Home And Family

Archive for April, 2011

By now you should be aware that our economy is in a serious state of decline with 2.6 million jobs lost last year and this year starting off with tens of thousands being laid off already, and this is only January, with 11 more months to go!

You must at all cost have a plan of action in place to protect you and your loved ones from a financial disaster! And you can do this by starting a business, doing freelance work or finding some other source of income as you’re ace up the sleeve.

You will find 100′s of opportunities offering you financial security, huge some of money for little or no work and best of all they will be happy to let you in on this little secrete for a price! In reality if it’s to good to be true, it usually is!

I have done a lot of freelance work and making money opportunities such as web site design, mystery shopping, taking surveys and even being paid to read e-mail’s just to name a few! Some have been good and some not so good. I have decided to share my many experiences over time with others in an effort to help you avoid the not so good stuff!

This one I have been doing for years and for me it has been a lot of fun along with the best benefit of all making money!

I call this one “Trash 2 Treasure”! I’m talking about stuff to get free and sell! This is truly an art but you first must understand that your main goal is to make as much profit as possible on what you can get for free!

Starting out you will need to find a way to sell your product and I do this is at indoor/outdoor flea markets. I have several flea markets that I rent booths from to sell my found treasures.

But for a fee! Just kidding! All my stuff I sell I get for free! How you ask? Easy it’s called dumpster diving or for a more professional term “curb crawling”! Sounds exciting? It does for me considering on an average month I net over $1,500 working no more than 30 hours a month. Does this sound exciting yet? Ok, read on.

In most area’s it is perfectly legal but do check your local laws and ordinances to make sure. Also a truck or van helps, but I started out with the back seat and trunk of my car.

I simply got a city map and marked my area of interest based on type of income level for the area and type of homes. My primary focus was on middle class type homes and above in subdivisions. I got this information at the public library, from local realtors and from the county tax assessor office. Once I have all my information in hand I simply call the local trash service providers and ask them when service is provided for (Name) subdivision. With service dates in hand I schedule my run’s in my planner. I also make runs through apartment complexes. Don’t forget if you have any Colleges or Universities near you make sure you mark your calendar for move out day and you will have more product than you can handle.

My day starts out at day break and runs until 9:00 am. I spend about 2 to 3 hours per trash run. It would blow your mind what stuff you can get for free!

My tools of the trade are a good pair of gloves, overalls, power converter, boots, power converter and my handy dandy Janilink Trash Grabber.

I use my power converter and plug in stuff to make sure it powers up!

Like any other business, we have rules and so does Trash to Treasure. The first one is “Do not make a mess and if you do clean it up, second “Do not rip open trash bags, and our third rule is “Only stop if you can see a good item stop and pick it up”.

Now I only pick out the good stuff! Easy to fix or just clean.

Let me share with you what I made just in December 2008. During this time I made a total of 9 trash runs and found furniture, electronics, antiques and collectibles.

All the items I picked up sold during the month of December for $2,347 gross. Yes I did have some expenses such as gas, repair, and booth rent. All my expenses for this time frame amounted to $784.50 with a net profit of $1,562.50 with less than 30 hours of work!

Now keep in mind that this does not include the items that I kept and gave away to family and friends. As you can see not a bad return for a few hours!

In all the years that I’ve been doing this I have never made less than $1,100 in any month.

Keep in mind to start out small on your flea market boots and build up.

This will not make your rich but it may just help you survive.

A great book to read is The Dumpster Diver by Janet S. Wong.

The reasons why a woman has an abortion are not always the same. Some women seek abortion due to health reasons, others due to financial reasons, while there are those who cite emotional and mental immaturity as the reason for wanting to terminate their pregnancy. Whatever the reasons, this action is never without its inherent behavioral outcomes after the abortion has been completed. Let us explore the many different outcomes of such an action.

What Happens to a Woman Who Has Had an Abortion?

There are many different things that happen to many different women who have had an abortion and the following are some of the things they experience or go through:

1.Women have an  abortion sometimes succumb to self-destructive behavior. Women who have had an abortion sometimes suffer from certain feelings of guilt, sadness, and loss and they try to assuage these feelings by doing things to try to help them cope. Included in the list of self-destructive actions are alcohol abuse, drug abuse, and even self-mutilation. There are also women who attempt to commit suicide due to the guilt they might feel with the abortion or the loss of the baby. Other women also succumb to having repeat abortions after doing the first one, usually due to feelings of guilt that they had to lose the first one.

2.Women sometimes have difficulty with motherhood once they have children after having had an abortion. There are women who find it difficult to bond with the children they do have after they have had a previous abortion. This may be due to feelings of guilt for the loss of the previous child. Other women even end up abusing their children or abandoning them due to the feelings they have regarding the abortion that they had.

3.Women in relationships find that these relationships deteriorate after the abortion. This may be due to the fact that they feel inadequate or guilty for having to lose the child. Some women lose their sex drive or suffer from sexual dysfunction after an abortion. Sometimes this is aggravated by their partners who may feel that they have been cheated out of fatherhood should they find out that their partner had an abortion without consulting them about it.

Women who have had abortions clearly need to seek help to restore  balance in their lives and to help release them from the guilt they might feel from their actions. Some women become repeat abortionists due to the emotional and mental distress they suffer after this act. Others suffer depression and feel angry as well as betrayed when they are asked to have a baby aborted and these women usually end up having dysfunctional relationships or difficulty learning to trust other people after an abortion. Abortion is not only something that happens physically. It is also something that can alter the mental and emotional state of the woman as she goes through it.

Poker is really a miniature stock market on so many levels. You can apply much of what you learn from one to the other.

One of the biggest similarities is how little your profits matter. If you make $1,000 in anything it is a big deal, but if you make $1,000 in the stock market or in a single pot it doesn’t matter. That money can come and go, anyone can make money in the markets or playing poker.

That is why I don’t look at it the same way, one great trade or one good hand can help you out, but it is about the long term. One big win does not make you the king, but rather it is about making consistent money over a longer term time frame.

Here’s how that can happen. A balance sheet with a high amount of accounts receivable can potentially show a large, healthy profit. But the accounts receivable are amounts that are owed to the company, not available cash in the bank. If an emergency arises that requires more cash than the company has available (think of a tornado demolishing a warehouse full of inventory, and a high insurance deductible), the company can find itself strapped for cash.

At the very least, if it can borrow money, it will incur a new debt and decrease profits. At worst, if it can’t borrow money, it could end up going bankrupt or entirely out of business. So cash flow per share is an important indicator of a strong company.

The demographic trends of the past have just not been strong enough to offset all the other influences on the stock market. But this is the granddaddy of all demographic shifts. We have never witnessed anything like this, and I am convinced it is going to be a determinant of asset prices going forward” says Jeremy Siegel, the Wharton finance professor and author of the book “Stocks for the Long Run.”

Jeremy Siegel believes the stock market could crash to as much as 50% of current worth. This would spark a downward spiral in stocks as not only the baby boomers rush to take out their money but also anyone else that wants to salvage their investments will likely sell as well. In light of America’s economic slow growth rates the effects could be as much as double what others are predicting.

However, if you obtain average scores in most diagnostic tests, it means that the probability that you will be able to develop the skills relevant to stock market trading is high. You are a perfect candidate for tutorial classes run by leading stock brokers.  To avoid such risks, you must diversify your portfolio. Basically, it means buying a little bit of a lot of different types of stocks and bonds. It is a good idea to have some stocks in the technology sector, telecommunications, biomedical, and consumer corporations.

There are also companies that offer “safety stocks”. It will be a sound decision to have several shares of companies such as this in your portfolio. This is because such stocks rarely fluctuate and most often offer a slow and steady growth, thus giving you an assurance in your investments.

New mom parties are the ideal way to show joy, hope, and excitement to any soon-to-be-mom. With her friends and family around her, she can feel at ease about the expectant baby. Even better is when she is given all of the supplies that she needs to set up her baby’s nursery so she’s totally ready for the big day. Baby showers are also a great opportunity to get the girls together for a fun time of laughter and games.

Baby Shower Decorations

Decorations are always great, because they set the joyous vibe for the entire party. If you don’t know the sex of the baby, choose neutrals that would suit either sex. It creates a light and happy color theme! The cake can even add to the decor; add small plastic baby bottle favors and rattles, etc. that can be purchased from a discount party supplier. They add novelty to the cake as well as to the purpose of the event.

Basic Gifts Ideas

If you are the person throwing the party, be sure your new mom has either enlisted at a department store or Internet vendor to give the guests ideas as to what she would like as gifts. An alternative to this would be for her to make a list of what she doesn’t yet have, perhaps baby crib, a Fisher Price baby swing, or even a baby car seat. Specify the colors and styles she prefers in the invitations and let the guests do the rest! If she needs a infant car seat, describe kinds that will change as the baby grows, from newborn through booster seat, for example. If she needs a baby buggy, suggest to the guests a few types that will allow for baby car seat to be set on it for easy transitioning from the car to the stroller. A Baby Einstein gym is an especially helpful gift because it permits mom to do things while the infant is being soothed and entertained. The best kinds are the ones that have a pull-off baby carrier so mom can bring baby into another room without disturbing them.

Games and Fun

Baby showers are known for their quirkiness and silly games. A game that is especially fun is “Don’t Say That Word” such as “baby” or “girl” or “boy”. Another favorite is a baby food game where the guests either smell or taste various flavors of baby food and try to guess what fruit or vegetable it is. A game that’s really fun as well is where a diaper is passed around, musical-chairs style, and inside of the diaper is a scoop of warm fudge topping. This one is sure to get tons of laughs from the party guests! Don’t forget prizes for the winning players; it is suggested that you choose girly gifts like scented bath accessories, fresh pots of flowers or plants, gift cards, or a gift bag full of something themed such as “all-things-manicure-related”.

Be sure to give the expectant mother all she needs and you’ll have given her the best baby shower. The party is also a great time for friends and family to support her and have a great time. Nothing’s better than your guests saying that the party was the best they’ve ever attended!

In our lives eco-energy is so revolutionizing. We do not need to depend on the private corporations or national government today to supply us with our energy needs. It is widely available now the photovoltaic cells that are quite efficient to produce complete energy for household requirement. This is a way to switch to an alternative energy that not only can save us money but also can minimize our carbon footprint considerably. Furthermore it is a way to utilize garden for great functionality. However, before you buy solar products you may need to be aware that the product is very desirable to thieves also. The modules that enable people to switch electricity energy into sun-power are in fact easy targets for thieves. Therefore, it is good that you add some protection in applying your eco-energy décor.

One of the most popular features in modern technology is the solar garden fountain. It is actually a traditional fountain that gets power from the sun. By installing such fountain you can decorate your garden without the need to supply more power. As it needs only simple process in installing and with relatively low price this certainly a great benefit for your garden because no further costs and energies to shoulder as well. Such fountain is very easy to install and today it comes in many kinds of model or style to match your garden concept and your personal taste.

The solar fountain usually comes with all you need for operation including a solar panel. The unobtrusive and small device is a special panel capturing the sun’s rays and converts them into electricity. The panel in some models is part of the fountain while in other styles it is a stand-alone device designed to be placed where the most light form sun will fall and connected by a cable. The solar device usually will work only when the sun is shining. However, today there are more and more models are offered featuring a battery that can be recharged by the panel. As user you can opt to use the stored powers if you wish and it is perfectly possible to use it at night.

Feng Shui (pronounced “fong shway”) principles for staging homes and offices is growing ever-more popular. The overall goal of Feng Shui is for one to live in harmony with one’s environment and encourage “positive energy”. The way to this nirvana is apparently to arrange one’s living situation and entire life to fall in with the vagaries of “chi”.

Some of the advice that Feng Shui gives the home seller makes sense. It’s a good idea to clear out your clutter and air out the home to provide clean, fresh air. ”Green” or “eco-friendly” cleaning products can be another positive step – they often smell better and are better for you and the environment. Balancing the colors in the home can also be useful if you find a room is too “one color”.

However, what Feng Shui devotees attribute to positive energy may just be the result of clearing out clutter, cleaning your home until it sparkles and putting some touch of greenery here and there – things that most home stagers would advise be done anyway. It doesn’t take an esoteric expert to surmise that a home that is easy to move around in and that is clean will be more attractive to buyers.

Feng Shui has a darker side as well, with people claiming to be “Feng Shui experts” charging hundreds to thousands of dollars for consultations that end up costing more money as they recommend people get rid of “bad feng shui” by doing expensive renovations or walking away from a home sale because the “chi” is all wrong. This can end up costing people major amounts of cash for something that is as simple as “clean and de-clutter”.

Some websites that encourage or inform people about becoming Feng Shui consultants suggest prices ranging from $500 for a single consultation to $300/hr. They suggest that Feng Shui consultants can earn $20,000 to $250,000. While this may be competitive in the arena of home design and staging, to hand this to someone who has studied a book on Feng Shui seems ludicrous. But people do it every day.

The important thing to remember about Feng Shui and any other home staging practice that claims to have a key to “energy”, “chi” or anything else that cannot be quantified is that if you wouldn’t spend the same amount of money for a conventional home stager, don’t spend it for someone who promises you good luck out of the ether. Many Feng Shui principles are good ideas, but it doesn’t make them worth more than principles marketed as just good common sense.

Becoming a father is a great experience, but is it making you feel uncared for? Well, many new fathers feel upset when they find that their partner is less interested in sex than before. Postpartum, mothers are occupied dealing with the demands of their little one which leaves them with little time and energy for sex. Besides, their body needs some time to heal up before they are ready for sex. But, being a father does not mean the end of your sex life. It only means you need to wait for sometime before you initiate an active sex life. Here are some tips on how you can enjoy lovemaking after fatherhood.

Let sometime pass before you indulge in lovemaking again
You have just become a father, enjoy your fatherhood for a few weeks and in the meantime your partner’s body time will return to normal and heal from any surgical intervention during the birth. While how quickly you should return to lovemaking postpartum depends on circumstances, most doctors’ advice couples to wait for about 6 weeks after the birth.

Spend time together
Not having sex does not mean that you can’t have fun. Spend time together as much as you can. You may shower together or bathe together, this not only will save time and water but you might have a lot of fun. Even taking care of the baby together can be lot of fun.

Plan for birth control
Experts recommend that you should start taking care of birth control straight away. Though breast-feeding does delay a woman’s fertility but you cannot say with surety at what stage that changes and her periods return. If your partner wants to go for birth control pills, consult your doctor to find out which one will be safe during breast-feeding.

Cuddling is important
Until the time your doctor allows you to have sexual intercourse, you can plan some time alone just to cuddle. This will help both of you feel loved and feel better about having a baby.

Know each other better
If its your first child, both of you can learn to know each other a lot better while bringing up the baby. And, even if it’s not your first child, you are still new parents and learn a lot of new things about each other. This will lot of fun.

Enjoy being spontaneous
After having a baby, bedtime might not always be the right time for having sex. And, even the bedroom may not always be the right place. Enjoy spontaneous sex at new places in your house and at new times. Enjoy your moment when it comes.

Lubrication
Ensure both of you are ready and into the mood while having intercourse. If you aren’t feeling wet enough or feel you need extra help, get yourself an over the counter lubricant. You may consult a doctor, if you are concerned about using a lubricant.

Quality matters
When it comes to sex between people who love each other, the quality matters more than the quantity. Make extra effort to keep your partner comfortable and make her feel loved. She’ll reciprocate.

Understand your partner’s fears of sexual intercourse
Post partum your partner may have certain fears of intercourse. She may be worried about episiotomy or if her body has healed properly if she delivered through caesarean section. Some women even have fears about how their partner will think about the change in their body. Talk to her and make her feel comfortable before having sex.

Don’t feel bad if your partner says no
If your partner is not yet comfortable to have intercourse, don’t force her. She might need more time to be ready for it. Until the time she is ready, indulge in kissing and hugging.