So This Is Christmas

Merry Christmas is such an infectious feeling I like to feel that way all year around.

So if you are visiting just before Christmas, just after Christmas or even here on Christmas day I am sure you will find something of interest for you and in the spirit of Christmas.

It may be said that Christmas is no longer a celebration but this must be spoken by people that have never had trouble closing their eyes on Christmas Eve in an expectation of what maybe left for them on the carpet under the tree.

I continue to look forward to the surprise on my Grandchild's faces to this day at Christmas events.

Merry Christmas - Merry Christmas - Merry Christmas

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Goal Setting Secrets to Avoid Sabotaging a Calories Loss Diet

By Rowena French

Even the most earnest individuals who genuinely want to lose weight can fall into the trap of expecting to lose too much weight, too quickly. This mistake can diminish their capacity to stay on a calories loss diet and doom their chances for a long term, healthy weight loss. Anyone aiming to lose weight and keep it off needs to understand how to set goals that are achievable as these are at the heart of successful weight loss.

The end product of losing weight is a re-shaped body and to reach this goal, weight loss professionals have established one or two pounds a week as a healthy weight loss rate. Unrealistic weight losses like five pounds a week or sixty pounds by the end of winter are not only unhelpful but also potentially medically dangerous. These goals can cause disappointment and lead to you quitting the calories loss diet that drives your weight loss, so consider the tools below to make sure your weight loss goals are achieved.

Reduce the outcomes you expect of your weight loss if they are unrealistic because dropping a pound or two each week is a success that you can enjoy and continue to achieve. Celebrate this drop in weight, stick with your calories loss diet and stay focused on continuing to reach this gaol on a regular basis. A slow and steady weight loss is a great way to stay motivated and this keeps you committed even when your weight loss may slow down for a time.

View your weight loss as a percentage of your body weight not only in pounds, as weight loss is a wider experience than just the pounds you lose. If you weigh 250 pounds now, a healthy weight loss for you would be 10-20% of this, around 25-50 pounds and this would put you into a healthy category that your doctor would be pleased with. So include as part of your goal setting, accurate weight loss goals that take into account your body weight now and a realistic weight determined by a health professional.

Chart your weight loss in different ways to accommodate the various body changes that following a calories loss diet and exercising will cause. This means that when your weight loss, measured in pounds slows for a time, you can still feel encouraged by the diminishing size of your hips, chest or waist. Including these different ways to measure your changing body shape not only accommodates a healthier perspective on losing weight but also helps keep you motivated as you see your weight loss from different perspectives.

Calculate your weight loss carefully taking into account that the rate of weight loss suggested by experts is around 1-2 pounds each week. If you want to lose 30 pounds, you will need to allow 15-17 weeks to do this and while this may sound too long at the beginning an achievable span of time for your weight loss like this allows you the opportunity for regular weekly success and finally allows you to reach your ultimate goal. Any time frame less than this puts unnecessary pressure on you and is likely to see you quit your calories loss diet and exercise program and resume unhealthy eating habits.

To reach your 1-2 pound weight loss goal each week you need to reduce your daily calorie intake each day by around 500. To gauge this, use a calories counter and this will enable you to calculate a balanced menu that includes a range of foods from each of the major food groups. To lose weight the numbers need to stack up so knowing how many calories you consume and how many you use are the central numbers around which you should plan your calories loss menu and your exercise.

Include both immediate goals and those to be reached across the long haul so you can acknowledge your successes along the way and still keep your eyes fixed on the final outcome. The weight loss process is one that needs encouragement built into it, so as lose your first 5 or 10 pounds treat your self to special non eating rewards. Build onto these smaller but growing successes by losing further weight through your calories loss diet and exercise routine until the final goal is yours!

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Rent Holiday Villas in Cyprus all year round

By Tim Martins

Almost everyone looks forward to going on holiday as a way of rejuvenating themselves. There is so much choice out there although sometimes the more exotic destinations are just not feasible. Cyprus on the other hand has so much beauty on offer along with luxurious accommodation so you can enjoy a perfect holiday.

Cyprus is full of natural beauty and gifted with golden sandy beaches and stunning mountain peaks. The Mediterranean waters are crystal clear and the landscape is full of green lush vegetation. It is also a tranquil island and it is inhabited with kind and friendly locals. It really has begun to top the lists for top holiday destinations as more and more luxurious rental villas become available.

The accommodation while on holiday can be a deciding factor on whether it is a success or not, and in Cyprus that factor has been sorted. Renting a holiday villa is the way to feel home from home and have almost everything you could possibly need at your fingertips. The villas uphold a very high standard and are equipped with all mod cons as well as the best quality finishings.

The rented villas in Cyprus provide you with everything as we said including a fully functional well-equipped kitchen where you can self cater. As far as entertainment is concerned they provide satellite connections connecting all local and international channels to your television. Housekeeping and domestic service is also available with almost all of the rental villas.

Only on Cyprus will you find so much choice when it comes to holiday rental villas. But it doesn't matter if you are on Honeymoon or out with the family, all occasions are catered for. If you are coming long term you would probably be looking at a self catering villa but if it's just a quick break in the sun you would probably opt for a rental holiday villa. It really doesn't matter what you are looking for because Cyprus makes your choice a lot more easier.

On the other hand you may want to be close to the entertainment action as well as sporting and recreational activities. You might just like to be close to local shops and markets as well as pubs, bars and restaurants. You will find that Protarasm, Paphos and Ayia Napa are well located to the fun side of Cyprus and will no doubt provide you with a memorable holiday.

Theres no better accommodation than a Cyprus holiday rental villa to be able to get right out there and be able to explore the sheer surrounding beauty. You must take out a couple of days to have a proper look around as it really will make the difference to a memorable holiday. Do your homework before booking too and find out exactly where you are going to stay and be wary of who you book with. Before making your reservation, get some useful advice on travelling to Cyprus from... http://www.cyprusinformer.com/blog

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Cyprus Travel - 3 Great Places to visit in Cyprus

By Tim Martins

Paphos Harbour and Castle - The harbour at Paphos attracts visitors all year round, who take the opportunity to walk along the quay and maybe visit one of the fish restaurants, tavernas or cafes. The view is superb, with lots of colourful fishing boats bobbing in the harbour. The castle is in fact all that remains of a much earlier castle dating from 1391, which was demolished by the Venetians.

The Ottomans used it for dungeons and the Brits as a warehouse for salt! It is accessible by a little bridge over a moat and should be visited if only for the incredible view from the top. Opening hours - Low Season Mon - Sun 9am to 5pm - High Season Mon - Sun 9am to 6pm - tel 26932841 (Paphos Tourism Office) North Cyprus. The Paphos Harbour is also the ideal place for a boat tour of the surrounding North Cyprus beaches and coastline.

Kourion/Kolossi Castle - Ancient Kourion and the castle at Kolossi are both situated in the Limassol area and can be visited together in a day. They are just two examples of the wealth of history to be found in Cyprus - the Kourion sites dating back to the 2nd century AD and Kolossi from the 13th century.

The ruins at Kourion are to be found in breathtaking scenery overlooking the Mediterranean - this is probably the most spectacular archaeological site in Cyprus. There are actually two sites, the ancient city of Kolossi and the sanctuary of Apollo Hylates - they are just a few kilometers apart. There is also a museum in the neighboring village of Episkopi. As it is one of the most popular Cyprus tourist attractions, it's worth arriving early in high Mediterranean.

Kolossi castle was the headquarters of the Knights Hospitallers - the name later given to the Commanderia dessert wine. Despite changing owners a number of times, the castle is inextricably linked with both the Hospitallers and wine making. Both Kourion and Kolossi are signposted from the Limassol-Paphos highway. Kourion is close to Episkopi village, Kolossi to the village of the same name.

Opening hours Ancient Kourion winter daily 8am to 5pm - summer 8am to 7.30pm - tel 25995048. Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates October to April daily 9am to 5pm - summer 9am to 7.30pm - tel 25995049. Kourion Museum September to June Monday to Friday 9am to 2.30pm - Thursday only 3pm to 5pm - summer 9am to 7.30pm - tel 25934907.

Larnaca Salt Lake and Hala Sultan Tekke - For anybody arriving at the Larnaca airport, one of North Cyprus' outstanding places to see and is right next to the airport installations! As you turn left out of the airport you will find the road running along a causeway. On each side you will either see two lakes, or two salt flats, depending on season - Discover the Larnaca Salt Lake and site of the mosque or Tekke of Hala Sultan.

Salt has been extracted from the lake since ancient times and this continues, on a small scale, to this day. If you are visiting Cyprus in lat winter or early spring, look out for the visiting flamingos and other migratory birds. Another salt lake can be found further along the coast of Akrotiri. Peer across the lake and you will see the Hala Sultan Tekke mosque surrounded by palm trees. This is a wonderful place to visit. Opening hours Hala Sultan Tekke winter 9am - 5pm - summer 7.30am to 7.30pm.

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Starting a Catering Business

By Gary Pearson

If you have a passion for food and enjoy being around large groups of people, a catering business may be the perfect vocation for you. While a catering business does involve an extensive amount of physical labor and endless hours over a hot stove, the rewards can far outweigh the challenges.

A culinary degree or certificate is not an imperative requisite, but you need to be conversant with basic standard operating procedures like food safety and hygiene, and various methods and varieties of preparations. As is applicable for any product, presentation is very important. Good presentation is half the success when it comes to catering. Make sure your food looks great and tastes even greater.

If you believe you have what it takes to run a successful catering business, start by conducting research via the Internet or visit your local library and check-out books on the subject. You'll need to find out as many details as possible regarding licenses and certifications that are required in your area.

Once you've completed your research, you need to construct a business and marketing plan. This is not a difficult process even if you have no prior knowledge about creating such documents. Just do a web search for "business plan" and "marketing plan" and you'll find plenty of samples and helpful material. The libraries and online resources are always easy to find and cheaper alternatives to hiring a consultant for extensive support. The Small Business Association (SBA) provides a large selection of classes and publications for new business owners. Visit www.sba.org for more information about their services.

The next step is finance. Having your hands on a good business plan and marketing strategy will give you a fairly accurate idea of the kind of credit you will require, as well as increase your chances of quick loan approval. You can get this done through banks and finance companies. Obviously, you will have to invest a small fraction of the total budget upfront. Even as you do this, take care that you do not end up investing more than you can afford losing.

While it might be exhilarating to start your own catering business, it's important to realize that in the beginning you will be wearing many hats. In addition to preparing food and catering events, you'll need to have a good understanding of marketing in order to obtain new business. And, let's not forget the day-to-day duties such as answering the phone, quoting prices, following up with clients, performing accounting duties, ordering supplies, etc.

While the experience is worth the challenges, you need to be mentally prepared for the long hours and busy weekends. It's compulsory to work hard with a minimal budget until you're well-established and recognized.

Running a catering business on your own will require hard work, perseverance and patience. There are so many jobs like serving food, taking orders, billings, mundane chores, cleaning, etc. that can tire you out.

There's more for you to tackle when you are running a catering business. Most often, caterers work 15 hours per day, 7 days a week. Outdoor events are more common than indoor events, so you'll need lots of energy and gumption to be able to handle the summer-day catering events. Also, maintaining a friendly attitude with lots of vitality throughout all this is essential for a good catering business relationship.

Work is never really "work" when you enjoy what you do, no matter how challenging it is. While it can be stressful and rarely give you any personal time, your investments from every category, be it money, time or energy, will be highly rewarded with great profits and satisfaction.

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Reviews and a Comparison of Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment

By David Eastham

The vast majority of reverse osmosis reviews are positive, and in some cases there are glowing comments about the ability of RO units to clean up brackish well water, or water with very high iron or sulfate content. And I would also praise RO systems' ability to clean up such water. But most of us don't have brackish water that needs this very expensive and cumbersome technology. In this article let's take a look at a reverse osmosis water treatment comparison with a newer water filter technology option.

Bad tasting and/or bad smelling water is common in a lot of the US. Sometimes the brackish water, or the water with high mineral content, is just undrinkable. That same water can be cleaned up with a RO system to be very drinkable, but I have always found such water to be very stale or flat tasting.

Compared to the unfiltered water the stale water is much better, but it does point to another problem. The funky taste came from the lack of minerals in the filtered water because the RO system completely removed them. Minerals such as calcium and potassium give water its pleasant taste, and these minerals are essential to good health. But, water without any minerals is a little acidic and, if consumed, it will rob calcium from our bodies in order to get back to a neutral state. Those suffering from osteoporosis may want to consider mineral supplements if they are drinking water from a RO system.

Cancer specialists have weighed in on this also, saying they also believe such water is potentially dangerous since it creates a slightly acidic state in the body and cancer is believed to thrive only in a slightly acidic environment.

RO systems filter by forcing water through a semi-permeable membrane. Any molecules larger than water molecules are separated out and removed. The amount of force required may necessitate an auxiliary pump and it is a something you will want to ask about before you buy.

The pores of the membranes are so small that even with sufficient pressure much of the water cannot be forced thru the RO membrane and is simply flushed. This adds to the operating costs.

The vast majority of our drinking water is "sanitized" with chlorine, a poison, and chlorine will not be removed by a RO system because the molecules are even smaller than water's and will pass thruogh the screen. The same is true of the thousands of synthetic organic chemicals found in our water supplies. To have these compounds removed a carbon filter must be used in combination with any RO system.

Water passing through a filter of any sort will somewhat reduce the water pressure and this is certainly true of the RO systems. They are very slow and, if you want filtered water for say, bathing, you will need a storage tank capable of maintaining water pressure.

When these units are assembled with the filters, pump (if needed), storage tank, etc., there are a lot of things to go wrong and the largest areas of gripes in the reverse osmosis reviews is over maintenance costs and start up costs.

If your drinking water comes from a water utility company, or from a chlorinated well, not plagued with brackish water, I would strongly urge you to compare the RO system to a selective filtration system. They are also referred to as multi-stage systems.

In multi-stage filtration the water flows through activated carbon that has been blended with a filter resin and compressed into a solid block. This modern technology filters out the chemicals with the carbon, the minerals leave through ion-exchange, and the rest of the bad guys get trapped with the tiny submicron filter pores. All you get is clean, healthy water with all the healthy minerals still there (by choice).

Good bye booster pumps, storage tanks, maintenance costs, operating costs and mineral supplements. Once connected to your water supply they do their thing, virtually maintenance free, giving you and your family great tasting, healthy water.

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Having A Different Halloween Craft Project For Every Year

By Kathy Pratts

Decorating your home or office for Halloween for the first time need not be such a difficult task. There are so many different projects to choose from. When thinking of a Halloween craft project, categorize your plan into three sections: decor that suspends, decor that sticks, and decor that sits.

Halloween Craft Project For Decor That Suspends

If you're goal is to make your house look like a haunted one, then you should consider hanging creepy Halloween critters from the ceiling. Hanging Halloween decor is especially great for offices, too, since they are easy to make and clean up afterwards.

Black Bats

To make bats as Halloween craft project, you'll need a Styrofoam sheet, fishing line, white/yellow paper, black paint, paintbrush, marker, glue, scissors, and masking/scotch tape.

Begin by drawing a bat shape on the Styrofoam sheet using a marker. You can search online for free bat templates and print them out. Cut out the outline and fill in the cutout bat shape with black paint using a paintbrush. Let dry. Cut out white/yellow paper into bat's eyes and glue them to the bat-shaped Styrofoam. You can also use Googly eyes. Now that you've completed your bat, attach the fishing line on the bat's head with tape and suspend on ceilings, doorways and windows.

Creepy Spiders

For this next hanging Halloween craft project, you'll need a string, egg carton, black tempera paint, pipe cleaners, Googly eyes, scissors, needle paintbrush and tape.

The first step in making spiders is to paint the whole egg carton using some black tempera. Next, simply cut out a cell and let it sit with its hollow side facing downwards. Insert pipe cleaners through the bottom part to make the spider's legs. Glue on the Googly eyes. Punch tiny holes on the top part of the cell with a needle and slide thread through them to suspend in the hair and hang on ceilings and furnishings.

The Halloween Craft Project For Decor That Sticks

One easy Halloween craft project for decor that is ideal for homes and offices are those that stick. One example would be fake cobwebs and you can use stretchable cobweb material for this or even just thread. You can find stretchable cobwebs in any specialty shop. These are cotton-like material that can be stretched and attached to almost any fixture/furnishing.

Sprinkling a pack of glitter on your thread cobwebs will add a realistic look to your Halloween craft project. Sprinkle over your fake cobwebs to give them that dewy appearance. Cobwebs are fairly easy to make. Just try to be creative to make your cobwebs stand out more.

Halloween Craft Project For Decor That Sits

This Halloween craft project is extremely versatile, since you can utilize a wide range of materials. Create a dining table for the dead! Carve up pumpkins and place tea candles in them. Make these Jack-O-Lanterns as centerpieces on your dining table. Compliment the pumpkins with dead leaves, twigs and dried flowers. If you are brave, you may complete the look by adding rubber rats.

If you plan on making black bats this year, you can always hang spiders next year. Or, you can change your dining table settings from the pumpkin theme to a witch's cauldron theme. Keep imagining for your next Halloween craft project!

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The Best Way To Get Discount Auto Insurance

By Joe Flexy

Whether you are searching for auto insurance in Canada, the USA, or so in any other country, getting discount auto insurance will save you plenty of money. The most important thing you are required to do is get auto insurance online quotes.

Finding discount auto insurance will be just quite easy if you utilize the online tools that are provide for you. There are lots of insurance companies that will provide you online insurance quotes and then allow you to buy your insurance right from your computer chair.

What you want to be sure to do is get several quotes. You also have to make sure you access like coverage. Read all the hidden clauses and get all the information to ensure you are comparing the same coverage. I advised that you get at least ten different quotes.

Purchasing online insurance can save you both time and money. You don't need to waste your time sitting on hold on the telephone, or driving everywhere from one insurance company to another, then waiting to see an insurance rep. Now you can have all of this with a few clicks of the mouse.

Moreover, you can save up to 40% by shopping on the internet. You will enjoy real discount auto insurance. The insurance industry is very competitive and with the coming of online insurance possibilities it has become more and more competitive.

On many sites you may still have to wait up to 24 hours to receive the quote but this is not too bad at all. Always be honest on the quote applications.

Insurance companies will validate the details you supply so if you try to play smart and get a better rate, they will take it away from you later or worse yet cancel your insurance.

There are lots of ways to get a discount auto insurance. A clean driving record, no tickets, no accident, your age, drivers over 50 always get an additional discount.

The type of coverage you choose can also give you a bigger discount. For example the higher your deductible the bigger the discount. Different types of vehicles will also give bigger discounts. The more safety devices your vehicle has the more of a discount auto insurance it will fetch. Also the less driving you do the more discount you will earn.

There are many things to look into when purchasing insurance, all affect your rates. You should determine what coverage you need and how much of it you require before asking for quotes. That way you will be asking each insurance company for the same coverage.

Some states and provinces require minimum coverages, such as with liability insurance. Be sure you are familiar with and understand what coverage is required by law and ensure you put these coverages in your request for quotes.

You should also ensure you choose reputable insurance companies to deal with. Great savings are only worthy if in the case of an accident your insurance company very promptly handles the claim. Companies that drag claims out and prolong paying are no deal!

So whether your insurance is due or coming due shortly, now is the right time to start checking rates and seeing what type of discount auto insurance you can get. So the question is are you ready to save some money?

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Cyprus Informer - First Class Villas Without The Extra Cost

By Tim Martins

We are almost certain that almost everybody who visits Cyprus on holiday just love it and normally the only downfall is the holiday rental villa. That's why we are now recommending a rental agency with a great reputation that has a great track record and has an amazing list of satisfied customers.

Don't risk ruining your Cyprus holiday when you can use our recommendation that guarantees a top class experience and one you'll almost certainly want to repeat (as many of their clients do!). Here's 10 reasons why we consider Ocean View to be your very best option for renting a villa in Cyprus

We noticed right away that this company only has it's long term reputation in mind and seem to double check on the smallest of details. They intend to become the top villa rental agency by sticking to very strict guidelines when it comes to customer service and they will not turn their back on you once they have your money in their pockets (not like some of the other agencies tend to do). Their business practise is based on the high quality companies that operate in the United States, so you can just imagine those friendly smiling faces already.

The dividing point between these guys and other agencies is their will to always be at hand, so you will never feel unattended. Their permanent on call service can deal with any major or minor problem straight away and from day one you will have the choice of hundreds of hand picked villas that can suit all budgets and varying needs, allowing everyone to have the very best holiday in Cyprus.

All their villas are privately owned and they supply a team of professionals to maintain and prepare all the villas to the highest possible standards prior to your arrival to ensure your stay is perfect (they have very strict standards for the villas they decide to offer out for rent, so you will never have any nasty surprises).

There is a 24 hour emergency service so you can even get help at night which is extremely reassuring. You will be greeted by a company representative on your arrival and will be guided to your rental car. You will receive all the necessary assistance to get to the check-in office where you will be issued with your villa keys.

They look after you even when you have to leave your villa and wait a couple of hours for your flight, by letting you use their exclusive clients lounge (we don't know anyone else who offers this). They can offer you exclusive car rental and taxi transfers, which means your relaxing stress free Cyprus holiday starts from the moment you step off the plane because you don't have to start worrying about transport!

They have been in business for many years now, so you are not taking any risks! You benefit from their huge local knowledge of Cyprus and they take great delight in recommending you which bars and restaurants to frequent, and the top sites to see in order to get the most out of your holiday.

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