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October 20, 2005

Sewing Machines: Making A Comeback?

Sewing Machines: Making A Comeback?
by Kathryn Whittaker

While we don’t have to rely on sewing machines to satisfy our basic clothing needs, more and more people today turn to sewing to create unique, luxurious, one-of-a-kind pieces. Every family has that hand embroidered grandmother’s table cloth or a hand-made quilt, and these pieces are as cherished as the most sophisticated haute couture creations. And instead of paying hefty sums to someone for creating these little pieces of luxury for you, you can develop the easy skills of making your own monograms, embroideries or even hand-sewn button-holes – all the little luxuries that make the difference.

With the help of a reliable sewing machine, you can instantly personalize a lot of everyday necessities. For example, you can create a set of unique napkins or add a classy touch to your bed linen and bath towels with a monogram. And with a little practice you can even alter and mend your clothes.

When choosing your first sewing machine, make sure you understand how much sewing you plan to do. The honest answer will save you money and time, as you will not pick a too complex and upscale sewing machine for your basic sewing needs.

If you plan to study sewing and even recreate expensive designer clothes to save money, you will need a more upscale sewing machine. Sewing your own clothes makes sense only if your sewing skills are high enough to recreate high-end clothes, such as suits, jackets and dresses. You won’t save money on sewing your own jeans, because the pattern, fabric, buttons, and the time spent will make this pair of jeans more expensive than any of the designer creations. However, sewing children’s clothes does make sense, because you need little fabric, and you don’t really need complicated patterns.

A sewing machine is a great investment for those who have a passion for clothes design and like to wear one-of-a-kind pieces and don’t want to limit their clothing choices to what they see in department stores. With a sewing machine and a little patience you have full control on where the pockets go, what kind of buttons you use, and where the hemline stops. You should be aware that creating clothes from scratch or even amending the existing pattern requires sewing skills and a lot of time and devotion.

A more practical use for sewing machines is mending and altering the clothes you already have. We all have that special pair of trousers or jeans that we love and hate to throw them out. Sewing machines also work great for those who like personalizing item with monograms and embroideries.

Sewing for your home is quite labor-consuming; drapes and upholstery require lots of fabric and professional-grade equipment for precise sewing notions, such as rivets and hooks. Still, you can create simple drapes and even roman blinds on your basic sewing machine. Don’t forget about quilting that once fuelled the sewing machine craze. It seems like patchwork is coming back, and many fashion designers even use elements in their collections.

Sewing machines are indispensable for crafts, which are a great way to relax and unwind after a busy day. Studies have shown that sewing reduces stress! When sewing something, no matter for what purposes, people achieve something that gives them a lasting satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment. Besides, hand-made simple purses, gift bags for wine bottles, tablecloths and napkins make wonderful and thoughtful gifts.

And who knows, maybe after you discover the joys of sewing, you will decide to move forward and open a small sewing business to create and sew unique pieces of clothing. Many upscale boutiques and fashion fairs feature such mini-collections often sewn on simple household sewing machines.

Kathryn Whittaker writes articles on a number of different topics. For more information on Sewing Machines please visit http://www.sewing-machine-guide.com/sewingmachine-articles

Article Source: http://articles411.com

October 19, 2005

No Wonder It’s So Hard To Make Money Online!

No Wonder It’s So Hard To Make Money Online! by Frank Sousa

At a recent Internet Conference that my sons and I were teaching, I was reminded about one of the most serious problems that we all face in Internet Marketing, and that is information overload

What do I mean? Let’s look at a typical day in the life of an Internet Marketer.

9am… you sit down to your computer, with the intent of writing a new website, because you just KNOW that this will be the most profitable project you ever built. But before you get into that, you’d better check your emails

You go through about fifty junk letters…. but look! Here’s a message from some well known Internet Marketing Guru. I know he makes GOBS of money on the Internet every day, and he can teach me the SECRET of marketing on the Internet…. and my gosh he’s only going to charge me $49 for the privilege of knowing that secret. I can’t pass that up, so I better order it right now. After all the price is going up tomorrow you know!

So I order that ebook, and start to read it, but then the phone rings. It is just a telephone solicitor, but after I get her off the call, I sit down to my computer again. Let’s see, what was I going to do? Umm…. not sure but I need to run a virus scan to make sure my computer is clean… and while it’s doing that I’m going to get another cup of coffee.

10am… OK no viruses on my computer. That’s great to know… now I can sit down and get started on that website right…. but I better check my emails first….

Oh look… here’s a system that Mr. X used to rake in $40,000 last night while he was sleeping. Boy wouldn’t I like to have that… let’s go to his website..

Hmm…. seems like it’s another program that says write an ebook on Internet Marketing and sell it to people who would like to learn about Internet Marketing….. no.. I don’t want to do that.

Back to work… But you know I DID see something Frank said once about using public domain reports. I wonder if I could use that. So off I go to see if I can find that report. OK, now I have that, and I think I’ll pass for now.

11am… I better get back to work here. Oops, here comes another e-mail. What? This one says the system I’m trying to use to build my business is dead, and now I need to buy their software or I’ll go broke on the net?

OK, I can’t live without that software, I better get it right now.

12pm…. Lunch time, I’ll get back to that website after lunch

Sound familiar? Unfortunately it’s all too familiar for ALL of us. There are so many different ways to generate income, traffic or whatever we want to do on the Internet, that we’re constantly bombarded by offers.

Many of them are good, and many of them could make money for you IF you sat down and really applied worked on THAT program and ONLY that program for a few months. But the problem is that we get sidetracked so easily. Most of us never really take the time to focus on the ONE project that we need to get working BEFORE we start on the next

It takes a real discipline sometimes to say no to these tempting offers…. and yes… some of them come from me too. Here’s five simple steps to help you FIX this problem with overload……..

1. Set aside certain periods of the day that you check your emails and ONLY check your emails at those times.

2. Sit down and decide once and for all that you’re going to build a SOLID website, ebook, program, or whatever it is that you want to do. You’re not going to deviate from that plan until you’ve accomplished that goal. Along the way you MIGHT be presented with some software or peripheral program that would work well with what you’re trying to accomplish.

If that’s the case then GREAT… get it and integrate it into your online model, but if it doesn’t mesh with your PRESENT project, then either don’t buy it at all, or if you MUST, then put it into a separate folder on your computer called “Future Projects” and don’t mess with it until you’re on track with your present one

3. Make a to do list. This letter is an example. It was the number one item on my to do list for today, I wanted to contact you and write about this while it was still fresh in my mind

4. Find out what time of the day is the most productive for you and set that time aside for your most important tasks. Mine is usually 10pm to midnight

I realize that many readers must juggle their web site efforts with a full time job… but the real key is consistency. Set aside SOME regular time each week to work on your online presence

5. Resolve here and now that there are many ways that you would be able to make money on the Internet, but you can only do ONE AT A TIME… so you’re going to work at ONE until you’ve either made a success of it or it truly has proven not to be what you’d hoped for. If it’s the latter, try to find out why. Was it a problem in promotion? Was it the layout, the text, the headline?

You don’t want to repeat the same mistakes again

My sons and I make money in many different ways on the net, but everything we do that is successful for us always boils down to this simple formula.

I could ramble on for a long time about this, but I think you get the idea. This entire article can be summed up in to one word

………… FOCUS

Sign up for your free Cool Web Tips newsletter at http://coolwebtips.com You’ll receive many more PRACTICAL tips about getting more traffic, building effective websites, generating more revenue, and converting lookers into buyers. Frank Sousa is an author, teacher, & developer of the secretspidergenerator. http://www.secretspidergenerator.com

Article Source: http://articles411.com

October 17, 2005

Get Digital At Cheap Prices, Purchase Cheap Digital Cameras

Get Digital At Cheap Prices, Purchase Cheap Digital Cameras by Mark Humphrey

Do you want a digital camera for yourself but do not want to spend much money on it? There is no need to loose heart.

Gone are the days when digital cameras were the gizmos for rich and classy. The ‘digital’ need not be very expensive always. There are many cheap digital cameras in the market today.

So, following the digital technology for your photo hobby or professional photography is not a tall order at all. The Internet is the best place to gauge for all kinds of digital cameras at cheap prices. Just browse the web and you will get the grand choices for picking up an affordable digital camera.

Still, at doubts? Just read on this article and you would know how easy it is for you to find the digital technology at low rates today.

First things first, you must always know your budget and camera specifications you are looking for very well. The low budget should not be a hindrance to your preference. Just keep that in mind. In fact the advantages of having a cheap digital camera are many.

The range of cheap digital cameras starts at prices as low as £30. With such cost-effective price range, there is no need for you to be bothered about giving them to your young kids for photo explorations as well. Today’s cheap digital cameras also make for a great birthday gift or Christmas Day present for your friends and the members of your family. Moreover, a cheap camera is always utilized in a much better way than any of those expensive high tech gadgets. The reason is simple– you feel more at ease with them.

In fact, if it is seen logically, the digital cameras are basically cheap gadgets. The main cost is of buying them and that is for once and all. Later, they will not make you spend your dollars on film rolls like the traditional cameras. This is because digital cameras mean no intake of films, no printing, no processing and thus no continuing costs.

There are many kinds of cheap cameras available in the market. Many of them are made on ‘use & throw’ basis. They are disposable cameras, which are rated quite inexpensively by the companies. Moreover, there are chances for you to get them at much less or bargained price even. As they are very cheap and affordable, people buy them on an urgent basis, or when they need them at once, for a family function, wedding or any other occasion.

Now, where you can find the cheap digital cameras? You can go and visit your nearby digital camera showroom to have a look at their collection of cheap digital cameras. You can get them in all sorts of brands, from renowned to local dealers. If you want to buy them online, there are many Internet sources as well to buy these cheap digital cameras, say Froogle or eBay.

One way to get the best price for each camera is to purchase them in bulk. For this you can contact the retailers who offer some particular discounts and packages to sell the digital cameras. The rule—the more the quantity, the lower the price—follows the camera trade, if you want to buy digital camera at low price.

Just remember that a cheap digital camera may or may not have all those features of a standard digital camera. It may not have a flash, good resolution or an effective zoom lens. But they certainly serve the simple photography purposes well. So judge all the pros and cons before making the deal.

If the price is the thing most important for you, a cheap digital camera is undoubtedly the best deal for you.

Mark is an avid camera enthusist whose views can be read online at his blog… http://www.digitalcamerablogonline.com.

Article Source: www.articles411.com

October 13, 2005

Featured Articles Archive

This page lists Articles that have been Featured in the Past

Journaling Your Book to Completion

Three Common Deadly Mistakes Made In Job Interviews by Carole Martin

Simple Steps Lead To Successful Books

Simple Steps Lead To Successful Books by Jim Donovan

Like most first time authors, I figured that once the word was out that I’d written a book, the world would beat a path to my door wanting to buy it. I’ll admit I gave little thought to marketing until the day my first printing of Handbook To A Happier Life was delivered. In a panic, I called a published author I knew and asked, “What do I do now?” She suggested several books about book marketing, which I bought immediately. I was on my way.

Success in book selling is a three step process: 1. Write the book. 2. Print the book. 3. Sell the book. That last one can be bit tricky:-)

Space does not permit me to go into all the details of my process or to list the many people who helped, however, there are a couple of very important points I learned early on which made all the difference.

The most important thing I learned was to identify my reader. As much as I hated to admit it, not everyone would buy my book. My early feedback told me entrepreneurs, network marketers and salespeople were buying my book. I began to ask myself focused questions as to how I could best reach these people. I set goals. After all, if you don’t have a goal, how will you know when you’ve succeeded? I took specific actions daily. That’s important. Consistent action will make all the difference.

There were days when I was ready to give up but I kept taking action. I refused to give up. Another important point. Never, never, never give up! One day, a door opened. I had located a distributor who was selling to the market I wanted to reach. They reviewed “Handbook To A Happier Life” and it was put on a recommended reading list. It went into eight printings with almost 100,000 copies sold and was translated into several languages, and then sold to a big publisher. I knew all along that once people saw this book, they would want to read it.

I firmly believe most books will sell once you have taken the time to clearly define your market, set your goals and commit to taking daily action. And more action - keeping in mind that there are many places you can sell books besides bookstores. Go for it!

The Best Business Card You Ever Had

“Keep in mind Jim, this is a great business card.” That was my first lesson as a new author and it has served me well over the years. On a lark, I sent 20 copies of my new book to the presidents of several big direct sales companies. The result was a glowing testimonial from the president of one of the companies, along with an order for 250 books. Was it worth the cost of giving away the 20? You bet it was! I like to think of giving away books as planting seeds. You never know which ones will spout or when.

Many professional speakers and coaches willingly give away their $12 paperback book (with a cost of a $2-$4) and attract clients and bookings worth thousands of dollars from it. Others obtain high priced consulting contracts using the book as a door opener.

To receive a FREE “Successful Self-publishing” e-book, visit
http://www.writepublishselllyourbook.com

Jim Donovan, is a successful author, speaker and book coach, who guides authors through the entire process of writing, publishing and selling their books and helps them achieve the success they desire. You can learn more at http://www.thebookcoach.com

Article Source: www.articles411.com

October 9, 2005

10 Things that Keep You from Writing Your Book… and What You Can do About It

Filed under: Featured Article of the Day, Writing Resources, Book Publishing — Administrator @ 9:49 pm

10 Things that Keep You from Writing Your Book… and What You Can do About It
By Denise Wakeman

9 out of 10 professionals and small business owners have at least one book or information product inside their head, but lack the time and organizational skills to get it out into digital or print form.

You may cringe when you read this list of ten things keeping you from writing your book, because it rings too close to home for you. You may have already written a book or an e-book, or have come close to starting it. It’s hard, we know it, and we’ve been there too. But go ahead and read this list, see if you can identify, and let’s discuss a possible solution to the book writing problem.

1. I can’t seem to find the time.

2. Every time I sit down to write I go blank.

3. I need an uninterrupted time period to immerse myself.

4. I need clarity on my message, but there’s no one to consult with.

5. I don’t know where to start or how to organize all the chapters.

6. I’m afraid of losing clients and having my business suffer if I take time away from it to write my book.

7. I agonize over the writing, the grammar, the sentence structure and punctuation.

8. I know what I have to say, just can’t put it into written form without losing clarity and impact.

9. I keep thinking about all the time involved in writing the book, and wonder if it will ever bring me the results I want.

10. Once I get it written, I have no idea how to get it formatted, let alone marketed.

Ok, you know why you haven’t started writing your book. Do you know why you need to write a book?

Why You Need to Publish a Book

Here are a few reasons why writing and publishing a book is important to you as an independent professional, small business owner, or solo-preneur:

1. Having a book, whether in digital, soft-cover, or hard-cover establishes you as an expert in your field.

2. People buy from people they know and trust; reading your book is one step in creating client confidence and relationship.

3. Once people buy and read your book, they will want more of what you have to offer in the way of services and knowledge. Your book can attract readers into your sphere of potential clients; once they have bought your book, they are ready to buy other services from you.

4. Having a published book is a great marketing tool, and people will actually pay for your expertise.

5. Books are one of the major sources of passive income for professionals; once it is published it can continue to generate sales for you, over the years and while you sleep.

6. If you don’t get a book out soon, your competitors will have the edge, because many of them already have one and even two books out.

7. If you are a speaker, they make great bonus gifts and back-of-the-room sales.

8. They provide a platform for you to expose your readers to your mind and your heart, showing not only what you know, but how much you care. You can reveal your deepest philosophies through your writing, as well as your personal stories.

Three Solutions to the Book-Writing Problem

Of course, there is no problem if you’ve got a lot of money. You just hire a book writer. There are many of them listed at Elance.com. Some professionals do this, especially when they need to get something published fast and there are not a lot of complex issues to put forth. But is this really what you want to do as a professional who has an important message to convey?

Here is a list of solutions:

1. Hire someone to write your book for you (you can always rewrite it in your own voice and add your own stories). When finished, hire a publisher and then a publicist to market it.

2. Hire a writing coach who will walk you through the steps, chapter by chapter (again, for a substantial fee). Then when finished, hire a publisher and a publicist.

3. Bite the bullet, put your business on hold for a few months, and devote your time to just getting it written. You will have to turn it over to a book designer and get it formatted; search for the right publisher such as self-publishing or print-on-demand services, and then market it yourself.

Expensive? Yes, all three solutions are expensive. They each have their advantages and disadvantages.

The Fourth Solution

There is another solution! What if there was a way to help you get your book down in print and ready for formatting in 90 days?

What if you could do this by following a system that organized you chapter by chapter, included testimonials, input from peers, professional editing resources, design and formatting resources at low costs, and only took a half-hour of time per day?

Could you afford to invest that much time and energy out of your busy day? Would it be worth it to you even if it meant an hour a day for 90 days?

If you already have a blog that you use to communicate with readers online, you can use your blog to write your book.

The blog format is perfect for organizing your ideas, chapters and getting feedback from readers.

If you don’t have a blog yet, you may wish to create one. They are simple to set up and use (we recommend Typepad.com). It can be used to stay in touch with clients and to write your thoughts in an informal way. A blog is like having a conversation with people interested in your subject or expertise. Once your book is finished and formatted, you can then use your blog to market it. You already have a built in audience, hungry for your content.

To read more about how this system works and how you can benefit, go to this site: http://www.blogtobook.com – the way you think about writing your book will shift and you’ll see it in a whole new light!

Denise Wakeman of Next Level Partnership, and Patsi Krakoff of Customized Newsletter Services, have teamed up to create blogging and marketing services for independent professionals. Their latest program is the Blog to Book Project: How to Use a Blog to Create a Book in 90 Days or Less at www.blogtobook.com. You can read and subscribe to their blogs at www.buildabetterblog.com

October 8, 2005

How To Be Happy In Your Marriage

How To Be Happy In Your Marriage by Angie Lewis

A healthy marriage relies on the foundations of truth, honesty, honor, respect, and above all commitment. Couples don’t have a problem staying married, that’s the easy part! The difficult element of marriage is actually being happy and satisfied? Wouldn’t you say?

By answering these questions, you will find out how to be happy in your marriage.

1.) What is the purpose for your marriage?

2.) What do you believe is truth for your marriage?

3.) And where do those beliefs come from?

Many of us choose marriage because we don’t want to be alone in life. We want a lasting friendship/relationship with another to walk life’s journey with. That means husband and wife shouldn’t go wondering off on separate roads, but stay together on the same roads learning and growing together.

Many times that takes compromising with each other; giving up something YOU enjoy for the sake of YOUR spouse. This is how you bring happiness and contentment into the marriage.

So what is the purpose for your marriage?

Choosing happiness and satisfaction is a purpose in your life, is it not? It is something we all want. Who doesn’t want to be happy? How will you attain this happiness? What will you do to bring happiness into your marriage for your self and spouse?
You can’t really expect your spouse to make you happy? Isn’t this asking too much of them?

If you require inner peace from another human being it isn’t going to happen.

So the answer is simple, really, you just got to turn the tables around. Your purpose for marriage is for YOU to bring the happiness, and satisfaction into play for both you and your spouse to enjoy, instead of relying upon or expecting your spouse to do it.

That means giving out a little bit more of your self than you already have, and doing that even when you don’t feel like it. So what if you do most of the giving, you shouldn’t be keeping score or you will never be happy. Keeping score keeps us under the bondage of our negative feelings. We don’t want that.

You have a big job ahead of you, but it is an important task, that should never be overlooked. It is such an important responsibility that not everyone can do it. In fact, most people choose to live under the control of their feelings and they remain unhappy and unsatisfied. That is why there is so much divorce circulating around in this country.

Remember this is your purpose for marriage, and it is not to be taken lightly.

What do you believe is truth for your marriage?

The selfish way of believing is living in the “I want mode” of thinking. This selfish pattern girdles on what you believe.
Culture of society plays itself out with this kind of thinking. People are like chameleons, individuality is lost, and becomes one in its beliefs. A corrupt culture is formed through spiritual bankruptcy. It flourishes on selfish thinking and rebelliousness to the truth.

~~
Scriptures says in Luke, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.” Luke 16:15
~~

Selfish thinking believes that striving for more money and stuff will make you happy? Should you continue to strive for more riches and status to make your marriage happy and satisfied? When will it be enough money? How will you know when to stop striving for more money? When you win the lottery?

This is how most marriages work. But most marriages are unhappy and failing. So what’s the problem?

The power of happiness and satisfaction lies within what you can do for your self.

~~
“Keep Your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, becasue God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” Hebrews 13:5
~~

The dissatisfaction you feel is the realization that something is missing in your life; you’re just not sure what’s missing. Some couples believe the discontent of marriage to mean, they are no longer in love with their spouse, and so their beliefs make them stop loving the way they are supposed to love.

But what’s really missing from your life are beliefs built upon the foundations of godly wisdom, love and truth. It is not that you have stopped loving your spouse; it is that you have literally stopped loving your spouse! Your beliefs have created a way of life that feeds off self to survive.

You cannot love or give of your self properly if you are living off of self-based love.

The greatest goal and purpose you can attain for your marriage should to be more loving! To be more giving! To love not on demand or with strings attached, but to just love.

We accomplish this goal by handing over the selfish person we are now to God and letting Him take over for us in the selfish department. Once this is done, we can learn to love others with freedom by giving of ourselves with no strings or demands attached.

Believe it or not, this is what fulfills your being and brings happiness and satisfaction into your life and marriage.

When you are filled up with the love of God, He will rid you of all the negative feelings that once were absorbed in your mind that were radiating onto others.

We need to believe in Christ’s love and allow His spirit into our lives by humbling (submitting), and accepting Him.

~~
“…That is why scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6″
~~

You see, without a real purpose for our lives, a part of us is missing. We are needy, selfish, and clingy and this makes us unable to give of our self. When we love with selfishness, we place bargains and demands on the table with that love. This is not genuine love, but love that is confused and selfish.

Bottom line is if we direct our marriage under our own understanding of what we think and what our feelings say, the marriage becomes a self made marriage, ruled not from the love and wisdom of Jesus Christ, but from selfishness and worldly nature of man’s desires.

A healthy marriage cannot survive under those conditions and environment without much unhappiness, and that is why there is so much divorce!

We all want love and happiness, but it is the source of where we attain that happiness. That is the question. If our purpose is to have bigger and better things, then we know where to look. Those things are right outside our front door.

But if our purpose is to be happy, and to love others and to feel at peace, then it can only be found in one place. Your heart will find it for sure if you are genuinely seeking for the Truth and for the answers.

The source is as close as your mind will contemplate it, and as near to you as your heart will allow it in.

The word of God is a seed planted in your heart, the knowledge and wisdom is pondered, it grows until you become it, and are one with it. Understand it, use it, nurture it, and you shall be happy!
~~~~~~~

Angie Lewis is the author of new release book, JOURNEY ON THE ROADS LESS TRAVELED. A book about love, life, and marriage and the meaning of spiritual health and happiness.

http://spiritual.journeybooks.4t.com/
ISBN 1413788904
Available at Amazon.com/

Angie Lewis is writer and webmaster for online marriage and bible study ministry.

http://www.heavenministries.com/

Article Source: www.articles411.com

October 7, 2005

Homemade Halloween Costume Ideas For Children

Homemade Halloween Costume Ideas For Children by Nicole Dean

You can find a large variety of Halloween costumes available at stores in your neighborhood. However, when you consider the cost and lack of originality, homemade costumes are a more fun and oftentimes more cost-effective option. Plus, if you involve your children in creating the homemade costumes, the results will be worth more than any store-bought costume in any store.

Here are some inexpensive, homemade Halloween costume ideas that will cost little money and show lots of imagination.

Scarecrow: An over-sized flannel shirt, some straw, and faded jeans with patches will make a great scarecrow. Stuff the jeans and shirt with plastic grocery bags and leave a little straw hanging out of the shirt and jeans. A little makeup will complete your scarecrow costume.

Ghost: Ghosts are an old stand-by that never goes out of style. Use an old white sheet with holes cut for the eyes and sew a simple treat bag out of a scrap of material or a worn out pillow case. You can dress your ghost up a bit by making lips out of red lipstick and a few false eyelashes. Or you could color a beard and moustache with markers. You may want to create a colorful ghost by using a sheet covered with polka dots or one that is brightly colored.

Clown: You can create a great clown with sweat clothes that are a bit to large decorated with fabric paint or markers. Sew on some pom poms, use an inexpensive wig with a large, colorful hat, and you could even stuff the clothing with tissue (although the tissue will be a problem if the need for a restroom break arises).

Hippy: You can become a hippy from the 1960s with a tie-dye shirt and faded jeans with holes in the knees. Combine this with a headband, a ponytail wig, and a jacket or vest covered in fringe and you will have the most authentic looking hippy costume of all time.

Nerd: Halloween is the time to dress like something completely out of character. You can dress your child as a typical nerd, complete with white shirt, pocket protectors, pants that are too short, horn-rimmed glasses, while socks and black dress shoes. Don’t forget to tape one corner of the glasses for a true nerd appearance. Make sure you use plenty of hair gel to slick back the hair and a few overly large fake teeth will be a great addition.

Soda Can: Find an inexpensive plastic barrel and cut a hole in the bottom. Paint the entire barrel the colors and design of your favorite brand of soda in a can. With holes for arms and your head, a simple barrel can transform your child into a soda can.

Your child can be the hit of your block or at the neighborhood Halloween party if you use a little imagination and create special homemade costumes out of inexpensive, household items.

Like the commercials say “The memory of your child in a costume you made together”… priceless.

For money-saving tips, don’t miss Frugal Mom Tips (link to http://www.showmomthemoney.com/timesavers.asp ) And, if you’re a mom who likes to have fun with your children, visit ShowKidsTheFun (link to http://www.ShowKidsTheFun.com ).

Article Source: www.articles411.com

An Overview Of Asbestos Disease- Mesothelioma

An Overview Of Asbestos Disease- Mesothelioma by Kirsten Hawkins

What Is Asbestos?

Asbestos disease, mesothelioma cancers, lung cancers and asbestosis are the diseases caused because of asbestos exposure. Asbestos constitutes different naturally occurring fibrous minerals in some rocks and soil. It has found widespread use in industries and building materials such as fireproofing, roofing shingles, electric insulation, furnace, hot pipe covering, and friction products.

Recent studies have, however, revealed that exposure to asbestos can have damaging health implication resulting in asbestos disease and mesothelioma for both workers in industries making use of asbestos as well as those who live in the environment surrounding such places. Workers may inhale fine asbestos particles in the air; they also become exposed through skin contact with asbestos or by swallowing asbestos fibers while at work. These workers are vulnerable to asbestos diseases as mesothelioma and asbestosis.

Serious Effects Of Asbestos Disease- Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is the most serious of several asbestos-related diseases detected so far. This is because of the carcinogenic effect of asbestos particles. Asbestos can cause cancer of the lungs, esophagus, colon, rectum, stomach, vocal chords, and kidneys. About 70 percent to 80 percent of all cases of asbestos disease mesothelioma - a rare type of cancer of the mesothelium, the membrane that covers and protects most of the body internal organs – are the result of asbestos exposure at work.

Asbestos disease mesothelioma may not immediately manifest. The asbestos particles can lie dormant in the body for several years and manifest later, when the prognosis is very grim. It is possible that by the time the disease is diagnosed, the cancer may have already spread significantly. In view of health concerns all new uses of asbestos in the manufacturing industries have been banned in the United States from July 1989 onward. In particular, the use of asbestos in hand-held hair dryers was voluntarily stopped in 1979. Schools are required to test for use of asbestos roofing and it is removed or covered up.

Compensation To Victims Of Asbestos Disease Mesothelioma

The first case of asbestos disease mesothelioma was filed nearly 70 years ago. Employees in industries with considerable risk of asbestos poisoning are, in principle, eligible for mesothelioma compensation. The compensation is available only for those employees who run the risk of asbestos exposure since the 1940s. Recently, many mesothelioma patients have filed lawsuits for compensation. They have been awarded compensation on the ground that the owners of industries continued to use asbestos despite the information of the health hazards it entails. Currently, help is available to victims of asbestos disease mesothelioma through many specialized legal firms in the United States.

Kirsten Hawkins is a asbestos and mesothelioma specialist from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.asbestosblog.org/ for information on asbestos reform, mesothelioma lawsuit news, and more.

October 6, 2005

Top Ten Getting Started Tips to Market Your Book and Business

Top Ten Getting Started Tips to Market Your Book and Business by Judy Cullins Book Coach

Want to sell a lot more books? Want clients calling every day to find out more about your service? Most emerging businesses forget the #1 way to promote anything–the Internet. Specifically, writing and submitting articles.

These ten Tips will help you write a winning article that top ezines and Web sites will want to publish.

1. Include your non-fiction book’s chapter how to’s or your fiction’s juicy chapter excerpts in your articles. Your book coach encourages novelists as well as self-help authors.

2. Keep your articles around 200-800 words each. Remember today’s audience likes short copy. They want it one, two, three.
Online writing is so different from what print magazines want.

3. Keep your article focused on just one thesis or point. That means mindmap your article or make a linear outline what points to keep before your write it. A plan helps.

4. Create a hook for your two or three-sentence introduction. Notice this one asked you a few questions to engage you.

5. Forget the old school of writing for print magazines and getting paid. Follow the Internet way– give your article away like Mrs. Field cookie samples, so people who read them and notice your signature file will want to visit the site where you sell your book.

6. Keep yourself out of it. Your audience wants to know what you can do for them. Replace those “I” constructions with “you.” “If you are like me….”

7. Number the main points for clarity. People love easy to read tips. Remember tips have a format that pros know. Start with a command, follow it with a benefit for doing it, and follow that with examples of how.

8. Collect ten well-edited articles before you blast off. Online readers will look at you more seriously when they see you offer more than one quick thing. They will see you as the savvy expert and click to where you sell your book.

9. Leverage one article into five. Change your audience. Change your number of how to’s. Three Tips to… or Five Tips… or The Two Best Ways to….

10. Remember free information is the reason people go to Web sites, so put your articles there as well as in a blog.

Once you get dozens of short articles or fiction excerpts out to no spam ezines or top web sites in your field, you will notice the search engines optimizing your site because they see your important key words that link you, your book, or your service together. Your submitted articles lead to the magic of “viral marketing.” The thing is that this is attraction, natural marketing at its best. Your coach’s URL and signature file is now on over 33,000 Web sites.

Judy Cullins ©2005 All Rights Reserved.

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Email her at Judy@bookcoaching.com or Cullinsbks@aol.com
Phone: 619/466-0622 — Orders: 866/200-9743

Judy Cullins, 20-year Book and Internet Marketing Coach works with small business people who want to make a difference in people’s lives, build their credibility and clients, and make a consistent life-long income. Judy is author of 10 eBooks including Write your eBook or Other Short Book Fast, Ten Non-Techie Ways to Market Your Book Online, and Power Writing for Web Sites That Sell. She offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, “The BookCoach Says…,” http://bookcoaching.com

br>Article Source http://articles411.com

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