Archive for the Category ◊ Uncategorized ◊

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: Image via Wikipedia

Creating a raised planting area may be the answer to your drainage problems. If your current planting goals involve sufficient water drainage, I am sure you are aware of how frustrating it is to have a yard that has soil that just won’t cooperate. A few plants can deal with the surplus water that occurs from existing in an area that doesn’t drain appropriately. In some cases, it might just prompt them to bloom more lushly. On the other hand, other plants don’t cope as well, and it will make them to die a ghastly, bloated death. You should always find out about the drainage necessary for every plant you purchase, and ensure that it will be appropriate for any of the areas you are considering planting it in.

In order to test how much water your chosen patch of soil will hold on to, dig a hole around ten inches deep. Fill it with water, and check back in a day when all the water had left. Fill it back up once more. If the 2nd hole full of water hasn’t drained off in 10 hours, your soil has a low saturation point. This means that when water soaks into it, it will stick around for a long time before dissipating. This is unacceptable for almost any plant, and you are going to have to do something to fix this situation if you want your plants to last.

The typical way for improving drainage in your plot is to build a raised bed. This entails making a border for a small bed, and adding sufficient soil and compost to it to boost it above the rest of the yard by at least 5 inches. You’ll be very surprised at how much your water drainage will be enhanced by this small modification. If you’re setting out to build a raised bed, your potential area is either on grass or on dirt. For each of these cases, you should build it to some extent differently.

If you desire to start a raised garden in a non grassy spot, you won’t have much difficulty. Just acquire some sort of border to retain the dirt you will be adding. I’ve found that there is not anything that works quite as good as a few two by fours. After you’ve formed the wall, you must put in the right amount soil and steer manure. Depending on amount of time you plan to wait before planting, you will possibly want to regulate the ratio to allow for any wasting away that may occur.

If you’re setting out to set up a raised bed where sod already exists, you will have a tad more difficult time. You will want to cut the sod around the perimeter of the garden, and flip it over. This may sound uncomplicated, but you will require something with a very sharp edge to trim the edges of the sod and get under it. Once you have turned it all upside down, it best to add a layer of straw to discourage the grass from growing back up. After the layer of straw, simply add all the soil and steer manure that a ordinary garden would require.

Planting your plants in your new spot shouldn’t present many problems. It is essentially the same procedure as your normal planting session. Make certain that the roots don’t extend too far into the first ground level. The whole point of setting up the raised bed is to keep the roots out of the soil which saturates easily. Having very long roots that extend that far totally destroys the project.

Once you have plants in your new bed, you’ll see an almost direct improvement. The added soil facilitates better root growth. Simultaneously, evaporation is prevented and decomposition is halted. All of these things added together makes for an ideal environment for almost any plant to grow in. So don’t be intimidated by the thought of adjusting the very topography of your yard. It is an uncomplicated task as I’m sure you’ve come to realize, and the long term results are gratifying to say the least.

Happy planting in your new raised planting area. I wish you prosperous crops or beautiful blossoms, whatever the case may be!

Judy Conway

Email: judyconwaymarketing@gmail.com
http://homebusinessinatlanta.com
http://fullservicemarketingtools.com
http://joinjudyconway.com/bestdealsonline
http://beadazzledjewelrycreations.com
Skype ID: judy.conway

Category: gardening, home, Uncategorized | Tags: Drainage, Garden, plants, Raised bed gardening, soil, soil drainage test, summer garden, water | Leave a Comment

Are You A Bird Watcher?

Author: Judy Conway

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Camera #1 – Live Bald Eagle Nest Cam, Santa Catalina Island, Ca
Live Videos by Ustream

Camera #2 – West End Bald Eagle nest on Santa Catalina Island, California. What a view!
Live video by Ustream

Live Eagle Nest Duke Farms, Hillsborough NJ
Streaming Video by Ustream.TV

Lately, I have gotten involved in the world of watching birds through the amazing work and efforts of people installing video cams in various locations allowing me, and many others to drop by and watch the amazing action of Mother Nature in progress. From the building of a nest, or moving into a prefabricated owl house, to mating, and getting the “dwellings” ready to welcome the family, right through to the hatching of the eggs and watching the growth of the little ones …. It has been a really enjoyable experience.

It is truly amazing to see the amount of people who sit in front of their computers watching these birds, especially the viewers of Molly the Barn Owl (my previous post). I work at home online and keep a window running in the background so I can keep up to date on the latest happenings.

I must admit I recently starting watching the Eagles on Santa Catalina Island, CA. I love to see and hear the ocean in the background. The two baby eaglets have hatched and mom and dad are doing an awesome job! The eagles are great as both mom and dad contribute to the work of the little ones. The dad, #81, Justice flies off to bring back fish. Nothing like fresh Sushi! Mom, #82, Liberty welcomes the food and they both feed the babies. (The eagles have identifying numbers on their wings. Liberty is marked on both sides – #82) Justice even takes turns sitting on the nest and keeping the babies warm. I love to listen to them calling to each other when one is off on a flight.

Then there is another bald eagle nest at Duke’s Farm in Hillsborough, NJ. This is a totally different atmosphere from Santa Catalina, CA. These are fun to watch. This is quite an elaborate nest. Today, as I am writing this post, it is a tad bit windy and the nest is swaying.

There are many other animal web cams you can watch on http://www.sportsmansparadiseonline.com. You will find anything from Bald Eagles, to Molly the World Famous Barn Owl, a new Cardinal nest, to a very comical Grey Squirrel and African animals. This is a great site.

This is truly a great experience for adults, adults that are house bound or bed ridden, and children to see these activities first hand. Although Molly eating her tantalizing meals of mice, rats and rabbits can sometimes make me a little nauseous, this is truly a great education.

With regard to education, Carlos Royal the owner of Molly’s Owl House, is a very gifted speaker and comes on often with updates. He even has a widespread audience with school classrooms and homeschoolers. He holds an information update and then a question and answer session with these groups. What a blessing Carlos is, and I want to thank him personally for all he does to contribute to broadening our knowledge on barn owls. Molly, McGee(daddy owl) and the four little owlets (Max, Pattison, Austin and Wesley) are very fortunate to have found Carlos’ owl house.

I have included the web cam feed for the Bald Eagles above. I hope that you enjoy watching all of these birds as much as I do.
If you are not already a bird watcher, I think you will become one soon!

Judy Conway

Email: judyconwaymarketing@gmail.com
http://homebusinessinatlanta.com
http://fullservicemarketingtools.com
http://beadazzledjewelrycreations.com
Skype ID: judy.conway

Who Is Molly the World Famous Barn Owl?

Author: Judy Conway

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Live Broadcast by Ustream.TV

A few days ago my daughter sent me a link she had come across on a site that was featuring Molly the barn owl who was sitting on five eggs. Carlos and Donna Royal are the owners of the owl house on their property in San Marcos, California.

She is a beautiful owl. Her mate, McGee, hunts nearby fields and bring her food several times a day. Her menu ranges from rodents to rabbits. This has truly been an amazing experience watching her diligently sitting on the eggs and waiting for them to hatch.

People from all over the world (over 20 countries) have found Molly’s world. She is truly a world famous owl. Today I have seen the number of visitors go over 13,000 to the site. At one point there were so many visitors that Carlos had problems with the web cam.

Here is a description of facts about the barn owl.

They range in size from 13 to 20inches
They weigh 8 to 21 ounces
They have a wingspan of about 3-1/2 feet
They do not migrate
Their habitat is in farmlands, marshes, prairie, and desert locations
Barn owls have the sharpest sense of hearing of any bird in the world

In appearance, the barn own differs from other owls and is characterized by its heart-shaped face and small black eyes. The round shape of their faces amplifies sounds, while its silent flight helps to keep the background noise to a minimum allowing their ears to search out their prey. It has been documented that the owl’s ears are not symmetrical on the head. The left side is higher on the skull than the right. This makes the sound traveling from above or below to arrive at one ear before the other, which allows the owl to know which direction the sound is coming from. The Barn Owl has three-dimensional hearing. With its keen sense of hearing, the barn owl can catch food in total darkness.

Although its name, “barn owl” denotes that it lives in barns, this owl can also be found residing in churches, natural sites, such as caves and tree holes and other buildings.

Owls eat their food whole. They do not have teeth and cannot chew their food. They rip their prey apart and they swallow large chunks whole. This food goes from their mouth to their gizzard. The gizzard uses sand particles, gravel and digestive fluids to grind and dissolve parts of the food that can be digested. After the various parts of the food has been broken down by the owl’s gizzard and intestines, the teeth, claws, bones, fur and other indigestible parts of the owl’s prey are compacted in the owl’s gizzard into a neat mass which is better known as an owl pellet. Baby owl’s do not produce owl pellets until they begin eating their prey whole.

An owl pellet is usually formed after a few hours of eating. This pellet will remain in the body for several hours. The pellet is stored in the proventriculus part of the owl’s body for up to 20 hours. The owl will not be able to eat again until this pellet is disgorged as it blocks the entrance to the digestive system.

Molly at one point was regurgitating an owl pellet. It appeared that she was coughing or choking. The actual process is when the esophagus spasms forcing the owl pellet out. The owl pellet is soft at this point and does not cause the owl any pain. This regurgitation process can take anywhere from a few seconds to two or three minutes.

The barn owl does not build a traditional nest. The female lays 4 to 7 eggs right on the floor, usually among old owl pellets. The eggs will hatch after about 30 days. Molly has been a diligent mother sitting on her eggs. She gets up from time to time to stretch her legs and eat whatever prey McGee has brought to her. Carlos comes on throughout the day and evening giving viewers updates on Molly. He mentioned at one point that he has seen Molly leave the owl house once or twice after dark.

The owlets fledge 7 to 10 weeks after hatching but do not usually leave the area until the are 3 to 5 months old.

The breeding pair may lay a second clutch of eggs after the young leave the area. A barn owl is capable of reproduction at less than a year of age.

Recent studies have shown that males prefer to breed with females with plenty of spots on their thighs. This is a unique feature that indicates a bird’s good health!

I am looking forward to the hatching of the remaining 4 eggs and the development of the owlets. It has been a real joy being allowed to have a “bird’s eye view” of this process. Carlos and Donna are wonderful for putting in all the effort and expense that they have so we can enjoy seeing Mother Nature and God’s creatures in action. If you would like to check in on Molly and her family of owlets please check out http://eCa.sh/KQyk. I hope you will enjoy this as much as my family, friends and I have.

Judy Conway
judyconwaymarketing@gmail.com
http://homebusinessinatlanta.com
http://fullservicemarketingtools.com Skype ID: judy.conway

Category: Children, family, home, Mother Nature, Uncategorized | Tags: Barn Owl, Bird, CA, Flora and Fauna, Judy Conway, Max, Mother Nature, owlets, San Marcos | 3 Comments

How To Protect Your Identity Online

Author: Judy Conway

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: Image via Wikipedia

Identity theft is an on-going crime that is costing American consumers billions of dollars and unlimited heartache every year. Although you can not entirely control whether you will become a victim, you can take steps to minimize your risk. Learn how to protect your identity online.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), our nation’s consumer protection agency, recommends consumers Deter, Detect and Defend to help decrease identity theft.

To deter these criminals you can safeguard your information. You can do this by shredding financial documents and paperwork with your information before you throw them away. Do not be so ready to give out your Social Security number. Inquire if there is another identifier method you can use. Do not give out personal information over the phone, unless you know who you are talking to. As them to send you the necessary paperwork and tell them you will complete it and return it to them.

If you are like me, I get a lot of phone calls asking for donations. I always tell the person who is calling that if they want to send me information on their organization I will look it over and decide if it is something I want to contribute to. Nine times out of ten I never receive anything in the mail.

Be on your guard and take the necessary steps to detect unusual activity on your accounts. Set up a schedule to routinely monitor your billing statements. If you do not receive a statement when you feel you should have, contact your credit card company.

If after being diligent to protect your identity you feel your identity has been compromised take the following steps:

Notify the fraud department of any one of the three consumer reporting companies (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion). Ask them to put a fraud alert on your credit report. This will alert creditors to contact you before opening any new accounts in your name or making any changes to your existing accounts. It is only necessary to contact one of these agencies to request an alert.

If you suspect any newly fraudulently opened accounts or tampered accounts take action to close these.

Report these fraudulent actions to the police department where the identity fraud took place. Submit a copy of the report, or at least the case number on the report , to your creditors and others who require proof of this crime.

The FTC keeps a database of identity theft cases received from law enforcement agencies for investigation. File your claim with the FTC.

Surfing the Internet is a daily occurrence for an increasing number of people these days, as technology expands and online services continue to grow. Many people go online to carry out banking transactions, shop, check e-mail, and catch up on news. That’s why it’s more important than ever to protect your identity while surfing the web. As identity theft becomes more prevalent, it’s necessary for everyone to be extra vigilant in protecting personal information before it gets into the wrong hands.

Every time you go online and conduct some type of transaction, whether it is monetary or an exchange of information, you put your identity at risk. Unfortunately, criminals use the Internet too, making use of the technology to perpetrate identity theft. This type of cyber-criminal gathers personal information online and either sells it to others for profit, or uses it to their own purpose.

It is fortunate that there are many things you can do to stay one step ahead of these “thieves” and keep your identity as safe as possible. The Internet platform is always changing, so you need to keep on top of things to remain as safe as possible.

To begin with you should learn about how to avoid phishing scams. Phishers pretend to be trustworthy, actual companies, such as banks and insurance companies, by using false e-mail addresses and websites. To access their websites people are tricked into giving them personal identifying information, such as passwords and credit card numbers.

The important thing to remember is that real institutions will never ask you to verify your personal information online. When you receive these types of e-mails, contact the sender immediately over the phone to validate the request. This way you can provide any necessary information directly to your bank or other company.

Phishers use spam e-mail as a way to obtain your personal passwords and information. For this reason be sure to have a good spam filter installed on your computer to keep out as much spam as possible. As the old saying goes, “better safe than sorry.”

While on the issue of software, Windows already contains a basic firewall program, but setting up another program will ensure your safety from hackers, allow you to control internet traffic and stop intruders from reaching your personal information.

Purchase a high-quality virus protection package. This can help prevent and eliminate viruses, Trojan horses, and other dangerous items designed to steal your personal information. It will also scan e-mail and IM attachments for viruses. It is not enough to stop with just antivirus software. Go one step further and equip your computer with the most up-to-date anti-spyware protection. One word of advice, before installing your necessary protection check to be sure that all of your systems are compatible. This can cause you a great deal of frustration and expense if they are not. If you are not sure, it is worth a call to your local computer repair shop.

Scam artists are known to intercept e-mails and IMs. For this reason do not sent any personal information through these methods of communication.

In opening your email, avoid opening suspicious emails or emails from unknown people. Especially be wary of opening attachments. I recently watched a “Medium” show on TV where a hacker had hacked into the City Hall’s computer system and sent out emails asking for update voter’s information. This was the means that was used to accumulate personal identity information. Might not have actually happened but does make one think.

To prevent ID theft it is advisable to password protect your computers, laptops and PDAs. Use a different unique user name and password for each item. Another word of warning, do not use the same user name or password for your accounts or activities online. If a criminal discovers your user name and password on one account you want it to stop right there. Use letters, numbers and special characters when creating your passwords. Be sure your passwords are not “obvious”.

It is a good idea to keep the personal information that you store on your computer to a minimum. What would happen if your computer was stolen? I invested in an external hard drive and my personal information is stored there.

A final tip – when you buy a new computer, before disposing of your old computer invest in software know as wipe programs or shredders to overwrite the data with zeroes or random patterns which will make the information on your hard drive virtually unreadable.

I hope that this information will be helpful in helping you to protect your identity online. Use your common sense and purchase a few good tech tools to assure your safety again these cyber criminals.

Judy Conway
Email: judyconwarymarketing@gmail.com
Skype ID: judy.conway
http://fullservicemarketingtools.com
http://homebusinessinatlanta.com

Lots of Digital Communication But Are You Listening or Being Heard?

Author: Judy Conway

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: Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Have you ever noticed in our world of tweets, emails, and texting (just to mention a few modes of communication used nowadays) that there are a lot of people chatting, but are they really being heard? Are we really listening to each other?

We receive Twitter messages in our email, but do we really have communication with the person who initiated the message? How many times do we just hit “delete” and move onto the next message in our inbox. The same thing applies to messages we receive from Facebook that someone either wants us to confirm their friendship or comment on one of our posts. Do we always respond?

Then there are actual email messages. First thing in the morning before scurrying to begin a busy day we sit down to check our inbox. We tend to scan messages we have received, maybe answer one or two of high importance and make a mental note to respond to those which remain. Before we know it the day has ended, we are ready to eat dinner and spend a relaxing evening with our family and then it is off to bed. The “respond to later” group grows daily. Often times they just get deleted once too much time has elapsed. Here we find a break in the chain of communication.

We are definitely living in an age of advanced communication technology. We have computers for our Tweets and Facebook posts, IPhones, BlackBerrys and plain cell phones. Can you remember when we did not have a cell phone?

With the use of blue tooth it took me a while not to respond to a person standing next to me in a store when the spoke. I now know that they are speaking with someone on their cell phone.

If you take your kids to the park to spend “quality” time with them and you get a call, or a text message how long is it before you forget why you are there? How long is it before your children just decide that they are not being heard? You are busy with a digital conversation. The face-to-face communication with your child has run amuck.

A cell phone is great when we need to take care of an emergency at work and put a solution into the works. However, how many times are you out to dinner with your spouse, or family and they are looking forward to your being part of the occasion, and you get that dreaded call demanding your full attention. Communication at your table comes to a standstill! They are talking, but you are not listening.

We are living in a culture that demands constant connectivity with no respect to what we are personally doing. You could be having dinner out, or at home, sleeping or in the shower and our hand held devices have no mercy. We snap to attention.

Whatever happened to our face-to-face communication? I have a very dear friend who made a very wise comment to me. He told me that he did not send emails, or read them. “Emails do not tell me how you are really feeling,” he said. How true is that? Granted we can express our thoughts in an email, and even put a certain tone in what we are saying, but where is the personal interaction we used to enjoy?

Another misuse of emails or texting, in my opinion, is when a person goes on a rant about something they are displeased with and without truly considering their words they put how they feel out there and do not really care about the person on the other end reading it. Unfortunately, as much as the world is a much smaller place and people are able to stay in contact more readily with digital capabilities, our personal consideration of others can get lost. Once those words are out there the damage is done, you cannot take them back.

Obviously, I am part of the digital world of communication. I appreciate your reading my article. I also personally realize, from the expression on a child’s face, or even on an adult’s face, the importance of being listened to and truly heard.

In closing, I am hoping that this might prompt some thoughts on sharing your voice, your true personal face-to-face communication and actually listening to a person to hear what they are trying to say. We need to step back and realize that conversation, as we once knew it, is on the decline. We also need to recognize how conversation is changing and try to keep somewhat a balance in our communication.

Happy Tweeting, Texting and Chit Chatting. Make sure that when all is said and done you have been truly listening and heard what has been said!

Judy Conway
Email: judyconwaymarketing@gmail.com
Skype ID: judy.conway
http://homebusinessinatlanta.com
http://fullservicemarketingtools.com

Fan Engagement: Sports Social Media Done Right (slideshare.net)

Category: Children, family, health, home, Inspirational, Social Skills, Technology, Uncategorized | Tags: Communication, e-mail, face-to-face, Facebook, hearing, Ipod, Judy Conway. tweeting, listening, Mobile device, Mobile phone, personal conversation, Text messaging, Twitter | Leave a Comment

We Never Achieve Excellence By Accident!

Author: Judy Conway

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: Image by foxspain via Flickr

A very wise person once anonymously wrote, “Excellence is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction, skillful execution and the vision to see obstacles.” This statement can serve to stimulate our thoughts. A job well done does not come about out of the blue. Planning and effort have been initiated to achieve the end results.

If we are going on a vacation, the first thing we usually do is plan where we are going, what we will take with us and what exciting things we will do once we get where we are going. I find it unsettling that we put more effort and thought into planning a vacation than we do in planning our lives and future!

How often do we live our lives without a specific destination in mind? This can start at an early age. We graduate high school or college with no concrete plans for a career. This spills over into other areas of our lives. We meet that special someone and we decide to get married. Have we considered the possibility of children? What impact will children have on our careers? How many people just charge ahead without giving any thought to finances, education, and spiritual activities? These things all require planning an intelligent direction with a sincere effort for skillful execution. If we live our lives by just passing through these various phases we probably will not accomplish our goals and dreams.

Most people admit that they could live better lives achieving their full potential if they would do planning.

How often do we find ourselves wandering aimlessly around only performing a less than adequate job because we did not really plan the route to our destination. We might not be inspired by what we are doing. If we intentionally plan our future we will be more apt to fulfill our aspirations.

Our everyday skills of being a successful parent, a good spouse, employee or overall person will take focusing on those items. We will achieve skillful execution of the various aspects of our life by disciplined practice and planning. Writing down goals and tracking our progress can be very beneficial.

Napoleon Hill, in his timeless classic, “Think and Grow Rich,” recommends and promotes the “mastermind” group theory. He describes the mastermind group as any group of like-minded people assembled for the attainment of a worthwhile goal.

Directors are much like a mastermind group giving guidance and direction essential to achieve success in a corporation. This mastermind group concentrates on an “intelligent direction.” If you are finding it difficult to execute your vision, you need to seek counsel with like-minded people to guide you in reaching your destination.

We can learn to make lemonade when we are given lemons. It takes a visionary to see an obstacle as an opportunity. Hardships serve to build our character and help us become stronger, more focused individuals.

It is our choice whether we want to live lives of mediocrity or excellence. Planning, high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction, skillful execution and the vision to see obstacles will be the tools that will bring us excellence!

I wish you a life of excellence!

Judy Conway
http://homebusinessinatlanta.com
http://fullservicemarketingtools.com
Email: judyconwaymarketing@gmail.com
Skype ID: judy.conway

Category: Children, Christian, family, Helpful Hints, home, Inspirational, Uncategorized | Tags: Excellence, mastermind, Napoleon Hill, planning, Think and Grow Rich | Leave a Comment

Sufficient Carbs is Everything in Step Two of Metabolism Miracle

Author: Judy Conway

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: Image by floodkoff via Flickr

Who would think that the reason you are not losing weight might be because you are not eating sufficient carbohydrates? (Good ones, of course!) If you have Metabolism B and are following the Metabolism Miracle eating program it is important that you remember to eat 11 – 20 g net carbs every 5 hours in Step Two.

I hit a plateau on my Metabolism Miracle eating program and was becoming quite frustrated by not losing more weight. I went over everything I was doing and hit upon the fact that once you have come through Step One on this eating program and you begin introducing carbs back into your diet in Step Two it is imperative to consume six or more carb servings per day. These servings must be 11 – 20 net low-impact carbs .

In Step Two you are allowed to reintroduce specified cereals and grains consisting of cooked oatmeal, cooked barley, brown or wild rice, whole-grain pasta, bulgur and dry cereal with 2 grams of fiber or more.

A greater variety of vegetables and legumes are allowed in Step Two such as corn, beets, peas, sweet potatoes or yams, carrots, kidney beans, lima beans, chickpeas, black and white beans.

Various fruits are reintroduced into your diet in Step Two. I really like fruit so this was a yummy addition to my diet! On the acceptable list is apples, pears, peaches, plums, nectarines, cherries, natural applesauce, grapefruit, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, grapes, oranges, pineapple cubes, dried apricot halves and bananas.

For those of us who enjoy milk, Step Two has a great addition of fat-free, nonfat, 1%, 2% and skim milk. You can also enjoy plain yogurt containing 11-20 g net carbs. Fruit-flavored yogurt sweetened with Splenda or sucralose – 11 – 20 g net carbs can be used. If you like buttermilk you can include that in your diet (11 – 20 g net carbs). If you are looking for desserts other than jello and flavored ricotta, you can now once again enjoy sugar-free/fat-free pudding (11 – 20 g net carb) and no-sugar-added ice cream products sweetened with Splenda (11 – 20 g net carbs). I believe Bryers has an ice cream that will fit into this category.

Timing is very critical in Step Two. It is important that you never go more than five hours without an 11 -20 gram net carbs serving. You want to keep your metabolism stoked. If you forget to do this, your liver will over compensate with glycogen. This will cause stress on your pancreas and cause weight gain.

Step Two is a safe, nutritionally balanced diet that you can stay on as long as you like and continue to lose weight. Once you have reached your weight goal Step Three details how you can keep weight off for the rest of your life and be healthy in the process.

As the book, The Metabolism Miracle goes into great detail and explanations on the changes taking place in your body, I would greatly suggest purchasing this book. Mine is never very far away. It is helpful in making up my menus and shopping lists. It is a very small investment to make for a healthy body and eliminating the medications I am currently on.

I found that Amazon had a reasonable price for this book. If you can find other things to put with your order adding up to $25.00 shipping will be free. Check out the link below.

As always, I wish you great success in your journey to a healthier body.

Judy Conway

Email: judyconwaymarketing@gmail.com

http://fullservicemarketingtools.com

http://homebusinessinatlanta.com

Skype ID: judy.conway

Category: diet, health, Helpful Hints, Metabolism B, Uncategorized | Tags: Amazon, Carbohydrate, carbs, Cereal, free shipping, fruits, health, Judy Conway, Metabolism B, Metabolism Miracle, Milk, nutritionally safe, Shopping, Vegetable, weight loss | Leave a Comment

How to Turn Your Love of Cooking Into a Home Based Catering Business

Author: Judy Conway

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: Image by jmv via Flickr

Have you ever dreamed of having a home based catering business? If you have a love of cooking this would be a great career.

In many homes nowadays both parents are working. Economic pressures require a double income. Schedules are hectic and it is very difficult to prepare wholesome, nutritious meals.

A catering business can be very lucrative in providing daily meals for these families (singles or couples). You would not only be preparing delicious meals but eliminating the stress that these people feel when they under the pressure of shopping and cooking. They would have more time to enjoy each other and do the things they enjoy most.

Before you jump into your apron, here are some things you want to consider:

What will be the name of your business?

Are you doing this by yourself or will you have a partner? If you have a partner will you both be responsible for the cooking, or will one take care of the administrative duties? In the future you may find the need to hire a cook. Dependability is a required.

Create a business plan that you can use if you need to get financing.

Check with your local food administration authorities about the laws governing your type of business. Find out the appropriate licenses and permits you will need. Check into these details first so you will not have problems in the future.

Decide on what types of meals you are going to provide. You will want to include two or three choices daily. Once you establish your clientele you can give them an order form of the various meals available on certain days. You can establish the time frame you want to maintain. A week or two ahead have the forms returned to you. You can come up with a computerized form that you can email your clients and they can email you their choices. Do whatever you can to automate your business and eliminate unnecessary legwork. You will have to decide what works best for you. You will want a week’s notice for shopping and preparation purposes.

If you want to specialize utilizing your specific cooking/baking talents, your catering service could be for special soups, desserts or birthday cakes. This is your choice.

Pricing your meals will be more of a challenge. You will want to keep your costs as low as possible in order to have a desirable profit. Call other catering businesses to get an idea of what your completion is charging. You do not want to price your meals so high that you will price yourself out of the market. Allow for a fluctuation margin in market prices.

You will want to buy in bulk. Get a membership at your local wholesale club. This will save you quite a bit. You still want to be a savvy shopper as there are times when your local supermarket’s prices are lower than the wholesale club.

Bulk shopping will necessitate your knowledge of the shelf life of the foods you are storing. When in doubt of how to, and how long to store food items, the internet holds a wealth of information at your fingertips.

How are you going to advertise your business? Of course, word of mouth continues to be one of the best forms of advertisement. You should consider flyers, or posters that you can leave at various businesses in your area. You will be able to create and print these on your computer. This will cut printing costs. Newspapers and mail coupon services can get the word out to many, but will be more costly.

You may want to consider designing a web page so that you can create an internet presence. Print up business cards including your web address. Get permission to leave this in places such as the doctor’s office, dentist, or hairdresser. Design your website so you have your weekly choices listed and your contact information.

If you go this route, you will want to find a web hosting company that also provides you internet marketing tools. I know of one company that has a bulk emailing program, with an auto responder where you can set up various campaigns. It also provides a video producer with templates that you can create for your specific business. The best part of this company is that they have training by professionals in the industry. If you are a cook, more than likely, you are not overly versed in computers!!

How are you going to get the meals to your customers? They can pick them up from your home or you could deliver to their place for a set fee. You will need to put great thought into planning your cooking and delivery schedule. As a suggestion, allow yourself about one hour to an hour and a half.

What type of containers are you going to use to pack your meals? As there is a possibility that the food may need to be reheated, you will have to take this into consideration when purchasing containers. Look into microwavable items. A wholesale club usually has great prices on food containers.

Be a good planner. The internet will provide you with an endless supply of recipes and ideas for different meals. If you are cooking for a family with children, take this into consideration. Spicy does not always work with little ones!

When you purchase your fresh produce make sure it is cleaned properly and when possible cut and ready for use.

Keep a cautious eye on your costs.

You want to develop a good relationship with your clients. When possible, satisfy special requests. Always be the type of person that you would want to work with.

As suppliers are an important element in your business you want to develop a good relationship in this area. This will go a long way in getting better service.

It is up to you to decide on how large of a business you want to create. A small business will be easier to handle. Once it grows it will necessitate hiring additional staff members. But then again this would translate into greater revenue.

As an added suggestion, be sure to keep your recipes either on the computer or in a binder in protective sheets. Who know, someday you can add to your business profits by publishing a cookbook of your catering recipes.

I hope that your love of cooking will be the first step to initiating a profitable home based catering business. I wish you all the best and a kitchen filled with aromas of happiness and success!

Happy Cooking,

Judy Conway

Email: judyconwaymarketing@gmail.com

http://homebusinessinatlanta.com

http://fullservicemarketingtools.com

Skype ID: judy.conway

How Good Are Your Listening Skills?

Author: Judy Conway

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Have you ever found yourself engaged in a conversation being more eager about talking about yourself than listening to what the other person is saying. Successful communication requires having an attentive mindset as well as verbalizing your thoughts. Many associations fail because people talk “at” each other.

Unless someone hears what has been said the words have little value. The person trying to communicate feels that their contribution in the relationship is of little value. When we feel that we are being heard we are more likely to engage in negotiation and compromise. Listening involves far more than words. Facial expressions and body language is often a far more accurate barometer than the words that are being used. In the case of consoling a person, you might want to gently touch their hand, or even give them a hug to show you really care. You need to listen actively to be an active listener.

Here are several pointers that may assist you in becoming a more effective listener. Make eye contact. Do not just verbalize while you are looking all around the room. Look at the person you are speaking to. Read the body language of the talker. Are they relaxed, anxious, angry? It is easy to recognize the extremes, but the message is sometimes more subtle. React in a like manner to subtly mirror the other person’s body language. Nodding in response to what is being said to you shows the other person you are listening.

Make appropriate responses. If you are unclear about what is being said, ask relevant questions and ask for clarification. Do not just nod in response at what you “think” was said. This can end up being very hurtful and embarrassing if your response is negative when it should have been positive. At the close of the conversation, summarize your understanding of what was said. The “who”, “what”, “where” and “when” open ended questions are recommended. When responding to questions, and interacting in a conversation, make sure the tone of your voice does come across as judgmental. Do not elude an interrogative manner. The old saying, “It is not so much what you say, but how you say it” rings true in this instance.

If the person you are conversing with is relating a traumatic experience or hardship, be empathetic. Acknowledge difficulties being careful not to relate similar experiences you have had. Simply say, ” I sense that you are finding this rather difficult”, rather than “Oh I know how you feel, a similar thing happened to me, but it was a lot more difficult.” It is important that the person you are speaking with senses your honesty and sincerity. It will be obvious if your conversation lacks these qualities.

Do not make the mistake of thinking ahead to what you want to say next. Doing this takes your mind off the conversation at hand,and and you come across as having a lack of interest attitude. Be totally attentive. It is amazing how much more enjoyable a conversation is when we allow the input of others! You will also learn a lot.

Happy listening!

Judy Conway
Email: judyconwaymarketing@gmail.com
Skype ID: judy.conway
http://homebusinessinatlanta.com
http://fullservicemarketingtools/com
http://joinjudyconway.com/bestdealsonline
http://joinjudyconway.com/digitalcameradeals

Category: Children, Helpful Hints, Social Skills, Uncategorized | Tags: body language, clarificcation, Communication, Conversation, empathetic, Judy Conway, Kids and Teens, Public relations, traumatic | 5 Comments

In the Absence of Money We Can Pray for Haiti!

Author: Judy Conway

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: Image via Wikipedia

Primarily our blogging efforts are for creating traffic to our websites, sharing personal notes, and overall social activities. There are those times when I use mine to share what is on my heart. This is one of those times.

I know that the world is aware of the total devastation that the country of Haiti has suffered as a result of the recent earthquake. Without actually being there it is truly difficult to imagine what those people are feeling.

Just think what it would be like to all of a sudden have your world, your possessions (few as they are in Haiti), your children, your parents, family members, food, water, limbs, etc. ripped from under you. Just the thought of this horrific occurrence brings tears to my heart.

I realize that with our economy the way it is, some of us are having difficulty meeting our expenses and would find it hard to give for the relief cause for Haiti. I was in the grocery store the other day and they asked me if I wanted to “round up” my bill for the Haiti Relief program. I said yes, of course. I looked at the register screen and was sad to see it was only four cents. But even that meager amount, when coupled with other people’s four cents will add up and make a difference. I am retired and on social security and find it a challenge to make ends meet. This brought to my mind the story in the Bible of the widow’s mite. (Mark 12:41-44) God will honor your giving, no matter how small it may be. He knows what is in our hearts.

The Haitian people need everything. Perhaps a look in your closet will reveal clothes that you are no longer using. Maybe your children have grown out of some of their clothes. There are organizations that are collecting clothing items to send to Haiti. Whatever you can give, I know will be appreciated.

The enormous lack of all things in Haiti is something that has been going on for many years and will continue in the future. This earthquake has only intensified the situation. They will need our help for many months to come.

I personally know of people whose family members have been killed in this earthquake, while other family members are still among the missing.

If we have come to the bottom of our pockets and what we can financially contribute to Haiti there is still something that we can do. We can make intercessory prayer on behalf of these people. We can cry out to God for them to have the courage they need to go through these times, peace and understanding for the loses, especially for little children that have lost their parents and home and now find themselves living in the street with no food or water, and the list goes on. We can pray that God will provide people to make great sacrifices and go to Haiti to help. We need to keep all those people who have gone to Haiti to provide their services in our prayers as well. Whatever is on your heart can be given to God.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Please join with me in remembering Haiti in your prayers.

Blessings,

Judy Conway

Email: judyconwaymarketing@gmail.com

Skype ID: judy.conway

Category: Children, Christian, Haiti, Inspirational, Prayer, Uncategorized | Tags: Business and Economy, Children, clothing, devastation, Earthquake, family, food, Haiti, intercessory prayer, pray, Religion and Spirituality, sacrific, water | Leave a Comment

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