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Family Time with the Dell Inspiron 13 7000 Series 2-in-1

Saturday, December 27, 2014

See how we’re enjoying time as a family this holiday season thanks to the Inspiron 13 7000 Series 2-in-1! Find out why this is one of our top family gifts this year!

Christmas is winding down at our house and the past few days have been spent enjoying some quality time as a family. Playing with new toys, watching the last of the Christmas movies, sleeping in and staying in our PJ’s as long as possible is what the holidays are all about!

One of our top family gifts this Christmas is the Inspiron 13 7000 Series 2-in-1! Our kids have been loving this laptop / tablet all in one and we’ve been able to spend some quality time as a family thanks to this incredible device. What have we been using it for? So far we’ve used it to:

-watch some of our favorite holiday movies

-skype with family

-play online educational games

-read eBooks

-edit photos at picmonkey.com

-search for Christmas breakfast ideas and recipes

-listen to holiday music

We’ve only begun to discover all the amazing things this device can do and we can’t wait to spend more quality time as a family together in the New Year thanks to Intel! For more reasons we love the Inspiron 13 7000 Series 2-in-1 check out this blog post.

About the Inspiron 13 7000 Series 2-in-1

The new Inspiron 13 7000 Series 2-in-1 combines the powerful performance of a premium laptop and the versatility of a 13.3″ tablet with built-in stylus. It’s powerful laptop meet tablet versatility – the possibilities of what you can do with this device are endless! One way we’ve been enjoying our Inspiron 13 7000 Series 2-in-1 is to watch some of our favorite holiday movies.

Want to learn more about this Intel 2 in 1 and other devices? Then join the Intel Advocate Experience below. You will get tips, extra information and insider alerts.

#spon: I’m required to disclose a relationship between our site and Intel This could include Intel providing us w/content, product, access or other forms of payment.

Tips for Taking Beautiful Christmas Tree Photos

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

So many holiday moments center around the Christmas tree. This beautiful addition to your home’s décor around the holidays certainly deserves some time in the spotlight this season. Here are a few quick tips for taking beautiful Christmas tree photos with your phone or SLR camera.

1. Lighting. To photograph your tree aglow, you need to turn off some of the other lights in the room to get the full effect. Some ambient light is ok, but you want the main light to be from the tree. Using a flash will not give you those glowing, warm Christmas tree photos you desire. Using flash will yield a flat, washed out tree with little to no depth. So first thing to do is turn down the lights and turn off your flash.

2. Adjust your settings. Because you’re limiting the amount of light, getting a sharp photo of the tree becomes harder and motion blur can easily become an issue as your camera tries to compensate for this lack of light with a slower shutter speed. To help with this you can:

-Increase your ISO
-Widen your aperture

3. Use a tripod and your self timer. One way to combat the lowlight issues that arise when trying to take a photo of your Christmas tree is to use a tripod. Set your camera up on a tripod/ chair or other firm surface and put it on self-timer mode. Frame your shot, choose your focus point, press the shutter button half way to lock the focus and then all the way to start the timer. By letting your camera do all the work, you eliminate the camera shake that can happen when you’re holding it yourself at such slow shutter speeds in low light.

4. Snap a silhouette. Silhouette photos in front of the tree can be fun and are easier than you think. Typically, when snapping a photo you want to make sure your subject is exposed properly. When taking a silhouette it’s different – you want to make sure your background is exposed properly – in this case the tree. To do this with your phone, simply tap the brightest spot on the screen (the tree lights) and snap. With the tree lights exposed properly your subject will be left dark creating that beautiful silhouette effect

5. Let’s focus. If your subject is moving, use burst mode by holding down your shutter button to capture the action. If you’re having difficulty getting focus, try a tripod and self timer – they’ll help eliminate any movement on your part. If using your phone there are lot’s of apps out there offer a timer option, I’ve used the Camera+ timer and it’s been great!

In low light keeping your phone or camera steady is key and to do this you may need a tripod. I recently purchased this Gorilla Pod to use with my phone and it’s been so helpful in low light!

Teacher Gift Idea and free printable ‘mint to be’ Gift Tags

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Need a quick and easy teacher gift idea? Use one of these “I know I was meant to be in your class” gift tags to attach to some mints – chocolate, gum, lotion – and you’re done! You’ll find the download link below.

This is what my kids will be giving out to all of their teachers at school this year. Something very simple and easy to duplicate. We bought the Andes mints in bulk and I created these quick “I know that I was mint to be in your class” printable tags to go with.

To make your own mint teacher gift:

Fill a 4″ X 9″ cellophane bag with Andes mints. Download, print and cut out the gift tags. Write a personal note on the back of the tag and sign it. Punch a small hole in the upper left corner of the gift tag. Using bakers twine tie the cellophane bag shut and then attach gift tag.

These are really easy to put together – the kids and I were working on them the other night. We had a fun assembly line going! We chose to use Andes mints but you could use ANYTHING minty with these gift tags! You could use:

Mint Gum

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mint foot scrub and lotion

Mint lip balm

Mint candies

Mint chocolates OR

a whole gift bag of miscellaneous mint goodies!

These gift tags are free for personal use. They are available in two formats for printing. You can download an 8.5×11 inch PDF and print at home on white cardstock OR you can download a 4×6 size print size of each tag and order them at your favorite photo lab. You’ll find the download links to each of the tags below.

Click here to download Mint Teacher Tags PDF

Click here to download Mint Teacher Tag JPG

Still need last minute gift ideas? I’ve got you covered with these quick ideas!

Free Printable Frozen gift tags and friend gifts

EOS Lip Balm Candies and Printable Tags

Holly Jolly Gift Tags and Jolly Rancher Gift Idea

If you’re looking for more simple, last-minute Christmas inspiration check out these posts!

5 Tips for Taking Your Own Family Photos

Printable Minecraft Gift Tags and Christmas Gift Idea

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Today I’m sharing one more last-minute, inexpensive gift idea – Christmas Creeper Candy Boxes. This one is for boys of all ages – if they love Minecraft as much as my son does, they’ll love these simple Minecraft Christmas gifts printable Minecraft gift tags.

This is what my 10 year old son is giving out to his friends for Christmas this year. A green box of Mike and Ike candy wrapped up to look like a creeper with a simple “I Hope Your Christmas is a Blast” Minecraft gift tag.

He’s a tiny bit obsessed with Minecraft these days, so he’s pretty excited to hand these out to his friends. Stay tuned for details from his Minecraft Birthday party coming in the New Year!

It’s a tradition to spend one night the week before school putting together all the kids friend and teacher gifts. I love that these are simple enough that the kids can help put them together. So easy for them to help cut out, tape the creeper covers on the candy boxes and help attach the tags! We get an assembly line going and it’s always a fun night listening to Christmas carols and working together as a family.

What you’ll need

-Mike and Ike Boxed Candy

-Candy Box Cover Printable

-Tape

-Minecraft Gift tags

-Baker’s Twine

To turn these boxes of Mike and Ike candies into creepers, simply print as many Minecraft Candy Box Covers as you need – there is one per page. Cut them out, then center the creeper face on the front of the candy box. Fold over the edges and secure with tape on the back of the box.

Once you’ve made your creeper candy boxes, attach one of the Minecraft Christmas Gift Tags using some green baker’s twine and you’re done!

Still need last minute gift ideas? I’ve got you covered with these quick ideas!

Free Printable Frozen gift tags and friend gifts

EOS Lip Balm Candies and Printable Tags

Holly Jolly Gift Tags and Jolly Rancher Gift Idea

Ultimate Stocking Stuffer Gift Guide for Kids

If you’re looking for more simple, last-minute Christmas inspiration check out these posts!

EOS Lip Balm “Candies” and FREE Printable Gift Tags

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

EOS Lip Balm “Candies” and FREE Printable Gift Tags – Today I’m sharing a last minute gift idea with you that is totally the ‘balm!’ From tweens to teachers, so many will love these EOS lip balm candy gifts! You’ll find the quick how-to and links to download the free printable gift tags below!

My oldest daughter, age 12, is officially a tween-ager! Picking out a gift for her friends was important to her – but what she gave out had to be JUST right! 😉 She wanted it to be something cute (but not too cute) and something she new her friends would love. As a Mom, I wanted to find something practical and budget friendly.

We came up with this cute idea using EOS Lip balm and it was the perfect mix of what we were both looking for – cute and easy on the budget! Aren’t these little candies cute? You only need a few supplies and I’ve already made the gift tags for you! How easy is that!?

What you need

–EOS lip balm

–Cellophane wrap

-Bakers twine

-You’re the ‘balm’ gift tags

I purchased the EOS lip balm we used on Amazon when they were on sale, but I’ve seen a great deal on a multi-pack at Costco. The flavors we used are Strawberry Sorbet, Summer Fruit and Sweet Mint. I’m a little bit obsessed with these cute lip balms and lucky me, Santa got these Coconut Milk and Vanilla Mint flavors for my stocking! I can’t wait to use them!

To turn these EOS lip balms into cute little candies, cut out a small piece of cellophane wrap big enough to wrap around the lip balm leaving room enough on each end to twist and wrap. Tie each end with a small piece of bakers twine and that’s it! SO easy!

Once you’re wrapped your lip balm, you can add a cute gift tag. I’ve created these fun “You’re the Balm” gift tags to attach to the little candies. Added a quick personal note on the back of the tag or simply write who they’re from then attach to the gift and that’s it. A cute, inexpensive gift idea.

Click here to Download You’re the Balm printable PDF

Click here to Download You’re the Balm – Big Tags

Click here to Download You’re the Balm – Skinny Tags

These would make fun gifts for tween girls, or girls of any age really and would make adorable teacher gifts as well! Enjoy and if you’re looking for more simple, last-minute Christmas inspiration check out these posts!

Simple Holiday Hairstyles for Girls + Our Favorite Curlers

Monday, December 15, 2014

Tis the season for Christmas parties, school concerts and dance recitals. With three girls, anything that will help simplify holiday hairstyles is ok in my book. That’s why we love these spiral ringlet formers. Find out why we love these curlers so much and how I use them in my girls hair plus I’m sharing a roundup of simple holiday hairstyle ideas for girls.

I’m definitely NOT a hair expert, but with 3 girls I’m always on the look out for products that help me manage all the hair we have going on around here! These type of curlers have worked so great for us and I’m hoping to share some quick tips on how we use them.

My oldest daughter has long, thick hair that doesn’t hold curls for very long so I mostly bought them to try on her hair. The curl formers that we bought were the LONG and WIDE size. They are 50cm long and came in a package of 40. Here are a couple of different purchase options:

Hair Curler Magic Spiral Ringlets Former – $12.99

Official Curl Formers Extra Wide and Long – $68.99

We purchased the cheaper knock-off brand and they worked perfect for us. The wand that came with the kit we purchased wasn’t very good, so we did end up buying the official Curl Former Wand — the other kept coming apart when I used it but the curl former wand works wonders. There’s definitely a bit of a learning curve for getting the curlers in, but I googled how to put them in and found plenty of youtube videos that helped a lot! These are the videos I followed to learn how to use them.

Spiral Ringlet Former FAQ’s

1. Do you put the curlers in dry or wet hair?

We put them in damp hair. After my girls have a bath/shower in the evening we put them in before bed. Hair is towel dried, not soaking wet. Damp hair makes it easier to put the curlers in. When the hair begins to dry it gets harder to slide the hair through the curlers so I use a spray water bottle to dampen any dried hair as I’m putting the curlers in.

2. Do you sleep in the curlers?

Yes. My girls sleep in the curlers. We put them in after a night time bath or shower then they sleep in them and we take them out in the morning. By morning their hair is completely dry and the curls are set.

3. Do the curlers fall out while sleeping?

Once the curlers are in they are in to stay. We haven’t had any fall out while sleeping. The top edge of the curlers has a silicone lip that secures the hair.

4. How long do the curls last?

I’ve been amazed with how long the curls stay in my girls hair! When I curled my oldest daughters hair with a curling iron (which would take me 45 minutes or more on her thick, long hair) the curls wouldn’t last the morning. With these curlers the curls have lasted 2-3 days. Until her hair needed to be washed again. They just got a little looser each day, but were still pretty.

5. How long does it take to put the curlers in?

They aren’t hard to use – I’m getting faster each time I use them…..it does take some practise to get the hang of them, but once you have a rhythm going they go in relatively fast. I’d say it takes me 25-30 minutes to put them in my oldest daughters long hair and 15-20 min in my middle daughter’s hair.

6. What product do you use in the hair?

I read that some people use mousse to help the curls set, but we’ve only used leave-in conditioner. I sprayed my girls hair with Healthy Sexy Hair which helped the curls to come out soft and not frizzy.

7. How many curlers do you need to curl you daughter’s hair?

The set of spiral ringlet formers we bought had 40 pieces and we used about half of them on my oldest daughter’s hair which is thick and long. I could have done two of my girls hair with the 40 piece set.

Those are just a few quick tips that have helped when we’re using these fun curlers. If you think of anything else you’d like to know just post your questions in the comments and I’ll try to add my answers to the post. These curlers are so great for creating beautiful holiday hairstyle’s and have been such a timesaver for me when it comes to curling my girls hair.

Top Ten Simple Holiday Hairstyles for Girls

1. Cute up-do’s 2. Sweet Roll 3. Fancy Piggy Tales 4. Braid into a Bun 5. Twisty Bun 6. Twisted Ballerina Bun 7. Loopy Bun 8. Simple Side Braid 9. Quick Messy Bun 10. Waterfall Braid

Merry and Bright Printable Gift Tags

Friday, December 12, 2014

Add a personal touch and a bit of modern flair to your holiday gift wrapping with these free Merry and Bright printable gift tags. You’ll find download links below PLUS more beautiful holiday party ideas!

A few weeks ago I shared some of the details from the Merry and Bright party that Rebecca from The Crafted Sparrow, Elisha from Pneumatic Addict, Mallory + Savannah from Classy Clutter, Kristi + Kelli from Lolly Jane, Sunny from Dandelion Square, Brandy from BD Designs and I put together. These girls have been sharing so many fun projects, recipes and DIY’s from the party — be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the post for a roundup of all the darling ideas!

Today I wanted to share these printable gift tags that I created. They coordinate with all the party elements including the modern Merry & Bright art prints I shared a few weeks ago. These tags are so easy to use and the white background makes them perfect for printing at home (you don’t use a lot of ink) and great for writing a quick personalized note on the back!

To use the Merry & Bright Printable Gift Tags

First download the tags using the download links below.

Next print the tags at home or using your favorite photo lab.

Now cut out your tags and they’re ready to use for holiday gift wrapping.

Punch a hole in the top to attach to your gifts with ribbon/twine or use a piece of washi tape.

These gift tags are free for personal use. They are available in two formats for printing. You can download an 8.5×11 inch PDF of each tag and print at home on white cardstock OR you can download a 4×6 size print size of each tag and order them individually at your favorite photo lab. You’ll find the download links to each of the tags below.

Merry and Bright Gift Tag 1 PDF // Merry and Bright Gift Tag 1 4×6

Merry and Bright Gift Tag 2 PDF // Merry and Bright Gift Tag 2 4×6

Merry and Bright Gift Tag 3 PDF // Merry and Bright Gift Tag 3 4×6

Merry and Bright Gift Tag 4 PDF // Merry and Bright Gift Tag 4 4×6

This party was so fun. Stay tuned for more coordinating printables including a darling Merry & Bright bunting that I can’t wait to share! In the meantime, take a peek at some of the other beautiful Merry and Bright projects my AZ girls have been sharing.

MORE PRINTABLE CHRISTMAS GIFT TAGS

Simple Mason Jar Gift Ideas and Printable Gift Tags

Retro Type Printable Gift Tags

Disney Frozen Gift Tags

EOS Lip Balm “Candies” and free Printable Tags

Teacher Gift Idea and Printable “Mint to Be” Gift Tags

Minecraft Creep Candy Boxes and free Printable Gift Tags

Holly Jolly Gift Tags

5 Quick Tips for Taking your own Family Photos

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

If you want family photos, but it’s just not in the schedule or the budget to hire a professional photographer this year, try your hand at taking your own with these 5 quick tips for taking your own family photos!

$How to save time and money on family photos. I'm dishing all the tips, tricks and tools I've used over the years to take beautiful family photos for our Christmas cards at a fraction of the cost.$

As a professional photographer I’ve taken thousands of photos for families through the years. Whether it’s for Christmas cards or to simply record the growth of your family over the course of the year – family photos are so important to a lot of people. While having family photos taken is a priority, it’s not always possible to invest the time and money in a professional photo session each year. Today I wanted to share some quick tips to help you photograph your own family – it’s easier than you think!

My husband is a student and family photos just wasn’t looking like a possibility this year as far as time or budget, so I decided to take matters into my own hands. I shopped through our closets for clothing that we already had that coordinated and on one of the kids days off school we carved out a couple of hours for me to snap our own family photos.

5 Quick Tips for Taking your own Family Photos

1. Plan ahead. Having a plan laid out ahead of time is key. Know where you’ll be going – choose a location that isn’t too far away and provides a beautiful backdrop. Plan a time where you won’t be rushed, when everyone is fed and well rested. Have a plan as far as photos you’d like to take and poses you’d like to capture so you can be quick and efficient. Being realistic in your planning and let your family in on your expectations will do a lot to ensure the success of your family photos. For our family photos this year, I planned to shoot for 30 minutes, I let my kids (and my husband) know this and letting them in on this timeframe really helped .

2. Use the right tools. To take your own family photos you’re going to need to use a tripod and a your camera’s self timer and/or a camera remote. The tripod I use is the Manfrotto MT 055 XPRO with Manfrotto Action Ball Head.

If you’re planning to take your photos with a point and shoot camera or your phone, a Gorilla Pod flexible Tripod is helpful. You can mount it on anything really and snap a quick photo of your family. Many phone apps have a self timer option that you can use to get in the shot – I use Camera+.

You’re also going to have to get familiar with using your camera’s self timer in order to get in the shot.

Tricks for shooting with the self timer

Pose your family being sure to leave space for yourself to jump in

Take a test shot before getting in the shot to make sure your settings are correct, make any necessary adjustments

It’s very important to set your camera’s focus before getting into the shot. Choose an individual in your group to focus on. To lock your focus, press your shutter button halfway until you hear it beep. That sound signals that the camera has locked focus. Without releasing, press the button all the way down. Doing so will activate the self timer. Get into your position in the photo frame and wait until the shutter snaps.

Note: All images from this post were taken using my Canon 24-70mm lens. I can go on and on about why I love this versatile lens so much! Read my complete review here.

3. Strike a pose. When it comes to posing your family look for visual triangles. Have people’s heads at different levels. Bring along a chair or utilize something in your environment to accommodate posing: like a set of stairs or a fence. Notice the visual triangles at work in the image above. They draw the eye around the photograph and create a pleasing composition.

With group photography posing is important and so are your settings, especially your aperture. Aperture settings are what will determine how much of your photo is in focus. With a group, you want to set your camera to small f-stop (larger number) so more of your group will be in focus. When you shoot in AV mode or aperture priority mode you can change the aperture setting and your camera will determine the rest of the settings for you in order to get a properly exposed image.

4. Keep it Simple. Taking the photos and being in them is a lot of work, so keep things simple. Choose a limited number of poses you’d like to capture and keep yourself to a specific timeframe. This helps family members cooperate when they know they have a set amount of time to do photos. Make the most of your time by knowing what images you hope to capture ahead of time and take advantage of the opportunity to snap a few shots of just the kids or just Mom and Dad while everyone is dressed up.

Keep your photo background simple as well, you don’t want the backdrop upstage the subjects. Things like a neutral colored wall, a wooded area. Placing your subject – in this case your family – a few feet in front of your backdrop will help with blurring the background and will naturally make your family stand out.

5. Make it fun. Make your next family photo session less about getting the perfect shot and more about the moment, eachother and the thought of what memories will be triggered by these photos years down the road. This will take a little bit of the pressure off and help everyone to relax and just enjoy the time together as a family. The perfect family photo may not necessarily be the one you envision. Open your mind, relax, have fun with it & the photos will reflect a lovely memory of time spent together. If you are relaxed, your children will be too.

We did our little family photo session in a beautiful spot here in Arizona called Coon’s Bluff. We brought a change of shoes for everyone and let the kids know that after photos were done we’d have some fun exploring the area. We had a lot of fun enjoying nature and made the whole family photo experience a memorable one.

With a few of the photos we captured during our DIY family photo session I put together this cute Christmas card via Minted.com. This is our second year using Minted for our cards and I’m just as thrilled with them as ever! They have such a wide variety of holiday card choices available for all styles and their quality is incredible! You can take a peek at our cards from last year right here.

The Ultimate Gift Guide for Horse Lovers

Monday, December 8, 2014

I have a 7 year old who’s obsessed with horses! If you have a child that loves horses too, this gift guide is FULL ideas for the horse lover on your list! From clothing, games, books and more – you’ll find it all in this Ultimate Gift Guide for Horse Lovers!

My 7 year old daughter is obsessed with horses. We’ve been watching the Heartland series non-stop the past few weeks – it’s such a great show! It’s safe to say our girl lives and breaths anything that has to do with these four legged animals and so you can imagine, we’ll be giving her a few horse-themed gifts this Christmas. While I was shopping around I came across so many cute gift ideas for the horse lover in your life!

Clothing and Accessories

Books

Toys and Games

Melissa and Doug Frolicking Horses Puzzle

Arts and Crafts

Melissa and Doug Riding Club Activity Book

Ultimate Stocking Stuffer Gift Guide for Kids of all Ages

Friday, December 5, 2014

I’m excited to share with you our ultimate stocking stuffer gift guide for kids of all ages! All kinds of tried and true toys, books and games that your child is sure to love! Sroll down for 40+ unique gifts ideas PLUS a super fun giveaway!

One of my favorite things about Christmas as a Mom is stuffing my kids stockings! I love searching for unique little gifts that suit each of my kids personalities and interests and this year I’ve found some really fun things to fill my kids stockings!

Below you’ll find 40+ stocking stuffer ideas for kids of all ages. A lot of the items on these lists I’ve purchased in the past or will be in my kids stockings this year and I can’t wait for my kids to enjoy them on Christmas morning!

Ultimate Stocking Stuffer Gift Guide for Kids

1. Safari ltd Animal Figurines 2. Mr. Sketch Scented Stix Markers 3. Extreme Dot to Dot Activity Books 4. Holiday Smencils scented pencils 5. Crayola Twistable Colored Pencils 6. Pocket Doodles for Kids 7. Christmas Pez Dispensers 8. Travel Spirograph 9. 1001 Things to Spot Books 10. Lifesavers Candy Storybook

The Ultimate Stocking Stuffer Gift Guide for Boys

1. Lego Minifigures 2. Dinosaur Pocket Doodles 3. Minecraft Socks 4. Minecraft Creep Plush Toy 5. Oral-B Pro-Health Stages Monsters Inc Toothbrush 6. Star Wars LEGO Watch 7. Melissa and Doug Suspend Game 8. Drop Popz 9. Fake Mustaches 10. Diary of a Wimpy Kid Book

Ultimate Stocking Stuffer Gift Guide for Little Girls

1. Disney Frozen Spot-it! 2. Melissa and Doug Fashion Design Activity Kit 3. Hello Kitty Headlamp and Walkie Talkies 4. Disney Frozen Figurines 5. Frozen Little Golden Book 6. Melissa and Doug Fairy Tale Water Wow Activity Book 7. Disney Frozen Lip Gloss 8. Barbie and the Secret Door DVD 9. Disney Frozen Color Wonder Activity Book 10. Fairy Pocket Doodles

Ultimate Stocking Stuffer Gift Guide for Tween Girls

1. Essie Nail Polish 2. Portable Phone Charger 3. Wet brush + Wet brush Squirt 4. LED Book Light 5. EOS Lip Balm 6. Batiste Dry Shampoo 7. Farkle Game 8. Skull Candy Earbuds 9. Pocket Doodles for Girls 10. Taylor Swift CD and Perfume

One of the stocking stuffers I’m most excited about this year are the fun Pocket Doodle books I picked up for each of the kids! I love that they encourage creativity and that I was able to find one for each and interest of all my kids! There are so many different themed pocket doodle books to choose from and I know we’ll get so much use out of these little books as we travel, at home and on-the-go!

Today Pocket Doodles is giving away a stocking stuffer prize package on the Simple as That Facebook page! Make sure you follow SAT on Facebook, then CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY – entries are so easy! Giveaway closes Sunday 12/7 at 8pm. Good luck!

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