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Season 2 of The Crown

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Bemoaning the absence of Downtown Abby from our lives, one of my friends mentioned she found an “almost as good” replacement to satisfy our itch for something British in our lives. Enter “The Crown”, a historically accurate (I’m told) biography of the current Queen Elizabeth, beginning in her childhood in Season 1. The locations are amazing, costumes just as splendid as Downtown Abby’s, and lessons in history if you are a visual person who enjoys being immersed in the reality of the time.

For me, Winston Churchill came to life. Claire Foy is remarkable as Elizabeth and the rest of the cast are amazing as well.

If you subscribe to Netflix, you have time to catch up on Season 1 before Season 2 arrives in December, 2017. Here’s the trailer for Season 2 to pique your interest:

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Give One to You, Give One to Me…Makes You Happier!

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Shopping for a gift just got a whole lot easier and much more enjoyable for the giver! New research shows liking a gift you are giving someone enough to purchase one for yourself is viewed very positively by the receiver and makes the giver happier. Who knew!

Matching Gifts!

“Research published this month in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin by Evan Polman, marketing professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Sam Maglio, marketing professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough, shows that gift recipients are happier with a present when the giver got themselves the same present.”

[Read more…]

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7 Tips for Writing a Letter of Recommendation

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I’m receiving all kinds of requests for letters of recommendation these days as my students have just graduated, and I’ve referred colleagues for positions they would be great in. After receiving a request from one of my former students for a “strong” letter of recommendation, repeating the word “strong” in her email request multiple times, I thought it would be great to share a few pointers I use when writing a letter of recommendation.

  1. If you cannot provide a “strong” recommendation of the individual, do not proceed. Let the individual know the reason(s), such as you haven’t observed them interacting with clients, known them long enough, or viewed any creative works they’ve developed in order to recommend them, or any of a number of other reasons that they shouldn’t take personally. [Read more…]
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Do This With Your Cell Phone if You Want Focused Thinking

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To be able to retain and process information optimally, keep your cell phone far away from you. Recent research shows this to be true through studies done on almost 800 smart phone users.

“Your cognitive capacity is significantly reduced when your smartphone is within reach — even if it’s off. That’s the takeaway finding from a new study from the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin.

The findings suggest that the mere presence of one’s smartphone reduces available cognitive capacity and impairs cognitive functioning, even though people feel they’re giving their full attention and focus to the task at hand. “We see a linear trend that suggests that as the smartphone becomes more noticeable, participants’ available cognitive capacity decreases,” Ward said. “Your conscious mind isn’t thinking about your smartphone, but that process — the process of requiring yourself to not think about something — uses up some of your limited cognitive resources. It’s a brain drain.””

Put Your Cell Away to Focus and be Present

How funny that those tested exerted so much energy on trying not to pay attention to their cell phones that it significantly decreased their ability to focus and concentrate. It’s kind of like “Pavlov’s Dog” with the dog anticipating the bell ringing, and can’t think of any thing else but that the bell will ring soon and they certainly don’t want to miss it. This could add to the existing body of knowledge that shows cell phone addiction, don’t you think? I guess my “note to self” from this study is to turn off and put my phone out of sight in order to be fully present in relating to others and focusing on tasks at hand!

Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin). Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Citations from ScienceDaily.com

Journal Reference:

  1. Adrian F. Ward, Kristen Duke, Ayelet Gneezy, Maarten W. Bos. Brain Drain: The Mere Presence of One’s Own Smartphone Reduces Available Cognitive Capacity. Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, 2017; 2 (2): 140 DOI: 10.1086/691462
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Pippa’s Wedding Day

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Brides are simply beautiful, wedding days a joyous occasion to our delight. Everyone wants to see the bride’s dress, and how overcome with love the groom becomes when he catches the first glimpse of his bride as she begins her walk down the aisle to meet him. Celebrating Pippa Middleton’s wedding, I share a few sources of stunning photos capturing the beauty, love and delight of this special day.

This photo is shared from the story covered in the HuffingtonPost – Click the link <- or the photo to read the story of the day’s festivities and see many more gorgeous photos:

ENGLEFIELD GREEN, ENGLAND - MAY 20: Pippa Middleton arrives at the wedding of Pippa Middleton and James Matthews at St Mark's Church on May 20, 2017 in Englefield Green, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImage)

ENGLEFIELD GREEN, ENGLAND – MAY 20: Pippa Middleton arrives at the wedding of Pippa Middleton and James Matthews at St Mark’s Church on May 20, 2017 in Englefield Green, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImage)

Then stroll over to the What Kate Wore Facebook Page, and Telegraph News for links to additional photos and coverage of this beautiful day and the details of Pippa’s dress. Enjoy!

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Which Kentucky Derby Hat is You?

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The Kentucky Derby is such a fun and frolicky annual horse race, filled with tradition and beauty. From the gorgeous horses to the traditional mint juleps, there is anticipation and excitement in the air. What I love most about the Kentucky Derby is selecting “my” horse to cheer on and, always, seeing the beautiful hats on display everywhere!

“The long-established fashion was started with Col. Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr.’s vision for the Derby as an event that the high-class would attend, similar to European-style racing events, which mandated full morning dress for men and women. For the first running of the Kentucky Derby, he used high-class women to recruit his target clientele to attend the race. The event quickly became just as much about the fashion as the racing. Going to a horse racing event became an opportunity to show off the latest in spring fashion and women were known to coordinate their hats, dresses, bags, shoes, and even parasols.” *

I’m posting a few hats for you to enjoy from the official Kentucky Derby website as well as my personal choice if I were going this year!

  1. Playful and fun!

2. “Look at me!” (I like the shoulder sun protection this hat offers!)

3. This one has the floral embellishment underneath the brim – beautiful!

4. Such fun for men, too!

5. My choice from Berkeley Hats (where you will find many, many more lovely hats to order!)

Cheers to a great race and very fun day!

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What’s Next After You’ve Interviewed

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What are the appropriate next steps after you’ve interviewed for a new job? You can make it somewhat easier if you confirm what the next steps are before you leave the interview, during your final face to face.

Before you leave the interview:

  1. Let them know how much you have enjoyed meeting them.
  2. Say one or two things specifically you appreciated discussing during the interview.
  3. It is very appropriate at this time to ask “What are the next steps?”
  4. Make sure you have the names/business cards/titles of everyone in the interview.
  5. Confirm, even repeat back to them, when you should expect to hear next from them.

[Read more…]

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4 Things to Look For in a Weight-Loss Supplement

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Have you been thinking about trying a weight-loss supplement? Let me help you!

The Apriori Beauty Weight Loss Accelerator Supplement utilizes a NutrientReservoir™ to help provide full system support to maximize the cleansing and energizing effects of LifeoxyLEAN. Resveratrol, CoQ10, Carnitine, Rhodiola Rosea Extract, and Ginko Biloba work together to*:

  • Provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory support.
  • Support longevity and address anti-aging at the cellular level.
  • Enhance memory and cognitive skills.
  • Balance mood.

Together, these unique ingredients help increase cellular energy to help you stay active and make the changes necessary to achieve healthy weight loss.

[Read more…]

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Weight Loss Help with a Probiotic Bacteria

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Wouldn’t you like a little weight loss help? A probiotic may be your answer! A recent weight loss research study, published in The British Journal of Nutrition, found one bacteria in particular which promoted a greater weight loss over time, with the ability to keep lost weight off in those who took it as a supplement along with diet.

“According to Angelo Tremblay, (Professor at Universite Laval) probiotics may act by altering the permeability of the intestinal wall. By keeping certain proinflammatory molecules from entering the bloodstream, they might help prevent the chain reaction that leads to glucose intolerance, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.” [Read more…]

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12 Things You Can Do to Find Happiness

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Every now and again I step out of my world to take stock of the things which are and the things I would like to see happen. With a perspective of my life’s timeline, the opportunities to accomplish, make a difference and leave a positive legacy are coming to a close. With sixty amazing years behind me, I still have so much I want to accomplish, many things to do and say, and always, I want to continue improving in all areas of my life.

As I was reading online, one article led to another, led to another and I found a post titled:

“12 Things Happy People Do Differently.”

Okay, I’m game to see what more I can do to increase my own happiness potential and the happiness of those I touch each day.

Author Marc Chernoff has hit the nail on the head with each “thing.” It was like a report card of my life and how it’s lived, and I scored high marks. I want to celebrate, not only because I am truly happy deep down in my heart, but because I believe the things we do come from a place in our hearts that when plowed and nourished can only bring fruit.

If our soil is cleansed of weeds (unforgiveness, anger, bitterness), amply fertilized (what we read, see, hear, where we spend out time, who we spend our time with), have planted good seeds (how we invest our time and energies in the things we do and who we spend time with) and water our seeds (love, support, encouragement, kindness, and care), we will produce beautiful fruit in time. Like a farmer reaping a rich harvest, or a gardener who enjoys the beauty of a blossoming garden, the joy of hard work and much care will lead to happiness in life.

The continual renewal and nourishing of our hearts and spirits I have found to be the key to happiness. For me it is the daily reading of the Bible, meditating on the stories, advice and words of encouragement which have planted seeds of love, and have set my heart and mind in the right place from which all else from my life flows.

Please enjoy Marc’s article and I wish you abundant happiness!

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Are Sweets on Your Diet Breakfast Menu?

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As a healthy eater starting your day with a nutritious breakfast, are sweets on your breakfast menu? Here’s why they should be.  If you don’t have a problem keeping a healthy weight, then this won’t be as meaningful to you as to someone like me, who, well, let’s just say – struggles.

Chocolate Cake

A new study published in the journal Steroids, shows fantastic results from a study done in Tel Aviv, which included a sweet treat on a low carbohydrate, high protein, 600 calorie breakfast. Results included excellent weight loss, and continued weight loss after the study was completed. [Read more…]

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Does Keys Creek Lavender Stress Relief Mist Really Work?

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In a previous post titled “Ahhh Lavender!” I shared about my wonderful find in the Keys Creek Lavender Farm. One of my purchases was the Lavender Stress Relief Mist, which I’ve now had the delight to try out and I can truly say I LOVE it!

Keys Creek Lavender Stress Relief Mist!

One of the things I love about it is that when you spritz it on, the fragrance lasts for a long time, and it smells so very, very lavender, it is truly lovely. I take deep breaths in and enjoy it so much. Before I’ve even realized it, I’m snoozing, no matter how fast my thoughts are coming, or how many problems I’m trying to solve, or the hour of the night, it works before I’m  even are aware it’s working.

An example was the other night, when I had a few work things on my mind, good things which needed to have just the right sort of creativity to bring about my desired result. Creative juices flowed, even overflowed. Add to this that someone very dear to me decided to take a red eye flight across country. When my head met my pillow, dear one was 31,000 feet in the air. I wasn’t worried, but the thought of it was uncomfortable, and checking the flight tracker app on my phone from bed wasn’t as soothing as a lullaby, right?

So I spritzed a full spritz of my Keys Creek Lavender Stress Relief Spray and in no time I was fast asleep. Know how I knew it worked quickly? I woke up 5 hours later, just in time for dear one’s landing, watched the landing, did another spritz and, voila!, quickly back to sleep.

The best thing was I woke with no “cotton head” but a clear head and renewed energy for the day!

 

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The Value of a Vision

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What is Your Vision?https://blog.intercom.com/why-startups-need-a-strong-vision/

My mind quickly conjures up a scene of a  watercolor artist sitting before an easel with a pure white canvas background. Brush in hand, colors and water jar ready, he sees the story he will tell with his strokes before the brush even touches the canvas. He knows the background colors he will use, where the focal point will be, and what the finished painting will look like.

Vision is very important to how we proceed in life, what we accomplish in the fruits of our labor and how we will be remembered. What we choose as a career, or not. Do we marry? How we raise our children and what the direction we point them in. How do we see our seasons of life? What does retirement look like? How do we weather the unexpected storms? Does our vision continue on without us, after we are gone?

I’m seeing fruits on different fronts, standing aside to watch seedlings bud and blossom, and creating new visions where life has provided an unexpected turn in the road.

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Proverbs 29.18, a proverb of wise King Solomon. When we have a vision, we have a focus, a direction, a plan, a path and hope to see it come to pass.

 

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Opportunity Knocks!

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When opportunity knocks, will you answer or ignore it? If you really think about it, opportunity knocks every day. Today, I took an opportunity to meet someone new. I visited a new restaurant in my neighborhood and decided to sit on the counter. Soon after I was seated, another woman sat next to me. We started talking – that was the mutual opportunity seized by both of us!

Within a few minutes, we learned that we lived on the same street, but opposite ends. We both have 3 jobs, and we are both college professors. We had such a lovely time together, that when it came time for the check, out waitress thought we were together and gave us one check!

What opportunities are presenting themselves to you? I have one to share! I invite you to look at an opportunity to help women look more beautiful, to improve their self-confidence and health. AND, while you are beautifying the women around you, there is an opportunity to earn an income!

WHY NOT YOU?????

A chance to start a business from the comforts of your home, sharing healthy skin care, earning extra cash when products are purchased, and getting paid every Friday by electronic deposit on your very own debit card! I’ve been doing it for over 7 years, using and loving Apriori Beauty’s products, and sharing them with those who are interested. It’s my business, done my way, and it can easily be your business, done your way, too!

Here’s what you receive when you open the door to the Apriori Beauty Opportunity – a free website which is your very own online store, product samples, a free EPIC Instant Wrinkle Reducer, and much much more all for $49!

abstarterset

Welcome to Apriori Beauty! Here are three ways to make money:

abpaths4success

I invite you to open the door of Opportunity with me and Apriori Beauty!

I’m just a “Contact Me“ away – send me a message and I’ll answer your questions and help you open the Apriori Beauty Door of Opportunity!

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My Peaceful Place

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Need to find your peaceful place? When things start swirling around faster and faster, I begin to stress and sigh more. That’s when I know I need to find a peaceful place, for my heart, my mind, and my spirit. Today, I knew I needed to find mine. I like the mountains, as they help me know there is someone bigger than I am, who has everything under control.

http://travel55.co.uk/holiday/austrian_alps_coach_holidays_westendorf_shearings

The Italian Dolomites

Twice today, this Bible verse, found in the Isaiah 26.3, came across in my readings: “Thou shalt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.” KJV

Another translation:

“People with their minds set on you, you keep completely whole, steady on their feet, because they keep at it and don’t quit. Depend on God and keep at it because in the Lord God you have a sure thing.” The Message translation.

He is my sure thing. I hope this helps you find peace in the midst of your storm today.

xo

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