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, January 17, 2010

Tips For Your Birmingham Catering affair:

By Barry Taylor

When it comes to catering, it's our occupation and our duty to stay on top of the changing trends while at the same time trying to stay within our planned budget, and do so in a very efficient and timely method that impresses our customers.

Planning ahead of time is very important when catering for a meeting or business event. Make certain to know in advance where the meeting will be located so you can attain the most express route to and from your place. Don't be afraid to try this out a few times to figure out how long it will take to get there. This will save you lots of unwelcome stress, time and nervousness when the time of your event or meeting draws near.

An additional critical step is to plan ahead and schedule a moment in time to get together with the event organizer to discuss the details of the engagement or event to be held. You will plan to come together at the venue so you know what accommodations, if any, will need to be happen. This will be a nice time to have a discussion about what items are on the menu, if there are any food sensitivities, and any other details with regard to the food. You can go ahead and take the time with the organizer to walk through the location. Make note of where the kitchen is located (if any), where all the access and exit doors are at, and how many entrees will need to be made.

Make sure and buy all your foods in bulk. Buying in bulk is a great way to save your money, and is also very accessible. Try checking around for bulk options at your local restaurant food Co-op, it is the best place to find the foods you want and it is the closest to where your business is located. This might save you lots of time if you find you are in need of something you don't have and you are in a time crunch. Another great place to find a bulk foods option would be an online enterprise. This will probably be your best bet if you're looking to save the most money because you will find the internet is saturated with these companies that will be all trying to offer their goods for less. Just find the most cost-effective choice for your business.

Try cutting back on your portion sizes, this will be very helpful for saving your catering business lots of money in the long run. Mainly, the protein-rich foods such as lobster, chicken, steak, shrimp, and all other forms of fish or meat can be cut back without noticeable decrease to you or your customers. Since a single serving size of protein is only about 2 ounces, you can understand how this decrease would improve sales and budgeting, as well as make for a more balanced and healthy portion for your customers.

Finally, it cannot be emphasized enough to be prepared and plan ahead! Using this technique will save you and your catering business much time and money. By planning ahead, you will know exactly what is expected of you and will find yourself much more prepared to handle any situation that comes your way.

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House Renovation: From A Mother's Point Of View

By Tyra Smith

Each nook and cranny of your home was alright when all of a sudden, an offer of a new beginning arrived knocking on your door. Instantly, you saw your tainted curtains, your dull furniture, and your boring lay-out. You recollected one quotation, "Do not do for tomorrow what you can do for today." Unusual as it may appear, this quote grew more serious to you than at any time that you have been a mother to three beautiful kids. Being the mother, you figured out that you are the only one who can do it; the one who holds the eye of the tiger for details. You wavered; but were innervated when you have remembered seeing demos in the television and reading much about it on magazines. In a short moment you told yourself: My cognizance is enough! What you want to do at long last came out, encapsulated in one word: renovation!

Before we start getting giddy painting and purchasing things that we need, let us first be prudent and make a checklist for our project: Are our sofas not as vibrant as before? Do they possess a pigment that is becoming an attraction for germs and other microorganisms? Are our once cream-colored soothing bed turned into a gray-colored cushion with deep depressions? Does everything just seem imperfect to our eyes? If we answered yes to any of these queries, then our askant view about our family's future is just right. And we know for sure that our being perfectionist will not let this moribundity continue.

With all the careful scrutiny and budgeting, the process of renovation may really seem abstruse. It will consolidate a knowledge of reinventing things which may need the powers of an engineer; a plan of a new theme which may need the powers of an architect; and of course, a basket of pixie dust (that will make your new home a picturesque of beauty) which may need the magic of a fairy. But who says we cannot be an interior designer? Who says mothers are just a crew of weaklings that cannot even lift a nail? Well, for the information of non-home makers, we are also capable of performing novel things; especially if it is for our dear families. With this vindication, we can now "borrow" our hubby's bandoleer and arm it with our necessary weapons for house reinvention.

After our home check-up and budget computing, let us now finally start with our project. The things that we may do are the following: Modify Colors - Color is everything; it affects our moods. We should find the perfect color that will suit the different personalities in our home; Get Over: Space is valuable; it is the key to lay-out. We should get over with the old, unhelpful and cumbersome things we still keep in the house that causes it to be jammed; Add- The balance lies in addition and subtraction. If we take aside old things, the remedy is to replace them with new and definitely accomodating ones. These additions should not only be cozy to our family but also to the size of our home; and lastly, Creativity- Creativity is the cherry on top of our ice-cream. It is the factor that gives vibrancy.

Restlessness and Muscle Aches, these are the certain symptoms that we will experience after this project. At the end of our valiant and wearing pursuit, we may be even labeled as bizarre for our audacious venture into something we are not really familiar with. But do not fret and regret, success or not, we certainly earned something out of it. Just like what one quotation said, "Experience is what you get when you do not get what you want." With a "new" home, we can now be rest assured that every nook and cranny is alright. We may not be experts on house renovation but fortunately, we are moms; we know best.

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Why Do The Caribbean Holidays Attract Tourists?

By Edward Watkinson

Out of all the world destinations, Caribbean stands out, and it is highly desired by tourists. It has a natural magnetism associated with it, which forces people to visit it, and witness the beautiful gift of Nature. The coastal areas of the Caribbean, the Caribbean Sea, and Caribbean islands combined together are known as the Caribbean. People of all cultures, age, and race enjoy a great holiday at the Caribbean undoubtedly.

The exotic beauty of the islands and the calmness of the atmosphere are too good to ignore, and there is too much to enjoy. The tropical climate and the variety of sea life including fish and coral reefs are so beautiful that any nature-loving person would want to get lost in this amazing beauty.

Although there are almost 7000 islands, cays, reefs and islets but there are 36 most widely visited destinations. The white sand beaches are a greatest attraction for all alike. The mountains are covered with coconut palm and the valleys full of bananas. Thus, you can see every part of nature in these islands. The clear blue water of the sea is in itself a sight to behold. So, collectively it can be termed as heaven on earth.

In order to cater the tourists, there are many resorts that offer everything for your convenience and comfort. For choosing a place to stay in the Caribbean for vacation, you first need to define your budget. The packages for the tourists are in different ranges. Therefore, you should do some research on the resorts and select the one that suits you the best.

Caribbean has a great variety to offer, ranging from sea to mountains. So, you can engage yourself in many activities to make your holidays more fun. The Caribbean is a wonderful place for the honeymooners and couples. They can spend some days just for themselves, basking in the sun, a hike in the forest, swimming in the blue waters, enjoying the underwater marine life or just enjoying the scenery from their own honeymoon suites.

Children who accompany with their families are not ignored at the Caribbean holidays, and there are special things arranged for them. Families get special rates when they come with children, and many activities are planned for the younger ones, so that they also have their part of fun.

The most widely visited destinations of Caribbean are Bermuda, Bahamas, Cayman Islands and Jamaica. All these places have lots of things to offer, ranging from food to shopping and sports activities. For food lovers, there is a wide range of exotic food that they can enjoy.

For water sports lovers, there are plenty of thongs that they can enjoy such as scuba diving, sailing, surfing, snorkelling, fishing and underwater exploration. There are also many other services such as spa, casinos and golf courses available. The night has its own charm. The moonlight makes this area more beautiful. There are lots of parties at night that can be great fun to attend. Also, you can go for shopping in the city and even enjoy the local carnivals and festivals.

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Remodelling Your Office Space Can Help Your Business

By Kate Johnson

Office design is no longer seen as unnecessary or wasteful expenditure in today's fast and competitive world. An attractively designed office gives a very good image to the firm and also helps the employees stay focused and contented at work.

Companies nowadays seek the help of experts who excel in office design. But before zeroing in on any particular design, some important factors like the nature of work to be done in the office, the total space available, total workforce etc should be taken into consideration.

The atmosphere and ambience of the office must merge in with the nature of business that is going to be conducted there. An example of this would be the serious and no-nonsense environment that must be maintained in a financial consultancy firm office, in which vibrant, gaudy colours would just not work. But advertising firms can use vibrant colours and apply much creativity to design an exclusive office that will display their creative streak to the clients.

Effective and optimum use of available space within which furniture is positioned properly will make for a remarkable office design. The office design should provide for user friendly furniture arranged in such a manner that the space doesn't seem congested. Workstations must have enough space between them so that employees get some privacy and their work does not get disturbed. What also should be ensured is that adequate care is taken to retain the sense of team work that comes when employees work in proximity with each other.

In order to ensure that employees stay focused and are comfortable while working, the office area should be well lighted, hygienic and clean, ventilated and air conditioned to suitable levels. Leisure space in addition to meeting areas are mandatory for all modern office spaces.

These numerous details and specifications which go into the ideal office design entail that the services of a well trained and experienced professional is taken, who can understand and use the best ideas to meet your business requirements.

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Office Design - How A Expert Design Can Enhance Business Performance

By Freddie Marcial

Interior designing and arrangement of an office can have a direct impact on the levels of professionalism and productivity exhibited by staff inside the office. Hence designs which emphasise on efficiency and productivity amid transparent surroundings are much more preferred these days.

It is a well known fact that for an office to work efficiently collaboration among employees is critical. Offices that are boxed into cabins and cubicles hinder effective communication between staff, as these physical barriers hinder free communication, and sharing of work and thoughts.

Removing cubicles from an office is the first step towards a more efficient office design. An open floor setup should be incorporated in the layout of the office so that employees and their managers can come together and interact without any barriers. All barriers of communication and sight like area enclosing fixtures or construction, opaque screens etc. must be avoided in an office.

It is also prudent to use reusable materials and furniture that do not damage the environment in any way. Moreover, the designers should ensure that ample daylight reaches the office interiors. An office design which ensures sufficient natural light in most areas saves on energy and therefore office operating costs. The natural light also keeps the work force more active and healthy.

Each company has its specific set of requirements and therefore, the use of productive office design aspects and factors have to be customised accordingly. However, keeping these things in mind and implementing them your overall design will lead to increasing the productivity of the office and building a more healthy atmosphere for the employees. A good office design can also be an impression creating tactic for a company, with customers appreciating the reformist outlook that the company's office will present. If you bring on board an established and reputed firm for providing office design consulting, your task of managing all these aspects will be made much simpler and efficient.

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The Numerous Benefits Of Ergonomic Office Furniture

By Jimmy Calvin

Office furniture is an essential part of the office interior and it should suitably fit into the office design scheme. The office furniture should also conform to the principles of ergonomics so as to make sure that workers can go on using them for extended durations without any health risks.

Over one third of an average employee's day is spent in the office, and if the office furniture results in his discomfort and body pain, then it may create serious threat to his health. Thus it is crucial for employers to make sure that office furniture, particularly office chairs, are designed to enhance employees' comfort.

There are some important things to look for when buying office chairs. Stability, easy mobility and flexibility are the three aspects that should decide your choice of office chairs. Employees must be able to comfortably place their hands on the arm rests and be able to adjust the seat height according to their convenience. The chair must allow easy mobility of hands and legs such that the worker can execute his jobs without any hurdles. The back support is the most important component of an office chair. It must be sufficiently curved and cushioned to provide the back and spine maximum support and rest when seated.

The second most important component of office furniture is office desks. Their height should be just correct and they must have ample space to enable the person to do both computer as well as paperwork. Small or cluttered office desks are a real agony for the worker and his body also has to make certain avoidable adjustments during work that expose him to grave health risks at a later stage.

Office ergonomics is incomplete without careful consideration of the exact placements of office furniture. Workstations must have sufficient space in between so that employees can move or carry objects easily without disturbing a worker sitting at his workstation.

Good office ergonomics make sure not only a healthy workforce but a happier and more efficient one as well. An ergonomic workstation allows a worker to better organise and manage his work and also creates a pleasant and stress free environment.

Office design must always be such that the physical discomfort is ideally absent or at least minimised for the workers. The office interior must strive to develop such working conditions in which staff can carry out their jobs in a very productive manner without any health issues, so that the business gets the advantages of a healthy and efficient workforce.

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Bedroom And Bathroom Renovation Ideas

By Sylvia Watanabe

Before making any home renovations yourself, it is vital that you have a complete picture of the areas you want to touch in your home. There are bunch of renovation ideas than you can go for. It is very important that you have yourself exposed of these ideas so that you will be able to maximize your home renovation plans and come up with several design choices and finally choose the best one that fits your taste.

Let us begin with the bathroom. At present, the bathroom is being acknowledge as one of the most important rooms of a house. Planning a renovation for this room must thus be carefully plotted. To start with, examine the present situation of your bathroom. See how bad of shape it is and how much money you will have to spend if you do renovation. Cautiously think of the sort of results you want to achieve, for instance you may want to increase the size of your bathroom.

After carefully thinking of the layout plan, the next thing you have to consider is what decorating style you want to put on: traditional, modern or country-style? There are bunch of breath taking bathroom design accesible online, it is a great idea to go and see these and pick your choice. Your decision will have an impact the choice of faucets, light fixtures, etc. Next, ask yourself about the things you desire to add in your bathroom: a separate shower and bath? Do you like to bring more space under the sink? It's time for you to explore the new techniques for efficient storage solutions. Are there any on-going problems in your bathroom you have to address during the renovation process? Do you need to add a few more light sources? How about the ventilation? Make sure that you have put some thought and consideration on the details before you make any last decisions for your bathroom renovation.

Let us go on to the renovation ideas for your bedroom. This is an exciting section of the renovation process. The bedroom is our own personal sanctuary from the outside world. It gives us the chance to lie back, relax and read our favourite books. Since this is a room that most people dont see, you can apply whatever you want here. But do remember to have some sort of theme. Choose the color that you love. Find bedroom furniture that are cozy and is a immediate display of your personality and tastes.

Irrespective of what kind of home renovation you want, the best way to get things done the right way is to look for the help of professionals in this field. Describe to them what you desire to do and ask for their advice. Through this, you are sure that you are on the right course for your home renovation plans and you are sure that your money is spent wisely.

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Learn Spanish For Your Next Trip To Latin America?

By Dr Jay Polmar

My story: I had a challenge. I needed to move to Mexico for my health and retire, and I spoke English, a few words of French from high school, about 12 words of Spanish which could wind me up in fight or jail, yeah - mostly cuss words.

Luckily, I met Reuben Varela, a well known Restauranteur at the Balneario Hot Springs in San Juan Cosala, Jalisco, Mexico and Gerardo Tolentino, an English teacher who was teaching 1st year English.

Reuben pushed me to find ways of learning and practicing Spanish, and Gerardo worked with me to create the Gringo Guide. I'm the gringo -- and I sure needed a guide to get me through the experience of living in Mexico.

We searched the internet, and books on Spanish, and listened to conversations in the English speaking sections of restaurants in Ajijic and San Miguel de Allende where most of the gringos hang out and we figured out what was needed.

By the time we were finished, so was the book and we had part of it recorded so that pronunciation would be no problem for anyone to learn. The book was finished and put up on our site speedread.org

Now, you can speak like native in Spanish speaking countries/Mexico. It's that easy.

Now, everyone I know who visits Mexico, Spanish or anywhere else in Latin America - can speak like a expat that lives in Mexico. It's that easy.

The audios cover every pecularity of pronounciation in the Spanish language. The printed book will fit in your shirt pocket for use whenever you want. The electronic pdf will fit on pocket devices to help you communicate on the spot with electronic support.

So, when someone says: Que quieres tomar? You'll immediately know the answer -- una marguarita, por favor. Or, una coca, limonada, cerveza, or whatever you want!Fulfill all your needs to communicate in Spanish for Spain, Mexico or Latin America?

The book comes with a full guide, by sections to learn, use, and get answers to all your questions. It's guaranteed to make your vacation -- fantastic.

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If You Are Unable To Be There But Want To Show You Love Them Then Send -