10 Top Trending Christmas Gifts of 2022

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Finding the perfect Christmas Gift is often a difficult task. Whether your shopping for your family, your best friend or a special someone year after year it seems to get harder and harder to come up with unique gift ideas. 

To help you find something for everyone on your list, we’ve created this 10 Top Trending Christmas Gifts of 2022, so you can get your shopping over fast and easy!

We did a lot of research to find the best of the best items, everything either has a 5 Star rating on Amazon, comes from a 5 Star vendor that was marked at the brand’s best-selling item, is named as the recent top trending on TikTok or is simply one of our favorite top selling items.

We have researched all types of gifts from the best gifts for the ladies in your life, best gifts for the men in your life, Do-It-Yourself projects, Gifts for the outdoorsman, Christmas themed gifts and gift cards, so they get to pick their own gift!  

1) 3D Hand Making DIY Keepsake Gift

keepsake mould makes a great gift for Christmas, birthday, gift for her, wedding gift to memorialize your best occassion

This 3D do-it-yourself kit can create so many fun designs, not just hands. This makes a great gift for the hard to buy person for any occasion including Christmas, Valentines, Birthday, Anniversary and more. Detailed directions are enclosed, so anyone can create a personalized keepsake. 

 BUY TODAY! 

2) Bronze Octopus Mug Holder Table Topper

Bronze octopus coffee cup or hot cocoa mug holder, carries a mug on each tentacle and is adorable to boot!

This Bronze Octopus is the perfect table topper for your next party. It holds your mugs for easy access, so party goers can dip into your punch at ease. The arms of this Octopus mug holder is perfect to hold small to medium size mugs and is a unique decoration to celebrate your unique style. 

 BUY TODAY! 

3) “What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20” – Fill in the Blank Book

Inspiring readers all over the globe to re-imagine their future. This revised and updated edition of “What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20” features new material to complement the classic text. These pages are filled with captivating examples, from the classroom to the boardroom, of individuals defying expectations, challenging assumptions and achieving unprecedented success.

Inspiring readers all over the globe to re-imagine their future. This revised and updated edition of “What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20” features new material to complement the classic text. These pages are filled with captivating examples, from the classroom to the boardroom, of individuals defying expectations, challenging assumptions and achieving unprecedented success.

 BUY TODAY! 

4) Portable Wi-Fi Smart 1080P Laser Pocket Projector

Pocket Cinema Projector: Enjoy an epic viewing experience with an ultra-light size projector that perfect fits in your pocket jeans. The stunning picture quality allows to display from 30" to 100" for any scenario for your active lifestyle. ALPD Laser Technology: The latest ALPD Laser brings you an energy-efficient and bright projected images with a wide color gamut.

Enjoy an epic viewing experience with an ultra-light size projector that perfect fits in your pocket jeans. The stunning picture quality allows to display from 30″ to 100″ for any scenario for your active lifestyle. The latest ALPD Laser brings you an energy-efficient and bright projected images with a wide color gamut.

 BUY TODAY! 

5) Dragon Viking Pendant Necklace with Wooden Box

This Viking style necklace has exquisite details and stunning works of art and comes in a elegant wooden box. All the details of this pendant are well-made and all the patterns are correct and clear. Made of high-quality and durable 316L stainless steel, 100% hypoallergenic, non-rusting, non-fading, non-allergenic. Well-made, it is perfect for anyone to wear as a daily or travel necklace or wants to stand out in a party or crowd.

This Viking style necklace has exquisite details and stunning works of art and comes in a elegant wooden box. All the details of this pendant are well-made and all the patterns are correct and clear. Made of high-quality and durable 316L stainless steel, 100% hypoallergenic, non-rusting, non-fading, non-allergenic.

 BUY TODAY! 

6) 3D Rechargeable Moon Touch Lamp

https://video.aliexpress-media.com/play/u/ae_sg_item/1882940320/p/1/e/6/t/10301/273015601323.mp4 Magic Star Moon Light: Making the 3D effect of the moon’s surface based on astronomical data by NASA satellite. Color drawing craft make the ball colorful and gorgeous. When the light is turn on, it seems to be in the splendid galaxy. As the color and perspective change, it presents a magical and colorful color.

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7) Solar Powered Emergency Radio, Bluetooth Speaker, Flashlight, Mobile Charger

Orange emergency solar powered radio flashlight compass keeps you informed when in a survival situation includes power slots for cell phone charging

This solar powered emergency radio has a Bluetooth speaker, strong flashlight and several mobile phone charger plugs.  This is great for your emergency kits, camping kits and can provide much needed solar power when electricity isn’t available due to an emergency situation.   

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8) Remote Controlled Flying Car Boat

three in one 3 in 1 remote controlled car, remote controlled boat, remote controlled drone for fun and makes a great Christmas gift, birthday gift

3-in-1 fun with the innovative RC drone that transforms to hovercraft or remote control car in seconds – no tools required. Once activated, the pilot is able to fly the drone to any location without the need to worry about which direction The drone is facing. Strong stability and ease of control.  

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9) DIY Archaeology Treasure Mining Kits

These awesome DIY Archaeology treasure mining kits are a fun and exciting gift for kids and interested adults. Everyone loved discovering cool things like crystals, semi-precious stones, minerals, fools gold, fossils and pearls. A Most Excellent way to educate kids and family on exploring a life in Archaeology or to just have some good fun! Estimated Shipping Time is 10 to 20 days.

These awesome DIY Archaeology treasure mining kits are a fun and exciting gift for kids and interested adults. Everyone loved discovering cool things like crystals, semi-precious stones, minerals, fools gold, fossils and pearls. A Most Excellent way to educate kids and family on exploring a life in Archaeology or to just have some good fun! 

 BUY TODAY! 

10) DIY Animal Shaped Wooden Puzzle 

This is not just a puzzle, it is a wooden puzzle. It will be a great gift for both a child and an adults for Christmas, birthday, special occasions and more. Everyone loves these colorful do it yourself animal shaped wooden puzzle.

This is not just a puzzle, it is a wooden puzzle. It will be a great gift for both a child and an adults for Christmas, birthday, special occasions and more. Everyone loves these colorful do it yourself animal shaped wooden puzzle.

 BUY TODAY! 

There are many more to offer, but I hope you enjoyed viewing the 10 top trending Christmas gifts of 2022. We wish you a wonderful holiday season and hope you provide everyone their best gift ever!

Don’t forget to write a comment below and I’ll give you a 15% OFF code to enter at checkout. 

If you would like to save 20% OFF, sign up for our promotions to get exclusive discounts, freebies and selected special offers –>> CLICK HERE!

6 Emergency Bunkers You Can Create On Your Property

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This blog will show you 6 Emergency Bunkers that you can create on your own property. Building a bunker can feel too huge of a task for most to take on, but the more serious survivalists and preppers know that there is an endless list of scenarios that could warrant needing a safe place to retreat into for you, your friends, family and even pets.

There are many different types of secure safe bunkers with multiple construction methods that you can use to build your bunker. It can be as big or little, fancy or plain, expensive or as cheap as you want or need it to be. However, you need to practice safety in your construction. 

Before you start digging you need to find out what your county’s permitting process is, get your permits and check with Blue Stakes to make sure you aren’t going to dig into a utility, gas or cable line. Make sure you follow all of the rules to avoid expensive mistakes and get all the appropriate permits and follow all of the rules before you start. 

Keep in mind that any bunker that you create needs to be able to support your life and the lives of others that may need to use it in an emergency someday. Since you won’t be leaving that bunker until the threat that drove you in there is gone, you need to make sure to supply it with enough food, water, prescriptions, medical kits, tools, equipment, radio, communication gear, etc to last as long as that treat on the other side of the door is still there. 

It is also important to be aware of ventilation needs and climate control. Without proper oxygen flow, everyone one will be dead in about 3 minutes. You’ll also need to make sure that oxygen is filtered properly to remove any contaminants from the air, so all involved can breath properly and without strain. 

That being said, here are the examples of 6 emergency bunkers you can create on your property. 

1) A Panic Room: A panic room is a small safe room in your house that is concealed from view, where you can retreat to in case of a threat in your home.

a panic room can be made for your home out of many different spaces or places with all sorts of materials.

This type of room isn’t really a bunker, but serves the same purpose of keeping you and your loved ones safe. To make a panic room, you’ll need to find a space in your home, that is easy to get to, but can be hidden from view. You’ll want to reinforce the walls and ceilings to make sure someone can’t break through. I’ve seen thick pressure treated wood, concrete or steel plates used, but anything very strong is fine, as long as it’s not breakable. Be sure that the area you choose can support that extra weight, you might need to install support beams to be sure. Make sure the door is a heavily reinforced door that is hidden, so the threat doesn’t even know it is there. Have water and food available and run a phone line in, if you don’t get cell reception, so you can call the police. 

the crawl space under a house can be a great place to create an emergency bunker or panic room

2) A Crawl Space: A crawl space can be hidden in your walls, under your stairs, in the basement or in a root cellar. This is similar to creating a safe room, but these are hidden within the walls of your home and is a viable option to look at that won’t cost a lot of money. These types can have multiple entrances or exits depending on the space, that can be well hidden under a carpet, behind furniture or a bookcase. Just like the panic room, you’ll want to reinforce the walls, ceilings and have a solid, strong, hidden door. 

a steel culvert tube underground bunker can outlast most other bunkers and is a perfect way to keep your family safe in case of an emergency situation.

3) A Steel Culvert:  Don’t get a shipping container, they rust and fall apart with time. Look for a large steel culvert tube to get this project started, it needs to be large enough to construct a livable space inside with room for supplies. Steel culverts are designed to be buried underground, so it is sturdy and strong enough to last your lifetime and probably your grandkid’s lifetime as well.

an above ground bunker is a great place to protect your family in case of an emergency, just keep it secret and hidden

4)  An Above Ground Bunker: There are no rules that say your bunker must be underground, in fact, many people prefer an above ground bunker because they are claustrophobic. As long as you take steps to conceal the bunker’s location and build the walls, ceiling, floor, and entrances so that they would be exceptionally difficult to break through, you can construct an above-ground bunker. Be sure to hide this bunker, so others aren’t tempted to break in, keep away from prying eyes through the use of trees, bushes and camouflage. You can build an above ground bunker out of strong materials that would be difficult to break into; such as concrete, cinderblocks, bricks or metal plates. 

prefabricated underground bunkers are great for those that don't have the technical skills or time to create or build one for herself

5) Pre-Fabricated Bunkers: If you aren’t much of a builder, that’s okay, you can purchase a pre-fabricated ready to go bunker that only requires you to dig a hole in the ground for you to put it into. Many people don’t have the time or technical skills to build any type of bunker from scratch, so this is a great option and can range in price depending on your needs. There is a huge variety of sizes and styles to choose from, sky is the limit on how much you can spend purchasing one of these units, so do your homework. 

hillside bunkers are great for those with large properties

6) Bunker In A Hillside: If you have a good sized hill on your property, you may  want to digging a bunker into the side of it, but beware, you’ll need to hire a professional for this job. This is not a do-it-yourself job, though; since you are effectively excavating the interior of a hillside, you will need to use the services of professionals to do your excavating. In addition, the actual construction of the bunker may also be problematic and require the services of a professional contractor and engineer.

Whatever type of emergency bunker that you choose to secure your family with, just make sure to provide an entrance and an exit with plenty of good ventilation. The likely hood of you needing this bunker is close to nil, but with the crazy things that’s been happening in the world today, you never know. Events like civil unrest, rioting or burglary due to the economic crash, may be a reason to slip into your bunker to feel safe from harm. 

So, regardless of the reason you have to build your bunker, there is a bunker out there that will suit your needs and budget. I hope this list of 6 emergency bunkers you can create on your property helped you to make the proper structure for your family. 

Feel free to write a comment below for a 10% Off discount on your next purchase.  Thank you!  dragoyle.com

26 Ways To Switch From Surviving to Thriving

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This is a list of 26 ways to switch from surviving to thriving in life. To thrive is a choice. It’s an attitude and your ability to thrive in the world is a direct result to the actions you take on a daily basis and the beliefs you embrace. Training your mind, body and spirit to grow and flourish doesn’t need to be difficult.

1. Schedule time in the morning to write your goals for the day, center your spirit and set your intentions for the day. Be sure to envision how you want your day to go, then take 3 deep breaths and off you go.  

2. Aggressively let go of expectations. Expecting something to go a certain way or someone acting a certain way is a quick way of causing you stress and pain. Letting go of those expectations and allowing things to be exactly what they are will allow you to enjoy life without the constant emotional upset. 

 3. Listen intentionally without judging others. Our natural selves want to analyze and judge people according to our own belief system. Practice paying attention, without forming an opinion or a response, keep eye contact and lean

4. Enjoy time in nature. There is a certain energy in nature, listening to the breeze rustling the leaves, water rushing in a stream, be still and let the energy of nature to ground you back to a peaceful state. 

5. Eat good nourishing foods. Grow your own garden, plant fruit trees. You’ll find that your body thrives, is in less pain and will heal faster when eating right.

6. Start dancing when you feel stressed out. Fluid motion releases tension, playing your favorite music increases energy and releases dopamine to give you a temporary high. 

7. Unplug your electronics and relish in the peace. Most regular consumers have an average of 4 electronic devices that serve as a distraction in reaching your goals and intentions for the day. Reduce your screen time and tune into the feeling of peace within you.

8. Be grateful for the things you have in life. Focus on the things you love in life and what you admire. Be mindful of complaining too much, as this will reduce your focus to achieve abundance.

9. Take a break from TV as it can create mental confusion in reaching your thriving state of mind. Enjoy a show or two, but then break away and do something that helps you grow and learn.

10. Show appreciation for the people who support you, send a thoughtful note in the mail. Appreciation will uplift your spiritual energy and of those you show appreciation to.

11. Enjoy activities you’ve never done before. Expand your views and experiences, never stop exploring the endless opportunities that the world has to offer you.

12. Get lost in an enchanting book and expand your horizons to jump start your creativity and imagination to bring yourself into a magical wonderland.

13. Spend quality time with friends and family We all have busy lives, but set an intention to spend time with your friends and family, talk to them about your goals and ask them to help keep you on track.

14. Write in your journal every day to get those emotions out of your head on onto some paper. Be honest and write until any negative emotions are completely expressed. This releases them and can help shift energy back to a good space.

15. Take a step towards your goals every day. Even a small step is making forward motion. These small actions will add up to help you succeed in manageable bite-size pieces.

16. Create your own “I Am’ statement. Many people struggle with loving themselves and need constant reminders. Think about your positive qualities and write them down, put them up where you can see them daily and read them out loud to yourself.

17. Decide to learn something that you think to be difficult. Push the boundaries of your comfort zone and try out something new. When you accomplish something that you feel is hard, you increase your self-confidence and learn to love yourself even more.

18. Build empathy and connection to others. Trying to feel what another person is going through and imagine that you are going through it as well can create a close connection to that person.

19. Grow a plant and enjoy the transformation of a seed sprouting into a plant can be inspirational and empowering. Make it a herb or vegetable and enjoy the harvest as well.

20. Give a genuine compliment to a stranger. When providing a compliment to someone we don’t know, it provides a power within them to uplift their day and yours.

21. Enjoy and embrace your alone time. Get to know yourself and discover how wonderful and blessed you are is one of the  most important things in being able to thrive in life.

22. Choose to express love instead of fear. Being mindful about your feelings and being able to control that fight or flight instinct is a skill that needs practice and patience. Once controlled you have the power to choose to love others and since love always wins, You win. 

23. Find the good in every situation. This takes a lot of practice as well, don’t wait for a bad situation to start learning this skill. Practice finding good things were ever you are, so it comes naturally when you encounter a negative situation. Finding positive in the negative can save you a huge amount of grief and pain. This is a huge step towards thriving in life. 

24. Laughter is the best medicine for your heart, soul and emotions. Look for opportunities to laugh at life, at surviving and laugh without inhibition. This can bring more light, energy and joy towards your journey to thriving. 

25. Find your true purpose in life. What are you truly passionate about? Set intentional small goals to reach that passion, you can have multiple passions in life, but finding that main purpose and owning it every day can push you to a life of thriving.

26. Pay it forward. When others do kind things for you, be sure to pay it forward and do kind things for others in return without expecting recognition. Don’t forget to let go of expectations. Sharing your energy and heart with others will bring you to a life of thriving. 

I hope you have enjoyed these 26 ways to go from surviving to thriving in life and that you were able to get some assistance, good ideas or encouragement in your life. 

Let me know if I missed anything or if you have comments below. Thank you!

6 Amish Skills You Should Learn Before The Next Crisis

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These are the top 6 Amish Skills You Should Learn Before The Next Crisis.

The Amish can teach us more about living within a world of no modern amenities than any other culture in America. They have been living like this for hundreds of years and would be at the top of the food chain if another major disaster should arrive.

The Amish are not only known for living in a simple, humble life but also for crafting their own utensils and tools and for preparing everything they might need in any situation.

They have been maintaining their skill this way for years, and there is no doubt that we can adopt some of these skills to get through the hard times ahead.

With the way things are heading right now, it is probably only a matter of weeks or days until the next economic crash, so lets get prepared before it’s too late.

1) The Skill of Community

One of the core values of the Amish people, one that has been long forgotten by our modern, self-centered society, is the natural sense of belonging to a community. Along with this comes the instinct of helping one another, which is well established among the Amish and teaches them to stay strong and to get over all hurdles.

Amish community work together to form a bond that will help them get through natural disasters

When a disaster hits, looters will band together into strong groups that will take everything you have. If you are not part of a strong community, you will be easy pray and may even end up 6 foot under.

Overcoming any struggle is a matter of teamwork, the Amish understand this and we need to get back to that community mentality or we might not survive the next emergency.

It is essential to know who is there to help you, so make sure to not only prepare yourself with emergency supplies and skills, but also with a solid community of other like-minded people.

2) Mastering the Skill of Plants

If there is one thing the Amish know, it is how to use plants, from making natural medicine to preparing nutritious meals. The Amish have learned how to make the most out of any plant in their backyard, even the ones that we call weeds. They learn from an early age how to identify these plants, how to prepare them, how to seed them, and how to use them.

The Amish know how to make healing remedies from all sorts of plants and to use them to make amazing meals.

In a crisis, pharmacies can quickly run out of the medicines you need or be looted. The same will happen to the supermarkets. Food and medicine might not be available for long periods of time, so we need to be able to create our own from natures bounty.

Knowing the edible and medicinal plants growing in your area is something I would recommend for everyone. At the very least, keep close a physical book on edible and medicinal plants with large color pictures so you can easily identify them in a emergency situation. 

3) The Skill of Crafting

In modern society the craft of creating for ourselves is long gone. It’s too easy these days to just jump online and buy what we want. What happens when there is no internet and the store is out of goods?

The Amish are great at crafting their own clothes, furniture and supplies.

We’ll need the fundamental skills of manual labor. We need to learn the necessary skills to provide for ourselves, like our past relatives knew, such as; sewing, carpentry, knitting and plumbing. 

These crafts used to be passed down from generation to generation and they still should be as a tool of thriving. The problem is that most of these skills have been lost. Young folks no longer want to learn these necessary survival skills and unless we learn these skills now, we won’t know how to do them when we need those skills the most.

4) The Skill Of Taking Care of Your Supplies

In a materialistic society like ours, it is hard to appreciate what we already have because most Americans are spoiled by the ease of getting anything the want from the internet. When something breaks, we instantly replace it because it’s the easiest way to get what we want.

The Amish all get together for a barn raising day. Knowing how to build your home and keep your tools in good working order is most valuable in a survival situation

We need to start learning how to look after our home and supplies and keep them in proper working condition for a long time. In a crisis, we might not be able to get new ones.

The Amish know how to keep their tools rust-free. They do not forget them outside in the rain letting them rust. They know how to build a house from foundation to the roof and everything in between. Could you build a house by yourself if a natural disaster struck?


5) The Skill of Collecting Water

Amish communities don’t have running water in their homes or communities. They are not connected to the communal water pipes, so they have to discover ways to bring water to them.

Running water is important to have during an emergency situation. The Amish know how to find water, dig wells and procure water for themselves.

If running water stops suddenly for a few months, what are you going to do? In an emergency, you will have to experience for yourself the possible dangers in procuring the water you need and your family needs to survive, every day. This is extremely difficult as you need water not only to drink, but for bathing, cooking, washing your clothes and washing your dishes. You need an average of 2 gallons of water each day per person.

The Amish communities have dug water wells. They also collect rainwater in safe barrels and know how to keep it fresh for future use. This is a necessary skill that everyone should know. If you can find water,  you’ll die within days. 

6) The Skill of Not Needing Electricity

The Amish live independently from the grid.

We are so too used to our day-to-day appliances that we almost forget about the hopeless situation we will find ourselves in when our power goes down.

Amish use underground cellars to store food and supplies in case of a disaster. They don't rely on electricity to keep their food cold
Many of our appliances in our homes need electricity to run, so they will be useless in a power outage: refrigerators, air conditioners, microwaves, laptops, smartphones, radios, washing machines, ovens, stoves, lights…everything is useless to us in an emergency.

The Amish use simple, old-school ways to serve the same purpose. They have cool root cellars, nonperishable foods, hand carts, buggies with horses and many other non-electrical tools. To survive an emergency situation we need to start building and procuring these items for ourselves. 

I hope you enjoyed this blog about the 6 Amish Skills You Should Learn Before The Next Crisis. I suggest you start watching YouTube for ways to get these things started for yourself, because you might not have YouTube available in an emergency situation. 

What do your personal dreams actually mean to you?

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https://dragoyle.com/blogs/dragoyle_diary/what-do-your-dreams-actually-mean-to-you

Here’s a real question for you.  What do your personal dreams actually mean to you?

Do they just live in your head in a fantasy world?

What’s stopping you from taking the actions to making your dreams a reality?

For most it’s a lack of time and lack of money that stops them from reaching their dreams and goals. It could also be many other countless doubts you or someone close to you is putting in your head, making you feel insecure about going after those dreams. 

I’ve been there. Right where you are, with those exact same doubts and barriers. Wishing that somehow they would come true, but they won’t unless you do something about it. 

The choice is yours: Keep your dreams in your head or take action and make them a reality. Take one small step a day and you’ll be 365 steps closer to your dreams by the end of a year.

We all know about setting goals, all the gurus, life coaches and counselors talk  about setting goals.  Do you ever wonder why?  Because they work! 

Setting goals helps trigger new behaviors, helps guide your focus and helps you sustain a good forward momentum in life. Goals can also help align your focus and promote a sense of self-mastery and confidence. In the end, you can’t manage what you don’t measure and you can’t improve upon something that you don’t properly manage.

I can boil successful days down to three activities. Everything else is noise and distractions. Things like Netflix, laziness, bringing work home with me, social media and all of the other crap that pulls at my attention is a barrier to my achieving success.

There will be trials and mistakes along the path, but if I spend my days learning, doing, and selling, I know I’ll come out ahead. There is very seldom an earth-shattering change overnight, but over time there will be cumulative gains in every aspect of my business and life.

If you work a little on your goals every single day, you will continue moving forward in achieving your goals and someday you will finally have arrived to see success knocking at your door.

1) Learn

Just about every hugely successful person in history set time aside every day for reading and learning. Warren Buffett, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Benjamin Franklin, etc…. They were always learning, searching for knowledge.

The list and examples go on forever. People who are extremely successful that don’t spend time learning each day are the exception, not the rule. Constantly learning obviously works to help you get to your personal goals. 

If I study a minimum of 1 hour each day, that adds up to 365 hours each year. That is over 15 days (24 hours straight) of learning. With that extra learning, I know that I’ll have significantly more skills, experience and knowledge at the end of the year that will help me reach those dreams that I so desire to have.

And that’s just if I do the minimum!

Learning can take many forms. You can read books, listen to podcasts, take online training, watch YouTube tutorials, attend a webinar or attend live training. Whatever fits your lifestyle and your style of learning, but go for it.

A mix of these different learning methods is the most effective for me. I can fit the learning to the situation. I listen to books on my phone when I am cleaning, getting ready for work or driving in the car, I’m constantly researching issues and problems that clients are having troubles with, or sit down and focus intently on an online course. Regardless, time spent learning is never wasted time.

2) Do

Stop analyzing, thinking, strategizing, theorizing, worrying, and just go for it. Take as step forward, no matter how small or large. Any action forward is getting you one step closer to your goals, your dreams and a better quality of life in the future.

It’s really easy to get caught up in our own heads and overthink things. We’re scared of failure, other people’s judgement, and whether we’re doing the right thing. It’s okay to feel that way, this is normal, but don’t let that stop you for forward progression.

As Thomas Edison said, “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”

The sooner we execute, the faster we learn whether we’re on the right path. If we’re not, we can adjust and move forward faster, as long as, we keep going. It’s hard to beat someone who never stops executing, trying, and bouncing back from setbacks. Eventually that person will break through and find success.

Here’s a quick tip to keep you pushing forward. Set measurable goals and track your progress. A simple daily journal or a chart on the wall will help you remember how far you’ve come. Seeing the progress will help you keep doing.

3) Sell

Every business in the world is selling something. This is an absolute fact. I don’t care what you do, you sell something. It  can be items, but it is also knowledge, your company, your time. 

I have come to realized that becoming a better marketer, spending time on client relationships and building my own marketing strategy is never a waste of time. This process must be constantly worked on, updated and executed. 

I’m always moving forward and improving as a marketer, building more sales channels, trying new strategies and finding ways to get my products and services into the right people’s hands. The trick is to not give up, as soon as you give up you have lost. 

4) The Rest

Don’t forget to take time everyday to manage your business. This isn’t part of my three activities to get you 365 steps closer to your goal, but it is a necessity you can’t ignore. Don’t allow you business to run you. Stay in control, if you need to hire someone to do the small stuff and take that stress off your plate, then do it. 

Make sure you set your priorities straight. Choose which activities are most important to you and your business and accomplish those goals first each day. Most people are more creative and can think more clearly in the morning, so take advantage of that and concentrate on those things that are most important. 

Whatever you do, don’t give up on yourself and your personal dreams. If you keep learning, doing and selling every day, you’ll be sure to make a significant breakthrough by the end of a year.  It takes hard work and dedication to learn, do and sell every single day, but it’s worth the effort and in the end you’ll be so happy that you did.

So, tell me … What do your personal dreams actually mean to you?

4 Self-Care Traveling Techniques

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In this blog we’ll discuss 4 Self-Care Traveling Techniques. These will be perfect for those on the go. Life gets pretty hectic and often throws challenges at us. When stressful situations occur, we often forget about taking care of ourselves. We need to take advantage of simple ways to provide some self–care to help us get through these intense times.

These are 4 techniques you can do at the office, hotel, on the road or just about anywhere, to help you breath, stay calm and take care of your mind and body while facing all the challenges of life. 

1) Keep a list of accomplishments that you are proud of with you. Sometimes we are forced to step out of our comfort zone, we waste energy on worrying about the worst-case scenarios or stressing about past mistakes.

Instead of giving away that valuable energy to something you can’t do anything about, take some time to think about when you met a challenge and crushed it. Focus on what has worked out well, keep a list of accomplishments that you are proud of on your phone and look at it when stressed, purposely smile and compliment yourself on a job well done.

2) Purposefully restructure your natural responses. When that instant feeling of anger or frustration takes over, our first reaction is to vent – raise our voice, use some choice curse words, etc. These behaviors are normal and natural, but usually make you feel worse, not better. Instead of allowing those behaviors to control us, there is a great way to change the way you think by using cognitive restructuring.  

At its most basic level, cognitive restructuring is changing the way you think and the way you feel into a more reasonable and adaptable thought. It takes practice, so don’t wait until a challenge shows up, start now. Think about something that makes you upset, mad or sad then reframe that feeling to something more constructive. 

Gently redirecting the irritated voice in your head. Instead of thinking, “I can’t believe he blew  me off again, I’m so mad I could scream!” shift your thoughts to be a bit more constructive and compassionate with a phrase like, “This is a frustrating situation and it’s understandable that I’m upset, but getting angry isn’t going to fix anything.” By putting your emotions into perspective, you’ll not only realize that you can get through it, but you may also come up with some solutions to help ease the situation, like finding more reliable people to be in your life and dropping the toxic ones.

3) Effectively Tackle Overload

An ever-growing work list may push you into a frenzy of multitasking. But while you may think that divvying up your focus and attention can help you get several things done and save time in the long run, the truth is, the human brain isn’t built to do two or more things at once.

To effectively tackle your work overload, don’t take on everything as soon as you get to the office. Instead, be more intentional with your time and focus by scheduling blocks on your calendar to one specific task at a time—nothing else. Dedicating 15- to 30-minute increments of time to finishing up one chore at a time will help eliminate distractions and keep you on task.

4) Reduce Your Reaction To Flight or Fight Response

In moments where your fight-or-flight response has been triggered, practicing deep breathing will become your best friend. Research has shown that deep breathing has a positive impact on both mood and stress levels. Best of all, breathing exercises are always available—no special equipment or setting necessary.

Simply sit or lie down in a comfortable position, place one hand on your tummy and one on your heart and then take a deep breath through your nose. You should feel your belly pushing your hand outward, while your chest remains relatively still. Hold this breath for the count of 5 and then, breathe out through tightened lips. You’ll feel your hand move closer to your frame as your belly retracts. Repeat these steps three to ten more times for maximum calm.

I hope these 4 Self-Care Traveling Techniques helps you as your out and about to keep calm and have a fantastic day. Our small way of helping you survive in life, so you can Thrive in life. 

Sincerely, 
Trina, Owner of Dragoyle.com

How Many Red Flags Can You Find In This First Date?

/ tbarkle68 / Leave a comment

This is a true story that just happened to me only a few weeks ago. Some red flags are more obvious than others, some you might not think are red flags, but you might learn a few things to look for or what you can change in yourself to get a first date. So, tell me in the comments below if you agree with how many red flags I found and I’ll send you a discount code to my store. 

Here we go, how many red flags can you find on this first date?

We had only messaged each other two times when Mike asked me to go to a concert the following weekend. I’m usually much more cautious about going out that fast, but I was desperate to get out and since I love music I decided to take a change at this opportunity and said yes. 

When the concert day arrived I made sure to get to our pubic meeting place 10 minutes early, just in case. Mike arrived 30 minutes late. He pulled up right behind me and got out of his vehicle, I could see him in my rear view mirror and the man that stepped out was nearly twice as heavy as the pictures online. Since heavy people don’t bother me, I got out and shook his hand. Sized up the situation and felt I was okay to continue on the date.

Honestly, the love of music and the opportunity to go to a concert was out weighing the red flags to this point, so I hopped into his vehicle and off we went to the concert. After we arrived and walked up to the front doors, I discovered that they were still locked and that they don’t open for another 2 hours! He knew this and didn’t tell me that we were arriving 2 hours early, so he can get in line. The tickets are assigned seating, so standing in line for hours doesn’t change where we sit and is just a waste of time to me. To top it off, he ignored me the whole 2 hours and talked to others in the line, sometimes walking off, leaving me standing there alone. 

Once we finally got inside he turned to me asking if I was hungry, I replied that I was and we went to get food. I asked if he wanted his own meal or if he wanted to share something, he said that we can share chicken strips and fries. I agreed. After getting the food we wiggled our way through the crowd and found our seats on the 8th row. He sits down, turns his massive back to me, blocking the food completely and proceeded to eat everything, he didn’t even offer me a fry. 

Finally, the concert started and I started having fun, but there was an extremely drunk man sitting next to us that was being rude and obnoxious. For the most part, we just ignored him and enjoyed the concert. Then he got very loud and started heckling the singers, screaming obscenities’ and telling them to get off the stage and never come back. I waited for Mike to say something, but he just looked the other way, so I stepped up. I reached over and popped him on the shoulder, just enough to get his attention and told him to be nice. At first he was annoyed, but I then explained that we’re here to have a fun and have a positive experience and would like him to stop being negative because the bands worked very hard to get on that stage and that he couldn’t do any better. He immediately calmed down and apologized. The rest of the concert was a blast. 

After the concert we headed back, he started quizzing me on the bands and names of classic music. I told him that I’m not good at band names, that I just love the music. He kept quizzing me. I mentioned again, that I won’t know these answers and he started picking on me. He started asking me questions again and I again told him that I really don’t know band names. Then he started harassing me and never let up all the way to the park-n-ride.

It felt like forever, but when we finally arrived back at my vehicle, I jumped out and headed to my drivers side door.  Unlocked it and tossed my purse on the front seat. Suddenly he was right next to me, wiggling his way between  me and my vehicle door, to block me from getting into the vehicle. He large size basically squeezed me into the bushes next to me, I stumbled into them and nearly fell over. When I turned around he had his hands on the door and side of the vehicle, completely blocking me from getting in. That scared me and I wanted to freak out, but knew that wouldn’t help in any way, so I took a few deep breaths and stayed calm. 

He started small talk, but it was 1:30 am and I hadn’t eaten anything since I ate a Toaster Pastry that morning for breakfast. I was tired, hungry and annoyed. Seeing way to many red flags to feel comfortable talking to this strange man that late at night in a nearly deserted parking lot. I took another deep breath and humored his small talking for a moment, then said I needed to go. He asked if I wanted to go on another date. I hate hurting peoples feelings, but I felt this time I needed to make sure this guy had a definitive answer and gave him a gentle, but solid no. Gratefully he then moved to the side and let me get in and get away from him.

So there you have it. How many red flags did you find?  I’ll now show you my answers below.  Do you agree?

Flag 1: There are a lot of sick people out there that prey on desperate single females. Taking sometime to get to know an online prospect and then speaking to them over the phone is important to do before a first date. One of the rules I have in place is to make the fellow send me a quick video of his face and him saying my name, so I know that who I’m actually speaking to is really the person on the profile and not someone that is just trying to scam or catfish me. In my experience, there has been way more scammers and catfishing accounts than real people on dating sites. 

Flag 2: If a man can’t respect you enough to be on time to a first date, he won’t respect you in a relationship. You deserve a man that can be reliable.

Flag 3: When someone’s profile photos don’t represent their current self, they are basically lying. Misrepresenting who you really are speaks volumes about what you think about yourself and how little respect you have for the person you’re wanting to date. 

Flag 4: Standing in line for 2 hours, for no apparent reason and ignoring the person your dating the whole time is selfish and rude. A little heads up would have been nice or a discussion on the time line would have been courteous. 

Flag 5: What kind of man agrees to share food with you, then selfishly eats every single bite?  I don’t know … I was so perplexed by this behavior that I just sat there staring at his back with my jaw nearly hitting the floor? Does anyone have any answers to this behavior?  Maybe his was really that hungry? I would have been fine buying my own food, he just needed to tell me. 

Flag 6: A man should be able to protect his date, not make her step in and do it. That man was getting belligerent, was inappropriately touching me and could have become a threat if someone didn’t calm him down. It shouldn’t be up to the woman to take care of a potentially dangerous situation. 

Flag 7: If someone doesn’t want to talk about a subject and gets harassed about it, instead of just changing the subject … well you know! Don’t pick on your date people.

Flag 8: Never block a woman from getting into her car, this will throw her into fight of flight mode and you might not like how things turn out. Most women I know immediately think they are going to get raped or killed when a man blocks her from escaping. This will never get you a second date. 

Tell me how many flags you agree with and why? I would love to know your opinion. I asked several of my friends about this situation to make sure I wasn’t being to sensitive and they all agreed that I should never date this guy again.

Do you think I should give this guy a second chance?

If you know someone that ignores red flags and keeps getting hurt over and over, you might want to consider this fun Red Flag Mug for their next gift.

6 Ways To Start A Fire Without A Match or A Lighter

/ tbarkle68 / Leave a comment

In this blog we’ll give you 6 ways to start a fire without matches or a lighter. 

Hopefully, you’ll never be in a position where you don’t have any matches or a lighter to start a fire. Whether that is when you’re out camping or in emergency situations. You should always have a few backup ways to keep warm during a survival situation, so lets get prepared. A perfect way to keep prepared is to have waterproof matches in your emergency kit, but what if you don’t have that kit with you. Let’s explore 6 other ways you can start a fire. 

1. To Start A Fire Without Matches or a Lighter With A Tinder Kit – Starting a fire from scratch is difficult enough even with matches. Without matches, it’s even harder. To give yourself a head-start on starting a fire, bring a tinder kit with you. A tinder kit should consist of material that is dry and easy to use in the creation of a fire. You can tease apart rope fiber into soft, thin threads; cotton balls soaked in Vaseline work especially well; and you can always buy tinder kits. If you’re caught without any tinder material on you, or if what you have has gotten wet, look for cedar trees or birch trees. The bark of these trees can be shredded to create some quick tinder. Cattails also work as natural tinder material.

2. To Start A Fire Without Matches or a Lighter With Flint and Steal – One of the easiest ways to start a fire is using flint and steel. Flint and steel kits can be purchased relatively inexpensively online or in stores. Using a tinder kit with flint and steal will create a fire pretty easily especially if you have magnesium as well, but if you don’t have a tinder kit and you can use charcloth, scrap dry bark off of cedar or birch trees, look for old dry moss or other small very dry materials. Magnesium starts on fire fast and super easy, I highly suggest having some in your emergency kit. 

Making a fire with flint and steel has three essential steps:

  1. Create a spark by striking the flit with your steal in a downward motion
  2. Catch that spark in your tinder kit or dry material bundle.
  3. Turn the spark into a flame by gently blowing into the spark in a slow steady way, over and over until it burst into flame.

To complete the first two steps, take a small amount of charcloth or tinder and lay it flat against the flint. If you have some Magnesium, scrape some shavings in a small pile on top of your tinder bundle. Next, strike the flint with your metal. You should see sparks immediately, but only if you strike the flint at the right angle. One of these sparks should eventually land on the charcloth or tinder, giving it a tiny orange glow. That tiny glow is enough to start a fire with; you should transfer the charcloth to the tinder nest when the glow appears, gently wrapping the charcloth into the tinder nest and then blowing on it gently and steadily. The tinder nest should smoke and produce a flame almost right away. You can feed the flame with small kindling, such as dried grass, dry pine needles, or twigs, and then use the more stable flame to light sticks, building up to get your logs on fire.


3. To Start A Fire Without Matches or a Lighter With A Glass Lens – Some children discovered this method on accident as children when they melted toys with a magnifying glass or caught a bug on fire.
With a magnifying glass and an unobstructed view of the sun, you can easily use the magnifying glass method to start a fire. A magnifying glass that rotates in and out of a vinyl case, as opposed to a magnifying glass with a handle, is ideal for traveling with because it is small and more effective.

This method is simple, but might take a few minutes, so be patient. Put your tinder bundle on the ground or with your kindling, then aim the beam of the sun at the tinder nest so the beam of sun coming through is a tight stream of sun, the more condensed the sun stream the better. Keep it steady in the same spot on the tinder bundle until it begins to smoke. When it starts smoking, gently blow on the tinder bundle until you produce a flame.

Using a magnifying glass to start a fire is easy, but it depends upon having a decent amount of sunlight. Since you can’t always depend on the sun being out, it’s good to have more methods on-hand than just the magnifying glass such as a Tinder Bundle Kit with Windproof/Waterproof Matches.

4. To Start A Fire Without Matches or a Lighter with An Alternative To A Glass Lens. Besides using a glass lens to capture the rays of the sun and produce a fire, you can also use a Solar Lighter, water-filled balloon or a mirror to achieve the same effect. When using water inside a balloon, try to make the shape into a sphere. The more spherical the container is, the more effective it will be at focusing the rays of the sun.

If you don’t have a mirror on hand, you can polish the bottom of a soda/beer can with toothpaste or chocolate and turn it into a mirror. By the way, if you use this last method, don’t eat the chocolate after you’ve polished your aluminum can with it; the chocolate may contain toxic residue.

5. To Start A Fire Without Matches or a Lighter by Using Friction. One of the most famous ways to start a fire without a match is also one of the most difficult: using the friction between two pieces of wood. To use this method, make a v-shaped notch in a board or log, and choose a spindle that will create the friction. Rub the spindle between your hands as fast as you can, moving your hands up and down the spindle rapidly. When the board or log begins to smoke, use your tinder nest to catch the glowing spark you’ve produced.

You can also create a bow drill instead. The bow drill is easier than the primitive method described above, but it requires you to make a proper bow first, which is harder.

6. WHEN IT’S WET OUTSIDE. What if you’re in a worst-case scenario situation and your wet and cold? Your matches and lighter have both gotten wet and won’t work. You have a tinder kit, along with some flint and steel, but your tinder kit has gotten wet, as well. The downpour has also made the forest around you wet, so there is virtually no dry kindling or dry wood anywhere to be found. Are you stuck at this point? No. If you’re resourceful, you can still start a fire.

Start by finding some dry tinder, I know that everything is wet, but here’s how. The aforementioned birch or cedar bark works well in this scenario, but you will need to peel a few layers of bark off to get to the dry bark.

As for finding dry wood, look for a standing dead tree. Unlike a dead tree that’s lying on the forest floor, a standing dead tree will usually be dry inside. Peel away the rotted, wet, outer section of the tree to get to the dry wood on the inside to get to the dry kindling. Once you have a decent blaze going, you can use even damp limbs and twigs in your fire, because the heat of the fire will be strong enough to catch damp wood at that point.

The 6 ways to start a fire above are the most important ones to understand when thinking about building a fire outdoors without a match. Whenever you go camping or hiking, it’s a good idea to have at least three different tools to start a fire with, along with your tinder kit.

Did we miss any other useful ways to start a fire without a match? If so, mention your favorite ways to start a fire in the comments section below and receive a discount code to purchase your fire making kits.

4 Solutions On How Not To Be Overwhelmed In Life

/ tbarkle68 / Leave a comment

Don’t just try to survive, THRIVE!

In this blog we will talk about 4 solutions on how Not to be overwhelmed in life. 

In a world of uncertainly, we seem to concentrate on just surviving life, but to thrive in your life, career, home you are impacting lives and securing your future. What if all of your struggles were designed for you, that you need to go through what you have to be successful in life. What if life happened For you not To you?

Now is not the time to play small in life, most people will do that, but it is the right time to gain capabilities, take action and thrive instead of just trying to survive. Are you wiling to make a necessary pivot in life to grow and discover exponentially during this economy shift?

when you feel like you're downding its time to start thriving. surviving isn't good enough, take 10X action to create the life that you want not drownd in the life that you don't want

Many people these days are feeling overwhelmed with too many things hitting them at once, they are feeling lost and don’t have direction, they feel like they are drownding, but not getting anywhere, they aren’t where they want to be in life and are tired of not living life to its fullest potential. Wanting more in life and knowing you can achieve more is the best way to generate passion for those wants and building that pathway to create what you desire. 

When you are thriving in life you are filled with clarity and direction, you feel confident in yourself and start creating goals and plans to live life to the fullest, you enjoy your relationships, feel peace and have a great quality of life. Focus on creating a better you, better life, better relationships. 

Ask yourself a few questions:

  • Have I gone through a mess that taught me something valuable?
  • Have I learned skills or gotten really good at something?
  • Do I have a hobby or passion that I’ve invested a lot of time and money into?

Imagine taking any of those situations and turning it into generating multiple streams of income. Extracting what you already have and sharing it with the exact people that need it is the perfect way to start thriving in life. Finding a niche and creating and income from it is up to you and your experiences. 

Some of the most popular niches these days are:

  • Vegetable Gardening
  • Marketing Coach
  • Yoga and Stretching
  • Life Coaching
  • Simple App Creation
  • Drawing
  • Trauma Coach
  • Home Bakery
  • Course Creation

There are 100+ more to choose from and you can do this too, you need to do this for your future, so you can thrive not just survive. Remember, it will take 10X more time, effort and tenacity that you think it will, but don’t give up. The moment you give up is the moment you failed. You can massively impact your life and generate abundance at the same time.

Inflation is hurting most and investing in yourself and creating self care can be difficult, but finding a way to do so is a must. Let’s explore a few ways to thrive in life. Start with your life experiences, your skills, your hobbies and your passions or even the life challenges that you had to overcome and made it to the other side. 

1) Start your own business. There are so many options, but opening a business gives you a great way to help with taxes, create your own income, build a future for not only yourself, but your family, kids, grandkids. If you want to start your own online e-commerce store, comment below and I can help. 

2) Invest into a low cost, high margin game changer. These are hard to find, do your research, if it was easy everyone would do it. This can be in the form of stocks and bond, cryptocurrency or buying into or starting a new trendy business in a tightly defined niche. 

3) Self care is a must! Self care is simply the practice of looking after your own physical and mental health in ways that support a good quality of life and prevent illness or endangerment. Everyone’s self care needs are different and should be based on determining what you need specific to your life style, such as hereditary health and your environment, occupation, habits, interests, stress levels, and more.

Examples of selfcare to consider:

  • Exercising regularly.
  • Eating healthy foods.
  • Fostering and maintaining healthy relationships.
  • Getting good-quality sleep.
  • Seeking professional help when you need it.
  • Following treatment plans for current ailments or diseases.
  • Have a cup of tea.
  • Sit in the sunlight.
  • Take a shower or bath
  • Drink more water
  • Get a massage/facial/pedicure/manicure

4) Be prepared for disasters, emergencies and economic downturns. Disasters can occur naturally (e.g., tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, wildfires, mudslides, or drought) or be human-caused (e.g., mass shootings, chemical spills, or terrorist attacks). Preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters and traumatic events is essential to the good behavioral health of individuals and communities alike. Find more info here. 

I hope you enjoyed this blog on 4 Solutions On How Not to be Overwhelmed With Life and learning to thrive instead of just surviving. Please leave a comment below and I’ll send you a discount code for 10% Off your next purchase.

Are you ready to go from just surviving to Thriving?
The time is now, just do it! 

Making Frugal Fabulous

/ tbarkle68 / Leave a comment

Being frugal can be fun and fabulous, but getting there is easier if you have a frugal mindset. Having a frugal mindset is about making smart, sensible choices with your money. It’s about understanding and being intentional with how you spend that money and the budget you set. With the economy as it is today, being frugal helps you to plan ahead and take control of your life, your finances and the positive energy that you put into making frugal fabulous. 

It’s easy to spot people that are not frugal, they have lots of debt and usually hold down 2 jobs just to keep up with all the stuff that they bought. These days with all the prices going up on housing, gas and food, being frugal has become a necessity of the majority, not just of the few like before the COVID epidemic. It’s more important now to become adept at stretching your pennies and saving money whenever you can. 

I was talking to a fairly wealthy friend the other day about the economy and how pretty much everything has increased in price, yet the average pay has stayed the same. He gave me an interesting idea on how to save money, that he uses himself. “I never pay full price for anything.” he said, “I look for the sales on items that I actually use, then buy out the store.” His purpose was to show the store that he refuses to pay the higher rates, that if the stores see that only ‘For Sale’ items are flying off the shelves, maybe they will start lowering rates again. Interesting concept, I suppose if more people get on that bandwagon, maybe that would make an impact. We can all contribute in different ways to helping the economy, but personally I’m more worried about providing for my family. 

A few ways to Thrive in life and be a fantastic fun frugal person:

  • Budget your money: Although budgeting isn’t necessarily fun, it is a critical piece of the puzzle. Within your budget, you can prioritize things that matter and ruthlessly cut out things that don’t. 
  • Plan your meals: I know this isn’t fun, but when you have a set list of items that you need from the store, it’s easier to not over buy and you save a lot on eating out.
  • Cook Larger Amounts: I don’t like cooking, so if I don’t have to do it everyday that makes it easier when I do have to cook. I make large amounts, then create individual meals, put some in the refrigerator and some in the freezer for later. 
  • Downsize and Minimize: Take a look around, I bet you have many items in your home that you don’t use. Sell them, get some value out of them. Clean out your garage, go through your clothes, do you really need all of those gadgets? The key is, don’t sell then rebuy new things. Sell and put that money towards bills or in savings. 
  • Grow your own Food: Not only is it healthier for you than what you can buy at the store, but you are then starting to Thrive by not having to rely on the store. There are many different easy ways you can start, check out our garden selection for awesome planting options.
  • Free Fun Adventures: There are a ton of free things you can do that don’t cost a cent, such as going to the park, play board games, go swimming, go on a bike ride, take a free online course, write out your life plan/goals, having a picnic, or having a bonfire are just a few free fun things to do.

Living frugally doesn’t have to be a sacrifice, but a way to thrive instead of just surviving. Make an effort to think of frugality as a way to fully enjoy what you care about in life. When you have your money under control, it can be easier to spend on things that matter.