How to Create Professional-Looking Travel Videos

When most of us go on holiday nowadays we take our trusty smartphones with us and snap tons of photos and videos. Some of the more photographically-inclined may even have a digital camera or camcorder along for the ride too. Wouldn’t it be great to take all those photographs and videos and turn them into a professional-looking travel video – the kind that you often see on YouTube and other streaming websites?

For the uninitiated it may seem like that is a bridge too far, but honestly it really isn’t that difficult with the tools that are available.

Cutting the Footage

Since you already have the raw footage that you need, the first step that you need to take is to cut it. In other words, you need to look at all the photos and videos that you captured, figure out which ones you want to include and in what order, and also remove or trim unwanted bits from the videos.

For example, you may have recorded a 10 minute video of when you were watching whales but the whales themselves may have only appeared for 1 minute. So trim out all the unnecessary parts and keep the good stuff around.

Polishing the Video

Once you have a final cut that you’re satisfied with you can start to add some polish to the video itself. Frankly speaking ‘polish’ is a very general term and is used to encompass a variety of editing processes including things like:

• Enhancing the image quality by adjusting the brightness, contrast, hue, saturation, color, and so on.
• Adding special effects or filters to alter the look and feel of the video.
• Including audio as voiceovers or background music.
• Inserting stylish transitions between photos or video scenes.
• Placing titles, subtitles or captions where appropriate.

Needless to say, it is up to you to decide which of these will work well with your video. But to cut and polish your video, what you’ll need is a powerful yet user-friendly video editor. With it at your disposal, you’ll find that you’re able to accomplish all of the above with no problems whatsoever due to its extensive yet intuitive features.

When you’re done, you’ll even be able to save the videos in the most optimal format for the platform that you want to use it on – all thanks to the helpful presets that are available.

Long weekend: Summer at Biltmore Estate

Last couple weeks, husband and I decided to revisit Biltmore Estate. We've been curious  what looks like in the summer and I'm glad we did this time. Summer at Biltmore Estate is impressive. The flowers are blooming and adds up the attractions of the house.You  can stay whole  day so make sure you spare your time in the area.

The Biltmore house. Imagine yourself living in this mansion. Yay!!!! Well, photography is not allowed inside the house so  enjoy this photo and used your imagination how it looks like inside. You can see the pool in the basement and its pretty amazing how it built.

Biltmore house in summer:

Perhaps, Biltmore house in summer is not my favourite place to revisit if you'll ask me. The house during Christmas is more colorful and more exciting to see and  our first visit was Christmas.

If you want to know more about my visit last Christmas you can read more here. This time, my daughter is almost 6 and she enjoyed the tour though a little bit complaint that she's tired but she did good.

My daughter isn't happy every time I asked to have picture taken with her.She makes goofy face and always in hurry.

Garden in Biltmore:

It was pretty busy summer, the weather is unpredictable,luckily the day we were in Biltmore Estate was   the most comfortable days we have on that week. Travelentz enjoyed roaming around in the garden and it's  splendid. 

I just wish they have a separate ticket just for the garden and will surely  go back and enjoy the grounds.

The garden is impressive and huge. I wish we have one closer in our place. Though,the driving going to Biltmore isn't bad.My daughter enjoyed the different kinds of flower and showed a little bit of interest in some flowers. Sometime she likes to smell the flowers.

More photos:

The side view of the Biltmore house.This is y daughter's favourite area where she can run around and watched the  fish.

This fish thinks its feeding time. Well, she made my daughter's day.

When the tour was done,Little Travelentz's told us she's very very hungry  for ice cream so we grab a bite and got an ice cream for her.After we ate, we all then headed in the shopping area.

Tips on visiting Biltmore Estate in Summer:

• Wear walking and comfortable shoes if you want to enjoy the grounds.
• No photography inside the house.
• Bring bottled water.
• Self guided tour so make sure you buy the Audio guide to Biltmore house for better understanding.

Franklin: A day at Williamson County Fair, Tn

We spent a day at Williamson County Fair, Franklin, Tn.Hubby wants to go early morning which opens around 10:00 a.m. and my daughter was excited to see the livestock. It's our first time to visit the Williamson County fair, Franklin,Tennessee and we were impressed.

We arrived around 11 and the person who's directing the  traffic in the main gate  sent us in a wrong gate which we ended up going to gate 2 so the lady who was on duty that day stopped us and sent us back  in gate 1. Well, gate 2 are  for people who planned to drop off a family member  in the fair entrance.

we're about to start...

What is Williamson County Fair, Franklin, Tn:

• Every year has different theme: ( WILD About the Williamson County Fair)
• Located at: Williamson County Agricultural EXPO Park, 4215 Lon Lane, Franklin, Tn 37064.
• General Admission: Adults-$6 Ages 6-12 $3 and under age 6 is free. Good news its free parking.
• rides are different cost.

All the fair  shows are phenomenal

My favorite Attractions and Exhibits:

I'm not big of rides and so my daughter.Basically hubby's one more adventurous for the 3 of us, bought 20 tickets for the rides abruptly told us to go in the rides. Geez! I did not look what was all about, seriously it hurt my back considering the dork I am and no motor skills. hahaha!!!!

A little bit of everything for everyone:

Spooky world ;)

My daughter is more independent this time as you can see.

I'm grateful my daughter is not scared at all and asked to go and check out the livestock area.

Travelentz's favourite area. "Hands on look at a day in the life of a farmer''.

Basically, our saturday went by fast at the county fair. We decided to grab a bite on the fair ground and enjoy the shows.Perhaps, next year would have another theme county fair, hopefully we can visit in the evening and stayed during the fireworks.

Celebrating 6th birthday party at Sky Zone,Franklin Tn

I can't believed my daughter turns 6 and we celebrated her birthday party at Sky Zone, Franklin Tn. It was a blast to every one. Even the parents had fun watching their kids bouncing-they're so cute when one of the kids decided to hop and imitate the bunny. I invited 11 kids- 9 kids showed up in the birthday party at Sky Zone.

Time to check-in 

If you forget to sign-in the waiver online.On-site has a waiver station to make your life easier.

What is Sky zone, Franklin Tn.

• the world’s first indoor trampoline park.
• Sky Zone franklin was opened May 2015.
•  Open jump, a SkySlam dunk court, SkyFit classes, Ultimate Dodgeball, Foam Zone, Virtual Dodgeball, SkyHoops and much more. 
• Located at: 1113 Murfreesboro Road, Suite 254 | Franklin, TN 37064 
• You can call: (615) 721-3626
• For more information and updates you can check their Facebook account.

Giving an instructions and rules to the kids. Safety first.

One Pair of SkySocks for Each Jumper were given and you can keep it.

Let the fun begin:

wondering where tall the kids get their energy from.

My daughter's favorite.

Dodgeball 

These two dad's are showing to their kids how to play ;)

Birthday Packaged:

This year, my daughter's birthday party was the most stress free. Everything is included in the packaged and I don't have to worry about the food nor drinks for the kids.I only bring cake and goodies bag for each child.

Invitation from the Sky zone and I inserted the theme invitation I made below.

I made the personalized invitation.Having an only child I want my daughter to learn to share and be thankful of what she has in life.She has too many toys sometimes I don't know what to do with it.

We still give toys to my Marcie and she only asked the  cat stuffed toys.

The party room.

I made the cake

My daughter's theme was my littlest pet shop and in lieu of gifts she asked her friends to bring cat food, treats, toys to be donated in the cat rescue.

It was a PURREFECT party. The kids had a blast and so the parents. Sky Zone trampoline park is highly recommended to burn your kids energy. The birthday packages is fun for al ages and you'll give the best memoirs to the kids.If you are looking for a deal Buy 3 Get the 4th Free, or 10% Off a Birthday Party - Purchase Three [3] One-Hour jumps and Get a Fourth [4] FREE! This offer is good for purchases at the counter (not available with online purchase). Availability is subject to available capacity. The offer is valid for four jumpers during one session. Must present coupon at the time of purchase.

OR: 10% off any birthday party package price! Must present the coupon at the time of arrival.

http://www.usfamilycoupons.com/coupon.php?bid=11980&dealid=1923®ionid=75 @usfg

Disclosure: Thank you  Sky Zone Trampoline Park for  the complimentary birthday packaged.However,I will always share my honest opinion  about my  experience. 

Doggy Delights: Accessories for New Dog Owners

So you've decided to get a dog. Congratulations! No creature will ever love you more fully and unconditionally and you're in for a lot of fun! We are well aware, however, that first time dog ownership can be a little daunting, especially if you're diving in at the deep end and choosing a dog as your first pet. Of course, it will depend very much on the breed and personality of the pooch you decide to welcome into your family, there are a few traits that most dogs share, one of which is their neediness. Indeed, if you're the kind of person who prefers to just sit back and let your pet take care of itself, you probably should have gotten a cat!

Thankfully, there is an entire industry built around helping dog owners with their prima donna pooches, and whilst many of these accessories are a bit silly and unnecessary (dog costumes being a particularly asinine example), many could genuinely help you and your family assimilate your new member into the fold with a minimum of fuss. Here we've selected just a few of our favourite accessories, from Car Boot Protectors for Dogs to harnesses and tracking chips, all of which we genuinely believe will help make dog ownership an even more joyful experience.

Harnesses – For first time dog owners, “Walkies” can be a task fraught with potential disaster, especially if your pooch is young and enjoys pulling on their lead. For these dogs, we suggest investing in a harness, which will slip effortlessly over their bodies and attach to the lead so that it's not pulling at their throats and choking them. Whilst they might seem reticent to try it at first, it's actually far better for them, and eventually, it will become part of their walking routine. Dogs are all about routine, so once the harness becomes a part of it, and they associate it with going on a walk, you shouldn't have any problems.

Micro Chips – Losing a dog can be a painful and traumatic experience, especially if it's a young pup who hasn't been properly trained yet. As such, we recommend installing a micro chip on your dog, which can be used to track its movements. Anyone who finds your dog will see the tag on your dog's collar which will let them know it's been micro-chipped. They can then both ring the number on the collar and be put in touch with you that way, or can take your dog to a local vet, who will be able to scan the chip and bring up your contact information.

Dog Tags – This should go without saying really, but once you've brought your new dog home, the next thing you should so is buy a dog tag with your name, the dog's name, and your phone number engraved on it. Not only does this let people know that the dog has an owner, but if the pooch should go missing, whoever finds them will know who to get in touch with.

Car Accessories – If you own a dog and you own a car, sooner or later they are going to meet, and the results could prove messy, especially if your dog is a shedder! Thankfully there are a variety of accessories you can install in your car to pooch-proof it ahead of your pet's arrival. The first thing you're going to want to do is make sure it's safe. You can buy specially fitted cages for the boot that will keep your dog secure for this, or (if you're dog's small enough) even a bespoke dog seat. To keep the boot clean, you can fit waterproof covers and liners. There are even liners built for specific brands and models, so, for example, if you need VW Boot Liners specifically, a quick search online and you should be in business!

Treats – If you are planning on training your new pet, you're going to require some incentives. As far as which treats your dog will work for? It's all a case of trial and error. One dog's treasure will be another's garbage. But one thing we've noticed is that all dog's seem to adore biscuits (dog biscuits that is, not cookies).

Leads – That's right, leads, plural. You generally have a choice between traditional leads or extendable leads, with traditional leads also available in metal for stronger dogs. You'll want one of each though, as a conventional lead is great for training, but eventually you're going to want to ease your dog into the idea of walking off the lead. The extendable lead is a great middle-ground for this.

How to Stay Organised when Moving Internationally

When you are planning to make the big move to Australia or New Zealand, one of the biggest challenges will be keeping all of the details organised. There are a lot of aspects to moving that you will need to balance and juggling them all at once can be overwhelming. It helps to approach the move with a strategic plan and to stay organised while you are moving to New Zealand. Here are some tips that you can keep in mind to help you move:

• Get rid of anything you can. It doesn’t make sense to spend time, energy and money trying to move something that you don’t really need. Go through all of your possessions and determine what you want to throw away and what to keep. 
• Get rid of anything that is broken or that you don’t use. If you haven’t needed it in years, you probably won’t need it anytime soon. Give items in good condition to charity, sell them online or give them to friends. If they are unusable, throw them away. 
• Start with good quality boxes, they are worth it. They should be clean, in good condition and they should have lids that can be closed and sealed with packing tape. You can collect them from local merchants or purchase them from a moving company. 
• Create a system of priority when you are packing items for your home. Priority A items will be the essentials that need to be unpacked right away when you arrive in your new home. If the items are important, but you will not need them right away, they can be market Priority B. Items that you will not use for a long time, such as Christmas decorations if you are moving in July, can be Priority C and can be placed directly into the closet or basement without being unpacked. 
• Make sure that all of the boxes are clearly marked with labels describing their contents. Felt pens are ideal for this purpose. 
• When you are packing, try to pack the boxes according to which room they belong to. For example, if you have a box that is marked “Kitchen” you can take it directly to the kitchen of your new home and unpack it there. 
• Start packing early. If you leave it all to the last minute you will find yourself rushed and stressed out. Instead, start packing a box every day a couple of months before you move, so that by the time the big move comes around you are almost fully packed. 
• Set aside time in your schedule to pack. If you don’t set aside time for something and stick to it, other things will get in the way and you will continue to procrastinate. When can you spare a little bit of time, even if it is just 30 minutes per day, to organise items and pack boxes?
• Create a list of things to do. This will help you to get a grip on what needs to be accomplished and avoid forgetting something important. 
• If something needs to be accomplished by a particular date, make a note of this on the to-do list and rank it as a high priority. 
• Delegate tasks to other members of the family. Don’t try to do it all on your own, let others lend their skills and get involved - even the kids. 
• Set up a packing station. This is a spot in the house where all of the packing supplies are set up, such as the boxes, tape, felt pens, address labels and newspapers. This makes it a lot easier, since you will not have to look all over the house to find the tape whenever you want to pack a box. 
• It is also a good idea to keep all information about the move in one place, such as the address of your new home, the contact details of your moving company, the application forms for your Australian visas. Create a folder on your computer and make sure that you save a backup of all files. 

These are just a few tips you can keep in mind when it comes to staying organised as you plan a move to Australia or New Zealand. There are a lot of things to keep track of, but if you get started early and stay organised the move will be a breeze!