M. Apostolina’s Blog

Nothing is more romantic than a spontaneous trip. Wisk your lady love or gentleman love away on a short holiday to Paris, where they can sample the wonderful culinary delights the French have to offer. Have dinner atop the Eiffel tower and take a boat ride on the Seine in the most amorous city on the face of the earth. If you are more Italian in your taste, then find yourself in romantic Tuscany, strolling the streets of Florence or sleeping in one of the dreamy hotels along the Grand canal in Venice.

If your love, is interested in wines, why not surprise them with a trip to California’s wine country.

You can’t go wrong with jewelry. How about a beautiful diamond ring, necklace or watch? To make the gift more meaningful, do as St. Valentine did and have the gift inscribed with something romantic.

Fantastic Yet Affordable Gifts.

There is nothing more sexy than feeling rejuvenated, relaxed and in a great mood. Spas can do this to you. Treat your significant other to a spa gift certificate so that they can indulge in a much needed rest and relaxation session. Popular treatments include Hot Stone massages, Therapeutic Swedish massages, facials, manicures and pedicures.

Instead of waiting two hours to be seated at a restaurant, why not prepare a special dinner at home complete with a fancy table setting, flowers and a dessert such as chocolate covered strawberries.

To make things even more special, make your service worthy of a restaurant’s. Create a menu, identifying your appetizers, entrees and desserts. Buy a nice wine or champagne to accompany your dinner.

You can’t go wrong with any of these romantic do’s.

Delia Galley writes about family, love, health and well-being. Visit http://www.dayspafan.com to find day spas in your community and for Valentine’s day gift certificates.

Bad Credit Bank Accounts

Bad credit bank accounts are perfect for those who have a poor credit history, have been bankrupt, or have a county court judgment registered against them. This helps them to repair their credit history without being caught in a fraud net. For the best services with a bad credit bank account, people should check the policies of the banks because different banks have different policies regarding bad credit bank accounts.

Repairing credit history is the first step to getting back into business. With careful planning and skilled help and patience, it can be done. It is very important to know what is owed and to whom. Current copies of credit reports should be obtained from all major credit bureaus. People should check the accuracy of the information provided in these reports to avoid further inconvenience. Paying bills on time to upgrade credit is also advisable, as is assessing the credit situation regularly to avoid any mistakes. Consolidating debt by paying minimum amounts.

People should maintain their credit accounts so that they can use credit when in financial need. They should go for a secured bank credit card that is backed by money deposited in a bank account while reducing the number of credit cards they have.

It is advisable to always pay the minimum dues on credit cards and get a copy of a credit report yearly to catch any errors. People should avoid things that can limit their credit such as high balances on credit cards, too many applications for credit, and low credit scores.

Bank Accounts provides detailed information about bank accounts, bank checking accounts, and more. Bank Accounts is affiliated with Online Banking.

Perfect Your Presentation Skills — Practice with Live Audiences

You feel you are ready as a speaker. To truly practice your skills, you still need to find live audiences to present to. In this article I suggest some alternatives.

Contact groups that have weekly and monthly meetings and are in need of speakers. There are Kiwanis Clubs, Jaycees, Chambers of Commerce, and a plethora of organizations and associations who are looking for good speakers who will speak for free (or for dinner). Once you have picked an interesting topic and presented it well at a meeting of one of these groups, you will start getting calls from others who have heard about you. They are not expecting an incredible speaker, so when you do an excellent job, they will be delighted.

Make sure you find out how much time will be allotted for your presentation because most of these groups have a special timeline for their meetings. Oftentimes, these engagements can lead to paid speaking in the future, but don’t present for that reason. You are there to give them a powerful presentation that serves them in some way.

Becoming a member of the local Chamber of Commerce’s Speakers’ Bureau, I was given lots of chances to speak. When we asked Clevelanders to vote for a “sin tax” to help finance our new baseball stadium I spoke on the benefits. After the tax passed, I realized that a lot of groups would be interested in hearing more details of what would be taking place in the future with the stadium, so created my own presentation with blessings from the stadium group. I learned how to deal with hostile audiences (there were those who had voted against the tax), question and answer sessions, and how to create meaningful visual aids.

Look into Continuing Education opportunities. Many school systems, recreation centers and community colleges offer Continuing Education classes. Most are willing to try a new offering in their brochure. I have found this to be a perfect way to test the popularity of a topic and to also put together a winning workshop. One two-night workshop that I still give on a regular basis and one that always fills up is called “Discover Your Core Passion.”

I feel that the way you write up the description can make or break the signups. For example: “What is your Personal Mission? We are all familiar with goal setting, but how do you set goals if you don’t know what it is you want? In this class you will learn techniques, principles and exercises to uncover your core passion, to define your personal mission and devise a workable plan for accomplishing it.” I have met some of the most wonderful people in these classes, been hired by many of them for presentations, and have discovered my core passion!

There are more opportunities than you can imagine. And I am sure you can think of many more than I have mentioned.

Chris King is a professional speaker, storyteller, writer, website creator / designer, free agent, and fitness instructor. Sign up for her eclectic E-newsletter, Portfolio Potpourri, at http://www.PowerfulPresentations.net You will find her information-packed E-book How to Leave Your Audiences Begging for MORE! at http://www.OutrageouslyPowerfulPresenter.com and her business website at http://www.CreativeKeys.biz

Data Visualization Tool: Information as Fast as the Imagination

Imagine the possibilities of an interactive data visualization tool. You can go almost anywhere and see how the data visualization tool is already being used to make information more accessible and interactive for your business and for your clients.

Recently, I had to make travel arrangements online and instead of the usual booking process involving only dates, times, and pricing, I was introduced to a whole new world of convenience that left me a happy customer. After taking care of the logistics of the trip, I came across an interactive airplane seating map that displayed seating availability for my flight using a data visualization tool. All I had to do was drag my mouse over the seat I wanted and it showed me whether or not it was available for me to take. This was my first interaction with a data visualization tool, and since then my curiosity has been peaked.

It was not long after booking the flight that I was searching for skiing information in Colorado. Another interactive map came up. The data visualization tool allowed me to drag my mouse over the various ski resorts and see the skiing conditions, including snowfall and depth. My imagination began to run wild over the possibilities of the data visualization tool.

Now children researching a report on birth rates in the United States or population information of different states in India can find interactive maps, empowered by a data visualization tool, which allows them to simply drag the mouse over the state to see the information they are looking for. Even businessmen and women or investors searching for financial statements of various companies can consume complex information in a bite size package by viewing charts, graphs, and other visual information with a data visualization tool.

Imagine presenting a marketing report to owners, investors, and the board of directors of your company. You are presenting many levels of complex information to men and women that may not be able to grasp it all unless it is presented in an understandable format. A data visualization tool brings information to life, and allows those to whom you may present to be able to interact with the information.

Many variables exist in marketing and sales reports, including geography, population, ratios of men to women, or one age to another. Is it possible to present all of this complex information in a simple way? Yes. Even the United States government has been able to take advantage of the data visualization tool to provide manageable information to the masses.

Let’s say that you want to show how many bags of potato chips your company sells in the first quarter in the Midwest, specifically in Iowa. You have a graph that displays that information very clearly. What if one of your clients wants to know about Illinois instead of Iowa? All you would have to do is drag your mouse over Illinois and the information would pop up with the data visualization tool. During presentations such as these pages upon pages of information is being compiled to provide helpful information, but the way it is presented may contribute even more to whether or not the information proves helpful. With a data visualization tool, questions are answered and information is presented in simple, helpful, and effective ways. Imagine what it could do for your business.

Joe Miller is specialist in online advertising. For more information on data visualization tool, please visit Corda.com.

Make The Most Of Your Basement

The basement of many homes is neglected, left undecorated and kept unlivable. If you are one of these people that has held off working on your basement, I suggest you think again. Consider the incredible potential that lies just below the main floor of your home. Think not only about the square footage that making your basement functional would add to your family’s space, but think too about all of the great ways you could put that space to use.

Think about all of the things that have been added to the collections and treasures of everyone in your family. In no time a home can go from being barely filled to becoming overfilled. The extra set of golf clubs or fishing rods, you know, just in case. The boxes and crates filled with craft supplies from the latest and greatest sales. The stuffed animals that your now teenaged children don’t want to live without. I’d like to suggest to you that one of the biggest and best reasons to finish the basement of your home is to make space for storage. Devote an entire section or room in your basement to hold the treasures of your family in an organized way.

Besides providing space for organization and storage, your basement can be a great place to give each member of your family a little nook of their own. Do you love to collect articles and momentos from your favorite sporting events and teams? If so, make a space in your basement to display all the things you’re proud of. Or, better yet, let the things you’ve collected adorn the walls of a room and then fill it with exercise equipment to get you in shape as well. If your dining room table has been taking over by your wife’s latest sewing or scrapbooking project, give her the craft room of her dreams in your basement. Finish off a room just for her. Build shelves and cabinets to hold all of her things and she will love you like never before. You will get the dining room table back and your wife will get a sacred space all for herself.

Your kids will love having part of the basement to play in as well. There is nothing quite like having room for a toy closet or a carpeted play area. Finishing off a play space for your children will give them hours of endless entertainment and give you hours of peace and quiet someplace else.

You’ll never know all the ways that making your basement a livable space will make your life better. Take your family out to dinner and announce the start of the project that everyone will love. They will be excited to participate in finishing the basement because they know how fun a new space will be.

Belina Storrey has seen her family life change since making their basement space livable. She advises every home owner to make the most of the bottom floor of their home. Check out www.basementgoods.info to learn more.

Top crafts people pay money for!

What crafter wouldn’t like to know the ’secret’ to finding the crafts that sell? Especially the ones that sell most often, and for the highest dollar. It is a common question, and one that certainly cannot be answered easily. A number of factors will determine the success of your craft on the craft show circuit.

If you can imagine craft shows all across the country, you could probably imagine several different types of crafts at each show. This is just one reason why it is difficult to pinpoint the craft that will be successful in your area. But, if you want to sell crafts for a profit, then you are going to have to figure out which type of craft is already popular.

Go to craft shows and see what is selling Ask around at craft stores to find out what is really popular right now Find a niche for something that ISN’T offered at your local craft shows

The first point is probably the easiest to do, because if you already like crafts, then chances are you don’t mind going to the craft shows. Besides, it is always important to check out the competition before you even start your crafting business. Don’t be afraid to ask questions of the retailer when you are out there. They may or may not be willing to answer some - but if you phrase them out of interest rather than fact finding you may have better luck.

Once again, if you are a crafter, you likely head to the local craft store on a regular basis, and you can gather a lot of information here as well. Ask the people at the checkout counter what has been moving really quick, or casually notice what other people are carrying out of the store. Make regular visits and you will see for yourself what moves in the stores, as they rotate their goods and change their displays.

The third point is high-risk, high reward. If you find a niche at the local craft shows, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you are going to have the next hot-selling craft. With new products it is often hit and miss - with miss being more often. But, niche crafts - especially if they take advantage of other hot trends - can be very profitable. As it is in any business, those who stay on top of their market usually end up making more money and are more successful in the end.

Here are a few tips for creating a profitable craft:

Find something functional. Most people would like to get some use (however limited it might be) out of a craft they see.

Create something that is unique to your area - something that people can only get if they come to your region. This appeals to tourists and others just passing through and going to the craft show.

Crafts that will make good gifts for others. Practical items are also excellent for this purpose as well.

Rarely is there a sure thing in crafts. But, you can take much of the guesswork out of finding the most profitable craft in your area with a little research.

Still, across the craft show world, some of the top craft show experts believe that the following craft areas are perennial best-sellers: In no particular order -

Personal items (soaps, body lotion bars)

Entertaining items (wine charms, coasters, place cards)

Practical crafts (bread baskets, candles, placemats, anything people can put to use!)

If you can find something in these areas, I would say that you stand a much greater chance of selling your craft - and for top dollar - at your local craft shows!

Chocolate And Your Dogs Health — What You Should Know

Chocolate. Who can resist it?

Your dogs health depends on it! (resisting, that is). We humans get to indulge because most of us know when to stop. But your dog won’t quit after just a few. Give her a chance and she’ll down the whole box of Godivas in one gulp. So on Valentine’s Day, you’re actually being kind to your best buddy if you eat all the chocolates yourself!

**Why is chocolate harmful to a dogs health?**

Chocolate, as you know, is made with cocoa beans. And cocoa beans contain methylxanthine alkaloids in the form of theobromine and caffeinea, which are toxic to dogs. Chocolate can also contain high amounts of fat which can put your dogs health in jeopardy as well.

**How Much is Too Much?**

Though it’s certain that dogs and chocolate don’t mix, different dogs react differently to the methylxanthines. And reactions can vary according to the age, size and overall health of the dog. The smaller the dog the smaller the dose needed to produce an effect.
And of course, if your dog’s health is already weakened by other medical conditions, he’s more susceptible. The same holds for older dogs..
Theobromine is present in differing amounts in different kinds of chocolate:

White chocolate 1mg/oz
Hot chocolate 12 mg /oz
Milk chocolate 44-66 mg/oz
Semi-sweet chocolate 260 mg/oz
Dark chocolate 450 mg/oz (wow!)
Baking/bitter chocolate or cocoa powder varies as much as 150-600 mg/oz.

**How much chocolate can a dog eat and survive?**

That depends in part on her weight.

Under 200 mg theobromine per kg body weight (91mg per lb) has not been observed to be fatal. A potentially lethal dose in a 16 pound. dog is only one pound of milk chocolate. Only two ounces of baking chocolate can cause serious problems in a 10-pound dog. People stop eating chocolate before getting to toxic levels, but dogs don’t!

**What are the warning signs of a problem?**

Any dog who’s eaten chocolate should be watched closely for symptoms, particularly smaller dogs, “seniors”, and dogs with health problems. Symptoms may range from from vomiting and diarrhea to panting, excessive thirst and urination, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures and even death in severe cases.

While white chocolate may not be as likely to cause a methylxanthine poisoning, the high fat content of lighter chocolates could still lead to vomiting and diarrhea, and possibly the development of life-threatening pancreatitis. Too much fatty food will also affect a dogs health in the same way it does ours, by packing on the pounds!

**What can be done once chocolate is ingested?**

Make note of the type of chocolate ingested and how much was eaten, if possible.

Theobromine will stay in the bloodstream between 14 and 20 hours. Within two hours of ingestion, try inducing vomiting unless your dog is over stimulated, comatose, or has lost the gag reflex.

If your dog has eaten a considerable amount of chocolate, or displays any of the above symptoms, take her to the vet right away. If her symptoms are minor, make her eat activated charcoal. The unabsorbed theobromine binds to it and be passed out of the system. (In a pinch, burnt - as in thoroughly blackened - toast will do.)

**Are there any other products I should worry about?**

Yes — Cocoa Mulch!!

No, it’s not chocolate, but the two products have something in common. They’re both derived from the cocoa bean, and they’re both hazardous to your dogs health.

Cocoa bean shells are a by-product of chocolate production and are popular as mulch for landscaping. Homeowners like the attractive color and scent, and the fact that the mulch breaks down into an organic fertilizer.

Some dogs are attracted to cocoa mulch, and will eat it in varying quantities. The coca bean shells can contain from 0.2% to 3% theobromine (the toxin ) as compaired to 1-4% in unprocessed beans.

Eating cocoa mulch has four possible outcomes. The most common is vomiting, in 50% of cases. Next most common, in 33% of cases, is tremors (shaking). And 17% end up with tachycardia (rapid heart rate), hyperactivity or diarrhea. The fourth outcome is no effect on the dogs health at all, and this is the result in 33% of cases.

Although only 16 cases were reported in approximately one year (the duration of the study), reports are on the increase. California accounts for about 2/3 of cases reported so far. Fortunately, there have been no reported fatalities, and getting your friend to the vet promptly will assure a happy outcome.

**What’s the Bottom Line?**

Thanks to a more educated public, fewer fatalities from foods like chocolate are being reported these days.

Still, it pays to keep up with what’s currently known about various foods and their effects on a dogs health and well being. Grapes and cocoa mulch, for example, were discovered only recently to have harmful effects.

If your dogs health is important to you (and I’m betting it is!), then keep him away from the chocolates on Valentine’s Day and other holidays as well. And watch out year round for products made from the cocoa bean.

In an emergency, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435.

Carolyn Schweitzer, a former family dentist, is a PowerSeller on eBay and owner and editor of several websites, including http://www.Great-Dog-Gift.com Visit her there to read about other foods that can harm your dogs health, and check frequently with sources like the ASPCA for updates. Or sign up for her “Cold Noses News” and she’ll keep you informed!

How to Prioritize Your Retirement Investments

You hear it over and over in the media: “Invest for your retirement!” But with so many retirement options and a limited amount of money to put towards retirement investments, it isn’t always clear where the investor should put her money.

In fact, one of the most common questions that both current and prospective investors ask is: if I have a limited amount to contribute, where should I put my money first, second and so on?

In the best situations, you’d maximize all of your legally allowed retirement contributions every year. But many of us do not have the financial freedom to do this. We need to place our retirement money where it will be most effective. Here are some rules to guide you in your decision making process:

Retirement Rule #1: Maximize Your Company’s Matching Contribution

If your employer provides matching contributions in a company sponsored plan, then put in as much as you need to receive the full match. It’s not everyday that you can get 25-100% of a return on your investment immediately.

Rule #1 is the easiest decision to make. But if your company doesn’t match, or you’ve got some left over money to invest, how do you choose between the other options?

Retirement Rule #2: Prefer Quality and Flexibility

If your employer’s retirement plan is very restrictive and doesn’t offer you very many good investment options, then choose to first maximize any IRA of your choice. Choosing a good IRA is as easy as choosing a good mutual fund: you want to identify a fund that has a strong track record, has good management and is poised to provide consistently high, long-term returns.

On the other hand, if you’re company’s plan offers you a wide array of good investments, it may also offer some flexibility that an IRA cannot offer. Many 401k plans allow you to have access to your funds before retirement and without penalty via self-given loans. These loans can be used for emergencies and you always pay yourself back. Unfortunately, while you have the money out, you mis-out on any stock market returns that you may have otherwise profited from.

Retirement Rule #3: Roth or Traditional IRA?

There are two IRA options: Traditional and Roth. Which should you pick? As a general rule, pick the Roth if you think you’ll be in a higher tax bracket at the time of your retirement and choose Traditional if you’ll be in a lower tax bracket as retirement approaches. The reason: you minimize the taxes you have to pay to the government.

Quentin James writes articles on investing and personal finance for The Common Sense Investor @ http://csinvestor.com. He has recently written a series of introductory articles on how to buy and sell stocks.

Try a Slim Dildo for a Nice Orgasm with your Husband

Some chaps have a complicated time keeping a hard pecker and some women have remarkably long sex drives, meaning it takes the woman an astonishingly long time to climax Because of this difference in sex drives, sexual intercourse will probably become a frustrating and undesirable experience. That’s why huge dildos will often be helpful. If the guy shoots early in the sexual session, or even if the woman just takes longer than her bloke, he can continue to penetrate the lady with the thin dildo. That way all sexual fun does not have to end. It gives the man substantial time to charge his batteries and also helps the female aroused. Therefore when the gent is set up to come back into the session, she’ll still be aroused enough to accept the man.

Your very most stimulation area is your brain. And as significantly as lots of women will not admit this, the penis is an ancient symbol of power, no matter how huge or small, it is still associated with fertility. Penetrating your mistress with a thin dildo will often make a fantasy of power mischief reality. Add a spice of luxury into your sex life with Sex Toys.

Some folk like the sensation of feeling full in their vagina or back passage. Whenever a sex aid such as a big dildo, penetrates the vagina or bottom, the muscles contract around it. Various women get the tightening of the aforementioned muscles to be particularly enjoyable.

Next Page »