Shoes are made to protect and provide comfort on a daily basis. There are a number of designs and styles you can choose from, each suited for a specific event or outfit. Here are some tips to help you pair up the perfect footwear to an occasion.
Sneakers
If you’re just going to the grocery store or meeting up with friends for a couple of drinks at a nearby bar, you can’t go wrong with a comfortable pair of everyday sneakers. These tend to be more popular for men, but women are also finding interesting ways to match their outfits with sneakers. The casual footwear comes in a variety of colours and styles. Make it a point to match your top with the colour of the sneakers to create a good fashion balance.
Flats
You can wear flats to work if you’re in a casual office environment. Flats such as ballet shoes are a simple way to glam up your wardrobe. Choose a pair that would reflect your activity for the day. If you’re strolling in the park or visiting a nearby zoo, you can wear nature-inspired colours or even bold animal prints. Wearing a heel sock creates comfort, if you don’t want to go sockless for the day. Let’s admit it, going sockless can sometimes cause stinky feet, and you wouldn’t want that!
Heels
For classy events such as office dinners and formal parties, heels are a must. A black pair of heels should be a staple of any woman’s shoe rack, as you can easily match them with your little black dress. However, heels can get uncomfortable, if worn for a long period, so make sure you’re only using them for a late-night party or dinner.
Espadrilles
Just like flats, espadrilles are perfect for a warm, dry summer day. These shoes are made from canvass or a light fabric, making it more breathable and comfortable. You can also wear espadrilles if you’re planning a trip to the beach as these type of footwear can be a great alternative for slippers or sandals and dry quickly if wet. Espadrilles can come in all shapes and designs, making the choosing more exciting for those who are looking for a bit of color on their feet!
Weatherproof
If you live in an area that experiences harsh weather, it’s best to have weatherproof shoes such as rain shoes and work boots. Made from durable, weatherproof materials, you can always rely on these shoes to be sturdy. You can wear them out in the rain, enabling you to jump in puddles. Mud can be easily cleaned of with water and soap. Some weatherproof shoes even repel water, making it ideal for those living in rainy areas.
No matter what type of shoe you have in your closet, you can always mix and match to create a style of your own. Scour the collections at thrift stores and get shoes at lower prices, or you can always order shoes online and have them delivered straight to your door.

The Best Family Cars For 2015

by Jada, January 27, 2015
When you’re travelling with precious cargo, it pays to have the best. A car meant for the use of families should not only deliver good performance and fuel economy but also be safe, comfortable, reliable, and versatile. If you’re planning to get a car for your family, here are some of the best family car picks for 2015.
For big families
Families comprised of several members need a car that can comfortably seat passengers and have enough space for their stuff as well. For big families, recommended models include minivans, SUVs, crossovers, and station wagons.
Hyundai Santa Fe – the Santa Fe has three rows and a low step-in height that enables kids to climb in the car easily. Installing child-safety seats is also a breeze, plus it comes with a multimedia system that can help your keep children entertained on long trips.
Nissan Quest – the minivan has been the quintessential family car for decades, but its popularity waned when families started looking for a vehicle that doesn’t scream “I’m a soccer mom!” The Nissan Quest is undoubtedly the car that brings prodigal minivan lovers back into the fold, with its funky styling and spacious, crossover-looking interiors.
Other cars to consider for big families are the Acura MDX crossover, the Buick Enclave crossover, the Chevrolet Traverse SUV, the Dodge Durango SUV, the Honda Odyssey minivan, the Toyota Highlander SUV, and the Toyota Sienna minivan. The Sienna is the only minivan with all-wheel drive.
For small families
Small families can ride big cars too, so for this list we will consider SUVs, minivans, and station wagons along with sedans and hatchbacks.
Kia Soul – for the budget-conscious family, the Kia Soul definitely offers the best in savings. The 2015 Kia Soul is a five-seat compact hatchback that you can have for as low as $15,900.
Hyundai Santa Fe Sport – Hyundai is truly making waves in the automotive industry due to its impressive aesthetics and awesome features. The Sport variant offers families plenty of space at the backseat and the cargo area, perfect for long road trips.
Other cars to consider for small families are the Chevrolet Equinox, the Chevrolet Impala, the Mazda CX-5, the Nissan Rogue, the Subaru Forester, the Chevrolet Malibu, the Subaru Impreza, the Volkswagen Passat, and the Toyota Prius hatchback.
Categorically speaking
The popular automotive magazine Car and Driver has listed down their editors’ top choices for the best cars for 2015. Families can also cross-reference their preferences with this list, which is divided into vehicle categories. In the small crossover/SUV category, the Nissan Juke gets the top spot. Its luxury equivalent is the BMW X1. As for compact crossovers or SUVs, the editors chose a number of recommended cars, including the Mazda CX-5, Jeep Cherokee, and the Kia Sportage.
The Car and Driver editors picked out three of what they consider to be the best family sedans in the market today. These are the Volkswagen Passat, Mazda 6, and the Honda Accord. For eco-conscious families, suggested models are Toyota’s Prius, Ford’s C-Max, and Chevrolet’s Volt for the hybrid category and the Chevrolet Spark EV and the Fiat 500E for the electric category.
Can’t make up your mind which one to get for your family? The experts in New Jersey auto sales can help you decide!
As a pet owner, you should be able to find the right care for your beloved pets. A trusted veterinarian can be your most important ally when it comes to ensuring your pet’s health condition and well-being, therefore finding the right vet for your pet is just as crucial as you would get a doctor for you and your family.
In a way, the veterinarian that you choose should be able to connect with your pet in a way that eases your pets into them. Often, pets would cower away the minute you latch them on their leash. If your pet is afraid of vet visits, then it might be a sign that they don’t enjoy their trips to the vet. Maybe it’s time for you to find a vet that truly cares for the well-being of your beloved creatures. Here are a few pointers that can help you find the correct care for your pets:
Find the vet that deals with your special pet
Just like humans, every pet is special in their own way. If you have an offbeat pet like an iguana or a boa constrictor, it is best if you find the right vet who specializes in reptiles and not on mammals like dogs and cats. Some veterinarians in your area may only care for dogs, cats, and birds, while others can do better with hamsters and reptiles.
One way to find the perfect vet for your pets is to ask around. Visit online forums that connect you with similar pet owners in your area and ask them about the best vet in the area. If you purchased a dog from a reputable breeder, they may recommend you to the vet that they frequently visit.
Planning for future health issues
It is important to determine whether the vet that you chose to visit knows what he/she is doing. Ask about the facilities, the staff, and the equipment that they have in the clinic and make sure that they can accommodate your pet should it encounter a health issue in the future. Another way to ensure that your veterinarian is legitimate is to consult the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). They have a list of veterinary practitioners within your area that passed their strict evaluation standards.
Of course you’ll never really know how your pet will react to the vet unless you bring them directly to the clinic. Take a look at the surroundings and take note of the cleanliness of the clinic. See to it that they have the right equipment and veterinary supplies for all types of conditions and that they can assure you of your pet’s well-being.
Extending the life of your beloved pet
Choosing the right veterinarian not only extends the life of your pet, you can also allow them to grow and lead a healthy life. As pet owners, you should always treat your pets just as you would treat a fellow human. Remember that these pets highly depend on you and they’re the ones who will suffer should you choose a vet that’s not right for their needs.
There are things you can do by gut feel alone, with no instructions, guidelines, and precautions needed. Building your own home is not one of those things. With home construction, it’s important to get things right the first time so you don’t end up tearing down a whole wall because you forgot to consider where the electrical outlets will be placed.
Building your own home sounds like a challenging endeavour, but it can be overwhelming and complicated because there are many details that you have to put together. Here’s everything you need to know when building your own home:
Check your finances
Before you can build, you have to have the resources to do so. This involves serious financial planning and budget-making. Determine how much you can spend, your home’s estimated cost, and how much you need to borrow from the bank.
When all of your finances are in order, you can look for land to build on and put together a house plan. Verify that the cost of your home’s construction will fit into your budget. At this stage you can start looking for subcontractors, material suppliers, and building supply stores.
Get insurance
Get construction insurance, of which there are three types: course of construction, general liability, and workman’s compensation insurance. The first is an all-risk policy that covers replacement cost, fire coverage, extended coverage, vandalism and malicious mischief insurance coverage, and builder’s risk. Course of construction and general liability insurance are both required by banks, while workman’s compensation insurance is only mandatory if your contractor or builder has employees.
The basics
If you have already selected a site on which to build your home, the next thing to deal with is the site’s topography so you can determine the water flow. Before digging, take care of these pre-construction chores first:
Building permit - the building permit is issued by the city or county building inspector. You will need to submit your house plan, site plan, and specification sheets. Once you have obtained the permit, post it at the job site.
Utility tap – you can obtain temporary water and power for your construction site by taking a copy of your building permit to the utility office.
Dumpster – you will have to deal with a lot of rubbish during construction, so a dumpster is necessary. Order one and place it in an area that doesn't get in the way of the utility tap and material delivery.
Portable toilet – when nature calls, you’d be glad to have at least one on your building site. Its presence is required in construction sites, anyway.

When you have all of these ready to go, then it’s time to get those shovels. The contractor can take over the digging, concreting, and laying down the foundation. It is highly recommended to hire a full-service plumbing contractor and let them rough in the water and sewer lines before pouring the foundation. You can check online for sump pump prices and types so you can determine the best one for use in your home.
Now that you have the basics covered, it’s time to start shovelling!
*Guest Post*
School goals for parents
Well, if your child is old enough to go to a school, here are some basic (yes important) goals for you. Yes, you!
Don’t keep a tight schedule
Having a tight schedule means you are burdening yourself with responsibilities and as a mother, your child is over dependent on you. However, if something is wrong with your child, he or she might not tell you about it. You should be in the frame of mind to understand their silence and ask them about it.
If you have a tight schedule, you might miss their silence and confuse it with tiredness. So, keep your mind free when your child is around and communicate with them on a regular basis.
You, and only you, can avoid a crisis.
TIP: Buy a planner and plan your things in such a way that you find enough time for your children. You can buy it at Sears.com. Sears.com is a one-stop online store that lists products at a price lower than the retail price of the products. Also, there are coupons for Sears that will help you invest your savings wisely.

Talk to the teachers
Talk to your child/children's teacher about your child’s progress and performance at school.
Many parents fear talking to teachers thinking that they might be rude, while some parents avoid communicating with the teachers because they do not realise that the teachers are helping their children grow in the best way possible. Some feel that talking to the principal is enough.
Let me tell you that in each of the above cases, the parent is wrong.
One should understand that developing a working relationship with teachers is good (and important) because they can guide the parents with shortcomings of the children.
If you have knowledge about their shortcomings, you will be in a position to help your child and make him a better student.
So, stop crying foul and start communicating with the teachers.

Be your child’s home teacher
What your child learns in school will help him/her clear their exams with ease. At home, you can teach them something that is not taught at school.
For example, if you are a good dancer and your child wants to learn dancing, you can teach them to dance at home. However, if you do not have adequate knowledge about something and your child wants to learn it, there are two options for you.
1. Get a tutor and let them teach your children.
2. Surf sites, buy courses online and learn that something with them at home.
Accompanying your child for an activity will give him the freedom to express things in a better way.
Want things related to the activity? You can buy them online and use related coupons to make your purchase economical. Also, there are coupons that will help you get ‘free shipping’ on the products. So, add money to your savings box by using such coupons.

What else should be on your list for your school age and school going kids?
Share your views by commenting below.

A letter to my son, the first of 2015.

by Jada, January 21, 2015
Dear Spud,

I don't know how old you're going to be when you're reading this, or even if you ever do decide to read this, but I'll still write this letter from my heart, as I sit here on a very cold and wet Thursday, listening to Let It Go (the Frozen soundtrack), because it's what's on my playlist, playing in my ears from my ear phones.

We moved two months ago today baby, and what a hectic two months it's been! You may of seen mummy looking a little red faced or even noticed me being upset, and I'm sorry for that, extremely sorry. I didn't realise how much work this house needed, and although it's always been a dream for us to have a garden (and what a HUGE garden we now have!), I feel like a bad mummy for dragging you from a perfect and lovely home, to bringing you to live here!

As our favourite part of the Frozen soundtrack blast through my ear, I remember the wonderful memories of us first ever watching that movie. We watched it over and over again in that first week, surely giving our neighbours in the flat an ear ache as we sang the loudest and cheeriest we possibly could! We've not even watched the movie at our house yet, or any of the DVD's we own, for I know where the DVD player is, but as for the remote control, it could be anywhere right now.

Love is an open door has just started to play through my earphones now, another song from the hit Disney film, this has to be our joint favourite song from the film, you play the Sven part, and I play the Anna part - naturally, because we finish each other's sandwiches <3

The first picture of the year, of the pair of us!
Don't get me wrong, we still sing and dance here in the house, I remember on New Years Day, we had my Grease album on, dancing and singing along like a pair of lunatics, not a care in the world, just like I've always told you baby, dance and sing like nobody is watching, and even if they are, still carry on!

I can't stop praising you, like I always have. You was such a perfect baby, you slept through from seven weeks, was always poorly but never screamed, you was a brilliant toddler in comparison to others, you had your terrible two's, and your terrible three moments, but you was still such a pleasant little boy.

You soon become a child, and now, we're just a few months away from your ninth birthday. I get praised on a near daily basis for the way you are, family members have nothing bad to say about you! I don't either, apart from your love of Pokemon, I fear it's over taking your love of Disney, but that's okay, I can deal with that. 

I wonder how old you are now Spud, at the time of reading this post, I wonder if you're still into Disney? They say once a Disney fan, always a Disney fan and I honestly believe it. Disney lets us escape to a magical world where nothing else matters! <3

You've got a heart of pure gold, love and innocence, you're such a credit to mummy and I know I tell you all the time, but I do love you, more than anything in this whole wide world, more than anyone in this whole universe, and more then the biggest number in the world, more than words can ever explain basically.

You're my number one, and always will be! We moved so close to Christmas, but you've not once complained, you've not been bothered that your room is a pinky/purple colour until Grandad has time to decorate it, nor have you complained about the awful smell we dealt with for so long!

You've not complained about 90% of your toys, games and Lego being packed away, you've not complained about being unable to play with your new Lego sets from the lovely Norton team, or the sets you got for Christmas. When I apologise to you, you say it's okay mummy, I know it's not best to play with my Lego now because the pieces will fall down the floorboards, you're a darling!

Right I best be off now beautiful, I've still not took the Christmas decorations down and they was suppose to come down on the 6th, eek! I'll be writing to you again soon, and can only apologise for any embarrassment this may cause!

All the love in my heart,
Your Mummy xxxxx

Five Ways On How To Save!

by Jada, January 21, 2015
January must be the most hardest times of the year financially, most of us have had a big blow out during the Christmas and New Year season, and now, our waistlines and bank accounts are paying for it. So many people have started or plan to start a diet, but how many of us have thought about ways to get our finances back on track!?

It was only today when I was looking through my bank statement that arrived through the door that I realised how much the season had took its toll on my financial status! So after a think, a lot of notes, list and even random doodles, I've made a list of five things that can hopefully help me save some money!

1: Playing Swaps

I've got a few nights out planned in the new few weeks or so, and justifying more cost during a difficult period for the sake of a new outfit and shoes just doesn't seem like something I can do! So I've made a plan and I'm going to ask friends if I can borrow some bits and pieces from them, it saves me money, and brings out a new outfit (as such!).

2:  Weekly Shop

I'm so guilty of not shopping properly, I need to do a big shop once a week and make sure I avoid the small frequent shops I seem to do! When I use to do my shopping weekly, I knew roughly what I was spending each week, now that I tend to buy bits every few days instead of once a week I really am starting to see the cost of the differences!

3: Use Codes

I often see friends and fellow bloggers posting on Facebook about fantastic bargains they've just purchased and always wondered how they can get such excellent products for so little money. After being brave and asking a couple of them some questions, I was informed about VouchaCodes, a website that has loads of different discount codes for a number of retailers to help save the pennies!

vouchacodes


4: Don't Throw

I'm really bad for throwing away things too easily, so instead of throwing away the clothes that are not suitable to be passed on to a charity shop, I'm going to keep them instead of chucking them. You never know what you might need an old rag for, and I'm so tired of using decent tea towels or even towels to clean up the bathroom tiles!

5: Be Wise

I think maybe this should be number one instead of five, but here goes. Sometimes, we don't appreciate the value of money, so I'm making a pledge to be more wiser when it comes to spending the cash. When I pick up something in the shop, I'm gong to triple check with myself to get down to the bottom of why I actually do need said product!

If you've got any other idea's, I'd love for you to comment below and let me know! I've just moved homes, I'm just getting over Christmas and Spud's birthday is just a little over a month away!

Jada x
The biggest day of your life is about to happen this year, but are you ready to look great while strutting your stuff down the aisle? If you’re looking for the right inspiration to stay beautiful and fashionable for the big day, read on and see the best bridal accessories that you can get your bridal hand today. Here are some items that can make you elegant and glamorous for your wedding day.
Barefoot sandals
The beach is a popular wedding destination for couples everywhere. Who wouldn't want to have a dreamy wedding in an exotic seaside local with only a handful of your friends and family witnessing the momentous occasion. We know how hard it is to wear heels while walking on the pristine sand beneath your feet, so we recommend going barefoot to make your walk down the aisle easier. But who would want to do that right? You can slip on to these barefoot sandals that are made from custom materials. These barefoot sandals can simply slip into your feet, creating a spectacular look that’s bound to make you feel like The Little Mermaid.
Origami hairpiece
Leave the flower crowns to the hipsters and be more chic with an origami hairpiece that perfectly creates a minimalistic look that’s totally elegant. You don’t even have to learn how to fold properly or get a serious case of paper cuts to get this look because there are a number of ready-made origami hairpieces online. If you want to look and stun your guests with a hairpiece, the origami design is easily your best bet.
Custom clutch
Your wedding day is going to be a long one. From the ceremony to the reception, you need to have a smaller clutch where you can put necessities like handkerchief and basic make-up products to ensure that you look fresh until the end of the day. Get a custom clutch that suits your personality and match it with the gown that you’re going to wear. You can use it to carry small items like phones and medicine that you can take when you get dizzy from all the bright flashes from your guests and the photographers.
Essential jewellery
No bridal look would be complete without the beautiful accessories and jewellery that you can show off on your wedding day. From your engagement ring to that beautiful brooch with your chosen gemstones, now is the time to feel and look elegant to boost your spirits up during the big day. Make sure that your jewellery doesn't overpower your most important features (like your beautiful face) so a simple pearl earring coupled with an elegant studded pin is more than enough to make you shine bright like a diamond.
Nameplate necklace
A gold nameplate necklace can be your bridal dog tag for your big day. Monogrammed and personalised pieces continue to rise on the list of must-have accessories. The nameplate doesn't even have to show off your name, you can also request to write a personal inscription or maybe a small reminder about the vows that you’re about to give.
Jada x
Living in a flat for so many years with a child led me to having the same dream for years, and that was to one day call a house our home, instead of calling a flat our home. Don't get me wrong, I was and still am extremely grateful to have a roof above mine and Spud's heads, whether that was at the flat, or here in our house, I know I'm extremely lucky to be able to live somewhere freely, and know I've got somewhere to sleep every day!

After reliving the same dream constantly for seven years, you start looking at things relating to the dream, so me for example, just to keep the dream going strong, I thought about what I would do when I moved into a house, I dreamed about popping champaign and spraying the walls with screams of joy, the reality though, was entirely different!

What I Dreamed Of: Screaming with joy
What Happened In Reality: Enough tears to fill a river, or rather the bathroom sink!

Under-estimating the condition of this house led me to feeling like a rubbish mother who clearly should not be allowed to make decisions in life. I've never felt so down and rubbish, and still have the odd cry when I look at how much stuff that still needs doing!

What I Dreamed Of: House warming dinner party
What Happened In Reality: A microwave meal!

I dreamed about having my closest friends around the weekend of the move, yes even in my dream I dreamed of the day I'd be moving and all sorts! Instead of that though, we lived off microwave meals for the first week!

What I Dreamed Of: Enjoying the bubbles!
What Happened In Reality: Drowning my sorrows!

I dreamed of sipping my most favourite bottle of bubbly, Tesco Cava Brut on my first child free night in the house, instead, I downed a cheap bottle of wine (or two) with a friend and regretted it the next day!

What I Dreamed Of: Enjoying a shower
What Happened In Reality: A dirty yucky shower!

Being in a flat not located on the ground floor meant the water pressure wasn't enough for a working shower, so I dreamed about the day I could shower, instead of having to wait for the bath to run! Can you imagine my horror when lot's of yucky dirty water started coming out of the shower hose!? Nope, neither could I, I was livid!

What I Dreamed Of: A brand new stress free start!
What Happened In Reality: I faced depression!

I've never been depressed, and I can't say I know what depression feels like, but I was so down and feeling so different, I'd say I was borderline depressed at least. I felt like the world's worse mother, and really just didn't feel like a good human being at all!

Isn't it mad how when we get a dream come true, there's lots of things that still don't happen! I suppose it teaches me to be greedy! I'm feeling much better now, and can't wait to show off the house with you when it's done! We're taking it easy, concentrating on one room at a time at the moment, but good things come to those who wait!

Until next time,
Jada x
Spud's birthday is soon approaching and we've been discussing idea's of what we can do for his birthday, we have mainly always done the same thing over the years, with the main choice normally being a party! However after our recent home move, a party at home is just going to be impossible, the house is still in dire need of a lot of work, and the garden, well, that's in just a bad state too!

So currently, at the top of Spud's birthday plans list is a trip to the capital (London) with mummy, where he hopes to see a few famous sites and spend a lot of money! I would actually rather us do this, then me spending a large chunk of money on hiring out a hall, entertainers, a bouncy castle etc.

We're very luckily only 25 minutes away from London on the fast train, well even if we didn't get the fast train it's only about 40 minutes away! I also have a family and friends railcard so we I will also save money on our tickets for the day, which includes all London routes, tubes, and buses!

So here are the five places Spud would love to cram into his weekend, I thought I would write a post that he can look back on when he's older, just in case he ever has one of those years where he's just like ''I don't know what to do for my birthday!''.

1: Lego Store

I'm not surprised this would be the first place he'd want to visit as soon as we'd arrive in London, Spud is Lego mad, completely Lego obsessed and I'm pretty sure it's all he thinks about 24/7!

2: Ripley's Believe It Or Not

Spud loves things like the world record, and mysteries, he's asked about visiting this family attraction in London for a while now, so I wasn't surprised that it came second on his list of places he'd like to visit!

3: London Transport Museum

Spud loves buses, I mean really really really LOVES buses, so this museum sounds right up his street of interest! Spud loves buses so much, when writing his fifth birthday wish list out, he asked for every timetable of every local bus!

4: Buckingham Palace

Spud's never shown interest in the Royal family, so I was quite surprised when he asked if we could visit the palace. I had to explain to him we couldn't actually go outside, but we could stand outside and take photos! It was then that he told me, oh I know that mum, I just want to see a red soldier!

5: Harrod's

Of course, when it's your birthday the only natural thing to do is go out and spend your birthday money! Why not do it in style and spend it at Harrod's? Well, that's what my boy wants to do, and I can't really see why he wouldn't want too! I've never been myself, so to say I'm a little bit overexcited is quite an understatement!

So there you go, that's the five places Spud has requested to visit for his birthday trip to the capital! It involves Lego, buses, strangeness, 'red' soldiers and shopping to say it, in short, anything for my boy!

Until next time,
Jada x

Life's Happiest and Best Moments!

by Jada, January 14, 2015
Recently, I've been thinking about my most happiest moment's in life and it's got me reminiscing through some of the best part's of my life, and sadly the worse, or least the one's I want to forget.

I'm only 24, so I suppose you can say I've not really lived life to the fullest, or least the longest, however, becoming a mother was by far the most happiest moment in my life, and after watching the video featured below from Beagle Street, I think my mind's made up, even if I am only 24 years old!


I was only 15 when I discovered I was pregnant with Spud, and 15 when I gave birth to him. He was due after my 16th birthday, however due to him being seven weeks premature, things worked out a little bit differently and he arrived just 26 days before my 16th birthday.

I'm a firm believer of everything happens in life for a reason, whether it's our destiny or not, I don't know, but I believe it happens. Most of the time, the things we love in life are irreplaceable, but sometimes there are valuable items that we love and hold so dearly.

Sadly, we never know what's around the corner, and so I've been thinking about life insurance a lot recently, I am a single parent, and the future does worry me, so I would feel more comfortable knowing Spud could be comfortable if I get a plan put into place.

It seems strange for someone of my age to speak about such things, but like I said in the previous paragraph, who know's what's around the corner, and when you're a parent, such things need to be put into place!

So with that, I'm leaving you with a question, what is your happiest moment in life?

Until next time,
Jada xx
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