Re-gifting Do’s and Don’ts

  • April 4, 2013 5:01 am

Re-gifting Do’s and Don’tsRecycling gifts is very common and it’s not bad for as long as it is done with thought and care. When you receive a gift from someone that you know someone else will appreciate it more, it’s perfectly okay! Here are a few rules or guides to follow in the re-gifting process:

  • Make sure that gift is presented properly. There is nothing more insulting than receiving a gift that is so obviously recycled that even tape marks are visible on the box.
  • Recycle only gifts when you know the other person will like and appreciate it.
  • Make sure it does not go back to the same person. If your circle of friends is small, think twice about recycling the gifts.
  • If you do not like something, what makes you think someone else will? Intent is the key. An ugly gift is an ugly gift. Those are the things that you do not recycle. Only recycle gifts that you are sure will mean something to another. Otherwise, discharge it or keep it on storage.
  • Re-gifting Do’s and Don’tsYou can also let the other person know if it’s okay to give it to someone that will appreciate it more than you do. Chances are, the person that gave you that gift will be okay with that, or will hate you for it. In these circumstances, it’s safe to do it to a person that close to you and understand that you only have good intentions for their gift.

While it’s there is this popular quote that “it’s the thought that counts” when it comes to giving gifts, it’s also important to consider the likes and interest of the person you’re giving the gift to. This can or may avoid the gift being recycled, and preventing you to have a heavy heart.

 

Evelyn Jones is a stay-at-home mom that often has tea parties with her friends and is popular for her lunch ideas for parties.

 

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Vintage Finds from the Barbershop

  • April 4, 2013 4:49 am

Being vain may be considered a female trait these days, but not so long ago, ladies had nothing to do with men. Back in the barbershop’s golden age – from the 1880’s through the 1930’s, it wasn’t unusual for even small towns to boast 2 or 3 competing tonsorialists. Since shaving with a straight razor was tricky, men of means visited their barber on a daily basis, and they didn’t stop at a cut and a shave. They paid extra for scented hair tonics and shoulder massages. The risk of the safety razor in the 1910’s and 20’s followed by the Great Depression squashed the demand – leaving behind a trove of great-looking relics.  Here are some great vintage finds that you can use on your home which you can still use every day.

Vintage Finds from the BarbershopShaving Mugs

Before shaving creams became prevalent during the 1920’s, working up lather involved cake soaps stashed in porcelain mugs. Barbershops kept a cup on hand for each customer. These mugs right now can still be used as a holder for toiletries or a good décor for the bathroom.

Shampoo Stools

Sinks with built-in necks rests weren’t introduced until the 1920’s. In prior decades, patrons sat on diminutive stools and leaned forward for a wash. The stool can now be used to put some things on it such as candles, bath gels, bath scrubs, etc. or simply as a stool.

Sterilizer Cabinet

Vintage Finds from the BarbershopAs medical knowledge grew in the early 1900’s, the nation became obsessed with disinfecting. Nowadays, if you find a sterilizer cabinet, you can use it as a medicine cabinet or a cupboard where you can store bath essentials.

Price Lists

In the 1920’s or 30’s, the proprietor of a one-man chop shop in Painted Post, New York – advertised his business/services on a 7 x 11 inches poster. Mass-produced signs from that era started only at $20. This cool piece can be used as a wall decoration that reminds how simple and cheap going to the barbers back in the day.

 

Melinda Page enjoys collecting vintage pieces, explores the history behind it and writes about it in her online journal. Her writings have helped a lot of people understand the history and appreciate the value of each item she collects.

 

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Getting a Tax Break

  • March 27, 2013 11:54 pm

The government offers hundred, sometimes thousands, to homeowners who enhance their home’s efficiency. If you haven’t taken advantage, now may be the time. Since 2005, the federal government has offered a variety of tax credits to help defray the total cost of residential upgrades that produce years of utility savings but require a large upfront investment.

Getting a Tax Break

One of the biggest credits is the energy-efficient tax credit, which helps pay for improvements to the home shell or for installing energy efficient heating and cooling systems. The other is the renewable energy tax credit, which covers up to 30% of residential alternative-energy systems, has no cap and has been extended through 2016. The government aids in the cost of these upgrades because it pays off for both the homeowner and the nation’s economy. Energy efficiency saves money that people can spend on things that are important for their lives, rather than just paring utility bills. It’s money that helps boost the economy do it’s a win-win for energy and money savings, for the economy and also for the government.

 

Applying for a credit

If you install qualifying products before the end of the year, the credit can be applied to your 2012 taxes by filing IRS form 5695, but the two are very different.

Getting a Tax Break

A deduction lowers your overall tax income, while a credit is simply paid back to you. A tax credit is more valuable than a tax deduction because it is a dollar-for-dollar reduction in taxes owed. Products eligible for the energy-efficiency tax credit must be purchased an installed before the end of the year in order to qualify. The extended renewable energy is a little looser: both primary and secondary homes qualify, as do both new and existing homes.

 

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Michael Navi is a financial advisor for families and small businesses. He is currently making a stand against bullying, click here to find out more.

 

Customizing Space

  • March 27, 2013 6:35 am

Make the most of your home by customizing your spaces to your lifestyle. Today, with a sluggish housing market, additional square footage does not necessarily translate into enhanced salability. As new house size shrinks and family budgets are stretched thin, reconfiguring what you already have has become the latest trend as a remodeling option. Not only does working inside your existing footprint generally save money up front, but smaller homes are cheaper to heat, cool, furnish and maintain. And with the energy efficient appliances installation, water-saving plumbing fixtures, and high performance insulation and windows, most remodels double as state-of-the-art renovations.

 

Planning it out

Customizing SpaceIf you are thinking about remodeling your space, begin by analyzing how you really live in your home. Walk through with a notebook and a critical eye. Look for high-zones that call for enhancement and underperforming areas that could better serve your needs. Don’t avoid customizing your space by trying to second guess the resale market. A lot of people are hesitant to do something that might be too particular and rob themselves of enjoying a restorative lifestyle in their own home. Unless you’re moving out next month, allow yourself a home that suits our own needs and desires.

 

An all-inclusive kitchen design

We all need a kitchen and one of the upsides to our recent economic downturn has been a renewed focus on at-home meal preparation. Whether you’re hosting a dinner party or just making dinner, today’s kitchen serve a multitude of functions and cry out for hands-on participation. Simply opening up a wall may help your kitchen flow much better with the rest of your home.

 

Unused Space

Whether you live alone or are a couple whose children have flown the coop, well, here is a good chance! You could decide to your heart’s content what to do with those unused space in your home.

Customizing Space

 

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Wanda Urbanska is a sustainability interior design expert, currently writing a book about home design ideas.

 

Sparking Creativity

  • March 7, 2013 6:39 am

We all hope to make the world a better place. When we seek to improve our communities, we often turn to the left-brained action-based approaches. We educate ourselves, curb our energy use and alter our buying & transportation habits. But tackling our world’s most pressing problems will require a whole new mindset and a whole new way of doing things. The solution will not likely to be found in our organized minds, but in our non-linear, non-rational minds, sometimes crazy imaginations. Yet as today, as art and music programs are scratched from school curricula, the message is clear. Creativity is expendable and frivolous – a luxury we can’t afford. But creativity might be more crucial to our survival now than it’s ever been.

Sparking Creativity

We often assume that creativity belongs to artists, but watch any child playing and you know everyone is born with creativity. Deciding how to place the bathroom lighting in the room to choosing between using a blackout curtains or regular drapes, and how it can blend well to the room. When we see clouds gather or a seedling push through the soil, we know creativity is in every cell of the world. Creativity is the ability to transcend traditional ideas and patters and create meaningful new ones – an idea that seems necessary but often difficult to achieve. Creativity is about knowing what you’ve got everything you need and one way or another, you are going to create something. We can be creative in every moment and at any scale. We are creative when we plant a garden or cook a meal. We can bring creativity to enlivening our homes and shrinking our ecological footprints. We can be creative about how we raise our children, how we make money, or how to organize an activity.

Sparking Creativity

The most immediate reward of creativity is what it does for us. Nurturing creativity keeps us open, fluid and alive. It excites us and heals us at the same time. It opens us to something greater than ourselves.

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Carol Venolia has been a regular contributor for home-themed blogs for 9 years. She also writes about animals and is a volunteer as well.

 

Starting your own Soft Ice Cream Business

  • March 1, 2013 11:12 am

Contrary to popular belief, ice cream is not a seasonal treat that is enjoyed only during the summer or hot and humid months.  If you are not totally convinced, then you can ask kids, and almost every time, they will tell you that they love ice cream and will eat it regardless of the season or the occasion.  In fact, it would be extremely difficult to find a child who does not appreciate a good ice cream treat.

Soft Ice Cream Business

Currently, the choices for the machine to use can be classified based on the country where it is manufactured from.  Aside from the United States, you can buy an ice cream machine manufactured in China or Korea.  Among these, brands that come from the United States are considered not only more dependable, but comparatively expensive as well because of its perceived quality.

Machines that come from Korea are normally refurbished instead of brand new.  Sometimes, the machine is a second hand unit, which means that its quality can be quite questionable and not very dependable especially for business use.  Those from China are undoubtedly the cheapest, but there have been some owners who have expressed dissatisfaction with the parts assembly.  This is because of the perceived lack of quality control in the production process, which is possibly caused by the mass production mindset in China.

While you are deciding on which machine to buy, make sure that you are simultaneously scouting for an adequate location.  This is definitely one of the determining factors that will dictate the amount of success your business will achieve.  Putting up your soft ice cream in a good location is extremely critical and can drastically shorten the recovery period for your investment.

Soft Ice Cream Business

Some believe that stalls in supermarkets or malls would be an excellent choice.  However, you also need to consider the reality that these locations can result in high overhead costs due to exorbitant monthly rentals.  If your budget is relatively small, you may want to consider schools or markets.  They can have a comparatively lower monthly rental rate and the foot traffic is excellent, which can translate to more customers.

Another important factor to focus on is the ice cream mix that you will use.  There is no doubt that even if you have a prime location, but your ice cream does not taste good, then you will end up losing money all the same.  If you are considering schools for your location, then you may want to consult a registered dietitian so that you can make an ice cream that is not only delicious, but healthy as well.  You can just imagine what an instant hit it would be with the parents and children.

 

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Author Bio: 

Brian Green has a passion for dessert which served as his motivation to open up a soft ice cream business.

Common Dog Diseases You Need to Know

  • December 3, 2012 11:46 am

It’s important to know the health of your dog as well as the diseases or illness that can strike them to know how to treat them properly. Recognize warning signs to prevent further harm to your dog and even save your dog’s life. Despite advance medicines and technology, one of the dog facts is that dogs are ten times more likely to be infected by infections than humans. Here are some guides that can help you:

Arthritis & Joint Pains

It breaks to see your dog limping and in pain because of arthritis and joint pains. Arthritis is when there is an abnormal change in a joint. When a cartilage wears (it acts as a cushion to the bones), joints become swollen and painful. The first sign of your pet having arthritis is having difficulty in moving and is unwilling to walk, run or jump. Your dog may flinch when you try to touch the area where he hurts.

dog disease

The common treatment for arthritis is glucosamine for dogs. Glucosamine has been used for over 20 years in humans, and in dogs. It relieves the pain with minimal side effects, and is proven safe and effective. You have to consult your vet though before having your dog any meds to determine the right dosage and the right brand of glucosamine for your dog.

Ear Infection

Dog ear infection is a very common for dogs. However, dogs suffer from it because of the constant scratching and itching that affects their daily life. Early symptoms include scratching and shaking their heads, rubbing their ears on anything. Most infection is caused by yeast and bacteria. You would also notice a swelling or redness in the area and as well as an odor.

For the treatment, you have to clean the ear with a cleaning solution dipped in a cotton ball, and gently massage it to the area. You have to understand that this is painful to the dog so have to be careful and gentle when applying. Consult your local vet as well to determine how deep and serious the infection is on your dog’s ear.

Dental Problem

dog diseaseHumans are not the only one that are having dental problem. Dogs also have some serious dental problems of their own. Dogs are affected by plaque as much as we do and this causes bad breath and gum disease. If you notice your dog’s gums to be swelling, redness and inflamed, you might want to have it checked with a vet. Your dog can also develop periodontal disease which can destroy your dog’s gums and tissue.

Dental disease is treatable and preventable given that you recognized it in the early stage. Just need to have your dog’s teeth healthy and clean and it all should be good. Regular dental cleanings are highly recommended.

Elegant Wedding Invitations: Budget and Basic Etiquette

  • November 26, 2012 4:10 pm

Aside from the many decisions you’ll be making when planning your wedding, the décor, food, venue, overall budget, photography, and lighting among plenty of others, the wedding invitations should also be well thought out. Prior to shopping around for potential wedding invites, you should familiarize yourself with lingo and processes used for making invites so you can gauge what you need and prevent costs from escalating.

wedding invitationsNote that the price of your wedding invitations will be determined per piece and normally, prices can start at $1 each but can quickly go up to $50 a piece. Custom designs, personalized graphics and templates, colored inks, and special paper will all add to the overall cost. However, options for printing should be a main factor when deciding on costs since this can significantly increase the price.

Engraving is a pricey, formal, and more traditional printing technique where the print is raised from the back and can be felt. Thermography is similar to engraving but with the print not raised and pressed from the back. It’s also more affordable than engraving. Letterpress, another costly relief-printing technique, generates stamped images.

Lithography and laser printing techniques are similar to each other in that they don’t produce raised prints and are the most affordable techniques available, with laser printing being the cheapest. When trying to estimate the overall cost, make sure to factor in postage costs, which can also include stamps for response cards, etc. It is vital to note that elegant wedding invitations need not to be expensive—but can look expensive depending on how well they are made.

wedding invitationsYou can consider getting the help of a calligrapher which is a great way to make your invitations more elegant and personalized, but without the super high costs. Also consider ordering additional invites in the event that you want to make last-minute edits or if you spot errors on some. As for the basic etiquette for wedding invitations, be aware that you should ideally send out the invites at least 6 to 8 weeks prior to the wedding day. With this in mind, make sure to order invites at least two to three months in advance.

As for the etiquette regarding addressing and wording, first off, you should make sure that all times and dates indicated on the invitation are spelled out as in “three o’clock in the afternoon” and not 3:00 PM and “the tenth of July” and not July 10. The titles Mrs., Mr., Sr. and Jr. can be abbreviated, but Doctor must be ideally spelled out. For the location, do not use punctuations, expect between the state and city, as well as after abbreviations. Likewise, you don’t have to include an RSVP for invites to the ceremony only.

Like all the other factors on one of the biggest days of your life, your wedding invitations present the chance to reflect certain colors, themes, and ambience which you can take advantage of. They can give your guests a sneak peek of what to expect come your wedding day so make sure that your invitations will reflect you and your partner’s unique wedding style.

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Author Bio:

Chloe Williams is calligrapher who started out doing party invites for her friend’s bar mitzvahs. She also offers engraving, printing, and designing of invitation templates.

 

 

The Different Types of Paralegals

  • November 26, 2012 3:16 pm

There are many paralegal specializations for those interested in pursuing a paralegal career. Note that specialization is a big factor in determining the paralegal salary.

 

Litigation Paralegal

This kind of paralegal aid in court disputes via proper legal systems. Litigation can either be civil or criminal. Civil cases are focused on disputes in legal courts, with some being settled out of courts, while criminal cases involve those related to violations or offenses against the set rules and regulations of the society. In relation, a new breed of litigation paralegals called litigation support specialists are now becoming popular due to widespread use of information technology in legal settings. This new type of paralegal is an information technology specialist with excellent paralegal skills.

 

Corporate Paralegal

A corporate paralegal is involved in assisting with corporate dealings such as company mergers and acquisitions, as well as stock offerings among other corporate matters. He or she should also be knowledgeable in intellectual property laws.

 

Nurse Paralegal

Nurse paralegals are professionals in the field of healthcare and law. They help lawyers with cases that involve medical disorders, bodily harm, death, and assaults.

Nurse Paralegal

In most cases, nurse paralegals should be certified nurses.

 

Probate and Estate Planning Paralegal

Paralegals in this category are tasked to create draft documentations and use appropriate processes to determine an individual or individuals that are legally entitled to acquire a property when a relative dies. In the event that an individual passed away without preparing legal documents pertaining to the property he or she left behind, the properties will be given based on state laws.

 

Immigration Paralegal

Immigration paralegals are highly knowledgeable about the many legal immigration processes. They are responsible for assisting and carrying out administrative like helping out in citizenship applications, getting green cards, and other immigration procedures.

 

Bankruptcy Paralegal

With the economy at a standstill, there is currently a high demand for bankruptcy paralegals. Bankruptcy paralegals are very knowledgeable when it comes to the wide array of processes and forms used in bankruptcy procedures.

 

Insurance Paralegal

This paralegal type is capable of helping out in insurance fraud cases, disputed claims, and a wide range of research and administrative duties related to insurance.

Insurance Paralegal

Insurance paralegals are usually employed by insurance companies or conventional law firms.

 

Employment Law Paralegal

An employment law paralegal is involved in employment matters like in hiring or firing individuals, sexual harassment, labor union issues, and discrimination and safety in the workplace among others.

 

Patent Paralegal

This kind of paralegal is considered to have a higher salary than other paralegal types due to the complexity of patent laws. Patent paralegals aid patent lawyers and agents in administrative tasks and researching patent laws that may be useful in legal proceedings.

 

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Author Bio:

Shane Doherty is a bankruptcy paralegal, with more than 8 years of experience in his field.

 

 

Flowers by Season

  • November 16, 2012 1:01 am

If you’re getting married anytime soon, you might want to know the best flowers to use on your wedding day. Not all flowers bloom all throughout the year, in fact, some flowers also have their respective seasons.

Since various climatic changes occur in cyclic patterns, there are four general seasons occurring on almost every country in the world – Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Looking at this point, if you’re deciding on a date of your wedding day, you want to know the available and right flowers are in season.

 

Spring

Spring symbolizes growth and a new start. It is the renewal of new plants, and flowers as well as the animal life. Since spring occurs differently in the northern hemisphere and the south hemisphere, spring flowers bloom on different times as well. However, if you are planning a Spring wedding here are a few available flowers to use:

  • Anemone
  • Calla Lily
  • Freesia
  • Gardenia
  • Hyacinth
  • Lilac
  • Orchid
  • Peach Blossom
  • Peony
  • Poppy
  • Forsythia

Summer

Summertime is probably the favorite time of the year for many folks. Summer introduces the warm and hot weather perfect for some flowers. Actually, almost all flowers bloom in this season but these are some of the flowers you can use on a Summer wedding:

  • Amaranthus
  • Baby’s Breath
  • Dahlia
  • Cosmos
  • Carnation
  • Iris
  • Hallaconia

Fall/Autumn

The fall or autumn is the season of harvest. Crops are being harvested, the trees and the plants changes their beautiful colors in preparation for the winter season. Here are some of the flowers blooming in autumn season:

  • Sunflower
  • Zinnia
  • Star of Bethlehem
  • Protea
  • Asiatic
  • Gerbera Daisy
  • Misty Blue
  • Orchid
  • Queen Ann’s Lace
  • Roses
  • Rover
  • Quince

Winter

Winter season is the cold season of the year. Usually occurs during December until February. It’s also quite impossible to have flowers in these cold season however, some flowers actually likes winter and blooms at its finest during this season. Here are a few flowers that you can use if you’re having a winter wedding:

  • Acashia,
  • Alstromeria
  • Amaryllis
  • Carnation
  • Chrysanthemums
  • Cyclamen
  • Evergreens
  • Gerbera Daisy
  • Holly berry
  • Narcissus
  • Orchid
  • Pansy
  • Roses
  • Statice