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5 Cool Facts About Singles’ Day

On November 4, 2020

If you asked the universe for steep discounts on the items in your shopping wishlist, you’re in luck: Singles’ Day, the biggest shopping holiday in Asia, is coming up! Its popularity is still growing in the West, but past Singles’ Day events have already seen record-breaking sales figures that have far eclipsed major shopping events in the U.S. Here’s what you need to know about this holiday:

Singles’ Day was a holiday created by college students.

Singles’ Day was reportedly started in 1993 by four male dormers at Nanjing University who, in a bid to break the monotony of singlehood, agreed to hold events celebrating their relationship status (or lack thereof).

The Singles’ Day Shopping Festival started in 2009.

In 2009, the Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba capitalized on Singles’ Day by offering massive promos. 27 merchants participated in its first year, generating around 50m yuan (around 7m USD) in sales.

It’s mainly an online shopping event.

Other Asian e-commerce companies have since joined the Singles’ Day bandwagon, launching their own Singles’ Day promotions. Online shopping discounts are combined with offline entertainment, such as televised events studded with Hollywood a-listers, to further stoke the shopping frenzy.

The sales generated from Singles’ Day is larger than the figures from Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday combined.

In 2018, over 180,000 brands participated in Singles’ Day, raking in an estimated $30.8 billion in sales over a 24-hour period. In contrast, Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday only generated a combined $16.14 billion in gross merchandise volume.

It’s gradually spreading globally.

E-commerce retailers outside of Asia are slowly but surely adopting Singles’ Day, launching Singles’ Day campaigns of their own. Expect bigger discounts and better deals this year!

Nixplay Single's Day Sale | Valid from 4 -15, 2020

Mars Salazar

Marianne is Nixplay’s Web Content Editor. Her hobbies include exploring new places, playing table tennis, and cuddling puppies. Send her a message at marianne.salazar@nixplay.com.

4 Fun Hobbies That You Can Turn Into A Business

By Mars Salazar

On September 3, 2020

In Lifestyle

There’s a saying that goes, “if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” While that’s the dream, the reality is that we’re not all as passionate about our jobs as we’d like to be. And even if you’re lucky enough to be able to do what you love for a living, there will still be days when work feels like, well, work.

Fortunately, there are plenty of hobbies that you can monetize to earn a little extra–something we could all use during these trying times. Try these on for size:

Baking

If your friends and family have always raved about your baking, why don’t you take that as a sign to start selling your goods? When you already have the recipe for the perfect chocolate chip cookie, apple pie, or carrot cake, you can join online selling groups around your neighborhood to promote your goods. You can also try asking local cafes and restaurants to sell your products.

Gardening

With everyone filling their homes with plants, there’s never been a better time to take up gardening. If you’ve got a green thumb, you can cash in the fad by sourcing low-maintenance indoor plants, repotting them, and selling them online. Soon, you’ll be making the kind of green your wallet loves.

Design

When you’ve got the design chops, use them to your wallet’s advantage by offering your services at competitive prices. You can create logos for up and coming brands, artwork for homes, marketing materials for small businesses, and even stylized portraits (which make for adorable gifts). There are so many things you can do, and you just have to be great at marketing your services in order to succeed.

Making Drinks

Got a knack for making the perfect cup of joe? Make the most of your brewing skills by selling your coffee to your neighbors working from home. Cold brew coffee is very trendy right now, as well as boba drinks.

Nixplay respects your hustle, and we salute everyone working hard to earn an honest income during these unpredictable times. We’re celebrating the American Worker with our Labor Day Sale: Get up to 25% off on selected frames, only until September 6!

Mars Salazar

Marianne is Nixplay’s Web Content Editor. Her hobbies include exploring new places, playing table tennis, and cuddling puppies. Send her a message at marianne.salazar@nixplay.com.

4 Easy Ways To Show Your Grandparents That You Care

5 Easy Ways To Show Your Grandparents That You Care

By Mars Salazar

On August 19, 2020

In Lifestyle

Grandparents are some of the most special people on the planet. They are absolute gems, fussing over their grandkids and making sure they’re always happy and well-fed.

Your grandparents might be feeling lonely in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, having been forced to stay at home as they are more at risk. Fortunately, there are a lot of things that you can do to keep their spirits high in the midst of a global health crisis. Here are some of them.

Deliver food to them

While nothing compares to your grandmother’s cooking, even grandma must get tired of cooking her own food every now and then. Repay her for all the times that she plied you with food by sending her go-to dishes from her favorite restaurants. It’s a thoughtful gesture that she will appreciate, and will keep her tummy happy.

Share photos with them

Your grandparents always want to know what’s going on in your lives, especially during these days, when visiting is frowned upon. Frequently sending them photos will make their day and will make them feel loved and remembered.

Take it one step further by sending them a Nixplay Frame so your latest family photos are instantly displayed! Our Secret Sale is still going on, and you can get up to 30% off on selected frames until August 23.

Hop on a video call

If your grandparents are more tech-savvy, you can get on a video call with them. It’ll be nice to see their smiles and reactions through the screen as you tell them about the latest updates on your side of town.

Send them flowers

Flowers have a way of brightening anyone’s day. Surprise your grandparents with a beautiful arrangement every now and then to make their day better in a pinch. Don’t wait for a birthday or a special occasion–the best time to send flowers, after all, is when they’re least expected.

Mail them hand-drawn cards

Snail mail may be overlooked in favor of emails and text messaging, but handwritten letters and postcards will always be a delight to receive. Get the kids together to write letters and create cards for grandma and grandpa. You can expect their crafty masterpieces to be displayed for months to come!

Mars Salazar

Marianne is Nixplay’s Web Content Editor. Her hobbies include exploring new places, playing table tennis, and cuddling puppies. Send her a message at marianne.salazar@nixplay.com.

Staying In Touch With Children Studying Away From Home

By Mars Salazar

On August 12, 2020

In Home & Interiors

Starting university is a major milestone in a young adult’s life. While it’s an exciting time for the teen, it can be a cause of concern for parents, who would understandably be worried about their children’s welfare. Will their child be able to make friends? How will they cope if they need help with their studies? Will they be eating properly?

It’s important for parents to stay in touch with their children, especially when they live far from home. Finding the right balance between being supportive and being overbearing can be tricky, but it’s necessary. Here are some ways to do so.

Schedule regular video calls

Parents should be more open to all the possibilities technology offers. Video calls are a lot better than phone calls–they allow you and your child to see each other’s expressions in realtime. You can see your child’s mussed up hair, roll their eyes when you crack a dad joke, and get a glimpse of their messy dorm room in the background. On their end, they’ll be reminded of the things that make home special.

Share photos with each other

This is an easy way to keep your college student updated about what’s going on at home. You can agree with your child to send each other photos on a regular basis–maybe once a day, or once a week, no matter how mundane your schedule might be. Finding beauty in the mundane is a great way to hone your photography skills.

Sharing your photos will be more fun with a Nixplay Frame. This way, all your photographs will be displayed instantly without the need for USB drives, memory cards, or other devices. Now’s the best time to buy a Nixplay Frame: With our Secret Sale, you can get up to 30% off selected frames, only until August 23!

Visit as often as you can

Phone calls and video calls and care packages are great, but in-person visits are way better. If you have some free time, try to make a trip to your child’s campus. Nothing can replace the thrill of seeing your college student in their second home, where they’re hopefully learning, growing, and thriving. Make sure to tell your child of your plans to visit so you’ll both have something to look forward to and plan for.

Send care packages

A care package filled with food, supplies, and other dorm room necessities would be greatly appreciated by your child. You’ll brighten your kid’s day in a pinch, and you’ll help them save some cash during their next shopping trip. Make your care package more meaningful by adding a letter, a sweet note, or printed photos among the items so they’ll have a meaningful reminder of home.

Photo by Dylan Gillis on Unsplash

Mars Salazar

Marianne is Nixplay’s Web Content Editor. Her hobbies include exploring new places, playing table tennis, and cuddling puppies. Send her a message at marianne.salazar@nixplay.com.

How To Photograph Fireworks Like A Pro

By Mars Salazar

On June 25, 2020

In Photography

With the Fourth of July coming up, it’ll be good for you to know how to take great photos of fireworks. They’re one of the most majestic things you can see–and one of the most challenging subjects to capture on camera. If you want to improve your fireworks photos, here are some tips to get you started.

How To Photograph Fireworks Like An Expert

Scout for a great location

When shooting fireworks, it’s crucial to secure a good spot from which you can capture the magic without obstruction. Location matters, and if you can find an elevated space away from the crowds (to make sure that people’s heads or limbs won’t be in your shot), that would be perfect. Your location also plays a huge factor in your photos’ background. Do you want to shoot fireworks against an unobstructed night sky, the city skyline, or the mountains? Where you’ll be shooting can spell the difference between a good fireworks photo and a great one.

Use a tripod and a remote

Now that you’ve secured your location, the next thing you need to do is to secure your camera so you don’t end up with blurred shots. This is especially important for fast-moving subjects: when every split-second counts, you want to make sure you’re prepared. A tripod should come in handy, and controlling shots using a remote can further reduce camera shake.

Think about your framing

First things first: Are you shooting landscape or portrait? The former is great if you’re including the surrounding scenery, while the latter is better if you want to highlight the fireworks.

You also have to remember that different types of fireworks have different heights. Adjusting your camera constantly to get the fireworks in the frame could result in missed shots. Instead of trying to take photos of every explosion, it’s more efficient to just focus on a particular section of the sky and capture the action there.

Use slow shutter speeds and shoot at a low ISO

Long exposure shots are perfect for capturing the fireworks’ movement. Try to keep the shutter open from the moment the firework starts to explode until it finishes exploding. But don’t try to keep it open too long, lest you overexpose the shot.

Shooting at a high ISO will result in brighter but noisier images–something you don’t want if your goal is to capture the contrast between the fireworks’ bright lines and the inky sky as cleanly as possible.

Don’t forget to display your fireworks photos on a Nixplay Frame! We’re having a Secret Sale on our US site right now: Get up to 25% off selected frames, only until July 12!

Mars Salazar

Marianne is Nixplay’s Web Content Editor. Her hobbies include exploring new places, playing table tennis, and cuddling puppies. Send her a message at marianne.salazar@nixplay.com.