BC floors are a thing of beauty. They look so even, so complete, and so soothing that you’d think they were crafted by angels. Well, if they were, they’d be the best floors installers in the world. The surfaces here are just heavenly, especially when it’s decorated just right that its beauty truly shines. That’s why most homes here prefer minimal interior design.
Stop and take a breather at the Holiday Inn Corpus Christi Downtown Marina. Its location overlooking the bayfront gives you a great breeze to enjoy everyday. You not only get to breathe in the breeze, you can jump and swim into the coastal waters pretty easily as well.
Reserve your hotel room at Holiday Inn Corpus Christi Downtown Marina with Reservations.com
This infographic says that a hot bath under hot tub enclosure or a good soak in your hot tub can reduce your back pain. Whatever musculoskeletal condition you may have, be it arthritis or lower back pain, a good dip in warm waters will improve your condition tenfold. And the best part? You won’t have to play a single cent!
As a writer, it’s easier to work on the business of writing than on the business of selling books. You need to continue to grow your business by writing more books, while marketing your current catalogue to prospective buyers. It’s an ongoing task. While we would all love to spend our days creating and writing, we cannot afford to stop marketing to our readers, because every day hundreds of new books flood the market and voracious readers are always willing to try the latest offering.
Peak sales times for any products are Christmas, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. Other themed days, for example Valentine’s Day for romance writers, can generate sales if you apply specific marketing techniques.
These heavy trade periods are not the time to discount your books or give them away. This is the time to crank up the marketing machine to a higher level to take advantage of the fact that people need to buy gifts for friends and loved ones, and are looking for ideas. Christmas especially can be a stressful time of year, so take some time earlier in the year to work on a marketing campaign that targets specific needs to help readers make a choice. Use terms in your marketing such as ‘a great stocking stuffer’ and ‘a book for the man who has everything’ to attract harried shoppers.
Instead of cutting your profit margins by discounting the price of your books, try to value add. If you are selling paperbacks, offer to wrap your book in Christmas paper and tinsel and post directly to the buyer so that all he has to do is place the gift under the tree. Have some inexpensive bookmarks printed and offer a free bookmark with each book purchase. If you have written a series of books – from an e-book perspective – make an offer to readers that if they buy the first book in your series you will gift them the second book. That way, the reader is getting something for free and you will get the royalty on the sale so the ‘gift’ has cost you very little. The customer feels he is getting something for nothing and you are building a relationship with your readers who will be more inclined to buying your future books.
Because people are more open to buying new things when they are in a rush to complete their Christmas lists, you may attract a lot of new readers so make sure you keep track of them and add their names and addresses to your email list so that you can advise them of any new releases.
You need to have your marketing campaign ready to go before any high peak sales periods and also to take some time afterwards to go through the figures. How many more books did I sell? Where did the sales come from? Take time now to be ready for next year.
The effort you put into creating a targeted marketing campaign will be reflected in the sales figures.
Make no mistake – writing books is a business that includes marketing and selling. Unless you want to pay for a professional to publicise and market your books, thereby eroding your profit margin, you will need to learn how to get your name out there – and keep it there – if you want to sell books.
Frexit? French voters said “Non” with the weekend election of Emmanuel Macron. And with all the other discussions about a slowing economy amid last year’s Brexit – and Grexit a few years before that – Europe might seem like a pretty poor place to invest.
Except that Europe’s economy isn’t slowing down. It’s speeding up.
Which means that, rather than avoiding Europe, investors ought to be thinking about putting money to work there instead.
And no wonder, when you read news like Monday’s report on factory orders in Germany – up 2.4% in March compared to year-ago levels, with business confidence at its highest in nearly six years.
Remember the disappointing report at the start of the month about the growth of the U.S. economy in the first quarter – an annualized gross domestic product growth rate of just 0.7%?
In the same period, the euro zone economy grew by more than twice that amount, or 1.8%.
Or take a few minutes to read data like last week’s IHS Markit Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index. The survey tracks the flow of business, as indicated by senior executives working in Europe’s factories, and shows…
No wonder one economist told the Financial Times in recent days that the European economy could “become 2017’s Cinderella story. While investors were concerned about a breakup in the monetary union, it now looks like the euro zone economy is more robust than many thought.”
But despite the growth in European equities, there are still plenty more gains to be had. At the end of April, Bank of America Merrill Lynch noted that $2.4 billion flowed into European equity funds – the largest amount in nearly 18 months.
And likewise, in a separate monthly survey of institutional money managers last month, those investors noted a brightening mood for European stocks, with their cheaper valuation levels (15 times earnings) compared with U.S. stocks at a much pricier 17.7 times earnings.
What does that tell you about the European economy?
It means we need to stop thinking of Europe like it’s one of those fast-melting, unstable Greenland glaciers – the kind where large chunks, à la Frexit, Brexit and Grexit, are always threatening to break off as free-floating icebergs.
Buffet dining emerged in the 16th century in France and has continued to develop into the favorite alternative for a large base of restaurant customers. The Best Buffet Restaurants that have emerged over the course of time have not only reformed the conventional benchmarks of restaurant dining but have also provided the opportunity for flexible modification of the operations of a restaurant.
For example, restaurants which have higher customer visits or those which provide catering services can utilize buffet as a promising means for feeding the large base of visiting guests. Furthermore, buffets have been utilized as promising approaches for the promotion of restaurants or celebrating special occasions.
The following types of buffets are generally found in some of the Best Buffet Restaurants and could be selected according to the requirements of the customer.
In this type of buffet, customers are required to select plates of food according to their choice while waiting in a queue. The cafeteria-style buffet is less frequently practised in restaurants.
The name says it all! These buffet styles are considered as the most beneficial investments on behalf of the customers as they would have to pay a single price for serving themselves with a wide assortment of delicacies. However, it is interesting to note that the popularity of All You Can Eat buffets is waning due to the increasing threats of obesity.
These concepts are followed by restaurants that provide soups, fresh produce and salad bars in their menus and promote healthy eating habits. However, these could not be considered as one of the Best Buffet Restaurants owing to the criticisms on the basis of the higher calorie content of specific menu items.
The catered buffets approach is followed by restaurants which specialize in business meetings, special occasions, and weddings as well as holiday parties and also involve facilities of off-site catered buffets in certain cases.
The New Year is a time many of us look at ourselves and our lives to see what we can do better. We look at what we’ve accomplished. We look at what we want to accomplish. It’s a logical starting point, right? The calendar rolls over to a new year and the months begin again at number 1. It’s a fresh start, but it’s a psychological crutch more than anything else. We can have a fresh start any time we want; but if it helps us look at our lives and recommit to our Goals, then let’s go for it!
We set Goals because we want to be better, have better or do better. Rather than talk about the Goals we set for the coming year, let’s look at what kind of person we plan on being. Too often we ignore this.
We should always try to be a better person. Why? For most the old us hasn’t worked out so well. Or the old us isn’t where we want to be yet. We need to make some changes. If we don’t, we’ll just get similar results in the New Year. The me of last year didn’t accomplish every Goal I set, even though I hit some major ones. That me needs to give way to the new me.
Goal-Setting is an area of self-improvement or personal development. Notice that it’s “self” and “personal.” We work on ourselves at least as much as the Goals we set for income, things, etc. I doubt anyone is perfectly satisfied with who they are. Those that do probably don’t set Goals anyway. They’ve accepted where they are and that’s all they’ll have until this changes.
What areas of your personality, habits and relationships do you need to work on? These define who you are more than any others. Your personality largely is your thoughts, feelings and how you see the world. These determine how you act and how others see you. Which thoughts, feelings and views of the world need to be updated?
Your habits are what you do without thinking. Breathing is a habit. Tying the left shoe first is a habit. Putting your pants on right leg, then left leg is a habit. So is getting up at a certain time, or hitting the snooze button. So is eating unhealthy foods. So is goofing off when you should be working. What habits do you need to work on increasing or deleting from your life?
Your relationships are the most important. We think of our relationships as family and close friends; but it’s really everyone we encounter, even in the checkout line or the elevator. How do we interact with them? Do we look them in the eye? Do we treat them with respect and decency? Do we spend time with our loved ones? Do we talk to our friends often enough? Good relationships begin with how we act toward others. What interactions with the people you know and meet need to be better? What relationships need to be strengthened or just ended?
As we enter the hottest months of the year, we are reminded of how hot the interior of our cars can really get. We burn our hands on our steering wheels, seat belts, and seats. Imagine being trapped inside your car without the comfort and satisfaction of the blasting air condition.
Unfortunately, this is case for many children each year, especially around this time. On average, 37 children die each year due to the heat of a car that is shut off. Many of these children are forgotten, but some manage to get themselves trapped in trunks or get themselves locked in cars. In very few cases, they are purposely left in cars because their caretakers intend on leaving them for only a few minutes, but as you will see, every second counts.
As previously mentioned, most of these incidents are more likely to occur during the summer or whenever it gets the hottest in your area. It is also more likely in areas where the overall climate is warmer. So, at this point in the year it is more important than ever to spread awareness of the danger of hot cars. But, heat stroke related deaths of children can really happen anytime and anywhere.
The reason that the risk is always there is because children’s body temperature rises anywhere from 3 to 5 times faster than the typical body temperature of adults which makes children much more susceptible to heatstroke. Additionally, the temperature of cars can increase up to 20 degrees in 10 minutes which makes children and unattended cars a dangerous mixture. This also means that heat stroke can occur at outside temperatures as low as 57 degrees, even with the windows open and if the vehicle is parked in the shade.
Moral of the story: avoid leaving your child in the car at all costs. But, sometimes if your children are young it can be easy to forget them which is evidenced by the statistic that 87% of victims are 3 or under. Experts attribute the abundance of younger victims to the fact that small children are out of view of the driver, but can also be because they may not be able to speak up due to their young age or increased likelihood that the child would be sleeping.
So, what if you notice a child trapped in a car? Immediately call the police. Some states even AutoVillage.co.uk has a decent selection of used Volkswagen T-Roc cars to view online have laws in place that protect you from criminal or civil charges if you break open a window to rescue the child. No promises that it will not affect your Illinois auto insurance, if it is your vehicle though. Not all states have such “Good Samaritan” laws, so proceed with caution and your own best judgement.
Sadly, not all states have laws that explicitly state that it is illegal to leave your child in a car, either. And although a very low percentage of these child casualties are due to purposely leaving children in hot cars, passing legislation Auto Village may bring more attention to this widespread issue and save lives.
For those who are new to the world of self-tanning, the process can be quite intimidating, and worries are certainly understandable. The most common concerns are turning orange, smelling like burnt toast, and leaving lotion stains all over the place. The good news is that you will quickly get the hang of it after a few tries, and realize that in order to have great success, you must follow three rules: 1) use a high-quality product, 2) apply it properly, and 3) leave it on long enough for it to take effect.
The latter can sometimes be the most intimidating since self-tanning products seem to come with a Catch 22: although you have to wear it long enough to do its job, you don’t want to smell bad at work or school while it’s doing it, nor do you want to wear it too long and risk looking like a carrot. Fortunately, you do not have to worry much about any of these concerns so long as you follow the three rules mentioned above; especially the rule about leaving your product on for the right amount of time.
If you are using a high quality product, which you should be, it will take at least 6 hours for it to begin taking effect, and at least another two or three for it to render long-lasting results. This means that most good quality self-tanners must be worn between 6 and 10 hours for best results. Why? The answer is DHA. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, the most effective sunless tanning products contain dihydroxyacetone (DHA) as the active ingredient.
Before you take a shower, go swimming, get sweaty, or come into contact with water at all, you must let the dihydroxyacetone take effect first. If you do anything that gets you wet or makes you sweat profusely before the product can work, you will not get the best color possible because the DHA didn’t have time to react with the amino acids in the upper layer of dead skin cells to produce a lasting color change.
To solve the concerns of smelling strange or feeling uncomfortable for an entire day, simply apply your self-tanner at night, let it fully dry, go to sleep, and then shower it off in the morning. This method gets great results. After you shower, any residual streaks and smells will be gone, and you will see nothing but luminous, glowing skin!
Here are a couple of general rules for your consideration. Your minimum credit score needs to be at least 650. If your credit score is below 650 then there are ways to fix it. Here’s how it works…
You can challenge anything in your credit report. If the merchant can’t provide proof of their claim, then the item must be removed from your credit report. For example, if Department Store X says that you didn’t pay-off your $72 balance on your X card in 1997, and you say that you did, then Department Store X has 30 days to provide the documentation proving that the bill is unpaid. If they can’t prove their claim, then the outstanding debt is removed and you’re moving toward a higher credit score. If Department Store X is right and you do owe them $72, then you now know the problem and you have the opportunity to pay the $72… again you’re moving toward a higher credit score.
Get and review copies of your three major credit reports annually-more often if you are nearing pivotal junctures where your credit score is especially important.
Between the reports from Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) and CBS News, it is estimated that somewhere between five and eighty percent of credit reports contain errors. Some errors are actually good for you and some are not so good. In my mid-twenties I checked my credit reports, and I was very happy to learn that not only had I purchased a new car, but I paid it off with a perfect history of payments. It was great for my young credit history-never did find the car.
Payment History (35%)-Here, the credit bureaus (CBs) are looking at mortgages, credit cards, installment loans, retail accounts, adverse public records like bankruptcy, lawsuits, judgments, liens, garnishments, past due payments… etc. If you have past due payments, the CBs will look at (a) amount past due, (b) amount of time past due, (c) number of accounts pat due.
Amounts Owed (30%)-CBs are reviewing the type of accounts you use and the amount of credit you are utilizing relative to the credit available to you. For example and all else being equal, a person carrying balances equaling 95% of credit available on ten personal credit cards for a total of $50,000 outstanding debt will have a lower credit score than a person carrying 50% balances on three credit cards for a total of $10,000 outstanding debt.
Length of Credit History (15%)-CBs are examining specific account types, how long the accounts have been open and the level and timing of activity within the account. Amazingly, for credit scoring purposes it appears that it is actually better to have credit accounts with outstanding balances (within reason) than to have no accounts open or no credit history. Being debt free can actually lower your credit score. I have a friend who is a very astute, very successful former international banker. He has done business in more than 20 countries and has lived in nine countries. This is a person with exceptional success, wealth, and highly responsible money management practices. He was turned down when he applied for a credit card at the very bank where he worked. Reason: No U.S. credit history.
New Credit History (10%) – In short, the CBs are looking to see if you have been opening or attempting to open lots of new accounts recently. As you might imagine, someone who is thinking about lending you money gets very nervous when they discover you are borrowing money from everyone.
Type of Credit Used (10%)-CBs look at the balance of debt as distributed throughout the various types of debt from credit cards to mortgages and secured to unsecured.
Your credit score is based on all of the items above. It is not a pass-fail circumstance for each of the categories. Your score is produced in the aggregate and that scoring constantly changes. The scoring for one person and their financial profile will be different from another person. The information presented here is for the fat part of the Bell Curve, but it provides solid guidelines.
If you are focused on an acquisition (or other type of loan) and your score is below the 650 mark, note that a business partner’s score that is 700 or higher can help to off-set your score. When lenders are considering borrower qualifications, they look at the entire “borrower” whether it is one person or a legion of people.