Outdoor Living Cleanses The Mind, Body, and Spirit
July 31, 2007
Through the use of various mediums pertaining to the outdoors, like hot tubs and patio furniture, one can relax and enjoy nature. Don’t stay confined to four walls and a roof, breathe and inhale the free, fresh air only the beautiful outdoors can provide. Use your outdoor space as an extension of home, with all the added comforts. Suppose you do not have an outdoor space to relax on wicker and eat on a simple yet classy teak table. What do you do?
First, determine what space you will use and what patio furniture you plan to buy for it. Develop a layout scheme and follow it to T. Refuse to be satisfied with just a bunch of flimsy play chairs and a plastic table as your outdoor space. Highlight your outdoor space with Jacuzzi hot tubs to lounge in, wicker furniture equipped with fluffy cushions to relax on, or teak furniture to bring out the color contrast in your garden. Find out whether a directional patio heater or mushroom patio heater is best for you by determining home energy costs and your budget.
Ever Wanted to Make Your Own Themed Gift Baskets?
July 31, 2007
If you’ve always wanted to know how to make your own gift baskets, this article will give you some tips to get started. Gift baskets are such a wonderful gift and can be given for any occasion. Creating personalized themed gift baskets is a great gift to give that someone special. Gift Baskets are easy to make and a joy to give.
When creating a themed gift basket, don’t limit yourself as to the type of basket that you can create. It can be something simple and small, homemade or lots of great goodies that make a really beautiful gift basket.
Here are some unique themed gift basket ideas for children, teenagers and parents:
Teenaged Girls Gift Basket
Find a small to medium sized basket and line the basket with pink tissue paper or raffia grass. Buy a sampler pack of flavored lip glosses, powders, lotions, a makeup kit and a light sporty fragrance and artistically arrange. Don’t forget bracelets, rings, watches, earrings, and necklaces. Wrap the basket with colored cellophane and tie with a pretty ribbon and bow.
Teenaged Boys Gift Basket
How To Adopt A Shelter Cat - Your New Cat Will Thank You For Reading This Article
July 31, 2007
If you are thinking of adding a feline to your family, consider adopting a cat from your local animal shelter or humane society. The animals have been carefully screened for adoptability and have usually been worked with to enhance sociability.
Unfortunately, many people think that only “bad” animals wind up in shelters. Actually, the opposite is true. People relinquish their pets to shelters when they are no longer able to care for them. Sometimes this is because the owner was unprepared for the responsibility that comes with caring for a pet.
If there is no indication of ‘reason for surrender’ on the cage at the shelter ask - a cat that has been given up because of bad behaviour may not be the best choice - no matter how cute she is.
Often, however, caring owners struggling with life-changes or trying to cope with family tragedy realize their pet would be better off with someone else. They bring them to the shelter because they know the animal will be well-cared for and placed in an excellent home.
Our Home
July 31, 2007
Our home was warm in the shade of the trees or when the sun was not upon it.
It was built on the side of a hill, near a lake where spirits could be free.
On the warm porch ? hummingbirds watched, from branches where they sit, and the cat and the dog lay sunning, as we read ? nestled very closely.
It was made of dark wood and of brick, had green shutters and was designed by our father: as a place to come to rest after a day, a week, or as a refuge throughout the years.
It was a place ? tranquil and safe, warm and friendly ? quite unlike any other.
It was a place for exploring ? the woods, the lake, and yes ? our inner fears.
We welcomed friends unto this place. We called out: come one ? come all, and many hours were spent talking, playing cards, or simply sitting by the fire.
We conversed many times, learning of each other, telling our tales, which then seamed tall.
From life’s struggles, which then seamed unreal, we learned to fight ? and to never tire.
Writer?s Web Resources
July 30, 2007
The Internet has truly revolutionized the careers of writers worldwide. Now you can work for publishers, corporations and a whole range of other clients on a truly global scale. Whether you are in the heart of a big city, or in a remote mountain village, all you need is an Internet connection to run your writing business.
The opportunity is fantastic, and so is the writer’s life that you could enjoy. But where can you find the jobs you need to establish a full-time writing career?
One way to start is through working the Internet job boards. Here aAlso included and listed separately are resources for business and technical writers, editors, journalists, and translators.
Writers’ Resources–General
Absolute Write - freelance writing, screenwriting, playwriting, writing novels, nonfiction, comic book writing, greeting cards, poetry, songwriting. One stop shop
Emily’s Writing for the Web Emily A. Vander Veer gives professional writers the tools needed to promote, publish, and sell work to the largest and fastest-growing market in the world: the Web.
e-Writer’s Place For writing inspirations, motivations and prescriptions.
Freelance Writers is a searchable database of writers from all around the world.
How To Keep Your Cat Healthy - Your Guide to Cat Diseases and Conditions, and How to Cure Them
July 30, 2007
Even with the best care, cats can become ill. Sometimes this means a simple “kitty cold,” at other times the disease might have a more lasting or even fatal result. The following are some of the more common causes of serious illness in cats.
An upper respiratory infection (URI) is the medical term for what many cat lovers call a “kitty cold.” Indeed, the symptoms match those of a human cold, sneezing and discharge from the nose. While they seem similar, the human and cat version of this infection are different, and one species cannot be infected by the other. However, URI is highly contagious among cats. If you have a multi-cat household and notice URI symptoms, isolate the cat immediately.
The best treatment for URI is time and loving care. Use a warm, moist cloth to keep your cat’s eyes and nose free of discharge. You might need to warm her food to enhance the smell to encourage your cat to eat.
URI symptoms, which include a decreased appetite, can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks. Watch your cat carefully; not eating or drinking can lead to dehydration. Also, if your cat becomes extremely lethargic, it may mean the URI has turned into something more serious.
Create A Gift Basket For A Dog Lover!
July 30, 2007
The choice of what gift to give your family and friends can often be a difficult one. One of the best gifts that you can give is a gift basket. A gift basket is that one present that comes in many shapes, themes and of course price ranges. A gift basket can also be a new arrival gift idea.
The diversity of gift baskets is never-ending. You can give a doggy gourmet food gift basket or a bath and grooming necessities gift basket. In fact the different type of gift baskets you can create is endless.
Here is a simple basket that you can easily create yourself for that special "Dog Lover".
Pick a basket style. I like to use either a bucket or use a dog basket. There are a lot of choices on the market so choose between one with a handle, with two side handles or without handles. Make certain the basket is large enough to hold the gifts you have selected and of course if it is intended for the dog to sleep in it, large enough to accommodate the dog.
Choose a color that complements the dog lover’s home decor. If in doubt, choose a neutral color by selecting a natural wicker basket.
Your Guide to Cat Breeds
July 30, 2007
For the first 8,000 years of their relationship with humans, cats pretty much took care of their own breeding. People kept them for one purpose - hunting rodent - and they are already perfectly designed for that. More than 100 years ago, however, we began systematically breeding cats to appeal to our aesthetic tastes. Hair length, color, coat pattern, as well as head and leg proportions contribute to the “look” of specific breeds. Look at enough cat bodies and faces, and you’ll see two distinctly different types.
Faces are either triangular or rounded. Bodies that are lean and slender belong to the lithe oriental, or foreign breeds. Short legs supporting a broad, compact body are characteristic of a “cobby.” Mixed breeds usually have an “in between” body type.
There are more than 70 distinct breeds of cats that are recognized by formal cat registries. Some registries recognize only about 40 breeds, because they exclude those such as Bengals which are hybrids of domestic and wild cats. Some “breeds” are simply variations of primary types. For example, a Balinese cat is a longer haired type of Siamese cat.
Growing a Sustainable Garden!
July 29, 2007
Do you wish you could grow a sustainable vegetable garden? Now you CAN have a sustainable garden of your own in a very small space. And it can be fun and productive!
Let’s think for a moment of what motivates us to grow gardens anyway?
Many of us want the taste of fresh picked-when-ripe tomatoes, corn, peas and etc. Some folks believe it’s the healthiest way to live. Others love the fresh air and exercise, digging in the dirt, and the joy of being a co-creator with God.
The idea of having our food grown by strangers on huge farms in far distant places, while perhaps using harmful pesticides and herbicides, makes others want the security and control of growing their own. And at times like 9/11 we all feel vulnerable to disruptions in the complex delivery system that brings food to our doors.
Sustainable Gardening is really quite simple, and most of the work is already done for you by nature. All you need to do is learn and follow 10 basic rules. The following steps will assure you a great gardening experience. Learn and enjoy!
The Best Freelance Job Boards for Writers
July 29, 2007
How many times have you checked out a job board to that either it no longer exists or that there is one or two jobs listed. Out of the hundreds of job boards on the Web today, how do you find those containing projects that you are interested in and qualified for.
I have recently surveyed over 300 freelance web sites and these are the best boards for freelance writers. The benchmark that I used for judging the board was the number of legitimate projects (as opposed to "business opportunities" ) and requests for submission being posted every month. I have only included ones posting 30 projects or more a month
The very best
I picked Guru This huge all-inclusive board connects independent professionals (a.k.a. “gurus”) with contract projects. If you are new to independent consulting, check out the Run Your Biz section, which includes a "Getting Started" column, where you can leave a question to be answered by experts. Lots of other useful information (e.g. tax and finance, legal, etc.) for contractors. Find a contracting job (”gig”) searching by field (creative/media, finance and legal, etc.), keyword, and geography.. Recently, it acquired IT Moonlighter , another with lots of freelance jobs. Whatever, Guru is probably the largest freelance marketplace on the Web. Over 3,300 projects posted last month.
