Archive for October, 2007

New and Improved Lawn and Garden Tools Makes Outdoor Maintenance Quick and Easy

Wednesday, October 31st, 2007

By Janet Smith If youre looking for ways to keep your lawn and garden chores to a minimum and still have your outdoors looking fantastic, heres a few tips to please and delight. Every homeowner faces the chores of choosing the right lawn and garden tools to get the jobs done efficiently in the least amount of time. While you may enjoy gardening, you also need the time to relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Trendy new lawn and garden tools can help you do just that. As youre choosing your lawn and garden tools there are three important factors to keep in mind. First off, evaluate the efficiency of the tool. Ease of use and performance are important benefits of quality lawn and garden tools. Next, make sure the tools are made of durable materials that can withstand the pressure and other elements of outdoor use. Rust resistant sturdy metals and ergonomic grips are also important factors. Make sure you choose the correct lawn and garden tools for the job. Today many lawn and garden tools are multifunctional. These tools are very handy and can eliminate cluttered storage space with many tools. Listed below are a few improved lawn and garden tools that works great for a variety of tasks. For planting, weeding, watering, pruning, and keeping your plants healthy and happy an industrial grade gardeners essential tool kit is a great choice. The kit contains all the items you could need stored neatly in an easy to carry case. A Garden Utility Cart is a must have for yard and garden work. Make sure to choose one that has a liner for easy emptying and cleaning. You may also want to choose one with sides that can drop down to accommodate larger loads. Pneumatic wheels are the best type to handle all types of terrain. To permanently remove weeds from walkways, driveways or other stoned areas try a propane fired weed burner. You can eliminate the weeds without using harmful chemicals. A great new innovative lawn and garden tool is the groove and crevice cleaner. Its perfect for removing debris, from decks, between bricks, and tiles. Keeps these areas looking fresh and clean without bending or struggling to clean the crevices. Choose your tools carefully based on usability and durability. Youll have a selection of lawn and garden tools that will provide you quick and easy use for years to come. Janet Smith, Freelance Copywriter Your Direct Mail & Online Copywriting & Consulting Solution janet@writersforyou.com.tld Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Janet_Smith http://EzineArticles.com/?New-and-Improved-Lawn-and-Garden-Tools-Makes-Outdoor-Maintenance-Quick-and-Easy&id=491463 mail order ambien buy b ambien b next day ambien prescription on line buy ambien cod online

How To Recognize Your Niche Marketing Agenda

Tuesday, October 30th, 2007

By Abe Cherian Starting a business, whether it’s retail products or services, must establish their own “niche”. It doesn’t matter how great your products or services is, how great your sales letter is or your headlines, offers or what a great price you’re offering. If you try to sell your products or services to the wrong market, there’s a strong guarantee it’s not going to work. What is a niche? A niche is a particular specialty in whicha business or person finds they prosper. Niche strategy inmarketing is to market to a small but lucrative portion ofthe market. The small size of the niche generally ensures efficient marketing efforts and few if any direct competitors. On the other hand, if you take an average product or service, and maybe your ad copy is only medium grade, maybe your price is only medium grade, that I’ve actually seen these marketing campaigns go to the right targeted audience and pull a decent response. The point I’m trying to make is, to help you understand the difference between the right target market and a good marketing campaign. What can you do to make sure you get the right audience? You have to begin by knowing who your products and services actually appeal to. Then find the largest market that can actually buy your products or services or the best market that can afford to pay for your products or services. You might find multiple markets. You don’t want to leave any markets out. You want to be sure you target a specific market tightly enough so you can appeal to their interest, but not so tightly that you don’t appeal to anyone at all. If you have a product that appeals to multiple markets, you can develop multiple campaigns. If it’s a service business, that goes into the home, then you really appeal to many markets. A home owner that is a doctor, a homeowner that is a dentist, a homeowner that is a business owner, you can target to these specific people and treat them as a particular market. One great way to get into a particular market is to find a professional that is already in that market or is already a customer of yours and get them to be a cheerleader for you. Ask them if they will endorse you. Usually they will if they like your products or services. For example, here’s a story about my good friend Janice, a letter she created. Janice wanted to use her doctor as a reference for her business and she asked her doctor if she could write a letter from him to all of the other professionals in that market on their letterhead in their envelopes and send out that letter on top of one of his sales letters. Shockingly, Her doctor said yes. Her letter read like this; “I don’t do this very often, but I’ve received such good service from Dr. Blevins, I thought the rest of you should know about this.” And on with her message she explained the good service and at the end she left her business information. The results were staggering and Janice Then gave her doctor a free gift. She bought Dr. Blevins a box of his letterheads being that she used theirs, and she sent her Doctor an organizer to put them in. You see, what this does is it makes sure the envelope gets opened from her market because other doctors will open information on other doctors. Always give your niche some kind of position to help you increase your business. Copyright 2005 You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter on your web site as long as the byline is included and the article is included in it’s entirety. I also ask that you activate any html links found in the article and in the byline. Please send a courtesy link or email where you publish to: support@multiplestreammktg.com About The Author Abe Cherian is the founder of Multiple Stream Media, a company that helps online businesses find new leads and more customers without spending a fortune. http://www.multiplestreammktg.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Abe_Cherian http://EzineArticles.com/?How-To-Recognize-Your-Niche-Marketing-Agenda&id=227593 http order carisoprodol buy cheap watson soma soma online com consultation online soma

The Healing Powers Of Water Can Enhance Your Power Of Touch

Monday, October 29th, 2007

By Walter Pigatto Water is one of natures gifts as it can be used in numerous ways and can also benefit us it many ways. Its use for therapeutic purposes has been known for thousands of years and by many cultures. We know that it was a major part of Greek and Egyptian medicine to the point that the ancient Greeks believed that seawater had the power to take away malignant tumors and revitalize the nervous system. There are bathing places built on the shores of the Dead Sea, as it has been renowned for thousands of years as having beneficial effects on the body. Lakes that are high in mineral salts are used by people all over the world as the salts penetrate the body through the pores and have a great therapeutic effect on the skin and total body. They can actually detoxify the body, increase blood and lymph circulation and help speed up the elimination of wastes in the body. There are many hotels based on the shores on the Dead Sea, which offer a wide range of spa treatments. These Dead Sea minerals are also sold for home use in bathes, body and hair treatments as well as other personal uses. Another treatment from the Dead Sea is mud baths, which are rich in dissolved mineral salts, and plant extracts. It is another way of cleansing the skin and treating arthritis and skin disorders. Various types of mud are used in salon treatments because they act powerfully on the skins surface taking away impurities such as dead cells and grime caused by pollution in the air. A further medical treatment using seawater is known as thalassotherapy which when used can alleviate stress and fatigue, regulate blood pressure, purify the body and soothe muscular aches and pains. It also assists in improving the skin and hair quality as well as recharging the body by replacing some necessary nutrients. Floating around in water can also promote deep relaxation and there are many clinics using floatation tanks for this very purpose. Flotation allows you to unwind and even meditate if you so wish. The flotation tanks used have mineral salts, which enables your body to float and in turn allows you to become mentally and physically relaxed. Many of us have been in a spa and felt the soothing and relaxing effects of the jets and bubbles. These days you can have your very own spa at home, which means that you can get that relaxing experience whenever you want. Anther similar piece of equipment you can have at home is a power shower which when used stimulates the blood and lymph circulation. I also discovered that women can restore tone to sagging breasts by using alternate sprays of hot and cold water performed on a daily basis for about one minute. Also power showers used in specific areas such as thighs and buttocks can break down fats and help take away toxins through better circulation. We have all heard of people jumping into icy cold water in the name of good health and thought they were all mad! Well I am here to tell you that research has shown that cold-water baths can boost the production of the blood-thinning enzyme called TPA, which helps in preventing blood clots. Other reactions to the cold water are the release of various hormones into the blood stream, which stimulate the thyroid and thereby increase the oxygen consumption of the blood cells. Cold water has also been found to increase the production of white blood cells, which are very important in fighting off infection. Many people with chronic fatigue syndrome have also benefited from cold-water baths. We can go on and on about the virtues of water but that would make this article more like a book. I only wanted to introduce you to some of the ways you can use water to provide healthy benefits. Some of you may want to learn more about waters magic and you can do this by visiting your local library or bookshop. In the meantime stay healthy and continue to learn what nature can provide for us. Walter Pigatto is an expert on the skill of touch and can assist you in finding solutions to you and your family’s relaxation/pain solutions. He can also show youhow to develop the sensual side of your relationshipand much more. To learn more visit Power Of Touch web site today! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Walter_Pigatto http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Healing-Powers-Of-Water-Can-Enhance-Your-Power-Of-Touch&id=217755 phentermine union pharmacy mexican pharmacy phentermine phentermine online prescriptions phentermine without doctor prescription

Couples Who Press the Play Button

Sunday, October 28th, 2007

By James Krehbiel Couples who are having relationship difficulties engage in a process I call, Pressing the Play Button. Unable to navigate their problems by interacting in a healthy way, they tend to unravel in their communications. Both parties may react to the most insignificant of issues and take off down their slippery slope. What makes the process of unhealthy communications more perplexing is that neither partner seems to understand what set them off as their conflict picks up momentum. Words are uttered in the course of the conflict that causes great emotional hurt and disappointment. As the partners engage in hurting each other, they may either ramp up by becoming aggressive or shut down and avoid further confrontation. Apologizing may come later. But, it is too late. The damage has been done and the resentment builds with each passing moment. One partner may want to fix the damage by prematurely asking for forgiveness or acting overly pleasing, but a stifling silence may hover over the relationship indefinitely. Why does the emotional wreckage occur and how can it be stopped? Couples who follow a dysfunctional pattern of communicating may need outside help. They need a third party, such as the clergy or a counselor to help sort out the dynamics of their interpersonal pain. Some factors that negatively effect promoting positive couples communications are: Unresolved family-of-origin issues and current situational stressors. These factors may be exacerbating a couples ability to communicate in a healthy manner. Rigidly forcing ones notion of the right way of viewing issues, rather than sharing feelings to be mutually explored can foster relationship conflict. Making value judgments regarding your partners opinions rather than accepting ideas from a different perspective is harmful. Using sarcasm, manipulation, and withholding affection are dangerous tactics. Speaking for your artner rather than taking responsibility for your own feelings keeps conflict alive. Clubbing your partner with insults, name-calling and resurrecting ancient history can do a great deal of harm. Splitting loyalties by putting the needs of other family members ahead of your partner is a set-up for on-going conflict. Trust, commitment and respect are the cornerstones of a relationship. Without these qualities, effective communications between partners will be difficult and the relationship will not move forward. Couples need to learn how to promote understanding. This entails respecting and valuing the free flow a partners opinions and ideas. In order to promote understanding, couples must learn to let go of their selfish need to hide behind their own perspective and work on viewing the world through the eyes of their significant other. As M. Scott Peck said in The Road Less Traveled, love is a commitment to the spiritual and psychological well-being of our cherished partner. Learn to turn off the play button by making a pact with your partner that you will work on listening, valuing, and appreciating one another no matter how small or large the conflicts may be. James P. Krehbiel is an author, contributing writer, and cognitive behavioral therapist. Sample chapters of his book, Stepping Out of the Bubble: Reflections on the Pilgrimage of Counseling Therapy are available at http://www.booklocker.com/pdf/2242s.pdf He can be reached at http://www.krehbielcounseling.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Krehbiel http://EzineArticles.com/?Couples-Who-Press-the-Play-Button&id=166434 valium order online codeine where can i buy valium online overnight delivery valium prescription valium roche online purchase

8 Healthy Tips On Diets and Losing Weight

Saturday, October 27th, 2007

By Ray Darken I want to diet to reduce the extra flab around my waist! Want to lose weight but dont know how? Is dieting the best way? Was it the fad diet or all protein diet that might be giving you doubts? If this is the case, then think again. Dieting, especially rapid weight loss dieting, may not be the best way to lose weight, often because of the wrong information that seems to be prevalent. In fact, dieting without proper food knowledge has in the past done people more harm than good. If you want to lose weight through dieting, then for goodness sake, do it in a healthy way! What is a healthy diet? A healthy diet doesnt involve all-vegetables or an all-fruits routine. Instead it is a combination of wholesome nutrients that your body requires and in moderation. Moreover, it is very closely linked with the individual that you are. This is because the eating habits of each person are unique and so are the reasons behind weight gain. Therefore, there are many things that you need to consider before drawing up your diet chart. - Why am I gaining weight? This should be the key reason for dieting. The first step you should take to decide on dieting is to find out the reasons why you are over-weight. Is it the extra coke you gulp down or the almost no-exercise routine that you follow? Whatever the reason, you must get a clue to the kind of eating habits or reason that you are overweight and be honest with yourself. - Is dieting the only way? This is a sensible question to ask before deciding on dieting. Mainly because weight gain may not necessarily be due to your eating habits alone. It could be that you have been eating perfectly healthy food but still gained weight. Often its due to a lack of exercise that brings a bulge to your stomach. In these cases, simply, a bit of exercise will do the trick! So, decide whether you actually need to diet first. - Dieting, dieting, dietingthis is the only way! If you fall into the category where your eating habits are the culprit, then it should be apparent you have no other option left but to diet. However, dont fall into the trap of the fad diets that keep coming up so often. These specialised diets restrict too much of a particular kind of food which can be very dangerous. Cutting out all fats or carbohydrates can also be harmful. One of the best ways (and becoming more popular) to diet is to have a chart that would remind you of the nutrients that are essential to your bodys well being. Ask your doctor or nutritionist to prepare a dieting chart for you that you can follow religiously and then youll see results! Some healthy dieting tips that will keep you slim and healthy! I know you are all ears right now and I wont disappoint you. After so much lecturing about a healthy diet, you would definitely want to know what a healthy diet comprises beside food. So here we go! - Prepare a list of food items along with the calories that they give you! Yes, the first task is to get the chart made and stick it beside your mirror (because that is one thing you use frequently). See to it that it covers all kinds of nutrients that your body needs. You can even ask your doctor to do it. - Water, water, everywhere Drink lots of water! Water is a very essential item that should be taken frequently. It not only purifies your body but also gets rid of the toxic elements that are responsible for some of the pounds that are troubling you. - Smoking is not the secret of my energy! Avoid smoking at all costs. It is degenerative to your body and all that effort you make to reduce the flab may go to waste. Because, although you might be slim and trim, you have what some people refer to as a diseased body. - It is the distance between your gym and home that matters! Going to the gym is not always going to help you reduce weight in the long term. The effect can wear off as soon as you stop making the trips. However, daily walking to your gym would definitely help your body better than just lifting dumbbells! Make walking a habit. Brisk walking is all the more better. The point here is to give your body a taste of exercise. - Move your body! Make your body move as much as you can. Bend, stretch, run, dance, jumpdo whatever you want. Just make sure your body is moving. It is very important as constant movement will lubricate your joints by default and that is healthy. Salsa dance classes sound gooddont they? Now that you know a little more, dump the unhealthy fad diets that have been staring at you till now. Instead, opt for a healthy nutritious diet (i.e. Mediterranean diet or something similar) and exercise routine and stay healthy for the rest of your life. Copyright 2007 Ray Darken - Ray has included immediate access to a popular Mediterranean diet here. If this link is inactive, try http://safe-and-easy-weightloss.com/ Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ray_Darken http://EzineArticles.com/?8-Healthy-Tips-On-Diets-and-Losing-Weight&id=512917 ultram purchase tramadol order by 3 cst buy tramadol cheap 120 tramadol without prescription free shipping

Going to the Beach? Lose Up to 20 lbs. In Just 2 Weeks

Friday, October 26th, 2007

By John Tiniakos Do not eat anything beyond 3 hours before bed time. This is probably the most important factor in quick and in long term weight loss. And that includes all foods. Water may be an exception. Although, you shouldnt drink too much water either, during this time. It will make you get up in the middle of the night for a visit to the washroom which will increase the chances of going for a snack. Remember, your defenses are down when youre half asleep. Cut down on starchy carbohydrates and eat only whole grain bread and pasta and brown rice. Avoid potatoes or cut down to very small portions. Eat yams instead of potatoes. Yams are much lower in starch; they have a low glycemic index and are much less filling. Never combine two starches in a meal. For example, if youre eating rice, do not eat pasta, bread or potatoes. Fill up on fresh or lightly steamed vegetables and salad at the expense of starch and protein. Do not use any creamy salad dressings. Instead, add olive oil (not too much), apple cider vinegar, oregano and basil to your salads. Youll notice that vinegar replaces the need for salt. Salt must be reduced because it retains water. And a lot of the bulk in an overweight person is simply water. Water is the first thing that comes off when people begin dieting. This article, however, as you have probably realized, is not really about dieting. Its about making certain changes replacing old habits with better ones. Avoid eating deep fried products in restaurants such as, fried chicken, French fries and donuts (yes, they are deep fried). Avoid dessert completely. If you must eat dessert decrease your meal portion and have fresh fruit only for dessert - which brings us to the next point. You must cut down on the total amount of food you eat. Remember, it still comes down to input and output. One method I use to lose weight is decrease the size of my meals to half and add an extra meal. In other words, if you have 3 meals a day each containing 1000, the total is 3000 calories. If you cut the 3 meals in half (500 calories) and add another meal (500 calories), the total becomes 2000 calories. In this example we have reduced the days consumption by 1000 calories. Just like that. And its not hard to figure out how to reduce meal portions. Simply visualize you regular meal portion and reduce it by half. Avoid junk food snacks like candy bars, chips and so on (you know what I mean). If you feel like something sweet, have a fresh fruit or a non fat yogurt with fruit. When you want something not sweet, try crunchy fresh vegetables or unsalted walnuts and almonds. As you may have noticed, what were doing is: - Cutting down on total calories and choosing foods lower in fat and calories. - Increasing high fiber foods (fruits and vegetables,) that fill you up while containing almost no calories. - In addition, these fresh foods along with walnuts and almonds have 2 great benefits. One is they contain very powerful antioxidants that help fight against heart disease and cancer. The other thing is, foods like walnuts and wild greens, for example, increase a certain food ratio (the n6:n3 ratio) which has shown - in certain cultures - to extend life and reduce body weight. For more information on this, visit the site which contains the downloadable e-book I have written at http://www.nulife-weightloss.com/natural.htm. - Decreasing starchy carbohydrates (your body turns excess carbohydrates into fat). - Avoiding late night snacks which just end up getting stored as body fat, as the body does not burn many calories at rest. - Avoiding junk food which is extremely high in fat and calories, high in salt and various unhealthy chemicals. The final thing we need to include is something that most of us dread - daily exercise. Did you have to include this? The food stuff part is hard enough.you say. I know, Im sorry but you want to lose weight very fast dont you? Well then you have to exercise and not just 3 or 4 times a week (thats the weight loss maintenance level). To lose weight quickly or even for the long term, for that matter, you must exercise 6 to 7 times a week. Your workouts should last at least one hour. Your exercise intensity target should be between 65%-85% of your maximum heart rate. In other words train at a moderately vigorous level. If youre already exercising, increase it to the above level; if not get clearance from your doctor first and then increase your intensity gradually to that level. To find out the best way to lose weight with exercise go to my Blog and look for the title: Do You Lose More Weight When Exercising On An Empty Stomach? At http://topweightlosssite.blogspot.com Depending on certain factors such as body fat percentage (BMI) and level of metabolism a person could lose from 10 to even 20 pounds in just the first week by following this program. Good luck, good health and enjoy the beach! References: www.exrx.net, Aerobic Exercise Guidelines for Specific Goals, retrieved 17 May 2006 from http://www.exrx.net/Aerobic/AerobicGoals.html. John Tiniakos helps make weight loss easier through proven weight loss methods using information and analysis from the worlds leading scientists. To subscribe to his blog or his free monthly newsletter that includes valuable, up to date tips on diet, weight loss and health and to receive 2 free reports visit http://www.nulife-weightloss.com. For more information on his latest ebook Nulife Natural Weight Loss Program visit http://www.nulife-weightloss.com/natural.htm Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Tiniakos http://EzineArticles.com/?Going-to-the-Beach?-Lose-Up-to-20-lbs.-In-Just-2-Weeks&id=223669 xanax online fedex buy xanax online without a prescription purchase xanax online buy xanax without p

Getting Your Prospects’ Attention: Create A Character!

Thursday, October 25th, 2007

By Debbie LaChusa When you are marketing and selling a product or service, it’s key that you understand who you are talking to. Who is your ideal customer? Who has a problem that you, your product or service can solve? Who would be most interested in your product or service? Who is most likely to buy your product or service? Once you identify who the best customer or ideal client is for your product or service, write a description of that person. How old are they? Are they male or female? Where do they live? What kind of work do they do? What do they do for fun? What is the problem your product or service can help them solve? Are they affluent or is money tight? You may not have all the answers to these questions, but do the best you can to write a detailed description. Once you have completed the description, take it one step further: Create a character. What exactly do I mean by that? Picture in your mind, a single person who embodies all of these characteristics. Once you have a picture in your mind, begin to think about who this person is. Here’s an example Let’s say you are a wellness coach or fitness professional and your ideal client is a middle-aged, overweight woman who does not currently take very good care of herself, but wishes to drop a few pounds and get healthier. First, here’s a description She is a woman between the ages of 35 and 50 years old; she’s married with school-aged children; she works full- or part-time; leads a stressful, busy life trying to manage her family and work responsibilities; doesn’t take very good care of herself because she’s always caring for others; is 20-30 pounds overweight as a result; and doesn’t eat very healthfully. Now, here’s how we create a character First, we give her a name: Mary Smith Then we imagine how her typical day goes, as follows: Mary gets up at 6:00am and fixes breakfast for her two elementary school-aged children. She helps them get dressed and ready for school. She makes their lunches. She kisses her husband goodbye as he leaves for work, and proceeds to get ready for work herself. Mary loads the kids in the car, drops them off at school, and heads to work. She works in a busy office, and rarely takes time off for lunch. Because she usually doesn’t make time to pack her own lunch, she often runs out for fast food or another quick take-out lunch, and returns to the office to eat at her desk while she works. At about 3:00pm, Mary needs a pick-me-up so she grabs a soda and a sugary snack from the vending machine. Mary leaves the office at 5:30 and heads to the babysitter to pick up the kids. They arrive home between 6:30 and 7:00pm,tired and hungry. Dinner is often fast food, frozen pizza or another quick meal, usually lacking in solid nutrition. After dinner Mary helps the kids with their homework, gives them a bath and puts them to bed. She sits down to relax in front of the TV with her husband around 9:00pm and has some ice cream f:00am to start this routine all over again. Now, let me ask you a question Do you feel like you know and understand your prospective client better based on the general description (age, family status, etc.) or based on the detailed ‘character’ description about Mary Smith and her typical day? Which description would best enable you to create effective marketing messages? Which description would enable you to select places to put your marketing messages to reach this ideal client? If you’re like most people, your answer is the detailed character description because it turns a generalized description of your ideal client into a person you can understand. A person who has very clear challenges and issues you can help solve. Yes, you will be making some assumptions and generalities when you do this. That’s okay. Just consider you are creating a character that represents the type of client you would like to reach with your marketing. This character is merely a representation. Combine the character description with a photo To further identify with your ideal client, you may even want to post this character description along with a photo cut-out from a magazine to represent him/her, as a reminder of who you are marketing to. Creating a character brings your target audience to life It allows you to market and speak to people. It enables you to create messages that touch those ideal clients and truly address the challenges they face in their daily lives. It allows you to see how you, your product or service fits into their lives as a solution to those problems. It enables you to market more effectively I challenge you to look at your target audience description andtake it one step further and create a character. Then make sure all of your marketing is designed to speak to that person in language that resonates with them and helps them see you understand their issues or needs. Try it. I think you’ll find that your marketing becomes much more powerful and effective as a result. (C) Copyright 2005 Debbie LaChusa Debbie LaChusa created The 10stepmarketing System to make marketing your own business as simple as answering 10 questions. Learn more about this unique, step-by-step system and get a free 10-week Marketing E-Course when you subscribe to the free, weekly 10stepmarketing Ezine athttp://www.10stepmarketing.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Debbie_LaChusa http://EzineArticles.com/?Getting-Your-Prospects-Attention:–Create-A-Character!&id=72906 cheap sibutramine with no prescription buy dreampharmaceuticals meridia online online prescription phentermine meridia adipex online pharmacy sibutramine

Don’t Forget Yourself When Caring for Someone with a Mood Disorder

Wednesday, October 24th, 2007

By Mary Logan When you care about someone suffering from a mood disorder, taking care of yourself can be a challenge. Mood disorders run the gamut from chronic and clinical depression to panic disorders and bi-polar disorder. In addition to the stress of caregiving, family members have the added burden of trying to avoid the “isolation factor” that is part and parcel of mental illness. It’s easy to see how this happens. Caregivers often believe nobody knows how they feel, or that things will never be ok. When you do have a morsel of time, you may be too down, feeling unsocial, or even tired to do the things you enjoy. Sometimes your only option is socializing with the person affected by mental illness, which may not feel like much of a restful break. Since mental illnesses can be both chronic and cyclical, it is important to be kind to yourself, as the caring family member. You need to take care of yourself whenever you can and even when you think you can’t. “Self Care” is a phrase widely used by personal coaches and refers to making your “self” a priority. This can be challenging for caregivers who frequently forget themselves as they care for the ill person. Caregivers especially, are prone to thinking of themselves as an afterthought, if at all. Neglecting yourself over time can result in adverse consequences for the caregiver, including burnout, shame, increased stress, and anger, in addition to isolation. Being proactive to stay well is important to avoiding these consequences even if the ways you express self care are minimal, they add up to keep you healthy. Here are some ideas for taking time for your “self,” to help you to keep on giving. 1. Relax your mind. For some people it might be listening to music, or meditation tapes, or even a book on tape (since reading may take more energy). You may want to purchase an MP3 player that allows you to manage the tapes easier than a traditional CD player. One of my favorite artists is Steve Halpern, who puts together some wonderfully relaxing music that I play from my computer or pop into the MP3 or CD player. 2. Relax your body. Massage, Reiki, facials, hot stone treatments — the list is endless. Try something new or go with an old stand-by. While it may feel like an overwhelming task, the simple act of making and keeping the appointment that’s just about you will be well worth the effort. If you just can’t get away, simple breathing meditations can bring deep relaxation. 3. Seek out your (funniest) friends. Staying connected with your friends is an essential form of self care. Friends know and accept our story, and help keep us going. Even if it is an effort, stay in touch and make plans to get together. It’s no secret how therapeutic laughing can be — so pick your funniest friends!! Or take in a funny movie together even if you don’t feel like laughing. It can be wonderfully contagious. 4. Take a break. “Respite” from your caregiving commitment can be invaluable. If money is not an extreme issue, try to get away even if only for a complete day and overnight retreat. There are wonderful places that cater to soulful restoration. Go alone or with a friend. But make a plan and stick by it. If you’re like me, once I “get there” I’m so glad I did! Mary Logan is a professional life coach specializing in support for the caregiver. Inspiring audios and her free: “Are you an effective caregiver?” assessment can be found at http://www.fromsurvivetothrive.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Logan http://EzineArticles.com/?Dont-Forget-Yourself-When-Caring-for-Someone-with-a-Mood-Disorder&id=464311 buy tramadol cheap online buy ultram cheaply tramadol online pharmacy without prescription tramadol online

Re-Potting Your Orchids

Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007

By Robert Roy This months topic will take us two newsletters to cover. It is about re-potting. We have been asked by customers, “when should my orchid be re-potted”. I will cover this subject by orchid genera. In this months newsletter I will cover phalaenopsis, dendrobiums, miltonias and cattleyas. Next month it will be vandas, paphs, and oncidiums. Phalaenopsis are probably the most common orchid plants that are sold. Their blooms are large and they can last up to 3-4 months. So when should should you repot phals. These plants can go for 2 or 3 years without ever needing to be re-potted. When you notice that there seems to be a tight fit in the container and there is definitely a need to get a larger pot. Clay pots are usually better than plastic. Using a bark mixture for phals that are in 5 inch pots or above is recommended. But for those less than 5 inch pots use sphagnum moss. The moss distributes the moisture more evenly. The best time of the year to do this is during either the spring or fall. Dendrobiums are actually part of the phal genera. You can re-pot this orchid plant once again every 2-3 years. The right time is when the orchid cane, (that almost wood like structure from which the leaves develop), grow out over the edge of the pot. You can use a similar potting material that was used in re-potting phals. Another point is dividing these plants. This can be done easily when you can have 3 canes per division. Simply divide the plant in two. Carefully try to dissect the roots. You will find that some do not divide easily and may be cut with a clean razor blade. Now you have two plants for the price of one. Once again, the spring or fall is the time to do this. Are cattleyas easy to repot is the question that comes to us occasionally. This may sound more complicated than most but it really is easy. When the plant is starting to grow over the pot it is time to report. Be sure that the new clay pot is big enough to allow growth for at least 2 years. Simply pry the cattleya out of the old pot. Be careful to not break a lot of the rots. There will be some broken roots as this is common. It may necessary to use a hammer to break the clay pot. Just remove the old potting medium and any clay shards. Trim off the dead roots. When re-potting put the old root spread out near the outside edge of the pot. Simple use a medium fir bark as the medium. Place it in the pot to fill in the areas and place the other roots near the center of the pot. You will find that some of them don’t want to go where you want them and that’s fine. Spring is the best time of the year to repot cattleyas. If dividing the plant needed you can do it now. Leave 3 -4 pseudobulbs with each division. Carefully separate the roots cutting those that you can’t divide. Miltonias are the next genera that will be re-potted. This is one orchid that needs to be repotted each year. Almost all other orchids need this every 2 -3 years. This plant needs medium that holds the moisture. It is composed of mixture of small bark, sphagnum moss and rook wool. In the spring repot miltonias. You will notice that they seem to be root bound, in fact, they like it. In next months issue we will cover re-potting paphs, oncidiums, and vandas. Until then, keep those orchids blooming. Sign up for tips in our monthly Orchid Newsletter and get your copy of “All About Orchids” e-book and your 10% Discount on an orchid. http://www.orchids-plus-more.com/orchidaceae.html See many exquisite orchids in our orchids in the Orchid Store Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Roy http://EzineArticles.com/?Re-Potting-Your-Orchids&id=174344 incest picture gallery incest galleries free incest comic strips incest and beastiality incest ficional stories

Acetaminophen May Effect Liver Blood Tests

Sunday, October 21st, 2007

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Ron_Swerdfiger] Ron Swerdfiger Acetaminophen often refereed to as Tylenol, when taken at the highest recommended dose may trigger an abnormal result on an otherwise healthy blood test, according to new research. The finding means, a perfectly healthy person may think they are sick when hearing the results of a common liver blood test. In the study, 106 participants took four grams of Tylenol, equivalent to eight extra-strength Tylenol tablets, each day for two weeks. Some took Tylenol alone, and some took it with an opioid painkiller. Placebo pills were given to 39 others. 40 recent of the people taking acetaminophen had abnormal blood test results which could signal liver damage. Dr. Paul Watkins of the University of North Carolina says, “This was a very surprising finding.” When treating this type of liver problem, doctors are trained to examine what drugs the patient is taking and recommended stopping drugs that may effect the liver. Ironically - acetaminophen is not on that list of suspect drugs - but a number of common prescription drugs are Dr Watkins says the study calls attention to the possibility that some blood tests are ineffective. Researchers recommend not to exceed four grams a day or the equivalent to eight extra-strength Tylenol tablets. And heavy drinkers should take no more than two grams a day The study appears in the current Journal of the American Medical Association For an [http://news.worldfitness.ca] health and [http://www.worldfitness.ca] Fitness news, visit [http://www.worldfitness.ca] http://www.worldfitness.ca Article Source: [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Ron_Swerdfiger ] http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ron_Swerdfiger [http://ezinearticles.com/?Acetaminophen-May-Effect-Liver-Blood-Tests&id=237073 ] http://EzineArticles.com/?Acetaminophen-May-Effect-Liver-Blood-Tests&id=237073 deals online find ambien on line prescription medicine ambien ambien online 2b no prescription 2b saturday delivery buy ambien onlin