April 24, 2012
Cooking
No Comments
There are a lot of different ways to enjoy a picnic or cook out when the weather gets warmer. Why not entertain your family and guests with a themed get-together outside? In this handy guide, the authors give you 5 great ideas on how to have a great themed picnic or cook out that everyone will love.
The five themes in this guide are:
1-Beach Style Picnic
2-Classic Recipes Picnic
3-Moonlight and Romance Picnic
4-Sports Stadium-Style Picnic
5-Western-style Picnic
and come complete with recipes to suit a variety of tastes, including vegetarian.
From appetizers to entrees, salads and side dishes, drinks and desserts, you will find a complete menu for your themed picnic or outdoor dining experience.
Follow the recipes for each theme for fast and easy meal planning. Or, mix and match menus to add some surprise and variety.
Or, use these themes as inspiration for adding your own signature dishes, or combining them into your own themed gatherings to add a whole new twist to your socializing.
Get started today planning your latest picnic, barbecue, or garden party with the help of this handy guide.
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Easy Themed Picnic and Cook Out Ideas on a Budget
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1: BEACH STYLE PICNIC
CHAPTER 2: CLASSIC RECIPES PICNIC
CHAPTER 3: MOONLIGHT AND ROMANCE PICNIC
CHAPTER 4: SPORTS STADIUM-STYLE PICNIC
CHAPTER 5: WESTERN PICNIC
CONCLUSION
FURTHER READING
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Mara Michaels is a frequent contributor to the Healthful-Goddess and Nutrition-Goddess.com sites.
Erin Kennedy is a frequent contributor to Guru-Goddess.com and Healthful-Goddess.com and the author of over a dozen non-fiction titles.
BUY NOW:
Easy Themed Picnic and Cook Out Ideas on a Budget (Food Matters)
Further Reading:
Easy Brown Bag Lunches on a Budget: How to Pack Great Lunches Everyone in Your Family Will Eat and Still Save Money
Lunch By the Lake: A Guide to Fast and Fun Outdoor Dining
33 Easy Thermos Lunch Recipes
Picnic in the Park: A Guide to Fast and Fun Picnic Foods
April 22, 2012
Non-Fiction
No Comments
Every year thousand of chemicals are poured into the environment and millions of gallons of water are needlessly wasted. How? By growing plants. Sure, most of this is done by large agricultural producers, but some of this waste is conducted in smaller personal gardens. And that means that you can make a difference by changing your gardening practices. There are many agricultural producers who have done it, and you can use the same tricks to help your own garden, and the planet.
Pick appropriate plants. Not all plants are appropriate for the area you live in. While you might be able to control the temperature, humidity, and rain conditions inside your house, you can’t do it out in the garden. If you pick appropriate plants for your area, you may be able to avoid using fertilizers and saving on water too. Research, what plants are native to your surrounding areas and try planting them in your own garden. Wildflowers, are just that, they can pretty much be left alone and will thrive in most areas.
Pick natural repelling plants. You don’t need to rely on poisons to keep away garden ruining pests. Many plants produce chemicals that repel these animals naturally. By putting them in or around you garden, you can keep your garden safe with little effort and no chemicals. Plus, you can pick parts of these plants and use them to make products to keep them away from you too.
If you don’t want to plant natural repellents in your garden, you can use them to spray your plants without harming them or adding artificial chemicals to your garden. Many herbs like hot pepper, vanilla, and lavender can help repel insects from your garden.
Pull weeds. We’re all looking for a quick and easy way to safely get rid of weeds without chemicals, but the good old fashioned way is still very effective. It you take time every day to pull the weeds you can find, you’ll only take a few minutes so it doesn’t seem like a lot of work. You can even get the kids involved, just be sure to do it properly so you don’t spread the seeds around. There are even some common weeds that are edible, just make sure there are no pesticides that could have gotten on them.
Crop rotation. Farmers all over the world use crop rotation to naturally fertilize plants. The concept is to change what crop you’re putting in a certain field each year. Plants use different nutrients and put other nutrients back into the soil. If you rotate crops that replace the nutrients the other plants use, you will have to fertilize the soil less.
You can use this same concept in your garden by planting different plants every year, or just rotating where you put specific plants in the garden.
So, you’ve made all these changes and are using a low-water, chemical free garden? Well, you still haven’t done the most important thing: pass it on! One garden can make a dent, but more can make a bigger difference. Tell your friends, teach your kids, you can even visit their school and teach your kids friends! Every little bit helps make a better world.
FURTHER READING:
The New Green Family Guide: A Beginner’s Guide to Going Green As a Family
Earth Day and Every Day: A Beginner’s Guide to Green Activities and Recipes
THE SMART WOMAN’S DO-IT-YOURSELF GUIDE TO A GREENER HOME
April 21, 2012
Life Matters, Non-Fiction
No Comments
For such tiny people, babies can be very, very expensive. You’ve got to feed them, diaper them and clothe them. They need bath supplies and laundry detergents that are suitable for sensitive baby skin. They need a crib and a car seat, and playpens and strollers are also must-haves for many parents.
Some parents are intent on giving them the best of everything, which adds up to even more money spent. But it doesn’t have to be that way if you decide to raise your baby more naturally, with less emphasis on consuming and spending, and more on conserving and saving.
Even for the most eager parent-to-be, the thought of the cost of a new child can be rather intimidating. But never fear. There are plenty of tricks that can save new moms money and also help you go green at the same time, to avoid the mountains of trash that one tiny infant can create. Here are a few.
* Solicit hand-me-downs.
Babies don’t stay in those tiny clothes for long, so by the time they outgrow them, they are rarely worn out. If you have a friend or family member who has recently had a baby, ask if she has any clothes that you could take off her hands. Even if she says she might need them for a new baby at some time in the future, reassure her that you will give them back as soon as baby has grown out of them, 1 to 3 months after it is born.
For those with older children who have probably decided their family is complete, they might have cribs, strollers and other items that they are no longer using and would welcome the chance to give to a good home or sell for a bit of cash. This will be far less expensive than trying to buy them new.
Breastfeed
Not only is breastfeeding less expensive than buying formula, bottles and so on, it is also better for your baby. And for those middle-of-the-night feedings, it is quicker and more convenient than warming up a bottle. You will need to eat well and stay hydrated so that the baby gets all of the nutrients he needs, but that is something important for all women (and men!) to do anyway.
If you decide to express your milk and prepare bottles ahead of time, use glass bottles. The advantage of this method is that dad and any other family member or helper can assist in feeding baby.
* Keep your diaper costs as low as possible.
Cloth diapers can save you a great deal of money and they are better for the environment than disposables. If you can’t bring yourself to use cloth diapers, try green disposables that are flushable. Or more biodegradable than the mass-produced ones. You might find they cost a bit more, but you use fewer of them. Also consider potty training as early as possible. Children use 2,500 to 3,000 diapers a year for every year in diapers, so the sooner you potty train them, the cheaper it will be.
* Shop at second-hand stores.
You can find great deals on gently used baby items at many such stores. Some will also accept trade-ins, so you can bring in items that your baby can no longer use and get credit toward things you need as they get older.
* Consider getting a baby sling.
These are a great way to carry your little bundle of joy in. They make great substitutes for strollers, carriers, swings and bouncy seats, and you can get them cheaper than any of these. An added bonus: they keep baby feeling snug and secure, so there’s less crying and more bonding. If you are breast feeding, it can also be very discreet. As they get older, you can graduate up to a carrier that can be used on your front or your back to carry a child up to 25 pounds. Carrying on the back will mean less drag on the neck and shoulders and is far more healthy for your body than trying to perch your child on your hip.
* Use soft baby washcloths and baby wash instead of disposable wipes.
You can soak the cloths in a solution of baby wash and water, wring out the excess, and put them in a Ziploc bag to use when you are out. Just keep another bag to put the dirty cloths in, wash them when you get home, and reuse.
There are lots of expenses associated with a new addition to the family. But if you are diligent about finding good deals, you could save hundreds of dollars on baby needs by the time your little one is a toddler. So don’t be afraid to shop around, buy second-hand and make use of hand-me-downs. This will not only help you save money, but help you save the environment as well.
Read More or Buy Now:
Going Green For New Moms: A Beginner’s Guide to Raising Your Baby in an Eco-friendly Way (Green Matters)
The Smart Woman’s Do-It-Yourself Guide to a Greener Home (Green Matters)
April 19, 2012
Non-Fiction
1 Comment
Going green is the newest trend in skin and hair care. For years, we’ve been putting toxic chemicals into our bodies that build up and make us feel tired and sick, regardless of whether we eat them or if they seep though our pores. And people are finally catching on that natural is better.
Most stores now have a line of “natural” beauty products. Unfortunately, they often come with a big price tag attached too. Often times many of these products are not actually “natural” so it does pay to do your homework to ensure you are getting what you pay for.
Fortunately actually making beauty products yourself isn’t too difficult. So if you want beauty products that you know are natural and are also inexpensive, just make them yourself. Here are 5 quick and easy recipes you can make at yourself.
Face Mask
Eating good food helps give you the right nutrients you need to look good. You can get more of these vitamins and minerals by putting the good stuff right on the skin.
Combining a mashed carrot, mashed avocado, and a beaten egg with a half cup a few tablespoons of honey creates a great face mask that provides vitamins, and improves the tone and texture of your skin. Just stir well, apply, let sit for about 15 minutes, and then wash off with cool water.
After you’re washed and nourished your skin, you can use grated cucumber or diluted lemon juice as a toner to help tighten your skin and close up your pores to close your pores and keep your skin looking great.
Hair Conditioner
Many people pay a lot of money for a conditioner that actually makes your hair look and feel good. Here’s a great natural recipe to save you money and help your hair.
Just mix an egg yolk with a tablespoon of castor oil and apply to hair. Let sit for about ten minutes and rinse out. You can use this every so often as a conditioning treatment for healthy shiny hair. If you like being experimental, you can try mixing other kitchen items, herbs, and natural items with eggs for healthy, shiny hair.
Hand and Foot Cream
A quick face mask will help make you look great in not a lot of time, but hands and feet require extra care.
Use ½ cup of olive oil mixed with natural sea salt and massage into your hands and feet. Leave a few minutes to soak and then rinse off with warm water.
When it comes to natural beauty products, these recipes are just the start. You can find hundreds of different combinations in natural beauty books, magazines, and on the internet. Or you can go to your kitchen cabinet and make your own special creations.
FURTHER READING:
Antioxidants and Free Radicals: What You Need To Know
Top Tips for Healthy Skin All Year Round
How to Care for Your Skin and Reduce the Signs of Aging
April 18, 2012
Non-Fiction
No Comments
We all want to do our part to protect the environment, but without a large paycheck, that can be seem difficult, if not impossible. But doing your part doesn’t have to be hard. Small steps add up to a big difference, you just have to know which ones to take.
Use less water.
Saving water is all about small steps, here are a few that will help save big.
- Shut off the water while you brush your teeth
- Take showers that are a minute or two shorter
- Only flush the toilet when you need to
- Only run full loads of laundry and dishes
- Buy from sustainable producers. These are farmers, ranchers, and other producers that use techniques that pollute less and use less water. You can do some research online or ask at your local organic market to find these products.
Use less energy.
If you don’t have the money to buy a hybrid car or convert your house to solar power, you can make a big difference with small changes.
- Buy energy efficient appliances. They may be more expensive, but make up for the increased cost in lower energy bills.
- Unplug chargers when you’re not using them. Cell phone and other chargers use up powers even if there’s nothing attached to them.
- Put devices with remotes, like T.V.s, VCRs, and stereos, on a power strip and turn it off when you’re not using them. These devices use a lot of power to run the remote receiver even when the device is off.
- Walk or ride your bike for short trips.
- Buy local products. It takes energy to transport food and other products across the country. Buying local not only supports your local economy, it helps them use less energy.
When it comes to saving energy and water, it’s a great idea to get the kids involved. You can even make it a game. Have them track how much water and electricity everyone is using. You can compete to see who uses the least water. You can often count on your kids to help keep you on track when given the task.
Reuse.
Most of us know the three R’s: reduce, reuse, recycle, but when we work on conserving, we often leave reuse out of the picture. While you can often find tips on how to reuse common products from other people, what you need most is creativity. With a little thought there are many items around your home that can be reused – toilet paper holders can be used to sow seeds for the vegetable patch. And old yogurt containers can be cut into strip to make plant labels. Old food jars can be refilled with homemade foods or can make great impromptu vases.
Use environmentally friendly products. When you go to the grocery store, you probably see more and more “natural” or “eco friendly” products every time. There are generally two big problems with these products: 1. Just because they’re more natural than regular products, doesn’t mean they’re entirely natural. 2, They’re often expensive.
If you want inexpensive, natural, safe products, why not just make them yourself. Vinegar is a great way to clean and disinfect glass and other surfaces. Need to remove stubborn stains? Just add some baking soda to your vinegar cleaner. Some quick searching online will lead you to hundreds of other natural safe home-made cleaning products.
We all know that going green means better for the environment, but it’s also better for you. Conserving resources also helps save you money, which is something most of us are happy to live with.
The New Green Family Guide: A Beginner’s Guide to Going Green As a Family
THE SMART WOMAN’S DO-IT-YOURSELF GUIDE TO A GREENER HOME
Money-Saving Tips for New Moms
April 17, 2012
Health Matters, Non-Fiction
No Comments
Emphasizing what is positive and the benefits of changing their behavior can make all the difference. For example, when they lose weight, they will be able to buy that new pair of jeans they have been longing for, or will look great at summer camp in a bikini, are just two of the ways you can give a girl an incentive to slim down.
For boys, it might be great new sports equipment or a trip to the local water park in their new swim trunks. Just fostering the child’s natural inclination to please you, have fun, and discover new things can serve as perfect opportunities to introduce fitness routines, and reduce such incidents like eating out of boredom. If these things are done with every child who is overweight, we will soon have much slimmer children.
Cutting the connection between food and mood is one of the keys. It should not be used as a reward and does not need to be the center of every single celebration, Eating at home, where you can control portion sizes and what is in the dishes, will be key.
Setting a good example too in terms of eating habits and physical activity can also be two of the best ways to instill good habits that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
You will also gain quite a few benefits from eating healthy and slimming down yourself, no matter what your age. Even losing 10 pounds can help reverse certain health conditions, like hugh blood pressure and insuling resistance.
If you shed your extra weight, you will feel much better about yourself and also be able to keep up with your kids even more.
Remember, the family who plays together, stays together. Plan exercise every day before dinner, such as a walk though the neighborhood or a trip on the bike. You can catch up with each other, share your day, and then go home to a great homecooked meal from your crock pot or out of the microwave, a healthy recipe you prepared in advance and froze.
Make ahead muffins, freezer recipes and Thermos recipes can help you feed your child breakfast, lunch and dinner in healthy ways.Talk to your doctor if you want some recommendations that are specific for your child’s current health situation, and start to slim down together. Your renewed energy and healthy outlook and way you feel will be all the incentive you need to keep up the great work.
FURTHER READING
Childhood obesity
Emotional eating
Make ahead
Thermos
Crock pot 1
Crock pot 2
April 17, 2012
General, Money Matters
No Comments
Modern living is all about living well on a budget. Why pay more if you don’t have to? This is particularly true when it comes to home decorating and home repair. You don’t need to be an expert handyman to tackle many of the tasks that arise day to day when you are living in an apartment or house.
In this guide, the authors offer suggestions as to how even busy moms and professional women can get started with great Do It Yourself (DIY) projects to repair or beautify your home.
From painting to papering, re-upholstering to tiling, you can modernize, refurbish and renew your home, creating a whole new look and feel to a room, and adding value to your greatest investment: the home you own.
No matter where you live, or what your budget, your home can become your palace once you are armed with your own tool kit and the knowledge needed to tackle the tasks on your to do list.
Nag no more. Why wait for your partner to perform a particular chore, when you can do it yourself? If you are a single gal, why pay a pro a small fortune for simple jobs a smart woman like you can easily manage yourself?
Successful DIY is all about being willing to learn and put in a bit of effort. If you are eager to improve the appearance of your home as you go about doing your spring-cleaning, or getting ready for the holidays, you can get started today.
Discover the best ways to start on simple DIY projects that don’t need to cost a lot, but can all add up to impressive results once you know how. Save money and cross off all the chores on your to do list, and feel the great sense of accomplishment that comes with becoming a smart do-it-yourself mom and creating a lovely home that will impress any guest.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
WHAT’S IN THIS GUIDE
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
COPYRIGHT
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1: PAINTING YOUR HOME YOURSELF
CHAPTER 2: REFURBISHING YOUR UPHOLSTERY
CHAPTER 3: UPDATING YOUR FIXTURES
CHAPTER 4: HOW TO DEAL WITH WALLPAPER
CHAPTER 5: HOW TO DEAL WITH CHAIR RAILS AND CROWN MOLDINGS
CHAPTER 6: HOW TO USE TILE TO TRANSFORM YOUR HOME
CHAPTER 7: EXTERIOR PROJECTS FOR DIY MOMS
CHAPTER 8: HELPFUL HINTS FROM EXPERIENCED DIY MOMS
CHAPTER 9: ORGANIZING YOUR PROJECTS: TURNING YOUR FANTASY HOME INTO A REALITY
CONCLUSION
FURTHER READING
FREE NEWSLETTER AND GUIDES OFFER
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Born and raised in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and now living in one of the fashion capitals of the world, New York City, Catherine Edouard Charlot taught herself to sew at the age of 13, using her dad’s old shirt to make a dress. Ever since then, she has been creating recyclable and sustainable fashions through her company Himane.
Her goal is to create one of a kind, innovative, classy, earthy, well crafted, locally made items, from wedding dresses to totes, using an array of fabrics. She uses everything from umbrellas to yoga mats to create fashions for all occasions, from shoes to bags, stuffed animals, laptop cases, and more. She also designs unique wedding gowns and bridesmaids’ dresses for the modern woman looking for custom-made and something that little bit different, and green brides wanting to make as small an impact on the environment as possible.
Catherine has been featured in O Magazine and is a popular guest and lecturer at fashion events all over the world on her use of “retired” umbrellas and other materials that can be rescued and given a whole new, and more glamorous, lease on life through her fashion house Himane.
Carolyn Stone is one of the main editors and writers for the Guru-Goddess.com website, by women, for women, about women, and the author of over four dozen health and self-help titles.
April 16, 2012
Marketing Matters, Non-Fiction
No Comments
Everyone who owns an online business constantly worries about traffic, but in order to be successful at online selling, there are a number of other numbers you need to look at.
The first will be conversions, that is, how much of your traffic is taking action at your site. The next four numbers will be your leads, and the next two key numbers will be your sales and income and finally your profits.
In order to boost all five of these numbers, you need to have an attractive, professional looking website with a number of important features. Here are several to look at to improve the performance of your site.
Your Site Navigation
Make it easy for people to find what they are looking for through persistent, site-wide navigation. Keyword your navigation whenever possible to optimize your site for the search engines so that you can get more traffic naturally without having to pay for it.
Your Landing Pages
Every page on your site should have some sort of call to action, whether it be to sign up for a free email newsletter (leads) or make a sale. Don’t just make your placements of text, images and calls to action based on aesthetics, but actually try different variations and see how they affect sales. You can do this using any metrics tool, but Google Analytics can help and it is free. Also try Google Optimizer to help you arrive at a winning online sales letter or landing page.
Optimize Your Site Load Time
There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to browse an online store that is loading slowly because the images are not optimized and all you see is a lot of blanks space. It’s also unprofessional and erodes trust.
Keep in mind that a lot of people will want to browse many products before buying. They’ll often open as many as ten different products all at once using tabbed browsing in Chrome or Firefox, for example, and compare them side by side. Your server needs to be able to respond to these kinds of requests or else they will click out.
Use meaningful images that have been optimized for the web and populate your ALT tags with keyworded descriptions of the images so that even if the images load slowly or are suppressed, the visitor will still know that they are in the right place.
Use a Professional Hosting Service
If you’re still on shared hosting, or worse still, trying to use a free site, it is time to get an ecommerce optimized dedicated server to help speed up the page serving and shopping process. Then visitors will be happy to browse your high-performance site and you will be to handle the volume of orders you will be hoping for.
Create Great Promotions
Come up with different promotions and use them to boost your sales. Holiday sales are the norm, but you can create a great promotion at any time to spark interest in your existing products and services, or launch new ones.
Creating special promotions can be an incredibly effective way to get a lot of sales in a short period of time. This is also a great strategy for any month that might be slow in your business.
Check your sales volume at least once a week and check your monthly goals and targets—if you don’t have any, you should set them. Then check your progress at the middle and third week of the month. If you are not going to meet your targets, set up an online special sale and email the people on your marketing list to tell them all about it. Also encourage them to pass the information along to any friends and family who might be interested.
Process Payments Professionally
Credit card merchant service may be beyond your budget when you are just starting up in business online, but fortunately, PayPal will allow you to create a verified business account in just a few steps and with no charge to set up your account.
PayPal processes transactions from all of the major credit cards, plus electronic transfers from banks and even cash if people go into a MoneyGram location. So if you are not accepting PayPal, you should be. Most people who use it already have an account set up, so all they have to do to shop is to remember their email address and password. This makes shopping at your site virtually seamless.
PayPal will take a small percentage and per-transaction fee, but it is a fast, convenient way to process payments online and adds a great deal of trust value to your site when people know they are paying through such a safe and secure method online.
If you feel your site is not performing as well as it should, try these strategies and focus on improving conversions, and see what a difference it can make to your online revenue.
Further Reading
How to Make Money with Affiliate Marketing Even Without a Website
Information Marketing Success
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