See my YouTube video by clicking HERE or on the picture below :)
Thursday, October 31, 2019
2019 Halloween Home Decor
Happy Halloween Everybody! I've been showing you bits and pieces of my Halloween decor all month (October). So today, I would like to share how everything looked all together. I put together a short YouTube video for you :) as well as pictures. This is my first time decorating for Halloween inside my home. I'm really pleased how everything turned out. Several months ago, I put together inspiration boards, to help me envision the look I wanted. I wanted grown-up, but with an element of fun. I wanted simplistic, minimal, no-fuss and clean lines. I've really enjoyed my decorations. Now its time to take everything down and decorate for Thanksgiving & Christmas. Wishing you a fun-filled holiday!
We Take The Cake | Boo! Ghost Cake
Not Sponsored: Ok, you guys! So here's the Halloween cake I chose for this year. It's by a bakery called We Take The Cake. They're out of Florida. I purchased some cupcakes from them before and they were delicious. Well the cake is delicious as well. Its a golden butter cake with chocolate cream cheese icing. It has an orange tinted vanilla buttercream frosting, fondant ghost and BOO! on the front. I adorned it with bite size chocolate candy around the cake. I think its so cute. So how does it taste? Its delicious! The cake is moist. The chocolate tastes like doberge. And the orange buttercream icing is yummy. It's a rich cake. One slice was enough for me. The website says it serves 8-10. I think it can serve more (double) if you cut thinner slices. I froze the cake in the box. Then overnight I defrosted it inside my refrigerator (in the box). I then took it out and let it reach room temperature. Cut it! Then enjoy! Delicious cake.
Department 56 | Halloween Party House
Not Sponsored: I've always been a huge fan of holiday villages and fancy deluxe miniature doll houses. I think they're so charming. I have a small collection of Christmas themed houses by Department 56. I'll share them with you next month. This year, I thought I would start a Halloween village. I really like this house. It was first introduced in 2016. It's called Halloween Party House. It resonated with me, because during my childhood I always celebrated Halloween at school and then afterwards (in the evening) with my best friend. We would go trick-or-treating around her neighborhood. When we came back, there was food and spooky movies to watch. It was always a fun time. Her mom was the best. We looked forward to it every year. Well this house reminds me of those fun times. It lights up and is such a joy to look at. The front window says Happy Halloween Party. There's a wooden tub filled with delicious red apples and a sign that says Apple Bobbin. There's a Pin The Bow Tie On Mr. Bones game. I love the silly skeleton with top hat and his colorful bow ties. There's a bowl filled with trick-or-treat candy and a sign that say Take One Please. And finally you have a cute pumpkin pinata hanging from a tree. I love the autumn leaves and leafless trees. There's a chimney with firewood on the side. This house has a lot of detail. I'm glad I purchased it. I have my eye on two other Department 56 houses. They were issued prior to this one :) That's what's so fun about collecting. It's important to find treasures that mean something to you. When you look at it, it evokes memories. I just wanted to share this with you :)
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Put An End To Annoying Business Interruptions
Hate having your workflow disrupted? Here are some of the biggest interruptions and how you can put an end to them so that you can finally get on with your work.
Power cuts
Without electricity, many modern businesses cannot function. While a power cut might seem like something out of our control, there are ways in which a power cut can still be prevented. Uninterruptable power supplies are the most common tools for keeping your company running during an outage – these supplies help to hold reserves of electricity which can be enough to power your machinery for a couple hours after a power cut. You could alternatively consider investing in a backup power source such as solar panels.
Tech issues
Tech issues come in all kinds of forms from bugs to viruses to hardware issues. These can interrupt at the worst times – however they can usually be prevented by maintaining software and hardware. This includes regularly updating software and keeping hardware clean. Managed IT services can also be worth outsourcing for taking care of tech issues while you’re working – you can click here for more information on these. By taking all these measures, you could find that you encounter tech issues a lot less regularly.
Unscheduled phone calls
Unscheduled phone calls can be a common source of interruption. Sometimes these phone calls can be important, while others may just be general enquiries or sales calls. Some companies let their phone ring to voice mail and then ring back the callers are urgent, but this can be risky as not everyone leaves voice messages. A better option could be to simply outsource a phone answering service to answer phone calls for you and relay only the most important information back.
Impromptu meetings
Impromptu meetings can be a nuisance too. You can prevent them as a business owner by re-evaluating your open door policy. Letting employees and customers wonder freely into your office can show a certain level of warmth and transparency, but it could be stopping you from getting other important tasks done. Scheduling all meetings in advance allows you to prepare for them so that they’re more productive and so that you’re not interrupting another task.
Urgent emails
Having to interrupt a task to answer an urgent email can also be annoying. A lot of companies are now starting to introduce email answering periods of the day. By setting an ‘out of office’ reply out of these hours, you can let people know that their email won’t get answered straight away. If it truly is urgent, they’ll then ring, but most likely it won’t be as much of an emergency as they make out.
5 Tips For Making Your Home Business Client Friendly
Did you know that there are over 38 million home businesses in the U.S alone, making up 50 percent of all small businesses? More and more people are choosing to ditch the office and work from their own home, saving them money and helping them maintain a positive work life balance. But work from home businesses can get a little more tricky when clients are involved - how do you balance giving a professional appearance within your personal space and what can you do to make the experience as pleasant for your clients as possible to avoid what could be an awkward situation. Here are 5 tips to help you create a professional space within your home.
1. Make finding your home easy
Residential streets can be difficult to navigate, be sure to provide your clients with clear travel instructions which cover a range of transport options including if they were to walk, drive or use public transport. If the public transport links to your home are not readily available then you may wish to arrange for a car to pick your client up from the closest station at a pre arranged time. If clients regularly come to your home and your home business is a little more established then it can also be helpful to have a clear business sign on the curb or your door, to make it obvious when they have reached the right location. Finally, have a reliable doorbell or entrance system so that you are easily alerted when a client has arrived.
2. Contain your children and pets
Many people love children and animals but they aren’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea and can make conducting business a little difficult. To maintain a professional environment, try to have your children under someone else's care while you take client meetings or make it clear to them that when you have a meeting scheduled they are only to interrupt you in the event of an emergency. With animals, it’s best to keep them out of the way unless your client expresses an interest in meeting them.
3. Create a neutral space within your home to meet with clients
Entering someone's home for business can feel a little awkward for clients especially if they are surrounded by your personal life such as family photos, your laundry or the leftovers of last night's dinner. If possible try to maintain a more neutral space within your home to host your client meetings, such as a home office, which will help your clients to feel at ease. Along with neutral decor also consider the smell of this space, most office spaces are fairly neutral in their scents and so you may wish to use a scented candle or reed diffuser to get rid of the smell of family life. You will also want to consider where, if needed, your client can use the lavatory, and the route that your clients will need to take through your house to get to the bathroom and your meeting space. Although in an ideal world your whole house would be clean and tidy in preparation for every client meeting, this is unrealistic, but do try to pay closer attention to the spaces within your home that they will see.
4. Consider payment options
Depending on the nature of our home business you may need to take payment from your clients at the end of their visit, such as if you run a beauty or massage service . Fewer people are carrying cash nowadays and having to hunt around for change can look unprofessional. Try to keep a selection of change to hand for cash payments and if you regularly take payments in yours home then also consider looking into using a credit card processing services which could help to the awkwardness out of the payment stage, especially for people who may not have cash on them.
5. Offer refreshments
Offering your clients refreshments, such as a glass of water, coffee or tea, is a simple way to make them feel at ease and can help to add a little luxury to their visit. Rather than having to dash to the kitchen to make them their drink, perhaps consider having a mini-fridge in your meeting space with some bottled cold drinks and maybe have a small coffee machine or kettle for quick hot drink options. If you meet many clients in one day then remember keep this well stocked and always remove old glasses so that it looks good as new each time.
A Remote Office Setup To Die For
When giving business advice, the art of allowing your employees to remotely work is often top of the list, or at least near it. Most businesses are waking up to the fact that in 2019, soon to be 2020, most of the work their staff can do doesn’t actually require an office, and so giving them an out to work from home from time to time, perhaps if ill, perhaps if adhering to extra needs at home can be important.
But why talk the talk when you can’t walk the walk? Applying a remote office setup to die for, or at least be proud of can be important. It can also help you suggest a template for your staff to ensure they equip themselves thoroughly if you have this requirement of them. Perhaps you’d be happy to subsidize part of this, perhaps not, but the fact of the matter is that perfecting this for yourself is important if you’re going to be giving any advice or setting any standards.
As far as that is considered, please consider the following advice to this end:
Effective Printing Equipment
You never know when you’ll need the use of a printer to make physical copies of essential documents, to scan, to laminate, or to apply a worthwhile graphic design template. That being said, it’s not always that we are able to utilize the best printing management at home. This is why connecting with a local speciality printer company, a place that can provide you with high-quality readouts and also take quotes essential to your brand can make a major difference to your output. Affording every staff member with a paid for access to services like this can help them work in tandem with their home printing solutions.
An Ergonomic Keyboard
An ergonomic keyboard, preferably one using Cherry MX switches or mechanical keys can ensure the hand health of your employees, and can also prevent them from tiring out due to their writing needs. Additionally, an ergonomic keyboard such as this can often help your staff connect to other devices, such as work phones or tablets should they need to type in a pinch while not having access to their other devices. Ergonomic treatment is important, and here you’ll be providing that.
Multiple Monitors
Multiple monitors are important if you hope to increase the screen real estate of your workflow. This is especially important for those who inspect documents, craft spreadsheets, keep their eye on RSS feeds, and above all try to collate all of these tasks together in the best and most thorough manner possible. If you can achieve that, then you will find yourself enjoying a higher standard of working efficiency, and this is why even two 1080p monitors, which are relatively cheap now, can provide you with the optimum solution to this end.
With these tips, you are certain to curate the best home office setup.
Business Continuity In The Age of Climate Change
Continuity has always been an important consideration for businesses - after all, every entrepreneur wants to know that they can continue to operate their company, whatever the future may hold. However, for business owners operating in the 21st century, continuity is more crucial than ever due to the threats posed by climate change.
The future today
While climate change is often discussed in futuristic terms - a problem that will be experienced by the grandchildren of today’s adults, rather than the adults themselves - the reality is that many of the issues a changing climate can cause are already here. Global temperature records keep being broken; storms are becoming more powerful; and as www.slate.com detail, urban flooding is becoming more common - the change is already here, which means business owners need to take these issues into account when considering the continuity of their business.
Areas to focus on
- For modern businesses, continuity will in general need to focus on one area in particular: data. It is not a stretch to suggest that some companies cannot function at all without access to all relevant data, so working with the likes of www.intouchit.com to ensure that this is securely backed up is absolutely critical when it comes to protecting against threats such as flooding and storm damage.
- In addition to data, modern businesses depend on their staff in order to function - and ensuring staff can continue to work in the event of serious or even dangerous weather conditions can thus be considered a continuity matter. Focus first and foremost on ensuring office conditions are as comfortable as possible; realistically, office buildings will require air conditioning, and measures such as thermal blinds can also help to keep conditions as reasonable as possible.
- It is also advisable to think about problems that can arise as a result of climate-change-related weather conditions - for example, brownouts or blackouts as a result of AC usage can be hugely troublesome for businesses, so investing in a generator that can continue to deliver power to your business is definitely worthwhile. In addition, water supplies can also be disrupted (especially in hot drought conditions), so if your business relies on large quantities of water, storage tanks are worth considering.
- Finally, consider your supply chain. While you may have been able to take steps to protect your business, there is no guarantee that your suppliers will - which could leave you running short of vital materials in the future. Ask your suppliers what measures they have taken to ensure a continual stream of supplies in the event of a serious weather event; if you know the matter has been addressed, then this can be reassuring. Alternatively (or additionally), you could consider looking to order in larger quantities than you usually have, and storing more items on-site.
In conclusion
Building and sustaining a business is a huge challenge, especially in the face of a changing climate. By focusing on the areas we have identified above, you should be able to ensure that your business is able to continue to thrive long into the future.
How To Be More Productive When Working From Home
Working from home has so many positive benefits, but it takes a lot of planning and dedication for you to reap these rewards rather than falling flat and becoming lazy. It’s not as easy to encourage yourself as you might think, and the differences when compared to any regular 9-5 job are fairly drastic. Adjusting to the new practice may be tough but it is definitely doable, as productivity can thrive in almost any location when you know a few tricks and are ready to set your mind to it. If you need a little more guidance on how to stay motivated and perform to your full capabilities from the comfort of your home office, then read on to uncover some of the best top tips that can help you go from zero to hero in no time at all!
Create The Best Setting
The actual room in which your office is located has such a huge impact on the quality of your work. From your chair to your desk, the light levels to interior design - every little detail really can make a difference. By creating a comfortable and inspiring space, there isn't much chance of you dreading spending hours on end inside, and a quick glance away from your work won't leave you feeling negative and deflated.Start by investing in a seat which provides with the highest levels of support both in your back and legs, avoiding those without cushioning or padding at all costs. Next, source an adjustable desk which can be altered to suit your own personal preferences to complete your tasks without having to strain. It’s important that you can see well in your home office, but instantly going for the brightest and whitest lights will only leave you with a surgery room vibe and a splitting headache. Instead, go for warmer more yellow tones bulbs that can be controlled via a dimmer switch, so that you can change the brightness of your room to suit your varying tasks. Add a few personal touches to your home office such as a few framed photographs, some artwork and a big plush rug to complete the space and remind you that you have all of your creature comforts at arm's length.
Minimize Distractions
One of the biggest complaints of those who work from home is that they find too many distractions which simply cannot be ignored. Food in the kitchen calls your name, whilst the TV sits waiting and ready for you to watch - but you have to do everything in your power to say no, and focus on getting your tasks for the day done in a timely manner. This is much easier said than done, but there are a few things that you can do to minimize the amount of distractions you must face, making the whole process a little more simple. Set a time at which your working day should usually start, and ensure that by this time all electronic equipment such as tablets and gaming consoles are switched off, and bigger products such as televisions can be unplugged from the way. The extra time that it will take for you to power them up may just be enough for you to change your mind about going through with your procrastination! Keep to your schedule and try to give yourself a reasonable lunch break (around 45 minutes), paying no extra visits to the kitchen besides brewing a mug of tea or coffee.
Productive Technology
You can do everything humanly possible to work hard in a timely fashion, yet still be held back in terms of productivity because of the quality and suitability of your technology. From sourcing the largest bandwidth for your WiFi for the best blogging ever to finding the most innovative private equity fundraising checklist that will give you all the details you need to manage your economic business in a safe and secure manner online, make sure that you research which specifics you have to invest in to suit your chosen industry. These aspects are usually things you do not have to consider when working in an established office, but you must do the legwork to make your home office function to the highest standard.
Being as productive as possible in your home office needn’t be as stressful as you may think, as these top tips can show you the ropes and help you to create the perfect space in which work can truly thrive. So, what are you waiting for?
Create The Best Setting
The actual room in which your office is located has such a huge impact on the quality of your work. From your chair to your desk, the light levels to interior design - every little detail really can make a difference. By creating a comfortable and inspiring space, there isn't much chance of you dreading spending hours on end inside, and a quick glance away from your work won't leave you feeling negative and deflated.Start by investing in a seat which provides with the highest levels of support both in your back and legs, avoiding those without cushioning or padding at all costs. Next, source an adjustable desk which can be altered to suit your own personal preferences to complete your tasks without having to strain. It’s important that you can see well in your home office, but instantly going for the brightest and whitest lights will only leave you with a surgery room vibe and a splitting headache. Instead, go for warmer more yellow tones bulbs that can be controlled via a dimmer switch, so that you can change the brightness of your room to suit your varying tasks. Add a few personal touches to your home office such as a few framed photographs, some artwork and a big plush rug to complete the space and remind you that you have all of your creature comforts at arm's length.
Minimize Distractions
One of the biggest complaints of those who work from home is that they find too many distractions which simply cannot be ignored. Food in the kitchen calls your name, whilst the TV sits waiting and ready for you to watch - but you have to do everything in your power to say no, and focus on getting your tasks for the day done in a timely manner. This is much easier said than done, but there are a few things that you can do to minimize the amount of distractions you must face, making the whole process a little more simple. Set a time at which your working day should usually start, and ensure that by this time all electronic equipment such as tablets and gaming consoles are switched off, and bigger products such as televisions can be unplugged from the way. The extra time that it will take for you to power them up may just be enough for you to change your mind about going through with your procrastination! Keep to your schedule and try to give yourself a reasonable lunch break (around 45 minutes), paying no extra visits to the kitchen besides brewing a mug of tea or coffee.
Productive Technology
You can do everything humanly possible to work hard in a timely fashion, yet still be held back in terms of productivity because of the quality and suitability of your technology. From sourcing the largest bandwidth for your WiFi for the best blogging ever to finding the most innovative private equity fundraising checklist that will give you all the details you need to manage your economic business in a safe and secure manner online, make sure that you research which specifics you have to invest in to suit your chosen industry. These aspects are usually things you do not have to consider when working in an established office, but you must do the legwork to make your home office function to the highest standard.
Being as productive as possible in your home office needn’t be as stressful as you may think, as these top tips can show you the ropes and help you to create the perfect space in which work can truly thrive. So, what are you waiting for?
Monday, October 28, 2019
Williams Sonoma Petite Mummy Caramel Apples
Not Sponsored: I love caramel and chocolate dipped apples. Its been awhile, but I usually order from Mrs. Prindables. Well, I saw these cuties on Williams Sonoma's website. They're called Petite Mummy Caramel Apples. They are dressed up in their finest mummy attire. Cute little eyes peeping out. Adorable orange & black Happy Halloween ribbon tied atop. These four apples came in a beautiful orange box with shredded ribbon. The box was compartmentalized, so that each apple stayed separate. They were in perfect condition when I received them. These are nice size apples, to say they are petite. HaHaHa How do they taste? I cut one. Delicious chocolate you guys and yummy caramel. A really nice treat and awesome to display. These are petite Washington State Granny Apples that are dipped in caramel, white chocolate and dark chocolate. They are certified Kosher. I chose Halloween week delivery. They arrived in perfect time. I put them in the refrigerator to keep (they last up to 2 weeks). You bring them to room temperature and cut & serve :) I think they offer these every year. So don't hesitate to get them next year.
