7 Keys To a More Prayerful Life in 2021

Inside White Deck Resort: Africa’s No 1 Luxurious Beach Resort

Lagos, Africa’s commercial capital is home to some of the luxurious beaches in Africa. But there is one real luxurious beach everyone is talking about right now in the centre of excellence. Hidden away along the coastal region of Lagos, White Deck Beach is a true definition of peace. It is a world apart from everyday hustle and bustle of the mega city. White Deck Beach is all about peace, serenity and security. It’s a place of refuge soaked in luxury. And it’s no shock that the stylish beach resort has continued to attract a well-heeled crowd.

So what’s inside this Africa’s bestkept secret? Apart from it’s soulcalming atmosphere, nature and views, White Deck Beach Resort offers a mix of 16 amazing rooms, suites and penthouses. At White Deck Beach Resort, all floors of the resort are named decks as inspired by the resort’s boat shaped architecture masterpiece. The rooms on each deck are named after famous tourist cities, and specifically designed to reflect the cultural aesthetics of each city. And that’s not all, White Deck’s standard, deluxe and executive rooms balance style, space, and sophistication while delivering breathtaking views that make each White Deck Beach Resort moment, truly magical.

The upscale beach resort which has become a favorite among Africa’s rich and affluent boasts a refreshing spa, classic bar and lounge, an incredible gym facility, restaurant, cabanas, private beach and pool. Other bonus include the outdoor fish koi fish tank.

As a top-tier luxury beach resort concept, White Deck Beach resort combines the elements of dining, music, entertainment, and arts to create the ultimate lifestyle experience. Described as a glimpse of heavenly paradise, White Deck Beach is also an ideal destination for corporate events and A-class parties. Relaxing yet refreshing, the stylish resort has become a go-to place for classic birthday, intimate wedding parties and a glorious vacation haven. gw

Travel Made Easy:

7 Essential Tips Every Traveller Needs to Know

Ife Isijola

Putting a perfect trip together can be quite fun, but it can also be overwhelming. It does not really have to be overwhelming though. Here are the basic tips to help you plan a perfect (well almost perfect) trip.

1. Research on the destination

One of the best ways to enjoy a trip is to know your destination well. You do not have to be an expert, but make the effort to learn the basics of the country and city you intend visiting. Exactly how do you go about it? ...SEARCH ONLINE.

Every worry or question can be answered online. Questions such as: Do I need a visa? What are the travel restrictions? What can you do at your destination? What will the climate be like? What kind of clothing is appropriate to wear? What is the food like? What is public transport like? How much will things cost? What local customs should I be aware of? etc.

2. Set a budget

Keep in mind that you can travel the world without breaking the bank. Your budget depends on your travel style. It all boils down to what your priorities are. The most important rule for your travel budget is flexibility. Be strict!! Deciding what your priorities are will help you decide how you want to spend your money.

Look at how much the average costs for things such as food, transport, activities, excursions and pretty much anything that would cost you money. Your air ticket will of course be the main determinant for your budget. There are a few things you need to consider to get the cheapest flights such as dates, ticket class, airline, connections etc. .

The next highest expense is definitely accommodation. Nowadays, most established destinations have a huge range of accommodation types from hostels, apartments, guesthouses and hotels, which makes it so much easier to travel on a budget.

For meals, expect to budget more if you are staying in a hotel and eating out for every meal. Budget for

groceries if you plan to stay in a hostel or apartment with a kitchen. To get an estimate of transportation costs, learn how much traveling around will cost. .

Don’t forget to include expenditures on visas, excursions, travel insurance and vaccinations.

3. Book your Flight

Booking a flight is one of the most important parts of finalising your plans. But between various airline prices and the many different options of where to purchase your flight, booking can get a little confusing.

How much a flight costs varies greatly depending on many variables including the day of the week you book, how far in advance you book, and even the website on which you book. The more flexible you are, the more likely you are to get a great deal on your flight. Some of the tricks including z Book approximately six weeks in advance if you can. z Booking wednesdays flights as that is generally the cheapest day to travel z Searching for flights on Tuesdays around 3pm Eastern time z Compare prices from different sites

Another easy option is to speak to a travel agent who can provide various flight options to consider. Remember to alway check the fine print for luggage allowance before finally booking your ticket.

4.Book you Hotel

Whether you want to spend a few nights in a luxury hotel, boutique hotel or just a basic room, the trick is to pick what is within your budget, then try to get it for the best price possible. It is very important to do your homework.

With many hotel reservations done online, there are online tools you can use to compare rates and shop around before booking. Simply enter your destination and your desired travel dates, and let the hotel search engine compare accommodation prices. To refine your search results, filter by price, distance (e.g. from the town centre), star category, facilities etc. These online sites will then search multiple databases for you and present several hotel options that best match your needs and that are discounted or offer cheaper rates.

Once you have settled for a shortlist of choices, use a review site such as tripadvisor to check what other travellers have reviewed concerning your choices to help make your final choice. Before booking, make sure you check for any hidden extra charges and confirm that everything is correct. gw

Concluding part in next edition.

10 Easy Creative Ways to Declutter Your Home

Olayinka Ashogbon

Living Clutter Free is Possible and you can do it! It’s important to establish that truth before we dive into creative ways to declutter your home.

Do you have Clutter? If you answer Yes to any of these questions you would want to keep reading. z Are you always looking for items in your home? z Do you have a “catch all” drawer or space? z Do you think you need more space or more storage space? z Do you have items that have no use or designated purpose? z Do you feel overwhelmed by the amount of stuff in your home? z Do you spend countless hours clearing up your any space within your home before a guest arrives?

Clutter is having items in your home that are not useful, necessary or bring you joy thereby making any space in your home disorderly or messy. In most cases, clutter comes as a result of not making the right decision or unmade decisions. Clutter has to do with decision making? Yes! For every purchase, you have to make a decision on the purpose of the item in your home. If you don’t give each item a reason to be there, they would lay fallow and the more of “fallow” items you have the bigger the clutter.

That said, decluttering is removing items in any space in your home that is not useful, unnecessary and does not bring you joy. Decluttering is about making a decision par time and per item.

Creative ways to Declutter

1. One Space at a time: The secret to decluttering is handling it in little baby steps. Start small and then build on it. Start with under your

kitchen sink before you take on your walk-in closet. This will help prevent burn-out or the stress from several unfinished decluttering projects around your home.

2. Let the seasons serve as a guide:

At the end of every season Purge items using the Keep, Donate and

Dispose approach. Have a box for items you want to keep, Items you want to donate and items you want to dispose. This approach works best for closet spaces.

3. Keep up with the mail: Paper clutter piles up easily. Have a landing spot for your mail and decide on each mail as soon as you get them. Action? or

Shred?. Best solution for mail/paper clutter is go paperless. 4.A place for everything: Every item in your home needs to have a home.

5. Everything in its place: Return all items back to their home after the item serves you.

6.Labels, Labels, Labels: By labeling each item’s home, you create designated & identifiable “addresses” within your address. Everyone in your home should know exact where to return an item to after it serves.

7. Educate and mirror the behavior:

Bring everyone in your home on board. Let them know where items go and why. Then in turn model the behavior by being the Chief of putting things back to their home/address.

8. Organizational Systems:

After you declutter, create organizational systems based on your lifestyle. Make is relatable, Simple & practical.

Organizational systems give you clarity on what you own and how many of it you own.

9.Find your minimum

viable points: To keep your home looking clutter-free, understand your minimum viable points. Find the focal points and at a minimum keep those points in each space clutter-free. For example, the bed in most cases is the focal point in most bedrooms, a made bed makes the room look and feel less cluttered.

10. Create a Routine: Once you’ve identified your minimum viable points, create a routine around it. For example, cleaning up the

Kitchen counter daily or making the bed daily. Bonus: Stop it at the Store – Stop adding to existing clutter. On your next trip to the store, before you get that item ask yourself, “Do I need this?” “Does it add value to an item I already have?” “Is it a want or a need?”

Change Your Workplace Through Prayer

Not all workplaces welcome prayer, but you don’t have to make your prayers audible or visible. You can pray quietly anywhere and everywhere. Prayer does something amazing. When you commit to pray for someone, your heart grows in tenderness towards that person. You will find yourself more interested in their world, their struggles, and their career. Your focus will move from self to others as you begin to pray quietly for those around you.

The more you listen to God, the more you hear. The more you listen, the more you will know. The more you listen, the more you can pray. Pray quietly of course

So what do you pray about with regards to your workplace?

You can pray the following and as you begin to pray the Holy Spirit will lead you in praying more. z Pray that your coworkers will come to know and follow Jesus. z Pray that those who do follow Jesus (you + others) will boldly lead change in the workplace. z Pray for the coworkers you like and the ones that aren’t so easy to love. z Pray for that difficult boss. z Pray for your workplace in general that the business will thrive. z Pray for yourself for God to use you in your workplace.

It is my prayer that God will open your eyes and your heart to see the needs and pray for your coworkers.

z Pray that God will ignite a fire in you to go that extra mile, to care more, and to work more diligently.

Prayer does change EVERYTHING.

Why does prayer create change? Because prayer changes people. People change the workplace. So go ahead. Rather than grumble pray for your workplace–change your workplace through prayer, and you will see a newness of spirit begin to build.

It is my prayer that God will open your eyes and your heart to see the needs and pray for your coworkers. As you pray, May the Lord change you, change others, and change your workplace in Jesus name. Amen. gw

Crepe Cake

Seyi Farinu

What comes to mind when you hear the word “love”? I think Paris, or my first trip to Brussels where I tried to most amazing chocolate and other yummy desserts. Then it occurred to me: Crepes. I think of crepes. A crepe is a thin pancake sweet, or savoury served with a variety of fillings. This recipe is an ode to my summer of falling in love with Europe and stuffing my face with chocolate and mini pancakes.

We are going to elevate the basic crepe by turning it into a fun and romantic crepe cake. It’s a labour of love but I promise it’s worth it.

Basic Crepe

z 2 1/3 cup Unbleached all-purpose flour z 1/3 cups Granulated Sugar z 1/2 teaspoon Salt z 4 Large Eggs z 3 cups whole Milk z 1teaspoon Vanilla extract z 4 tablespoon or 60ml Unsalted butter, melted

Filling

z 1 Litre 35% Heavy Cream or Whip

Cream z 5 ounces milk chocolate, melted

Preparation

Step 1: Mix the batter:

Using a blender, blend eggs, milk, vanilla, sugar, flour and melted butter until smooth and silky, (there should be no lumps). Cover batter and let it chill in your refrigerator for at least 45 minutes or over night.

Step 2: Cook the crepes:

Place an 8-inch skillet over medium heat and generously grease with butter. Once the skillet is hot, pour 4 tablespoons of batter into the center of the pan. Tilt and twirl the pan so