workplace.

If unsure if jeans are okay in the workplace, watch co-workers. If other co-workers wear jeans, stay within the color range and length ranges that they wear. It’s always better, however, to err on the side of business formal than too casual in the event that an outfit is causing second guesses.

To buy a typical fitness franchise, you will need a small investment of about $250,000. If you prefer a full-service franchise, you must pay more than $500,000.

How to Choose the Most Profitable Fitness Franchise

Always consider the initial licensing costs. Most fitness franchises will charge a $1,000 fee; however, big businesses will require a fee of $25,000 or higher. If a franchise has very expensive fees, this does not mean that the business is extremely successful.

Next, review the royalty fees carefully. In the fitness industry, franchisees must pay either a fixed percentage fee or a flat rate fee. Both fees will cover your operating rights each month.

If you have to buy a lot of equipment to run a franchise, you will need a bigger investment. To save money, select a fitness facility that uses less equipment and does not offer 24-hour services.

The franchise that you choose must charge a reasonable fee for marketing campaigns. The overall cost should cover lead generation, web hosting, and ads for newspapers.

Overall, to select a proper fitness franchise that has future potential, you must review all of the benefits carefully. The company that has the best features and services is probably the most profitable.

Fitness Franchise Investment Considerations

Planet Fitness has 44 corporate facilities, and the franchise fee for one store is $10,000. This company has been in business since 1992, but franchising opportunities were not available until 2003.

Retro Fitness was established in 2004. Today, the company has four corporate locations. To buy a franchise, you must pay $50,000 or more depending on the location.

If you prefer a 24-hour franchise opportunity, invest in a Snap Fitness facility. For $15,000, you can work with a reputable company that is constantly growing.

Title Boxing Club only has one corporate location. The franchise fee is high because the company is managed by a retired boxer.

You can find other franchise opportunities by contacting local gyms in your area.

If you’ve been thinking about dropping a few pounds, join the club. Millions of Americans and people all around the world are trying to figure out how to lose weight.

For some people, losing weight is about getting trimmer and more attractive. They want to fit into their favorite outfits or their wedding or prom dresses. For others, losing weight is about getting healthier. For them, it has to do with quitting medications, avoiding type II diabetes and living long enough to see their grandkids graduate from high school.

Whatever the reason is that people want to lose weight, one of the things that many people try to use is a diet plan. But do diet plans really work? Let’s look at the facts.

What is a diet plan?

As opposed to some diets where the individual can eat a variety of different foods in whatever manner or quantities they choose as long as they restrict themselves to a certain amount of calories or carbs, for example, diet plans lay out the foods and meals that you are supposed to consume. Diet plans usually last between one to three weeks and three to six months. Often, you will rotate a plan, so for example, you might eat the same thing for breakfast every Monday for a month.

Do diet plans really work?

The answer to this question is yes and no. Yes, diet plans work if you stick to them. Generally speaking, these plans center around a certain number of calories, fats, carbs and proteins. These are the key nutrients that you need to concern yourself with when it comes to nutrition. In addition, these diets usually keep you cutting back on ingredients like salt and sugar. They may be available in the diet plan to a certain extent, but for the most part, you’ll be getting nutritionally balanced meals because someone has literally sat down and planned it all out for you.

On the other hand, in some ways diet plans don’t work. The biggest problem with them is that you have to follow them in the first place. In other words, you need to make sure that you don’t deviate from the plan. This can be difficult when life gets in the way. What do you do if you can’t find the ingredients for one of the meal recipes? What do you do if you’re throwing a lunch party at your house, and you don’t want to serve your guests the bran toast and avocado that you were supposed to have for your lunch?

These are the questions that make diet plans a little shaky. The bottom line is that if diet plans work for you, use them! If you need a little more flexibility in your meals, try another diet.

There are few days a woman looks forward to more than her wedding day. There are many, many, details a bride-to-be will plan and envision while anticipating her big day, some of which include: decor, the venue, the menu, and of course, how the bride herself will look. Aside from the dress, the other important thing that will receive the most thought and attention is without a doubt, the hair style. Thankfully, a lot can be done in order to achieve a stunning wedding hair style.

No matter what your hair type, now’days there are so many tools at our disposals that nearly any look can be created for any hair length and texture. From intricate braids to cascading curls, or sophisticated updos, there are so many beautiful wedding hairstyles that it can be difficult choosing just one. Huffington Post just released an article featuring forty different wedding updos that really shows just how much variety there is — and that’s just for updos! If you’re in need of any inspiration, I recommend looking through their gallery.

Braids are a great way of creating a romantic impression and look great in both updos and partial updos. Combining braids with wispy locks of hair and a floral headpiece is great for completing a bohemian look. If you’d like more of a regal look, creating a crown of braids and adding tiara will do wonders. If you have shorter hair and would like to achieve braids or just add some length then hair extensions are the way to go. Extensions now come in a wide range of colors and can easily be clipped in at home or professionally sewn in and can be styled in any way.

With all the different head pieces available it is easy to add personal touches to any style. You find the perfect compliment your hairdo using flower bands, tulle, tiaras, lace and more. I personally love all the floral themed hair pieces that feature pretty pearls or crystals. I am also a big fan of birdcage veils and think they make gorgeous head pieces and are a fabulous alternative if you’d prefer not having a traditional trailing veil. If you want to view some pretty hair pieces then BHLDN is a great place to find feminine, whimsical hair accessories. They have a nice selection of really unique pieces including decorative pins and combs, crowns, wreaths, and dainty circlets.

Having a memorable and jaw-dropping hair style is, in my opinion, absolutely essential for every bride. The most important thing is to go with something that reflects your own style and personality and whatever makes you feel the best.