Archive for July, 2009
Often you’re reminded of that romantic weekend at the shore. The smell that fills the room when you first light one of those WoodWick Spill-Proof Reed Diffusers that you purchased to enhance the romance brings you right back to that night every time you light one. The power of sense can bring you back to places you really never want to leave.
Many people experience life altering events that have an immediate and lasting imprint on their soul. Often a song or a smell can immediately take them back to that moment in time and stop them in their tracks. What was one moment in time can end up being a moment that can be relived over and over again. It’s amazing that the memory can fade and for years you won’t think about that special night until out of the blue that song comes on the radio and you’re instantly taken back to that memory just like it happened. These cognitive powers are the strongest in the human mind because they are powered by emotion.
It’s easy to build in this cognitive recognition if you know you’ll want to remember that vacation or that time spent with a loved one for the rest of your life. People are creatures of the senses and will unconsciously go out of their way to build in these remembrances without knowing it. However, you can still do it knowingly and it will still have the same affect. Long after remembering that you planted the aromatic smell of those WoodWick Spill-Proof Reed Diffusers you’ll remember the feelings you felt when that smell creeps back into your consciousness. Smells are the foundation of all memories and there will be times that a smell will take you back to your childhood and to a time too far gone to really remember but that smell will give you a sense of overwhelming security and happiness.
The sense of hearing also has huge impact on your ability to recover lost memories. That song that played during the last dance of your prom will bring back memories of that night twenty years after the last time you heard it. Although time dates music, music dates memories and you’ll find those old tunes a welcome sound when the memories start to fade.
When you’re expecting a big day and you want to have a memory that will last for the rest of your life find a unique smell that is pleasing or a song that has impact on you. Take the time to immerse yourself into the sites, smells and music around you to enhance the overall recognition for future use. You’ll certainly be able to recover those memories with the impact that it would take to stop you in your tracks while it takes you twenty years into the past.
No matter how you achieve it, if you plan it or if it comes natural, you’ll always have cognitive recognition of smells and sounds that bring old feelings back like a flood. It’s up to you at which extent you plant this or to which extent that you let it work its own magic.
Kim Green’s choice for making areas smell nice have always been reed diffusers and now even WoodWick Spill-Proof Reed Diffusers as they work extremely well!
What could be better then an established name brand to help kick off your career as a business owner? Nothing could be better because a franchise ownership is one of the most affective ways to start your own business.
One in three businesses fails within the first year. However, that statistic drastically drops when you enter into the equation a franchise business. Why is this? Well, it’s simple. When you purchase a franchise you aren’t just purchasing a name (which in its own right has power) but you are purchasing a strong business plan and in many cases, the support structure to help you succeed.
Many first time business owners have ventured into business with the McDonald’s corporation. McDonalds happens to be the largest land owner in the world and they have a unique distinction of being the biggest landlord in the world as well. See, McDonalds will sell you a franchise and then assist you with the best location. In doing so, they can ensure you remain competitive and that they don’t over saturate a given market place. This system has worked well as McDonalds is one of the largest companies in the world and boasts the largest buying power. Another great point about McDonalds is Hamburger U. A school designed not only for McDonald’s managers but for current and future franchise owners. They believe in taking that extra step to ensure their owners are up to speed and ready to be successful. In fact, it’s not uncommon to see a franchise owner invested in several regional locations. That’s a true sign of a successful franchise owner.
Another successful franchise is one in which you have a personal investment. Fast food can be rewarding but few people have a built in love and passion for the work that is being done. So, for those people, finding something that hits close to home and being able to do it for a living is the most rewarding and successful venture of all. For example, many people have found that investing in a childrens franchise (or a franchise relating to children’s needs) is a greatly rewarding and successful venture. To add to this example, a franchise like Snip-its can be rewarding as well as successful because they are the industry leader in child’s hair cutting. As with most franchise companies, you’ll find a wealth of support to help you begin the process of starting your business. This is a great example of a well thought out business plan that doesn’t require you to be an expert in hair cutting but does allow you to effectively run the business and to see a profit.
When asked, would you rather go into business alone or would you rather have an established name brand supporting you along with a structured business plan and support team the answer really seems easy to answer. That’s because it is! Nothing in business is a sure fire success and all businesses take strict dedication to ensure success but ultimately a franchise is a great way to ensure success. Whether it’s a McDonalds or a children’s franchise you’ll find that taking the route more traveled in this case will prove to be a bigger success.
Author Kimberly Green ran a home business for several years and has implemented a few excellent ideas for a successful childrens franchise as well.
How to make a fabulous diaper cake for a baby shower:
Sure it is fun to go shopping for those baby gifts for that shower…but it is even more fun to make your own personalized baby gift!
For the last baby shower I went to I made a diaper cake. It took many tries and a few hours but the result was well worth it because it came out adorable! And once I got the hang of it, it was not that hard. When I brought it to the shower it was the gift that got the most “Oohs” and “Ahhs”. Everyone thought it was so nice and they also thought that it was costly but in reality it was an inexpensive gift that looked fabulous and it is something that is practical because every baby needs diapers. And if you do not use the cloth diapers they make for excellent burp cloths!
Making that personalized baby gift can save money and be a lot of fun to. Here are some simple instructions on how I made my diaper cake. First, I went out and got cloth diapers…they were having a sale at Babies R Us so I picked up around 50 diapers. You can use disposable or cloth but I found the cloth to be easier to work with. I then got some blue ribbon, because she is having a boy, a bag of rubber bands, a baby bottle, baby lotion, fake blue flowers, cardboard (for the base), baby socks, pacifiers, and little stuffed animals. You can get what you want to “garnish” the cake with…I just preferred these items.
You want to roll up the individual diapers and put an elastic around it. Make around 18-20 and place them around the bottle of baby lotion on the cardboard and tie it all around with the ribbon. This makes the first tier. You do the same for the 2nd and 3rd tiers but making each one a little smaller and placing them on top of each other. You have to tie them individually with the elastic bands and then all together with the ribbon for each tier. I also tied each diaper with a little bow to give it a more finished look. I then put fake flowers, stuffed animals, pacifiers and baby socks around the base and in the top center I put a baby bottle. And that is pretty much it!
These types of personalized baby gifts usually go for around $80 but you can do it for around $30 depending on what kind of diaper you get. The best part is that you can make it how you like which is the beauty of making your own gifts. And it really is quite pretty when it is all done!
Author Kimberly Green has made several personalized baby gifts in the past and has become quite a pro at it!
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