Archive for September, 2009

The best Stress Management to stress relief

Management relief stress techniques are very popular among people who spend a lot of time working or in other activities that they may find to be stressful, this wonderful methods will allow the person involved to have much better social skills and also to perform better with themselves and with others while at the same time being capable of avoiding all of the different negative physical side effects that may come when someone is suffering from a lot of stress. Try these management relief stress techniques that we will tell you about in the next few lines and you will also learn how to accomplish all of your goals related to stress within a few seconds.

First of all the most important management relief stress technique that they could teach you is to discern the cause that is originating the many different side effects of your problem, it may be a person, situation or even a place that triggers your emotional behavior into action, so it is of utmost importance that you find that cause and that you remember it for further instructions. Once that you have located the cause of your problems, then the next management relief stress techniques will seem like a breeze for you.

If you already have located the cause the rest is only a matter of concentrating and relaxing for a short period of time, try to relax all of your muscles at once in order to achieve a very relaxed state of mind, and then try to imagine something that makes you extremely happy or something that makes your very peaceful. Visualize yourself experiencing the situation and try to avoid direct contact with the main cause that provokes you to trigger your behavior into a stressful situation, you will notice the immediate results of this technique and you will also be capable of performing many different management relief stress courses of action in the future when you are about to confront a stressful situation.

Enrique Leal is the chief editor of many different stress management publications, you can see his “Top recommended stress management guides” at: http://stressmanagement.bravehost.com

Her name is Jessica and she is a single mother in Georgia. She is engaged and living with her fiance, but she has 2 kids she wants to take care of and she wants them to know their mother. She wants to be there for them and with them. She wants to raise them as once kids were raised…as she was not raised. Her fiance has a good job, but with 2 kids and one on the way, it’s hard to make ends meet sometimes. We know, we’ve been there.

The clutch went out on her fiance’s truck last week, the one vehicle he has to get him back and forth to work. He’s just been promoted into a management training program with Wal-Mart, and he really didn’t need this right now. She’s pregnant again, but she also works and needs her beat up old jalopy her grandmother helped her buy to get to work herself.

The initial estimate was $800.00. They had no idea of where they could get that kind of money. Even when they got a few other, lower, estimates and got the work done (it wasn’t the clutch after all), the bill came to over $400.00. They couldn’t really afford it, but they had to have the truck running.

How do I know all this?

She’s in my downline.

I went online and checked her stats first. Then I gave her the news. She had a check coming for $57.00 that week, and the week after that, she was going to get $377.00. She had already earned $117.00 for the following week. It’s a shame that she can’t use it for something else, but it takes care of the car expenses, and between her and her fiance’s pay, they’ll do okay.

Okay, an average of $600.00 to $700.00 a month might not be much to some internet marketers, but to them, it’s the difference between disaster and “everything’s okay.”

I got her, and Jay, and Donna, and Ruth, and Sarah, and others into internet marketing, and they’re the success stories. John and Joseph and Shawna and Celestine didn’t do that well. I couldn’t help them. I did what I could for them, but for whatever their personal reasons and circumstances, they didn’t make it.

A few years ago, I was a truck driving instructor with a major national carrier…big orange trucks with the owner’s name on ‘em. Every two weeks I met a new group of people, about half of whom had hit bottom or were trying to get back up before they got that far down. Many wouldn’t make it. Some would give it their best shot and fail. Some could learn what I was trying to teach without breaking a sweat. Some could handle the driving but not the classroom, and some were, as my son used to say, a “cool breeze” in the classroom but hopeless around the truck.

Sometimes it hurt. I was often handed the really nervous, and the really hopeless…and sometimes the damned dangerous…because I could remain calm when they were going to pieces…sometimes at 60 miles-per-hour on the interstate. Hence the CB handle an ex-special forces/Philly cop pinned on me which I use as a handle in forums sometimes…teflondon. My nickname before that was Sergeant. A lot of times I was working with someone who was being given one last chance, and a lot of times they really had nothing to go home to. I always tried to do my best, but sometimes my best wasn’t good enough. Sometimes I had to walk ‘em upstairs to Charlie, my boss, and sit there while he gently gave them the news. Sometimes they took their anger out on us and blamed us…some yelled, some cursed, every once in a while, one got violent. Sometimes they smiled and were really polite and acted cheerful although you could feel the strain. Sometimes they just broke down and cried. Talk about rejection.

But sometimes, an ex-student would come back in to the Training Center looking for me, or the instructor who trained him or her. I remember Martin in particular. When Martin arrived at the school, he had clothes in two conditions…bad and worse. His shoes were literally falling apart. He showed me a picture of his beautiful wife and two gorgeous children. He had not had a job for over 6 months. He was glum and desparate. He had a lot of problems in the classroom, and wasn’t much better in the truck, but he refused to give up. I could see him in spare moments walking around somebody’s truck naming the parts to himself. A few weeks after he graduated, I met him at one of our facilities. He was wearing all new clothes, and he was smiling and happy. He shook my hand and thanked me for helping him make money like he had never made before. He was now proud of himself and able to take good care of his wife and children.

Can you imagine the feeling? To have made that much of a difference in someone’s life simply by showing them how to do a job and do it well?

Yes, someone in network marketing or internet marketing is out to make money, just like I collected a salary for teaching those people back then. However, when the failures get you down, if you can remember someone you have helped achieve their dreams or lighten their load, you can find a reward more valuable in many ways than the money you earn.

There are lots of reasons to have your own internet marketing business. I can make a couple of phone calls and have a pretty good job before 48 hours has passed, but I am in internet marketing because I like being able to make the money I make working the way I want to work, at home, without bosses, on my schedule.

One of the other perks is the feeling I get when I know I have helped start someone on the same path I have traveled, and maybe, by sharing some of my experiences or skills, making that path a little easier to travel.

Copyright 2006 Donovan Baldwin

Despite it being a ?little? club, the putter incorporates some really big ideas, so over the next two weeks, I’ll be highlighting some of the latest technological advances in putter design.

Designers are always looking to create that Putter with the perfect balance and feel. But believe me, it isn’t a mystical journey, creating balance and feel is all about getting a number of technologies and the weight of the Putter to work in unison.

The Weight distribution in the head is of critical importance to the designers. Your Putter must swing with a balanced feel but the weight placement must also provide a high MOI (a measurement of the resistance to twisting) and a broad sweet spot (offering increased forgiveness).

Do not under-estimate the importance of these technologies to you. After the initial impression that a Putter with great balance and feel offers, results are critical to your confidence. A Putter with a higher MOI will hit the ball straighter more frequently and a broader sweet spot will offer greater consistency on your distance.

Try comparing a Putter with a lower MOI to one with a higher MOI. If you concentrate you can feel that the lower MOI Putter is more inclined to rotate around its core.

Heel and Toe Weighting, pioneered by Ping, positions weight away from the center and that expands the sweet spot. Again compare two Putters and you will feel the difference if one is not heel and toe weighted.

When you talk about a golf club and weighting, feel and balance you will always end up talking about the CoG. In your irons, a lower COG is the norm, because it aids correct trajectory and facilitates backspin generation. However, in the design of a Putter, extreme care has to be taken in the placement of the CoG. Lowest isn’t necessarily best. Designers don’t want a backspin skidding motion on the ball at one extreme or too much over spin that bounces the ball. Getting this right will enable the putt to maintain its intended line.

Many of the manufacturers have acquired very specialist designers to oversee the development of their new Putters. The search for the perfect balance and feel goes on.

For expert advice on choosing the correct putter find your nearest PGA Golf Professional

James Langmead PGA Qualified Golf Professional and former Callaway Club fitter of the year http://www.thegolfshoponline.co.uk

If you have ever been lucky enough to secure Green Bay Packers tickets, then you understand just how special they are and how rare it is that the opportunity arises to see a game at Lambeau Field. Current estimates indicate that the waiting list for season tickets is 40 years in duration, and the team holds a special place in the hearts of fans both locally and worldwide. The organization is unique in many ways, and below we’ll examine what makes this team so special.

Ownership

The Packers were founded in 1919, and their original corporate sponsor was the ACME Meat Packing plant. The team was consistent with others at that time – funded by a company and small in terms of roster size and attendance at games. The Packers traveled around the Midwest playing other teams such as the Canton Bulldogs and the Decatur Staleys, who would ultimately become their arch-rival, the Chicago Bears.

The team struggled financially, and as a result they needed to raise cash for operating expenses. The management team of the Packers, including Curly Lambeau, decided to offer a stock sale to the surrounding citizens in order to raise the necessary funds to keep the team alive. Hence, in 1923, the Packers became a closed corporation with thousands of shareholders as the official owners of the team.

This arrangement remains in place today, as additional stock sales were held in the 1950’s and 1990’s to fund new stadiums. The shares are not open for sale to other owners, and no dividends are paid to the shareholders. This is the only professional sports team in the United States with such an ownership scenario, and is probably the main reason the team continues to play in one of the smallest major professional sports markets in the world.

Success

Although the town already loved their team like no other, the ownership status has given fans a ‘vested? interest in the success of the team. Needless to say, from an historical perspective, the Packers have not disappointed their ?owners.? The Packers have won 12 NFL championships, which is more than any other football team in history. These titles came in bunches and under legendary coaches with rosters filled with great players, and the demand for Green Bay Packers tickets today still has much to do with their success through the decades.

The first legendary coach was Lambeau, as he guided the team to six championships in 15 years between 1929 and 1944. Those teams featured several all-time greats, including Don Hutson, whose records stood for decades after he retired, Tony Canadeo and Cecil Isbell, all of whom are remembered to this day.

The second member of the legendary coach trilogy was Vince Lombardi, who guided the team to five championships in seven years which included wins in the first two Super Bowls. Lombardi was such a legendary figure that his name appears on the Super Bowl trophy that every team fights for every year. Lombardi’s team included the likes of Willie Davis, Paul Hornung and Bart Starr, among several other Hall of Fame players and All-Pros.

The final member of the coaching legends list is Mike Holmgren, who took a team that had been struggling for decades and guided them to a Super Bowl in 1996. Led by greats including Brett Favre and Reggie White, the team rekindled the long-lasting love affair between the team and the city.

Overall, Green Bay Packers tickets will always be difficult to find, as the team and its success is as unique as any team in professional sports.

About the Author:

By Jay Nault sponsored by http://www.stubhub.com/. StubHub sells Green Bay Packers tickets, sports tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets and most other events in the world. Please link to this site when using this article.

When I was a kid, I went to the public pool almost every day. One particular day, my friend Sheri Lou Green went with me. At ten years old Sheri Lou was an awkward swimmer, slapping the water and fighting for every stroke.

The lifeguard noticed Sheri Lou flailing about and threw her a life buoy. It almost hit her in the head, (which would have made her circumstances worse than they already were). After being startled initially, Sheri Lou ignored the gesture and continued to thrash about until she reached the side of the pool.

The lifeguard was furious and kicked both of us out of his area. Instead of being happy that Sheri Lou didn’t need his help, he was incensed that she didn’t accept it.

This childhood memory parallels with the rescue role on the Karpman Drama Triangle: When you participate on the Drama Triangle from the rescue position, everyone looks like they are drowning. It’s difficult to distinguish the difference between helping when it’s genuinely needed and rescuing, which enables the other person to remain the victim.

The rescue role shows up in subtle ways. It is the need to make things right while taking ownership of problems that don’t belong to you with the belief that no one can solve the problem but you.

Perhaps the easiest way to spot the rescue role is to see how often you give advice. If you are starting your sentences with phrases such as, “If I were you?” and “I’ll tell you what you ought to do?” that’s a good sign you’re a rescuer.

When you give unsolicited advice, you might momentarily get a fix by feeling like the hero who has simply “shared a good idea” but as it has been said, ideas are easy and action is hard.

If everyone (including your family) actually request “free” advice, you are playing the rescue role with those who are willing. Spending time counseling others is harmless until your advice doesn’t work and they blame you. Counseling others can make you feel good until they discount your suggestion and keep repeating the same patterns and you get angry for being taken advantage of.

When you get angry because someone else ignored your well-intentioned advice, you are just like the lifeguard that mistook poor swimming skills for drowning. You continue to throw out the life buoy only to have it rejected.

Identifying the patterns is the first step to breaking them.
It might take a while for you to identify your rescue tendencies. My urge to rescue appears when a meeting gets out of hand or goes overtime. The rescuer starts to emerge as I feel the strong almost irresistible urge to step in and take charge of the meeting. By the way, another word for rescuer is control freak.

Rescuing is easy to identify at home. You do more than your fair share at home. You take over when trying to teach your child something new because it’s just easier to do it yourself.
You keep loaning money to your relative who never has had any luck. You lie for your spouse when he or she doesn’t follow through on commitments with the kids.

Rescuing makes you feel helpful and important, in fact it can even give you the self-concept of having all the answers or being a hero in a time of need.

In order to leave the rescue role behind you will probably be perceived occasionally as a persecutor.(If you want to know more about the four roles on the Drama Triangle, go to www.stopyourdrama.com.)

When you stop rescuing, you won’t always get the approval and you won’t outshine others all the time. You may have real suffering as you try to break the addictive habit of watching a victim struggle, a coworker face his own in competencies, or others nodding in disapproval when you change and set new boundaries. People may be incensed if you start charging for your advice instead of having your time and energy consumed with other people’s problems.

You have to decide if the payoff of more energy to create the life you deserve is worth jumping off of the Triangle. Just remember when a victim comes knocking at your door: It takes two to play games, unless you’re playing solitaire.

Marlene Chism works with people who want to stop the drama and take charge of their lives.
To learn more about life purpose, the Karpman Triangle or the Three Life Tragedies go to http://www.stopyourdrama.com Marlene is available for speaking engagements by calling 1. 888.434.9085.

“My husband is always telling me what to do. How can I keep living with a person who tries to control everyone?” Gail was so frustrated she was almost in tears.

How often do you fume about someone’s attempts to control you? In some relationships it happens way too often for comfort–especially in “co-dependent relationships” where both partners are in agreement that one partner’s needs are more important than the needs of the other.

If someone else seems to control your life now, try looking at the bigger picture.
? Did someone else manage to control you before?
? Have you had at least one person like this in your life for as long as you can remember?

If you answered yes to either of these questions, the real issue is to discover how you are cooperating in maintaining such an unproductive relationship–and to explore your options for changing.

Changing may be a lot easier than you think if you take it in baby steps.

WARNING: If you are in a relationship where you are being physically or emotionally threatened, this will help you change the way you think, but you must still take steps to insure your own safety. If you are in danger, your safety must be your first concern.

First practice changing the way you talk about your complaints–especially the way you talk to yourself about them. You must learn to stop seeing yourself as a victim.

Your goal here is to see yourself as a fully functional, mature individual who is participating in the discomfort of the relationship.

Since you are probably sure that the other person needs to change first, this may be a difficult task. Stick with it. You need to stop blaming anyone and change your attitude instead.

Notice how you and the controlling person have played out some agreements that you may have never recognized before. These examples may help. You probably won’t like the restatement, but see if it rings true anyway.

? “My husband rules our house with an iron hand.” This could turn into “I have agreed to be ruled by my husband in our marriage. I have done this by doing what he has told me to do (probably) since the beginning of our relationship. I have also taught our children to follow his instructions directly or by setting an example for them.”

? “He makes all the decisions. He tells me what I will do.” This could be:”I ask him for his guidance before I choose to do anything. When I want to do something on my own, I ask permission; then when he refuses, I do not do what I would like to do.”

? “How can I learn to live with a person like this?” could become: “I choose to live with this man because he provides things for me that I want and need, even though I sometimes resent the cost. I am afraid to stand up for what I want because I feel I’ll risk losing the emotional and physical security he has provided for me all these years. I am also not sure I could make it on my own without him. I have very little confidence in my own ability to take care of myself and our children.”

Each restatement is another building block to move to a position of responsibility.

You may feel very strange and unfamiliar with this new perspective, but the more often you focus on thinking this way, the more quickly you will reclaim your own power.
About the Author

Learn more and claim your f*ree copy of 24 Tips for Having a Great Relationship at http://www.BeingHappyBook.com . Email feedback@laurieweiss.com
Laurie Weiss, Ph.D., internationally known therapist, consultant and author, has been helping people create conscious, loving relationships for 34 years.

Who in their right mind would not like to buy a good used car for a very low price? Not many of us, that’s for sure. Americans love getting good deals and there are few products that Americans seem more obsessed about getting good deals on than cars.

While it’s possible to get a good deal on a new car, it is in the arena of pre-owned or used cars where it is possible to get some really good deals on cheap cars. And there are several ways to buy a cheap used car.

One can look through the local newspaper in order to find cheap cars for sale within the area where you live. While the selection of cheap used cars for sale listed in local newspapers is often very limited, great deals can sometimes be found, especially if you find a seller who is either lazy or does not know the value of the car they are selling. Sometimes you can run into trouble buying a used cheap car from someone advertising in the newspaper because the stranger you are buying the car from may be a real miscreant who lies about the car’s history and its condition.

A second way of buying a cheap car is through a used car dealership. Often used car dealerships have limited selection in the way of cars you can buy from them. Also, used car dealerships may sell the cars they have for sale at higher prices than what you could find if you buy a car from a private seller who advertises in the newspaper. However, many used car lots and used car dealerships do thoroughly examine the cars they sell.

An option to find cheap used cars for sale that was not available ten years ago is going online to find a car on the Web. There are dozens of Web sites that sell cheap used cars of many, many makes and many, many models. Some of the cars listed on the sites are being sold at used car lots and some are being sold by private parties. Often very cheap deals can be found on the used cars for sale on the Web. However, often the best used car and the cheapest used car one can find for sale on the Internet is a few states away and this can be a hassle.

A fourth way of finding a cheap used car for sale is by going to a car auction and making a bid on a car. Often when cars are repossessed because money is owed on them or they are seized by the government due to criminal or tax evading behavior of the previous owner, they are sold at auctions. Repossessed cars bought at auctions can sometimes be very cheap and people can sometimes get exceptional deals on cars when they buy repossessed cars at government auctions. However, buying a repossessed car at a government-sponsored auction can be a hassle because auctions are often held inconsistently and infrequently; it is sometimes difficult to look and examine the cars being sold at auction before they go on the block; and you never quite know how much a certain car is going to cost at an auction.

With all the options available to people buying used cars and cheap cars, a customer is bound to find a cheap car for sale that suits his or her purposes and budget.About the Author

Submitted by T. Kopel. For more information how you can buy repossessed cars at auction for cheap, please visit us at visit us at http://cheap-used-car-for-sale-101.blogspot.com.

More and more students, both in undergraduate and graduate institutions, are deciding to launch their own ventures upon graduation rather than taking the traditional route of working for another firm. Likewise, more and more individuals are leaving their jobs to fulfill their entrepreneurial dreams.While these ventures may ultimately be very successful (e.g., Google and Microsoft were both launched by students), they face certain challenges in their business plans and capital raising processes. The foremost challenge is overcoming the lack of experience of the management team. A classis chicken-and-egg problem presents itself the management team has no past company successes to point to, and cant prove itself unless given the opportunity to launch the business. While this problem is nearly always the case for graduating students, it also presents itself to many entrepreneurs, particularly those who are launching their first ventures.To overcome this challenge, these ventures must represent themselves as having a great team by attracting a stellar management team and/or advisors. By attracting a quality management team, even if the team will not start until after financing, it gives investors that confidence that the plan will be properly executed. It also proves that the entrepreneurs have the ability to sell others on their vision. The management team need not be complete before seeking capital, since additional members will most likely be added after capital is raised. For instance, shortly after Google raised capital from Sequoia Capital and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Omid Kordestani left Netscape to accept a position as vice president of business development and sales, and Urs Hlzle was hired away from UC Santa Barbara as vice president of engineering.Attracting high-quality advisors builds great credibility since if respected individuals are willing to risk their reputations by taking an advisory position, the venture must have some merit. Advisors can also help with the execution of the business and sometimes will also provide the needed capital. In Googles case, when no major portal was interested in partnering with or funding the company, Larry Page and Sergey Brin were able to convince Andy Bechtolsheim, one of the founders of Sun Microsystems, to become an advisor and investor. Bechtolsheim contributed the initial $100,000 to the company.Even if the venture is able to attract quality management teams and advisors, it will always be at a disadvantage versus other ventures headed by entrepreneurs who have been there, done that successfully in the past. To compensate for this, these ventures must really know their customers, know their market and know their competition. By possessing an in depth knowledge of the external factors that will effect the companys success, the entrepreneurs can both create a solid business strategy and convince investors that an opportunity really exists. If the opportunity truly exists, then investors know that even if the venture is initially mismanaged, then they can hire additional managers later to put it back on course.In summary, when students or first time entrepreneurs, begin developing their business strategies and plans, they must compensate for the management deficiencies they possess versus established entrepreneurs. By doing this and showing a comprehensive knowledge of their market, these ventures can level the capital raising playing field. Fortunately, these ventures can point to a long list of other successful companies which were launched by students and/or first time entrepreneurs, most notably Google and Microsoft.About The Author
As President of Growthink, Dave Lavinsky has helped the company become one of the premier business plan development firms. Since its inception, Growthink has developed over 200 business plans. Growthink clients have collectively raised over $750 million in financing, launched numerous new product and service lines and gained competitive advantage and market share. For more information please visit http://www.growthink.com.

Home Improvement For Ladies

by: Dan Auito

This report is written for those people who may want to improve or update their own home so along those lines, I would like to give you an overview of the factors that may lead you in creating a more effective and successful home improvement project or plan of your own.

Let me begin by saying what a home improvement plan will not do! I have seen this happen more than once, so I will say this now. A home improvement project, addition, upgrade, remodel, or makeover will not make up for a troubled marriage. So for those that think home improvement may save a marriage, Im telling you now that it will add more stress and it is a poor substitute for proper counseling.

With that said, when you see a home being sold due to a divorce, take a good look at the house because you may see evidence of a great remodel job. However, the marriage still failed. The scenario above leads into other areas of home remodel, acquisition and selling points. Gentlemen, pay attention here! It is generally recognized that women are responsible for 80% of all decisions on whether or not to purchase a particular home.

So what influences the ladies in their decisions concerning home purchases and remodeling? By far the two biggest items are the kitchen and the bath. If I had to choose one or the other, I believe I would look at which area was in need of the remodel more, while at the same time looking at the costs of both options.

As for the men, what do they want? They would be happy with a large garage/workshop plus a secluded den or office to carry on with business or to retreat to the solitude of a cave. Men, as we can see, really dont spend as much time feathering the nest so as a result we see that contrary to popular belief, men really tend to follow the females lead.

Generally speaking, youll find that men dont pay much attention to draperies, window treatments, flower boxes, state of the art appliances, Jacuzzi tubs, well-lit bathrooms, large closets or floral patterns of any kind. They often prefer brown and gray everything, with a big garage, a shed, a sprinkler system and a privacy fenced back yard for barbeques and lounging in private. Men also like low maintenance houses so they arent constantly being asked to fix or repair things. If left up to the men to decide, you would find that faucets, toilets, sinks, baths, floors, mirrors, cabinetry, appliances and furnishings would tend to be favored by their industrial strength qualities as opposed to beauty.

Those are general observations and many times they will not apply. However, by keeping them in mind and using the 80/20 rule, they may help in the decision making process. So now using what we know, it would be wise to slant your remodel towards the light and bright feminine side of life. It seems to make sense that if the women are the decision makers then we should let them decide on what really needs attention first!

Lets look at the kitchen first. Can you paint or refinish the cabinetry and change the knobs and handles to get the new look? Would new Formica laminate over the old counter tops with a matching backsplash do the trick? Maybe a white ceramic sink with a new faucet will achieve the desired effect. Quite possibly you may decide to rip it all out. If that is the case, then paint the walls and consider tiling the floor also. Often times, adding some minor electrical and lighting upgrades will help transform and modernize the entire effort. Dont forget the new built in dishwasher and plumbing as well.

Custom cabinets, if designed, built and installed by a local reputable cabinetmaker with references and a picture book of previous work done, are often very attractive in price and quality. I use craftsmen with low overhead who work on one job at a time. Often I will ask them to make, in addition to the kitchen, a base cabinet for the bathroom to match, all for one low price. When working with kitchens I always look to see if a wall can be opened up to create a pass through or bar stool counter top. This lets in more light and allows the person in the kitchen to talk with and see the people in the adjoining room. It also creates the effect of a more spacious kitchen.

The bottom line is that a well-lit, light, bright and spacious kitchen, well equipped with modern appliances, plenty of storage space and decorative tiles, paint and window treatments, will add value and appeal to any homes remodel plan.

Next, lets look at remodeling the bathroom. Here again, we look to the feminine side as the women seem to spend more time here then the men. So with the ladies in mind concerning the upgrade, I will often bite the bullet and rip it all out, the tub being the only exception! If I can leave the tub in, the job is easier, faster and cheaper. However, if I am looking at an olive green or yellowed chipped up and rusting ceramic eyesore, than a new fiberglass insert with a sliding glass door is going on my list of items to buy at the local Home Depot.

Jet tubs are the in thing, so I wont rule them out as a possible upgrade. This decision again is based on the female as most men dont take candlelit bubble baths or require a pulsating massage. Walls are painted with Sherwin Williams semi-gloss paint which creates an excellent moisture barrier to the walls. With regard to walls, by adding tile or laminate half-wall wainscoting to the lower three to four feet of the wall, youll add a nice touch. Since you have torn out the old toilet and base cabinet, now is also the perfect time to rip up the old vinyl and put down ceramic floor tile before the new fixtures are installed.

New lighting, mirrored vanity cabinets, G.F.I. electrical outlets, wallpaper borders, towel rings and bars are usually the finishing touch. Even a man can appreciate coming home to a spacious, clean, modern, functional and aesthetically pleasing kitchen and bath. One final note here: Be sure to caulk everything when youre through. Youll want to protect your new investment from rotting, from the inside out. Dampness and wood eating insects are your homes worst enemies.

Now with the kitchen and bath out of the way, what do you feel is next? I myself spend on average about seven hours a day in the bedroom, so I tend to go there next. Once again, the closet is of importance to the ladies so I will look to paint that bright white, upgrade the lighting and install a closet organizing system to maximize the space that is available. A tip for the guys! Put in a shoe rack for the ladies, as most of you wouldnt even think about that little upgrade.

Once the closet is done, Im back patching and painting the rest of the room. Another smart thing you can do is to let the female decide on what color of Sherwin Williams brand satin super paint they would like to have applied. I always make sure I get enough paint to do the ceiling as well because when youre on your back, you will be looking at it. Once the walls and ceiling are done, the ceiling fan with light kit and dimmer switch go in. Then the baseboards are prepared for installation before the carpet goes down. Usually I paint them a shade darker than the walls and tack them to the wall about one-half inch above the floor.

Now that the paint is put away, its time to install the plush carpet and a dense quality pad beneath it. In order to really bring the room together you will need to take a paint swatch or chip to the carpet dealer to choose the carpet color that really sets off the walls and base board trim. As for final touches, those include mini blinds, a curtain, and decorative switch plates and receptacle covers. A solid core door represents todays modern standards with a keyed lock set for security, so I will add that factor in too. Just add candles and youre done!

As for the rest of the house, I will choose one-color paint and use it throughout all the remaining areas that are to be lightened and brightened. Earth tone, eggshell or tan sand colors are a neutral favorite of many, so unless you have a floor that is going to clash with it, earth tones are a safe bet. Speaking of floors, I will follow appraisal rules that tell me wood is better than carpet, except in bedrooms. And tile is better than vinyl. With that in mind, I will use tile and Pergo flooring everywhere else. Once the tile and wood are installed, I never have to replace it and maintenance is a breeze. The appraiser also looks upon wood and tile as an upgrade, so at the earliest opportunity, they are getting incorporated in my plans.

There you have it! A general Joe homeowner remodel job, but what about the infamous addition? With this consideration, youll have many more options to weigh, so lets take a look at some of the pros and cons of adding square footage.

When does it make sense to add square footage?

#1. Is it physically possible, legally permissible, financially feasible? Will the new addition serve your intended purpose to the maximum extent?

#2. Does the current floor plan, layout or design of your home allow for a smooth flowing traffic pattern in, out and through the proposed addition?

#3. Will your lot size accommodate a larger dwelling and will the neighborhood surrounding your home support the higher value that you expend?

#4. How long do you intend to stay in the house that this upgrade is planned for? Five years from now, will the addition return, dollar for dollar, the money you have spent to the sales price of the home if you sold it?

#5. Are you prepared to deal with draftsmen and plans development, contractors, building officials and permits? Will you mind living on a construction site for about 6 months? Are your finances in place with an additional 10% set aside for cost overruns? Has everyone agreed upon what this addition should look like and the purpose it will serve?

Let us say you have considered the above and would like to continue towards the improvement. From here, we should consider the economic principle of what is called progression. Example: You have a 2-bedroom, 1-bath home, located in a neighborhood of more expensive 3-bedroom, 2-bath homes. In this case you could, with more certainty, add another bedroom and bath and expect to be able to realize or achieve the value from the additions expense as the more expensive homes around you will tend to pull the value of your home up along with theirs.

Now the reverse is also true, so you must consider the opposite case that is called the principle of regression. That says that if you over-improve beyond the value of the homes that are surrounding you, then those lower value homes will tend to keep the value of your home in the lower price ranges. So putting it another way, try not to pass the point of diminishing returns. In essence, saying that you can only improve so much before you reach a point where, for every dollar you spend, you will receive less of that same dollar back when you sell.

A good rule of thumb to use is to try to get at least two dollars of increased value for every dollar you spend. Once you begin to approach break-even, then you should consider maintaining what you have as opposed to adding to it. A simple way to say it: Dont over-improve!

Another watchword to know is super-adequacy. That would be like putting gold faucets in a mobile home. Its overkill and too high-end for the properties overall value, so the final decision on remodeling and additions comes down to balance and a happy medium being reached. Also, take into consideration the cost, aggravation, the net gain, the need for improvement, the improved quality of life, the suitability to all occupants taste, needs and desires and in the end the ability to receive a higher sales price.

I choose to remodel more often than add-on because it goes much faster and the profits role in quicker too. If I need more space to live in, I simply remodel the house Im in and rent it out for top dollar, and then get an equity line to buy a bigger house! When remodeling my own home I will attempt to do everything myself, aside from building cabinets or rewiring electrical circuits. As with everything else, if I get in over my head, I will concede defeat and call in an expert to finish what I started while I learn where I went wrong by watching them finish it up.

Here are a few parting shots that you may or may not know:

Painting everything inside and out is the greatest value producing improvement that you can make on a dollar for dollar return basis. When painting, ensure you buy the absolute best paint available, as it is true that the expense of painting lies in the application of the paint not the paint itself. So if you have to apply two coats because of an inferior watered down paint then the cost just doubled in time and the added paint needed to get the job done.

This next tip alone will save you the cost of this entire book and here it is. Without naming any names, whether it be the manufacturer or the distributor of the product, there is a problem out there with what used to be considered top brand, quality paints. It has been said that some manufacturers have thinned out their paint and left their good name on, all in the name of allowing certain retailers the ability to sell hundreds of thousands of gallons a month at what appears to be a bargain price. Unfortunately, the consumer is fooled by the name and ends up coming back for more paint when they find that it takes more of the thinned out product to get complete coverage.

I, for one, as you can well see by now, am a real fan of Sherwin Williams brand, super paint. This blend is so superior in my mind to any other paint available to the little guy, that I refuse to use anything else. I have applied it to exterior walls located in the worst conditions and climates and ten years later its still as good as the day I put it on. The elasticity, color and protection are still in place with absolutely no chalking, cracking or deterioration of any kind, The same goes for interior paint as well. The coverage and wash ability are unmatched!

I also would like to say Sherwin Williams has not paid me to say one word of this. It is for your sole benefit that I harp on it to the degree that I do, as it burns me to no end to see trusting people get ripped off and not even know it!

But wait! It gets even worse. As if to add insult to injury, the retailers dont really even shoot for the highest profit margin on the paint. They make their profit when you start buying all the tape, rollers, trays, brushes, handles, scrapers, sand paper, buckets, screens and new fangled gadgetry along with a host of other products that may be required to finish all phases of the job at hand.

Has anyone ever told you that? If you doubt it, take a viscosity cup and run the super paint through it and then do the same with the other paint. After this test, you will need no further proof of which paint is going to save you time and money in the long run.

Well, enough said. I hope you get the point on paint. Now another thing you can do to improve your home substantially is landscape it. Landscaping, if done right, can add up to 30% to the value of your home. I prefer to plant shrubbery and low maintenance hardy plants and trees of all types. A few flowers to add color and my job is done.

Back to the addition. If you decide to add a room or two, it has also been proven that you can save about 30% here too by being your own contractor. I would encourage you to get a book titled, How to Be Your Own Contractor, as it will often take an entire book to give you a proper grounding on the subject. Just know this! It is entirely within your realm of ability to tackle the over site and scheduling that you would pay that 30% to the general contractor to do. If you feel up to the task, get a book and be vigilant. In the end, you will have that new addition at a significantly lower price.

If you will visit my web site at www.magicbullets.com you will find a very special offer there. Thanks for reading, Dan

About The Author

Dan Auito is a dual-licensed real estate agent and appraisal assistant. Dan is a 20-year veteran of the United States Coast Guard. He has acquired over 1.3 million in real estate assets in 14 years while also founding a non-profit drug prevention corporation, a real estate consulting group and is the author of Magic Bullets in Real Estate. This 300-page power-packed book (due out in early July 2004) comes with a website that further supports its readers. Dan lives with his wife Kimberly and their two children, Brandon and Briana, on the emerald isle of Kodiak Island, Alaska. Dan may be reached at magicbullets@alaska.com or by visiting www.magicbullets.com. Call 1 907 481-6300 or write 1619 Three Sisters Way Kodiak AK 99615

When it comes to a lot of destinations, you will be able to go to many places and find a tour guide to show you all of the highlights, but at the same time, you can save some money and explore the area yourself. You will find that when you take a bus tour or any other type of guided tour you will be able to really enjoy yourself. First, you know that you are safe in the area, because safety comes in numbers, but you will also be able to see everything. With a guided tour, you won’t miss a beat. You will find that you can also make a plan for your trip and stay on time and target when you take a guided tour. They are times and usually close to the proximate guess. You will be able to plan what sites that you would like to see and you’ll also get to see more when you take the tour. You will find that the tours will also bring up interesting facts about the area that you may not know of.

When it comes to your favorite spots, you will find that you can make a lot of your own memories, but you will also find that it can be crowed with tourists. You will find that if you take the time to discover the town or city on your own, you will be able to go at your own pace and you’ll also be able to stop and go whenever you need to. You will also be able to take more time to pay close attention to the things that you really enjoy. You may not be able to get as much out of a guided tour, but either way you are going to learn more about the area.

If you aren’t going solo on a trip, you will want to check out some of the tickets that you can get for the local attractions. You will find that that there are many museums and attractions that you can get the tickets ordered and paid for before you even leave for your excursion.

You will find that there are many places in the area that are worth taking a guided tour for. You will have the choice of taking these tours with a group or even by yourself. You will find that these guided tours of historic monuments will allow you to find out some interesting facts, and you’ll also be able to take the time to enjoy the tours without having to worry about going off by yourself. There are lots of people who prefer to just be with a group for the fact that there is safety in numbers.

Basically when it comes down to go on a guided tour or tour it yourself it will depend on your personality and the area or place that you are viewing. There are plenty of things that you will want to get a guided tour of, but then there are just certain things that you need to be by you and explore. You will find that there are plenty of things that you can enjoy in the world in a group and also by yourself. The choice is completely up to you, but you will have to keep in mind that there are places that you can find trouble and it’s just best to stick with the group, however, there are times when you really don’t need a group (especially when it comes to museums and displays).

Being very excited about Spain and Costa Dorada, Ken Morris was publishing plenty of news in this particular area. You might see his articles on Costa Blanca over at http://www.alicante-spain.com/costa-blanca.html and various other sources for Costa Blanca information.

A healthy diet is that diet which contains plenty of vitamins and minerals to the children. The best way to assure that children get all the required vitamins and minerals is to emphasize the importance of eating a variety of healthy foods like fresh vegetables, fruits, lean meats, fish, whole grains, nuts, legumes, mil and cheese. Some kids prefer to eat a lot of junk foods and processed foods which may contain less nutritional content but instead have unhealthy fats, sugars and calories. Few children don’t prefer eating anything healthy at all, that is where best kids vitamins come in.

Research has shown that obesity, heart disease and cancer in adults often result from nutritional deficiency during childhood. People who are nourished with optimal intake of best vitamins, minerals, and herbs in child hood had healthy and happy adult age. Children’s need antioxidants and anti-inflammatories in large amount. So they should get large amounts of natural vitamins like vitamin A and C derived from fruits like oranges, strawberries, peaches, nectaries, mango etc, and vegetables like broccoli, carrots, squash, yams, and red bell peppers. When kids cannot eat that they need to take best kids vitamins.

These are the best kids? vitamins. Folate one of the vitamin B, is the best kid vitamin and is very important for the body to use proteins, make DNA, cell growth and division. One of its important roles is reduction of homocysteine levels in the blood which can cause blood clot, irritation of the blood vessels and blockages in the arteries increasing the risk of heart attacks. So, best kids? vitamins and minerals like folate, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin A, B1, B6, B12, C, D, and E are very essential for growth.

Best kids Vitamin strengthen the immune system by stimulating the white blood cells to make antibodies. Vitamin A helps to make lysozyme, and also important anti infectious agents found in the tears, saliva and sweat. Other vitamins like vitamin C and vitamin E , are the best kids vitamins also play important role like healing of the wounds maintaining the fatty acids at optimum effiency and protection from infection. The incidence of diabetes, obesity, heart disease is increasing because of loss of vitamins in the food obtained from vending machines and can foods. No matter how hard you try to make sure your kids get the right vitamins and minerals in their diet, you just cannot know for sure.

Everyone needs vitamins buit children need them more athan anyone else. They are still growing and the vitamins and nutriends that they get from best kids vitamins will help them to grow strong and healthy. The best kinds vitamins will also help them to avoid diseases later on in life as well. If you want to make sure your child is as healthy as he or she should be then you need to start making sure they take their vitamins daily to make up for the nutrients they are lacking in their diets.

Discover lots more tips and tricks about kids nutrition and keeping your whole family fit and healthy at http://NutritionsVitamin.com

In moving to a new location, you are disrupting all your current processes anyway. Why not take advantage of this unique opportunity to obtain new benefits from the latest technologies?

Today your ?Communications System? – for Voice, Data, and Video Communications – should perform all the following functions for your organization:

Telephone Calls
Voice Mail
Fax Server for Inbound, Outbound, and Broadcast
Unified Messaging for Integrating E-Mail, Voice Mail, and Fax Mail in One Mailbox
Automated Attendant
Automatic Call Distributor (Queue calls and evenly distribute them to a group.)
Interactive Voice Response (Link your computer databases to your voice systems for delivering automated customer specific information.)
Web Calls, Web Chat, and Related Internet and Intranet Communications
Contact Centers Integrating the Handling of Voice Calls, E-Mails, Faxes, Web Chat, and Web Calls
Real Time Contact Center Reporting and Monitoring with GUI Interfaces
Video Conferencing
Integrating Mobile Communications into Your Corporate Communications System
System Administration with a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for Doing More System Programming Changes Yourself Without Calling Your Equipment Vendor
System Administration and Programming over an Internet Connection from Any of Your Offices (Actually from Anywhere in the World)
Trunk Traffic and Call Reporting to Optimize System Performance
WAN Linkages to Operate as One Unified System Across Multiple Locations
Remote Workers Can Have a Phone Wherever They Are and Operate As If They Are In The Office
A Single Cabling Infrastructure (Just the Data Cabling) Instead of Installing and Maintaining Separate Ones for Data and Voice – To Lower Your Operational Expenses
Total Customization of Your Communications Systems by Actually Creating New Features for Your Unique Needs (Previously individual customization, if possible, was expensive and time consuming.)

Ed Mass is President of Mass Strategic Communications, Inc., a telecommunications consulting firm since 1993. Visit www.voip-telephone-system.com and www.masscom.com for more information. We specialize in Transforming Telecommunications from a Tactical Tool To a Strategic Business Resource. We Integrate Business Strategies with Technology Opportunities.

We act as an extension of your staff. We are business strategists to increase the performance of your company through intelligent and cost effective use of technology.

Specifically, we consult on IP Telephone System Decisions, Service Provider Decisions for Voice and Data Services, and Services Audits to Inventory All Services and Discover Unused Services. We do all this within a framework of Vendor-Neutral Consulting.

Copyright 2006 Ed Mass and Mass Strategic Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you do not edit the article in any way. You must leave all of the links active and include the full author name credit with company profile.