All Sites Best of the Web
- Details
- Written by Steve Chankham
- Category: All Sites Best of the Web
- Hits: 124
Considered one of the most famous meteor showers and one of the most spectacular, The Geminids Meteor Shower is currently active with the peak occurring on the night of December 13th, 2021 and early morning of December 14th, 2021.
NASA explains at its peak, activity reaches approximately 120 meteors per hour and velocity reaches 39km per second, however from the southern parts of Australia you can expect to see roughly 20-30 meteors per hour. Eager eyes will be able to see the meteors shoot across the sky as debris crosses the Earth’s orbit.
The following times are when the moonset occurs on the morning of December 14th, depending on your location:
Adelaide: 2:56am | 277°
Brisbane: 1:31am | 276°
Canberra: 2:43am | 277°
Darwin: 2:38am | 276°
Hobart: 2:45am | 277°
Melbourne: 2:58am | 277°
Perth: 2:58am | 277°
Sydney: 2:35am | 276°
The Geminids get the name from the constellation Gemini as the meteor shower seems to appear from the constellation in the night sky. The constellation Gemini is not the source of the meteors, but it is the point in the sky in which they appear to come from, known as the 'radiant'. The name is simply to help people determine where to view the meteors in the night sky.
The Geminids don’t actually originate from comets as most meteor showers do but from an asteroid named 3200 Phaethon. The asteroid takes 1.4 years to orbit our sun and is believed it could be a “dead comet” and was discovered on October 11 1983, by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite. Astronomer Fred Whipple was the person who discovered the Geminid meteors came from Phaethon.
Timeanddate explains you don’t need any special equipment to view a meteor shower, but you need need a clear sky, patience and ideally a secluded viewing spot away from bright, city lights. Get your eyes adjusted to the dark, lie on the ground and look at the sky. Their interactive meteor shower sky map shows the position of the radiant in the night sky depending on what location you’re in so you can see which way to face.
The Geminids Meteor Shower began on December 4th and will be active until December 17th, 2021 however the best time to view them is at its peak on December 13/14.
Image Credit: (worawit_j / Shutterstock.com)
- Details
- Written by Nicole Alley
- Category: All Sites Best of the Web
- Hits: 120
If you're wanting to be environmentally conscious for Christmas this year, it's not just the gifts to consider. There's lots of creative ways to wrap a present to avoid wastage from paper that gets destroyed within seconds and put straight into landfill with all that atrocious sticky tape.
We've made a list of five of our favourite eco-friendly gift wrapping ideas for you to try out this holiday season!
Repurpose paper such as newspaper sheets, magazine pages or old maps
Image: Sonia Bonet/Shutterstock.com
Repurposing paper is a great way to reduce the amount of waste produced during the gift-wrapping process, especially if you can find interesting things like newspapers, old maps or magazines that can be dressed up with some ribbon or twine.
Pro Tip for Christmas 2022: Start saving paper from gifts and packaging in the coming year and you'll be all set for wrapping well before you hear your first Christmas song on the radio.
Reuse your kids' artwork
Image: Valentin Valkov/Shutterstock.com
If you've got young kids, you probably have a pile of artwork brought home from school stuck to the fridge or stashed in drawers. Now you can tape them together and use them to wrap gifts for family. Grandparents in particular will love the images and think it's just as awesome as the gift inside.
Use brown craft paper instead of traditional white paper
There's something classic about a present wrapped in simple brown paper, and instead of sticky tape to secure the edges you can use string or wool to add a touch of colour. You can even tie on Christmas decorations such as baubles or dried flowers or write some festive messages. A roll of brown paper will go a long way and you can easily cut the paper to size too.
Use beautiful cloth or scarves
Wrapping presents in reusable cloth such as fabric remnants, old clothing or a beautiful scarf from an op shop is an environmentally friendly alternative that can be reused throughout the year for other purposes, like sewing or cleaning. And if you choose a scarf that matches your friend's taste, then they'll have a bonus gift!
Check out this tutorial for how to wrap gifts with fabric:
Use reusable gift bags
Image: Grace800/Shutterstock.com
A reusable gift bag is a great way to wrap a gift as there's no tricky wrapping involved so your gift is going to look amazing right at the outset. As an added bonus, the person can reuse the bag for other things later on. There's lots of different styles and sizes and they're cheap too.
Pro Tip for Christmas 2022: Keep any paper gift bags you receive this year as they're usually not taped or written on so will be in perfect condition for reusing for Christmas (as long as they don't say Happy Birthday on the side!).
We hope you've been inspired by these five creative ways to wrap a present and avoid landfill. Which of them would be the best for your holiday gift-giving needs?
Main image: Gargonia/Shutterstock.com
- Details
- Written by Jonathan Russell
- Category: All Sites Best of the Web
- Hits: 120
A professional house cleaner has released a now-viral video in which she teaches people how to clean everything at home with only one product.
@thebigcleanco ♬ original sound - The Big Clean Co
Melbourne's Kacie Stephens has revealed the ultimate cleaning secret, which has been viewed over one million times.
In the short video, Kacie explains how she cleans everything from ovens, greasy stovetops, and sinks to shower screens and floors using a concentrated dishwashing detergent solution.
"I'm a professional cleaner and I'm here to show you that you have been sold a lie"
Kacie who owns and operates a cleaning business called The Big Clean Co shows several surfaces before and after being cleaned with just one cleaning product.
"You do not need a different cleaning product for every surface of your house, you only need one"
"Made in Australia using biodegradable ingredients and a recyclable plastic bottle, it is time to simplify your cleaning routine"
Kacie has also published a collection of videos all about cleaning.
One in particular which has over four million views as of this writing - instructing how to "clean a shower like a professional."
Remove everything from the shower firstly, then wipe down everything with a cloth and dishwashing liquid.
"Then we grab a grout brush and we scrub. Once done we rinse, dry, and put everything back. When we use dishwashing liquid we don't even need a glass cleaner."
@thebigcleanco ##cleaning ##cleaningtips ##showerday ##cleantok ##professionalhousecleaner ##professionalcleaner
♬ original sound - The Big Clean Co
- Details
- Written by Nicole Alley
- Category: All Sites Best of the Web
- Hits: 100
Christmas is a time for family, friends and the most wonderful songs ever. On repeat, of course, for as many days as possible in the lead up to Christmas Day.
If you haven't blocked your ears and run off screaming by now, then you're in for a treat!
We've compiled a list of the best new Christmas songs for 2021.
We've got duets, Christmas breakup songs and even a singing sweater!
(But even if you do hate Christmas songs, scroll down to the last entry... we've added a surprise anti-Christmas song just for you, which we think you'll love.)
So have a listen and get learning the words so you can spread some merry cheer at your next Christmas party!
Fa la la la la, la la la la!
Elton John and Ed Sheeran - Merry Christmas
What a dynamic duo. These two music legends releasing a Christmas song is going to be a hard act to beat in the Christmas charts.
ABBA - Little Things
Not only is ABBA is back with new music after 40 years, but this is their very first Christmas song!
Ariana Grande & Kelly Clarkson - Santa Can't You Hear Me?
This duet from pop sensations Kelly and Ariana hits all the high notes and comes from Kelly Clarkson's new Christmas album. They performed it live on The Kelly Clarkson Show‘s Holiday Special.
Kelly Clarkson - Christmas isn't Cancelled (Just You)
Kelly has released a new Christmas album, so there's plenty of new music from her this season. This breakup song brings the sass with the sparkle for those who couldn't get through another year of covid with their now former partner.
Mariah Carey, Khalid, Kirk Franklin - Fall in Love at Christmas
The reigning Queen of Christmas pop songs has a new release. Nothing more to say except have a listen!
George Ezra - Come on Home For Christmas
The first Christmas song from George, this is a reworked take on Charles Brown's Please Come Home For Christmas.
Michael Buble - The Christmas Sweater
Christmas doesn't officially kick off until a Michael Buble song gets played somewhere, and now we have a new release to mark the start of the festive season.
Norah Jones - You're Not Alone
Norah's released her first Christmas album and this is one of the songs from it.
The Lathams - Krampus
This one's for all the Christmas song haters - we still love you! And we reckon you'll love this song all about a terrifying Yule monster from folklore who chases naughty children with sticks.
Main image: YouTube/Ed Sheeran
Page 107 of 205