Magazine
APRIL 2011
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LIFESTYLES Great Ways To Get More Done in Less Time What No One Tells You about Motherhood - And How to Cope
HEALTHY LIVING 8 BeneďŹ ts of Green Living Raising Happy Healthy Children
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ine AGAZINE rack ACTIVE SENIORS Posi�ve Steps to Deal With Your Loneliness Celebra�ng Your Family History
HOME & GARDEN Going Na�ve In Your Garden The Joy of a Kitchen Garden
BUSINESS DYNAMICS Are You an Expert or an Authority? Why Your Brochure is in the Garbage Can
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Main Street Kelowna Magazine is published monthly by Main Street Business Network and serves the residents and business community of Kelowna, British Columbia. 101 -1865 Dilworth Drive, Kelowna BC V1Y 9T1. Tel 888 412.1067 info@mainstreetkelowna.com www.mainstreetkelowna.com
Publisher Luke Vorstermans
Absolute Contrac�ng PO Box 1204 Salmon Arm, BC V1E 4P3 Tel: 250.832.9654 h�p://www.absolutecontrac�ng.ca
Agents in Mo�on Royal LePage Kelowna #1 - 1890 Cooper Road Kelowna, BC V1Y 8B7 Tel: 250.860.1100 h�p://www.agentsinmo�on.ca
luke@mainstreetkelowna.com
Operations Manager Linda Ryan
linda@mainstreetkelowna.com
Director Business Development Stephen Fountaine stephen@mainstreetkelowna.com
Account Manager Gordon Houston
Big Brothers and Sisters #102-151 Commercial Dr Kelowna, BC V1X 7W2 Tel: 250.765.2661 h�p://www.bigs.bc.ca
Breast Cancer Support 1633 Pandosy Street Kelowna, BC V1Y 1P6 Tel: 250.762.6381 h�p://www.cancer.ca
gordon@mainstreetkelowna.com
Calavan� Luxury Salon & Spa Editorial Manager Augusto Meneses
augusto@mainstreetkelowna.com
Copy Editor William Darnell
william@mainstreetkelowna.com
Executive Assistant Ana Marie Banares
anamarie@mainstreetkelowna.com
#102 – 510 Bernard Ave. Kelowna, BC V1Y 6P1 Tel: 250.763.9700 h�p://www.calavan�.com
CFUW - Kelowna P.O. Box 21168 Orchard Park Postal Outlet Kelowna, BC V1Y 9N8 Tel: 250.769.3938 h�p://www.cfuwkelowna.org
our bu DaxAir Charters
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Gord Turner Reno
3304 Appaloosa Road Kelowna, BC V1V 2W5 Tel: 250.765.1166 h�p://www.gtrenova�o
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Kelowna Salva�on Army Janet Lawrence 1480 Sutherland Kelowna, B.C V1Y 5Y5 Tel: 250.860.2329 ext 29 h�p://www.kelowna.salva�onarmy.ca
Menzies Graphics Group 325 Bay Avenue Kelowna, BC V1Y 7S3 Tel: 250.762.3213 h�p://www.menziesprinters.com
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COM ..COM
CONTENTS 13 15 17 20 22 24 COM ..COM
29
Most Satisfying Simple Pleasures Give Your Personality a Makeover Save Money and Trips with These Money Saving Tips 5 Great Ways To Get More Done in Less Time What No One Tells You about Motherhood - And How to Cope Three Myths of Breastfeeding to Ignore Pint Size Teachers
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2nd Annual
Shelter from the Storm Radiothon May 6th 5:30 am - 6:30 pm Live from HOMESENSE (1575 BANKS RD) Shelter from the Storm is Canada's largest national fundraising campaign dedicated to ending violence against women. Shelter from the Storm reaches countless women who are in need of help and creates greater awareness amongst the general public about the magnitude and severity of domestic violence in Canada.
Kelowna’s Womens Shelter is a crucial resource for women and children fleeing violence. The shelter offers short and long-term support that help women safely leave an abusive relationship and ensure she doesn't have to return. Our first Radiothon last year raised $27,800. This year our goal is $40,000. Can we count on your support?
Why hire a Royal LePage Realtor? Click here. Leona Wallace and Jann Harrison, Royal LePage National Award Recipients for 2009 & 2010
Jann Harrison 250.878.8554 Leona Wallace 250.300.7377 Royal LePage Kelowna, #1 - 1890 Cooper Road, Kelowna, BC V1Y 8B7
a day made of glass
There may come a day where glass is no longer fragile and will be used in every area of your life.
THE CANADIAN FEDERATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN - KELOWNA PRESENTS
IVAN SAYER’S
WAISTED EFFORTS WOMEN’S FASHIONS OF THE 20TH CENTURY SUNDAY, MAY 15, 2011
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Most Satisfying
Simple Pleasures Life is filled with simple pleasures, the little satisfying effects you never really anticipate, but always take great pleasure in. They are the gifts of life that we each celebrate in our own unique way.
1. The First Sip of a Beverage When You’re Thirsty. You just finished mowing the lawn or taking a jog. The only thing on your mind is an ice-cold glass of water. When you’re really, really thirsty, that first sip of any liquid beverage is sheer bliss. 2. Receiving a Real Letter or Package via Snail Mail. Email has become our primary communication. When you check the mail and find a real letter or package from someone you know, excitement overtakes you as you tear into this rare gift. 3. Finding Money You Didn’t Know You Had. You reach into your pocket and find a $20 bill from the last time you wore these jeans. You aren’t rich, but you are richer than you were a second earlier. 4. Making Brief Eye Contact with Someone of the Opposite Sex. You pass him on the street or in the subway. Just for a moment you make direct eye contact in a way that seems to communicate a subtle curiosity. For a split second it makes you think… and then it’s gone. 5. Saying the Same Thing Simultaneously. There is a moment of silence. Then all of the sudden you and your friend blurt out the same exact set of words simultaneously. This rare occurrence is something to smile about.
6. Putting On Clothes Straight from the Dryer. As soon as the dryer buzzes, you pull out your clothes and put them on. They feel soothingly warm on your skin and emit a fresh-scented aroma into the air. 7. A Familiar Smell. You pull into your parent’s driveway and opened the car door. You haven’t been home in a long while. As you head through the front door, familiar smells consume your senses. Gosh, it feels good to be home… 8. Fresh, Clean Bed Sheets. You yank at the corner of the bedspread and slide your body under the freshly cleaned sheets. The sheets feel cool to the touch. Everything seems so clean, like nobody has ever slept in this bed before. 9. Receiving an Unexpected Compliment. It’s been an average day. Unexpectedly, someone taps you on the shoulder, calls you “handsome” and says she loves your shirt. The day just got a whole lot better. 10. Holding Hands with Someone You Love. Every time he grabs your hand you’re overcome with an awareness of how much he means to you. Holding hands is sensual and intimate, so when it happens you can be sure that the moment is special. From the book of Awesome by Neil Pasricha
10 Reasons You Should Never Have a Religion By StevePavlina
While consciously pursuing your spiritual development is commendable, joining an established religion such as Christianity, Islam, or Hinduism is one of the worst ways to go about it. In this short ebook, personal development guru, Steve Pavlina shares 10 reasons why you must eventually abandon the baggage of organized religion if you wish to pursue conscious living in earnest.
Hugs and Popsicles A Cure for the Imagine-Nation
By Jeannie Pitt and illustrated by Stephen M. Phillips Its purpose is to inspire the masses, both children and adults, with poetry that opens the heart and spreads laughter and joy. Colorful drawings are coupled with simple stories that encourage the imagination to reach into the soul and y. You’ll have a little giggle and feel a bit freer after reading these delightful tales.
How to Solve Problems and Prevent Trouble By Richard W. Wetherill
This book is a kind of behavioral textbook and its purpose is to enable a person to become fully logical, to think more clearly and successfully in all departments of life, and to recognize and understand reality. It will enable him to learn how to identify and drop wrong thinking so that right thinking becomes instinctive.
LIFESTYLES
15
In Style
Give Your
Personality a Makeover
Every person desires to improve his or her own personality. This is one of the reason we buy new clothes or cut our hair. It improves our image and makes us feel different about ourselves. But personality goes beyond external appearance. It includes dispositions, traits, qualities, speech, and other things innate in the person. When it’s time to give your personality a makeover, try these 8 strategies:
1. Be interested in people. Try to discover what
other people want. Know their likes, dislikes, interests, and beliefs. By doing this, you will be regarded as a person with an attractive and pleasing personality.
2. Admit your weaknesses. Just as persons have strengths, they also have their weaknesses. You should admit that you also have defects.
3. Admire your friends. Praise them for their achieve-
ments. Tell them how attractive they look. Make them feel how important they are to you. By this, they will also give importance.
4. Associate with people who are successful and happy. Seek the companionship of others who can give you new points of views, renewed hopes, and meaningful life. Ask for their advice and guidance. They can give you valuable insights about their experiences in life.
5. Attend social gatherings. Social gatherings can increase your circle of friends. Social events can likewise give you new insights and experiences. It can help improve your relationships with other people and your community. Social gatherings can help you develop your communication skills.
6. Assume that people like you. If you show
the other person that you want people to talk to you, they will react to you with warmth.
7. Learn new things. Learn how to cook or play the piano. Enroll in voice lessons. Indulge in gardening. By doing this, you are expanding your horizons.
8. Change your environment. Go on vacation or rest in a new place. Renovate your house and fix your furniture. Introduce changes in your environment.
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LIFESTYLES
In Style
Save Money and
Money Sa
Save money and trips to the market with these tips and tricks. You’ll be surprised how simple it is to keep food at its best. Line the bottom of your refrigerator’s crisper drawer with paper towels. They’ll absorb the excess moisture that causes vegetables to rot. To keep herbs tasting fresh for up to a month, store whole bunches, washed and sealed in plastic bags, in the freezer. When you need them, they’ll be easier to chop, and they’ll defrost the minute they hit a hot pan. A bay leaf slipped into a container of flour, pasta, or rice will help repel bugs. Stop cheese from drying out by spreading butter or margarine on the cut sides to seal in moisture. This is most effective with hard cheeses sealed in wax. When radishes, celery, or carrots have lost their crunch, simply pop them in a bowl of iced water along with a slice of raw potato and watch the limp vegetables freshen up right before your eyes. Avoid separating bananas until you plan to eat them – they spoil less quickly in a bunch. Put rice in your saltshaker to stop the salt
from hardening. The rice absorbs condensation that can cause clumps. Stock up on butter when it’s on sale
LIFESTYLES
d Trips with These
aving Tips
In order to make cottage cheese or sour cream last longer, place the container upside down in the fridge. Inverting the tub creates a vacuum that inhibits the growth of bacteria that causes food to spoil. Believe it or not, honey is the only nonperishable food substance, so don’t get rid of the stuff if it crystallizes or becomes cloudy. Put the container in a pan of warm water to make honey clear again. Prevent extra cooked pasta from hardening by stashing it in a sealed plastic bag and refrigerating. When you’re ready to serve, throw the pasta in boiling water for a few seconds to heat and restore moisture. Keeping brown sugar in the freezer will stop it from hardening. But if you already have hardened sugar on your shelf, soften it by sealing in a bag with a slice of bread – or by microwaving on high for 30 seconds.
– you can store it in the freezer for up to six months. Pack the butter in an airtight container, so it doesn’t take on the flavor of whatever else you’re freezing.
If you only need a few drops of lemon juice, avoid cutting the lemon in half – it will dry out quickly. Instead, puncture the fruit with a metal skewer and squeeze out exactly what you require. If you’re unsure of an egg’s freshness, see how it behaves in a cup of water: Fresh eggs sink; bad ones float.
17
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LIFESTYLES
20
5 GREAT WAYS To Get More Done in Less Time
D
o you find yourself wishing there were more hours in the day? Our lives are so filled with work, family, and appointments that we often can’t seem to fit in everything we want to accomplish in a 24-hour day.
The good news is: there are simple strategies you can use to make the most of your days!
Here are 5 great tips to help you to get more done in less time: 1. Make a list. Write out everything that you need to accomplish, and then joyfully cross off each task as you complete it. As you see your list dwindling, it’ll provide the needed motivation to get the rest of the list done, too.
2. Prioritize effectively
When this happens, we rush frantically to accomplish everything, but we end up doing a cruddy job and get ourselves all worked up for no good reason. There is a better way! Use your morning hours wisely and get tasks started early in the day. Chances are you’ll finish them in one day rather than having it drag into a second day.
4. Do the unpleasant tasks first A great time management trick is to get the things you dislike out of the way first. If you keep putting it off, you’ll attempt to squeeze it in somewhere, and you’ll get the feeling of being overwhelmed.
5. Multi-task if you can If you’re able to accomplish two things at once, then by all means do it. If you can put dinner on the stove while you mend a pair of pants, you can cut your time in half.
Determine which tasks are most important and what can possibly wait until later on. If this is something you’re having trouble with, you may be trying to squeeze in tasks that can actually be put on hold for a future time.
Don’t sacrifice the quality of the tasks you’re performing. If you burn dinner this only wastes more of your time in the long run.
3. Avoid procrastinating
Improving these skills will reduce your stress level and give you more time to do the things that make you happy, leading to a more peaceful and fulfilling life.
Far too many people put things off to the last possible minute.
Stressed? Anxious? In Conflict? I Can Help. Life can be challenging. You lie awake at night wondering how to handle all the pressure. Your emotions swing wildly – usually more down than up. Tears surge at odd times. You feel suffocated by the heaviness in your chest. Perhaps there’s conflict in a relationship with your spouse, your boss, or someone you’re close to. The strife and negative feelings are draining you. You know you need help. You can’t fix things on your own. Getting help shows your courage to confront your challenges and grow into a stronger person – physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I provide a safe and confidential environment for clients to express their feelings and emotions so they can regain control of their lives. Your anxiety will evaporate. Peace will return to your relationship. You’ll once again live life the way you wish it to be.
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22
LIFESTYLES
What No One Tells
MOTHE
- An
Often, we’re quite unprepared for the experience of new motherhood. While having children is a blessing, our expectations are often quite different from the reality. Many women experience some or many of the following challenges.
Fussy babies
D
uring their pregnancies, many women imagine what motherhood will be like. We envision peaceful scenes such as rocking our babies in a recliner while they effortlessly breastfeed. We imagine the things we’ll do while baby sleeps the hours away. While washing and folding baby clothes and getting the baby’s things ready, we daydream about our little one and how we’ll care for him.
Having a colicky or fussy, “high need” infant can shatter a new mom’s confidence and cause major stress. When her baby cries for hours at a time, it can put strain on her relationship with the baby’s father and undermine her emotional well being. Often there is little that can be done for a fussy baby other than holding him and waiting for her to outgrow it. Research shows that babies cry less when they are “worn” close to the mother’s body.
LIFESTYLES
23
You about
ERHOOD
nd How to Cope By Carrie Lauth
Mood swings The baby blues is a very common experience for new moms. Contributing factors may be: the stress of such a massive life change, sleep deprivation, lack of proper support, and hormonal adjustments. Getting out of the house for some socializing, exercise, and sunlight can be a huge help. Good nutrition and avoiding sugar and caffeine are also smart moves.
Relationship difficulties Some new moms become resentful of their partners. While a mom’s life changes drastically after the birth of a new baby, a dad’s life doesn’t change as much. His apparent freedom can be the cause of negative feelings. Good communication skills are important here. Moms can tell their partners what they need, and affirm his place and importance in the family. Let him care for the baby on his own so he can discover his own style is a good idea.
Bonding issues When moms read about the bonding that is so essential for baby’s development, they’re sometimes stressed if they don’t feel an instant connection with their new infants. Bonding is different for each mother, baby and dad. The feeling develops over time. There is no right or
wrong way to bond. One thing that helps develop a deep attachment is to use a baby sling. The sling helps the baby adjust to postpartum life gradually, leading to less crying. A happier baby means a happier mom.
Breastfeeding challenges Breastfeeding can be a wonderful experience, and for some mothers it comes easily. Others experience difficulties. Painful breastfeeding can increase the risk of postpartum depression. A mom who is experiencing pain should get help immediately. Often all that is needed is a slight adjustment in positioning or latching to stop the pain. New moms need support and information to have a happier postpartum adjustment. Talking with other mothers can be extremely helpful. There are many mother’s groups that a new mom can reach out to in order to get the community she needs. Carrie Lauth is the host of NaturalMomsTalkRadio.com
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LIFESTYLES
“Don’t nurse your baby all the time or she’ll become too dependent.” This is possibly the most damaging piece of breastfeeding advice you’ll hear. Not only can this advice lead to clogged milk ducts and breast infection, it can sabotage your entire breastfeeding relationship.
spacing. Nighttime nursing is also much easier. If baby wakes during the night, all you need to do is roll on your side and let the nursing begin. Then you can continue to snooze while your baby nurses back to sleep.
Three Myths of
Breastfeeding to Ignore
Breast milk works on the law of supply-and-demand. The more baby nurses, the more milk you’ll make. Unlike formula, breast milk is quickly digested and since babies have small stomachs, expect your baby to “cluster feed” through most of the day in the early weeks. It’s normal for newborns to appear hungry every hour or so. Babies are supposed to be dependent on you! After all, there isn’t much a baby can do for himself. So throw those schedules in the diaper pail.
“Whatever you do, don’t let baby sleep in your bed.” While co-sleeping may not be the answer for all families, it can make nighttime breastfeeding less of an ordeal. Most families throughout the world sleep next to their babies and according to research, babies and mothers who cosleep receive more sleep than those who sleep separately. Babies who co-sleep tend to eat more at night, maintaining mom’s milk supply and promoting natural child-
Ignore those people who say sleeping next to your baby is a slippery slope – if you do it once you’ll never have a child-free bed until the teenage years. This isn’t true. As with everything, do what works in your family’s situation.
“Mothers who nurse their toddlers beyond [six months, one year, etc] are doing it more for themselves than for their babies.” There is nothing wrong with breastfeeding toddlers. The Canadian Pediatrics Society claims there’s no evidence of psychological or developmental harm in babies who breastfeed beyond age one. Research shows that nursing babies over a year old receive substantial amounts of nutrients from breast milk, providing high amounts of vitamin B12, vitamin A, folate, vitamin C and protein. Toddlers do need nutrition from solid foods, but breast milk is still a valuable part of their diet. Although the sight of nursing toddlers isn’t at the forefront of western society, extended breastfeeding isn’t extreme. The World Health Organization urges moms to nurse for at least two years.
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LIFESTYLES
5
Minute Energizers at Dawn E verybody’s busy these days. There’s the job that takes up most of each day, sandwiched by a frantic morning and less-than-leisurely evening. Time must be made for kids and/or your significant other. Nofun chores like yard work, fix-it projects and the like eat up weekend hours. Sure, you have an hour or so to yourself each day, but if the thought of spending it in a sweaty weight room isn’t a likely option, it’s a sure bet you’re overweight and under-trained. Your life and time constraints likely won’t change, but by utilizing five free minutes several times a day (and don’t even think about denying they’re there) for some simple exercises, you’ll not only improve your physical condition for the future but will energize your body continually during the day.
Think about it - aren’t you tired of being tired so often? That can change. We’re offering a day-long series of simple, weight-free maneuvers designed to reinvigorate you. From dawn to dusk, here are six sessions, designed to stretch and strengthen you from top to bottom. They’re categorized according to certain common times of the day for most men. The fitness bursts are in bed, out of bed, driving to work, at work, after work and late evening. Some exercises overlap, to the benefit of major muscles like thighs, abs and back. Of course you should perform cardiovascular and resistance workouts too, but if you can only spare a few minutes here and there, these quickies are the best bets. Wake-Up Call
LIFESTYLES SIT-UP STRETCH (upper body) Upon awakening, sit up and slowly stretch out, extending arms up. Extend the head back, and feel your muscles come to life. Follow up by twisting the torso side to side, and take some deep breaths.
LEG RAISES (thighs, abs) Lie back down with arms at sides and proceed to raise the right leg, keeping a slight bend in the knee. Hold the leg up for 10 seconds, flexing the foot up and down. Then lower and raise the left leg. Raise each leg three times.
TOE GRASPS (back, abs) With legs out together, sit up and slowly slide hands down the legs, bending at the waist. Cover toes with fingers, feeling the stretch in the back. Pause, then return to starting position. Perform five repetitions.
27
a bit more while raising the head up to meet it. Pause, then extend back and next work the left leg. Pull each leg in three times.
SINGLE LEG PULL-INS (hips, hamstrings) With legs out together, bend the right knee and pull it in to the chest. Pause, then extend back and next work the left leg. Pull each leg in three times.
RISE AND SHINE
Body Bursts
Standing with arms crossed at wrists, proceed to enthusiastically extend them up and out, rising up on toes and thrusting the head back. Perform five repetitions.
FLOOR TOUCH (back) Standing with feet wide apart, and keeping the knees slightly bent, bend at the waist and lower hands to the floor, or as close as possible without strain. Pause, then rise. Perform three repetitions.
EXTENSIONS (abs) With legs out together, sit up and slowly slide hands down the legs, bending at the waist. Stop when comfortably stretched, pause, then return to starting position. Perform five repetitions.
BACK BENDS (back, shoulders) Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and hands clasped behind the back. Proceed to bend over and extend arms up. Pause, then rise to starting position. Perform three repetitions.
ANKLE TWISTS (ankles) Sit up in bed, supported by hands behind you, and extend the right leg up, with the knee slightly bent. Proceed to twist the ankle to one side and then the other. Twist to each side three times, then lower the leg and next raise and work the left leg’s ankle.
TRUNK TWISTS (abs, obliques)
Knee-to-Head Crunches (hips, hamstrings,
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With legs out together, bend the right knee, pull it in and grasp it with both hands. Proceed to pull it in
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abs)
Stand with hands on hips and feet wider than shoulder-width apart. Proceed to twist to the right, down in front and over to the left, before rising to starting position. Perform five repetitions.
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The
Pint Size TEACHERS
I want to make a confession to you. You may or may not know this about me but I have a serious addic�on to ‘talent’ reality shows. It seems like every channel has oodles of reality shows. Some are good, and some are very bad. I draw the line to the type of reality shows I will watch because quite frankly there is so much garbage being aired that it boggles my mind. The great news is that we have a choice in what we will select for our viewing enjoyment on our television sets. We hold the choice in our hand. It is called a remote control.
Over the past few years there seems to be an emerging interest in the talents of today’s youth. The exposure these children are ge�ng from such shows as American Idol, Britain’s Got Talent, So You Think You Can Dance, etc., does not stop there. Oprah and Ellen have also featured pint size boys and girls who excel in song, dance, math, geography, science and history. Whatever their talent is let’s just put that off to the side for now and focus on something these gi�ed children are teaching the millions of people tuning in to these programs. Before we do this I need you to imagine yourself as a child. I want you to put yourself into anyone of these li�le teachers shoes and think about the enormity of what they are about to walk into. They are behind a curtain and have been told that millions of people are going to watch them perform their special talent. The audiences in unison u�ers, ‘awe’, when a li�le person who may not even be 4’ tall walks out on stage with the confidence of a veteran entertainer. This is what com-
pletely intrigues me when I am watching these incredible, �ny dynamos stand in front of a live audience and share the gi� they have been blessed with. How in the world are these kids able to perform and not crack under the massive pressure? The answer is that they have NO FEAR. When they hear that they are going to be seen by millions of people, most do not even understand how much a million is. Think about that. When a child receives a $20.00 bill in their birthday card, they shout with excitement because they think they have just hit the JACKPOT! When you ask a child to define old age, some might say 25 or even lower. Can you imagine what our lives would be like if we did not pay a�en�on to fear or have any care in the world when it came to the numbers? Kim Malchuk is a best-selling author, speaker and coach who focuses on the importance of living in the moment and overcoming life’s challenges.
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CONTENTS 37 38 39 40 41 44 49
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Habits to Living a Healthy, Balanced Life World Earth Day April 22, 2011 Cooking Tips for Better Health Fructose: A Major Culprit in Obesity and Diabetes 8 BeneďŹ ts of Green Living Raising Happy Healthy Children Drink Milk? Udder Propaganda
listen to your tribal voice
This video by Yothu Yindi, celebrates the world of tribal dance. Enjoy!
Tapping Your Way to Health, Happiness and Abundance Wisdom from Meridian Tapping Experts
Find out how to transform your mental, emotional and physical health… in minutes! If you’re searching for more energy, more abundance, more peace, more anything…or just relief from anxiety and stress, explore the possibility that you could be freed from emotional and physical blocks in minutes with a technique that is easy to learn and simple to apply.
Living the Fit Life By Patrick McCrann
That super double top-secret protocol that the pros and elite age groupers take advantage of isn’t the latest carbon widget or special coach – although those things can’t hurt. The single unifying factor across all these individuals is far simpler: the relentless pursuit of physical excellence through incredible discipline, consistent training, and exhausting all avenues of learning.
The 9 Key Steps to Discovering Your SWuRL By Calin M. Salajean
Finding your SWuRL in not the fulfillment of what you want, but the realization of the beauty you hold with in. Chances are you’ve lost your SWuRL of you never knew you had it to begin with. This ebook is all about what SWuRL is, how to identify it and how to bring it into your life.
Habits to Living a Healthy, Balanced Life
Good health isn’t just about healthy eating and exercise – it also includes having a positive mental health, healthy self-image and a healthy lifestyle.
1. Cut down on processed food Processed foods are a poor choice because most of nutritional value is lost and the preservatives added are detrimental for our health. The most natural foods are those that are kept their raw form.
2. Exercise good dental hygiene Not only does good dental hygiene make you a lot more desirable, it is linked with better health. Brush your teeth twice a day, rinse your mouth after each meal and floss your teeth at night.
3. Avoid trigger foods Everyone’s trigger foods are different but generally trigger foods are candy bars, chocolate, confectionery, chips, or anything with high level of refined sugar, salt, fat or flour. These foods cause a blood sugar imbalance, triggering a desire to eat more. Identify your trigger foods and remove them from your diet.
4. Hang out with healthy people You’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with, so the more time you spend around healthy people, the better it is.
5. Learn to say no Don’t feel like you have to eat just because you’re out with your friends, or because people offer you food. Simply say no if you don’t feel like eating.
6. Dine at salad bars more often Fall in love with salad bars. Salad bars work like this: You pick your greens, you select your toppings and you finish off with a dressing. The variety is huge, it’s filling and it’s extremely healthy.
7. Get out more often Make it a point to go out with friends at least once a week. Get some sunlight. Go out and have a change in environment. It’ll be great for your body and your soul.
8. Cut out soda and caffeine Drinks with caffeine are diuretics – meaning they speed up the rate of urine production. Soda is unhealthy, causes weight gain and is an artificial stimulant. Ditch your soda and go for plain water or fresh fruit juices instead!
9. Join classes Dance classes, aerobics classes, tennis classes, ballroom dancing, wake boarding courses, are all places to start off with. Going there lets you socialize with a whole new group of people.
10. Love yourself How much do you love yourself on a scale of 1-10? Why? How could you love yourself more starting today?
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HEALTHY LIVING
Health Matters For over 40 years Earth Day has been a valuable tool for inspiring and mobilizing citizens and organizations to demonstrate their commitment to environmental protection and sustainability. The Earth Day Birthday is also referred to as World Environment Day 2011. Earth Day 2011 will mark the 41st anniversary of Earth Day. This is a pivotal time to make serious changes that will conserve, protect and sustain our planet. World Earth Day 2011 is celebrated in over 140 countries all over the world. The April 22 Earth Day is usually celebrated with outdoor performances, where individuals or groups perform acts of service to earth. Typical ways of observing Earth Day include planting trees, picking up roadside trash, conducting various programs for recycling and conservation, using recyclable containers for snacks and lunches. Some people are encouraged to sign petitions to governments, calling for stronger or immediate action to stop global warming and to reverse environmental destruction. Television stations frequently air programs dealing with environmental issues.
WORLD EARTH DAY April 22, 2011
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HEALTHY LIVING
Cooking Tips for
Better Health Cooking is a personal experience and we can implement different methods for the same meal. For example, if we want to make mashed potatoes, we could boil the potatoes, or we could steam them, we could peel the skin etc. It’s all about choices that will affect the nutritional value of the food you put on your table. For a healthier lifestyle, change what you cook as well as how you cook. You could be preparing a meal with the right nutritious ingredients but after you are finished cooking, end up with a dish that has no nutritional value. When heat is applied, many vitamins and minerals are burnt away. The higher the temperature and the longer you cook it, the fewer nutrients you will have in your meal. It is important not to overcook your meals and with the minimum amount of water possible. Microwaving, frying, boiling and sautéing are other methods that you need to re-consider. Steaming and stir-frying are better choices, as they will allow the natural nutrition to remain in your food. Don’t cut or chop your vegetables too far ahead of time as this causes oxidation which inactivates the vitamins.
Use unrefined sea salt to your meals instead of commercial table salt, a highly refined product that is devoid of any trace minerals . Unrefined sea salt taste wonderful and contains .5 to 3% trace minerals. You can also add spices and herbs if you need to add more taste to your meals. Avoid hydrogenated oils and fat, refined margarines and oils, animal oils and fats and shortenings. Use less white flour and introduce more fiber by adding bran and soy flour and wheat germ to your bread recipes. Balance your diet with fresh fruits and vegetables versus frozen or canned. Have a salad every day. Make your own salad dressing. In the food processor blend 5 cloves of garlic, a 1/2” pc of ginger, 1/2 onion, 1 jalapeno pepper, a handful of parsley. Add fresh squeezed lime (from 4 or 5 limes) or lemon juice, extra virgin oil, and unrefined sea salt. You could also add honey for a little extra flavor. Use quality cookware and utensils that do not interact with food. Natural materials such as earthenware, ceramic, glass and metals such as stainless steel, cast-iron or enamel coated steel are recommended. Avoid aluminum, plastic, teflon and other synthetic materials. Cook with joy and a light heart and avoid meals prepared by people who are sick, angry or they have an unhappy attitude.
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HEALTHY LIVING
FRUCTOSE: A Major Culprit in
OBESITY and DIABETES The presence of massive amounts of fructose in today’s Western diet is a driving force behind our diabetes epidemic. Regular table sugar is 50 percent fructose and 50 percent glucose, but the two are metabolized very differently. Nearly every cell in your body was designed to use glucose for energy—especially your brain cells—but fructose breaks down into a variety of toxins that can have devastating effects on your health. Fructose has the following adverse metabolic effects: • Fructose does not stimulate a rise in leptin, so your satiety signals are suppressed. • Fructose raises your insulin and your triglycerides, which effectively reduces the amount of leptin crossing your blood-brain barrier. This interferes with the communication between leptin and your hypothalamus. Your brain senses starvation and prompts you to eat more. • Fructose does not suppress ghrelin like glucose does. Ghrelin is the “hunger hormone,” making you want more food. All of this also sets the stage for overindulgence and hence overweight, placing you on the path toward diabetes. It would be wise for most people to limit fructose to 15 grams or less as it is virtually guaranteed you will be getting “hidden” sources of fructose from just about any processed food you eat. This includes fruits, which also need to be carefully measured to make certain that you’re not inadvertently going over the fructose limit. For a helpful chart listing the fructose content of several common fruits, see this ar�cle.
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EALTHY IVI NG Hchoices he health benefits from making greener are of L fossil fuels your family uses to light up the outside of your amazing. You can impact the health of the environhouse, garden, or pool area. ment in your local area and ultimately, the world by simply making a few crucial changes to your lifestyle.
1 Foot Power Ride your bicycle, walk, or run to your destination rather than driving. You’ll save money on gas and you’ll enjoy excellent cardiovascular health as a result of using your own energy to get where you want to go.
2 Enjoy Free Hot Water Solar water heating systems are built to last for a minimum of 15 years, and can last up to 40 years. The best part is that you’ll enjoy free heated water after about 4-8 years. It’s an energy efficient way to go green at home.
3 Fewer Landfills How many times have you noticed furniture and other odds and ends out for the garbage? Many times those items are still in good condition and could be repurposed into something new and different. Consider recycling or repurposing items like furniture into something new with a coat of paint or new hardware instead of putting it out on the curb.
4 Beautifully Illuminated Landscaping Solar powered lights are an excellent way to dress up your landscape while positively impacting the environment. You’ll use less electricity, save money, and cut back on the amount
5 Healthier Bodies
Eating fresh whole organic foods provides the fuel our bodies need to function optimally. The benefits of making greener food choices are increased longevity, better tasting foods.
6 Supporting the Local Economy Grow your own vegetables or purchase produce locally from farmers markets and cooperatives. You’re automatically helping the environment because the amount of fossil fuels required to truck in fresh food to the grocery store is cut considerably.
7 Free Power Solar battery chargers enable you to have electricity anywhere you go; that has sunlight of course. Power your cell phone, laptop, lights, and handheld devices without the concern of the location of an electrical outlet. You’ll help save the environment at the same time you’re enjoying free electricity!
8 Green Household Cleaners Make your own household cleaners or choose all-natural products. Synthetic chemicals are found in nearly every conventional cleaning product and these chemicals could potentially do long-term damage to our bodies and the environment. You’ll simply enjoy a cleaner healthier home environment, naturally. www.go-green-solar-energy.com
8 Benefits of Green Living By M.S. Rochell
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HEALTHY LIVING
Raising Happy
Healthy Children By Cheryl Zarra
Common sense tips for raising happy, healthy, well-mannered children
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aising cheerful, contented and well-mannered children takes time and effort. It also brings parents the greatest joy and satisfaction to watch a once delicate newborn blossom into a healthy, happy and self-confident child. Parenting requires engaging with what you are creating. Here are every day practical ways to bond deeply with your child.
Get physical! That’s right you will need to get on all fours if necessary and play with your kids. Sitting on a park bench and watching your child climb, slide and run will not do. You must get up off your bottom and move. Not only will you and your child will have happier memories but also your child will feel he is important
HEALTHY LIVING
enough to play with. Your child wants someone to interact with so shake the sleep out of your jeans and go.
Don’t expect perfection Whether your child is five months or five years old, they are still new to this world and their exposure to the proper way of completing many functions is still limited. Their little minds act like sponges absorbing as much information as possible to assimilate and perform many new tasks. Be patient and treat each attempt as the first. Your child should be driven to please herself for accomplishing a task. Don’t make her feel like a failure when an attempt is not perfect. This will only make her less eager to try at all.
Let them relax Make sure there is down time during the day for children to relax. Let them be in control of various parts of their day. Their interests and yours are often not the same. Learn to give and take during your shared activities. There will be plenty of times when they will need to do things your way. Give in every now and then and do something they choose. Be flexible!
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stress is to laugh. Children have a natural silliness so join in the fun. Create more happy memories than sad ones. You can’t laugh and cry at the same time, so when you have a choice, choose laughter. Not sure how to let loose? Make silly faces in a mirror together. Have “tickle time”. Go outside and plant jelly beans. Make animal sounds and try to guess the animals. Play leap frog with stuffed animals. Throw a birthday party for a stuffed animal. Paint pictures with your noses.
Praise your child often Children are so often told what they are doing wrong that they have a difficult time believing they can do anything right. They’ll hear things like “Don’t jump on the couch”, “Don’t throw that in the house”, “Don’t sing so loud”… don’t, don’t, don’t. Of course we need to address errant behavior however also keep sight of the positive things your child does during the day. Be specific when you tell your child she’s done something good. Mention the behavior you wish to reinforce as this will help identify what she did appropriately. “Melissa, you remembered your manners and said, “thank you” without my asking. I am very proud of you”. Or, “You did a terrific job helping me to clean up these toys”. Be creative in the positive words you use. Avoid repeating the same words over and over as it will lose its impact.
Laugh a lot Be silly. Children have to deal with stress just like adults and the best way to alleviate
Feed your child right A body needs healthy, nutritious food for fuel. If you fill it up with junk food, it will soon stop functioning efficiently. Their bodies will speed up and slow down throughout the day making the driver (your child) grumpy and lethargic. Make sure your child is not hungry since a lack of fuel results in no energy. Keep snacks and meals as healthy as possible and pay attention to foods that have hidden sugars. Read labels and act accordingly.
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HEALTHY LIVING
Self-Expression Give your child plenty of opportunities to express himself. Play a wide variety of music and let him dance or color to it. Take your child to a museum and show him many different types of art from sculptures to paintings and more. Allow your child to be creative at home. Save as many empty rolls of paper towels, toilet paper, tissue boxes, egg cartons and cans with lids to stimulate his creativity. Bring out the glue and string and create. Use clay or make papier-mâché to create masterpieces. Whatever seems to interest your child, indulge him for as long as you can.
Relax together Some children do not know how to relax. If you suspect your child does not know how to be calm – which may be the case if they never see you taking a break – then show them. If they see you relax, whether it is reading a book, taking a nap, or just sitting in the sun watching the clouds, they may be inclined to do the same. If all they ever see is you on the go, they will feel the need to do the same.
Teach them independence Children long to do for themselves. If you do for them all the time they will never learn how to do for themselves. Allow your child the sense of pride that comes with doing something without asking for help. Everything he can do for himself gives him that much more control over his life. He will always want you in his life but rather than his need for you to do it for him, he will need you to be there for him.
Listen to them There is nothing more demeaning than to talk to someone who is not paying full attention to you. Don’t make the magazine or television more important than your child. Stop what you are doing, get on an eye-to-eye level and listen to what your child is saying. Whether it is about a pretend bear that came to her afternoon tea party out or how she dug a huge hole in the sandbox or simply that she loves you, Listen, listen and listen. Not only should you look your child in the eye when she speaks to you, but reply to your child so she knows you heard her. Source: Frazzled Parents where parents reclaim their sanity.
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The
Drink Milk?
Udder Propaganda It takes 21.2 lbs of milk to make 1 lb of bu�er. It takes 10 lbs of milk to make 1 lb of hard cheese. It takes 12 lbs of milk to make 1 lb of ice cream. It takes 11 lbs of milk to make 1 lb of non-fat dry milk. It takes 7.4 lbs of milk to make 1 lb of dry whole milk. Humans have made the cow a modern factory—a perpetual milk machine. Three thousand years ago, a cow gave approximately 200 pounds of milk in a year. Today, the modern cow produces more than 18,000 pounds of milk, or over 2100 gallons.. And this overproduc�on is causing more diseases in cows as well as humans. Nature never intended for a cow to this much milk. Milk is a very delicate substance, related to almost every gland and organ of the cow’s body. It was meant as a normal func�on of the animal in crea�ng life. All of the best elements in its body must be assembled to make milk, so that the calf can have a good start. Today, we drink unnatural milk. It is produced from a cow unnaturally conceive by selec�ve breeding, by cross-breeding, or by ar�ficial insemina�on. The milk is taken from diseased cows, from bloated milk bags, or from heavy, chemical feedings.
If you believe that you are ge�ng an�bio�cs only when they are prescribed by your doctor, consider that about half of the na�on’s en�re an�bio�c output goes directly into feed stuff for animals intended for human consump�on, to make them gain weight faster and to keep them (supposedly) disease free. Every sip of milk contains powerful hormones such as estrogen, progesterone or prolac�n. Cow’s milk also contains allergens, herbicides, pes�cides, dioxins, bacteria and a wide range of supplements o�en loaded with an�bio�cs and hormones. We have turned cows into perpetual milk makers, pushing them well beyond their natural limits. Not only does this harm the cows, but by consuming their milk we put ourselves in harms way as well.
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SENIORS
When you’re a child fighting a life-threatening illness, sometimes you just need a break from being sick. With your donation Make-A-Wish can make all the difference in a sick child’s life. Just ask Alex. Today his wish is coming true. Start granting wishes today at www.makeawish.ca 1-888-822-9474
Because some wishes can’t wait for someday.
CONTENTS 57 59 60 63 65 69
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Best Card Games Feel Fabulous Over 50: Eye health Better Business Bureau “Top Ten Scams” Positive Steps to Deal With Your Loneliness Celebrating Your Family History How To Avoid Montezuma’s Revenge
animal chatter
We can’t conďŹ rm that these animals are actually saying these things but they sure sound convincing.
Taking Charge of Your Brain Health Be Socially Active The human brain, sometimes called the “3 pound universe within,” is one of your most vital organs. It plays a role in every action and every thought and just like the rest of your body, it needs to be looked after. By making healthy lifestyle choices now, you may be able to reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and improve your brain’s ability to sustain long-term health. This sheet is part of a series that provides practical action steps, based on current research, which you can take to improve your brain health. Will it prevent Alzheimer’s disease? There are no guarantees, but healthy lifestyle choices will help keep your brain as healthy as possible as you age. And since a healthier brain can withstand illness better, it’s important to take action on the things you can control -- lifestyle choices.
Staying connected socially helps you stay connected mentally. Research shows that people who regularly interact with others maintain their brain function better than those who don’t. Socializing appears to have a protective effect that may help lessen your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Maintain old friendships and make new ones. Stay socially active through work, volunteer activities, travel, hobbies, family and friends. Be open to new experiences. Staying active and involved with life sends healthy messages to your brain and body. Being involved with others also helps to reduce stress, boost mood and keep relationships strong.
Heads Up for Healthier Brains
Best Card Games ‘em involves the player using any combo of the 5 cards placed face-up on the table and his/her own 2 cards in order to make a poker hand.
7. War 1. Poker Poker involves betting on the value of the cards in your hands by putting money in a central pot. The player with the highest value cards, or the remaining player wins.
2. Go Fish Go Fish involves a player asking whether other players have a card of a particular rank. Whoever has it has to give all such cards. Those who don’t tell him to ‘go fish’.
3. Cribbage
Each of the 2 players are given 26 cards, which are put face-down. Both players take the top-most card from their set and compare them. Whoever has the highest ranking card wins both. The person with all cards wins.
8. Solitaire This game is started by dealing cards onto a table in a particular arrangement, after which you have to re-order the deck according to suit and rank by transferring cards.
9. Blackjack
Traditionally a 2-player game, but commonly played with more, cribbage involves playing and getting cards in groups in order to score points.
This game is started by giving 7 cards each to 2 players. The top card is taken from the ‘pile’ and is put face-up. If the player has a card of the same rank/suit, he has to put it down, or take a card from the discard pile.
4. Bridge
10. Slapjack
A game of skill and chance, bridge is played by 4 players in teams of 2. The partners sit opposite of each other. A ‘bidding’ is done, which ends with a declaration by teams to take a certain number of tricks with/without a particular trump.
5. Rummy Rummy involves trying to dispose all the cards in your hand, which should be in particular sequences of 3 or more.
6. Texas Hold ‘em Arguably the most popular poker game in casinos, Texas hold
The game starts off by dealing the cards among the players, face down. The top card on their pile is put in the centre. When a jack comes, the first person to reach the pile wins.
The Storyteller’s Art
By Francis W. Porretto Do you want to tell memorable, vivid, life-altering stories? With plots that embed real knowledge about the natures and ways of men? Do you want to create characters that will haunt your readers’ dreams? Do you want to learn the discipline to unite all the above, without overdressing your plots or distoring your characters to make them serve a theme for which they’re ill-equipped? Start here!
20 Vintage Crochet Patterns By Mary Wells
20 great patterns to keep you crocheting for hours of fun including Oval Shell Bag, Fringe Tiebacks, Beaded Dolly and the very popular, Wedding Ring Bedspread.
Senior’s Hazards: Naturism and Travel By John Reyna
Friendship becomes awkward among three seniors in their seventies when it’s discovered that one of them is a naturist. But things get complicated when he tricks them into a camping trip to a nudist desert resort. The fun begins even before they arrive, as the three men in their seventies, struggle to deal with the environment, clothed and naked strangers, their own senior foibles and, especially, each other.
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What Matters Most Feel Fabulous Over 50:
EYE HEALTH
The good news is 75 per cent of eye diseases can be prevented or treated. Here are a few easy tips on looking after your eyes. The four main conditions which cause vision loss are cataracts, retinopathy from diabetes, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is the leading cause of vision lost in the elderly. In older people, it sometimes begins to deteriorate or degenerate for unknown reasons. Women are believed to be more at risk than men. Macular degeneration is the leading cause of legal blindness in Canada, accounting for 34% of cases. However, macular degeneration rarely leaves you totally unable to see.
Ac�on plan:
How to maintain eye health • Don’t smoke: Smokers are four times more likely to develop AMD. • Manage your diabetes: Control blood glucose levels
with exercise and regularly spaced, nutritionally balanced, smaller-sized meals and snacks with lower-GI foods. • Control your blood pressure: Aim for a diet which is low in salt and includes at least five serves of vegetables, two serves of fruit and three serves of low-fat dairy each day. • Eat more omega-3 fats: Include foods which have omega-3 fats such as canola oil and spread, walnuts and linseeds, and especially the long-chain forms found in fish and seafood. • Eat more carotenoid antioxidants: These are found in bright green, orange and yellow vegetables and fruits such as spinach, silver beet, broccoli, carrots, pumpkin, capsicums, sweetcorn, kiwifruit, mangos and melon. • Have check-ups: Test your eyes regularly to detect and treat problems early.
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What Matters Most Schemes and scams take on various forms but they all share common traits. Seniors are often vulnerable to scams because they tend to be trusting and want to be helpful. Follow these safety tips to reduce your risk of becoming a victim:
Home Repair/Service Call Fraud • Ask for and check identification of anyone coming to your door • Call the company to ensure they have representatives in your community • Check references • Always get a second quote or estimate • Be wary of any company asking for money up front
Better Business Bureau
“Top Ten Scams”
• Talk to a friend or family member or have them with you when you are arranging services
• Always verify the charity/company is legitimate
• Do not rush your decision. Do your research
• Do not give personal or financial information
• Never leave anyone alone in your home
• Never give personal information over the telephone or the Internet
Financial Fraud • Remember that banks do not cold call or email customers to verify financial information • Never give out any banking or financial information over the phone or Internet – especially passwords or PINs
ATM Fraud • Be aware of your surroundings when entering your PIN and do not disclose your PIN to anyone • Cover the key pad when you enter your PIN
• If an offer sounds too good to be true, then it probably is
• Be mindful of people trying to distract you
• Always ask for receipts
• Immediately report lost or stolen credit/debit cards and any discrepancies in your statements to the issuing card company
• Do not open any email or attachments from people you do not know • Ensure your computer has an updated virus-protection program • Be cautious. You have the right to check out the investment or buyer by requesting written information, seeking references, asking questions and taking time to think over the offer
Credit Card Fraud • Prevention remains the best protection against fraud or identity theft. • Immediately report lost of stolen credit cards
Telephone Fraud
• Check monthly statements and report any discrepancies to the issuing credit card company
• Cold calls offering free vacations tickets or demanding donations over the telephone should be treated with extreme caution
• Never loan your credit cards to anyone and sign all credit cards when you receive them
E
very year more and more Americans are traveling internationally — for vacation, business, and volunteerism, and to visit friends and family. Be Proactive, Prepared, and Protected when it comes to your health—and the health of others—while you are traveling.
BE PROACTIVE! Take steps to anticipate any issues that could arise during your trip. • Learn about your destination. • See a doctor before you travel. • Think about your health status. • Are you too sick to travel?
BE PREPARED! No one wants to think about getting sick or hurt during a trip, but sometimes these things happen. You may not be able to prevent every illness or injury, but you can plan ahead to be able to deal with them.
Travel Bug
Your Survival Guide to Safe and Healthy Travel
• Pack smart. • Plan ahead for illnesses or injuries during your trip. • Know what to do if you become sick or injured on your trip. • Know and share important information about your trip.
BE PROTECTED! It is important to practice healthy behaviors during your trip and after you return home. • Use sunscreen and insect repellent as directed. • Be careful about food and water. • Try not to take risks with your health and safety. • Limit alcohol intake, and do not drink alcohol and drive. • Wear a seatbelt. • Wear protective gear when doing adventure activities. http://www.cdc.gov
Photographer: Simon Howden
• Pay attention to your health during your trip.
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Video
Positive Steps to Deal With Your
LONELINESS
L
oneliness can creep up on the best of us from time to time. Is loneliness a challenge in your life? If so, it’s good to know that, with the right mindset and the drive to change, you can combat loneliness in any situation.
It’s okay to feel lonely. Sometimes it just happens. However, you have the power to decide whether you want to wallow in it or meet it head on. When you take decisive action to overcome your loneliness, you can have a smile back on your face in no time. Here are some helpful strategies to beat loneliness:
Avoid sitting around fretting. When you think
about it, getting upset isn’t going to help you, so why do it? If you’re not actively looking for something to fill your time, you’ll find that loneliness catches up with you eventually.
Engage in a new hobby. If you’ve turned to your
current hobbies and are still feeling lonely or bored, try to find something new and exciting. Explore a new hobby that you’ve always been meaning to try but haven’t had the time.
Take a class. Taking a class is a good way to come into contact with others who have the same interests as you. So you get double benefits - you learn something new about a subject that interests you and meet new people. Volunteer to help others. When you’re feeling
lonely, helping others can be a win-win situation. With volunteer activities, you do something great for the world and get some healthy human interaction in the process.
Get a dog. Dogs are natural friend-finders. If you have a dog, take your dog out for frequent walks in your neighbor-
Use these techniques to meet new friends and enjoy exciting new experiences! hood, local dog park, or dog beach. If you don’t have a dog, consider getting one. There are many online groups of dog owners. Find one of these communities and get involved.
Go to church or other spiritual places.
You’ll likely find likeminded people at your place of prayer or worship. You may even start up a new relationship with a potential lifelong friend.
Talk to strangers. Engage in some light chatter with strangers in public situations. You can strike up a lively conversation while waiting in the grocery store line. Pass the time together and you might even start a new friendship. Call a friend. Look up a friend or family member that
you haven’t talked to in awhile and catch up with each other while reminiscing about old times.
Start a social group. You can start a social group
around a topic that you enjoy. If you’re a stay at home mom, maybe you’ll want to connect with other moms. If you’re really into amateur guitar playing, maybe you’ll want to meet up and jam with some people.
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Celebrating Your
Family History Susan Soble
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n activity that an increasing number of families are discovering is learning how their ancestors’ actions and decisions shaped the character of the current family and how this makes the family unique.
Several activities will help families foster a deeper understanding and appreciation for your foundations and will also provide a more complete record of your distinctive history that will be treasured for generations to come. Oftentimes starting the process is the hardest part. Once family members get a feel for their place in their history, the
legacy creates its own momentum. Young children especially like to learn about the past and how they fit into it. Keep in mind that a family tree, while connected through blood, marriage and other relationships is also repertoire of stories and reflections. Whether or not facts are accurate is not as important as providing a context for the family.
Make a Family Tree Ask one person to sketch a family tree on a large piece of paper while the other family members contribute information.
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Encourage grandparents to share their knowledge and the younger children to help locate their positions on the tree.
Start a Family Journal Recruit your best writer to record the stories and information in a journal or notebook. Divide the journal into four sections: one for individual ‘Family Members’, one for ‘General Family’ information and stories, one for ‘Family Gratitude’, and a final section for ‘Legacy’. Ask questions to get the best stories! Later, transfer this priceless information to a more durable keepsake book or post to a family website.
Put Names to Faces It’s time to blow the dust off the box or albums containing old family photos and identify the family members. Discuss how each person fits into the family tree and who they most resemble. Note any other historical information that is known. This is also the perfect time to label any unlabeled photographs with names, dates, ages, locations and other relevant information.
Your family story - is too important to let it slip away
Generation Preservation Old photos are fragile and cannot be replaced once lost or damaged. Consider scanning the images to a computer of disc so they can be preserved digitally, a much more resilient format and one that can be shared easily. Water spots? Discoloration? A scratch? Digital images can also be repaired if they are damaged and organized into a video slide show documenting and preserving you family’s story.
Their Turn It’s time to shine the spotlight on grandma and grandpa and encourage them to talk candidly about what life was like when they were young. Ask questions, a little probing can reveal a treasure trove of fascinating stories and information. Consider recording these stories in audio or video format so future generations can connect on a more personal level. For something a bit more special, a Family Documentary can capture their life
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ctive eniors
story and your family history by weaving a filmed interview with photographs, documents, maps and other memorabilia into a modern day ‘moving’ portrait.
Where in the World Using a map or globe, point out where the family originated from and the different places they lived. Discuss why when and how the family came to their current location and the challenges and emotions they may have faced throughout their journey.
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Talking to Parents about Their Legacy
Generation Transformation Looking over the Family Tree, discuss what life was like for each generation; their professions, living conditions, education, opportunities and limitations, and how these experiences affected the following generation and ultimately who the family is today.
We are Family Identify and record any family traditions, traits, values and practices that have been passed down through the years. Discuss why when and where they may have begun and their significance within the family.
Family Gratitude Ask each family member to identify an experience or decision an ancestor (or current family member) made that contributed to a better life for their descendants. Discuss what their perspective may have been at the time, and whether they could have imagined the impact their decision or action would ultimately have on the family.
Leave a Legacy Finally, ask each family member reflect upon what they would like their own family contribution-their legacy-to be and why. Encourage everyone to share how they envision their contribution to impact on future generations. Now, Take a family portrait, label it with names, the date and where you where and add it to the family journal. Your family history is a story that changes every day. Begin a new family tradition by using these activities to embrace and celebrate the past while guiding your family as they look to the future.
Originally considered a “spontaneous psychological event” near the end of life, the process of life review can be a useful tool to help aging parents look closely and make sense of their life story. Remembering and story-telling in a variety of ways evokes a deeper spirituality and aging provides a life-long canvas. A life review can be used to pass on family tales, to heal estrangements, to make peace with past mistakes, or to encourage another genera�on. “The Story” belongs to your aging parent, not told for factual accuracy, but for its psychic and spiritual gi�. Talking about their legacy is a great way to help your parents consider their place in history. Their name may not appear in a history book, or on the side of a building, but what they leave behind is more important and more las�ng. • • • • • •
Some possible ques�ons: What quali�es do you hope to pass on? What have you learned? What stories do you want to make sure we know? What lessons do you hope we're learning? How would you like to be remembered? What memorable moments do you cherish most?
Resource: Susan Soble is the owner of Family Line Studios.
Help us feed Kelowna children and families in need.
Kelowna Community
Food Bank
Caring‌ for our community.
T: 250.763.7161 E: info@kcfb.ca www.kelownafoodbank.ca
The
How To Avoid
MONTEZUMA’S Revenge
Traveling to Mexico can be one of the most exhilara�ng experiences of your life. It is truly a country that has it all. You can spend your �me on pris�ne beaches, visit archaeological dig sites, soak up nature’s beauty in countless loca�ons and spend your �me enjoying the ameni�es of four star resorts. Many people also contract Montezuma’s revenge, be�er known as traveler’s diarrhea, and there are four good ways to prevent it. Traveler’s diarrhea affects up to fi�y percent of all tourists who visit third world countries. It is caused by e.coli bacteria that nests in your diges�ve tract. The most common symptoms include increased frequency, volume, and weight of stool, frequent loose stools (you can have anywhere from four to twelve watery bowel movements each day), abdominal cramps, nausea, vomi�ng, fever and bloating. Serious cases can lead to dehydra�on, which can result in hospitaliza�on. There are many different treatments, but none are as effec�ve as the course of �me itself. To prevent this condi�on, start by not drinking the tap water. Mexicans are able to drink the tap water and because their diges�ve tracts are a�uned to the bacteria present in the water. However just because the locals have that ability does not mean you do. If you must drink tap water, be sure to boil it for a minimum of ten minutes. Avoid using tap water when you brush your teeth. Even
a �ny amount can contain the bacteria that will make you sick. When buying bo�led water, be sure the seal has not been broken or tampered with. If the bo�le simply contains refilled tap water, you could have real problems. Do not eat any of the salads in the restaurants as they will be washed with tap water and even a minimal amount will set the bacteria in mo�on. Eat only fruits with a peel or fruits that you have washed yourself with bo�led water. If you are served fresh fruit in a restaurant, it’s not good enough to ask the waiter about how the fruit was washed. If you truly want to prevent this condi�on, you must be sure to do everything yourself. Do not eat food sold by street vendors. It may look very temp�ng, but these foods can make you sick faster than anything else. You have no idea how the food was washed or prepared or the doneness of the meats you may be eating. Avoid places that serve re-heated food. Bacteria form on food as it cools and the re-hea�ng process does not kill all the bacteria which can be a real problem. Safe items while traveling include freshly prepared dishes served steaming hot, meats that have been cooked to order (be sure to order it well done), fruits you have peeled or washed yourself, breads and baked goods, hot drinks like tea and coffee, bo�led or boiled water, and other bo�led or canned drinks.
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DON’T THROW IT OUT!
DONATE IT! DONATING YOUR USED CLOTHING AND HOUSEHOLD ITEMS IS GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SUPPORTS BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS MENTORING PROGRAMS IN THE OKANAGAN. AT BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS WE TEACH BY EXAMPLE THE IMPORTANCE OF GIVING AND GIVING BACK, OF STAYING IN SCHOOL AND HAVING RESPECT FOR FAMILY, PEERS AND COMMUNITY. EACH TIME WE CAN SERVE A CHILD IN OUR PROGRAMS, WE START SOMETHING INCREDIBLE – A LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE BUILT ON FRIENDSHIP, TRUST AND EMPOWERMENT.
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Tips to Keep Your House Organized Fireplace Magic 40 Marvelous Bedroom Design Ideas Removing a Wasp Nest Going Native In Your Garden Black Mold Potential Health Risks The Joy of a Kitchen Garden Insulated Concrete Forms: A Green Building Practice that Boasts Excellent Value Eco Friendly Living
Is your home a health hazard? In today's air-tight homes indoor air quality is a growing concern. Most household dust contains mites, molds, mildew, pollen, and animal dander. Many of these contaminants are circulated through the centrail air systems in most homes and can aggravate the symptoms of asthma and allergies. The Rotobrush system removes the contaminants that circulate through the air duct system. Then we sanitize your air ducts with an environmentally safe sanitizer commonly used in hospitals and nursing homes, leaving behind a fresh scent.
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There are no security risks as all equipment is portable. No doors are left open to accommodate hoses. Smaller carbon footprint. No vehicle is left running outside burning fossil fuels.
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explaining Canada to Americans
Tom Brokaw does a bang up job explaining why we are Canadians and they are Americans.
A Few Things You’ll Hear When a Gift Basket is Opened...
Our Gift Baskets are personalized to fit the recipient. They reflect positively on you, save you time and make you look good. And isn’t that the whole idea? Delivery across Canada 1-877-372-1557 Tel: 250.372.1557 Fax: 250.372.8646 designsforyou@telus.net
www.designsforyoubaskets.ca
Tips to Keep Your
House Organized
1. Box It Up Use plastic school pencil boxes with lids to organize your medicine cabinet. Sort all medicines by type and put them in the boxes. Label the side of the box and store in the cabinet.
2. Project Central Use photo storage boxes to sort and store buttons, threads, elastic and trips. Use plastic sweater-size storage boxes to keep all items of a project together, such as fabric, pattern, then name the project and label the box.
end of the box for storage during winter. Use the same box for winter shoes.
3. T Is For Toaster
7. It’s in the Bag
Use an A-Z accordion file for storing instruction booklets for appliances. Staple the receipt to the inside of the booklet and file it under the letter of the alphabet it fits.
4. Door Storage Use the hanging clear shoe organizers on door in your house. One in the entryway for hats, gloves and scarves, another in the garage for nails, screwdrivers and smaller items and one in the bathroom for trial-size items.
Store plastic grocery bags in an empty tissue box.
8. Clothes by Occasion Organize your clothes by the four uses you have for them: formal, work, casual and sport. Keep all clothes for those different categories in different parts of your closet.
9. Dual-Purpose Dresser
Keep a cardboard box in my laundry room for clothes that need to go to the thrift store. When it’s full, simply put the box in the car and drop it off at a local shelter or thrift store.”
Use a dresser to organize kids toys. The top two drawers are for pjs and undergarments. The last three drawers, which are easy for kids to reach and open, store their toys. Each drawer keeps like toys together so we both know where a specific toy is, along with its accessories. It also helps keep the room neat and makes cleanup easier.
6. Seasonal Shoes
10. Race to the Finish
Store out-of-season shoes in shoe boxes in the top of the closet. Write a description of the summer shoe on one
Before the kids go to bed, have a 10-minute race to see who can pick up the most stuff.
5. The Easy Way to Donate
The Busy Mom’s Home Cleaning eBook By Nicole Dean
Moms know that the job of cleaning can feel like a mountain that grows faster than you can climb it. I don’t know how you feel, but I sure don’t want to spend my time scrubbing floors when I can be writing or playing with my kids! I’ve compiled these tips with the help of a friend who runs a cleaning business. They are all very simple, but very handy! I hope you’ll enjoy them.
Advice for Beginning Gardeners By Doug Green
Doug Green writes a newsletter that goes out to a wide range of gardeners from the very beginner who has to be told “green side up” to the more advanced gardener looking for some good tips. One of the things his readers have taught him over the years is that they as a group have an incredible wealth of gardening experience and advice to share. This ebook is a wealth of great information from his readers.
Fun Recipes for Kids Compiled by Janet Lee
While these recipes are intended for adults to make for children, kids may of course help prepare and assemble ingredients. In all cases, food preparation should be supervised by an adult.
Home & Garden
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Around the Home The bedroom is that part of the house where we go to recharge and rest after a hard day’s work and the daily stress. To do so, the room must be similar to our personality to make us feel the way we should be, but it should also be designed with style, without crowding it with useless materials that would remove the idea of spacious special retreat. Many people think they know how to create a good bedroom interior design, but can they make it great? Click on the link and browse through these 40 modern interior design ideas that should inspire you. Sure some of them are a little bit exotic but you need to have something to shoot for. Besides the luxurious interior design styles, you will also find some down to earth ones that you could apply to your bedroom when its time to redesign it.
For more marvelous bedroom ideas
CLICK HERE
Fireplace
Magic This fireplace created by Camillo Vanacore for Electrolux looks almost magical because of its transformation from off to on, from an opaque ceramic column to a transparent one.
40 Marvelous Bedroom Design Ideas
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Home & Garden
Around the Home There are many factors affecting removal of a wasp nest including the numbers of wasps and placement of the nest. Safety is of the highest importance. Wasps are ferocious and will attack if the nest is disturbed. Most likely there will be more than one wasp. When a wasp is killed, a scent is given off that will attract other wasps. The other wasps know when another is killed and will defend as they need to.
Removing a
Wasp Nest
Catching the nest in early stages is best. Once the nest is bigger in size it will be harder to remove and the chances of being attacked will have greatly increased.
Pesticide/Insecticides There are many pesticides and insecticides on the market that get rid of wasps. Remember these things when using a pesticide. Read the labels thoroughly before using them. Many contain ingredients that can cause harm to humans and other animals if not properly handled. Pesticides and insecticides generally can harm other beneficial insects. Be very careful when using a pesticide spray. Cover up any exposed skin and wear safety goggles to prevent the spray from getting into the eyes.
Natural Means Most wasps are beneficial insects. They feed on caterpillars and other insects that may destroy crops and other much loved plants. Having the wasps around keeps these other harmful insects in check. Use natural means such as barriers or physical removal of the wasp nest. Remove all traces of food scraps or garbage. Wasps are attracted to these things and with the odor of food gone they may look elsewhere. Cover up holes in wood posts and your house siding.
Other Ideas: 1. Use a hose to spray the wasps away from the nest. Make sure all adult wasps are gone and out of the nest. Remove the nest away from that spot. 2. If at all possible, leave the nest alone. Some wasps will not attack unless disturbed. If the nest is in a spot where it will not be a problem, let it be. 3. Rid the yard of flowering weeds such as dandelions. Mow the lawn often to keep the weeds from flowering again. Wasps will move elsewhere and that will decrease the likeliness of a wasp nest.
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Going Native
In Your Garden Avid gardeners take great pride in their flowers. They plant them with loving care, water and fertilize them frequently, and work diligently to prevent pests and disease from harming them. For a large flower garden, this can be a near full-time job. But planting a garden doesn’t appeal to everyone. Many flower lovers would like to have beautiful plants adorning their property, but they don’t have enough time to spend tending them. Even those who do have gardens often find themselves wishing they didn’t require so much work. In truth, they’re creating more work for themselves by planting the wrong kinds of flowers. Many of the seeds and bulbs we buy from stores come from far away. They will usually grow in different places, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re well suited to your environment. When you look at it this way, it’s not hard to see why native plant gardens have become so popular. These gardens incorporate plants that have grown naturally in the surrounding area for centuries. Here are some of the advantages of going native in your garden: Native plants generally require much less maintenance
than non-native ones. Their sunlight and water requirements are in line with what nature provides in the area. And the soil has provided the nutrients they need for many years, so there is little need for fertilizer. All garden plants require some care to flourish, but native plants require much less than those introduced from faraway lands. Fertilizers and pesticides can cause cancer, birth defects and other health problems for those who are exposed to them. The reduced need for these chemicals when growing native plants is better for your health, as well as the health of others in your community. Planting a native garden is a great way to celebrate what’s unique about your part of the country. You can sometimes get native plants for free. People who have wild plants growing on their property are often happy to let you have them if you’re willing to dig them up. Native plants tend to attract birds, butterflies and other wildlife more than non-native plants. If you love watching wildlife, a native garden is great for bringing it close to your home! Native gardens are beautiful, and their maintenance takes up much less time than that of your average garden. Whether you’re a life-long gardener or a novice, it’s certainly worthwhile to give native gardening a try.
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BLACK MOLD
Potential Health Risks
B
lack Mold is a term commonly used to describe a slimy, greenish-black substance which can result in serious health risk. It has been closely linked to the death of babies from respiratory bleeding, and as a contributing factor to illnesses such as asthma and bronchitis. Virtually everyone has mold somewhere in their home. Although not all types are toxic, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish types without lab testing. Thus it is imperative to treat and remove all molds as if they’re potentially harmful. Mold spores are very easily transported to different areas by attaching themselves to various hosts. These hosts would include people, animals, shoes and they even enter through open windows and doors. Areas and substances where black mold can be found include water soaked wood, ceiling tiles, wall paneling, cardboard, even items made of cotton. Black mold can grow on drywall and insulation and can infest areas in the floors, walls and ceilings. Moisture is essential to the growth of black mold, and when it is wet it is shiny in appearance. If you were to physically touch a spot of black mold, it would feel slimy and would smear on the area. When you are contemplating clean up of black mold, you need to verify the extent of the problem. Many of the infested areas will be relatively small and be a result of small leaks or plumbing problems. You can disinfect the area with a mixture of one cup bleach to a gallon of water. Apply the bleach mixture to the moldy area and leave it to saturate the area for approximately fifteen minutes. After this you must take care to thoroughly dry the cleaned area.
Spores from dried mold are very dangerous and should be cleaned with caution. You should never scrape or scratch at dried mold as the spores would then be released into the air and pose an inhalation risk. A respiratory mask and eye protection are necessary and adequate clothing to prevent skin contact is recommended. If the problem is more internal such as on insulation or throughout a carpet, the only solution is to remove and replace the items. Mold problems resulting from flooding should also be managed professionally to avoid possible health risk. Preventative measures you can take to battle black mold include keep the house humidity down, supplying adequate ventilation especially in the kitchen and bathroom, adding mold inhibitors to paint and avoid using carpet in the bathroom.
Renovating your home? Your Project. Your Budget. Our Expertise.
Renovations are what we specialize in. It’s what we’ve been doing for the past two decades. We provide full services ranging from helping you develop your plans, guiding you in your selection choices to keep within your budget, to generating a comprehensive, written agreement for your project. Our experienced Project Manager (also a highly skilled carpenter) is on-site to assist you through your project, to its completion. Over the years, we've built a solid reputation backed by happy clients and a long list of solid references that we will confidently provide to you. In fact, our clients are so happy with our work they want their testimonials on our website.
Why choose us? Because we’ll make things go smoothly and we won’t disappoint you!
250.469.9379, ext. 1
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Home & Garden
The Joy of a
Kitchen Garden
Home & Garden
85
Grow an old-fashioned kitchen garden complete with everything you need to cook meals, including herbs.
I
n the olden days, kitchen gardens were all the rage. Everyone had a garden, and for good reason. Vegetables and herbs were hard to come by; there wasn’t a grocery store or vegetable vendor on every corner like there are today.
Back then, when it was time to prepare the meal, the lady of the house would visit her garden – pusually grown in close proximity to the kitchen – and pick what she needed. The popularity of these gardens died out when the convenience and accessibility of vegetables and herbs grown in controlled nurseries became a reality. Today, as pesticides and technology become more prevalent, the old-fashioned kitchen garden is making a comeback. Health conscience cooks want to know the food they prepare is free of pesticides. At the same time, many are uncomfortable with the processed, pureed and freeze-dried produce available on the market. What that boils down to is: anything not coated in pesticides, filled with preservatives, or sliced and diced and stuffed between one sheet of Styrofoam and one sheet of plastic, has become the new rage. In order to get what they consider the best for their families, many are eager to grow their own old-fashioned kitchen garden. And no wonder: it’s easy, relaxing, and the rewards to the palate are unmatched. Anyone can grow an old-fashioned kitchen garden, regardless of where they reside. Don’t be discouraged by anything. Even if the vegetables must be grown in pots along the back patio or along a windowsill, it can easily be done. When you choose a spot, ask yourself a few questions. Is the spot close enough to your kitchen for ease? Is the
spot large enough for what you have in mind? Is it out of reach of Fido, or your children? A small fence around the garden would keep unwelcome guests from trampling your goods. Garden fences can be very quaint and charming, even in the city. What vegetables will work best for your needs? Some favorites are salad fixings – romaine and leaf lettuce, endive, green onion, tomato, green pepper, cucumber, Cheyenne pepper, radish, broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, and sweet snap peas. Climbers can be sowed along the perimeters of the fence, or on a trellis. Herbs require little attention, and will grow in just about any soil type. Common herbs used for cooking include: chives, thyme, dill, basil, sage, coriander, and parsley. Helpful hints: Rosemary, also an aromatic, versatile herb, must be dug up each year and taken indoors; sage will look dead in the spring, but as soon as the old, dead foliage is removed, the plant will perk up; and parsley will return, but will be more tough the second and third years. Chives should be deflowered each year by removing the entire flower stalk. This promotes new growth. The best way to maintain an old-fashioned kitchen garden is to keep it free of pesticides – pick bugs by hand, or spray plants with a mixture of water and a dab of dish soap – weeded, and watered. To maintain moisture, keep the garden free of weeds and mulched with a thick layer of grass clippings. The biggest thing to remember is that it’s your garden. Whatever vegetables and herbs-or possibly fruits-you desire, can and should be included.
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Home & Garden
Insulated Concrete Forms:
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A Green Building Practice that Boasts Excellent Value
I
nsulating Concrete Forms (ICFs) are the future of the building industry. Popular for both residential and commercial construction, ICFs create homes and businesses that are energy-efficient, fire-resistant, sound-proof, and durable. Properly constructed, they are tornado and hurricane-proof, and stand up to earthquake, fire, and other natural disasters equally well. Many homes conserve energy so well that heating and cooling costs are reduced by 50-70 percent. Insulating concrete forms are hollow “blocks” or “panels” made of expanded polystyrene insulation (EPS) or other insulating foam that construction crews stack like Legos to form the shape of the exterior walls of a building. The workers then fill the center with r-bar and reinforced concrete to create the structure. There are over 20 brands of ICFs in North America, each providing variations in design and materials. Absolute Contrac�ng, is the BC-based supplier of GreenBlock ICF construction.
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Home & Garden
ICF construction sandwiches a heavy, high-strength material (reinforced concrete) between two layers of a light, highly insulated one (EPS or foam). This combination creates a wall with many desirable properties: air tightness, strength, sound attenuation, insulation, and mass. ICFs are used for walls in residential and commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings. Concrete walls built with insulating concrete forms give a building enhanced comfort, solidity, durability, resistance to natural disasters, quietness, and energy efficiency. Use of ICFs is growing rapidly. They offer owners and builders many advantages compared to wood or steel frame walls.
Comfort Buildings constructed with ICF walls have a more even temperature throughout the day and night. They have virtually no “cold spots”, and far fewer drafts. ICF walls have negligible air infiltration.
Solidity The solidity of concrete construction reduces flexing in floors, as well as shifting and vibration from the force of the wind or the slamming of a door.
Quietness About one-sixth as much sound gets through an ICF wall compared to an ordinary frame wall.
Improved Energy Operations The superior insulation, air tightness, and mass of the walls can reduce the cost of operating HVAC in the building by up to 40%. ICFs allow the installation of smaller heating and cooling equipment. The high R-value means ICF walls exceed most energy code requirements. If the building is like most buildings, it is using fossil fuel. By reducing the building’s fossil fuel requirements, the ICF plays an important role in reducing the negative environmental impacts associated with fossil fuel use.
Natural disaster resistance Concrete buildings survive high-force winds like hurricanes far better than wood or metal frame buildings. When properly
reinforced, they should also withstand earthquakes well.
Fire resistance Of all construction materials, concrete is one of the most resistant to heat and fire. Experience shows that concrete structures are more likely to remain standing through fire than are structures of other materials. Concrete walls have also proven more resistant to allowing fire to pass from one side of the wall to the other. This is a significant benefit in areas where brush fires are common, or where high density zoning increases the risk of fire spread.. Unlike wood, concrete does not burn. Unlike steel, it does not soften and bend. Concrete does not break down until it is exposed to thousands of degrees Fahrenheit—far more than is present in the typical residential or office building fire.
Construction considerations One of the main concerns when using an alternative construction type is whether the system requires major adaptations on the part of most construction firms. How steep is the learning curve? Stacking blocks is intuitive for most crews, and the cutting and leveling required, draw on standard carpentry skills. Most carpentry crews will have to brush up on the use of concrete, however, and electricians will need to learn how to cut channels in the surface of the foam to house their cable. But these are not complex tasks, and training is available from manufacturers and industry groups. Since insulating forms are light and power equipment moves the concrete, labor costs tend to be below those of frame construction. Because of low labor requirements, total construction cost is only slightly above the cost of frame construction. ICF houses can be completed with almost any interior and
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Specific Benefits of
ICFs • Easy to build radius walls, which are problema�c with conven�onal wood framing. • Concrete is very strong structurally, so ICFs are a natural choice for loca�ons that are suscep�ble to wildfires, hurricanes, and tornadoes. • They’re quick and efficient up to get up out of the ground and dried in because of the linear and streamlined construc�on process, from drawing board to house-warming party.
exterior finish, including siding or brick veneer. ICFs can take any shape as easily as wood or metal frame. In fact, some interesting effects, such as curved walls and frequent corners, can be less expensive to build into an ICF wall. When it comes to upfront costs, ICF are generally about 5-7% more expensive than alternative materials, especially when used above ground. However these higher upfront costs are offset by reduced energy costs, especially in areas exposed to cold temperatures. Builders planning to use ICF should be aware of the reduced flexibility associated with these forms. Once walls are built, it is difficult to change the location of door and window openings, and may require advanced tools and equipment.
• Excellent insula�ng quali�es providing up to an R-25 efficiency ra�ng. • Virtually no job site cu�ng or modifica�ons, which minimizes waste and saves money. Less scrap trucked to the landfill means points towards LEED cer�fica�on. ICFs are a green building prac�ce! For a video showing the strength of ICF compared to tradi�onal wood frame and concrete block construc�on, click on here:
ICF Tes�ng
modecoHomes a meeting place for people with a keen interest in
Ask for our free Architectural Design Consultation on green and sustainable home building with designer and builder, Parm Hundal. Exclusively for friends of modecoHomes. Send your request to: offer@modecohomes.ca
Tel 250.864.0529
www.modecohome.ca
The
Now that spring is here it’s an ideal �me to get into the process of eco friendly living. Pay a�en�on to small and large things you can do differently every day. It all adds up! Go Organic - Eco friendly living means great taste! Have you ever no�ced that many mass produced fruits and vegetables you find at the grocery store look normal but have not much taste at all? Try organic and see the difference! Most grocery stores now have cer�fied organic sec�ons. They may cost more but you will find the price is worth the health benefits and improvement in taste! Locally Grown - When you have a choice buy locally grown fruits and vegetables and meat. The short distance from the farm to the shop means less energy used, and less pollu�on created and fresher food! Farmers Markets - A�end farmers markets to buy freshly harvested food. Be sure to check that food is organically produced before you buy. Grow Your Own - It is amazing how good veggies fresh picked from your own garden can taste! Yum! In Season - Whenever possible choose fruits and vegetables that are in season over those that need to be imported long distances. You will be reducing your carbon footprint by the meal choices you make. Free Range, Organically fed, Hormone Free - If you buy meat, eggs or milk be sure it comes from animals that were
Eco Friendly Living • treated kindly while they were alive • allowed space to freely move and live • fed organic feed suitable to their species • not growth enhanced with hormones Organic Natural Fabrics - Clothing made of natural fibers such as wool, cotton and silk are usually more conducive to eco-friendly living than man-made alterna�ves. Make sure they are grown without herbicides and pes�cides and produced without toxic dyes and other chemicals. Recycled Fabrics - Some designers are experimen�ng with statement clothing made fabrics created by recycling such things as rubber, plas�c bags, and discarded clothing. Re-Use - When clothing wears out it can be passed on to other family members, sold at a consignment shop, or given away to chari�es or those in need. Old towels and sheets can be cut up to make great dish towels or used as cleanup rags. Locally Produced - Locally produced clothing is becoming a rarity in North America. It is cheaper to buy clothing made in other countries that is shipped to us. Fair Trade - Because most clothing is produced out of the country make sure your clothing is made by workers who are paid fair wages and work in safe environments.
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ANNOUCEMENT
Following a 20 year career in the travel, tourism and special interest publishing industry in Western Canada, Luke Vorstermans, CEO of the Main Street Business Network is pleased to announce that Stephen Fountaine has joined their team as Director of Business Development. As Associate Publisher of such titles as Pacific Yachting, Canadian Traveller Magazine and the BC Tourism guides, Steve was responsible for over $10 million of advertising placements. He was also VP of Business Development and a shareholder in ACT Communications, the parent company of Addison Travel Marketing and Canadian Traveller magazine. A well-known face around the international travel trade industry, he has worked closely with the provincial, state and regional tourism boards promoting vacation destinations for Canadians travellers. Stephen resigned from ACT Communications in October so he could spend more time with his wife and two children in Kelowna. His role with Main Street will include working with the local business community as well as expanding the Main Street magazine e-publishing model across Canada.
Tel: 250.861.9006 Email: Stephen@mainstreetkelowna.com
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Steps To Make A Dream A Reality No More Boring Tweets Everything Will Conspire to Stop You, So What? What You Should Know About Website Statistics Are You an Expert or an Authority? Why Your Brochure is in the Garbage Can To Earn More, Serve More
CLICK Here To Get Your FREE Book www.FreePresentationBook.com
“Fred Spoke at our Executive Chamber Conference and we received some of the best feedback ever. His presentation style is engaging and humoumous. He made people think in ways they never thought of, and provided specific tools for people to take away.” ~Weldon LeBlank Ceo Kelowna Chamber of Commerce
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YOUR Nutrition Expert
the alchemy of great work
Which bucket are you ďŹ lling?
1. Lose the negative attitude. Think positively Negative thinking creates negative results. Positive thinking creates positive results. Period.
2. Figure out what you really want out of life You’ll be running on a hamster wheel forever if you never decide where you want to go. Figure out what’s meaningful to you so you can be who you were born to be.
3. Surround yourself with great people You are the sum of the people you spend the most time with. If you hang with the right people, you will be far more capable and powerful than you ever could have been alone.
Steps To Make A
Dream A Reality
4. Work on it for real The harder you work the luckier you will become. Stop waiting around for things to work out. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.
5. Don’t make life harder than it needs to be Life is challenging enough without you senselessly complicating the simple. As Oscar Wilde once said, “Life is not complex. We are complex. Life is simple, and the simple thing is the right thing.”
6. Exploit the resources you do have access to It’s not about having the right resources; it’s about exploiting the resources you do have access to. Stevie Wonder couldn’t see, so he exploited his sense of hearing into a passion for music, and he now has 25 Grammy Awards to prove it.
7. Focus on things you can change Some forces are out of your control. The best thing you can do is do the best with what’s in front of you with the resources you do have access to.
8. Don’t avoid things you don’t understand Right now there’s a lot you don’t know. No matter how smart you are or how much you learn there will always be more to learn. Hiding from what you don’t know will bury you right beside your dreams.
9. Ignore the naysayers When you receive negative feedback, remember, it doesn’t matter how many people don’t get it, it matters how many do. When you come across these people, don’t try to reason with them. Instead, forget that they exist.
10. Work on your dreams when you first awake The mornings are a fresh start, peaceful and free of random mid-day distractions. If you get the things done that are the most important to you first thing in the morning, it puts you in a better place, emotionally and creatively, for the remainder of the day. Source: markandangel.com
Facebook Marketing eBook – 2011 This ebook is based on a transcript from the webinar, Facebook Page Marketing with Q&A, provided by HubSpot and Social Fresh. The conversation is structured in a Q&A format between the panelists, Jason Keath, founder of Social Fresh, Justin Kistner, Senior Manager of Social Media Marketing for Webtrends, Ellie Mirman, Inbound Marketing Manager at HubSpot and Justin Levy, Senior Social Communications Manager at Citrix Online.
The Need for N.I.C.E.
The Shortest Path from Idea to Profit In Your Online Business By Gary B. Cohen Sometimes “business talk” can get uncomfortable – it’s understandable. Being an entrepreneur not only changes YOU, but it even changes the way you see OTHER PEOPLE. This report is about making sure you don’t lose sight of what the whole purpose of your business is. While pursuing profits and lifestyle, and all the other good things we can gain, we can start to get a little cross-eyed.
The Office Sex Survival Guide By Nicole Williams
Let’s be honest. We’re all doing it… and if we’re not, we’re thinking about doing it. The old-fashioned advice on dating at work has always been uncomplicated—JUST DON’T—and totally unrealistic. When tensions are flaring, office space is tight, and we’re logging 60 hours of face time a week, how couldn’t we expect a little chemical reaction?
Video box
HARNESS THE POWER OF TRADE TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS Call Trade Exchange Canada We’ll show you how
Tel 250.717.0026
748 Bernard Ave, Kelowna, BC
ww.tectrade.ca
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Business Briefs
No More
Boring Tweets OK, so you’ve stopped tweeting about boring topics. That’s a start. But how do you find compelling, interesting content that fills the void and forces your followers to retweet what you’ve written? MediaBistro.com suggests these tips for spicing up your Twitter feed:
Say something controversial
Controversy is popular both on and off Twitter, because people love to agree or disagree with others’ opinions.
Sprinkle in some quotes
Add humor
Add a touch of humor to your tweets and people will rush to retweet them with an obligatory “LOL” at the end.
Tweet breaking news
Quotes resonate with almost everyone, which makes them a powerful way to get a few golden retweets
Twitter is a hotspot for breaking news. Share it, comment on it, and retweet it consistently enough.
If you’re selling online, you better understand metrics-based marketing. After all, what’s the point of doing any marketing program if you can’t measure the results?
Why We Buy Stuff
Zmags, a leader in online publishing, has written a white paper that explores this very topic. The white paper, called “Why We Buy Stuff: The Psychology of the Online Shopping Experience,” is filled with interesting findings. Here are just some of the items covered in the white paper: The three keys to increasing conversion rates How to analyze shopping patterns to improve your marketing ROI How color and design are used to increase consumer engagement
ONLINE What supermarkets know about the science of buying that you should know, too Why “gatherers” buy more than “hunters.” And how to get more “gatherers” for your business If highly-measurable marketing programs are of interest to you, then you’ll want to read this white paper. It’s filled with interesting and insightful data that I’m sure you’ll find very helpful.
Click here to get the full report
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Business Briefs What You Should Know
About Website Statistics It’s important to track the key statistics on a regular basis. What are the most important?
Visitors (new and repeat). This is the number of people who come to your website for the first time or who are coming back for a second time. The bigger the number of visitors, the more potential to get leads.
contact information. It could be signing up for a demonstration, requesting a whitepaper or viewing a video, and they give you at least their email address and sometimes more information as well. This number is critical since your website leads are where your sales come from.
Leads. This is the number of people who give you their
Everything Wil Conspire to Stop You
SO WHAT?
There are endless reasons and ways. You’ve got three kids. You’ve got three teeth. The rent is four months past due. You’re a big hit at the office. She left last week. The engine won’t turn over. You just aren’t feeling it. The wine went bad. Success arrived too fast. Success never arrived. You’ll lose their respect. You’re in the cancer game now. That bus turned left, one block north.
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Conversion Rate. This is the percentage of your total website visitors who become a lead. So, if you had 200 visitors to your website today, and you generated 3 leads, that would be a 1.5% conversion rate. Most people will tell you that a 1-2% conversion rate is the average for a b2b website. The conversion rate is important because it is telling you how efficient your website is at turning visitors into leads. You can double your company’s number of leads by either doubling your website traffic or doubling your conversion rate. Website Grade. The free tool at www.WebsiteGrader. com gives you an excellent overview of the marketing effectiveness of your website, including your Google PageRank, number of inbound links and other key statistics. It summarizes all the information into a number from 1 to 100. You should know what your website
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grade is and track it over time to make sure you improve your ranking. Keyword Search Rank. For most business websites, the most efficient traffic and leads will come from organic search. This is the traffic that comes from people searching on Google, MSN, Yahoo and other engines. This traffic is not really “free”, since you need to work on your website to maximize it, but it is usually more cost effective than other sources. Know how you rank for at least a few key terms related to your business, and know how that rank is changing over time – are you moving up or down? This will determine the future success of your website visitors and leads.
You’ll do it tomorrow. The doubt, just behind your left ear. Thirty-three parking tickets. Out of milk. The electric bill. What would Mommy and Daddy say? Never went to college. Went to too much college. You stepped on a rotting board. Oversexed. Undersexed. Et Cetera. Et Cetera. Et Cetera. Everything will conspire to stop you. There are endless reasons and ways. They are all common to everyone. But in the end you’ve got to pick up and do the thing you know you need to do. And then you’ve got to do it again. No matter the payoff. No matter the beating. You are no different, better or worse, than any before you. The only thing that will set you apart is when you do what you need to do. So what’s stopping you? Robert Bruce is Copyblogger Media’s resident raconteur and copywriter.
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Are You an
Expert or an
Authority? by Liz Dennery Sanders
You need to be an authority, not just an expert.
W
e live in a world filled with experts. Let’s face it: anyone with a degree, a certification, a few awards or years of experience in a particular industry can tout themselves as an expert. And in the dinosaur ages pre-Internet, this might have been enough.
Today, there are literally MILLIONS of people with special skills or knowledge and years of training under their belts. Smug and satisfied, these same people hang their degrees on their walls, create brochure-style websites, print up their business cards, put up their shingles and call themselves experts. But they are not authorities.
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In our socially-driven, digital age, it’s not enough to be an expert. Unless of course, you want to be like everybody else.
In our sociallydriven, digital age, it’s not enough to be an expert. Unless of course, you want to be like everybody else. No, in order to really stand out, be considered a thought leader, create change and have clients lining up to work with you, you have to be an authority.
What Authority Can Do A true authority brand has the power to influence or command thought, opinion or behavior. She changes people’s minds, sways their opinions and influences their thoughts and opinions. She’s a part of the conversation, and is often leading it. Because of her tremendous clarity around who she is, who she serves, the value she offers and why she’s in business in the first place, she connects confidently and easily with her target market and engages them where they need it most. She is a true INFLUENCER.
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in•flu•ence [in-floo-uh ns] – noun: the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior and opinions of others.
Google’s Top Three Measurements Explained In his book, Social Media 101, author Chris Brogan talks about how Google comes to accept you as the Authority. Let’s take a look at Google’s top three measurements and compare them with “real-world” applications. Inbound links from other sources – If someone is linking to your website, then you must have valuable information, especially if the person doing the linking is important, i.e. CNN, Oprah or The NY Times. When you offer something of great value, people will not only seek you out, they will tell their friends about you. Word of Mouth has become Word of Mouse and is moving at the speed of light. Outbound links to quality material – This helps to prove that you’re a lively presence on the Web. It also proves that you’re willing to give as much as you get. Recommend and promote others’ good work and you’ll be rewarded ten-fold. Constantly updated content – Google values freshness over staleness. You’ve got to stay updated, engaged and current to offer something of value. It’s hard to be considered an authority when your website clearly declares, “I’m not home!”At the end of the day, you’re doing business with people, not computers. You want to build relationships, not lists.
What You Should Do If you’re still relying on the degree hanging on your wall to bring in your clients, then you’re in for a rude awakening. To step out of the “expert” box and into the
authority brand role, it’s imperative to connect, converse, engage and interact with your potential clients. When you are able to influence how people FEEL – when they hire you, work with you, learn from you, experience you – then and only then are you able to compel them in any way Resource: Liz Dennery Sanders wants you to build your buzz and be successful beyond your wildest dreams. She founded SheBrand, to help female entrepreneurs build powerful personal brands, attract more clients and position themselves as experts in their industries. www.
shebrand.com
What can YOU give to help us feed Kelowna children and families this month?
Kelowna Community
Food Bank
Caring‌ for our community.
T: 250.763.7161 E: info@kcfb.ca
www.kelownafoodbank.ca
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Why Your Brochure is in the
Above the Herd
Garbage Can
Y
ou poured over the copy for hours, possibly even days. You agonized over whether the photo should be above the text or below. You wondered, “Should my website be on the front panel or the back? Maybe both?” Your spouse, your family and your closest friends read and re-read it, making tweaks and changes along the way. When the printer handed you the box, you couldn’t wait to open it up and hold one in your hand. You scrutinized it for typos and sent up a silent prayer of thanks when you found none.
Your first corporate brochure. A corporate brochure is as standard as having a website. Think of it – when you began your business, one of the first questions many asked was probably, “Have you done your brochure?” The assumption is that you will be creating one, if you hadn’t already. For all too many businesses, that labor of love ends up in the recycling bin of prospect after prospect, without fulfilling its intended purpose. I can almost hear the cry of, “Noooooooo!” escape from your lips as you now picture your brochure floating in slow motion to the recycling bin with countless other paper scraps. It doesn’t have to be this way.
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There are specific reasons why brochures fail, and ways you can ensure that your brochure has the best chance of achieving its purpose.
Different Targets = Different Message For starters, you need to know its purpose. To know its purpose, you need to know your target market. Most businesses have more than one target market. For example, your market might include construction companies and architects. What you have to say to a construction worker should be different from how you present to an architect. The language you use, the images you use, the benefits you highlight and how you present the next steps – should be put together to appeal to the person reading it. If your brochure is created with the purpose of appealing to everybody – it will fail. Generic brochures cause people to skim over what they don’t care about, and the real message to that target (if it is even spelled out clearly) is muddled and lost. Mr. Architect reads a benefit intended for Mr. Construction Owner and thinks, “This isn’t for me.” You don’t want your prospect to have the thought, “This isn’t for me,” when they read your brochure. Every part of it should be relevant to them. How to resolve this dilemma? Different brochures for your different target markets.
Know Your Sales Cycle Another reason brochures fail is because the creator tries to take the reader through the entire sales process in one fell swoop. Good positioning strategy dictates that each of your communication pieces convey a consistent message about your business. It also keeps in mind that prospects move along a defined sales continuum as they go from unawareness about your business to becoming a loyal customer. Rather than offer one marketing piece that includes everything about your business; provide strategically created, individual pieces that are appropriate for the different stages of the sales cycle. These pieces work together and are purposed
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to move your prospect along the sales continuum. A prospect who is early on in getting to know your company needs pieces that position you in your market and gives them the higher-level view of how you operate. As they move through the sales process, information will be more granular, and should address their differing objections. A prospect who really wants to hear the statistics of how your product solves their problem should not receive a page of customer testimonials. It isn’t relevant to moving them along the continuum. Companies sometimes create one-off pieces. An individual flyer for a promotion, or a brochure for a trade show. Don’t allow these pieces creep into the general population of marketing materials. Marketing communication will become a mish-mash of one-offs with no cohesive message. These pieces, too, will end up in the garbage when provided to a customer outside of the market for which they were made.
The solution? Create pieces relevant to the different points in the sales cycle. Use them accordingly. For all of your pieces, ensure that your copy is well-written, compelling and persuasive. If copywriting is not your thing, find someone who can write clearly and succinctly and hire them to help. If the message and next steps are not clear to the reader, your marketing piece has a dismal future. Before you go thinking that this will blow your budget, keep in mind that with convenient print-on-demand, you don’t have to print thousands of each piece. You have the flexibility to have multiple pieces on hand to use appropriately. Follow these strategies and although your prospect may not want to get your brochure framed – they certainly will want to learn more. Kimberly Parker is an author and partner in Red Giraffe, a Kelowna-based sales and marketing company. Contact www.AbovetheHerd.com
Nothing is more powerful than word-of-mouth to deliver your marketing message.
Spread the word.
90% 60% 52%
of businesses rely exclusively, or almost exclusively, on word of mouth advertising.
of businesses believe that a good marketing campaign would raise their revenue.
of businesses are using social media as a part of their marketing strategy.
video
To start your word-of-mouth campaign, call
Stephen - 250.212.1534 stephen@mainstreetkelowna.com www.mainstreetkelowna.com Read the full results of the advertising survey in the Okanagan Business Examiner September 2010 issue.
The
To Earn More, Serve More Recently, I talked with an entrepreneur whose sales, produc�on and profits have all been flat or falling in the past 18 months, and he’s feeling desperate. He feels the pressure of “having” to make more money! He told me he’s tried giving his staff more training. He’s tried giving more incen�ves (bonuses) and he’s fired some of his poor performers. Now he’s talking about “having” to raise prices because he just “can’t live on what we’re making.” You can imagine our conversa�on. I pointed out that the market place never lies. We may not like the message it sends us, but customers never lie to us. If sales are flat, it’s because our customers no longer feel we are giving them the bargain they want. He may also need to let more of the right people know that he and his services are available. (Reaching too few or the wrong people is always a problem.) But for the most part, the real problem is that his poten�al customers no longer see him as a resource.
The marketplace never lies
Our customers want stuff. They want more and be�er service. They want to enrich their lives. They want to achieve their goals, personally and in business. People will always buy goods and services if they believe the purchase will serve them, at a price they are willing to pay.
ger to help them get what they want, and will do it at a price they are willing to pay, your success is assured.
To earn more money, do a be�er job of serving people. When your customers understand you are ea-
Source: http://www.philiphumbert.com
To earn more money, find a way to provide more and be�er service.
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