SOME COOKING TIPS WITH VIDEOS THAT WILL MAKE THE KITCHEN EASIE

Here are some tips to make you a top chef... or looks like a top chef...

Peel a whole head of garlic by shaking it really hard.

Use two bowls to cut corn off the cob without getting kernels everywhere.

Coat your cheese grater with nonstick spray for delightfully clean, easy shredding.

Microwave an ear of corn and it’ll fall right out of the husk.

Hold cherry tomatoes between two plastic lids to slice them all at once.

Use a spoon to peel a kiwi from the inside out.

Slice avocadoes right in the skin to make neat cubes.

Use a sharp knife (Carefully) to pit an avocado.

Instantly core a head of iceberg lettuce by slamming it down on a cutting board.

No need to peel potatoes before boiling them; the skin will just slide off once they’re cooked.

Pit cherries with a paper clip.

Peel lots of boiled eggs at once by shaking them around in the pot.

Add a pinch of salt to your cutting board when slicing up herbs to keep them from sticking to your knife.

Use water to test egg freshness. 

Use a wet paper towel or damp hand towel under your cutting board to keep it in it’s place.

Use a spoon to peel ginger.

Use a wooden spoon to keep pots from boiling over.

Bon Appetite!

UNESCO - WORLD HERITAGE SITES - AFGHANISTAN

UNESCO - WORLD HERITAGE SITES - AFGHANISTAN

Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley

Inscription Year on the List of World Heritage in Danger: 2003

The cultural landscape and archaeological remains of the Bamiyan Valley represent the artistic and religious developments which from the 1st to the 13th centuries characterized ancient Bakhtria, integrating various cultural influences into the Gandhara school of Buddhist art. The area contains numerous Buddhist monastic ensembles and sanctuaries, as well as fortified edifices from the Islamic period. The site is also testimony to the tragic destruction by the Taliban of the two standing Buddha statues, which shook the world in March 2001.[whc.unesco.org]

 Bamiyan means “the place of shining light”. The rolling hills of the Bamiyan valley are lined in variegated colors. The central valley of Bamiyan is located at 2500 meters above sea level. Two rivers flow into the valley from sources in the Kuh-e-Baba: the Kakrak River to the east and the Foladi River to the west. The principle archeological sites are located in the long east-west central valley of Bamiyan and in the Kakrak and Foladi river valleys.[bamiyan-development.org]

 Bamyan Valley, Afghanistan. Giant ancient Buddha statues, after destroyed by Taliban in 2001.[Source]

Smaller Buddha (Left) and Larger Buddha (Right) at Bamyan Valley, Afghanistan, 1977.[Source] 

Buddist artwork at Bamyan Valley, Afghanistan.[Source]

Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam

Inscription Year on the List of World Heritage in Danger: 2002

The 65m-tall Minaret of Jam is a graceful, soaring structure, dating back to the 12th century. Covered in elaborate brickwork with a blue tile inscription at the top, it is noteworthy for the quality of its architecture and decoration, which represent the culmination of an architectural and artistic tradition in this region. Its impact is heightened by its dramatic setting, a deep river valley between towering mountains in the heart of the Ghur province.[whc.unesco.org]

Minaret of Jam on the bank of Hari Rud River, Ghor province, Afghanistan[Source] 

Minaret of Jam, Ghor province, Afghanistan.[Source] 

Decorative inscriptions on the exterior, Minaret of Jam, Afghanistan.[Source] 

Compiled from;
whc.unesco.org
bamiyan-development.org
discoveryheritagesites.com
commons.wikimedia.org

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ELEVATOR TRICKS AND HACKS

ELEVATOR TRICKS AND HACKS

Here are some tricks and hacks about elevators...

Express Mode

Press the floor button and the close button at the same time for 5-6 seconds and the elevator will be in express mode. This will also skip any stops and go directly to your floor. (Of course for some models.)

Pressing and holding a floor continuously in some models might put the elevator in express mode on some select models.

Deselect a Floor

If you made an accident and you want to cancel the floor selection press the floor button twice after it has already been selected. This will deselect the floor.

If you want the lift to wait for you while you're grabbing something, press the emergency button after the doors open. The doors will stay open and the car will wait until someone gets in and presses another button.

Disclaimer:This article is for information purposes only. It is based on public domain information that is widely available from a variety of sources.

Be warned, if you try these tricks, you could harm the elevator get yourself in trouble, and anger others. So be advised and...

Compiled from;
drchaos.com
cnet.com

 ... if you are in a space elevator, do not play with buttons...

 

 

 

Slide the City – Strap on the Budgie Smugglers and Bring your Boogie Board

Slide the City – Strap on the Budgie Smugglers and Bring your Boogie Board

Got hot? Need to cool down? Slide the City is taking city streets by storm (or storm water) as neighbourhoods around the world take to the city streets, boogie boards and budgie smugglers girded for a new way of getting wet. Is it safe? Is it fun?
Sure it is, as the organisers of the event tell us,

Slide the City is a family friendly slip-and-slide water party event. There will be live music, food, drinks, water, and of course the biggest slip and slide ever to hit asphalt. Don’t worry, we’ve got it padded. This slide’s got more cushion than your grandpa’s orthopedic sneakers.

As part of a conservation effort, Slide the City y is currently working with California city officials to design responsible water usage and recycling plans for 2015 summer and fall events.

“We take water shortages seriously and once we have worked out all the details it is our hope that we will then receive permits to bring Slide the City to many cities in California.”

The slide is designed to recirculate water throughout the day which minimizes water use. Approximately 12,000 -16,000 gallons of water is typically circulated in a day. At the end of the event, the water used in the slide will be treated and then recycled back into the community.
Methods of recycling include local reclamation centers, watering city parks, and other places dependent upon direction from city officials. In previous events, Slide the City was able to recycle all but about 1500 gallons of water back into the community.
Australia’s first-ever Slidestreet has been earmarked for Perth CBD on Sunday, December 7. The event, inspired by street slides in the United Kingdom and United States, would be the first of its kind in Australia.
More than 11,000 people are expected to take the plunge, with tickets costing $15 for one slide and $25 for three slides.
Plans are also afoot for a Perth street to be transformed into a giant water slide. The City of Perth’s Marketing, Sponsorship and International Relations Committee yesterday recommended the event receive $25,000 in funding.


.

Twitter Group Messages are Reviving What Was Once Dead to Me

Twitter Group Messages are Reviving What Was Once Dead to Me

I will be the first to tell you how much I love working and playing on Twitter.  Twitter is a powerful social media network when it comes to reaching an international audience.  The problem with Twitter is that few take the time to dig deep and learn how to use it effectively.  Before I tell you exactly why Twitter Direct Messages WERE Dead to me, let me explain a bit more about what exactly Twitter Direct Messages are and how they were INTENDED to be used.

WHAT’S SMART SOCIAL MEDIA NOTES PODCAST

Smart Social Media Notes Podcast is a show sponsored by Smart Office Help Social Media Agency hosted by Elizabeth Hall.  Elizabeth Hall is a passionate writer, podcast producer, extraordinary social media consultant and avid lifestyle blogger. This show’s purpose is to provide educational information in reference to social media platforms, sprinkled with some business tips as well.  All this is shared in a podcasting format enabling you to listen when and where you choose.
Note:  Not sure how to subscribe.  Read Instructions on How to Subscribe to Any Podcast or Watch How to Listen and Subscribe to Podcast

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WHAT’S IN THIS EPISODE

Twitter Group Messages are Reviving What Was Once Dead to Me
Listen on iTunes – SmartOfficeHelp.com/itunes
Listen on Stitcher Radio – SmartOfficeHelp.com/stitcher

QUICK SMART SOCIAL MEDIA TIP 

Here is your smart social media tip for today:  Of course it is all about Twitter on today’s show.  The absolute best way to monitor direct messages are by using 3rd party resource such as TweetDeck.  TweetDeck shows you the activity on your Twitter profile in real-time.  You can set up a dedicated column that only contains messages sent directly to you. There you can respond and clear the messages once they have been reviewed.  This is a great way to stay focus and leave no leaf unturned when it comes to being responsive on your Twitter Business profile.
FEATURED TOPIC (Transcript) 

Twitter Group Messages are Reviving What Was Once Dead to Me

I’ll be the first to tell you how much I love working and playing on Twitter.  Twitter is a powerful social media network when it comes to reaching an international audience.  The problem with Twitter is that few take the time to dig deep and learn how to use it effectively.  Well I have and I know as an entrepreneur that I would be missing out on a huge marketing opportunity for my business to reach vast audiences if I did not incorporate Twitter into my strategy.
Yes Twitter is fun to chat with your friends, family and colleagues.
Yes Twitter makes it super easy to send short and sweet messages that get equally quick and short responses back.
Yes there is a way to communicate in an expanded manner.  That being sending messages using Twitter’s Direct Messaging feature.
Have I advocated the use of direct messages in the past.  NO!
Before I tell you exactly why Twitter Direct Messages WERE Dead to me, let me explain a bit more about what exactly Twitter Direct Messages are and how they were INTENDED to be used.
Here’s Twitter’s definition of Direct Messages:
“Direct Messages are private messages sent from one Twitter user to other Twitter users. You can use Direct Messages for one-on-one private conversations.  The only rules are that you can only send Direct Messages to users who follow you and you can receive Messages from any user that you follow.”
That sounds awesome, doesn’t it?  Not really when you receive hundreds of irrelevant spam A DAY like we at Smart Office Help do.  I digress because there’s more to this story.  I recently received an update from Twitter.  Which is great!  I signed up for Twitter’s business newsletter so I could be in the know.  If you too would like to be “in the know” you should also sign up for updates for the Twitter Business newsletter also.  This particular update was to announce the fact that Twitter has now made “Group Direct Messaging” available to all.

This is the email I received.

My first thought was “Oh No, say it ain’t so”.  I thought to myself, what the h-e-double hockey sticks were they thinking.  I really didn’t know how I felt about the news.  Yes I have been prone to get a bit emotional over my favorite social media network.  It’s true.
Here is Twitter’s definition of Group Messages:
“Direct Messages are private messages sent from one Twitter user to other Twitter users. You can use Direct Messages  between groups of users.  There are a few more rules for group messages which are:

• You can only invite users who follow you to a group.
• Other users participating in the conversation can invite their followers (even if they aren’t followed by everyone involved in the group Message).
• Users who have been blocked by anyone participating in the group Message can’t be invited to join.
• You can start and participate in group Messages when using twitter.com, Twitter for iPhone or Twitter for Android apps, and TweetDeck.”

I don’t know how I feel about the whole group messaging feature.  Well that was my line of thinking when I took a quick glance at the email.  You know how us BUSY entrepreneurs do it, we may or may not open an email.  If we do, we take a quick look at the bullet points and keep it moving.
I decided to take a closer look and I’m glad I did.  My negative opinion began to be swayed as I explored the email, clicked on the links to get more information and watch the informative video.   I found that there was more that meets the eye.

Here is the additional information & benefits of using Twitter Group Messaging that I uncovered:

• There is a limit to the number of followers you can actually send a Group Message to.  20 is the magic number.
• Direct messages support text, photos, links, emoji (we love emoji’s) and Tweets

OK I’m starting to come around at this point, but there’s more.

• They are private which means only the parties involved in the specific Group message will see that message.
• You can share Tweets with the invitees of the Group message.  I can see the usefulness in this.
• People that are included in the Group Message will be notified that they are include.

This last one is the biggie for me; you can now have private conversations that are equivalent to online, real-time chats.  This is similar to Google Chat.
Ok that is HUGE.  Twitter is changing the game when it comes to social media usage for personal and business usages.  Yes this is a game changer.
Here is the short demonstration video that Twitter released on January 27,2015:
Twitter Help Topic on the Direct Messaging Feature
I haven’t used this yet, but I can definitely see the added value of this new feature.  I knew there was a reason that I loved Twitter.  The looming question now is “Are Twitter Direct Messages still dead to me?” Give it a couple of months and I’ll let you know.

Have you tried the Twitter Group Messages yet?

Let us know you thoughts in the comments below.

5 Guidelines for Homebuyers Using Gift Money for Down Payments

5 Guidelines for Homebuyers Using Gift Money for Down Payments

Purchasing a home is both an exciting and somewhat overwhelming experience, especially for first-time buyers. It is not surprising that for most of us, buying a home is likely the largest purchase of our lives. Most buyers save for years before purchasing homes, applying sizable down payments to reduce their monthly mortgage costs. Across the country, the median home value is $179,200. However, in areas where the cost of living is cheaper those numbers can look a lot different. For example, according to Zillow the median home value in Warner Robins GA is much less at $92,900.

Some buyers fall in love with properties before they can fully afford their down payments. One alternative to steep monthly mortgages is to apply gift money toward home purchases. Borrowers with close family or friends who are willing to donate funds toward home purchases are fortunate. As long as buyers and donors follow the gift money guidelines and their lenders’ rules, gift money can close the financial gap for homebuyers. Here are 5 Guidelines for Homebuyers Using Gift Money for Down Payments

Gift Money Must Come From Family

First, buyers should check with their lenders to establish the rules he or she follows when providing home loans. In general, lenders apply gift money from either parents or grandparents of borrowers. Occasionally, extended relatives or close family friends are acceptable donors, but lenders are far less likely to approve their gifts.

It’s a lender’s primary job to ensure their borrowers are capable of repaying loans without default, and donations from distant or non-relatives seem suspicious, like secret loans. If such “donations” are in fact loans, borrowers have the added burden of paying back their mortgage lenders and their “gift money” donors simultaneously.

During loan pre-approval, lenders look for income history, job stability, healthy credit scores and low debt-to-income ratios before offering loans to borrowers. If any of these elements are weak, lenders may not approve borrowers and in turn reject the gift money too. Non-relative gift money is typically more acceptable on loans that lenders plan to keep rather than sell to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or other investors after closing. Further, gift money is not applicable toward investment properties.

Total Gift Amount Is Limited

Depending on loan type, down payments typically range from zero down to 20 percent of the total home purchase price. Borrowers offering less than 20 percent are subject to additional mortgage costs designed to protect lenders’ lofty investments, which increase borrowers’ monthly payments. These burdens add extra strain on loan repayment. Therefore, borrowers offering at least 20 percent of a home’s purchase price in the down payment can apply gift money to cover the entire amount but may incur additional costs if the loan value is over $417K..

Alternatively, borrowers offering a down payment of less than 20 percent of the home purchase price are required to pay at least a portion of the down payment themselves. For instance, if a borrower offers 10 percent down, he or she can apply gift money to cover some of the down payment, but not the entire 10 percent. Conventional loans require borrowers to pay at least 5 percent of the total down payment themselves, unless gift money covers all 20 percent.

Lenders Require a Formal Gift Letter

Part of the gift money process is for the donor to declare the money as a gift, not a loan, and document it for the lender. If borrowers plan to use gift money, they must request a gift letter from their lenders. Each lender has a form letter for both the gift money donor and receiver to complete.

The letter includes the names of the home buyer and gift money donor, and their relationship to each other. Additionally, the letter indicates the total gift amount, the date the money will be transferred, the address of the property being purchased and a legally binding statement that the money is a gift, requiring no repayment. Both parties must sign and date the formal gift letter and deliver it to the lender.

Borrowers Must Produce a Paper Trail of Gift Money

In addition to the letter, lenders require documentation proving the money transaction is legitimately from the source claimed in the letter. Cash transactions can appear suspicious to lenders and are challenging to record. Another part of this process is for the lender to verify the donor’s ability to gift the lump sum. To avoid the headache of tracking down documentation, donors and borrowers should follow one of these clear transaction procedures.

Donors can send the money directly to the buyer during the loan preapproval process. Writing a check or wiring the funds is ideal. The lender will need a statement from the donor’s account before the money transfer, documentation of the transfer and a statement from the buyer’s account after transfer.

A less document-heavy approach is for the donor to send the money directly to the escrow account just before closing. In this case, check or wire transfers are preferred. The escrow account manager then works with the buyer on the timing of the donor’s money transfer. This method requires notation in the original gift letter to state the donor will write a check/wire money to escrow for the given amount at closing.

Donors Pay Gift Tax

Gift tax implications are imposed on the gift donors, rather than gift money receivers. However, if handled properly, donors can avoid tax liability.

In 2015, the annual gift tax exclusion laws limit an individual to gift no more than $14,000 to another individual tax free. Therefore a set of parents could offer their child and his or her married partner up to $56,000 of tax free gift money in a single year. To do so, mom and dad would each write $14,000 checks to their child and in-law. Combined, all four checks equate $56,000.

Lifetime gift tax exclusion laws limit an individual to gift no more than $5.43 million to another individual during his or her lifetime without paying taxes on the transaction. Donors must complete IRS Form 709 to keep records of the total lifetime funds. These exclusion limits are subject to change annually.

Buying a home requires methodical record gathering and paperwork, especially when buyers are acquiring loans and applying gift money. Borrowers should work with their lenders to review their loan guidelines, establish acceptable terms, and determine how much they can comfortably afford to borrow.

Thank you to Tali Wee at Zillow.com for graciously sharing her expertise on this article!

Additional Gift Money Resources

Estate & Gift Taxes via the Internal Revenue Service
How Gift Taxes are Calculated by Julie Garber on about.com
Tax Deductions for Home Buyers courtesy of Bill Gassett
20 Facts About Buying a Home via Lynn Pineda
Buying a Home with Little or No Money by Kyle Hiscock
Down Payment Gift Money from Tim Lucas

If you found this information on 5 Guidelines for Homebuyers Using Gift Money for Down Payments helpful, please consider sharing it via social media outlets so others can benefit from the information too.

Is the Wordpress Rainmaker Platform Worth it?

Is the Wordpress Rainmaker Platform Worth it?

Brian Clark May Be the Best Copywriter in the World 

Brian Clark started out as a blogger around ten years ago and now he's a multi-millionaire (okay, that's a guess) partner in Copyblogger Media LLC. He's also, apparently, a lawyer and an incredible business person.
He's also, apparently, a real straight-up guy. You have to like him. Matt Mullenweg, founder of Wordpress, likes him. So does everyone who matters: Andrew Warner of Mixergy likes him, Chris Brogan, Matt Medeiros from the Matt Report like him.
So why does it bug the heck out of me that everyone is so gung-ho about Genesis and the entire Copyblogger Media Rainmaker platform he and his (amazing) partners have created?

But Wait - There's More...

I've been around sites built on the Genesis platform, I've used Scribe and I am a proud member of the Copyblogger site. I read and reread Brian Clark's stuff voraciously. He is a consummate copywriter.
I decided to delve into my uneasiness with the new Rainmaker platform and the way Brian and his partners are offering a full solution to content marketers and business people who want to use Wordpress, for around $95 per month.

Copywriting = B.S.?

That's the erudite question I started with as I began my investigation. Is Brian Clark, since he's basically an incredible sales person, just full of crud or has he actually packaged something useful that will ultimately save people time and money?
What I did is two-fold. First, I spent that last couple months teaching myself how to make a Wordpress theme from scratch, since I figured I needed a better idea of the inner workings of Wordpress in order to understand why a framework is needed.
I'm no expert, but I have also spent around 200 hours over 7 months reading and learning about SEO.
Then I began to learn a bit about Brian Clark and his background. I've listened to interviews, read interviews, and read articles about him. I read what Matt Mullenweg said about the controversy between Brian Clark, Brian Gardner (founder of Studio Press and Genesis, which merged with Copyblogger in 2010) and Chris Pearson, former partner of Brian Clark's and founder of DIYThemes and the infamous Thesis framework.

Everyone Agrees: Wordpress is a Beast

I'm writing this in an Umbraco powered site, and I am, after a year and a half working in Umbraco, beginning to understand that Wordpress is a beast. Recently, I had a bit of a chance to experience Drupal (a friend, when I said I was experiencing Drupal deadpanned: "people still use Drupal? That is still a thing?") and I daresay, from my limited perspective, that Drupal is more of a beast than Wordpress.
But Wordpress is a beast.
So, being me, I decided to tackle that beast and learn it. I went straight to the source, in this case Automattic, the people who own Wordpress. I had already been a fan of their Thematic framework, so it made sense to use Shaper to learn theme basics. They extol the fact that by using their (free) tutorial, I could save 1000 hours in learning about theming. Well, if that is true, that I saved 1000 hours, then great. I spent easily a couple hundred, so I suppose that is quite the bargain.

What is 200 Hours of Your Time Worth?

Because really, you either build your own theme, you hire someone to build one for you, or you go with a good, solid framework. Why? Because what you need is not a pretty website. You need good bones. You need, in essence, a good framework.
At the end of the day, I'm a fan of using Genesis by StudioPress. If you don't want to spend the time to build a theme of your own, going with a trusted brand is a great idea. It's around $60, and comes with so much support and easy-to understand resources that $60 seems like a bargain. Thematic, the DIY framework, is great and well-respected, but you do have to muck around and get your hands dirty.
It's that value-for-money, the fact that he has obviously listened to his audience and provided exactly what they needed, that makes Brian Clark solid in my book. He speaks in a forthright way in interviews. People who matter trust him. He is also sensible and has learned over time how to build and maintain partnerships with people who are awesome.
What irks me still is the way Rainmaker and the Genesis framework is sold. What irks me, in essence, is Brian Clark's copywriting. I feel like I am not only being talked down to, but that he overstates certain aspects of the framework that just aren't that exciting. Wordpress SEO by Yoast is better than Genesis SEO. The fact that the Genesis framework uses modern html is not that cool. Not to me at least.

Do You Need The Full Monty?

Do you need the full package? What I still can't figure out, exactly, is whether you, the entrepreneur, the small business person, need what Rainmaker and Copyblogger Media offers.
I want to know what Guy Kawasaki would say. He doesn't even think you need a social media manager, so how does he feel about hiring out your writing to software (Scribe) and using  paid version of a framework when there are free (competent) versions available?

The Final Verdict: I Don't Know

On the one hand...

Sorry. I guess I'm not a very good copywriter. I just don't know. What I have not yet seen is a direct comparison between, for example, Thematic and Genesis. I also have not fully answered for myself why a child theme based on the _S (Shaper) theme by Automattic isn't an appropriate option. And finally, what are you getting with the entire Rainmaker platform that makes it worth the price?

And also...

For the non-designer/developer, Genesis is not exactly self-explanatory. In fact, right on the Studio Press site they offer recommended Genesis developers. There is an admitted learning curve. There is also a great affiliate program, and those always make me a bit wary. Many of the rave reviews of Genesis and Studio Press come from affiliate links.

But on the other hand...

However, many of them don't. Many rave reviews of Genesis are based solely on the fact that the influencer writing about Genesis really admires Brian Clark, Brian Gardner, and the entire Copyblogger Media team.  That says a lot in my book.

And...

And, really, the cost to buy the Genesis framework is only $60.00. Compared to free, that is a lot. But we're not talking about a lot of money for something that many authoritative Wordpress people (including Wordpress founder, Matt Mullenweg) think is great. I think, at the end of the day, the value of the Genesis framework is understandable.

How Much is Wordpress Specific Hosting Worth to You?

But then, for the Rainmaker platform, the cost moves up to $95 per month. That's where I start to lose the thread. I see the value in paying $60 as a flat fee so that I don't have to throw myself to the wolves of Wordpress development when I really just want to blog and be a content marketer. That makes sense.
And good, Wordpress specific hosting should cost money. So I do understand that as well. As I read somewhere, if you have traffic over 0 people per month, you need to look into good hosting options. And if you are a content marketer, traffic is a huge part of your business model. So, is Wordpress specific hosting worth $95/month? Because that is what the Rainmaker platform costs, billed quarterly.
I am sure I am missing something. I'm sure I don't fully understand the value of the things offered in the Copyblogger Media package. I'm actually hoping to be enlightened in comments, private messages, or on social media.
I'm a huge fan of what Brian Clark brings to the world of content marketing. If I were a better student, I'd be using my words to sell stuff, too. But I am still on the fence about that value of the Rainmaker platform. Enlighten me, please.



.

Big, Pouty Statement Lip Is Back For 2015

Big, Pouty Statement Lip Is Back For 2015

A big, pouty statement lip is back in a big way for 2015. It’s not the oversized lips of the past we’re talking about here, but the more subtle look of an enhanced upper lip only. According to recent news reports, interest in lip augmentation has risen again, due in large part to intense celebrity media coverage. Stars like Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Jennifer Lopez and Emily Ratajkowski all flaunt the big, pouty upper lip look.
Dr. Jody Levine of the AOB Med Spa National Medical Director spoke with ABC News and confirmed the renewed interest in lip augmentation. “Lip augmentation has certainly been on the rise as it appears that more and more beauty trends and celebrities are touting the statement lip as a fashion accessory.”Plumper, fuller lips can exude youthfulness and femininity and can certainly make a beauty statement when lip color is worn.”
Looking for a big, pouty lip look without undergoing lip augmentation? There are a few things you can do at home that will enhance the look of your lips.
– Exfoliate your lips frequently with a brush. This will help circulation and make them appear, brighter and plumper.
– World-renowned makeup artist Pat McGrath uses a white liner to draw a small curved line above the cupid’s bow to create the illusion of fuller lips.
– Cover your lips with foundation that matches your skin, then line your lips with a lip liner just outside of the natural line of the lip. Follow the shape exactly. Apply a lipstick inside your outline being very careful not to go outside the new lip line.
– Try lip plumper glosses. Some of our favourites include Dior Addict Lip Maximizer High Volume Lip Plumper and the TooFaced line of lip injections.
 

11 hints that guys give but girls never understand

11 hints that guys give but girls never understand

---

Valentine’s Day is round the corner and still some of the guys are single or “just friends” with the girl they like. However hard they try to give hints to the girls, most of the  girls just don’t get the hints. So we tried to help you out and act cupid. Whether guys read this post or girls, it’ll help you get closer by decoding the code called “hints”.

1. Offering a drink.

While in US, girls still relate it to offering for a date, but in India, they think it just means party.

source

2. Being extra nice.

Sometimes guys are super nice and sweet that you can get diabetes. But this is simply because the guy likes the girl.

source

3. Getting rare gifts for them.

This is a clear hint that the guy likes her. But she will never understand and be happy with just friends feeling.

source

4. Having eyes on their crush.

Guys have their eyes constantly on the girl they like. But girl usually don’t get the hint, smile and move on.

source

5. Try not to pay attention to other girls.

Guys try not to pay attention to other girls or hit on them when their crush is around as a sign of loyalty.

source

6. Trying to change the topic when girls talk about their crush or boyfriend.

Guys just change the topic when girls talk about how much they like that other guy or the hints he gave them. This clearly shows that he wants to be with the girl.

source

7. Having eyes on their crush.

Guys have their eyes constantly on the girl they like. But girl usually don’t get the hint, smile and move on.

source

8. Always trying to look and smell good when she is around.

source

9. Sending lots of emotiocons.

Guys send these different faces to make you smile or laugh.

source

10. Offering to watch a romantic movie.

No guesses about how big a sacrifice it is for guys.

source

11. Calling and texting when drunk.

When a guy calls a girl after getting drunk, it is a signal that he has a soft corner for her. And he remembers him even when drunk. But do girls gt the hint?

source

12. Giving her a hint that they should be with someone who cares for her.

source

7 Powerful Steps to Overcoming Resistance and Actually Getting Stuff Done

7 Powerful Steps to Overcoming Resistance and Actually Getting Stuff Done

Getting things done is really about one thing, and one thing only: overcoming resistance to doing what we need to do.





OK, I would add a couple more steps to that, to ensure that we’re managing our tasks correctly:

1. Have all our projects and tasks stored in an external system (out of our heads), such as a to-do list or lists.
2. Pick the tasks and projects that are most important to work on.
   
3. Overcome the resistance to actually doing those important tasks.
   

And I would submit it’s the last step that’s the most important (although I wouldn’t ignore the other two). Unfortunately, because we’re not very good at overcoming resistance, we procrastinate on this third step by fiddling with the external system — the tools we use to organize our tasks, coming up with new and better systems, tweaking them until they’re near perfect, and so on.
That’s Resistance.
As Stephen Pressfield writes in his excellent book on this topic, The War of Art:

“There’s a secret that real writers know that wannabe writers don’t, and the secret is this: It’s not the writing part that’s hard. What’s hard is sitting down to write.
What’s keeping us from sitting down is Resistance.”

The War of Art is all about Resistance, not only for writers and other artists, but for anyone trying to pursue their dreams or become what they’re meant to be. I highly recommend it. This, of course, is also a topic that is central to Zen Habits: overcoming Resistance to create new and better habits, to find happiness and simplicity, to do what you need to do and love to do.
I fight Resistance every single day, and I thought you might be interested in some of the ways I fight and beat Resistance, daily.


1. Become aware. The problem usually is that we don’t think about Resistance. We don’t understand it or even realize it’s there most of the time. We just think, “Oh, I better straighten out my desk … or get my to-do lists in order” or we get distracted by something on the web, or we feel that we have to check our email, or we’re just going to watch this one TV show, or any of a limitless amount of distractions.
Combat this by realizing that you are facing Resistance. Once you become aware of it, you can fight it, and beat it. It can be difficult to become more aware, but the key is to focus on it for a couple of days. Print out the words “Defeat Resistance” and put it somewhere visible as you work. That will help remind you to be aware of Resistance. Every time you do something that isn’t the most important thing you could be doing right now, be aware of what you’re doing.


2. Become a pro. This is the main technique that Pressfield outlines in The War of Art: combating Resistance by turning pro. The professional, unlike the amateur, comes to work ready to work. He’s doing it for a living (and loves what he does) and knows that as long as he shows up and starts working, the rest will come. Approach the work like a pro, and you’ll get the work done.


3. Be very clear, and focus. Before you start the day, be very clear about what you want to accomplish. You won’t be able to finish 10 major projects, but maybe you can finish one important project, or at least move it along to a certain point. Set three Most Important Tasks you want to accomplish today. Once you have those things defined, you’ve got to focus on them to the exclusion of all else (at least, during your prime work time). Do them first. Focus, finish, then move on to the smaller tasks you need to complete today. If you find yourself being lured to do something that’s not on that short list of three things, bring yourself back and focus.


4. Clear away distractions. Don’t spend a lot of time on this, because eliminating distractions can be a distraction itself. Instead, take one minute: close your email program and IM program and turn off all notifications. Shut down the Internet if at all possible. Close all programs except the one you need to do the important task in front of you. Clear your desk quickly (stuff everything in a drawer or something — you can organize it later) and turn off the phones if possible. Put on headphones or alert your coworkers (or family, if you’re at home) that you’re not to be disturbed for the next hour (or however long you plan to work on this task). Then get to work.


5. Have a set time and place. Make your first important task a daily appointment. For me, that’s writing. I always start the day with a writing task (such as writing this post, for example). For you, that might be different. Have a set start time, and possibly a set ending time — you’ll have to see what works for you, but the important thing is the set starting time. And when that time comes, you have to start. No exceptions.




6. Know your motivation. Why are you doing this? Why is this task important? What is it working towards? And how important is that end goal to you? Why is it important? You need to know these things to build up the motivation to overcome Resistance.


7. Just start. In the end, all the tips in the world won’t make as much a difference as this simple (and timeless) instruction. Just sit down and start. Feel Resistance to doing that? There’s no way to overcome it than to just start. Reading more about Resistance won’t help. Going to an online Procrastinator’s Forum won’t help. Working on your to-do lists won’t help. Only doing actually helps. And the only way to do something is to just start.

So how do you start, when you feel resistance? You just start. Feeling the need to do something else? Stop yourself from getting distracted. Remind yourself what you need to be doing, and why. Sit down and the set time and place. And just start.

For me, that means opening up a blank text file and writing the title of whatever I’m writing.
Then I start brainstorming and outlining ideas. This gets me over the initial Resistance.
And once I’ve started on that, I can usually get into the flow.
But the important thing is to get started.
So stop reading this. And just start!

What may be done at any time will be done at no time. - Scottish Proverb

LinkedIn is THE professional social network

LinkedIn is the professional social network.

LinkedIn is the professional social network. According to this MediaBistro Social Media infographic, 240 million active users, the social media platform focuses on businesses and professionals. Is your LinkedIn account doing all that it can for you? These tips will show you how to use Linkedin for business and discover the true power of social media.

1. Complete your LinkedIn profile.

The first thing you should do is customize your URL. LinkedIn offers a vanity URL and you can customize it with your name. Then update your profile and fill it out completely. Keep it updated so that all of your information is always current. Make sure that your contact information is current and take advantage of the three free links.

2. Invest in becoming a Premium user.

There are four selections for premium users that are focused on what the user wants their LinkedIn profile to do for them. If you are serious about optimal utilization of your account, then investing in a Premium account is money well spent.

1. For Recruiters – This is for recruiters, both individual and enterprise.
2. For Job Seekers – If you are looking for a job, this account will give you an edge over your competition.
3. Business – This is for people who work in business or own a business.
4. For Sales Professional – This is a great tool for boosting your sales, increasing your customer base, and expand your target market.

3. Optimize your profile.

I go into this in depth in my post “LinkedIn Optimization: How to Generate Leads From Your LinkedIn Profile” but here is a high level view.

1. Name – Full name unless you are a brand
2. Professional Headline – Make it keyword rich and descriptive
3. Location – City and state, but at least state
4. Profile Photo – It should be a professional head shot, high res, good composition
5. Upgrade to Premium – We already covered this; the benefits are well worth it
6. Badges – Premium users can edit badges and you can adjust the way people can contact you as well as how they see you
7. Contact Info – This should be filled out completely with your phone number, email, blog, website, and social profiles.

4. List your skills and get endorsements.

Listing all of your skills will allow people to endorse you. When they do, make sure that you thank them. Endorsing others will also increase your chances of being endorsed.

5. Create projects, add links and images.

Adding projects, links and images to your profile bring your experience to life. It really kicks your resume up a notch. Choose wisely because you are limited, but by adding your best work you will definitely impress.

6. Use content marketing strategies and post regularly.

Content is your key to connecting with your audience and attracting more people to your profile so a content marketing strategy is vital. You need post relevant, quality content that your readers can’t find elsewhere. You want to deliver the information your audience seeks in a way they don’t expect or haven’t seen before and you need to post this information on a regular basis.

7. Build up your connections.

The more connections you make, the more connections you make. What I mean is, when you make a connection you open up an opportunity to connect with their connections. You create networking opportunities and increase your audience. There is a way to do it though. Don’t randomly connect with someone you don’t know; that can be considered spammy. Instead, personalize your connection message and use it to reach out. You can also ask your existing connections to introduce you.

8. Engage other users.

LinkedIn is a professional social network for business, but it is still social media so treat it as such. Engage your connections. Congratulate them on their accomplishments, tell them happy birthday, endorse them, like their posts and profile updates, leave comments and reply to them when they message you.

9. Ask for recommendations.

Recommendations make your profile more attractive and a much stronger draw for your audience. Ask your connections for recommendations to boost your profile.

10. Invest in LinkedIn ads.

LinkedIn ads are another wise investment that will help you boost your audience and readership. They are highly customizable and you can choose your target. Pay by impressions or by clicks and you can stop them at any time.

11. Reach out with InMail.

InMail lets you communicate with anyone on LinkedIn. You don’t need contact information or introductions. It will help you make the right impression and open new opportunities for you.

12. Create and manage your company page.

If you have a company then you need to create your company page. You can use it to attract customers, highlight your products and services, raise brand awareness, the possibilities are endless. Use your company page to get referrals and recommendations. It can drive your company – and your success.
LinkedIn can be a great business builder when used correctly. It can help you personally and professionally. In fact, it can be one of the sharpest tools in your branding toolbox.
If you have any questions, please write them in a comment. Have you used Linkedin for your business or professional career?




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Transform your kitchen in 10 simple steps

Transform your kitchen in 10 simple steps

Is your kitchen and what you have in it making you constantly tired, overweight and at risk of serious health problems like diabetes, heart disease and cancer?
What if you could transform your kitchen in 10 simple steps to give you
more energy, a better body and a healthier life?

Did you know that:

    70% of Americans are overweight
    New diabetes cases are up to 90% in the last decade
    Heart disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer rates are on the rise

Studies after studies have shown a link between the food that we eat and these debilitating diseases.

The conclusion is simple: Our food is not alright.

On top of all this, more and more people are feeling tired all the time. Tired because of long days at work. Tired because of the demands of social life. Tired because of inadequate sleep. Too tired to prepare food for themselves and people close to them.

In order to save time and the little energy we have, we’ve taken shortcuts with the food we eat. We rely on fast food and quick snacks to get some energy to push on.

But clearly something has gone very wrong with what we are eating. The food we eat is making us all tired, overweight and sick. If you don’t want to be one of the statistics then now is the time to make a change.

Just how much is good health worth to you?

What if you could see and feel a real and noticeable difference in your health, wellbeing and energy levels starting today?

10 Simple Steps to Better Health is a brand new program from Health Ambition. It focuses on a series of straightforward and uncomplicated changes you can make in your kitchen for more energy, a better body and ultimately, a much healthier life.

More Energy, a Better Body, a Healthier Life

This program has been designed with specific and practical steps that make the most impact for the least effort and in it you’ll learn:
More Energy

More energy

    How to have a much higher level of energy. Particularly first thing in the morning with a simple but incredibly effective cleansing and detoxifying ritual. You won’t believe how easy this is to do and how good it will make you feel.
    Why eating the most common breakfasts leads to that mid-morning energy slump. How it also increases your hunger and ends up making weight gain almost inevitable. Instead, the 10 Simple Steps to Better Health program has 7 of the best fat burning breakfast recipes that help you maintain a steady and focused energy and keep you satisfied all the way through to lunch. Starting your day with breakfasts like these is the first step to getting on the fast track to weight loss and a better body.
    How to make your snacks far healthier and much more satisfying. Overwhelming hunger and the resulting junk food snacks are a huge health and weight gain issue for most people, particularly during the working day. The 10 Simple Steps to Better Health program has 12 highly nutritious, filling and great tasting snacks, including many you can easily take to the office.

A Better Body

    The supposedly healthy food that almost everyone eats, that is in fact incredibly bad for you. Why it’s perfectly designed to stimulate hunger and promote body fat storage and low energy. It’s virtually impossible to lose weight when you eat this food regularly, but the 10 Simple Steps to Better Health has a far superior replacement and a detailed plan for how to avoid this uniquely fattening food all together.
    Why what you’re probably currently cooking your food in is surprisingly damaging to your health. Recent research has shown this very common product causes inflammation throughout your body and will increase your risk of arthritis, cancer and cardiovascular disease. There’s a far better tasting replacement for this incredibly unhealthy product but not many people know about it. It’s not just what you cook your food with that could be making you sick, it’s also what you cook it in.

    The very popular kitchen product that is now being shown to release a toxic gas at high temperatures. This gas is a known carcinogen, it is also linked to a higher risk of developing heart disease and stroke and 98% of Americans have detectable levels of it in their bloodstream. Find out how to replace it with a new and completely non-toxic alternative.
    Why the seasonings you use in your kitchen are so important if you want to stay healthy. How they can either enhance your health and energy or leading to stress, high blood pressure, bloating, water retention, kidney problems and osteoporosis, all depending on what versions you use. The 10 Simple Steps to Better Health has the easy replacements to make for a potentially big difference to the way you look and feel.

A Healthier Life

    The addictive food additive at the heart of so many health problems. How it crashes your energy, forces your body to put on weight and fuels diabetes, atherosclerosis and cancer. Fortunately, there’s a simple herbal replacement for what has been described as the biggest public health issue facing the world today.
    The ingredient in so many supermarket ready meals that presents a ‘convincing risk’ of cancer. How to replace it with much healthier and far better tasting foods and the simple supplement that can greatly reduce any potential damage if you do have these kind of foods occasionally.
    In part 10 of the program everything is bought together with the 4 Principles of Healthy Meals. By keeping these 4 important factors in mind, you and your family can have meals that not only taste great, but are also highly nutritious, naturally increase your energy and stimulate weight loss and ultimately lead to a much healthier life.

The 10 Simple Steps to Better Health
Here's what you'll get besides the main program:

    7 Better Breakfasts for Stable Energy
    These delicious recipes are much tastier and more filling than what most people have for breakfast, yet they are the key to maintaining a clear mind and stable energy all the way through to lunch.

    5 Super Tonic Juice and Smoothie Recipes
    Freshly made juices and superfood smoothies are an extremely effective way to load up your body with health promoting and disease fighting nutrients. Here are 5 of our best for enhancing your digestion, increasing detoxification and improving your skin tone.

    7 Delicious Fat Burning Meals for Lunch and Dinner
    Each of these fat burning recipes is actually a blueprint for how to make meals for effective weight loss. There’s an explanation of every ingredient and how good it is for you and it’s easy to create a variety of your own healthy meals from these detailed recipes.

Having more energy in your day, naturally losing weight for a better body and becoming a healthier person doesn’t have to be difficult.

You don’t need to follow a complicate diet and you definitely don’t need to try and limit calories or starve yourself. In fact, you’ll learn the exact opposite is true and you should probably be eating more – just more of the right kind of foods.

The 10 Simple Steps to Better Health covers every part of this process in detail and each section has a complete from start to finish action plan to follow through with.

By simply replacing the uniquely fattening and damaging foods identified in this program with the much healthier replacements, you can naturally reach your ideal weight and achieve a much higher level of wellbeing and energy.
So again, how much is your health worth to you?

What would it cost to have a debilitating disease like diabetes or cancer?

What is it costing you now if you find yourself tired all the time and not enjoying your day, unhappy with your figure and unable to lose weight, or just know that something’s not quite right with your body and how it feels?

 The 10 Simple Steps to Better Health program can be the start of a real change and a noticeable difference in the way you look and feel in the days and weeks ahead.

These are 10 simple yet powerful changes you can make, starting today, to live a life with much more energy, a slim and healthy body and a greater sense of overall wellbeing.

10 Simple Steps to Better Health is not a weight loss-product, even if you’ll probably lose some weight once you implement these changes to your life.

    This is not a diet.
    You don’t have to starve yourself. Actually, you’ll probably eat more.
    You don’t have to start an intense training program.
    You don’t have to count calories.

Instead, this is what will happen:

    You will have more energy by leaving out the foods that tire you out and wreak havoc in your digestive system.
    You will replace unhealthy foods with better alternatives.
    You will increase your general well-being and health.
    You will have a chance to learn to prepare healthy and nutritious food and snacks.

The full 10 Simple Steps to Better Health 78 page program can be downloaded now with the 3 free bonus recipe ebooks:

    7 Better Breakfasts for Stable Energy
    5 Super Tonic Juice and Smoothie Recipes for Extra Nutrition
    7 Delicious Fat Burning Meals for Lunch and Dinner

For just $27.
Here’s just a taste of what you’ll discover in The 10 Simple Steps to Better Health:

    Why this extremely popular seasoning, that you almost certainly have in your kitchen, is actually a toxic byproduct of industrial manufacturing and shouldn’t be inside your body. There’s a simple and inexpensive replacement for it that both tastes better and has the trace elements your body needs for energy creation, but so few people know about it. Learn what it is on page 27.

    How one of the most commonly used food ingredients, that forms the basis of most people’s lunches, has been systematically cross-bred and changed over the last 50 years to increase your hunger and increase food manufacturing companies profits. This pervasive food contains an allergen now linked to IBS, autoimmune diseases, chronic gut inflammation and even schizophrenia. Find out more and how to avoid this allergen, along with healthier alternatives, on page 64.

    The chemical used in meat processing and found in virtually all supermarket ready meals that has been strongly linked to cancer but regulators seem powerless to have removed. This one is hard to avoid completely but taking this antioxidant at the same time can greatly minimize any damage done from eating it.

    Why your cooking oil is likely to be one of the most unhealthy things in your kitchen and surprisingly damaging to your body. Study after study is revealing the health dangers and obesity promoting properties of these so called ‘heart healthy’ oils, yet they still dominate the supermarket shelves. Discover the two best alternatives that heal your cardiovascular system, promote body fat reduction and even improve your skin (and no, extra virgin olive oil isn’t one of them and for reasons explained you should never cook with it either).

    How this massive American company knew that the cookware you’re probably using released a toxin known to be a ‘likely carcinogen’ at high temperatures but hid the research. They’ve now received the biggest fine of its type in US history but their product is still found in an overwhelming percentage of kitchens and very few people know about the dangers. Much more on this on page 19.

    The one simple thing you can do in the morning to instantly improve your energy levels for the coming day. And it is not coffee. This simple morning ritual also improves digestion and detoxification and elevates your body’s fat burning potential. Page 5 explains what it is and exactly how to start doing it first thing tomorrow for more energy in your day.

10 Simple Steps to Better Health comes with:

The main program with 10 simple steps that will give you more energy, better body and lead to a healthier life.

mainEBook

    7 Better Breakfasts for Stable Energy

    These delicious recipes are much tastier and more filling than what most people have for breakfast, yet they are the key to maintaining a clear mind and stable energy all the way through to lunch.
    5 Super Tonic Juice and Smoothie Recipes

    Freshly made juices and superfood smoothies are an extremely effective way to load up your body with health promoting and disease fighting nutrients. Here are 5 of our best for enhancing your digestion, increasing detoxification and improving your skin tone.
    7 Fat Burning Meals for Lunch and Dinner

    Each of these fat burning recipes is actually a blueprint for how to make meals for effective weight loss. There’s an explanation of every ingredient and how good it is for you and it’s easy to create a variety of your own healthy meals from these detailed recipes.

This is how you can access 10 Steps to Better Health now

1. First click the “Add to Cart”-button below.

2. You’ll be redirected to a payment page

You can pay this one time payment of $27 with Visa, Mastercard or PayPal.

3. Fill in your payment and delivery details

Besides your name, email address and other relevant information you’ll need to enter payment details and pay for the product.

4. After payment, you can download the product (less than 5 minutes from paying)

Once you have successfully paid for 10 Steps to a Better Health-ebook (you’ll get the 3 recipe books as a bonus for free), you’ll have the chance to download the product in pdf-format and start reading it immediately.

5. Implement the suggested changes and enjoy the health benefits and fat loss

Really, don’t let this be just to educate yourself. Implement the changes and change your life for the better.

If you have any questions about the purchasing process or the product itself, you can contact us by email at we@healthambition.com

PS. You can try this product without a risk. It comes with 60 days no questions asked money back guarantee. This means that you can try 10 Simple Steps to Better Health without a risk for 60 days, implement everything from it into your life and see what kind of effect the changes have on your energy levels, wellbeing and weight. If you are not happy with the results, you can get your $27 back.
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