Thursday, May 26, 2011

Wild about Color!

Submitted by Sira D'Arpino - City Chic Image Consultants

Unleash your animal instincts, with zebra-striped tunics, leopard-spot bags, and sassy  dresses! This Spring has so much incredible color inspiration that even animal prints are taking on new hues!  Some of the same rules still apply when wearing neutral or colorful prints such as these:


Rule #1: Only one item can be an animal print otherwise it takes on the look of a costume. One item is more than enough to pull off this look.

 
Rule #2:  Pair it with solid coordinating colors.  Turn to your neutrals like black, white and denim to keep the look both sassy and classy!
                                                                                                             

Sira D'Arpino
City Chic Image Consultants
http://www.citychicri.com/
citychicri@yahoo.com
401.525.1494





Monday, May 23, 2011

A Blogger’s Best Friend

Post submitted by Jen Vondenbrink - Life Simplified

Your alarm clock goes off.  You sit up, rub your eyes and stumble to the kitchen for your morning coffee.  You pour a cup and read up on the headlines of the day.

There's nothing unusual about this routine.  Did you ever stop to think how those articles magically appeared?

Time To Get Organized
Long before your coffee was brewed, editors gathered and mapped out content (online, offline, and even the morning news).  It's been going on for centuries. 
Today, however, you as the author of a blog, online articles, etc. need to learn what keeps these editors organized.
Newspapers, radio, television, magazines use an editorial calendar.  It helps them focus their content, make it relevant to their audience and meet their deadlines.
If you are publishing your own content, an editorial calendar is key to your success.

What Does An Editorial Calendar Do For You?
Basically...it saves you time.  We all can use that right?

When you have a central place to put your ideas, track your progress and know what needs to get done in a day, you know where to start.  If you don't, you can waste hours procrastinating or even worse, writing content no one reads.

Think about the last couple blogs or articles you wrote. 
How long did it take you from start to finish to come up with the idea and write the article? How much time did you spend between steps (or staring at a blank screen)?  How consistently do you publish your articles?  Do you know what your next article is about?
If you're not happy with your answers to the questions above, an editorial calendar will help.

Keep It Simple
The best way for an editorial calendar to save you time is to keep it simple.  The simplest editorial calendar can have your ideas and publication dates.
Some additions to the calendar could be:
  • Working titles
  • Notes or bullet points to cover in the article
  • Draft due date
  • Publication location (blog, newsletter, online e-zine)
  • Author (if several are contributing to a blog or if your having guest bloggers)
I've even adding some tracking to my editorial calendar.  I note the dates I publish the article to different sites and track responses.  This feedback has helped me refine my content and distribution strategies.
 
Resources I've Found Helpful
Here are some resources and articles I've found helpful as I put my calendar together
That's A Lot Of Work
Initially it may seem a lot of work to set up your calendar.  That's why I advocate starting simple and adding features as you grow.
 
Anything that's worth it takes some work.  That coffee you've been sipping while reading this article...can take weeks to months to process, not to mention the 5 years it takes a coffee bush to mature before it can be harvested.
 
See, nothing comes without a little sweat equity.
 
If you're using an editorial calendar, I would love to hear about what has worked for you and what hasn't. 
 
 Feel free to comment below or share on Facebook.
_________________________________________________
Whatcha doing this summer?  Does Social Media Summer Camp sound interesting?  (Notice I didn't say school because we'll be having much more fun).  Email me if you want to hear more.
 
 
Jen
Jen Vondenbrink
Life Simplified
Life Enrichment and Leadership Training
781-864-1782
 
Connect with us on Facebook and LinkedIn

Thursday, May 19, 2011

How Can Being Organized Help Seniors ( and the rest of us) ?

       Home Instead Senior Care provides a cable show for viewers in the area that are in the need of or soon to be in need of home services or other ‘care’ services that may be of help to either themselves or their aging parents. 


  
    A recent show featured Janine Cavanaugh, Professional Organizer (
helpfulorganizer.com ).  Janine shared her ‘how to’ knowledge and expertise on organizing for those wishing to improve their quality of life by eliminating the stress and frustration caused by clutter and disorganization.  Janine works one-on-one with her clients as your ‘personal assistant’ for the duration of the project.  Her clients remain in charge…while she motivates, encourages, guides and educates to create a custom tailored organization system that fits her clients’ needs and lifestyle.

     It is the goal of Home Instead Senior Care through this show to identify companies and people that offer services that can and do make living easier for those persons that have noticed a decline in their level of skill in day to day activities or just want help making sense out of their ‘living conditions’ or help supporting some new plans for future needs in their life…i.e., insurance, investments, moving, downsizing, socializing, better health, exercise and eating tips etc.  We may also from time to time have guests that demonstrate activities and/or crafts that just may surprise both you and your loved ones!

  View Janine’s cable presentation with Home Instead Senior Care to learn more…contact Sara-Lynn if you feel your service or business would be helpful to seniors in the greater Attleboro area.

 
508-699-6652
To receive Janine's quarterly newlsetter:  Click Here


 
Sara-Lynn Reynolds-Community and Education Liaison
Home Instead Senior Care
508-222-0800
BLOG:  http://www.homeinstead590.wordpress.com/
WEBSITE:  www.homeinstead.com/590

Monday, May 16, 2011

Pills and Shots, Health and Heart, Eat or Not to Eat

Submitted by Sara-Lynn Reynolds  of  Home Instead Senior Care
reposted from Easton Patch

Who Do You Believe?


      Clearly article after article has been written advocating for this or that…‘take me’ and you’ll feel better in days, ‘lose weight’ miraculously while gorging on ‘fat’ food; strengthen those aging bones with Boniva…Sally Fields’ does (she also gets paid to be their spokesperson).  Suzanne Somers (Three’s Company Fame) takes over 60 vitamins a day…talk about overload!

      Whole families are being deceived by the ‘quick fix’.  It doesn’t exist and in our heart of hearts I believe we all know it, which is why so many ‘flip flop’ from product to product…this for that and that for this.  Sleeping aids, pills to stay awake, energy additives etc…it’s crazy and it’s NOT healthy (this same excess sent Michael Jackson and Elvis to an early grave).

     Look, genetics play a huge and crucial role in our ‘life’ plans and obviously that has to be considered first and foremost.  Have you thought out in detail the ramifications of the ‘synthetic’ effect on your body?  Does the ‘pill’ or ‘drink’ offer more than eating balanced will? The many ‘short-cuts’ to good health available on the market today are just a bunch of baloney.  I ask you to list all of the persons you know on fad diets, using skin care or anti-aging products, and/or taking synthetic supplements etc.  Then ask them what they eat (in real food) and how they exercise.  Did you have an AH-HA moment when the culprit to poor health was found out to be none other than ourselves?
     Let’s not forget ‘over-the-counter’ aids.  I could have easily OD’d this winter when I got a two day case of the flu from my grandchildren.  Luckily I asked the pharmacist what all the different varieties of ONE cold product offered and why were they different.  In the end I left with one small package; greatly relieved that I had bothered to ask what all the package mumbo-jumbo meant (initially I didn’t want to disturb her; she looked busy).  I am sure she saved my life.  Have you ever felt foolish asking your doctor or pharmacist questions…do you feel pressured to ‘get in and get out’ because you know you are squeezed into a 15-minute (billing) slot?  Do you insist your doctor prescribe something…just because, well, how will you get better?

      Synthetic products are not the answer…and I would wager that more than half of the people ingesting or using these products are not receiving any ‘real’ benefits at all…in fact I am sure they ‘lose’ many pill solutions whole.  Why…because the pill needs to break up, and be absorbed into your system in order to release the ‘good stuff’, and many, many persons’ digestive systems do not absorb synthetics well, especially those in pill form!  Hence a lot of money spent for a placebo effect.

     I am not denying that there are some (not all) ‘natural’ products that may offer a strong rationale for why you might want to contemplate taking them, but every person is different and everyone’s digestion and absorption rate varies.  How does your doctor determine if your bodily make-up can withstand whatever it is they may prescribe?  How do YOU make this decision?  For the record ‘natural’ is defined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a product that does not contain any additives or substances that are man made or manufactured, including color dyes.  Yet, artificial sweeteners are considered ‘natural’.  Go figure!  Take it from me, the term ‘natural’ is still largely unregulated, although ‘all natural’ is as popular a sales gimmick as any I’ve ever seen!  If the product was processed with any preservative or additive it is not natural.  Honestly, organic is the closet you will get to ‘real’ natural and even that can get complicated.
So, what am I saying?  MAKE EDUCATED CHOICES…be resourceful and research the subject…make family eating a good thing and put ‘synthetic’ foods and vitamins in the trash and your children will take that with them to their children and so on and so on and so on.  Stop denying yourself the foods you like…eat everything!  Just be cognizant of the fact that ‘everything’ needs to be in moderation.  In a perfect world ‘natural’ would really mean natural and synthetic would be outlawed, but...what can I say, that world does not exist.
     Keep in mind that over-eating or under-eating is NOT about eating too much or too little… it is more about something else, something psychological, feelings of inadequacy or low self esteem…the same rings true for those persons that are body-care perfectionists.  Expensive, pre-packaged products really do not offer any better results than those we can achieve by eating better and more balanced… dessert twice a week instead of everyday…scrumptious mashed potatoes or fries 3 days instead of 7…heck, knocking soda from your daily regime can cut 20 to 35 lbs off in a year if that is what you are looking to do.
Not to be left out is the government’s (not helpful and voluntary) junk food guidelines, which quite honestly puts the ball back in your court also.  See Mark Bittman’s BLOG…he says it as well as I would have.  Plus this months health story; salt might not be that bad for you after-all. So, it’s safe to say that in the end, you ‘own’ the process.

       Lots of fluids, fruits and veggies, and rest most times will keep you ‘running’ on full…it sounds too simple but hey, it’s the truth.  Healthy foods and rest will keep you looking and feeling good, and your skin and hair will shine…heck even bad food in moderation will not harm you! Consider purchasing a juicer and you’ll eat more fruits and veggies than you can imagine.  Or buy the already cut up and ready to eat versions…honestly it’ll be cheaper in the long run…you won’t be paying for medicine, skin care products, vitamins, headache treatments or unneeded Doctor’s visits …

Exercise helps too, but that’s a topic for another day…

Submitted by

Sara-Lynn Reynolds-Community and Education Liaison
Home Instead Senior Care
555 Pleasant St.,  Unit #104, Attleboro, MA 02703
508-222-0800       774-254-3413
BLOG:  http://www.homeinstead590.wordpress.com/
FB:  www.facebook.com/hisc590

Monday, May 9, 2011

How’s Everything Going? Perfect?

 submitted by Jen Vondenbrink - Your Life Simplified

You’ve kicked the corporate bucket.  You’ve had enough of working for others and decide to strike out on your own.  You do all the research, build the business plan and dream of opening day when customers are jumping up and down about your business.

Opening day arrives.  People stream in.  You have a ribbon cutting.  Everyone is happy.  It’s perfect!
Reality Sets In
Week Two: You open the doors.  People stream in.  Not as many as Week One, but they are still customers. 

Week Three: You open the doors.  People trickle in.  “Hummm,” you wonder.

Week Four: You open the doors…and wait…and wait.  Things aren’t so perfect any more.
End of week Four: Your thoughts “I’m a failure!”

No one is born knowing how to talk or walk, so why do you think as an adult when you embark on something new, you should be perfect right off the bat?

No One Is Perfect
According to dictionary.com, one definition of perfect is: excellent or complete beyond practical or theoretical improvement.

Really!?!

This means you start a business, have a child or learn something new and on day one you should be excellent or complete beyond practical or theoretical improvement.  Now I ask you, based on this definition, is this realistic?

Reality or Fantasy?
Was your business planning a fantasy?  No.  A plan is a reality.  You need a plan, direction and goals.
The fantasy is your idea that everything will run perfectly to that plan.  We delude ourselves into thinking it’s as easy as it looks on television.  I love the Oprah Channel series that shows behind the scene of the Oprah Show.  What you see is a seamless 60 minutes of information/entertainment.  What happens behind the curtain is a different story. 

A New Definition
Another definition of perfect on dictionary.com is thorough or complete.  What if you took that definition and applied it to pieces of the process rather than the whole experience? 
Let’s take your social media efforts.  Were they thorough and complete?  Did you implement your entire social media marketing plan thoroughly and completely?  Or was it a dashed off message here and there? 

Where your implementation was thorough and complete, celebrate. You did a fabulous job!
Where your implementation wasn’t thorough and complete, evaluate your process and set plans in place for the future.  Learn from your experience and move forward.  It’s those small improvements that move you closer to an entire “perfect” process.

How Facebook Implements
Whether you are a fan of Facebook or not, you have to admire how they have developed the functionality of the network.
According to the Welcome Page from “Thefacebook” in 2004, Facebook was simply a directory of students at various colleges.  It allowed students to:
·         Search for people at your school
·         Find out who is in your classes
·         Look up your friends’ friends
·         See a visualization of your network
That’s it.  Nothing fancy.  Nothing about business.  Just kids connecting. 

Over the past 7 years Facebook has become the place for the world to hang out.  Mark Zuckerberg didn’t wait until everything was perfect.  He and his team work hard to upgrade the experience.  Each implementation however comes back to reviewing, celebrating the “perfect – thorough or complete” and, analyzing what needs to be improved next.  Then they move forward.

What Happens Next Is Your Decision
In Week Five of your business you can continue to think “I’m a failure.”  Guess how much business you’ll do then?  Or you can redefine what perfect means for you and your business, celebrate what you can and begin to build plans for the next step.



JenJen Vondenbrink
Life Simplified
http://www.yourlifesimplified.com/
Life Enrichment and Leadership Training
781-864-1782

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

California Closets - My Experience

 Submitted by Dotty Wyman - Dotty Wyman Designs
 
Recently, I attended a charity auction and bid on (and won) a $500 gift certificate for California Closets.  I wanted to learn more about their closet systems and the company.  The closets always look so organized and perfect in the brochures, but I wanted to know if it was really worth it. 

Below are a couple of pictures of what the closet looks like now.  The wire rack system works and makes pretty good use of the closet space compared to a single wood pole.  I don't like the wire shelves.  Items don't seem to sit well on them, especially shoes.  Clothing is hung up in 12" section, so you can't slide you clothes to see what you want to pull out.  Many items need to be stacked on top of each other which makes it difficult to get at them.




A week after the auction I called the California Closets sales person about my closet project.  I explained, the need to redo my daughter's closet to accommodate her hanging clothing, shoes, her fathers off season shirts and piles of stuff on the closet floor.  I met with Nancy a few days later to discuss my options.   She put together a computer drawing for me to see during our meeting.  She easily made adjustments to shelf  heights and widths.  When she left I had the closet layout and the price.



Once I confirmed the closet layout I scheduled an installation a week later.  Prior to the installer arriving I had to empty the closet and take down the wire rack system.  Removing the racks and screws from the wall only took me about 1 hour.  I have yet to Spackle the holes left, so I still have to do a little more work.  They would have done it for me for an additional cost.  California Closets called to confirm the appointment the previous day.  The installer arrived on time and completed installing the closet system in a little more than an hour (I thought it was very quick).  The closet system seems very sturdy, strong and used every inch of space.





My overall assessment of Tori's new closet is positive.  I really like the solid lament shelves.  It allows more items to be up off the floor and at eye level.  Most of the hanging clothing is easily accessible on aluminum poles.  The upper right bar for clothing is a challenge to reach, but this area is great for items you don't need to get to everyday.  The new closet system does not allow us to put more stuff in the closet (same amount went back in), but the items there are more organized and can be accessed more easily.  This is a pricey investment.  It cost $1,030 to do the entire closet, including installation.  After saying that, I received excellent customer service and the closet is guaranteed for life.  They made it so easy from my initial call until installation.  If you want that extra attention, convenience and quality then this could be a good option for you.
 Closet is filled and every shelf is used

  Not as perfect as the brochure, but everything fits and I can close the doors

Dotty
 Dotty Wyman Designs
 508.219.4739
 http://www.dottywymandesigns.com/