Improve your strength and stamina on a rowing machine

When people talk about losing weight or getting back in shape, they resort to the most common forms of exercises or machines and the sad part about this is that they are missing out on the most amazing machines out there. The treadmills or the bike and the elliptical trainer for that matter are something that is common to everyone who is looking forward to losing weight. But are these the best that you will ever get. The answer is NO. There is a machine that helps in providing a better way to do cardio and improve the strength of a person and that is the rowing machine.

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Why rowing machines are right choice for you?

Ever wondered why people who live by the sea have such excellent stamina? Well, they are rowing for a living and working up their entire body and this gives them reason to be in shape. Now, if you have never used or heard of this machine, then you should read some of the rowing machine reviews on the internet to find out more about them. The reviews will also tell you about the machines function and why they are the machines that you must have in your home gym. Every rowing machine comes with different feature and you will have to decide the one that will suit all your requirements.

If you are planning on doing a basic routine every day, then you won’t have to spend a fortune on just the machine. You can always purchase something that will give you a simple exercise routine. The quality of the machine also matters which comes with the brand you will be purchasing. All these information is available on the internet. Now, how do you actually better your physique with the machine?

First know about the machine you have bought. There is no point in doing a full blown workout because you might injure or exhaust yourself. Even if the chances of getting injured on a rowing machine may seem very low, you need to ensure that the you know the machine well enough to start exercising.

Rowing machines are considered one of the best exercise machines because they give you a full body workout. Your legs and even your back and core get all worked up giving you an excellent workout session.

A rowing stroke will work immensely on your legs and hips. It may seem like the stroke may injure your knee or other joints but this is also a misconception and nothing more. When you are on the rowing machine, there are no chances of knee pains or any other such problems. This is one of the reasons why everyone can easily do exercises on the rowing machine. People from all age and walk of life are able to do exercises on this simple machine. Having Concept2 rowers is one of the cool thing any rower can expect.

Get in the right position

Strap yourself properly on the rowing machine. The point here is to strap your feet in the right manner so it is not too high neither too low. This is important because your legs position will determine the efficiency of the stroke.

Every workout session should be started with a warm session and that is true for this machine too. ensure that you go for small and sufficient movements in the beginning of the exercise and then increase the intensity. When you start with the exercises, you might feel exhausted easily but after sometimes, your breaking point will lower and you will be able to perform the exercises for a longer duration of time.

Overall, the rowing machine can give you best results when it comes to your workout. you will have to do the right ones.

How To Make A Small House Feel Spacious

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Learning how to make your house more spacious is a bit of an optical trick, sure. But it is a trick that is not only for aesthetic purposes. Making your house appear more spacious also give you a subconscious feeling of more breathing room. Many of us can become a bit claustrophobic in a tight space. Small spaces can also give slight general anxiety. Frustrations are also more common in tight spaces, due to the aforementioned feelings. By creating the feeling of more space in a room, we can alleviate these feelings. Plenty of studies have been done showing that those who have less day-to-day anxiety live happier and more productive lives. Making a house more spacious may seem like a small improvement. Nevertheless, consider the long-term effects of being a little calmer and at peace with your surroundings.

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Mirrors

Be it a large or a small room, placing a wall-size mirror in it can help the room feel larger. The reason being that the eyes feel they have a greater distance to scan. When we have a bare wall, we focus on the limitation. When there is a mirror placed along the wall, our eyes see to the wall and then all the way back to the opposing wall. In essence, you have doubled the amount of space your eyes have to view.

Do Not Cut Off Corners

When you cut off corners with furniture, you are essentially sacrificing space. By placing furniture against the walls lengthwise and avoiding cutting off the corner, you open up the room. Having an open room leaves you with the sense of more space to work with. That is because you quite literally do. It is amazing how restrictive cutting off just a square quarter-meter can do to tighten up a room.

Monochromatic and Neutral Schemes

When you use a single color in a room, the furniture and set pieces can blend more easily into walls. This helps make the room look more continuous and not blocked into particular pieces. Just like using mirrors, this is a simple optical illusion that makes it easier for your eyes to use a continuous scan. You can also use neutral colors. Using colors that are too vibrant or clash can cause segmentation to the eyes that make the room seem smaller. Using neutral colors and going from lighter to darker colors will help the room seem taller, thus bigger.

Give Entrances Space

Crowding the entrance and exit of a room can make it feel constrictive. Instead, allow space between furniture and the doorway. This opens up the room to seem more inclusive and not as closed off. Try to utilize additional components that make the doorway seem wider and more open as well. This will give the entire room a more open and extended feel.

Using each of these simple, but often overlooked tricks can help your eyes take in a room as a larger space than it really is. While the room may not truly extend in size, you can feel like you can spread out just a bit easier.

10 Tips to Save On Water Bills At Home

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There is a lot of talk about how to save money when it comes to saving energy through electricity, or saving money per month by using less gas. However, while water may not be the most expensive bill on your utilities paper each month, you can still save with intelligent planning.

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Water bills can be lowered to the point of saving hundreds per year for families. For individuals, you can likely save near hundreds per year even with small changes to your daily activities. The best part is that you do not have to change your entire lifestyle to save on your water bill. It simply takes a little planning, and a bit of noticing where you can personally save.

Tip 1 : “Dry Shower”

One of the most wasteful activities families and individuals partake in is the shower. Many individuals spend upwards of 20-30 minutes in a shower, enjoying the running water down the body.

To save money, attempt a “dry shower”. Turn on the shower and wet yourself down. Then turn off the water and lather yourself fully. Once you have lathered your hair and body with appropriate soaps, turn the water back on to rinse off. You will have saved a lot of time by incorporating this idea. Most of us tend to do a more thorough job quickly when the water is off, as we are more self-aware.

Tip 2: Use A Low Flow Shower Head

Use a low flow shower head. This will reduce the number of gallons of water you use per minute in the shower. Hence, this will help you save money but also the environment.

Tip 3 : Wash Dishes Manually

Instead of running the dishwasher, try doing your dishes by hand. The dishwasher often uses much more water than necessary. It is important to make sure that you wait until your dishwasher is full, rather than running it daily.

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Many individuals wait only until the washer is half-full. This can mean as many as twice the number of washer loads. Going one step further, avoid the washer altogether. Instead of running the water consistently during your washing, try using a prefilled sink. This way, you have used a set amount of water.

Tip 4: Drip System and Watering Times

Instead of running sprinklers or a hose, invest a rather small amount of money into a drip-system for your plants. You may still need a sprinkler or hose for a general lawn. However, by having a system going directly to your ulterior plants, you can save money on superfluous sprinkler times. It is equally important to make sure you are watering plants at the proper times of day.

If you have water on mid-day, more of that possible hydration is evaporating instead of being utilized by the plant. Conversely, if you water early or late in the day, more of the water can be absorbed by the plants. One of the most common ridiculous wastes of water also involves the sprinkler. Many individuals allow their sprinklers to stay on during the autumn and winter.

Not only are most plants getting enough hydration during these seasons, but many plants and grasses die out naturally and temporarily. Taking a couple extra minutes to note if you need the water systems running is worth saving throughout the year.

Tip 5: Use Water Conservation Kits

There are many utility companies, including water departments who offer complimentary water conservation kits. You will need to contact your local utility department to check if they do provide free water conservation kits.

Tip 6: Place Brick In Toilet Tank

It may sound weird at first. But it works. Try placing a brick in your toilet’s tank. This will reduce the space of the water gallons in the tank. Hence, you will use a reduced amount of water for every flush.

Tip 7: Silent Leaks

One of the main suspect in making high utility bills is silent leak. There are a few ways you can check for silent leak- using food coloring and cups.

First, ascertain that you indeed have a leak by jiggling the handle of the toilet. If it does, then you have a leak. However, it may or may not be the only silent leak your toilet can have. To verify, put in 8-10 drops of food colorings into the tank of water. Let it stay for 15-20 minutes. Next, see if the food coloring has seeped into the toilet bowl. If it does, repair them yourself or engage a professional plumber to help out.

The other silent leaks culprits are the sinks and tubs. To ensure that you do not waste water from the silent leaks in sinks and tubs, do place an empty cup below them before heading to work. If you realize that there are significant water in the cups, then you can be sure that there is a silent leak. The best way is to get a professional plumber and fix this problem.

Tip 8: Check For Other Leaks

The next thing to do is to check for leaks in the piping under the home or the home meter. There are a few ways to do so. First, it is to check the meter box and the lid. If there are debris, do not attempt to contact your water department as yet. It is likely that your meter is reading a GPS signal. To detect a leak, see if your meter shows a small yellow or red/ star or triangle. Then switch off all the electricity in the home. If the meter is still running, then you can certify that you indeed have a leak. It is time to call a professional plumber for help.

The other option is to call the department in your area. Most of the time, they will be able to send a service man to inspect for leaks at token sum. Chances are that it would be cheaper than calling a certified plumber yourself.

Tip 9: Turn Off Icemaker

One of the most utility bill consuming item is the ice-maker machine. Turning the ice-maker on only when ice is running low is a great way to save on electricity. You can also turn it off and use the conventional ice trays during colder seasons like winter.

 

10 Family Friendly Meals You Can Make Ahead of Time

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Not everyone has time to prepare three or more meals for his or her family. In fact, some people do not have time to make even one meal, due to all the running around the modern parent has to endure. It is quite an often occurrence that parents and spouses can only hurriedly throw together a meal, unless they plan ahead. But one way to save time is to prepare meals that can be finished or heated up to perfect at a later time.

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Stir-frys

If you need something that can be prepared quickly and finished even quicker, then trystir-frys. You can cut up and marinade the meat, as well as chop up the vegetables and pre-make the rice. Just throw the content into a pan or wok, and have a meal ready in 7 minutes.

Meatloaf

A meatloaf is an American tradition that can be easily made and kept for longer periods of time than other foods. You can also prepare a meatloaf for cooking later if you would like it to be served fresh. The meat tends to retain their general flavor. This makes them a perfect meal for the family that is pressed for time.

Lasagna

Anold Italian favorite that can be premade and set aside for the family, with ease. While this meal does take considerable time to prepare well, it can be prepared in rather large quantities. It is also a great on-the-go food in your favorite Tupperware containers. Lasagna prepared properly will always taste just as good as the first time it is cooked. You can also prepare it as a ready-for-the-oven meal.

Enchiladas

Think of enchiladas as the Hispanic version of the Lasagna. They may take a little time to make, but they can be made in large quantities, and are great food to take to work or school. They are also easily portioned. That way, the portions can be rationed out to family members without much conflict on “who got the bigger portion.”

Stews

Stews are great family-friendly food because they can be ready to serve whenever you would like. Stews are very difficult to overcook, as they slow-cook throughout the day. That means that a stew is practically “on call” for when the family is ready to eat.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

A great portable food for the family is a stuffed bell pepper. Instead of loading your spouse and kids with preservative-filled snacks and meals, you can give them a ready-made edible food pod. You can stuff bell peppers with meats, veggies and cheeses, and the bell peppers will stay fresh and ready-to-eat for at least 48 hours.

Chicken Pot Pies

A quality chicken pot pie can be kept in the fridge for quite a while. The content can also be kept in a ready-for-the-oven fashion for days at a time. That means that you will have a ready to please and family friendly food on deck whenever you need it.

Meat, Beans, and Rice Plates

You do not have to spend a ridiculous amount of time preparing foods every time. Sometimes, a simple mixture of protein and carbohydrates is a great mix. Add some steamed veggies or a salad on the fly to fill out the nutrients your family needs.

Sandwiches and Subs

Sure, some people have forgotten that a sandwich can be a meal, but it is all about what you fill the sandwich with. Choose your meat, your veggies, and then place them in the fridge. Leave the condiments off to keep the bread from becoming soggy.

Soups

Once again, you do not have to always over-think a meal that can be consumed later. Soups are like stews in that they can be made far ahead of time.

Pasta Salad

Throw some spices into some noodles and add some tomatoes, onion, sunflower seeds, and so on. You will have a healthy and easy-to-eat meal to be eaten whenever there is time.

 

How Can I Use Facebook to Increase My Popularity

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In this age, Facebook has become the dominant networking tool for business and personal endeavors. Raising your popularity through Facebook can take a little creativity, but when done properly, you can raise your popularity to great heights. So how can you do it? Well, it takes a few rather simple steps. Remember that gaining popularity can take a little time. If you follow the steps and keep to the strategies, you will surely raise your popularity.

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Status Updates

If you want to be popular on Facebook, the first thing you have to do is be someone worth following. No one is interested in following or keeping track of a boring individual. Update your status every day. If at all possible, update it a few times a day. But, it is not just about updating constantly – it is also about what you have to say as to have somedrawn to it. If you are updating with boring information, people are likely to “hide” your status updates and stop following you. Raising your popularity means being interesting enough to be popular in the first place. If you do not have anything worth talking about, then update your status with witty comments or interesting insights.

Upload Pictures

Along with your updates, you can upload pictures. Try to take pictures of the things you are doing or seeing. You can link your status updates with photos. Avoid the pitfall of taking pictures of the food you are eating every single meal. Nobody is interested in seeing every single meal that you decide to eat. Likewise, do not take pictures of the same things over and over again. Instead, have new activities or interesting things to take pictures of every time you update. Again, if you do not have interesting things to take pictures of, then perhaps a funny Meme or picture you found on the internet can suffice. Again, do not overdo these as it becomes obnoxious.

Join Networks

Whether they are business networks or social networks within Facebook, join them. Try to join networks that actually pertain to you. Specific types of work or social groups that you would partake in are the best options. However, even if you do not have an immediate interest or use, you can still join the networks for the purpose of finding new people to connect with. You never know what type of people may have other similar interests as you do. By being able to find others with common interests in your sub-networks, you can gain more and more fans of your general Facebook status updates and picture updates.

“Like” Often

Just like social networking, you should try and “like” as many things as possible. This “like” function allows you to connect with others that you may not have connected with otherwise. More importantly, other people may have common “likes” as you, and wish to find out more about you. They may then begin subscribing to your wall posts and updates on a regular basis. When this happens, their friends and acquaintances also have an opportunity to view and “like” your status updates and wall posts as well. It is a social domino effect that may help you gain the popularity that you are looking for.

Comment and “Like” Other’s Wall Posts

You should try and be a positive onlooker to other member’s updates, wall posts, pictures, and general comments as often as possible. By being a positive force in the Facebook community, you will entice others to see who you are and what you are up to. This is a sort of “Share and share alike” mentality that can bring you a multitude of new friends, acquaintances, and followers that will skyrocket your popularity. Think of it this way: The more than you decide to “like” comments and be an active force in the community, the more opportunity others have to discover you. If you are updating often and have interesting or fun things to say, you are more likely to get your own followers. It is simple social mathematics. More activity means more chances to up your social stock. On the other hand, posting less means less chance of gaining friends and followers.

By following these simple steps, you should be able to gain popularity. Remember that these steps do not guarantee automatic popularity. You have to work at being someone worth following. Whether it is your consistent traveling or your interesting hobby, you have to stay relevant and interesting. If you fail to do this, you certainly will not have as many followers as you could have. But even if you struggle to gain followers at first, just keep cultivating a niche worth following. As your network builds over time, you will eventually find the right group of people that will support your rise in popularity.

 

11 Money Saving Tips For Parents

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It is hard for anyone to save money. It is doubly hard for those who have children. Kids are a certain money-pit of needs, wants, and ailments that cost a considerable amount of money.

Without children, most individuals can at least save some dough for a rainy day. For most parents, even those who have higher-paying jobs, the toll children take on the bank account can be tremendous. Nevertheless, there are ways to minimize the impact of children on the bottom line. It is not as if you can take away food or clothing, so the next best option is to spread the dollar as thin as possible.

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Tip 1: Use Second-Hand

While some may scoff the idea, second-hand clothing and toys are a tremendous way to save a large sum of money very easily. Children are inundated with commercials, and because so they can often beg and demand for expensive toys and clothing. As a parent, it is not always easy to say no to the constant barrage of “I want” and “I need.”

Lucky for keen-eyed parents, many designer material and toys can be found at local second-hand outlets. Especially for younger children, these toys and clothing are just as good as the name-brand material. Even the trendiest child will quickly forget about the lack of the brand on the side of a toy that works just as well as one that costs three times as much.

Tip 2: Buy Generic

Just like with clothing and toys, kids often are essentially brainwashed into thinking they want a particular item. Also much like with used clothes and toys, it is often that the child cannot tell the difference between generic and brand-name foods. Buy generic items at the stores instead of the leading brand-names can save as much as 50% per month on food costs. All the while, as long as the food is like the brand-name food, the child will be satisfied.

Tip 3: Local Vacations

Forget the long trips to big expensive theme parks or treks to tourist sites the children could care less about. When planning your next family getaway, choose somewhere close and cheap. Camp is a fantastic way to enjoy the outdoors for next to nothing.

Furthermore, the vast outdoors gives your children a great way to expend energy and their explorative personalities. Between hiking, fishing, canoeing, and general nature-exploration, your child will never be without something to do. All of this and the park fees are considerably cheaper than any theme park or hotel.

As long as you have a basic tent that can accommodate everyone and food, you have few other expenditures on a camping trip. If the national park or campsite is close by, you will save even more on transit.

Tip 4: Call Your Doctor Before Visiting

A parent can saves hundreds or even thousands per year by calling up their family doctor before visiting the office. Parents can often overreact to sickness or injuries that befall their children. It is certainly hard to blame them, as it can be a very scary situation when a child is hurt or ill. However, by calling your doctor before heading into the office, a parent likely will be “talked off the ledge.” Quite often, a fever or signs of sickness are fleeting or common.

Injuries can sometimes sound and look much worse than they actually are. Instead of allowing one’s self to be overcome with worry, give your local physician a call and provide him or her with the details. Many times, a doctor will let a parent know that they should simply monitor the situation. If the symptoms or injury worsen or persist, then a visit may be necessary. More often than not, the affliction subsides and the child is fine.

Tip 5: Set A Monthly Budget

One of the most important point is to set a monthly budget and spend within it. Doing so will ensure that you do not overspend.

Tip 6: Whip Your Own Meals

Whip up easy and healthy food at home that are also budget friendly. Do not eat out or pack lunch for work. Also, avoid buying coffee every morning. If your budget is just sufficient, saving $20 a week on lunch and $3 on coffee would make your finance turn healthy again.

Tip 7: Shop Sales

If you cannot afford to go shopping, then purchase your clothing during sales time. This could mean big savings. All you have to do is make account of how fast your baby might grow and purchase the right sizes for them

Tip 8: Plan Your Grocery Shop

It is best to plan for your grocery shopping trip. By doing so, you will not go to the supermarkets unplanned and randomly buy things which may burst your budget. Another way to save on groceries is to cut out coupons and buy promotional items.

Tip 9: Go Shop At Local Farmer’s Market

One other way to save on food bill is to go shopping at the local farms. These local farmer’s market not only offer discounted prices, but also fresher product most of the time.

Tip 10: Make Full Use of Local Library

Leverage on the local library for complimentary usage of books, music and magazines. You can borrow books for your children or purchase the e-book versions for as cheap as US$1.99 each!

Tip 11: Make Money By Selling Craiglist

We have times when we need to clean our house out and get rid of things that we no longer needs. A great idea is to have a garage sale where we can clear out the clutter and at the same time, get some cash.

10 Ways To Increase Your Productivity

Are you one of those who find it fulfilling to be good at work? Everyone has the capacity to be better at their career and that is by choice. You may work hard or work smart – either way, you get the same result which is increased productivity at the office. But some are confused on how it can be done. If you are one of those who needs reminding, stick around and read these tidbits…

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Tidbit #1

It is best to wake up at least 2 to 3 hours and add travel time to that before work time is up. So, for example, if your day starts at 9AM, you have to be up by 7AM at least. It will be most ideal to do it earlier like around 6AM.

Why wake up early? Successful and driven people do not waste time. They go about their day making each minute count to climb the fulfilling ladder of career success. Wake up early, exercise to pump up your nerves (and being), eat a balanced meal, read some book pages, talk to loved ones and then, start the car and go to the office.

Tidbit #2

Waking up early brings us to the second tip which is go on with your day with a plan at hand. If you have a ready schedule for your day, no time is wasted. This is how the successful people do it. Their day is organized and scheduled so as not to delay things that needs attention.

Tidbit #3

How does a productive person make his daily schedule? You have to do that the night before you go to sleep. List everything that needs done for the next day so when you wake up next morning, you see purpose. There is direction. You are empowered to do what you are supposed to do for the day and make good with that.

Tidbit #4

Making your daily schedule can be tricky. It can consume an enormous amount of time to make a whole list of things-to-do. So, in order to maximize the time you spend writing the events of your day, think about priority. Which task needs to be completed first? Which task is not as equally important? Do the most immediate task and finish it first. Once the list is done, you can say to yourself that you have been productive and effective in finishing your list for the day. That is how successful individuals tackle their day.

Tidbit #5

When at the office, you have to be focused. Shut off your mobile phone and screen personal calls except for life-altering emergencies, of course. You cannot be distracted. A 5-minute phone call can turn into one hour. This will delay you from doing what is supposed to be a priority. Work time must be sacred. Do not give in to disturbances.

Tidbit #6

By law, you are allowed a 1-hour lunch break and 2, 15 to 30 minute coffee breaks in the morning and the afternoon. Of course, you need to relax during the day but this is the point here. A person can finish eating in 30 minutes. Coffee can be consumed in 10 minutes. You can recharge and relax for that little bit of time. It is enough to do so. You can continue relaxing at home when you are done for the day.

You have to finish your work without further delay and if you take too long when eating out, your momentum will be disturbed. Your 1 hour will become 2. Your schedule will be interrupted. So, when taking a break, act quick, eat right and do not waste any more time.

Tidbit #7

Brainstorming and meetings are time-saving busters. This is a fact. So if you can, avoid going to meetings where a work decision cannot be reached. It will take you valuable hours of the day and yet nothing will be accomplished. An hour of meeting can be less effective compared to a 5 minute phone call. At least through phone, an action can be determined whereas in a meeting, many will give their ideas and the time to select where to go is long and tiring. Remember, meeting – no. Phone call to decide easily – yes. Make it 5 minutes, tops.

Tidbit #8

If you want to work productively, then, shut off your internet connection. Work time is work time. And even if you spend 10 minutes tweeting or liking at those social networks, it is still 10 minutes of your working time lost due to internet usage. You can always use the service after work hours when you are done and you are already in your relax mode. But if you are still at work, be firm and keep yourself from inputting your new status message or worse, playing an online game.

Tidbit #9

Go home if you are sick. You may be a workaholic who runs on a schedule every single day but a sick person going to work is not a good idea at all. What are you going to accomplish if you are not at your best? Have you thought of that? No. So, to remind you, if you are having health issues, go to the doctor and have yourself treated accordingly. Stay home and rest. When you are better, you can pick up where you left off and chances are, you will be challenged to finished your work pile to compensate for your absence.

Tidbit #10

Reward yourself. In order for you to work better at the office, there must be a driving force or a motivational factor to keep you going. Plan a trip. Save up for a new bag or set of wardrobe. Buy an insurance plan. You can think of what you love to have or experience and then, keep that in mind. Work hard for it so that you can get the funds to support the gift to yourself, the act of self-love. If you push yourself to achieve your financial goal, you will be the most driven employee in your office.

10 Social Media Apps Anyone Can Use to Boost Their Popularity

HILVERSUM, NETHERLANDS - FEBRUARY 06, 2014: Social media are trending and both business as consumer are using it for information sharing and networking.

In the age of internet-based interpersonal communication, the use of social media has exploded. People now connect through their personal computers, laptops, and even their smartphones. More people are finding ways to connect through more social media sites and applications than ever before. Here are 10 social media applications you can use to gain more friends and associates than ever before.

HILVERSUM, NETHERLANDS - FEBRUARY 06, 2014: Social media are trending and both business as consumer are using it for information sharing and networking.

Facebook

The first application one should utilize to up their connectivity to countless individuals is Facebook. With over 800 million users, Facebook is a must-have for helping you grow your connectedness to everyone else around you. Reconnect with old friends, search for new ones, and find people who like all the same things you do. There is little limitation to who you can find when using the most popular social media in the world.

Twitter

If you have ever wanted to know what everyone is thinking at every point of the day, twitter is perfect for you. In all seriousness, Twitter has become a fantastic way for the popular and famous to become more connected to their followers. You too can gather a following through twitter quickly and easily. As long as you have something interesting to say or show, anyone can begin following you and linking to your Facebook, Reddit, or like social profiles to follow you fulltime.

Linkedin

For the more business-minded individual, there is Linkedin. This application allows you to network with other business individuals around you. The use of “Connections” (friends and associates) helps you find others in your field or that you would like to connect to. These are known as “Second-Party” or “Third-Party” Connections. In other words, you will be automatically linked up to various individuals who are “friends of friends” and so forth. Networking through business has never been easier.

Gather

Gather is a social app that focuses on collecting groups of people who enjoy the same activities and interests. While the idea may be a simple one, it also makes a lot of sense when trying to boost one’s popularity. Instead of trudging around looking for people that may be interested in the same things, leave nothing to chance. Whether it is a movie, a genre of music, or a type of activity, you will find instant connections with Gather.

Reddit

Whether you want to post a great picture, or look at others’ pictures and chat about them, Reddit is the social app for you. You can find almost any type of picture, animated gif, or short video on Reddit. You can even post your own videos and allow others to chat along with you. Reddit connects to many other social media apps, allowing you to connect a great picture you found to things like Facebook.

9gag

It can be said that laughter brings people together more than any other form of interaction. With that in mind, 9Gag is a great way to make friends and new acquaintances. Comment on other person’s pictures and videos. Meet others who hold the same sense of humour as you do. The 9gag application also syncs up with your other social media applications, so that you can share a great laugh with everyone on your parallel social media apps.

Tuntable.fm

A marvellous concept which marries chatting and live listening experience, Turntable.fm lets you chat with friends whilst listening to music. While the idea may seem simple and hacky, brining friends in to listen to music is a great way to build connections. Everybody loves to share his or herfavorite song. And if nothing else, you can all bag on whatever others are listening to, building a kinship on the spot.

Spotify

Following in the music trend, Spotify made a partnership with Facebook so that you can share your music with your growing base of friends. One of the strongest indirect forms of communication is the sharing of music. The connection that can be made from liking the same types of music can often be stronger than any other like-interest. Using Spotify to connect with others can help you grow your general popularity with individuals that share the same music interest as you.

Voxer

Why stick with just sending text messages to friends when you can leave them a voice message. Voxer allows you to leave a “voice notes” to those friends that you want to connect with in a verbal fashion. This can add a personal touch when speaking with your growing number of friends and acquaintances.

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