Students Of Success

Your skin is a living organ. It breaths, drinks and carries topically applied substances through to the rest of your body. Caring for your skin is like eating. We have become very concerned about what we eat in recent years - this is very good. But, an idea that is only beginning to bloom is that you eat through your skin too. What do you want your body to eat? This question needs to be considered when choosing your skincare and bath products.

Currently, the personal care industry has no regulation. This is very unnerving, especially when the FDA Office of Cosmetics and Colors states that “a cosmetic manufacturer may use almost any raw material as a cosmetic ingredient and market the product without an approval from the FDA”

Manufacturers are allowed to twist their claims, by exaggerating or even outright lying. With this slack industry, it becomes nearly impossible for the consumer to know for sure what they are getting. Labels like “organic”, “cruelty-free” and “hypo-allergenic” can have little to no meaning. Manufacturers can even hide behind an organic label without disclosing all of their chemical ingredients.

The Environmental Protection Agency states that 89% of 10,500 ingredients commonly used in personal care have not been adequately evaluated for safety. Among these ingredients are carcinogens, penetration enhancers, allergens and harmful impurities that can cause cancer, inhibit fetal growth, cause nerve damage, disrupt hormones and cause other severe reactions.

So what’s a pampering bath loving soul to do? Educate yourself, read labels, shop from companies who have signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics (that’s us, close to the bottom of the list), and keep your eyes out for our next personal care article.

Ivy Mills has been researching chemical sensitivity and natural alternatives for over five years and has brought her knowledge to the marketplace in her company, Valhalla Essences. Her personal experiences have fed a passion to help others with the same problem. Ivy welcomes others to share their stories and experiences on her blog, Peaceful Power.

Some women have a difficult time in managing their depression.
Sometimes, their depression and fears can be very difficult to
manage and overcome. As a result, here is a short list of
techniques that a women can use to help manage their depression.

Some people get depressed and have a difficult time getting out
of bed in the mornings. When this happens, a person should take
a deep breathe and try to find something to do to get their mind
off of the problem. A person could take a walk, listen to some
music, read the newspaper or do an activity that will give them
a fresh perspective on things. Doing something will get your
mind off of the problem and give you confidence to do other
things.

Challenge your negative thinking with positive statements and
realistic thinking. When encountering thoughts that make your
fearful or depressed, challenge those thoughts by asking
yourself questions that will maintain objectivity and common
sense. For example, your afraid that if you do not get that job
promotion then you will be stuck at your job forever. This
depresses you, however your thinking in this situation is
unrealistic. The fact of the matter is that there all are kinds
of jobs available and just because you don’t get this job
promotion doesn’t mean that you will never get one. In addition,
people change jobs all the time, and you always have that option
of going elsewhere if you are unhappy at your present location.

Sometimes, we can get depressed over a task that we will have to
perform in the near future. When this happens, visualize
yourself doing the task in your mind. For instance, you and your
team have to play in the championship volleyball game in front
of a large group of people in the next few days. Before the big
day comes, imagine yourself playing the game in your mind.
Imagine that your playing in front of a large audience. By
playing the game in your mind, you will be better prepared to
perform for real when the time comes. Self Visualization is a
great way to reduce the fear and stress of a coming situation.

Another technique that is very helpful is to have a small
notebook of positive statements that make us feel good. Whenever
you come across an affirmation that makes you feel good, write
it down in a small notebook that you can carry around with you
in your pocket. Whenever you feel depressed, open up your small
notebook and read those statements.

As a Layman and author of an anxiety book, I have done many
interviews with various counselors in how to manage fear,
anxiety and depression. The techniques that I have just covered
are some basic ways to manage your depression, however your best
bet is to get some help from a professional.

Which is more important the technology or the customer?

The one thing about the online world you can be sure of is change.
It seems like every day there is a new technology being added
which will make the internet more accessible.
As online marketers, we strive to keep up with all these trends
and incorporate them into our marketing arsenals.

Going back to when the internet started, it was a bit of a nerdy
place to be, with lots of people communicating in text only.
Some savvy individuals saw how this growing community could be
exploited and used to advertise their wares, and with all the
hyperlinking joining them to other sites they could be easily
found.

Then the world wide web evolved from the basic internet adding
pictures and multimedia and eventually adding videos too, and
it became even more useful to marketing. Added in with email
which made it possible to reach a large audience at low cost
the web became irresistable to businesses.

Each step forward brings with it even more opportunities for
us online entrepreneurs to get our messages seen.

But as it marches on into new technologies are we all missing
the point somewhat?

We all need our ads to be seen, but often we seem to be spending
more time wrestling with new technology than actually working.
Everyone is jumping on the blogging bandwagon at the moment
and offering xml and rss feeds to get their messages out.

Flash video, along with audio, and video streams is also being
used extensively, and often unneccessarily to market products.

But even more alarming is the reliance some people are placing
on this new technology, to the point of abandoning traditional
email and websites.

Let me relate this recent story which actually happened.

I received a newsletter which I read regularly, and
like many others the owner was having problems with getting
his email newsletter through spam filters. Like many newsletter
publishers he had decided to publish his newsletter as a webpage.
He started sending out regular emails when the newsletter was
available, and including the link to read it. All ok so far.

It was shortly afterwards I received an update from this newsletter
telling me that it would no longer be available as a web page, but
would now be an rss feed only. And telling me if I wanted to carry
on reading I should download some software to do so.

Whoa, backtrack there.

Your subscribers can only read your newsletter if they download
some extra software and learn how to use it?

I emailed the owner to point out that I thought it was a bad idea.
You want your subscribers to stick with you, make it easy for them,
the reply I got was that I should join the 21st century, if I wanted
to read his newsletter he would tell me how I should do it.

No I don’t want to read it that bad thanks anyway.

So before you go running headlong into the latest technological
marvels of the internet, think about what your customers need.
Do they have the latest greatest browser to view your latest greatest
multimedia masterpiece?
Will they need to download some extra software just to view your
newsletter?

Subscribers are humans too you know, and as humans they are fickle
creatures. They will stick with you while the goings good and easy
but make them work to stay with your newsletter and you’re history
as there are plenty more good newsletters they can get free.

Flashy animations, and new technology can be impressive, but
put your customers first, and use the technology only if it helps
them.

Doug Titchmarsh

Doug Titchmarsh runs several sites including
http://www.cashinonline.info and
http://www.titchmarsh.com and publishes
an e-zine for marketers online and off
which you can get by sending an email to
douglastitchmarsh@getresponse.com

Improve or repair your home using drywall. To drywall a home for repair is easier said than done; however, it is never as difficult as some lead you to believe. When you start to drywall for home improvement, you must follow a few straightforward steps. As for tools, you will need a Putty Trial, Tray, sandpaper, and joint putty, scraper, hammer, paint, thinner, patches, plaster, and a few other items to finish the task. Of course, it depends on the size of the area as to what exact tools and materials are needed.

You will need sandpaper, since you start the drywall procedure by sanding down the walls and removing any lumps. You should sand until you see clear white area. You will need a cloth to finish the procedure by wiping down the wall removing any drywall dust.

Plaster comes in handy if there are holes in the wall, thus use the putty trial and scraper to apply the joint putty to fill in the holes and patch if applicable. From time to time, a second coating of plaster is required, thus repeat the course of action until the hole is filled and scraped down to smoothness. You will need to sand the plaster when it is dry.

Never start to drywall until you have sanded down the area, smoothed out the surface, and have washed the wall, freeing the area of any dust. Furthermore, make sure the region is dry previous to sandpapering the area. Start the drywall modus operandi by following the systematic steps provided to you in the kit purchased, and not until you have a clear smooth area.

You need to ensure that you avoid simple mistakes when planning and putting up drywall. Install the ceiling drywall before installing any walls. Work from top (ceiling) to bottom (floor). Try to run the drywall sheets perpendicular to the framing and mark joint locations so they are easier to find. If you can mark the stud locations on the ceiling and floor, do it so it is easier to fasten the drywall sheets. Check the plans for provisions for insulation, ventilation, moisture control and wiring prior to using drywall. Use dry wall nails or screws and cover the wallboard tape with compound. Make certain that you sand the drywall compound to ensure a smooth finish. If not sanded correctly, the bumps will show twofold when you apply paint. Most importantly, do not apply the drywall with the wrong side exposed.

After adding the drywall for home improvement, you are ready to paint. Thus, choosing the paint and brushes appropriate for the job will help you receive a grand effect. Paint the base line area before relocating any furniture in the home. Allow the paint to dry and touch up by re-arranging the furniture, curtains, etc.

Dry walling is not difficult and does not require a lot of technical skill, rather it is time consuming…

If your walls are in serious need of construction you might want to consider other options rather than dry walling and painting the area. Sometimes you merely cover areas that are deteriorating by adding new lining, paneling, covering, etc. Thus, checking into additional options might benefit you while saving you money and time.

Sometimes you can get away with repairs rather than entire makeovers. The walls are layered, thus a bit of plaster or spackle and other tools and materials could dress of the area. If you have rotted area, again you may want to consider other options, or else hire a drywall contractor expert to repair the home.

Sometimes you simply cannot get away with home improvement by doing it yourself. At times, you may need assistance, thus preventing deterioration is critical to save you money.

If you notice areas of the home that are starting to show wear, by taking care of the problem now will save you heartache later. The repairs are easier than entire improvements, thus repairs are also cheaper.

If you have dents, cracks or holes in the walls, buy a plastering or spackling kit and follow the instructions to repair the problem now rather than allow it to linger.

For repairs you will need paintbrushes, knives, spackle, latex bonding liquid, paint, patching plaster, sandpaper, fiberglass wallboard tape, and that about sums it up. For holes, you cover the area with the wallboard tape and then spackle to make the tape stick.

After the spackle is applied, using your sandpaper sand the area repaired until it is smooth. If you notice peeling, paint or loose plaster around the area, use your scraper to remove or clear up the area. After the spackle starts to dry and is sanded, add a second coating to cover the hole entirely. Again, sand and prime the patched area. Finally, you are ready to paint.

See how easy that was. Now, if you allow it to set without attention you will be doing a lot more work later and probably paying out a lot more money. You can use spackle to fix dents and cracks in the walls as well. Plaster or spackle will cover nail holes or holes made from screws. These home repair materials are affordable, thus cover now and save later.

K Hoyng is the web master and operator of www.quickcash2u.com which is an excellent source for home improvements and much more interesting information to personally help you with your home and finances. Visit us at www.quickcash2u.com/ or www.quickcash2u.com/basementremodeling.html