The LuxMob Info Tags

Have you observed that most children, by nature, are naturalists? When I’ve watched children, I’ve often noticed that they will pay close attention to the details of the natural world: a little plant or animal, a dandelion, or an ant hill. Adults might say, “Look, an ant hill,” and by naming it, we walk on — we dismiss it. What would a child do?

There seems to be a trend today that allows people to believe that scientists will give us all of the facts we need to know about Nature. Much of the “environmental” education involves no contact with plants and animals. Students may watch videos, memorize how many legs a spider has, or learn that biological diversity is being lost in some remote rainforest. I know some kids — and no doubt, so do you — who spend more time in front of a computer monitor than in direct contact with Nature. Not to mention adults! I know, I know — I’m sometimes guilty of it too.

But the spontaneity and unpredictability of the natural world are never communicated to us in this “virtual environment.” What we get is Nature being sold to us as an economic system, as part of a great machine. Regrettably, our links to the land, and to our childhood, become disconnected.

Each of us is capable of making valid observations about how the natural world works. We have all, at one time or another, been inquisitive children. It’s been said by contemporary anthropologists that we need everyone to behave as naturalists, to observe and judge whether the ecological processes around us are working. I have read of Mark Plotkin, an ethnobotanist, who has said, “conservation is too important to leave to scientists alone.”

Our environment is wherever we choose to live. It is not an isolated scientific topic, but a unifying and fundamental theme across all disciplines. To be aware of how the environment underpins all human pursuits is to learn how the world works and how there are wonderful lives being lived very near us, and all around us, even in our own backyards. It’s time we stepped back outside, into Nature’s living room.

Taking a walk in the wild - even our own backyards - can enrich our lives. It costs very little for the well-being that is gained. Those moments can provide an escape from the craven virtual environment — an escape that can further enrich us when accompanied by an awareness of the place we choose to live. It’s more than knowing the names we give to things — it’s bearing witness to the relationships those things have to us and to each other. In microcosm, it’s about living in, and recognizing our effect on, the present moment in the natural world. In macrocosm, it’s about the legacy our human society will leave to the future.

Our thoughtful stewardship of the land, this Earth we call home, is often perceived to be our fundamental obligation as humans. Why? For our the sake of ourselves, and our children.

It is not outside the realm of possibility and imagination to believe that we have the power, collectively, to sustain and perpetuate the quality of life on our planet — our only home — to enrich the lives of our children, and for all species yet unlived.

Take a moment to think about that. How important is it to you?

Be daring! Vow to take the rest of your lifetime to rediscover the child within, and to rediscover your role in the life of Planet Earth. Take that first step to connect, or reconnect, with the wild lands. Take a hike!

Russ Beebe is an experienced wine tasting host and hiking guide who leads naturalist tours in the California wine country. Discover how you can enjoy the quintessential California outdoor experience at californiawinehikes.com.

This habit may begin as soon as you switch from a crib to a toddler bed. This is a common problem and is correctable. You must stay consistent and not accidentally reward the activity by letting them sleep with you or giving them lots of attention. This approach will quickly teach your child that getting out of bed is not worth while and should break the habit. Begin by putting you child to bed using your normal routine (example: reading a book then tucking in).

Leave the room and reassure them you are close. The FIRST or SECOND time your child gets out of bed take them back as soon as you see them and tuck them in again and stay for a moment. Make sure you are not staying long enough for them to fall asleep. Every time after the first or second time take them back and leave after putting them back in bed. Do not stay in the room. You may do this 10 plus times the first week, but soon after the first week the number of times your toddler will get out of bed will lower dramatically until they learn to stay in bed.

about the author:
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Author: http://MyChildToday.com
From: Toddler Parenting Advice: Bedtime Issues

Every child who is adopted from foster care deserves a clear, detailed record of his or her life prior to adoption. While a foster child is waiting for a forever family, a lifebook can help her to make sense of the past and prepare to go forward.

Once a child is placed with a permanent family, lifebooks are a connection to the past that can inform and improve the future. Done with care, lifebooks are an invaluable tool for helping children through difficult life transitions and enabling them to take ownership of their unique histories.

Simply stated, a lifebook is a book that presents a child’s life story. Like other books, lifebooks can contain pictures, artwork, text, and other meaningful memorabilia that convey information about a child’s personal history. What child doesn’t like being the star of his own story for an audience of his choosing?

It is very simple in principle…until you begin to factor in abuse and neglect, multiple placements, loss and grief, complicated legalities, and disruptions. How can you translate abuse, drugs, and rejection in terms and images appropriate for a five-year-old? You may have to learn some new skills, but a well-constructed lifebook can hold a tale of even the most profound loss and pain.

Key Components

When I was a new adoption worker, the experienced writers in my office created a lifebook template/checklist of sorts. All of our lifebooks included:

• information about the child’s birth
• a copy of the child’s birth certificate
• birth family information
• why the child entered foster care
• a history of different placements
• a worker’s blessing page

To bolster children’s self esteem, our template included a very upbeat birth page. One common line was, “When you were born, the doctors ooohed and aaahed…”

While I believed in all the lifebook components, I never liked this line. For me, it just did not ring true. So many of our children were tiny drug-addicted babies, fighting for their lives. Lifebooks are supposed to be about the truth.
Lifebook Truths.

Because lifebooks are historical documents, it is never okay to lie. Sometimes, though, you may not know much about a particular event—say, the moment the child was born. In such circumstances, you may need to say, “I’ll bet that….”

For example:

I’ll bet that your birth mother was happy to have given birth to such a beautiful baby girl, but she may have felt sad and confused too because of her problems with bad drugs.

Official documents such as birth certificates and hospital birth records are a great source of factual information, and kids love to see the important pieces of paper that validate their very existence. Foster kids sometimes need to be reminded that they, like everyone else, started life by getting born.

Another way to promote lifebook truth is to involve the child. After all, this is his or her story. Grab crayons and markers, and find a quiet space. Younger children may enjoy dictating while you write; pretend they are guests on a talk show and interview them. Other kids may want to write down their own words, and have you transform them into neat, printed pages.

Some truths are hard to explain and accept. But if an event is an important part of the child’s history, include what you can in a developmentally appropriate way. A teenager may be able to understand “sexual abuse” and a birth parent who was “addicted to cocaine and alcohol,” but a younger child may make better sense of phrases like “bad touching” and “couldn’t stay away from bad drugs.”

Omissions say to a child that things are so bad they can’t be shared. Then the child may fill in the blanks with much scarier imaginings and a sense of guilt or shame. Truth leads to healing, and troubling past events, over time, can fade into “just the way it is.”

Family History

Think about your family for a minute. Which relatives do you take after? Whose athleticism matches yours? Whose laugh echoes yours at the same jokes? Whose nose is (for better or worse) stuck on your face?

Much of our identity comes from being part of the generations that came before us. Children who live with their birth family can see the traits they share with relatives. They also hear and relive family stories at the dinner table, at family gatherings, and through shared memories.

Children who are adopted from foster care may have vivid memories of their birth family, but relatively few positive stories or happy shared moments. Once the birth family is out of their lives, they lose major connections.

Can you imagine going through life without meeting anyone who looks like you? Imagine what it feels like to go through a significant life event—having a baby or being screened for cancer—without knowing your family medical history?

Lifebooks can help answer questions that keep kids, teens, and adults up at night wondering. Adoption social workers often have access to detailed social histories, old medical records, and other social workers who once worked with the birth parents. If visits with birth parents are still going on, you have a golden opportunity to gather important facts and images.

In my view, any chance to get information or pictures should be considered a last chance. Additional family photos and details about the birth family will be a treasure to the child—and to those who parent the child for the rest of their lives.

And let’s not forget siblings; they have a special magic all their own. A simple page with siblings’ names, ages, pictures, and locations can work wonders.

Asking Why

One of the hardest and most critical parts of lifebooks answers the question: Why don’t I live with my birth family?

It is unwise to tell a child that their birth parent was sick (unless it is an honest part of the story). Don’t sick people usually get better? And if Mom gets better, shouldn’t the child go back home? What if Mom doesn’t get better—is she dead, or dying? Why give the child this worry?

I tell children that their birth father, birth mother (or other caretaker) had grown-up problems and wasn’t able to take care of him- or herself. In fact, the caretaker took such poor care of him/herself that he/she couldn’t possibly take care of a child—any child—at that time in his/her life.

By placing responsibility squarely with the adult, we can help children work through nonsensical thinking evidenced in rhymes like: “Step on a crack and break your mother’s back.” Many children with abuse histories believe they were bad or somehow responsible for being taken from their birth families. As social workers, we must make sure that kids don’t carry this burden of false guilt through life.

I often directly ask children, “Why do you think you aren’t living with your birth family?” In 10 minutes, I get more information from this question than most therapists do in 10 sessions. Depending on the circumstances, I will then discuss each child’s specific situation.

Placements

Pages on placements are often the most straightforward. Start with here and now; do a page on the child’s current school, favorite foods, good friends, sports, and favorite activities. Get any photos you can. Do the same for past placements in foster homes, group homes, or emergency shelters.
If the child is just about to enter an adoptive placement, a favorite page may be one commemorating when the adoptive parents and child first met. Interview the parents and child separately, and then share their quotes. Now you are accumulating text for the lifebook.

Seek out school report cards, awards, and positive quotes from teachers and foster parents. Awards and praise can help children feel good about who they are—a feeling that can give them the ego strength to deal with difficult transitions.

The Worker’s Blessing Page

As a social worker, you probably have worked with this child for months, if not years. Just before the child is placed for adoption, take time to write one page for the end of the lifebook. Talk about the child’s strengths and what you think is special about him or her. Include a funny story or thought.

It is important to give a child permission to move on and be happy. This is a powerful message for the years to come.

Getting It Done

A team approach to lifebooks may be most rewarding. If foster parents can capture a few moments of the child’s life—maybe grab a picture of the birth family and share a picture of the foster family too—then the lifebook has begun. Social workers and therapists can add to the record.

When the child is adopted, carefully transfer the book to the adoptive family. Coach adoptive parents to keep the lifebook somewhere special and secure. If the child wants the book in her room, make a copy of the original for her to keep. The child gets to decide when the lifebook comes out and parents should never share the book without the child’s permission.

It may be that the book will become a part of adoption anniversary celebrations, provide help with a school family tree assignment, open the door to conversations about adoption and identity as the child gets older, and help the child to deal with the painful loss of his birth family. Then too, it may be something that the child can only appreciate once he starts his own family. The lifebook should be available whenever the child is ready.

Soon after I began working on lifebooks for children, I heard back from families whose children had my first plain, typewritten efforts. To my delight, they reported that the lifebooks became more valuable over time. Lifebooks give foster and adopted children crucial, life-affirming information: basic factual data about themselves, as well as an understanding of where they came from and why they have a new family. It also gave them permission to remember and grieve their losses and better bond with their new families. What a gift!

Beth O’Malley is a speaker and the author of Lifebooks: Creating a Treasure for the Adopted Child, My Foster Care Journey, and For When I’m Famous: A Teen Foster/Adoption Lifebook (call 800-469-9666 to learn more about the books). To contact Beth, write to Lifebooks@earthlink.net or visit http://www.adoptionLifebooks.com

Do you ever feel stressed? Is stress a regular component of your lifestyle? What exactly is stress? What causes it and what can you do to manage and reduce it?

What you experience as stress is the result of your reaction to the events, circumstances, and people you encounter. The more you feel frustrated, a victim, helpless, a target, or picked on, the more you feel stressed.

You are surrounded by potential sources of stress. Your job, family, friends, schedule, traffic, and finances are among the many possible origins of stress you encounter on a daily basis.

The key to managing stress is monitoring and controlling the way you react. Stress affects you mentally and physically. Mental manifestations include irritability, sleeplessness, a lack of focus, emotional swings, a feeling of helplessness, and a short temper. Physical symptoms include elevated blood pressure, ulcers, headaches, weight gain, and aches and pains.

Don’t underestimate the destructive effects of stress on you. The consequences of stress can be debilitating. Left unchecked, stress can cut years from your life span and severely undermine your quality of life.

Our innate fight or flight response is responsible for the physiological symptoms. Our bodies are designed to run from or combat any perceived source of stress. Modern society, however, prohibits us from doing either. Stress therefore finds an outlet by affecting us mentally and physically.

If you attempt to manage stress by trying to control your environment, you will only succeed in exacerbating your stress level. You can’t change people or circumstances but you do have control over yourself. The only effective strategy for managing and reducing stress is learning how to manage your reaction to your environment.

Unless and until you change the way you react to stress, you will keep experiencing the same symptoms. You can’t run away because wherever you go there are stress inducing situations. Only by changing your internal stress handling mechanism will you free yourself from the clutches of stress.

One effective method for managing your stress is constructing a written stress management handbook. The first step is to identify and write down everything that causes you stress. Next detail how you react to each of the sources of stress. The handbook is your own private document so be honest about what you react to and how you respond. Different people have varying reactions to the same circumstances. You are only concerned with your own behavior.

For each of your reactions, describe an ideal response that would minimize anxiety. For example, if obnoxious people stress you, your ideal reaction might be to ignore them without getting upset.

Identifying the causes and effects of stress in writing enables you to formulate a stress management strategy. The following are some effective techniques for reducing your stress.

Take responsibility for your life. Don’t blame others. You are the only one who has the power to change things. Make sure that you effectively communicate your feelings and desires. Don’t assume that others know how you feel or what you think. Don’t take personally the actions of others. If someone treats you poorly, it’s because they have a problem.

You don’t want to allow frustrations and anger to build up internally. Doing so substantially increases stress levels. You need to restructure how you interpret and react to sources of stress.

With practice you can train yourself to successfully manage and reduce your stress level. Doing so will improve your health and enrich your life.

Copyright 2005 Bryan Golden

Bryan Golden is a self-development and motivational expert, author, and adjunct professor. He is the author of “Dare to Live Without Limits,” and writes a nationally syndicated newspaper column. For more information please visit:
http://www.daretolivewithoutlimits.com or
http://www.bryangolden.com

Treating your acne can be an overwhelming task what with all of
the medications available these days. The best way to find
treatment for your acne is to first learn about your skin. There
are 3 main skin types. Knowing what type of skin you have is the
first step to effectively controlling your acne. If your skin is
oily a gel product is best; if it is dry, you should choose a
cream based product. People with sensitive skin should choose
products with lower concentrations of active ingredients.

It may be best to visit a dermatologist when choosing acne
treatments. With so many different factors affecting what causes
acne and there are so many treatments to choose from you may
feel more comfortable getting the help of a professional when
making your decision.

If you would rather control acne your own way, understand that
it is very important to read all labels and always, always use
as directed. As with all medications, educate yourself on any
side-effects or warnings.

Acne treatments are available in several different ways
including:

- Prescription Medications - Creams and Gels - Facial Masks -
Topical Treatments - Over-the-Counter Treatments - Home Remedies

Prescription Medications

Oral antibiotics (tablets), taken daily for around 3 months, can
be prescribed for inflammatory acne. These pills act to kill off
the bacteria infecting the skin. However, it may take four to
six months for the benefits to be seen. For women, a standard
combined oral contraceptive pill (containing an estrogen and a
progestogen) can improve acne symptoms. Antibiotics do not
prevent pores from becoming blocked so treatment to prevent
blackheads, such as benzoyl peroxide, is often also prescribed
at the same time.

Creams and Gels

Lotions that contain benzoyl peroxide dry out the skin and
encourage it to shed the surface layer of dead skin. Benzoyl
peroxide also has an antibacterial action. Together, these
effects make it harder for pores to become blocked and for
infection to develop. When used as directed, these products can
make a big difference to the overall appearance of your skin.

Facial Masks

Facial masks can be a great addition to your basic skin care
regimen by offering extra deep cleaning and exfoliation to
troubled skin. Masks send a concentrated dose of proven acne
fighters to your skin and deliver them deep down. A good facial
mask can act to keep even the most troubled skin clean and
clear, reducing the frequency and severity of breakouts.

There are several benefits of using clay masks. As a facial clay
mask dries it tightens the skin, shrinks the pores and naturally
pulls excess oils and impurities such as whiteheads and
blackheads from your skin.

Topical Treatments

Topical antibiotics work by killing the Propionibacterium acnes
bacteria. This helps reduce the small infections in the pores,
and also indirectly keeps the pores open.

Over the counter Treatments

Over-the-counter remedies are available anywhere from your local
pharmacy to the grocery store and are intended to treat mild to
moderate acne. These treatments include the creams and gels
mentioned previously.

Home treatment

It’s important to keep spot-prone areas clean, so wash the
affected area twice a day with an un-perfumed cleanser. Never,
ever pick a zit! This could lead to scarring as well as spread
the infection. No home treatments for acne will work
immediately. It can take weeks, if not months, for significant
effects to be noticeable. Never sleep in makeup and wash your
face in the morning when you wake up and at night before you go
to bed.

Many people begin their online road to riches dream by starting up a website and trying to sell a product they have created themselves. They may have written an e-book, recorded a cd of original songs, or knitted some lovely potholders with pictures of cats on them.

Enormous volumes of hype have been published with the claim that the internet is an easy, if not mindless, way to riches. The internet is now a global advertising grid, and millions of people surf each day for things they would like to buy, learn about, or discover. They search for the needle in the electronic haystack that suits their fancy for the moment. Shopping online has now become reasonably safe.

The first problem is, how will shoppers with a credit card and the urge to shop find your website? A count as of January1, 2005, suggested there may be as many as 11.5 billion public webpages published. That was just over a year ago at the time of this writing, so that number can only be much higher today. To expose your little website selling cat potholders to prospective customers may take a little a little work.

Search engines use complex algorithms (mathematical formulae) to determine if the content of a website matches its owners claims. Self-proclaimed experts who follow this route for exposure must research every day to ensure their success. The search engine companies themselves keep their algorithms secret to avoid unscrupulous marketers taking unfair advantage of the whole internet shopping and surfing experience.

So what is a potholder seller to do? Search engine experts can charge upwards of $25,000 to guarantee that your site might be the first to be found when someone enters a search. That’s a whole lot of lovely cat potholders. Some very easy and free methods are available to drive traffic to your website. One of them is writing simple articles. You’re reading this one right now, aren’t you?

Hundreds of “article directories” exist on the web just for this purpose. The main and simplest thing people search for on the internet is information. People want to know about something, and often a good place to find a snippet of information is in an article directory. Thousands of 500-1500 word articles have been written and published on the internet, and people love to read them. If they are short and informative, they will become popular to read, and not too time consuming.

Then once your website is up on the net, write a brief, helpful article about your product. Target the style and content of your writing to suit your friends and customers, and also yourself. The average newspaper is written for a grade 9 level reader, and tabloids are written for a grade 6 level or lower. Writing on the internet runs the whole gamut of education. Explain a problem that needs to be solved, and at the end provide a solution. Sales copy is more involved than this, but an article should be entertaining, or fit the parameters of a possible search.

The most important part of the article, besides the content and the attention grabbing headline, is a live link to your website in the author’s bio at the bottom. More often than not, the reader will click the link, if it is live, to see what other information might be available on that particular subject. This link must lead straight to your potholder website. A reader is less likely to copy and paste your website address into their browser if another similar article is listed in the directory.

Write a short paragraph stating your expertise with cat potholders, and invite the reader to visit your website. This will be your “author’s bio”. If someone does read the whole article, they are often curious who wrote it, if it covers the subject they are interested in. Most article directories will accept html code in the bio box.

Search for the words “article directory”, and make a list of as many as you can. Most directories are free to read and submit your articles to. Registration is usually necessary, with your email as the username. Get another free email address to use specifically for article submission to avoid any trouble with spam.

After you have submitted your article, it may take a few days for publication. Check back to the directory to see if your article is published and your link is working. Then do it all again. The articles will stay published forever, or as long as the directory exists. Over time, people will continue to read your article, and click back to your website. If you submit your article to 20 directories, and 40 people interested in cat potholders read it, that’s 800 more potential customers from one article. If you have the time to write 20 little articles, and submit them to 40 directories, and 40 people read each one over time, well you do the arithmetic.

Article submission is one easy, quick and guaranteed way to direct some website traffic your way, and at almost no cost. Give it a try, you’ll be amazed.

Kelly Archibald.

You are hereby cordially invited to visit the The Online Success Portal for more tips on internet business. We don’t have any cat potholders, but can help you sell them.

http://www.onlinesuccessportal.com

Let the Internet be your guide when buying a used car. The information you can find online is valuable and just a few clicks away from your fingertips. You can find out what a used car of any make or model might be worth if you were trading it in, selling it yourself, or buying it from another private owner or car lot.

Before you take out a car loan, go online to see what the used car you want to buy is really worth. Besides the fact that you don’t want to pay too much for the automobile, you also don’t want to take out a bigger car loan than is necessary.

“Trade-in value” is explained as, “What consumers can expect to receive from a dealer for a trade-in vehicle,” and “private party value” is explained as, “what a buyer can expect to pay when buying a used car from a private party.” But when it comes to “suggested retail value” KBB switches gears and defines it as, “representative of dealers’ asking prices and is the starting point for negotiation between a consumer and a dealer.” - advertisement -

Now, be careful. You have to check more than one source, because the web has many websites that have their own opinion about used cars and about car loans. Depending on the website, the values for some cars can vary by more than a thousand dollars for what seems like the same type of car in the same condition.

Most free websites that say they can help you find out the worth of a used car or that claim to help you get an auto loan, usually have a close relationship with auto dealers and car loan companies that support their website through advertising or other means. That relationship with their supporters can make the information less reliable.

Two popular websites for information about used car values are Kelley Blue Book and Edmunds. They are the most reliable sources I’ve found for information about the value of a used car. For information about car loans, go to allaboutcarloans.com after you know how much you will need to borrow for that dream car you just researched.

First, let’s determine what the car you want to buy is worth. There are a lot of things that go into a used car’s value, including regional differences, supply and demand and what’s happening in the new car market. Run through the calculator on Edmunds, and see what the result is for the car you want to buy. Then check the same car at Kelley Blue Book. You’ll likely see two different values for the automobile you checked.

Why? Each of the two websites have a different means of calculating the value of automobiles. The prices that are calculated at the websites also use different sources for information about used cars. It seems that Edmunds.com uses a little forecasting to determine actual value of a used car, while kbb.com or Kelley Blue Book gives you a suggested retail price as a guide for car dealers.

Newer cars are easier for these websites to compare and you’ll find less differences in the price comparisons. The older the car is, the more likely they will be different estimates. None of these estimates should be taken as 100% accurate, but using both of these sources will help you define a range.

So what do I do? First remember, no two used cars are alike and no two auto loans are alike.
Also, it should be noted that using the higher estimated value when applying for your auto loan and using the lower estimated value to negotiate the purchase of your vehicle can be a plus. When you go to allaboutcarloans.com make sure you look for topics that will help you in determining the best places to apply for your auto loan and use the higher estimated value when applying.

Greg Lucas’ website, AllAboutCarLoans.Com was created so consumers can learn about auto loans before they apply for them. Information is power and the Internet is the place to get all the information you need to apply for the best auto loan for you.

HOUSEWIFE……IS THAT ALL YOU ARE?

Scenario: You have taken care of the house, the kids, your
husband and everything in between for years. You get a sense of
happiness and joy taking care of your family, although you get
tired sometimes. You husband works hard to provide for the
family, so you think that it’s the least that you can do. There
is nothing wrong with feeling this way at all. Here’s where the
problem comes in: He works and works and works keeping very long
hours. You never see him. He is on business trips very often and
his luxurious secretary just happens to accompany him on every
trip. Well you’ve suggested that you can take the trips with him
to keep him company sometimes. He insists that the kids need you
at home, you agree, you stay at home, and the conversation is
over. Well, he is still working long hours and you start to
express to him that you miss him being at home with you and the
kids. He explains to you that he works to provide for you and
the kids and that you are starting to nag him. You start to feel
guilty and you stop what he calls nagging, because you don’t
want to upset him. Right? You are just happy to have a husband
that provides for you and your wonderful kids.

Your husband has just come home from one of those long work days
and told you that he is leaving. You think he means just for
another business trip. He really means he is leaving you for
someone else. You are in shock and your whole world has just
fallen apart. You are now wondering, what are you going to do
now. You start thinking about how you have kept the house up,
you’ve taken such good care of the kids, you’ve made sure he had
a decent meal every evening that he did make it home on time,
and how you’ve been such a good wife. What more could you have
done? The answer is …………..You could have planned for a
day like this.

No woman should go into marriage thinking of divorce, but you
should always have a cushion to fall on so that your butt won’t
hit the ground so hard if and when you fall. If you want to
accomplish a goal while you are married, you need to do it! Go
back to school if you’d like. Start a business if you’d like.
Don’t allow your husband to tell you that he thinks it’s best
that you wait until the kids are grown. You can wait, but only
if it’s a decision that YOU have made for yourself. Do not lose
your total self in your husband. Do not live your life through
him and for him. Live your life for you. Accomplish your goals
now so that if he decides that he wants to trade you in for a
much younger version, you’ll be prepared.

To find out more, please visit my websites at
http://monicaburns.tripod.com and
www.flashbuilder.net/users/monicaburns.

If you would like to subscribe to receive my weekly articles,
send an email with “Subscribe” in the subject line to
monicaburnsinc@yahoo.com.

About The Author Monica M. Burns is a writer, expert author, and
editor of Monica M. Burns, Inc., websites which are small web
based businesses providing self-help informational products for
women. She has authored several eBooklets and is a featured
Expert Author on many websites! She has also contributed to
several anthologies . If you would like to publish any of this
author’s articles electronically or in print to your websites,
ebooks, newsletters, or ezines, you MUST include this resource
box.

Copyright@ 2005 Monica M. Burns

The best online MBA program for you is one, wherein the program’s core courses and specializations are consistently matched to your career interests and objectives.

Here’s a fail-safe 6-point guide you can use to determine which among the many online MBA programs found on the net, is the best fit for you and your career goals.

One – select an accredited online MBA program. Whether you plan to embark on an entirely different career, or are looking to enhance an existing one, you should always pick an accredited online MBA program. An accredited online MBA program guarantees you are getting the best education possible. It also assures prospective employers that you have the skills they need in the company.

Two – This online MBA program can be customized to your needs and schedules. Surveys have shown that over 70% of MBA students are full time professionals. The program you enroll in should you give you the option of working when you have free time and the ability to accelerate your learning pace.

Three – What is the online ratio of professors to students? Online studies and surveys of MBA students have shown that classes where the number of students is limited 8-13 students to a teacher is the optimum learning environment. For you will need the guidance of your advisor as you determine your specializations and other details related to the course.

Fourth – Are you learning from top-notch online professors? Check the faculty of the prospective MBA program. Learning from these eminent professors ensures, you will glean invaluable insights because they possess real-world experiences and on different aspects of the business world.

Another question you will need to do research on is the school’s academic approach. Is it anchored on established teaching methods and aided by innovative technology online?

Fifth – Is there an alumni program in place? You should carefully evaluate the many benefits a sound alumni program will give your career. You’ve have opportunities to network, which will give you the added ability to get job promotions, or make a smooth career transition here or elsewhere in the globe. Another central aspect of the alumni network is the option of joining a mentoring program.

Sixth – in the matter of giving you excellent career opportunities, does this online MBA program have a career services center with the following support?

One aspect, free training, or free attendance in courses related to your degree. Other career services include guidance in creating your resumes or portfolios, and the necessary planning that goes before an interview. You should therefore carefully weigh the comprehensiveness and competence of the school’s career services, when selecting the MBA program that’s best for you.

Here is a thought to ponder on, as you evaluate the importance of finding the best online MBA program for your needs. With an MBA degree, the ability of your salary to increase jumps up by as much as 50%. Don’t you therefore owe it to yourself to use these pointers in picking the best online MBA program to get your career to a rapid start?

Mansi gupta recommends that you visit www.ombag.net/2005/12/what_is_the_bes.html for more information on best online MBA program

Glowing skin comes free of charge to you. Our simple water does it effectively. The effect of water is immediate, say overnight. Your skin not only glows but you also feel a lot better after having a glass of water. Your wrinkles will seem less pronounced and your body will work most effectively as the waste and toxins are washed away. This is what our free of cost renewable source of energy does to us.

Tip: Drink a glass or two of water if you are watching your diet. Dehydration triggers false feelings of hunger so its easy to confuse thirst with hunger.

Natural spring water, whether its fizzy or still, is full of natural minerals such as calcium, potassium and magnesium, which are so important for our growth and healthy skin, along with iodine copper and iron .Fizzy water is believed to be absorbed much quicker in body and is thought by some beauticians to aggravate cellulite.

Tip: People who drink a lot of tea, coffee, hot chocolate and aerated drinks tend to have tired-looking skin and have greasy skin and spots.This is because these drinks contain caffeine which prevents your body from making efficient use of minerals and vitamins.Try not to drink more than 3 cups of tea or coffee a day.

Alcohol and Smoking also effect the skin in great great way.Keep their intake low. Excessive intake of alcohol can lead to split veins. Smoking which has Nicotine doesn’t help you keep healthy skin too. Try Giving up Smoking. Nicotine attacks the blood vessels that feed the skin with oxygen and nutrients, as well as those that drain away the body waste. Smoking also age the skin greatly and affect nail beds and hair follicles, which nestle the epidermis.

Tip: Try not to take more than recommended 21 units of alcohol a week and GIVE UP SMOKING. Learn more about the ill-effects of smoking and learn how to give smoking effortlessly and painlessly at http://www.weightloss-health.com/quitsmoking.htm.

So, I would advise you to increase your water intake. One of the best way is to start a day with a glass or two of water. These initial glasses are important as you are reversing any mind dehydration that may have occurred overnight. It is always advisable to have water empty stomach as it avoid unnecessary dilution of digestive juices. So half hour before your meal, do have water. Get into the habit of taking water bottle along with you when you go out so that you can refresh yourself whenever you want.

Benefits of Pure Water:

a) It doesn’t create any false feeling of hunger if we have proper intake of water. Hence, no overeating.

b) Skin feels moist with the increase in energy levels.

c) Pumps you up, improves mental and physical performance.

d) Flushes out Toxins and unwanted substances.

e) Gets you rid of dark circle under eyes.

f) It also alleviates migraine headaches, high blood cholesterol, rheumatoid arthritis pain, allergies and high blood pressure.

Tip: Your intake should not be less than 8 glass of water per day

Jasdeep: for http://www.weightloss-health.com your complete and most comprehensive family guide on Health.

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