Looking for the Best Cosmetic Bag?

Keep your cosmetics and make-up easy to use when you’re on the go. Thanks to a professional make-up artist, I have recently discovered the Lay-n-Go Cosmo make-up bag and I don’t know how I managed without it,especially when travelling or out and about. You can see straight away from the photograph on the right one huge advantage. It works on the principle of a drawstring bag. When you’re in a public bathroom, this...

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Gifts For Dinosaur Lovers: Toys

Dinosaurs For All Ages Dinosaur lovers have their own refined preference when it comes to playtime.   So many children of all ages are entranced by the  various types, reciting their attributes and identifying them easily from reading their books.  Just as some kids enjoy little hot wheels, fans of the T-Rex enjoy little toys they can hold and play with. We have covered some beautiful gift ideas here, including cute outfits for baby....

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The amazing hair clip multi-tool

 Clippa – the hair clip that’s a mini-tool You never know when you’re going to need a screwdriver, a wrench, a ruler, a cutting blade … and that’s why Swiss Army Knives have been popular for so many  years. I found though that for my purposes, the army knife was cumbersome to carry around all day. The I discovered the multi-tool card, which you see below. But now, if I need a Phillips screwdriver or if I...

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Sennheiser Headphones: Recommended by a Professional Sound Engineer

My son’s new headphones. At the time of writing my son is only 14 and seriously into music. He spends every spare moment either playing or listening. My job as mum is to protect his hearing and these Sennheiser HD201 Headphones do this very well indeed and are great value too. My son likes to crank up the volume and, before we bought him headphones, he was using ear-buds. This music sounded tinny and distorted and the sound...

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Would a dawn simulation alarm clock work for you?

The benefits of a dawn simulation alarm clock You know what it’s like when the alarm clock rings, beeps or warbles. There you were, being served champagne on a luxury yacht with a gorgeous hunk gazing at you adoringly then …. ring ring! And suddenly, you’re facing the cold light of day. Even worse, often you’re facing the cold dark of day. At various times throughout the year, many of us have our alarms set to...

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An Astronaut for Halloween or Play Time

Be a Real Life Hero For Halloween Astronauts are real life heroes most kids look up to still today. A good percentage of those children would say that is exactly what they want to be when they grow up. How fun to encourage their love of the field with a costume they love. I remember how many of the kids in my daughter’s school wanted to be astronauts. Most of the boys, and quite a few of the girls too, wanted to board a...

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Doctor’s Costume for Kids

Will your child be a doctor this Halloween?  Halloween costumes are a serious business to some children. While often they enjoy portraying a movie or cartoon character, there are some who grow out of that but aren’t ready for the super scary costumes yet either. Real life personas make a fun and distinguished solution to that. Astronaut, fire chief, nurse, so many good options, I’m sure you can think of others. And what...

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Planet-friendly charging station for multiple devices

Bamboo charging station for multiple devices At last the charging of our various devices in under control. With two of these little beauties in our home,our cellphones, tablets and laptops are tidily  charging with no wires snaking their way across our surfaces. It was becoming a real problem until we discovered these. And we’re not a particularly teckie household – or so I thought. There are only two of us but between us,...

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Gift Ideas: The Left Handed Kitchen

Treat Your Left Hander to These Lefty Kitchen Accessories Do you have a few lefties in your family? If so, you may have heard them complain (only occasionally) about certain utensils, lessons, and notebooks. I bet you haven’t given it much thought, but today I beg you to reconsider. Until you try cutting with a scissor not made for your hand, you won’t understand. It hurts! A right handed scissor cuts into a lefty’s thumb, leaving...

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Feng Shui 101: Coping with clutter

Ask That Feng Shui Lady. A reader asks: “We’ve moved and downsized often and have given lots of stuff away. We are now in a one-bedroom apartment and have managed somehow to accumulate clutter again. I never thought that I’d let clutter take over again but life got in the way of clutter control. I can’t help wondering if I haven’t put something in the way of free-flowing energy and, in doing so, somehow...

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A Princess Dress for Dress Up

A Princess All Year Long Does the little girl in your life like to dress up as a princess all year long? Last week at the grocery store a little princess was shopping with her mother. Princesses are everywhere. My adorable niece wears her princess dress nearly every day. It’s a little bit different from this one, but still a hit. Actually, she now has more than one which makes it much easier on mom. Clearly a princess dress is...

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The Advent of Autumn: Pic of the Week

The Advent of Autumn. What does autumn mean to you? With the autumn equinox occurring during late September, for some it means the end of summer and the gradual decline into the cold winter months, for others it means beautiful fall colours and temperatures dropping to acceptable levels. For the communities around me here in France, late summer and early autumn is the season of harvest. From cutting and bringing in the wheat,...

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Gifts for Guitar Players

Gifts for Guitar players Guitarists love accessories and so it’s very easy to buy a gift for a guitar player. Believe me they are delighted when they receive specialist gifts because most of the things they use wear out and need to be replaced. Make sure you check what style of guitar is played, as they need different accessories. It’s not complicated, it will be electric, steel stringed acoustic, or a nylon stringed classical guitar....

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About Gemstones: Sapphires

Sapphire History and Description. Sapphire is one of the most romantic gemstones in the world. For generations, this stone has been the choice of royals and clergy because it symbolizes truth, sincerity, nobility, and faithfulness. In Ancient Rome and Greece, Kings and Queens believed this stone protected its owners from envy or harm. Clergy tended to wear the gemstone because it was thought to be the color of Heaven. Followers also...

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Skylanders Superchargers Review

Skylanders Superchargers Review. Activision released the first version of Skylanders in 2011, and the franchise has grown in popularity since then. Just in time for the holiday shopping season, the newest version, Skylanders’ Superchargers has been released. The latest installment was released September 20, 2015, and is already getting rave reviews from grade school boys and girls and parents too. The reason so many people are falling...

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Four Faces of Stress

Four Faces of Stress Here are just four causal faces of stress, as seen by artists (photographs taken by me from books in my collection). (1) Fear Hilary Paynter’s wood engraving, titled ‘Stress’, catches the anguish of the rats as they cower together. The rats express their fear in individual ways. Some sink to the bottom of the pile, their eyes closed or glazed over in submission, whilst others huddle together for protection. One...

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Gifts and Ideas for Storage Lovers:  More Hidden Storage

When I began looking for hidden storage ideas, baskets were my first find.  I love their portability and their need for little floor space.  Besides that selection, which you can see here,  I found several other wonderful ideas that I plan to incorporate when I need further storage space. If you love storage, you may have had similar thoughts… Under the Bed Sometimes I wonder why we ever buy beds that don’t have storage...

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The Kelly Kettle: Planet Friendly Outdoor Cooking

The Kelly Kettle: A Victorian invention, great for outdoor and emergency cooking. Because we live in hurricane-prone Florida, I like to keep an alternative cooking source available for times when there are power outages. But what I dislike is the buying, usage and disposal of gas (or other energy) cannisters. That’s why the Kelly Kettle is just perfect for me – or for anyone who wants to cook outdoors, or simply boil water...

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Superhero Gift Ideas for Dad

Is your Dad or your Husband your Superhero? I’m a very lucky girl, both my dad and my husband are truly great men, fantastic fathers, and important parts of my life. I often liken both of these men to my favorite superheroes. My dad is stoic and alot like Thor, my husband is a big guy and reminds me a lot of the Incredible Hulk. Except, he doesn’t have a crazy, angry side. In honor of my favorite real-life superheroes, I...

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Skybell Doorbell: An Essential for Home Security

See who’s outside your home – from your phone. Someone knocks at your door or rings the bell. Who is it? Find out right away on your phone with the Skybell. You might be feeding the baby, bathing your toddler, showering or concentrating on cooking a complicated dish for dinner. Or it may be that it’s night time, you’re alone and want to know who’s out there before you go to the door. Is the person...

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Gifts and Storage Ideas: Hiding Places

Secret Stashes This time we are going to look at actual containers to hide things.  These would be useful in small spaces or large, depending what you are looking to have out of sight.  It isn’t really for additional storage, but instead an extra security precaution you can take to protect some valuables. There are some fantastic multi-use products now.  Some practical, some for security, some for actual hiding places.  All designed...

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Descendants’ Other Costume Ideas

In the summer of 2015, a new generation of villains was introduced by Disney. In the movie Descendants, a musical fantasy film, viewers of all ages finally got to meet the children of their favorite villains; including Mal, the daughter of Maleficent, Carlos, the son of Cruella de Vil, Jay, son of Jafar, and Evie, the daughter of the Evil Queen. With over 6.6 million views and through the roof ratings, children everywhere are sure to...

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The Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker Creates Big Sound Anywhere it Goes

When I asked my husband what he wanted for Christmas this year, he didn’t hesitate for more than a minute before he said a Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker. I was actually very impressed that he came up with such a great gift idea so quickly. Usually, he is very indecisive or says something like “you know what I like.” After doing a bit of research, I understand exactly why the hubby wants this popular...

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Make Everyone Laugh with the “I Pooped Today” T-Shirt

The I Pooped Today Shirt is Hysterical. My husband and I have fun senses of humor. In fact, we often like to surprise each other with funny, and sometimes outrageous gag gifts. While my husband is usually better at this than I am, I was able to get him with this hilarious t-shirt. Although I am not usually into bathroom humor, I did get a kick out of watching his face as he read the t-shirt for the very first time. The t-shirt...

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Gift and Storage Ideas:  Full Length Mirror Storage

Full Length Behind The Door Storage Here is the one storage piece that started out my storage search. The Classic Deluxe Behind Door Storage from Cabidor.  A full length mirror that offers full lengths of storage.  An excellent medicine cabinet—perfect if you have a product collector in your family. Teens? Wife? And it’s not just women these days.  Men too have discovered the pleasure of product accumulation.  It would hold back ups...

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Gifts for Seniors:  Large Piece Puzzles

Most seniors enjoy an activity they can do while watching television or relaxing.  That makes jigsaw puzzles very popular gifts for them.  Doing a puzzle is fun, relaxing, uplifting, and besides all that, it gives you a sense of accomplishment when its finished.  Every age enjoys that sense of being productive, even in an entertaining way. With the variety available now, there are special features that provide hours of pleasure in a...

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Artwork with Quotes: Home Decor

Decorate with typography: Wall quotes. When you’re choosing artwork for your home – or to give as a gift – there are many factors that you’ll take into consideration. So why not try wall art with motivational (or funny) quotes? They’ll make you smile or improve your day and there are so many to choose from. There’s something to suit almost every occasion, and they also look terrific adorning your...

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Throwbowl: The Dog Water Bowl and Pet Toy

For your dog: The water bowl that converts to a fetch toy. What a neat idea. When you’re out and about with your dog, carry this lightweight, collapsible drinking bowl with you so that he or she doesn’t get dehydrated. Then,once your pet has had its fill, quickly convert the bowl to a frisbee-type toy that your dog will enjoy. There’s no need to carry more than this one ingenious item to keep your dog healthy and...

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Gift and Ideas for Storage Lovers: Hidden Jewelry Cases

Hiding Jewelry in Plain Sight When you look around your house, do you see spots where storage would be so useful?  Under the stairs is a common one.  Thankfully builders and remodelers are using that space more often now, for a little storage room, a pantry, or bookcases. Or how about the space between walls?  I love the tall storage shelves that slide out from that way—what an excellent way to hide a wealth of storage space? We’ve...

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The Dangers of Preservatives For People and Pets: Part I

The Dangers of Preservatives For People and Pets: Part I. By Stacey J Nelson Ph.D. AKA ‘Tweedlesmom’. He/She is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are their life, their love, their leader. He/She will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of their heart. You owe it to him/her to be worthy of such devotion…” Author unknown A few days ago the local television news in Florida aired a story about a...

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Arts and Crafts for Kids: Weaving with a Pegloom

When my son was about 5 years old we began to teach him how to weave with a loom the main reasons why we did this were to help him develop his fine motor skills and his hand eye co-ordination. The loom we used was just like this Harrisville Designs Pegloom. I am a special needs teacher and I have used many toys with children of all ages to develop all sorts of educational skills. Weaving is an activity that any young child will...

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Gifts and Ideas for Storage:  Kid’s Artwork Frames

Honoring Our Children’s Artwork Looking for a gift idea that will please the entire family year round?  Our children create masterpieces at all ages. Whether at home or at school, with crayons, markers, fingers or brushes, there are many treasures that they bring to us to share.  I remember the days when our fridge was covered with a variety of designs in as many mediums. It was always hard to put them away.  Should we keep them...

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Small Spaces: The Master Divided Pan

Perfect for cooking in small spaces. I promise you, it’s not very often that I get excited about a kitchen appliance, let alone a humble pan. But this is simply brilliant. Such a simple idea but so very good for cooking in small spaces. My kitchen is truly tiny and this is a fabulous solution. I imagine that it would be great if you cook in a boat or RV too.  And think how useful this can be for camping trips.The pan only needs...

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An Electric Kettle That will Impress all Your Neighbors!

When I was a child my mum didn’t have an electric kettle, instead she used a special round shaped kettle with a whistle at the end of the spout. She would put that on the stove, and when the water boiled the whistle sounded like an alarm. Many times it actually shot across the kitchen like a bullet! My dog used to chase after it, and it was always a battle to see who could retrieve it first him or us! Sadly, a more modern electric...

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Gifts and Ideas for Storage Lovers:  Hidden Storage

Hidden Storage:  Baskets Simplifying sometimes means serious downsizing too.  For most of us that is a work in progress. The continuing goal is to get rid of  excess stuff, but there is a ways to go.  One of the disadvantages to a smaller space—though it might really be a good thing—is less storage. I love storage.  I’m drawn to anything with drawers, compartments or shelves.  Still when you get down to a one or two bedroom home,...

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A Very Handy Booster Car Seat

I swore by my booster car seat that was just like this Graco Backless TurboBooster and here’s why: When my son was just eight weeks old we took him to Italy to meet his grand parents for the first time. It was a quite a nerve wrecking thing to do because traveling with such a young baby brings up many challenges. I remember being scared of flying with my precious, innocent bundle, and when the air hostess gave us a strange...

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Organise your Entryway

Create an organised entrance to your home – even in small spaces. The most perfect and organised homes have beautiful entryways with a place for everything. But you can still have an organised, tidy and useful system in your home even if you live in a tiny space. All you need is a shelf or two and a little imagination and you’ll be just as efficient as those people who have perfect hallways. Having a special place to keep...

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Star Wars Gifts

It doesn’t seem to matter that 30 + years has gone by since the beginning of the Star Wars epidemic! It doesn’t seem to matter that the little boys, that were so taken with the likes of R2D2 and C3PO, Luke Skywaker and all the rest of the crew, first catapulted onto the Silver Screen are now in their 30s and 40s. By Christmas of this year, there will be a whole new generation of kids, who love Star Wars and won’t be able to get enough...

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Herb and Plant Growing Kits

Planet-friendly gardening indoors or out. I have found some wonderful ways to grow herbs or plants with these fabulous kits. They are marvellous way to give to friends as a gift – or a splendid way to treat yourself to fresh herbs or exciting garden (or patio) flowers and plants. What’s even better is that these items are all sustainable and planet-friendly. Take for example, the basil growing kits you see on the right....

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Drops for tired and dry eyes – app that prompt rests from the screen

Do you suffer form tired and dry eyes because of your computer? Do you experience that awful headache, that strained feeling, or the pulling behind your eyes. I did so I decided to look into what, if anything, could be done to improve matters. To get immediate relief I bought these eye drops. They had great reviews so I gave them a try. I used these lubricant eye drops for about 3 months and I can report that it has really made a big...

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The Matador Pocket Blanket: So Very Handy

You won’t realise just how essential this item is until you own one. Then, you’ll wonder how on earth you managed without it. This thin but sturdy and waterproof blanket folds up into its own pouch and takes up such a tiny amount of space that it’s an essential to keep in your purse, bag or glove compartment. When will you use this simple but genius product? On the beach. It takes up hardly no space in your beach bag...

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The Harrods Bear

Commemorate a special year with the Harrods Bear. Has this year been special for you? It may be that you were married or engaged, you may have had a baby or a grand-baby – or it might just have been a happy year that you want to commemorate, either for yourself or for a loved one. If that’s the case, then you need to meet the little guy you see pictured on the right. Meet Benedict, the 2015 Harrods bear. Harrods, the...

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Wall Art Decals Make Homes Beautiful

These RoomMates Peel & Stick wall decals are absolutely brilliant. Here’s a story about how I first came across amazing decals/ wall stickers: My best friend and husband gave me such a surprise when I had my baby. We had a small spare room for the baby but because I knew it wouldn’t be using it for the first few months I decided to wait to decorate it until after the baby was born. We thought that would be wise because we...

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Stylish Invitations

Stylish invitations for your celebration. When you’re inviting friends to join you for a special celebration, be sure to select the best and most stylish invitations. Chances are that you’ll be busy planning your party, get-together or wedding – there’s so much to think about – so make life easier for yourself by ordering stunning invitations online. In this wonderful selection you’ll see invitation...

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Why I Love Our Playmobil Pirate Ship

I bought a Playmobil Blackbeard’s Pirate Ship over 20 years ago for my sister’s son who was turning 6, and it was the best toy ever! He played with it for many years and later his little brother took over the helm! After he played with it for my sister passed it back to me when my own son was 4 years old. It had gone full cycle, and after a lot of use from 2 children and their friends, the Blackbeard’s ship was still looking...

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Decor: Selecting Frames for Your Artwork

Choosing frames and mats for your artwork. Changing the look of your room can be expensive. But you can dramatically alter the way your space looks simply by switching out the artwork. And similarly, you can change the look of your favourite paintings, drawings or photographs simply by the way they are  framed. See how framing options can change the look of just one artwork. Let’s take this fabulous black and white framed...

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Gifts for Seniors: Clocks, Phones, and Remotes

Make Life Easier with Large Numbers It can be very difficult to buy gifts for an aging friend or relative.  Lifestyle changes narrow the buying field considerably.  Few need any fun new kitchen supplies or tools to putter in the workshop.  Even clothes are far less important to most.  There is no doubt our needs are different when we grow older. In general, most aging seniors have thinned what they own, some planning ahead, some...

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Mini Trampoline: Keep Fit for Little Ones

Children need exercise during the winter months and a mini trampoline is a toy that they can bounce on all day, and the really nice thing about them is that they can be used indoors. They are suitable for an average sized living room or bedroom and they can be taken into the garden of course. Grandma bought our son mini trampoline on his 3rd birthday. It was a square very colorful, lightweight one, perfect for a rainy day – or...

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From Material to Minimal:  Could You Do It?

Funny, that in a world that has spent the last decades accumulating and building larger homes to hold everything,  some of the most popular sites on Pinterest and elsewhere are tiny homes and minimalism or simple living. Could it mean a turnaround?  Is it common sense or driven by the economy?  As the routine jobs have grown harder to find, people are learning to need less.  That is one influence.  It is a natural adjustment to having...

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WowWee Roboquad For Kids Who Love Robot Toys

When my son hit 13 his WowWee Robotics Roboquad came into its own. This is a fantastic toy for sophisticated teenagers not younger children. We bought it for him as a Christmas present when he was only 8, which was a mistake because he was too young. So, the worse thing happened, it sat in his bedroom for quite a while, motionless. He didn’t really know how to play with it and so he ignored it. I had made a big mistake in buying him a...

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Create responsive Amazon ads

How to create responsive Amazon ads. In September 2015 Amazon released a new ad creation system which looks fabulous and is even easier to use that previously. You no longer have to wade through Amazon.com searching for products and copying and pasting several codes. All you need to do is go to the Amazon Associates homepage and click the link on the top navigation for ‘native shopping ads’. See below. There are various...

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Why is Everyone Talking about the HuMn Wallet?

The amazing HuMn wallet. Isn’t it remarkable that the basic design of wallets has hardly changed over the years? Until now, that is. Today, people are raving about the lightweight, slim and convenient design of the HuMn. Today, when we can carry around an iPhone that more or less runs our lives, why are we still using old, bulky wallets?  Now that the HuMn is available, there’s no need. This light device will hold your...

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Gifts for Seniors:  Audible and an iPod

The Gift of Reading If you have a senior in your family who has always loved to read, Audible would be a wonderful gift.    With aging it often becomes harder to see and harder to concentrate.  Yet still the love of a good story inspires, cheers, and holds their attention. Often in assisted living or memory care homes, volunteers come to read for an hour a couple of times a week.  The residents love it, and will talk about it for...

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Teddy Bears

Uncle Klaus’ Bear Family: Every Family should have one Uncle Klaus! My uncle Klaus, is a one of a kind, but I’m sure others have someone like him in their families too! Our history goes back quite a long way, and every once in a while, I get a note in the mail (snail mail) with some old pictures and a little story attached to it. It always has something to do with our time together and is a memory that he holds dear. On my part,...

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Alphabet Posters for Kids

Alphabet Posters for Kids. Kids like color, coloring, and fun. Keeping that in mind, I have selectively chosen the following alphabet posters – keeping your kids in mind. Any of these can be used as a stand-alone activity, with the parent/teacher reading the chart to the child; and they can also be used in coordination with reading a short story, and finding a particular letter or word on the chart that sounds like a word in the...

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Windows 10: How to Take Screenshots

Taking screenshots is now quicker and easier with Windows 10. I can’t remember when the ‘PrtSc’ key first appeared on our keyboards but I never found it satisfactory, did you? The problem was that there was no audible beep or any popup to tell you that your screenshot had been taken.And it wasn’t really plain where that screenshot had gone. Windows 10 makes life much easier. You’ll still use the...

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Why Do Cats Lie On Their Backs? Pic of the Week

Do you ever wonder about your cat and the things they do? I know I do since I’m still learning about having an indoor cat. My Cat Jazzy This photo you see of my Jazzy laying on her back is one of my favorites. She is so relaxed sunning herself by the deck door but she can be so funny when she lays on her back too. Every time I come down the steps in the mornings she runs down ahead of me and lays on her back all stretched out. Then...

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Gift Ideas:  Emergency Dynamo Charger/Radio

Emergency Dynamo Solar Self Powered Radio, Flashlight,  & Charger for Cell Phones: iPhone, iPad, iTouch, Android, Smartphone, USB device We’ve reviewed solar chargers,  small back up chargers for cell phones, and most recently a charger that works on a bicycle as you pedal. Since emergency power is sometimes needed, I am in favor of a variety of chargers.  Which is why the solar, self powered charger here is an essential to...

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Gifts for Dog Lovers:  The iFetch

Hours of Fetching Fun. Just take a couple of minutes to watch  the video below and you will be sold on this delightful product!  What a fun toy for your dog! You may even find a modicum of relief once you train your pet to play with the iFetch by him/herself.  Drop a ball into the large section, then the dog anticipates the ball being shot out.  He (she) runs for it then returns.  We all know how long our pets are willing to continue...

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Gift Ideas for Bicycle Lovers: The Siva Atom, USB Charger & Battery Pack

The Green Way: Charge Your Electronics While You Cycle A long bike ride on the weekend is a wonderful way to enjoy the fresh air while getting some exercise.  You can cover so much more ground besides!  In our area, along the Oregon Coast, we see many couples and families  all packed up with sleeping bags and gear, cycling their way down the coast.  For some reason, they do always seem to be going south.  One time a family made the...

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Windows 10: Using Microsoft Edge

Microsoft has made a great browser — at last. I’m not joking. For over twenty years – almost my entire internet life – I have genuinely hated Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. I mean, hated. So when I started using Windows 10, I fully expected to delete the supplied browser from my system in order to free up space. I’m so glad I didn’t. Believe it or not, it’s a splendid browser....

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Make Your Own Gymnastics Mom T-Shirt

Save Money by Making Your Own Gymnastics Mom T-Shirt. If you are a gymnastics mom like me, or are looking for a gift for another gymnastics mom, check out these well-made rhinestone transfers. I love wearing my gymnastics gear to my daughter’s meets, and have spent many hours scouring the Internet for the perfect gear. However, I haven’t been impressed by the prices. So, when I ran across these affordable rhinestone...

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Gifts Ideas:  Hill Tribe Hand Tooled Silver

Helping Tribal Artisans Continue Their Tradition One of the most beautiful examples of craftsmanship we see today is the hand tooled, handwoven works of specialized artists.  Because each is hand made, the intricate designs, the unique jewelry and fabrics are one of a kind. Yet today it is often difficult for the small tribes and artists to continuing their traditions.  The young people are led away with school, and the opportunity to...

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Very Useful Guitar Stands: A Great Gift for Guitarists

Guitar stands are a perfect gift for guitarists, but this one is even more useful because it’s a stand for cellists and French horn players too. Made by K & M Heli, it is a quality item at a fantastic price. The video below will tell you more about the product. I can tell you that I love them! We are the proud owners of 7 guitars and a full sized cello, which is wonderful, apart from the fact that we live in a small...

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A Skip Hop Zoo Backpack is Great for Little Kids

Little Kids need Little Backpacks. My daughter is shorter than her classmates, which creates some unusual circumstances from time to time. For instance, when she was going to Kindergarten, she begged for a Jonas Brothers bookbag. (The band was still relevant at the time). I was so excited for her to start school and pick out her own school supplies that I didn’t think to have her try it on. Well, she struggled with that backpack...

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Apple iPod Shuffle. Small But Big on Music

I was looking for a quality music product that would not break the bank – then I found the Apple iPod Shuffle, and my search was well and truly over. It is was Christmas gift for my son because he wants to listen to music everywhere he goes! I am a complete Apple freak, so I knew the product would be well made and just be awesome. But I was not expecting to find it quite so beautiful! It’s just so perfectly designed: It’s small,...

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Tribute to Mum and Dad – Joan and Colin

Andy Royston celebrates his parents, Joan and Colin, Yorkshire born and bred. Inspired by Sam Monaco’s moving tribute to his own parents.   The older I get, and the more people that I meet, I’m beginning to realize that I must be the luckiest man in the world. I didn’t think so when I was a kid, growing up in a small farming village at the heart of the South Yorkshire coalfields. I didn’t think that I was...

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Windows 10: Using Multiple Desktops

Working more efficiently with virtual desktops on Windows 10. I have to report that I’m really enjoying using Windows 10 to date. At first, the upgrade seemed to be more cosmetic than anything (pretty is good!) but further exploration shows that you productivity can be hugely increased using various new features. The multiple virtual desktops feature is one of my favourites. You can access existing desktops or create new ones by...

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Gift For Baby: “Kissy Kissy” Soft and Stylish

With a name like Kissy Kissy, who could resist these adorable baby clothes? When I first saw the name, I had to look without even having a baby that needed clothes. It was a delight when the need for a baby gift arose!  Besides picking out one for a gift, one or two are now on my wish list for the next shower or baby present needed. What a lovely product the cotton footies are.  I got a ‘convertible’ footie/gown which...

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Gifts Ideas:  Smart Phone Storage Case by EYN

You’ll Only Need  Your Phone This is my next smart phone case.  Super handy, isn’t it?  It is just what many smartphone users need today. The EYN (Everything You Need) Company has definitely come through with this case. Like the woman in the video below, so often these days all I want to carry is my phone and a litlle cash or a credit card.  The purse will get locked in the trunk or even left home.  I just don’t need to...

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Gift Ideas: The Electrolight Backpack from Lewis N Clark

Biking, Hiking, Traveling Lightweight is remaining a trend, and it is easy to see why.   We haul around so much.  Not just books for school or work, but water, extra layers, cameras, laptops or tablets, and…and…and… So why add to the weight of all that with a heavy backpack? Of course if you are backpacking for more than a day hike, you would want something with more support, but for most other times, an Electrolight Backpack...

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Supporting Our Local Businesses

Supporting your local businesses is a popular topic today.  Perhaps it always has been. Having moved from busy San Diego county to a small town in Oregon has made clear the effects of a big box store on a small town.  It may happen just as often in a larger city, but it’s not as obvious.  There are stores everywhere in a city, as well as shoppers. But when there are less than ten thousand people living in an area, the struggle to...

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Gift Ideas: Wheel Chair Accessories

Best Ideas for Wheelchairs All too often aging brings weakened limbs which may eventually leads to a wheelchair. Hopefully the person will keep walking as much and as long as they can to postpone the need.  Of course there are many reasons people of all ages are confined to a wheelchair.  Whether temporary or permanent, there is a wonderful variety of accessories to trick out their ride. Once the need is there, you will find you can...

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A Dog’s (After) Life?

Schubert, the un-evil spawn of a now unfashionable puppy mill, neared his demise. A Boston terrier and a product of Pharaoh-like inbreeding, his days were numbered from the start. His hips were displaced. His tongue untowardly wry. His demeanor difficult, demanding. (Much like a Greek Ptolemaic dynastic.) Schubert’s healthcare cost a fortune. When he was a playful puppy–the expense of castration and tail cutting were but minor...

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Gift Ideas for The Environmentally Friendly

Help Eliminate the Plastic, Seriously We are all becoming more and more interested in protecting the environment. When we see a seagull with plastic caught around its neck, when we read that the plastic water bottles we buy and discard would stretch around the world if lined up, it hopefully inspires us to do what we can to help. The rwo very simple ideas included here would be so helpful to our environment it seems that everyone...

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Family Histories, the Good, the Bad and the Beautiful

Family History. Sooner or later, everyone has that desire to know where they came from and how they ended up being where they are today. Now, for some of us, the desire ends up being a desire and it will never move any further. Others, will try to find out where they actually did come from, and start tracing back their family history. What is certain, is that everyone of us has a family history, whether we know what that is or not!...

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14 Steps to Get More Done

We are all way too busy these days.  How do we let that happen?  Even while trying to simplify, the hours are filled with so many things to do. So instead of tackling the cupboards and closets to keep it simple, today I decided to take on the schedule that fills up our day.  While many of these ideas apply to our time online, they adapt just as well to physical tasks as well, whether around the house or at work. A lot of it has to do...

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Eat Healthily with Livliga’s Weight Loss Secret

Lose weight healthily (and tastily) with Livliga. Sheila Kemper Dietrich used to be the director of the American Heart Association in Denver but nevertheless she and her family struggled with their own weight. That is, until Sheila developed a simple, stylish and tasty way to eat. Without dieting, she lost fifty pounds, her husband lost thirty five and her daughter was able to shed twenty five pounds. I’ll say it again –...

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Solvetta: The Lunch Box that’s a Placemat

How can you be sure that the healthy meal you pack stays germ-free? Many of us take healthy lunches to work – or pack them for our families – but did you know that the great foods you pack are liable to be exposed to germs? The Solvetta is the answer. It was developed by Rita Floyd-Vester, a teacher and mother of three, who discovered that the most germ-laden places in today’s schools are cafeteria tables. The same...

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Educational Gift Ideas: Play School

Play Time Fun Do your children still play make believe?  Do they play they are a super hero or a fireman, running through the house trying to rescue people?  Or what about the quieter game of library or school?  Games where we pretended to be someone else, and had a whole play area set up for it. There was an article online today that asked if kids still play outside.  Do yours? This may start to feel like a grandfather story of how...

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Interview with Andy Royston: The Ft.Lauderdale Sun Project

When we first interviewed photographer, Andy Royston, about his iphoneography, he mentioned the Fort Lauderdale Sun Project.  Since I was curious to know more about it, we thought you might be too.  As luck would have it the day he chatted with us was the day he reached an amazing milestone, that of 20,000 Twitter followers. As you can see from the photographs included here, Mr. Royston has mastered the art of photography using a cell...

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Small Spaces: Gardening Small for Big Results

Missing Your Vegetable Garden? This summer it was a pleasure to read of all the successful gardens.  The beautiful flowers, the abundance of fresh vegetables, the herbs, all sounded delightful. It made me a little wistful since I no longer have a home with a yard.  For the most part that is a good thing, but it sounded lovely to go outside to pick fresh basil when I needed it.  It even sounded fun to have too much zucchini to know...

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Pets and Allergies

PETS AND ALLERGIES: By Stacey J Nelson Ph.D.aka “Tweedlesmom”. More and more dogs, cats, and exotic birds are developing allergies these days. Could the environment, food, or vaccines, be the cause? Additionally, toxic fumes and chemicals appear to be permeating our environment, and just like humans, your “furkids” immune system and skin can be just as sensitive. Many dogs, cats, and exotic birds can have an adverse reaction...

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Small Spaces: Making Room for an Office

Positive Effects of Downsizing If you’ve ever downsized, you know it takes some adjustment to ‘fit’ into your new, smaller space. When I moved from southern California to Oregon I was actually looking forward to it. Even though a smaller home was the goal in an effort to simplify my life, it did pose a need for some serious creativity. I’ve been an official anti-desk person for years now. After owning several...

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Back Up Your Computer With a Portable Hard Drive

What Happens If Your Computer Crashes? With this handy back-up drive, it won’t be your worry! This should be a required purchase for every computer owner.  Don’t forget your high school and college students either.  Each computer should have one, whether or not you travel with it. Have you ever run a simple software update only to find you’ve lost months of photos? Have you had a problem in your computer that required...

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Dressing Your Dachshund

The Long, Drawn Out Dog If you are a dachshund owner, you are already aware of their special needs when it comes to clothing. There are tons of cute outfits out there, but many simply won’t comfortably fit a dachshund’s body. This snug but stretchy fleece sweater is the perfect solution. I am the very proud grandmother of an adorable mini dachshund, and ‘mini’ she is. Weighing in around eight pounds, give or...

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Educational Gift Ideas: The Personal Library Kit

Playing Library When I was young, if we couldn’t be outside, my sister and I could often be found playing “Library.” We were/are a family of readers. From a very young age we were at the library regularly, browsing the children’s section carefully, coming home with stacks of books. We also had a lot of books around the house, many old ones that belonged to our parents that included old school books on math and science. Since a...

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Australian Shepherd, Possum Hunter

Little Orphan Aussie, Our Personal Possum Hunter Our first Australian shepherd Australian shepherds take their work very seriously. At least ours all did. None so much as this little guy though. He didn’t stay little for long either. He looks pretty innocent in this shot, doesn’t he? His registered name, courtesy of my husband, was Little Orphan Aussie, but we mostly called him Orphie. Unless we were mad. Then he was...

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7 Reasons Dogs are Man’s Best Friend

7 Reasons Dogs are Man’s Best Friend. I’m a dog lover and most of my people-friends love dogs, too. What is it that makes the relationship, the friendship, the connection between man and his mutt such a special one? Here are seven reasons, I believe, that dogs are man’s best friend. 1. Dogs love us unconditionally. We don’t have to do a thing in the world to earn a dog’s love, and we don’t have to...

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The Importance of Reading Pet Food Labels

THE IMPORTANCE OF READING PET FOOD/TREATS LABELS. By Stacey J Nelson Ph.D. Aka “Tweedlesmom” He/She is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are their life, their love, their leader. He/She will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of their heart. You owe it to him/her to be worthy of such devotion…” Author unknown When shopping in a store do you stop to read the labels on the front and/or back of pet foods...

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Recuva Your Information

Help I Lost My Pictures! Have you ever lost pictures or documents on your computer or storage devices? Well I have and it’s frustrating but with the help of a computer software program called Recuva you can get it all back. Better yet it’s free! This summer I took a lot of pictures on my phone camera. I had a 8 gig external card in it that I use to send all my pictures I take, plus I had folders of pictures of family and...

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I Love My Dog and My Dog Loves Me!

Walking a dog should be a joy and a good way to get some exercise for you and for your pet. It should not be a pull and push match between the two of you! Choke collars, prong collars (not nice at all) and any other type of collar that sits at your dog’s neck, will hinder your dog’s ability to walk nicely, without stressing him/her out! If you don’t believe me then listen to what some dog owners and people who are in the “KNOW” have...

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The Humanization of Pets

By Stacey J Nelson Ph.D. The modern day family often considers their family pet to be a loved and cherished member of their family. Our canine and feline companions are affectionately known as our “Furkids”,or referred to as “Our GIRL OR BOY”. The terms – Mom, Mommie, Dad, Daddy are no longer limited to human children. Companionship for many people adult or child, now includes our pets, and has proven to be therapeutic and...

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Memories of Woolworth’s

Memories of Woolworth’s. What does the name Woolworth’s conjure up in your mind? Could it be that it was Friday and parents were doling out allowances to their young ones? They in turn could hardly wait to go to Woolworth’s to see what treasures could be had with their hard earned pennies. I know that this was part of my childhood, finding that special scarf or pair of shoe laces, skipping ropes and yo-yos or spending hours...

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The Cloud! It Came from Cyberspace!

The Cloud! It Came from Cyberspace! Far worse than The Blob, an ever accreting molten meteor that devoured every carbon-based life form it encountered, The Cloud appeared among unsuspecting earthlings. Initially, I was a little foggy about The Cloud. Everyone was. I knew something of clouds—cirrus, cumulus, nimbus, stratus, but a little knowledge is, as always, dangerous. Once, I saw a cloud in the image of the Virgin Mary. (She had...

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Feeling Overwhelmed? Refocus With These Tips

Getting back to the Goal Do you ever get overwhelmed, feeling like you can’t find your focus let alone remember your goals?Every year I give some thought to goals, to what I want to accomplish in the coming year. Yet too often (I am not confessing how often) I catch myself jumping from one thing without finishing because there are so many different things to do. It’s difficult to settle and eventually I feel like nothing...

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Before You Get Another Dog…Wait!

Suggestion 1: If You Lose a Pet, Don’t Get Another Right Away. Our family loves dogs. My husband and I got our first puppy, a tiny poodle, while we were traveling on our honeymoon. From that time on we were not without one, and had up to four, dogs. Until Buster died suddenly one day. It still hurts to say that. Buster (yes that’s his sweet face in the picture) was the first dog we had ever adopted from a shelter. At five...

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How to find a job – four key methods

It’s a full-time job finding a full-time job. You may not realise this but until a few years ago I worked for a careers advice company. There I helped people find jobs, helped people change career and look at training and courses. In my most recent years the focus was on providing advice on CVs and resumes and finding ways into work. As an ex-careers advisor I’ve had many, many conversations about ways in which to find...

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Things No One Tells You About Getting Older!

10 Things No One Tells You About Getting Older! Everyone is getting older every day! Aging is a Fact of Life! So many times I can remember looking at older people and wondering what it was going to be like when I was their age, and guess what? I’m there now! The funniest part of this whole scenario, is that when I was younger, I probably thought those “older” people I was looking at, were maybe in their 40’s or...

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The Best Little Carpet Cleaner for Spots

The Bissell Spotlifter 2x Portable Deep Carpet Cleaner Cordless Spot Carpet Cleaning–So Easy My little carpet cleaner by Bissell is a favorite around our house for those little spots that seem to come from nowhere. I don’t know what we did without it. I suppose we tried cleaning up spills and spots by hand. That usually worked okay, but it seemed like we could never get the liquid out sufficiently so eventually it would...

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Anolon Hard Anodized Cookware, for more even cooking

The Value of One Good Set of Pans Until my husband gave me this set of hard anodized Anolon pans one year, I never thought the quality of pans mattered much when cooking. For several decades, the pans would wear out every few years, and a new set would replace them. I never thought much about it. The first time I cooked with the new hard anodized calphalon pans, I learned the difference. They were–and are still–amazing....

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The Lasko Desktop Fan, Small but Mighty

A Cool Breeze in a Very Small Package A mini lifesaver for a hot day! I’m so pleased with the small Lasko desktop fan that I bought three of them. The last few days were very hot for our area. It’s moved on now, most likely heading east. This little fan sure helped during those days! When the air is still, the heat seems to hang in the air, totally draining my energy. The breeze from this fan was all I needed. I set it on...

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Third Hand Smoke and the Churchill Room

Third Hand Smoke and the Churchill Room at the George V in Paris. First there was first hand smoke, then second hand and now third hand. Zut alors, how can one keep abreast of modern medical manias? A noted North American medical institution offers this wisdom: “Third hand smoke is generally considered to be residual nicotine and other chemicals left on a variety of indoor surfaces by tobacco smoke. This residue is thought to...

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Shinichi Mine and YouTube, Part 2 of Our Interview

I first met Shinichi Mine a few years ago on Squidoo, an article writing site.  His articles were very popular. Always unique, very interesting, and accompanied by wonderful photographs, whether he was traveling or cooking. Since that time, he has developed a successful (and beautiful) blog, Tabieats, and forged into YouTube videos. Forged is the word, and seamlessly is how he did it.  From the start, he’s done a wonderful job...

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The best solar charger for your phone & devices

Charging your phone using solar power And it’s not just your phone – when there’s no electricity, you discover just how much you rely on other devices such as your iPad, Kindle or other devices. Perfect for extreme weather Today, bad weather can knock out power for many of us and losing the use of your communication methods isn’t only inconvenient, it’s dangerous. Living in Florida, I know only too well...

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Using Paper.li Curation Service to Promote your Work

Promote & market your online articles using paper.li curation service. There are many excellent curation services that you can use to promote your online writing, your blog or your website. One of my favorites is paper.li and it’s so easy to use. You are familiar with curating and sharing what you love on sites such as Pinterest and paper.li takes this one step further. It automatically generates a daily (or weekly) online...

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Beach out your Dorm Room

Bring the ocean along, wherever you go If you have a student going away to college soon, you will know how important it is to find a comfortable style for their personal space in a dorm.  Something stylish, something that reflects their likes and their taste, and something cheerful yet relaxing. Since beach is synonymous with relax, what better atmosphere for a college dorm room? Soothing colors, the sound of the ocean, will help a...

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Is a Lightweight Vacuum Right for You?

Light to Lift! My new vacuum is the Hoover WindTunnel Air Bagless Steerable Upright. It’s perfect. After twelve years my big Hoover Upright finally died. Actually it probably would have lived except that I broke off an important part (oops) when I was checking the belt. Yes, lesson learned. I didn’t do it on purpose–honest! Nevertheless, it was a treat to start the search for a new one. With so many different brands,...

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Easily add images to Twitter

You know that the Twitter buttons you see on web pages are the quickest and easiest way to post your articles to your Twitter followers but most of them don’t allow you to add an image. I mean the buttons like the one you see at the top of this page. And yet tweets with images are far more successful than those without. You might not have the time to open up an app or a special webpage to add an images and using those built-in...

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Do you use the Yellow Cab phone app?

Calling a cab: It ain’t what it used to be. Do you remember the days when you actually had to pick up the phone and call for a cab? THat was the old days. Now just use the app on your phone. We don’t use cabs very often. But there are times – the car might be in the shop or we need to get to the airport and don’t want to pay the parking fees there. Or of course,if you’re eating out, a cab does away with...

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The iPhone Art of Andy Royston

If you happen to be in the Ft Lauderdale walking on the beach in the early morning, you have probably seen photographer Andy Royston. He’s been walking along that stretch for six years now.  Using only his cell phone he has taken well over 25,000 photos to share on Twitter, Flicker and various other sites. We caught up with him this week—though not on the beach.  This is the first in a series of interviews with the award winning...

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Magic in the Air!

While most birds do not have any difficulty finding food for themselves in the spring, summer and fall, there is one exception to that rule. Our everyday (I won’t ever call them ordinary) birds, the ones that frequent our gardens throughout the year, know very well how to forage for seeds, nuts and bugs. However there is a bird that frequents us in the nicer months and I’m sure that everyone would love to have them in their gardens...

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Feng Shui 101: Getting Started

Ask That Feng Shui Lady A reader asks: ‘I have only just become aware of Feng Shui and it sounds very interesting indeed. I’m moving to a new apartment in a few months and I think it would be a good idea for me to ask for a Feng Shui consultant to call to see me in my new place. But in the meantime, I was wondering if there are any quick fixes that I can use on my current apartment before I move? Have you got any ideas for...

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Online Writing: The Summer Slump?

Does the summer slump really exist for online writers? Some people think so. I disagree. I received an email today from a website that was telling its writers to prepare for the ‘summer slump’ meaning a reduction in hits. People, the email tells me, are far too busy going to the beach or they’re away on vacation or enjoying outdoor pursuits. They’re not on the internet. Absolute rubbish This is nonsense. And...

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Did your website survive Google’s changes?

Google’s mobile update. Did your site survive? In February 2015, Google made the unusual move of telling is in advance of a major change they were about to make to their search algorithms. The change was scheduled for 21st April, 2015 and Google expected it to have a ‘significant impact’ on search results. The previous year, it had been announced that more than 60% of Google searches were being made from cellphones...

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Do You Suffer From Online Attention Deficit Disorder?

Have you had one of those days where you start out doing one thing and never get back to it?  I’ve done it two days in a row now.  I see cute emails that float around now and then where a person goes to find their keys and ends up defrosting the freezer, etc., etc… With computers, you don’t even have to leave your chair to do that same thing! All it took today was one click.  I was just looking for a link on my website.  That’s...

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How to see your site on other devices

Use Google Chrome to see your site on multiple devices Now that Google is so concerned about how websites look and behave on mobile devices, it’s handy that Chrome also gives us a useful way to find out how our sites appear and function without having to own every type of phone or tablet. We’re a reasonably online household so we can physically check sites on various generations of iPhones, an iPad, Kindle and of course,...

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Young Inventors: Mimi Ausland & Freekibble

The 11 year old girl who founded Freekibble Mimi Ausland was nine years old, the minimum age required, when she began to volunteer at her local animal shelter. Only two years later, in 2008, she first began the Freekibble website. She wanted to help feed the animals in her local shelter, but she realized a greater need than just her surrounding area. It may be a different sort of invention but one that has proven remarkable...

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The First Car I Ever Drove

“I’m going to check on a car I have in a showroom, and I need your help,” said Rich. “You coming?” It was a fine Florida morning and the nice cherry red XJ6 Vanden Plas that Rich drove was a classy motor with good air conditioning. What London lads would call a proper eyeballer. I had nothing else to do so I said “OK, let’s go”. Ten miles later we pulled off US-1 and into the lot of a...

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My First Car – A Ford Maverick

My First Car – A Ford Maverick. It was the year 1986 when I got my first car. It was a little brown 1970’s Ford Maverick and it quite the car. I bet you wonder why, huh? Well here’s my story. I didn’t have a car until I went to college in Michigan. It was in my second year there that I thought it was time I got something but wasn’t sure what. At the time I spent a lot of time with my boyfriend and his family. His siblings...

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Online Writers: Should you write with search engines in mind?

Online Writers: Should you write with search engines in mind? Statistics have varied over the years but there’s no doubt that a great number of your website visits will come from search engines. So when you’re writing an online article, should you write specifically for search engines? Or should you simply write and hope for the best? The fact is, that you should be doing both. The good news is that you don’t have to be a search...

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Support The Golden Girls Lego Sets!

Support The Golden Girls Lego Sets! As I was watching the Today Show  one morning I seen that the Golden Girls Legos maybe coming out soon. That really caught my attention. Now isn’t that a hoot but so deserving! I use to watch these shows with my parents all the time so I have fond memories when I hear anything about them. Some of you may ask what is the Golden Girls? It is a sitcom series about 4 ladies that live together in...

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8 Top Housewarming Gifts

Housewarming presents for established family can take some careful consideration.  Often the homes are stocked before and after a move.  Still, to welcome a friend or family member to their new home, you want to bring them something. You may have read the first article on living housewarming presents.  Most of those were for outside, whether yard or patio deck. This batch contains several other ideas, more for indoor comfort and...

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Mercedes fan?

Mercedes fan? Dress the part Sport isn’t generally known for being stylish but Formula One is the exception. This is only to be expected for the series that travels to some of the most wonderful, glamorous places in the world. Motorsport is no longer associated with greasy, dirty overalls and smelly fumes – today, racing has style. Even the mechanics are impeccably turned out and have you seen those garages? They are more...

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Ask yourself these questions before you tweet

Before you post to Twitter, ask yourself these ten questions. Is your tweet message ready to post? Well, before you send it, ask yourself the following questions. Twitter is a great way to promote our businesses or our work. It’s so very easy to do and takes only seconds. And that’s part of the problem. Because it is so quick and easy to do,  it’s also the case that we often forget to take quite enough care with our...

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Twitter’s new quote feature

Now tweet with a quote. On April 6th, 2015, Twitter users saw a new feature when they went to their accounts. Twitter hasn’t exactly been hasty about rolling out new features but at last,we have one which is very welcome. When Twitter first began, retweeting was a messy and inconvenient copy and paste procedure. Not only was it awkward, tweets often (usually) had to be truncated  to fit into the one hundred and fifty character...

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Writers: Make the most of mobile local search

Writers: Make the most of mobile local search statistics. If you write on the internet – maybe you have a business site or a blog – it’s important to pay attention to the latest news that comes from search engine announcements, studies and statistics. We heard in early 2015 that Google was intending to take a website’s phone-friendliness into account in its search algorithm and that it would have a...

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Do you inadvertently have doorway pages on your site?

Do you inadvertently have doorway pages on your site? Yes, it’s true that no-one deliberately creates doorway pages any more in order to ‘fool’ the search engines and website viewers but there are obviously enough of them out there for Google to have made the decision to crack down on them further. The problem only arises for the legitimate webmaster when and if they have pages that Google might class as doorway...

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Free daily content for your website

Free daily content for your website Ever since the web started, experts have been telling us that to keep our readers interested, we have to provide fresh content on a regular basis. Ideally, your visitors will love to see fresh content every day – or several new and intriguing article daily. That’s a tall order. As the years have gone by, we have discovered how important visual are on the web. Sites such as Pinterest and...

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Why Adopt an Adult Dog?

The reason I recommend adopting an adult dog was named Buster. Our Buster was a very energetic five year old when we got him. He was a tall, slim fellow, though he weighed in at seventy pounds. He wasn’t at all what we’d planned on. Sure, we’d been looking for another dog since our Aussie had died and left our golden retriever without her best buddy. But my husband always said he’d never get an adult large dog.  Too dangerous. We...

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How to own your search engine results page

Your brand name should dominate the SERPS This applies whether you are a lone blogger or a major corporation. When someone searches for your brand name (even if this is simply the name of your blog) you should be in control of what is displayed in the search engine results pages – at least on the first page. You can see above how Google displays JAQUO Magazine. The first result dominates the entire page on my laptop (or iPad...

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How to create a Google ad

How to create a Google ad Do you use Adsense? Would you like to have Google ads on your site or blog? All you need is a free Google Adsense account and then it’s simplicity itself to add your own money-making advertising to your website or blog. How much money will you make? It depends on how many hits your website gets but every penny you earn is welcome. To be eligible for an Adsense account, the first thing you need...

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The Boer War: Presented by Bovril

The Boer War: Presented by Bovril Advertising in Victorian times was in its heyday. It was more or less unregulated too,offering manufacturers, business and the unscrupulous many opportunities. Much of this was what we’d call guerilla marketing today. The population was growing tired of the advertising hoardings that bombarded them. Because advertising was so often misleading, if not downright fraudulent, then they looked at...

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What Will Your Young Children Invent?

Yesterday was national ear muff day.  No doubt for those of you living in cold climates, it is definitely an appreciated day to remember. What struck me about Ear muff day was that the inventor was only 15 years old when he came up with the idea. Isn’t that an inspiration to all of us?  It’s encouraging to me whenever I read of our youth using their skills. First, to realize the problem, then  to consider how to solve the problem,...

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Why don’t we repair goods any more?

Why don’t we repair goods any more? Have you noticed that over the years, there has been a huge decline in businesses that actually repair things? I know I’m knocking on a bit but when I was a kid, every high street had businesses that repaired clocks, shoes, furniture; there were stores that sharpened knives, made clothing alterations or fixed electrical appliances. I just don’t see them any more. A couple of years...

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The Cuisinart Hand Mixer, a Review of a Favorite

The Easy Hand Mixer My hand mixer is one small appliance I use several times a week. Personally I think they’re one of the best inventions out there and a necessity for every household. It’s so easy to use and light-weight to hold, I find myself using it for all sorts of things, mixing cookies, cake, frostings, purees, and even mashed (or whipped) potatoes. I like that I can take it from counter to counter too. I know the...

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Learning Something New: What’s on Your List?

Do you have a list showing things you want to learn?  A mental bucket list, perhaps? If you don’t, I hope you will consider starting one. By the time we finish school, at whatever level, we have usually had enough studying to last for a long time.  Yet have you noticed that once we’ve been out of school for several years it starts to sound intriguing?  What makes it fun at that point is that we can please ourselves rather than...

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Websites on phones and tablets

How does your website look on a phone? Are you reading this using your phone? If so, you know how great it looks and works. If you’re using a computer, then the image on the right will demonstrate to you how great it looks and how easy it is to use. Smartphones seem to have been with us forever now. I’d love to give you statistics about how many people are now using them, but by the time I get to the end of this sentence,...

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Elder Cats and Dogs Need Grooming Help

Elder Cats and Dogs Need Grooming Help My cat is OLD! But we still love him to bits. What makes it difficult for him in these, his latter years is that he isn’t quite as fastidious a groomer as he was in his earlier years. Being long haired means that he gets knots and tangles in his fur that he just can’t seem to work out by himself. We also find that he is now shedding so much more than when he was a young kitten. Now...

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Water Floss Your Teeth

Love my Waterpik The Waterpik: Better than Flossing Do you floss every day like your dentist tells you to, or could you use a Waterpik water flosser to. I love mine, so much so that I don’t know why I didn’t get one years ago. Every six months at my dental cleaning appointment the dentist would tell me I need to floss more. Right. I knew that–you too? I’d be really good about it for the following week. He would...

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Our Dog’s Favorite: Plush Hide-a-Squirrel Dog Toy

Three Paws Up Rating for This Toy Our dogs have given this toy a unanimous paws up! When we first brought this toy home, we were curious to see how they would play with it. Two dogs over 60 pounds and one more under 10 pounds, all with very distinct personalities. The toy kept them entertained for such a long time! After a lot of initial sniffing and biting, noses poked in each hole trying to see what was inside, two of the dogs laid...

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Fernando Alonso: Testing accident 2015

Fernando Alonso: Testing accident 2015 If you know me at all,then you are aware that all Formula One drivers -past, present and more than likely future – are heroes in my eyes. Although like most F1 aficionados, I will secretly admit to having particular favourites, one of which is Fernando Alonso. That’s why I’m very puzzled by the testing accident he had in February 2015. With the season starting in just a few...

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The Cat’s Favorite: The Collapsible Cat Tunnel

A Favorite for Play and for Cat Naps Want your cat to be the life of the party? This has to be one of the most used toys I’ve seen for a cat. It makes one wonder about their imagination. Remember building forts when you were young? For us it was blankets covering tables, for the kids, I still see the boxes, with door and windows cut into them. The collapsible tunnel has to be a cat’s version of a fort. Recently visiting my...

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Silicone Baking Pans and More

Let the Baking Begin! Are you ready to bake?  With all the holidays to choose from, I am usually ready to bake all year round.  Easter, definitely.  I love decorating with pastel colors for the Easter season.  Christmas means bright colors with plenty of red and green.  For Independence Day, Labor Day and Memorial Day, red white and blue is appropriate. Whatever the season, I am so in the mood to bake. It’s a lovely way to relax...

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My First Job

Are practical jokes still played on school leavers starting work these days? In 1963 I left school, aged 16, and started my first job in Oxford Street, London. I had tried without success to find work as a trainee photographer, visiting studios all over London, showing my snaps to hard-grained photographers who laughed me and them away. So the local Youth Employment Officer, in desperation, suggested I start as a junior sales trainee...

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How Often do you Check Your Phone?

How Often do you Check Your Phone? Recently I read an article in PureWow, where the author said he/she checked her phone 106 times in a day on average.  Apparently there is even an app to track it, which sounds beneficial to all of us.  The number was striking to me.  In a twelve hour time period, that is nearly nine times an hour or every 7 minutes! Unless you work in a setting where you turn off your phone and/or don’t use it, you...

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Rainy Day People, Spring is Coming! Let’s do it in style!

Rainy Day People, Spring is Coming! Let’s do it in style! Name one accessory that can be used both when it’s raining and when it’s sunny? Why it’s the bumbershoot of course! Now you are probably thinking you haven’t heard that word in a long time, and you are right. Bumbershoot is an Americanism that was thought up in the early 1800’s and didn’t last long. Umbrella is the word that has been...

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Yes, Big Brother is watching you

Are targeted ads intrusive? If you live in a ninth floor apartment with no balcony, the chances are that your mailbox never features gardening catalogues. But if you’ve had a baby recently, the chances are that you’ll get mail – both paper and email – advertising baby products and services. That’s simple good sense. Why waste the planet’s resources sending ladies’ footwear catalogues to an...

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Lasko Tower Heater

 Lasko Tower Heater: My favourite appliance I am totally in love with this space heater. Believe me, if a heater can keep this chilly person warm, then it will keep everyone cozy. I’m convinced that no-one in the world feels the cold the way I do and yet with this wonderful heater, I’m toasty. Until yesterday, we had no heating in our home at all. You see, we live in Florida and 99.9% of the time, we are beautifully warm...

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Houseplants: Why You Should Bring the Outdoors In

Houseplants: Why You Should Bring the Outdoors In Have your New Year’s resolutions fallen through? Are you eagerly awaiting the return of spring and summer? The solution: house plants. Well perhaps not the full solution, but they can perk up indoor spaces and, while sitting pretty, help you out in more ways than one. It seems the reign of houseplants has reached a high – truly inescapable when browsing interiors on Pinterest or even...

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Easily create Facebook call to action buttons

Easily create Facebook call to action buttons Which is more likely to be clicked? A plain link or a call to action button? We all know that the call to action button is going to work better. But did you know that you can easily add them to your Facebook pages? To add a button, like the one you see on the right, takes only about a minute more than making a regular post with a link only and it’s easy to do. Now, the reader has...

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Text or Talk, The Changing Way we Communicate

Text or Talk, The Changing Way we Communicate Texting is too easy, isn’t it? Especially with a smart phone. It’s also far less disruptive. You can receive a text anytime/anywhere without disturbing anyone around you, without anyone even knowing if you prefer.   Think airplane and you will probably agree with the value in that. Doesn’t it make you crazy when one person thinks the plane is his office, and talks in a regular (loud)...

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Waiting for “When”

Waiting for “When” You’ve heard the expression, “Say when…when you’ve had enough,” haven’t you? It’s a fond expression that I appreciate. It’s been around forever, though I couldn’t find how it started. When I say forever, I mean at least the 1880’s.  We most commonly hear it when pouring drinks or being served food. The best time I remember hearing it was in the movie, “Regarding Henry.” Do you remember the scenes?...

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Cell Phone, Landline or both? Where do You Stand?

Remember back in the late 80’s when a cell phone was the size of a big walkie-talkie? It used to look so funny to see someone with one back then. They looked like they were talking on a shoebox.  Go forward a dozen years into the 90’s. Then a good portion of the population owned one, but they were frowned upon as rude when used in public.  Fly forward to today—How things have changed now! Today we  see more people using cell phones...

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Now they’re messing with Newcastle Brown Ale

Now they’re messing with Newcastle Brown Ale Now don’t get me wrong. I live in the United States. I love the country. But I do with that they would stop messing with English food. Only a couple of weeks go, I had to rant about them changing Cadbury’s Creme Eggs. Now, they’re messing with Newkie Brown. I do think that the country has its priorities  bit mixed up. As it is, foods like haggis and certain French...

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The Cuisinart 5 in 1 Griddler; Do Your Barbecuing Inside

The Cuisinart 5 in 1 Griddler; Do Your Barbecuing Inside How do you feel about the Cuisinart Griddler? I start with that question because a friend once told me that she seems grills like this at every garage sale. Then she asked, “Who really uses them?” Well, I do. I love mine! How about some chicken and vegetable skewers to start off? Since I no longer have a place to barbecue, I looked around for a grill that would be easy to...

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Writing: A Thing of the Past

Writing: A Thing of the Past I’ve Got My Pen And My Stationery. I’m Good To Go! Most everyone wants to be connected to others. Whether it’s with family, friends, schoolmates or colleagues, everyone wants to be connected to someone. For some, the smaller that group the greater their comfort zone. For others, being connected to the masses is where their interaction needs are met. One of the world’s oldest methods of...

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On Ilkley Moor (Baht ‘at)

Baht ‘at? On Ilkley Moor Baht ‘at. This in Yorkshire-English means “On Ilkley Moor, without your hat” – which would be a daft thing to do, as it’s a bit windy up there. Let me show you around Ilkley Moor, Yorkshire. It’s near my home – I can see it from my window – so it has a special place in my life. And I’d like to tempt you to come and see it for yourself. But bring your...

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Top 5 Things to Do During The Superbowl

Top 5 Things to Do During The Superbowl. In the USA, the Superbowl, originally a clever commercial construct, has become a de facto national holiday—and a celebration of commerce beyond the pale. Columbus Day (or Invasion Day, depending on one’s genotype) is old hat—let the helmeted game begin. For those not so easily amused, one can use this to his advantage by visiting normally congested venues during game time. It’s a good way to...

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Want an Easy Way to Shampoo Your Own Carpet?

Want an Easy Way to Shampoo Your Own Carpet? This time of year, between the rain and dirt, the floors and the carpet tend to need more attention. Actually post holidays they usually do anyway. For me that usually meant paying someone $100 plus to come out and shampoo it for me several times a year, or renting a big unruly machine myself, hauling it to and from the store, and doing it myself. That didn’t sound so overwhelming when I...

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D-I-Y Essential: The Magnetic Wristband

D-I-Y Essential: The Magnetic Wristband I love this magnetic wristband. So much so that I have to tell everyone about it. Isn’t it funny how some of the littlest inventions can be the most used, handiest gadgets around? Everyone in my family old enough to use a hammer or a screwdriver will be getting one of these sometime this year. Do you often find yourself on a ladder working on one project or another? It must be one of Murphy’s...

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Polly Put The Kettle On

Polly Put The Kettle On There’s nothing more entertaining than watching bubbles form and rise to the top in a kettle of water coming to a boil. You can do this in a glass electric kettle. Kettles weren’t always made from glass. The history of this well-loved device is rather interesting. This common kitchen item is documented as far back as ancient Mesopotamia. The word itself comes from the Old Norse word for cauldron, ketill. It’s...

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Yes, you can get married on Fort Lauderdale Beach

Do you need permission to get married on Fort Lauderdale Beach? You don’t even need a permit if you want to exchange your vows on Fort Lauderdale’s gorgeous beach. It’s a wonderful place for a destination wedding – and the honeymoon,of course. Your guests will also love travelling to the sunshine and beautiful climate that South Florida has to offer. One of the best times of the day to marry on the beach is...

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The Mask of Ageing

The Mask of Ageing. The ‘Mask of Ageing’ is a description given to an idea about the match, or mismatch, between how old you look – and how old you feel, think and act. Does the ‘mask’ your age presents to the world truly reflect how you feel about yourself? Does your youthful or aged external appearance connect with your perception of the real you? My article briefly explores this idea. There are...

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Organize Your Home and Work

Organize your home and your working life Officially, January 14th is ‘Organize Your Home Day’ but here at JAQUO we have lots of ideas for organizing all year round – for your home,your working life, your garden, seasonal organising, DIY ideas and even products that can help you.. See a selection of our organizing articles below: A Simple DIY to Organize Some Clutter      Feng Shui 101: Getting Started...

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Golden Gate Bridge closure January 10, 2015 to January 12, 2015.

Golden Gate Bridge closure January 10, 2015 to January 12, 2015. In 78 years the San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge has only been closed for more than a few hours a few times. It was closed in 1987 for the 50th Anniversary. The 52 hour closure for this weekend [Jan 10 – 12] will allow workers to install a new movable barrier for traffic lane control. In the past the plastic orange cones were moved by hand each day via the...

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Looking for a home in South Florida?

Are you looking for a home – or second home – in South Florida? If so, then you’ve made a wise choice. The climate, the activities, the events and the culture make South Florida the perfect place to live. Imagine having a home where you’re close to the beaches, minutes away from one of the best shopping and dining districts in the state, plus have every amenity at your fingertips. And if you think that home...

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What Does Your Inbox Look Like?

What Does Your Inbox Look Like? Do you save your emails in your inbox or get them out of there as fast as possible? Perhaps the first question should be how often you check your inbox. Since so much of my life involves my computer these days I check mine often. What I struggle with it the sense of unease when it grows. The last month or so, time was especially limited, I would open an email, see if I could just delete it, then either...

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Save the Dates for Weddings

Save the Dates for Weddings Save the dates help your guests to plan their schedules. If you are planning a small wedding that is local to your family and friends, you may not even need to send Save the Dates. You can pocket the extra money and spend it on your honeymoon or furniture, etc. However, if your are planning a larger wedding and need to know an exact count of attendees for the caterer, etc., or if you are planning a wedding...

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Bean recipes for all year round

Bean recipes for all year round January 6th is National Bean Day but here at JAQUO we love to use this wonderful, inexpensive and nutritious ingredient all year round. Here’s a selection of our favorites.     White Bean Chili, Vegetarian with Soy Crumbles           Ham and Bean Soup for Dinner Tonight           Easy Chunky Vegetarian Chili Recipe      ...

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Ten ideas to kick-start your writing

Ten ideas to kick-start your article writing Have you ever been sitting at the computer, raring to go, and suddenly you have no idea what to write about? If you write online articles, then the chances are that you have. But there are hundreds of ideas out there and many of them are all around you. Here are a few ideas to kick-start your writing work. The next time you think that your mind has gone blank, then call back to this page...

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The Wonder of a Drawstring Bag

The Wonder of a Drawstring Bag The Scenario of a Work Day The workday for me doesn’t start with the alarm. I wish it did. I always anticipate the alarm sounding in my sleep, so I wake up fifteen to thirty minutes earlier than the alarm. There being no point going back to bed, I don’t. I used to pack a bento lunch to to go work, but find it’s no longer possible due to time constraints in the morning. I just eat in the cafeteria at work...

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Making the Best of a Small Living Space

Making the Best of a Small Living Space My idea for comfortable living includes a home with mulitple bedrooms. Five bedrooms would be a good start. But why would a single gal need so much space? The biggest bedroom would be for me, of course. I hate being hemmed in, so 20’X20’ would be a good start in size. One room for guests, one for a workroom, one for an office, one for a small library and reading room, and a spare room with no...

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How I Got Sorted to Write

How I Got Sorted to Write Putting pen to paper has always been a favorite pastime for me. Even in high school, I participated on the school literary magazine. Over the years, I’ve entered a few minor writing contests. Letter-writing is still something I do in lieu of email and text messaging, mostly to the special people in my life. The funny thing is, I never had any direction for writing on a serious level. For some reason, the idea...

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Cheek for Cheek and So On

Cheek for Cheek and So On The most fun endeavors, many times, come to be as the result of a lark. My first book, under one of my pseudonyms, was written because I was feeling rather snarky and just knew I could. Much the same with Novel in a Day (NIAD). NIAD was born “tongue in cheek.” I’m not sure just how much cheek, but the founder of that auspicious diversion, Pigfender (AKA: Rog), wasn’t to be let off the hook after stating, “If...

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New Year’s Resolutions

New Year’s Resolutions So this first week of the New Year has already become for many people a real “pain”! Like many others we have become conditioned to make New Year’s Resolutions that are for the most part unattainable or unsustainable. But we make them with full knowledge that we probably are going to fail! Why do we do this? Instead, stop this insanity and make goals that are attainable! You will feel so much better in the long...

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Mind Mapping: An Easy, Fun Way to Organize your Goals and Ideas

Mind Mapping: An Easy, Fun Way to Organize your Goals and Ideas Mind mapping is one of the most fun ways I’ve found to organize my thoughts.  It allows you to take an idea and run wild with it.  If you are like me, It will take you places you never expected to go.  Basically it is taking one subject and building on it, flowing with it all on a ‘map’ or chart. You can do one by hand, though you might want a very large piece of...

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Using Pinterest

How to use Pinterest Are you using Pinterest to promote your business or your work? If so, then it’s a good idea to make the most of the service every time you pin an image from your blog or website. Using Pinterest to your best advantage requires no special skills. It simply means that you have to use the same basic common sense that you do when you are working online. The first thing to remember is that for every article you...

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Do You Feel Out of Focus? Try These Tips

Do You Feel Out of Focus? Try These Tips This time of year over all others seems to draw us off our path as we wander off on various rabbit trails. Do you feel that way too? All the activity preparing for and celebrating Christmas can leave you feeling exhausted and confused, asking yourself, “Now Where was I?” If New’s Year’s celebrations and champagne are included, you may not be able to focus on this print yet, let alone any tasks....

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Can you be too organised?

Can you be too organised? Well, actually I think so. In fact I’m pretty sure I’m too organised. You see I’m the kind of annoying person who has stupidly high standards for themselves and included in that is being organised, planned and prepared. It doesn’t sound like too bad a thing, but it can take over… Let me explain. I use a paper diary system – a lot of people do; nothing too unusual there. I use one that shows a week over two...

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Organizing Scrivener Files

Organizing Scrivener Files When writing a story, keeping the work organized and the details readily available is the greater difficulty of the writing process. Being able to come up with the idea and flesh it out is not necessarily easy but if your material is organized much the same as a ball of yarn after the cat has played with it, you’re in for an uphill struggle to get your tale told. When I talk about organizing your writing,...

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How to start a car using jumper cables

How to start a car using jumper cables Or jump leads, as I call them, English-ly. In my years of owning cars that have been, quite honestly, less than perfect, I’ve had a lot practise at starting cars and a dead battery is often the cause. You know what I mean,you turn the ignition key and all you hear is that ominous click. But this isn’t just a malady can can affect the old, rather dodgy vehicles I’ve tended to...

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An Apartment Dweller’s Dilemma

 An Apartment Dweller’s Dilemma Are you an apartment dweller? Me too! I bet you hate the limited space like I do, right? Well, I’ve been finding ways to make the best of the space in my apartment. The living space here is a two-bedroom, two bath with a small dining area, a dinky kitchen and a small living room. The bedrooms aren’t much larger, but I make do. Recently, I stumbled upon Colorado Apple Crates. I spend a lot of time...

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The Extremes of Humanity

The Extremes of Humanity I read the book Alaska by James Michener soon after it was first published back in 1988. It was a wonderful, historical novel that has the same impact today as it did when it was first released. One day soon I will read it again. That says a lot about the novel, since it is over a thousand pages in length. While many fond memories of the book have faded, there is one scene regarding salmon fishing that has...

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Where Did That Soda Come From?

Where Did That Soda Come From? Do you ever stop to think how your food or drink came to be on your plate or in your hand? That is something that has been on my mind for awhile now. Actually, since reading Demon Under the Microscope, my curiosity has been sparked in many different areas. In that excellent book, life before and after antibiotics is examined. It amazed me. It made me realize I take for granted so many things in my life...

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Ideas for this Year’s Family Dinner Conversation

Ideas for this Year’s Family Dinner Conversation Will you be getting together with your family for Christmas dinner this year? I remember growing up celebrating with grandparents, aunts and uncles, siblings and cousins. Plenty of noise, plenty of fun, and plenty of conversation. I have an important suggestion for you this year for your dinner conversation. Ask them about their family history, and either record or write it down....

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Save Our Libraries

Save our libraries Two recent reports have highlighted the cuts facing library services in Britain. In the last 12 months nearly 50 libraries have closed, according to the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. And over the last five years a total of 337 have closed in Britain – a decline of over 7.5%. Alongside these closures has been a significant loss of paid librarians – a 22% drop in paid staff over the last five...

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The Teddy Bears’ Picnic

Before the words “Teddy bear” were ever coined, I’m sure that these cuddly stuffed animals had a place in many a child’s heart. Certainly after 1902 when the President of the United States Teddy Roosevelt, refused to kill a bear, the stuffed “Teddy Bears” became an even bigger fad. For that matter “fad” is probably not the best way to describe what happened with these stuffed animals, because fad suggests that the interest after a...

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Holiday roundup: Recipes & gift ideas

Recipes    Recipe: Yule log cake Frosted Cherry Squares German Sunken Apple Cake Recipe Baked Potato Soup to Take Away the Chill O Come, O Come, Emmanuel and Don’t Forget the Cookies Baked Brie Cheese Time for a Pie Party! Recipe: Mushrooms in red wine sauce Two favourite veggie salads Beef & Barley Soup: Comfort in a Crockpot Vegetable Soup With Zucchini Noodles Gift ideas Carry on Bags: Great Gifts for Travelers Your Left...

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Most Useful Gift Idea: The Ninja Master Prep Professional

A Small Appliance that Works Like a Giant Chopper and Ice Crusher: More Power & 2 Times Faster If you are still looking for a gift for family or friend that will be used and loved for a long time, do consider the Ninja Master Prep Professional . I don’t think I’ve ever had an appliance that has exceeded so many expectations. I found the Ninja after trying a blender in the traditional style (motor on the bottom). After returning it...

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Don’t Lose Your Holiday Photos

Don’t Lose Your Holiday Photos As someone who takes a lot of photos I worry about the memory card failing that is in my device I’m using such as my smart phone or my camera; maybe even my tablet. Then one day it happened. I inserted my card into my laptop and there was totally nothing on the card. I lost over 600+ photos. I was a bit freaked over that. Luckily my brother-in-law shared with me a program that I could use to...

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7 Reasons to Read Magazines on Your Kindle Fire Tablet

7 Reasons to Read Magazines on Your Kindle Fire Tablet I love magazines, but I don’t like having stacks of old ones piled up in my house. Sure, I could donate them to a nursing home or recycle them, but my thought process usually goes along the lines of, “What if I need that article or that recipe in the future?” Thus, stacks of magazines have been the norm in my house for years. But not anymore. Now I have a couple...

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Classic Furniture at RoomsInStyle.com

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved classic furniture pieces, especially those dating from the Mid Century Modern era. (Maybe that’s because I’m a Mid Century Modern piece myself!) The wonderful thing about these furniture items – as the word ‘classic’ suggests – is that they are timeless and a few select pieces will suit any decor. These days, I live in an apartment from that era and...

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Luxury and unusual gift ideas

It’s always difficult finding great gifts. Luckily these days, the internet has many excellent ideas and best of all, ordering is simple and delivery is all taken care of four you. I want to introduce you to a well-established a popular website that makes finding unusual gifts easy – Tastes Magazine. There’s no need to scour the web looking for gift ideas – the editors at Tastes have done all the work for you....

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Le Tour (de France) Comes to Town

Le Tour of God’s Own Country. In 2014 the Tour de France started in the mighty, magnificent English region of Yorkshire, and came right through the middle of our small town on the second day. I would find it difficult to identify individual competitors and say much about them. But what I do know is that this is a great sporting event of endurance, guts and stamina – and was one that shook our peaceful community in a...

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My Yorkshire Garden

The Guilty Gardener. I always feel rather guilty when I read of devoted gardeners slogging their guts out every minute of the day, knowing the Latin names for all the plants, and sighing on about the joy of it all. Truth to tell, I would often rather sit and look at it, with beer in hand, rather than get stuck in. However, when I do build up the energy, or more likely, when my wife hard-working wife has shamed me to it, I will don my...

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