Sylwia Majtczak - To Consult or Not To Consult

In today's world of quick access to information and services online, many travelers don't consider using a travel agent or consultant when planning a trip. Airplane tickets, hotels, rental cars, and even tickets to attractions can all be booked online, allowing consumers to make their own choices in the comfort of their homes. Sylwia Majtczak, a corporate travel consultant since 1997, knows that online deals aren't always the best option for travelers, though. Here are a couple reasons you might not want to book travel on your own:

Sylwia Majtczak

•  Travel agents often have access to reservations that are otherwise unavailable. Because they book hundreds to thousands of trips every year, travel agents and consultants have bargaining power individual consumers don't and can acquire hard to get rooms, dinner or entertainment reservations, and other perks for their clients.

•  Travel agents offer security when something goes wrong. Everyone wants to believe their trip will be problem-free, but when you do have an issue it is reassuring to have someone you can call. Travel agents and consultants have connections with airlines and hotels that allow them to resolve issues more swiftly and often with a better result than the average consumer.

Although these are common reasons you may want to use a travel agent rather than booking on your own, Sylwia Majtczak knows the best reason for using an agent or consultant is the personal attention you receive. A travel agent is likely the only person you'll speak to about your trip whose primary concern is to ensure you have the most successful travel experience possible.

Sylwia Majtczak - How to Stay Safe and Enjoy a Bike Ride?

Sylwia Majtczak is a busy Senior Corporate Agent at Altour. Sylwia has been working in the travel industry for several years and has traveled to several amazing destinations around the world. Sylwia is a full-time working mother with one daughter. Though she has a busy schedule, Sylwia, and her daughter make it a point to enjoy regular bike rides together. Biking is an excellent outdoor physical activity, but it is one that requires you to take adequate security measures. Here are some safety tips you can use to stay safe and enjoy a bike ride.

Since you are going to be out on the road, it is recommended to wear a helmet and protect your head.

Wear bright colored clothes so that other road users can clearly see you on your bike. If you ride at night or in low-light conditions, make sure you wear a reflecting bike jacket.

Use hand signals to let other drivers know where you intend to turn. Avoid making quick turns without using hand signals.

When you are on the road, you must make sure you follow all traffic laws.

No matter how short the distance, do not ride your bike in the opposite direction of the traffic flow. Apart from it being an offense, it is extremely dangerous.

Do not weave in and out of traffic, and if possible use the designated lane for cyclists.

If you are listening to music while you are riding, make sure the music is not too loud and that you can hear what is happening around you. Do not let yourself get distracted while riding your bike.
Before you take your bike out for a ride, make sure it is in perfect working condition.

Sylwia Majtczak and her daughter like to take long bike rides during the weekend.

Sylwia Majtczak - Three Photography Mistakes to Avoid Like the Plague

Photography has evolved over the years and has incorporated various new techniques so much that things that were acceptable 20 years ago are considered serious mistakes today. Sometimes all it takes to spoil a beautiful picture is just one silly mistake or using one outdated technique. Sylwia Majtczak has been taking pictures of places in and around Hamburg, New Jersey for several years, and has built up a good collection of beautiful pictures.

Selective Color

In the past if you used selective color, it was considered cool, but that is not true today. The trend of using selective colors was popular when Photoshop layers were first introduced, but today if you use it, it would be considered a mistake. If you have any pictures with selective colors in your portfolio, it would be a good time to get rid of them.

Dreamy Portraits

Dreamy portraits would have looked good if it was the 1960’s, but that is an era gone by. If you are thinking of using diffusion filters to capture “dreamy” portraits, or if you are using Photoshop to give your portraits a blurry look, stop and think again. Photography has moved on into the future, so don’t get stuck in the past by using outdated techniques.

Eye-Level Perspective

One of the biggest mistakes many beginner photographers make is that they tend to walk around taking pictures at eye-level. It is not recommended to shoot subjects from a high level, instead get down lower and change your perspective to get better shots. If you need to photograph children, get down on your knees to get a more natural perspective.

Sylwia Majtczak is a passionate photographer who takes pleasure in taking pictures of nature.

Sylwia Majtczak - Travel Apps to Help Make Your Trip Easier

Gone are the days when you had to worry about looking for a place to stay or restaurant to eat at during your overseas trip. Today, with the advancement in information technology, information is literally at your fingertips. With the flip of your thumb and a few voice activated search queries, you can find the best hotels and restaurants near you without having to go out and look. Sylwia Majtczak has traveled to several amazing destinations around the world.

Hotel Tonight

Don’t worry about where you are going to stay because you forgot to book your hotel room. Hotel Tonight is an app that brings you last-minute inventory and helps you to book hotel rooms when you have forgotten to book a room, or if your favorite hotel is overbooked. The app allows you to check for hotels in several cities around the world “with just five clicks on your phone.”

AroundMe

Not sure what is around where you are staying? With the AroundMe app that is no longer a problem. Based on your location, the app provides a list of businesses and services near you. The app helps you find places such as hospitals, gas stations, restaurants, hotels, banks, cafes, and much more. The app also provides directions to the place you want to go, right from where you are.

XE Currency

The XE Currency app lets you check currency conversion rates in over 180 different currencies. You no longer have to worry about trying to calculate foreign exchange rates anymore. With this app, you can check the price of goods in your home currency. Sylwia Majtczak recommends using these apps the next time you travel.

Sylwia Majtczak - Two Simple Tips to Make Traveling Easier

If you travel a lot for business, you know that it’s not very exciting to keep moving from one place to another for a business meeting. Corporate travel can be grueling and using a couple of travel tips can help change things. Sylwia Majtczak has been a corporate travel consultant for several years and has planned and coordinated several business trips. Here are some tips you can use.

Make a Check List
You don’t want to go on a business trip and then realize that you have forgotten something back home. To optimize performance, make a checklist and cross things off when you pack them before your trip. You might want to write it down in a notepad, or you might want to use an app on your smartphone or tablet. The advantage in using an app is that you can set reminders for different times so that you remember to take what you need for your business trip.

Pack some Medication

Pack some medication because you don’t want to fall sick on a business trip. You might want to take some medication for headaches, body pain, flu, etc. If you are traveling to places in Africa or Asia, you might be required to take flu shots or vaccination before you travel. You might also want to take a couple of pills for an upset stomach, just in case you have stomach trouble with the food you eat during your business trip.

Sylwia Majtczak is a corporate travel consultant and has traveled to different countries around the world.

Scientific Based Reasons Why You Should Start Reading

While most people who read books these days do so on their iPads or tablets, that does not mean printed books have become outdated, or will anytime soon. Most people who read e-books still read printed books. One of the advantages of reading a printed book is that you will never run low battery and have to stop reading. Here are a couple of scientifically based reasons why you should start and continue reading books.

Increase Intelligence

Dr. Seuss once wrote, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” According to a paper from the University of California, Berkley, reading a book opens up a whole world of knowledge. Children’s books expose children to 50 percent more words than what they learn through prime time TV or even a conversation between college graduates. Stronger reading skills helps achieve higher intelligence in life.

Boost Brain Power

Reading helps make you smarter and increases your brainpower. Just like jogging helps build up the cardiovascular system, reading helps improve your memory and gives your brain a workout. Research has found that those who spend time reading early in life show a slower decline in memory during old age.

Make You More Empathetic

Reading can make it easier for you to relate to others. According to research published in Science, reading fiction can help readers understand what others are thinking just by reading their emotions. According to Emanuele Castano and David Comer Kidd, “Understanding others’ mental states is a crucial skill the enables the complex social relationship that characterize human societies.”

Sylwia Majtczak is an experienced travel consultant who spends time reading.

Simple Cooking Tips for Beginners

Cooking for some people is one area they fear to venture into. They are overwhelmed by the concept of getting into the kitchen and cooking a meal. Cooking is not difficult, and can be learned by anyone. You might not aspire to become a Michelin star chef, but learning how to cook a couple of basic dishes is quite simple. Here are a couple of cooking tips for beginners.

Watch Cooking Shows

There are several cooking shows you can watch on TV. You do not need to sit with a pen and notepad and take down every recipe, but you can just watch how the chef combines flavors into a dish. Just by watching a couple of cooking shows will get your interest stirred and give you an idea about cooking. Cooking starts in your imagination, so what you see the chef cooking is going to help you cook and put it on a plate. 

Follow a Chef

It is interesting to watch a chef cook a delicious dish. As you watch a particular chef cook, you are bound to pick up tips and ideas. When you feel comfortable, head over to the supermarket with a friend or neighbor who knows how to cook, and pick out a couple of ingredients for your dish. You could use the help in knowing what ingredients to choose. 

Look for Recipes Online

The Internet is a great place to find recipes. You will find detailed recipes and videos showing you how to cook. Start with something simple and once you succeed, you can move on to other complex dishes. 

Taste as You Cook

Don’t worry how the dish will taste, start cooking and taste it as you go. If it lacks salt, add a pinch of salt and taste it again. The secret is in following the recipe and tasting it as you cook the dish. Do not be afraid to try something new. If it does not taste good, you can try again later. 

Sylwia Majtczak is a full-time working mother of one daughter. Sylwia enjoys cooking and regularly tries out new recipes.

Car Rental Tips For the Frequent Traveler

Business and leisure travelers to overseas destinations often spend a considerable amount of money renting a car to get around. One of the major problems going with popular car rental agencies is that you will pay much more for hiring a car with them than you would with other lesser-known agencies. There are several car rental agencies where you can get a good deal, so you might want to avoid going to the popular car rental the moment you arrive at your destination.

Discounts and Coupons
 
A good idea would be to go online and look for promotional codes and discounts before you leave. A simple online search will bring up results from car rental agencies that offer promotional codes. If you can call the rental agency, ask them about available discounts such as Triple-A, AARP, or for professionals that might be available. Some rental agencies will allow you to combine promotional codes and coupons. Check about weekend rates, as they tend to be cheaper than weed day rates.

Avoid Airport Car Rental Agencies

Most airport car rental agencies are more expensive than their branches in other parts of the city. You might want to take a cab from the airport to your hotel and then rent a car at one of the rental agencies nearby. When you are leaving, you can drive to the airport and leave the car at the rental agency’s airport office.

Compare Prices

When you are looking for bargain prices, you might want to look at multiple websites to check for the best price. Most online searches for car rental agencies will give you the option to check the price from multiple rental agencies.

Hidden Charges

Before you sign the contract paper for the rental car, you should check for any hidden charges. Insurance, airport charge, local and state tax, drop-off charges and other charges might apply, and you might end up paying more than what you initially thought.

Sylwia Majtczak is an experienced traveler having worked in the travel industry for over 18 years.

Growing Plants in Water is Great for Beginner Gardeners

Growing plants in water is great for the novice gardener, or if you don’t have sufficient space to plant in the soil. Here’s what you need to know about growing plants in water.

Growing plants in water is also called hydroponics and is a method of propagation that is popular with some people, especially those who don’t have sufficient place to plant. It is also a very flexible method of planting and any receptacle that holds water can be used to grow plants. Though it is a much slower process of growing plants, the plants grown in water remain lush for longer.

How to Grow Plants in Water

You can use almost any container to grow an indoor water garden; however, copper, lead, and brass receptacles will not work. Some people use metal receptacles, but they might corrode when you use fertilizers and damage your plants. Using a dark opaque receptacle will inhibit algae formation.

Choose a container you want to plant in, and fill it with three-fourths full with florist’s foam, gravel, sand, marbles, pearl chips, crumbled Styrofoam, beads or any other material. Add a piece of charcoal to keep the water clean and clear. The charcoal also helps prevent bad odor in the water. Mix the right concoction of diluted fertilizer and water and you are ready to plant.

Some of the plants that can be grown in water are as follows:

English ivy
Chinese evergreen
Philodendron
Dumbcane
Moses-in-a-cradle
Arrowhead
Pothos
Wandering Jew
Wax plant

Sylwia Majtczak is a full-time working mother and enjoys gardening with her daughter.

Smart Travel Tips for Businesspeople

Whether you are a frequent business traveler or one who travels just a couple of times a year, there are several tips you can use to make your business trip more effective. In the last several years, traveling has become increasingly important for businesses, and along with this there has been a surge in the number of products and services to help business travelers. Here are a couple of smart travel tips for businesspeople.

Wi-Fi Hotspots

Most airports and hotels provide Wi-Fi for travelers and guests. However, a problem arises when you step out of the hotel or airport. If you are traveling by car, train or bus, in most cases you will not have Internet access. However, if you need to use the Internet while you are traveling, you might want to try using a Wi-Fi hotspot. Most phones have a Wi-Fi hotspot option, you can use it to connect with the cell towers and use the Internet while you are on the move. However, you will need to have a data plan to use the service.

Messaging Apps
Using the basic text-messaging app on your phone to send messages while you are overseas can be quite expensive. Instead of using the regular messaging app on your phone, you might want to switch to using an app like WhatsApp Messenger. It is a cross-platform application that is ideal for sending and receiving text, audio and video messages without having to pay for each message. You will need to be subscribed to a data plan to use the service.

Prepaid Phones
You can pick up a prepaid phone at a kiosk at the airport and use it for as long as you are in that country. However, it is wise to read the contract carefully so that you don’t end up paying huge bills. Alternatively, you can get a local prepaid SIM and use it while you in that country.

Sylwia Majtczak is a corporate travel consultant with several years’ experience in the industry.

Why Walking is Important for the Body

Numerous runners dismiss "walk" as a four-letter word, as though it's not a real way of exercising. However, walking is the perfect form of activity for the vast majority who are starting out with exercising. It's free, and you can do it at whatever time and place you choose. It requires no unique expertise, costly membership fees, or gear (aside from great shoes!). It is an ideal approach to build strong bones, muscles, and tendons without getting hurt. Also, it's the easiest way to prepare yourself to start running.

Walking Helps You Get Started with Running

Walking puts your legs and arms through the same motion as running; however, minus the same impact on your bones and joints, and without the same risk of injury. Besides it gives you a chance to explore safe, and convenient places where you can walk and run. 

Walking Keep You Free From Injury

When you're running, both your feet are off the ground at the same time, and when you land the impact on your body is about three times the weight of your body. However, when you are walking, one foot is on the ground at all times. This lessens the impact on your bones and joints when compared with running. 

Maintain Form

Form is critical, and most walkers maintain an upright posture, which is the most natural position to take when walking. While walking, it is important to take short steps to avoid overstriding. Overstriding can cause pain in the hips, legs and feet. If you struggle to maintain a proper posture, walking might help you straighten your posture and get the pain out of your body.

Sylwia Majtczak is busy professional, but she finds the time to stay fit by regularly exercising and walking.

Basic Cooking Steps

For many the thought of cooking a delicious meal gets them boiling – not their food, but their blood pressure. But raised stress levels do not have to be the case. Competent cooking is not rocket science and can be mastered by anyone. Well, actually by those who are brave enough to take on a challenge. Here are some cooking techniques that will help you get started.

Start with Pasta

Pasta is one of the easiest meals to make, and for those who never tried making pasta, this might be a good time to give it a try. Fill a large pot two-thirds with water and put it on the stove to boil. The more water you have in the pot, the less chance you have of the pasta sticking to the pot. Let the water start to boil and then add the pasta to the water, add one teaspoon of salt for each gallon of water and let the pasta cook for 8-12 minutes. Once you have completed your pasta, you can start with other dishes that go along with pasta.

Chopping Vegetables

If you are going to be cooking in the kitchen, you should know how to use knives to chop vegetables. Take a sharp knife and learn how to cut vegetables. Take a carrot and place it on the cutting board. Hold the carrot with your fingers placed against it in a curved position, so that the blade of the knife slices downwards in a way that it slips past your fingers. Start cutting the carrot slowly and work with it. Practice makes perfect, and soon you will be a master in the kitchen.

Cooking Eggs

Eggs are probably the easiest thing to cook in the kitchen, and it is also one of the most used ingredients in any kitchen. To boil an egg, place water in a saucepan and carefully place the eggs in the water. Put it on the burner and bring the water to a boil, after eight minutes remove the pan from the burner and use a spoon to remove the eggs. Place the boiled eggs in a bowl of cold water and when it is cooled down, gently crack the shell and remove it. 

Sylwia Majtczak enjoys cooking delicious food for her daughter and herself.