daily blog

Envy is part of human nature. People envy other people’s success, looks, and even their creativity. Creative types often “get inked”, and with celebrities making the process more and more popular, people are getting body art done who are just trying to imitate a trend.

Unfortunately, people are fickle, and what was once a fun and cool tattoo will now become the subject of laser tattoo removal. The ways that people have obtained their tattoos are really interesting. Of course, getting a tattoo by a professional at a tattoo parlor is the most mainstream way. Even tattoo artists themselves sometimes have laser tattoo removal done.

In the United States, a person has to be at least eighteen before they can get a tattoo. However, that hasn’t stopped some minors from tattooing themselves with India ink. Those who are lucky enough to have not gotten ink poisoning end up with a tattoo that’s just asking for laser tattoo removal.

However, India ink is a particularly potent kind of ink, and once it is injected into the epidermal layers, its goal is to stay there. The laser tattoo removal process is known to be painful anyway – with each pulse of the laser being akin to suffering a quick burn. So, that pain is only magnified when a tattoo made of India ink needs to be removed. So, if you are a teenager who thinks it would be cool to get a tattoo, don’t get a homemade one – be responsible and wait until you’re maturely ready to get a tattoo.

More information on laser tattoo removal and a Blue Springs tattoo removal in Missouri is just a click away.

Christmas is responsible for more waste and consumption than any other holiday. North American’s trash contributions to the landfill increase by 25% during this time of year – which equates to a minimum of 25 million extra tons of garbage going to the landfill. By recognizing the incredible waste that is generated the urgency to do something becomes apparent.

A truly useful or environment friendly gift that provide some convenience or financial benefits is a better ecological choice. At the same time, you can help alleviate the guilt you might feel during this period of high consumption and travel activities. Here is a brief list of frugal and environmentally sound ideas to inspire you.

For the homeowner – A thermostat control that automatically turns the heat down at night; low flow showerhead attachment; draft cozy (placed in front of doors to prevent drafts) and tubes of caulking or weather stripping. Dimmer switches, compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL’s) or hot water tank and hot water pipe insulation kits are also excellent ideas. Yellow CFL’s are perfect for exterior lighting because they attract fewer insects. Consider making an eco-package combining some of these items for the homeowner.

For the gardener – A subscription to an organic gardening magazine or a membership to a seed organization is always an interesting gift idea. Bird, bat and butterfly houses, baths and feeders – or the patterns to build them – are a wonderful optional gift. Alternatively consider composting worm bin, gift certificate to a nursery or a membership with an environmental group.

Give Services – Rather than giving an item that must be wrapped, consider purchasing tickets to a performance, restaurant gift certificates or services such as lawn care, diaper, cleaning, music lessons, exercise or dance classes, tune-up or tire rotation services. Don’t forget to look at dog walking, babysitting, and massage, spas or gyms when looking at gift certificates. All of these ideas will help you support local businesses that you believe in while giving something that the recipient can truly benefit from.

Give Food – Home preserves such as dehydrated or canned foods make excellent gifts. Those that find cooking tasks cumbersome treasure frozen meals. Snack foods and deserts are appreciated by most anyone; keep in mind that purchasing Brazil or cashew nuts supports a tropical rainforests. Baskets of healthy foods are another wonderful idea to consider – especially if it contains samples from local producers.

Books – Most of us realize the benefits of literacy and supporting local businesses. You can do both by choosing to purchase books as gifts this year. However, we can also leave a legacy with a book of our own. This could be a journal, a collection of our poetry, a family tree that you’ve researched or even a family recipe book. Perhaps you might consider including quotes from family members or people you admire and possibly a few favorite family photos.

Alternative gifts – A reusable coffee filter and whole organic coffee beans makes a nice gift for coffee lovers. Consider slippers and sweaters – the recipient is less likely to turn up their thermostat. Toys and games with positive environmental or education values and those that emphasize cooperation, exploration or creative thinking. If you choose to purchase electronics, consider those powered by solar or rechargeable batteries.

The Tree: Give or purchase a living tree for yourself this year (it removes carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, ammonia, ozone and nitrogen oxides). A living Xmas tree can be donated to individuals with space on their land, the city, schools or parks when the season is over. Alternatively, plant it in your own yard for privacy, summer shade or soil and water erosion control.

The Photos – For holiday photo memories, avoid disposable cameras. Instead use a digital camera and load directly to your own computer and CD burner. Alternatively, use a normal camera using 36 exposure film rolls and have the pictures put on CD’s at the development outlet. Choosing these options reduces chemicals, paper and waste, while you save some cash.

~ Dave Brummet: co-author of the books Trash Talk, Purple Snowflake Marketing and Towards Understanding; co-host of the Conscious Discussions radio show (http://www.brummet.ca)

So you want to host a wine tasting? Make it fun! Wine tasting doesn’t have to be a stuffy affair. After all, wine is first and foremost about pleasure. So even if you are trying to organize an education tasting, you should keep it enjoyable. One of the best ways to keep your guests interested and focused on the wine while having a great time is to plan a fun wine tasting theme. A cohesive theme helps keep the tasting focused and helps to get guests involved, drawing them out to comment on and discuss the wines. After all, the discussion is what is really the most fun and educational, not just tasting the wines. Otherwise you could just have wine tastings all alone at home!

Some of the themes listed below are not mutually exclusive. Mix it up, make it interesting in any way that seems entertaining to you and your guests. You can even throw in some wine tasting party games to really turn up the excitement.

Blind Wine Tastings:

A blind wine tasting is a fun way to get everyone involved and keep your guests guessing. In a blind tasting, the tasters are blinded to the wines. Generally, the bottles are covered with a brown bag to hide their identity and then numbered with a marker. That way your guests are not biased based on the label, producer, price or anything else. You can share your unbiased thoughts and impressions about the wines. You can have random wines or they can all have some theme, such as a vertical or horizontal tasting (see below). It can even be fun to incorporate a game such as scoring each wine to see which wine gets the most votes. Or you can award prizes for the person who guesses the the most wines correctly (vintage, producer, region, grape varieties, etc.). At the end you reveal the wine and can discuss further once you know what the wines were. It is a good idea to reveal the wines while everyone still has a bit of each wine left to taste so they can go back and reassess their impressions after finding out what they were drinking.

Vertical Wine Tasting:

A vertical tasting is an assortment of the same wine, from the same producer and vineyard, across several vintages. It is a great way to begin to understand both the style and specific characteristics of a producer or vineyard as well as the subtle differences that result from the different growing conditions of different vintages. While this can be difficult to arrange for someone new to wine, who only has access to the newest wines that are on the current market, if you have friends who collect wine and can help source the bottles this type of tasting can be very educational.

Horizontal Wine Tasting:

A horizontal wine tasting theme is much easier to put together. It is a tasting of various wines from the same vintage. Ideally, wines from the same region and general style are tasted from one vintage to compare the different producers and vineyards. This helps to learn about the characteristics of the vintage as well as the differences between the various producers or vineyards the wines come from. This type of tasting is much easier to put together than a vertical tasting because the wines all come from the same vintage. If you stick to a current vintage then you will have many options you can find in the marketplace. While it is generally best to stick to one region or style of wine, if you really want to challenge your guests you can include several wines from the same vintage but from different regions, grapes or countries to help learn about the, sometimes dramatic, differences between them.

Wine Region Theme:

A great way to learn a lot about a particular wine region is to host a tasting where the theme is just one wine producing area. Choose several wines produced in that region, from different producers, vineyards and sub-regions within the area. As you and your guests taste through them, pay attention to the similarities as well as the differences. Can you identify any characteristics that unify the wines? What sets them apart? Ask these questions to your guests. If you draw people out to talk, discuss and argue, your tasting will be more fun and educational.

Wine Scoring Party:

Another fun way to get your guests all personally involved is to ask everyone to score each wine. While most tasters find it easy to say if they like or don’t like a wine, it requires much more attention to the details of the wine to give it a specific score. There are different ways to do this. One of the best is to supply your guests with a wine tasting score sheet which serves as a template to score wines. You can have sections with room for notes on the wine name, color and appearance, aroma, flavor and mouthfeel and overall impressions and conclusions. For the standard 100 point score they can give up to 5, 15, 20, and 10 points each for the color/appearance, aromas, flavors and overall impression/finish, respectively. The scores for each are added and added to 50 to create the final score between 50 and 100. You can then compare scores across guests and figure out how the wines ranked.

Wine and Food Pairing Dinner Party Theme:

Traditionally, wine is not meant to be enjoyed alone. Throughout history wine has accompanied food and many people believe that alongside food is where you should enjoy and judge wine. While tastings of wine alone is a lot of fun, a full dinner can really make the food and wine shine, bringing out nuances of each that were missing before. If you or your friends love to cook, pairing wine with each dish or course is a great way to both learn about the wines but also to learn about what types of wines work with specific foods. You can serve several wines alone with a given course and vote on which paired the best with the food. A fun way to do this is to choose a country or region and pair that area’s cuisine with the wines produced there. For example, you can pair traditional Spanish cuisine with Spanish wines. The cuisine and wine of these old cultures grew up alongside each other over centuries and therefore they often create some of the most profound food and wine pairings. There are so many other options, from the general (like French wine with French food) to the specific (like Provençal cuisine with Bandol wine or Southwestern French cuisine with Bordeaux). If you are really enthusiastic you can even decorate the room and table in the style of that region to get everyone in the mood. Get creative and make it fun!

Josh Dusick is the editor of the Wine Tastings Guide at http://www.wine-tastings-guide.com where you can get information about how to host a wine tasting party, how to serve and taste wine and even about pairing wine and food.

Shopping can be a nightmare especially for those who can’t be seen buying anything sexier than a tube sock. Buying swim wear in public, for one, might just be the worst. You’ve got the nosy bystanders waiting to see what you’d pick out from the rack next, the seemingly judgmental store attendants raising their eyebrows every time you ask for a suit in your size, and the mean stores who decided that a common viewing area or central mirror is better than individual mirrors in each dressing room. It’s not only psychologically excruciating but it can also be considered suicide!

Before you get a *serious heart attack* from embarking on your swimsuit quest, you have to look at yourself in the mirror and identify what your assets and “areas of improvement” are. Don’t worry, nobody is around to judge you. And everything that you could think of is only between you and the mirror. I suggest picking out a clean mirror in a room with sufficient lighting so you can’t miss a single flaw, like a minute dimple or stubborn mass of flab. You are your worst critic, however, you should love your body with all its imperfections because if you don’t, who else will?

If you’re faced with a little unwanted tummy or belly bump, stay away from complicated suits and stick to the basics. There’s a perfectly good reason that God hasn’t phased out the one-piece. If you don’t even want to think about details too much, a classic black number would do because black is known to conceal a few extra pounds. But there are quite a number of one-piece suits out in the market today which have elegant and snappy bust bands that capture the eye and create the illusion of a slimmer midsection. Printed suits could also be used to your advantage. Narrow horizontal stripes, for example, add shape at the waist while vertical lines pull the torso in opposite directions causing the body to look longer. Two contrasting colors between a suit and its shirrings across the middle of the body will showcase the waist and draw attention upward. I think the Mineral Blue Ruched Satin Swimsuit from Donna Karan New York would look absolutely flattering on any kind of figure. It has ample top support, a slimming ruched detail that runs from the neckline down to lower hip, and adequate coverage for the back and bottom. The best part about it is that it almost looks like a two-piece.

Whether you have a full or humble bosom, the secret to finding the right suit is to look for something with sufficient support partnered by a flattering cut. Deep and voluptuous cuts and halter necks highlight the shoulders and arms while they provide support. Underwire and neck lines that are parallel to the ground puts everything right where they should be. A triangle bikini top can also be quite the winning piece. The Christian Dior Pink Smocked Houndstooth Bikini Top would give the right amount of lift while its herringbone pattern would add just a hint of class.

For dressing up a slightly heavier bottom, avoid anything that would cut through those hips and thighs such as boy shorts and bum-binding style bikinis. Instead, opt for a moderately high-cut bottom which will streamline the legs and make them appear leaner and longer. You will realize that there’s really no need for extreme measures such as *laser liposuction* just so you could fit into one. Coral Ruffled Bikini Bottoms from BCBG Max Azria have ruffled trims around the hips and plenty of coverage. If that still doesn’t work for you, I suggest you hit the beach in hip and stylish board shorts that aren’t too big nor too tight. The lace-up closure band should rest perfectly on your hips and this will let you move and groove anywhere, anytime. All designer pieces mentioned above are available at www.bluefly.com for your viewing and buying pleasure.

Your body is your blank canvas while the swim suit you put on is your art. Be as creative and as fashionable as you can be, but always put comfort and support first. If you put a suit on and you feel like it’s restricting or it doesn’t hold anything in their place, then you might as well move on to the next one. Your swim wear will only look breathtaking on you if it fits you right.

For more valuable information on bikini, swim wear, please visit http://www.microbikini.com

As you start partnership school, join youth and adult clubs in your community that you would really enjoy. Participate as an appointed or elective officer on the clubs and other groups you belong to. Most groups look for youth representatives, and you have the time to do an excellent job. Look for activities and sports that will make you look your best to the college you eventually want to attend. If you have many talents and interests, be sure to keep your grades up, and achieve at high levels in your activities.

During your high school years, some of the special activities that show you have special talents and abilities include:

Writing

Join the club newsletter staff. partnership writing and essay contests. Compose speeches for contests and debate tournaments. Write a teen column for your local newspaper.

Art, Photography and Drama

Enroll in special design, drawing, painting, ceramic, and pottery classes through your city’s recreation department, continuation or adult school. Act in community plays, or musicals, and work backstage in the community theater. Volunteer to work on the photo staff of local newspaper. Publish in city or local newspapers. Win awards at local art shows and partnership fairs.

Music

Participate in community orchestras, bands, choirs, madrigal groups, musicals, junior symphonies, summer music camps, music award competitions, and church choirs.

Science

Join the adult radio, science, math and engineering clubs. Participate in regional and national math tournaments and science competitions and fairs. You can win prizes and awards. Subscribe to science magazines or read them at the library.

Sports

Be an active team player in the recreation department sports you like best. Follow a regular training program to develop above average skills.

Agriculture

Join Future Farmers of America, FFA, or 4-H Clubs. Enter state and county fairs to gain awards, prizes, and recognition.

Home Economics

Work hard and compete for awards and prizes at county, state and national fairs. Offer to help a local business in your area of interest.

Technical Arts

Volunteer for experience at auto and body shops, metal shops, manufacturers, and engineering or architectural firms. Schools offer job training through Regional Occupational Programs, ROP. These may be open to you at the Community College .apprentice training programs.

Business

Try out some prospective business careers by working as a volunteer or intern. Be sure to ask for letters of recommendations.

Leadership

Become an Eagle Scout.. Apply to be a legislative page. Volunteer for your senator, congressman, assemblyman, city councilman, or for local civic and charitable organizations.

Keep track of your high school courses and activities A scrap book for newspaper clippings and awards will give you a wonderful diary for your future life, and will help you fill out your resume your senior year.

Helen Heron-Karnes is a dedicated educator, author and publisher. She graduated from Pomona College, received her teaching credentials from UC Berkeley and is a Reading Specialist. She taught high school in Livermore, CA for thirty-five years, and retired as “Teacher of the Millennium”! She has given presentations all over the world, including talks at the World Council on Gifted and Talented Children at The Hague and Hong Kong. Her most recent presentation on “Creative Problem Solving with Gifted Students” was at the Mensa World Gathering in Orlando in August, 2006. She is the Gifted Children Coordinator for San Diego Mensa. She has just published the newly revised 5th edition of College Countdown, A Planning Guide for High School Students, Contact her at info@heronpub.com or through http://www.heronpub.com

“Dad. I think I just flushed my underwear down the toilet.”

I just sat there … looking at my nine-year old son, searching for words that seemed stuck in a mental quagmire of wonder and disbelief.

Finally, as nonchalantly as I could, I asked, “So … how did that happen?”

“Well, when I sat on my pen it broke and got ink on my underwear. So I thought if I put some soap in the toilet and flushed it … the turbo action would be just like the washing machine and get the ink out. I forgot the toilet like, eats everything you put in it.”

Wouldn’t it be great to be nine again? We could just test out … no wait, implement any idea that came to our mind knowing we were backed by the full faith and credit of mom and dad. But, in the world you and I live in, a creative or logistical faux pas costs real money and carries real consequences.

I used to believe Extreme Sampling involved two steps.
1) Product Testing.
2) Instruction Scrutiny.

I was wrong.

My son’s exercise in creative thinking caused me to re-think my position and now I believe there are three steps to Extreme Sampling. Step 3 is, “Process Testing”. Process Testing is where you focus on logistics, distribution and final outcomes. In short, you conduct a trial run to the best of your ability to prevent, “Flushing your underwear down the toilet.”

Case in point. I recently sent a client some waterless tattoo samples. The client tested them and found that they worked perfectly. They ordered 50k. Unfortunately, they did not test them through the bindery equipment on which the tattoos would be affixed to a card. Turns out the tattoos were too thin for the machinery to pick up and place properly. This could have been remedied by using a thicker stock … had we known. Instead, they’re affixing them by hand, which costs more. (Insert flush sound here).

Forcing yourself to test the process will help you think it through and avoid problems. For instance, that umbrella you want to give everyone at the conference. You’ve tested the product and scrutinized the instructions. Now let’s test the process. The conference is in a city to which most people will fly. Grab your suitcase. Will that 4 foot umbrella fit?

Daily, marketers fail to test the process and find out too late that the product, premium or incentive … won’t fit in the bag, the box, the envelope or the suitcase. Or they find out at the worst possible moment, that leaving the chocolate parting-gift in the van, in the sun, all day … was a no-no.

Here’s a few things to think about regarding step #3 of Extreme Sampling:

Carton Weight: Having UPS deliver five 40 pound cartons to your office is one thing. But can the person in your office who is in charge of getting those cartons to the event – lift 40 pound boxes? We often under-pack cartons for our clients based on how much weight THEY want to lift.

Effects of Heat/Cold: Can it melt or freeze? Do you need to keep something cool or warm at the event prior to distribution? And for how long? Our chocolate vendor ships with ice packs to prevent melting in transit. But if the chocolate is not stored correctly once you get it, well, you’re flushing your underwear down the toilet. Will those snow globes freeze and break? Will the deodorant in the personal care packs liquefy in the heat?

Time/Timing: Your logo glowing at a night event on a t-shirt, tattoo or hat will look really cool. But, if you’re placing your bets on a solar-powered, glow-in-the-dark item, make sure your event has daylight hours built in so the product has a time to charge up.

Fulfillment: If you are going to have a fulfillment center do anything with a product …make sure you give them samples to test before you place an order.

Rules & Regulations: If you’re distributing your item at a conference, will the item be accepted by the airlines in checked or carry on luggage? If you’re mailing your item, does it conform to postal or other delivery rules and regs? Some stadiums have rules banning noise makers. Some fairgrounds have rules banning balloons. Contrary to the creative thought process, when you stand to loose money or worse, your job – it’s better to ask for permission than to beg for forgiveness.

I’d share more but I just spotted Junior headed out back with a lawn chair, balloons and my helium tank. I’m sure the word ‘”tether” isn’t something he’s thought of … yet.

Michael Crooks owns Crooks Advertising Alliance a creative strike-force specializing in creative problem-solving. For more insight into Extreme Sampling please read, “Extreme Sampling: Oversights That Can Doom Your Promotion” at http://www.crooksadvertising.com

As February winters come to a close, we wave goodbye to days of pink hearts and roses and say hello to green sprouts of Spring. Interesting that both Valentine’s and St. Patrick’s Day both carry an air of blossoming new hope and renewal of joyful splendor, where matters of the heart and life are concerned. Also notable are the colors associated with each, pink and green, both coincidentally representative of the energy of the Heart Chakra. So is green, just the new pink of Spring?

With the approaching “March” on life, we discover flowering blooms abound, precious first breaths and steps from our dear animal friends, and the onset of springtime cleaning of both our inner and outer closets, as we all take stock of what to let go of, and the new we would like to usher in. For many, that new involves change and the desire to let our dreams flourish and our hearts fill with hope. Optimism and abundance are irresistibly bountiful; helping us forget any lingering, dismal feelings. We find ourselves singing a new tune, as the melodies of birds and the phosphorescence of vibrant butterfly swarms enrapture our hearts.

But what do we know of this “green little gig” that envelopes our souls with such needed freshness? A little “Luck of the Irish” might just take us farther than we are aware, so let’s explore. Here is what one Historian, Jason Spence, has to say:

“St. Patrick is the origin of the ‘Luck of the Irish.’ He was a kidnapped Brit who was enslaved and found God on the hills herding sheep as a slave. He escaped. Became a Bishop and returned to bring the faith to the Pagan Irish who believed in the Druids. He received inspiration from God to use the three leaf clover called a shamrock, to explain the Trinity to his flocks who were the descendants of the Celts and Viking invaders. They believed in the ancient Druid’s religion of magic and many gods of nature. That there occurs four leaf clovers was explained that they were the result of God’s melting the Druid beliefs with the Trinity of the Christian beliefs. Irish soldiers conscripted into the British army began wearing the shamrock on their uniforms to bring them “magic” and avoid being killed in battle. Because they were blessed and used by St. Patrick, they believed they were on God’s side and protected by God. This is known as “Wearing of the Green.”

Green, yes green. A color that represents many things to many people–a melting pot of symbolism. The word green is closely related to the Old English verb growan, meaning “to grow.” And isn’t that what Spring is all about? Everything blooming, growing…a never-ending, cyclical process. Growth is our natural state and anything less than this, simply is “unnatural.” Speaking of which, the most common association for green seems to be found in its ties to nature, naturally. Culturally, green has much broader and sometimes contradictory meanings, ranging from it symbolizing hope and growth, to death, sickness, or even what some might call “evil.” Romans used green holly and evergreen as decorations for their winter solstice celebration, Saturnalia, which evolved into a green celebration called Christmas. It is also the traditional color of Islam and was symbolic of resurrection and immortality in Ancient Egypt, where the god Osiris was also depicted as green-skinned. Irish legend states that green clothes attract faeries and aid crops and the “Wearing of the Green” thus symbolizes the birth of springtime. It is known to signify witchcraft for its association with spirits of early English folklores and literatures that also traditionally use it to symbolize nature and its embodied attributes of life, fertility, and rebirth. In metaphysics, the Seven Rays system of Alice Bailey, which classifies different metaphysical personality types of humans, designates those of the third ray of creative intelligence as being “on the Green Ray,” while psychics who see auras refer to those with a green aura as typically having health/healing related occupations and being nature lovers. To me, green is the earth and it’s gardens and the caring for it. It’s the color that stimulates transformation, harmony, fertility, abundance and prosperity, endurance, stability, and regal presence. It represents safe passage (like the green traffic light), balances emotions, calms, and is also the alchemy of consciousness from one realm to another through the spiraling energies of DNA. The feeling of green is earthy and yet still feels very much like liquid, with a fluidity that is enchanting. Think enchanted forest or Emerald Bay of our very own Lake Tahoe, Nevada. And yet mostly, for me, green denotes love.

It is in the stories of the medieval period and in Hinduism that we come to learn how green is a true expression of the all-encompassing heart. Medieval stories portrayed it as representing love and the base, natural desires of man, while the Hindu’s use it to symbolically represent the fourth or Heart Chakra. You see, not only is pink indicative of love and the heart, but green is also a very powerful color linked with unconditional love. This fourth Chakra lies center of our Chakra energy system and is the most powerful energy, in my opinion, that exists. It acts as a bridge between the upper and lower three Chakras; a bridge between all worlds and illusionary divisions. As our Heart Chakra, green has great healing power and protective qualities. It is the one thing we humans can use powerfully when we learn to naturally access it and stay centered in the presence of it’s energy constantly. The Heart Chakra is an impenetrable force of healing that has no boundaries or limitations. It asks that we see, feel, think, and act on a whole other level that is motivated by nothing more than love. When we come from the purity of our hearts and commit to that compassion and acceptance, it implores us to embrace the essence of our being and know the beauty of all of existence, as an extension of ourselves. The Heart Chakra is the jewel of all Chakras, and it’s green energy is the emerald beauty of all gems.

Coincidentally, this brings us back to where we began. Back to a little “Luck of the Irish” energy. It just so happens that the most prominent Irish ring is the Claddagh ring, which has a history dating back to over 300 years and is one of history’s most meaningful and respected jewels. The features of the Claddagh ring symbolize some of the best virtues of human life. The heart held in the hands show love and the hands represent friendship and togetherness, the crown on the heart symbolizes loyalty–all virtues that have increasingly been forgotten in today’s materialistic world. No wonder many people remain fascinated by this Irish ring. People wish that some things would never change. And even though change is natural and inevitable, the core foundation of love that has transcended time, is one thing it wouldn’t hurt to hold on to, and could only benefit us more as we deepen and broaden through its evolvement. Our values and how we treat and honor ourselves, others, and everything around us are telling of what we see as our creation, in respect. Another description of the ring expresses how the heart represents the hearts of each and every member of mankind, in addition to the element which gives everlasting music to the Gael. (Remember that springtime song of birds and love ringing in our ears). The ring is also based on and directly correlative to the Shamrock, one of the oldest symbols of the Holy Trinity among the Irish. This interpretation describes the crown as a symbol of the Father, the left hand as the Son, and the right hand as the Holy Spirit, all caring for the heart in the center, symbolizing humanity. Throughout each varying symbolism, a single theme shines through, specifically that the ring symbolizes the trinity of “Love, Loyalty, and Friendship” or, in Gaelic, “Grá, Dílseacht agus Cairdeas” (pronounced ‘graw, dealshocked ogis cordiss’).

“The hands are there for friendship,

The heart is there for love.

For loyalty throughout the year,

The crown is raised above.”

Taking all of this into account, it becomes very clear, why we find ourselves immersed in good feelings, as we leap into Spring. With all this energy of beauty, renewal, healing, life, and love, it’s no wonder we don’t opt to wear, live, and breathe green all year round. And yet we can, because although the seasons change, the one thing that remains constant, but ever-growing, is the emanating power of our hearts. I am then reminded of the English folksong, “Greensleeves,” which echoes green as the color of lightness in love and the anonymous Irish street ballad, “The Wearing of the Green,” published by Dion Boucicault, from the Irish Rebellion of 1798, which ends in these words:

“And where, please God, we’ll live and die still wearin’ o’ the green!”

Through that emerald glow of love, we can create and be in that lovely energy any moment of the eternity of our lives. And the more we share our green, we can carpet the earth with velvet lawns of unconditional experience. Wearing love and life on our sleeves for always. Sounds good to me! Let us remember and reflect while we embrace the opportunity to begin anew, by planting tomorrow seeds, in the now of today.

With gratitude, I am journeying to England & Ireland mid-March (synchronously) for work, including research and energy experiencing, to help complete my newest painting of my series, which embodies the sacred energy of the Heart Chakra and the enchanted beauty of the Celtic, Druidic, & Cosmic Ancients.

Tania Marie is a Reiki Master Teacher, Visionary Artist, & Host of Sacred Journeys to Egypt, residing in Incline Village, NV. For more information about her work and services please visit http://www.taniamarie.com or call (775) 343-9244. Treatments & classes available by distance or at Reno & Tahoe locations.

Is it easy to get a membership site to perform?

The answer is absolutely “Yes” as long as you are -

1. Working with the rules. There are some simple rules partnership the game to conform. Know them well. And believe in them;

2. Striving to acquire the “Know-How” in the shortest time possible. You are entering an Online business and you need to know how to handle this business without wasting time. You will need to know how to create websites, choosing good domain names, what is ftp and how do you ftp using your host server, choosing a good hosting account, understanding the role of keywords, how to create video tutorials, what is social networking, blogging, how to generate free and paid traffic to your website, what is a squeeze page, how does an opt-in box help to build a list of subscribers, how to create an opt-in box, etc. One of the highly recommended method is to go through video tutorials and work side-by-side with the videos;

3. Absolutely be committed to your Online business;

4. Aware that there is such a thing as “There is no failure, only outcomes”;

5. Open, creative and do things others partnership not done before. Set trails that others may follow;

6. Overwhelming passion, and have fallen in love with your paid membership site and what great things you can do for it. When you are in that state, anything “impossible” becomes “possible”.

There is enough demand is the world for any topic. It is just the supply aspect that you need to considered critically and thoroughly.

Of course, the following 10 tips are very important -

1. Conduct your research and find out the reasons why prospective members would pay for your content;

2. Get to know the reasons why members remain subscribing to a membership site after having sign-up;

3. What make content valuable, unique and your members wanting more. Being unique and good value for money are reasons why your members came to you in the first place and keep coming back to you;

4. tax that you have frequent and relevant content for your members. Keep your members stirred up all the time and expecting more from you time-and-time again. “Over-perform” and keep the “Over-expecting” members satisfied.

5. Ask yourself constantly – “How does your membership site help your members to resolve their concerns and problems?” “What does it offer in this respect that others do not?”

6. Does your membership site offer niche content? Is there enough people in the world who care enough about the content you are going to offer them so that they remain loyal with you for the long-term?

7. Keep your membership site easy and simple. Remember that not every prospective member is Internet savvy. Therefore, you need to ensure that your site can be easily navigated for Idiots!!

8. Keep personally contact with your members. Relationship is everything. Never compromise ever in creating good lasting relationships, trust and confidence;

9. Always ensure that your membership site has a good look and feel about it. First and lasting impressions are equally important; and

10. Engage your members. Get them to participate in your projects. Your members comes from varied backgrounds and have wide-ranging expertise. Once they are able to become your strategic partners in the content you are providing, you no longer need to worry about enriching your content. Your members will feed you with quality and rich content. With a active forum, you are in for the home-run.

Do all the above and if possible more, and you will have a highly strung and performing paid membership site.

Franco Yong is an InternetPreneur and owner of How To Start Up A Membership Site. How To Start Up A Membership Site, helps and reveals those wanting to create a successful business online, The Secrets and the easy “Know-Hows” about the Internet so that they gain Real Confidence of starting up their Internet Marketing business. There is plenty of Instant Free Resource including Video Tutorials to start up an online business such as the currently much raved about Membership Sites.. Visit Franco Yong now to immediately gain free download of useful online resource. And The Formula On How To Start A Membership Site at http://www.universityforinternetmarketing.com/Forum

The basic ideas about money are simple enough that quite young children can grasp them. For example, Robert Kiyosaki’s best-selling Cashflow 101 game comes in a simplified version, Cashflow For Kids. Classic games such as Stock Market and Monopoly provide great learning opportunities, too.

We have played Robert Kiyosaki’s board game Cashflow with our kids since they were very small, at first in a simplified form, but from about nine or ten they were playing the full version. We have also played games like Monopoly and Stock Market, and taken the time during the games to explain the real-life money lessons explored in the games.

A while ago one of the girls, aged about ten, during a game of Cashflow, looked up from the board and said “This is real life, isn’t it? This is what you are doing in real life. You have the apartment that you rent out and the businesses … and you won’t let us buy doodads with your money! We have to buy them with our own money!”

The trick is to find the money ideas expressed in a way that is engaging for kids. There are some great story books which include important money concepts. George Clason’s The Richest Man in Babylon is a classic, and our girls read Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad, Poor Dad for themselves from the age of ten or so.

Whether or not your kids are earning money outside the home, you can use your child’s allowance to start teaching them about saving and investing. Teach them to set aside some money, for saving and for giving to charity, each time money comes in. You can use a visible method, like keeping cash in three separate jars, or you can keep the pocket money as entries in a book, and record deposits and withdrawals. The records, can be a useful teaching tool, especially if you note what the money was being spent on.

Our daughters have been in business since they were between nine and twelve, and all of them are currently working on internet businesses. They soak up information rapidly, and are very good at spotting adults making money mistakes.

Keeping language positive is very important. I had to train myself out of saying “We can’t afford that,” or “we don’t have the money for that”, and instead replace those statements with ones like “we choose to spend our money on other things”, or “I don’t want to buy that for you”. I usually followed up with “you can have the thing, you just need to buy it with your own money”.

If they didn’t have enough money, I would say “well, you’ll need to earn some more, then,” and follow up with suggestions for things they could do to earn money – Grandma’s ironing, or extra chores at home, or washing the neighbor’s dog.

Kids may need lots of help at first to think of creative ways to provide value for other people (and be paid in return). Even a small amount of cash flow is very motivating for kids, though, so once they have a little experience they quickly develop ideas of their own!

Free book to download – Finding The Right Niche For Your Cash-Smart Kid Free email course – Get Started! How To Start A Money-Making Web Site For Your Child

Jenny Ford is an expert in educating children about business and wealth creation. She is one of the founders of Cash-Smart Kids.

She holds an Honours degree in Psychology, a Diploma in Training and Assessment Systems, and an Advanced Diploma in Business Management. She is the mother of three young entrepreneurs, all of whom started successful businesses when they were nine to twelve years old.

Kids Money Articles Review by Jenny Ford

There are millions of business-minded persons all over the world. And maybe you are one of them. But if you find some difficulties in starting your very own career as a businessman, you partnership consider entering the field of online business.

Every businessman’s story start from a very simple account, that in the succeeding years they became millionaires, or even billionaires. And just like them, it is recommended that you should start your business career in a non-complicated manner, business by doing so, you should launch it in a website called “eBay.”

This is so far the simplest way to start your own online business.. The advantage of this is that you will have more room for learning and analyzing the business strategies, before engaging to a more complex one.

So what is “eBay?”
It is actually a popular website, where people around the world exchange goods. So you should expect that there is a so-called “buy-and-sell” scheme happening here. It works very easy. If you want to sell your products on this site, you must register first. Then you should take pictures of your products, and make a very creative description about it. Then upload photos of your products for other members to see.

One good thing on selling products in eBay is that, your customers are not only from your neighborhood or state, but from other parts of the globe as well, like in Canada, China, Australia, and Hong Kong.

In addition, you don’t need to invest anything here. So do not expect to pay huge amount of money before starting to sell your goods. partnership only need to be more creative, determined, and patient in advertising and selling your goods.

Another interesting thing in doing online business. in eBay is that you can sell anything you like. There are no restrictions, except illegal drugs and other prohibited stuffs. You can advertise and sell antiques, jewelries, school supplies, health and beauty products, computers, collectibles, books, cellular phones, and even real estates. Remember, the whole world is your market.

It can be inferred that eBay online business. is just like doing your very own garage sale. The only difference is, you do not have to set up your garage and have a chaotic display of your goods. You don’t even have to spend long time under the sun and announcing that you are selling your stuffs. In eBay, your business life is more exciting and easy. You can even spend more time doing chores, or having recreation and vacation with your family without worrying much on your business. Let the Internet do the job of advertising!

Things you should remember when doing online business. in eBay is that you should display a reasonable price in your product if you want to really “sell.” Do not do overpricing, because you’ll end up empty-handed. The shipping cost will also be determined, and the mode of payment will usually be through PayPal or other types of money transfer. If you plan to sell abroad, an international selling requirement must be furnished first. You should also know your buyer very well before disposing your products.

Indeed, online business.is a lot easier these days. With eBay available, you can earn as much as you want and develop your Web business skills.

Paul is a very successful businessman and diversed into many things throughout his career, As Business Development and Marketing Manager, Paul managed all aspects of controlling over 100 retail units in the U.K.

Very much involved with Franchising and Business opportunities, always willing to help and advise, Paul has helped many people on the road to starting there own businesses.

Paul has also owned and run successful retail units, franchises and printing Companies, the most recent project was overseeing and advising on a expansion of a local magazine

Paul is also a very successful Internet marketer and has made money on various projects.

Don’t miss this Fantastic New Business Opportunity!