An Interview With Theclevercat: A Talented Freelance Writer

Theclevercat a talented Hubber reveals what it's really like to be an Apprentice, create Videos on HubPages, and work as an online freelance writer and blogger.

Short Bio : Fashion, cooking, barbie, arty, crafty, reading and writing and singy and laughy gaming and gadgets and emerald rings, these are a few of favorite things of theclevercat of north Massachusetts! During the day, she works as an administrative powerhouse; by night... blogger, gamer, and freelance writer.

You cover all sorts of subjects on HubPages. What is it that determines the focus of the next Hub you will write?

I only have one rule… I write about fun things, things that have improved my life, made me think, or made me laugh. No boring bits here! I usually get caught up in topics and want to learn all about them, do my research and find something especially interesting that I’d like to share, and that’s how the idea kernels pop. Also, my Hubs often seem to come along in series form… like my color psychology series or my pieces on DMs, for example.

Has your experience in the Apprenticeship Program been what you expected it to be?

Actually, no. I had no real expectations when I was asked to participate in the program, but I figured it would be a lot of work. What I didn’t count on was the sheer amount of it! Jotting off an opinion piece or even a thoughtful blog post is completely unrelated to this kind of writing, due to the vast amount of research, photo and video generation, design factors, and just plain thinking involved in providing an excellent product.

I definitely didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did, despite being tempted to throw in the towel out of pure exhaustion about halfway through. It’s not until you have committed to a goal of eight well-written Hubs a month that you realize how complicated a topic can be… and there were times I thought I had actually run out of ideas. But I had a great team (the Scribe Tribe) and we supported each other throughout the process. I met some great Hubbers and nice people and that was the icing on the cake of a growing online portfolio.

You created some fabulous Video entries for the Rigorous Review Contest. What inspired you to present your  Doc Marten shoe reviews in video and written form, and what was it like creating those entries?

Well, I have always been interested in video from the point of view of holding the camera, but it never seemed to click for me being in front of it… until I took myself out of the picture! Once I did that, I was able to see what worked and what didn’t… then I learned the basics of video editing and I was off. And a shoe is an easy subject to stage-manage, since it doesn’t talk back. Ha!

The reason I also put together write-ups is because not everyone enjoys videos… and if they are searching the page for a certain word, they’ll never find it in a video either. I believe it’s important to always follow up something you said with something you write. Maybe it’s the administrative assistant in me, but it just works. Also, once you’ve put together a video, the writing takes very little time, because you’ve already made your main points.

You share on your Profile that you're a freelance writer. How did you get started in that line of work and what it is like to be a freelance writer as well as someone who writes recreationally?

I started freelance writing about three years ago for Demand Studios at the behest of my sister,  Brainy Bunny, with the simple financial goals of earning $100 a week toward a new camera and laptop. After a lot of training to write according to their rules (and a lot of boring topics!), I was able to earn those rewards and took on some other non-DS consulting gigs, while honing existing writing skills and learning others, like localization. I also consider HubPages a type of fun freelancing.

For me, freelancing is not actually my day job, it’s more of a way of earning some pocket money. But during my day job, I also do different forms of writing, and can “write” in different voices, which is a valuable skill to master and one of which I am proud. Writing articles for money and under a timeline is a completely different animal than writing for yourself, for fun and relaxation. Although I consider myself successful there, I had a lot of trouble accepting the “rules” of Demand Studios, and often I felt like the editors made my articles less readable. That’s one of the reason I enjoy HubPages so much. There are very few rules, I can write about whatever I please, and format my articles the way I like them!

On your Profile, you also share dreams of writing a novel. Do you have a plot or characters already in your head?

In fact, I participated in the  National Novel Writing Month challenge in 2009 and completed the challenge and the book way back then! It requires more work, but I do plan to publish it, maybe on my own, maybe even in 2013 (if I'm able to set aside my hubbing for a while)! The name of my novel is Jocelyn's Body, and it’s about a young woman who has an out-of-body experience.

How’s this for a blurb? “What would happen if you lost your head? How about your whole body? After one too many out-of-body experiences, Jocelyn’s spirit needs a home. She discovers what she is capable of as she attempts to regain her physical self in this dark story of love, revenge, isolation, and self-realization.” I might even share a "teaser" chapter in several months, so keep your eyes out!

Are your future plans for HubPages the same plans you had when you first came to the site?

Nope! I originally thought I would treat HubPages as a repository for some of my short fiction, or maybe I would put together a Hub about each of the Barbie dolls I've collected. It occurred to me about how nice it would be to maybe earn a few bucks, but I never actually thought it would happen. Having written a blog for over four years, I kicked myself for a while about some of the book and product reviews I'd done during that time, too.

My sister is the real culprit for getting me started on HubPages as well. If only we'd known about HubPages years ago! Now, I write whenever I wish and without a deadline, and I feel like the sky's the limit in terms of earning potential. I get ideas all the time, and that feels great, too. I enjoy updating my Hubs and that truly appeals to me. Also, I get a real kick out of comments. If only I could read Google's mind in terms of searches and traffic patterns...

What are your tips for writing successful Hubs?
Have a real point of view, and write from your heart. Also, never regurgitate facts... readers can find ordinary facts anywhere. I have found that my most successful Hubs are the ones that came pouring out of me, or have the text just about writing itself from start to finish. (These Hubs end up being my favorites.) If you have to force the language, it’s unlikely to be successful. People should be able to see from the first few sentences that you care about your topic and they will react to that.

Of course, I also try to include as much personal media as is feasible… and again, if it’s silly, it’s better. I'm not above looking a little goofy. Me in a helmet made of a bucket? Sure. What about my cat stealing some catnip during a video? Why not? If it makes me laugh, it might make you laugh, too... and I want people to leave my Hubs feeling good.

How To Keep Your Laptop In Tip Top Condition

Nearly 90% of college students own laptops. They're a big investment for anyone, but most college students don't have the extra funds sitting around to replace them when they break down. A few simple techniques can keep your laptop running for the whole length of your college career.

Always run your laptop on a smooth, hard surface

Though the name suggests otherwise, never set your laptop on your lap - or pillows, blankets, or other soft, uneven surfaces. These can prevent airflow to the bottom of the computer and cause overheating, one of the biggest contributors to computer failure.
The heat from a laptop can reduce sperm count in men by as much as 40% when placed on the lap.

Put your laptop to sleep before putting it in your bag

Don't drop your laptop into your backpack as soon as you close the lid. It often takes several seconds for the hard drive to shut down, and it can be damaged from bumps and movement while still running in the mean time. Just to be safe put your computer to sleep before closing it.
Laptops are 80% more energy-efficient than desktop counterparts. They also ran 20% more efficiently when plugged in.

Don't leave your laptop plugged in 24/7

Constantly charging your computer can degrade the battery and shorten its life. If you use your laptop as your desktop, make sure to unclog 2-3 times a week so the battery can get the exercise it needs to stay healthy. Similarly, don't leave your computer without any battery at all for long period of time, as this too can cause degradation.
Every year, Americans homeowners waste $4 billion on vampire power, the electricity consumed by devices that remain plugged in but not in use.

Clean out your computer once a year

Exercise dust build-up is one of the most common factors in compromised computer performance. Use compressed air, a vacuum, or cotton swabs to keep all openings clear year round (also works for the area beneath the keys), then open up the case once a year to gently clean the insides (repair shops will do this for you if you're squeamish about such things).
Major buildup can make the internal temperature of a computer rise as much as 30`F - A level which can cause complete failure.

Shut down your computer every few days

Many of your computer's normal maintenance tasks revolve around your computer shutting down and starting back up, including clearing caches and short term memory and installing system updates.
For those of us who live on our laptops this is often tough to remember, but it can work wonders (especially if your machine has been behaving oddly).

Be prepared for thieves

Most immediately turn to the police when their laptop is stolen, but even with locating software installed, it can be difficult for the police to get a warrant to reclaim the laptop.
The best solution is encrypting sensitive data. Using an open-source tool like TrueCrypt is like a safe for one's computer: a thief may get in the front door, but they can't get to the valuable goods. And though it goes without saying: never leave your laptop unattended, and lock your dorm room door even when leaving for just a few minutes.
According to the FBI, a laptop is stolen every 53 seconds, only 3% are ever recovered.

Backup everything

And though it may seem like obvious advice, many people just don't do it. For students, the stakes are especially high as papers, notes, and projects can all be lost permanently. Buy an external hard drive from a reliable brand and backup at least once a week - you'll be safe in case of theft, crash, or spilled beer.
A gigabyte of data is very cheap in 2013, so there's no excuse to not backup your files.

Source : Onlineitdegree.net/laptop-safety-tips

5 Best Cloud Applications for iPad

In this high-tech era, the people are using both smartphones and computers in their routine life. They have some files store on iPhone while other on computer so they often need to use cloud storage for synchronization the data and files of both devices. Thanks to cloud applications of iPhone, we can effortlessly store our music, data and files at one place and then to access it from either computer or iPhone. Though in App store, you will find a wide variety of cloud applications for this iDevice but I would like to share 5 best.
So, read more and explore most useful applications.

1. DropBox

I really like this cloud storage application as it makes it simple for the users to store all his videos, music files, data files and photos at one place. After saving the files, he can access through any computer, iPhone or iPad anytime. Even this data is available on Dropbox website. You can create favorite list just to view the files quickly. Sharing of file is also made simple and easy. This application is mostly used in corporate environment where co-workers save files at Dropbox and share the links with each other. On the move work is becoming easier via this cloud application.

2. Online File Folder Mobile

This application comes from the house of GoDaddy and thus, it allows the users to save their data, files, photos and videos at one place. One you have done with saving, you are free to take a look of everything from your home PC and office tab. If you are traveling and want to check the progress report of a project, your co-worker will save file from his PC and you can check it right from iPhone.

3. Box

It is among those cloud applications which are designed for increasing the workforce productivity. After making a box account, you would be able to save, edit and share the files with your co-workers and thereby, perfect collaboration can be done effortlessly. After sign-up, you get 10GB+ cloud space which is good enough to store documents, spreadsheets and presentations. A number of companies are relying on this application of iPhone as file sharing, saving, searching and editing become quite easy via it. Employees
feel a less burden of work because of it.

4. SugarSync

If you want a remote control for your computer file then it’s iPhone which provides you what you want. You can download SugarSync on iPhone and then to get access to all your computer files, music, photos and videos. Whenever you are away from home or office, you can easily find all your files on iPhone. You are free to edit, delete or share a file whenever you want , wherever you need.

5. SlideShark

This application allows you to upload your presentation from your computer to the slide account and then to access this presentation from your iPhone. You can show your new project presentation to your boss by tapping on your iPhone. There is no need to use USB for copying file to other desktop. I think every iPhone user must need to take advantage of these cloud applications. These apps allow you to have a full backup of important data and files and to get ready access of every file of computer.

Author Bio:
Richard Thomas owns an IT enterprise and he knows the value of cloud applications. Therefore, he shares the best applications list for those entrepreneurs who want to see a boost in the productivity of their workforce.

11 Weird And Funniest Restaurants In The World

Tired of the same-old and boring restaurants, but still excited to try something new and amazing for dinner tonight? Check out some of the strangest restaurant around the world. Of course you would like to eat in these weird and craziest restaurants.

Ninja - New York City

There are few places where you can enjoy a delicious meal while constantly fearing for your life. This unique restaurants is designed to look like an ancient Japanese feudal village. The staff is trained in the ninja arts and be warned: they will sneak up on you in complete silence.

Opaque - San Francisco

Some people say that food tastes better in the dark. With your sense of sight diminished, your sense of taste really comes alive. You can test this hypothesis at Opaque. The servers are blind or visually impaired individuals who have been trained to serve food in a pitch black environment.

Hotel De Glace (Ice Hotel), Quebec City, Canada

Be sure to bring some mittens and earmuffs if you plan to dine at the Ice Hotel. It's only open from January to Match and it changes in appearance every year because it's made almost entirely of ice (only the bathrooms are heated and they are located in a separate structure). Food is served on dinnerware made of ice. We recommend ordering the cold cuts.

Modern Toilet - Taipei

All the seats in Modern Toilet are real toilets and the food is served on mini toilets. And the signature dessert? Soft-serve chocolate ice cream shaped like you-know-what, of course.

Ithaa Undersea - The Republic of the Maldives

Situated 16 feet below sea level, Ithaa Undersea is the world's first all-glass undersea restaurant. if offers incredible views of reef and marine life and the food is pretty good, too.

Izakaya Kayabuki - Tochigi, Japan

Drink beer. Be merry. Get served by monkeys. Hahah! Yes, you read that right. At Izakaya Kayabuki, monkeys dress up like human waiters and serve beer to the patrons.

The Clinic - Singapore

Have you ever dreamed of dining on a surgical table, surrounded by medical equipment and with waiters dressed as nurses and doctors serving you? Of course you haven't, but you can give it a try anyhow at The Clinic. Order one of the unique cocktails - some are served in syringes - for the full effect.

Nyotaimori - Japan

Nyotaimori literally means "female body plate" and there are a number of restaurants in Japan that allow you to eat sushi off the body of a nearly nude woman. Some even offer a female body made of dough and sauce that patrons can cut into with scalpel to reveal edible organs. Pretty creepy.

Lunch in the sky - Belgium

Add more fun and eat a meal at 150 feet above the floor, if you are not afraid of height. Your salad and meals will be served on sky-structure chairs.

Mars (theme) Restaurant - New York

Of course you want to know how does it look dining on the Mars? All you need just go in Times Square. You will meet Martians species they will lead you to the table of red planet and serve some specific seafood with a typical menu.

Devil Island Prison Restaurant - China

HO hO hA Ha ha! The owner of this restaurant reportedly wants to scare hungry folks away from a life of crime by presenting the visitors how tough and rough prison life can be. The food will be served in the area surrounded by rusting prison bars.

Source : Manolith.com/the-worlds-weirdest-and-most-disgusting-theme-restaurants-infographic

10 Sign Of Truly Happy Person

Going with friends out there, trying something new, surfing the net, playing games are sort of temporary fixes that can look you feel happy for some time but this doesn't make you truly happy. Here are 10 inner state satisfaction signs to decide are you really happy or not.

Daily Exercise - Happy people are also more likely to engage in health-promoting behaviors, according to a recent study at the University of North Texas. Similarly, the American Psychological Association has found that exercise significantly decrease depression across all the age categories and both genders.

Happy friends - Each new happy friend you have increases your probability of being happy by about 9%.

Smart thrills - Happy people don't need to dive 50 feet into gorge or snort cocaine in order to get their kicks. They're content with reality, and understand that reckless leads to wreck more.

Enough sleep - Unhappiness hinders sleep, and a low stress level promotes a good night's sleep. So if you're feeling energized by complete rested, most likely you are a pretty comfortable celebrity. Bounce fact: Making $60,000 more in annual income has less of an effect on your daily happiness than getting one extra hour of sleep a night.

Self-Trust - Those who always doubt their own judgment are especially prone to a wide range of psychological problems - such as mood swings, lower self-esteem, anxiety and depression.

Live in the now - When people's mind drift from the task or activity at hand, they are less grateful than when fully engaged in whatever they are doing. Bonus fact: People spend nearly 47% of their waking hours with their minds wander ... I'm sorry, what were we talking about?

Gratitude - Use the resources that you have. Instead of focusing on what don't have, recognize and make the best of your own gifts. Happy persons are characterized by the appreciation of life's great pleasures, and calm people feel more gratitude in their lives.

Bounce back - A baseline level of contentment is an emotional safe-harbor. Happy people leave occasionally for bouts of blues or bliss, but are able to return easily and naturally rather than constantly swinging from despair to euphoria.

Get unplugged - Want to be happier? Turn off the plasma screen. Study shows that people who spend the most time watching television or videos are the least happy in the long run.

Smile - Happy people smile from the inside, their mouths turning up at the edges without their control.

Also read : 10 Steps To Raise Your Self-Confidence Instantly

Source : Networx.com/article/10-signs-you-are-truly-happy

How To Love Your Job: 5 Best Tips For Employers

You have a work in a company and in a tough economy. Congratulation! You are lucky one, many people out there are looking for a job but still unemployed. If you hate what you're working, yet you keep doing it, because you need the benefits, money and everything else. NO matter what is the reason of unhappy employment, you can improve your job-life by implementing some simple strategies. Here I am sharing 5 best advises and work strategies that will help you to love your job.

Find the culture that fits your style

A general manager once that asked me why I use the word culture and to explain what I meant. At that very moment I realized I was in wrong place. Culture consists of values, integrity, trust and transparency from how decisions are made to how people are rewarded on the job. A good cultural fit is critical for anyone to be happy and successful at work. Ask questions in your interview that will reveal the true nature of the business you are joining. Make sure the people from the top down believe in the same values you do.

Happy employment : Courtesy of hccmis.com

Find your passion

Deeply search your soul to find out what you enjoy most about working. Are you more creative? More strategic or well designer? Know yourself and what you are good at. Take a good look at your skills, talents, and interests, to find something you really enjoy doing every day. Passion is important in order to live the life you were meant to. If you don't know what your passion is, try new things. Train, think, and explore in your spare time. Once you find passion you'll march to the music of life and work will be fun once again - so much fun that it won't feel like you're working at all!

Also Read : Top 5 Fast-Growing I.T Jobs

Hang with positive people

Choose the people you want to around each day. Avoid negative people and those who gossip. look for people who have the same level of integrity that you, chances are they're not the right people to be around. Find the coworkers you like and can trust. Enjoy spending time with them. Collaborate together with three things in mind; the business, the team, and yourself - in that order. And most importantly, help others when they need you. Helping coworkers is a great way to feel good and earn trust and respect in return.

Take breaks

Breaks are the wonderful thing. They rejuvenate your spirit and reinvigorate your soul! Don't skip lunch or middy breaks. Let's face it, overworked people get cranky. We all need time on a daily basis and challenge ourselves throughout the day. If your boss has lunch brought to your desk to keep you in your seat working, chances are it's the wrong place to work. If you're smart and work efficiently and still find yourself working long hours, there are two reasons:  Poor workflow processes or the head count is low and the company has a sweat-shop mentality. Either way get out.

Important : Choice Of A Profession For Career Success

Do Less of What You Hate. Source : thefiscaltimes.com

Smile

It sounds so simple, I know. Pretty hard to think negative thoughts while you are smiling. If you find yourself in a dreary situation at work, just take a long breath and smile. You'll be surprised at tingly feeling in your gullet. After a smile I guarantee the next words that come out of your mouth will be happy, kind or benevolent words. Working in an agency environment is always tense. I found when I smiled, my thoughts took a 180` turn. A sales representative once jokingly said about me that I was too happy all the time. he said he imagined me in the car next to him smiling during a traffic jam. Yep! He was right. That's exactly what you should do. There are a lot of traffic jams at work. just keep smiling.
Also Visit : Getting A Social Media Job
101 Reasons Blocking You From Getting The Job: Interviews Fun
Source : Branditarians.com/i-love-mondays

What Happens When You Don't Use Your Body

All Sit And No Work Makes Jack A Dull Boy! Do you ever think that what actually happens to your health and body when you stop exercising? Here is a good timeline that explains how significantly your body can alter each month or week when you stop workout.

1 Week - 1 Month

Metabolism - Almost straight away your metabolism starts to slow down from inactivity and your muscles start to reduce in size. If you do not burn off the food that you consume it will gradually start to store as fat within the body.

1 Month

Endurance - Aerobic conditioning is thought to drop quickly and your endurance levels are considered to slow after just a few weeks.

1 to 3 months

Muscular strength - Studies have shown that you're likely to return to a pre-exercise level after only a 4 - 12 week break.

Read : 12 Tips To Improve Your Performance Instantly

3-6 months

Weight gain - At this stage weight gain is particularly apparent with every 3500 calories that are not burnt converting into adding around a pound in weight. If your daily workout burned around 500 calories and your diet remained the same, then after 3 to six months you are likely to gain around 12 to 24 pounds in weight.

6 to 9 months

Blood pressure - With an increase in weight and a reduction in cardiovascular activity, you are at risk of an increase in blood pressure and more at risk of serious diseases such as diabetes type 2 and heart diseases.

9 - 12 months

Depression - Your mental health can suffer as a lack of exercise or workout can affect your self esteem and cause social isolation. You also will be lacking in the production of serotonin and endorphins necessary to help elevate your mood which aid to deter you from depression.

Year onwards

Bones and strength - As we age and over time we need to work harder to maintain our body fitness, if muscle groups are not continuously developed than they will weaken. Also in the absence of weight bearing activity the bones are more susceptible to becoming brittle and you will be more at risk of osteoporosis.

So what to do next, read : Best Guide To Body Hacks: How To Live A Longer Life
Source : simplysupplements

20 Best Diets Comparison For Weight Loss

A new diet book, ads and nutritional guru appears on the scene approximately every ten minutes. It's hard to sort through the books and guides to find a best diet that works, and really works for you.

Many diets cloak their lofty promises in a cloud of confusing, scientific claims. If you can't understand the psychology behind the diet, chances are there isn't any. The reason behind weight loss isn't rocket science; it's sound nutritional that you can live with.
The reasons behind wight loss or gain not easy to understand but this doesn't mean that you need to hire a professional tutor to help you understand a diet food. The element of a complete diet can be boiled down to some simple, but authentic concepts.

Also read : 6 Effective Way To Avoid Getting Sick: Kill Your Flu

Take in fewer calories than you burn. Increase your level of physical activity. Make smart food choices that result in balanced nutrition, a feeling of satisfaction and good energy food.
Embarking on a mission to lose weight is a bit like space travel. The diet you choose is the rocket you'll be flying and the moon is your goal. You have the right fuel and equipment to reach your goal and get back to earth, too. An effective diet is one that will help you keep the weight off once you've got your feet back the ground.
We've evaluated 20 of the most popular diets and rated them according to their effectiveness, healthfulness and ease of use. Some plans are too restrictive, expensive, or not supported by scientific research. Others may work for the short term, but are not a lasting solution to keeping weight off. The best of them help you to make lifestyle changes that will get you to your goal and help you maintain a healthy weight for the rest of your life.
Read our 44 more articles and infographics on health care and life

Get health and fitness advice on Greatist.com/health/the-great-diet-comparison online.

How To Create A Free Business Blog In 15 Minutes

One of the most effective forms of getting noticed on the web and inbound marketing is a business blog or site. Engage your customers with your latest news, services, views and developments and help build brand loyalty.
If you have a brick and mortar business that lacks an online presence - read more to find out how to create a free business blog in 15 minutes!

Sign up

Visit WordPress.com and sign up for a free blog. All you need is an email address. If you don't have one of those - head-over to G-mail.com and get one. If you have a domain, head over to WordPress.org and upload the file to your site.

Choose a domain

While signing up for WordPress.com you will eventually be asked for a domain name. Take a minute to think about this. If you want to rank in Google for any specific term (like cars), try to use that word in the domain name. You will also be asked if you want to purchase a premium domain, this isn't required to start, but if you want to remove the wordpress.com from your website address, that is how you do that.

Settings

Once you are done setting up your site you can log in (or will automatically be logged in). When logged into the back-end of your site you will see a menu on the left. Near the bottom of this menu is settings. Go through these and tweak the settings as you see fit. There is no real right or wrong here, most decisions are personal preference. You can control things like privacy (the more public the better for your business) how many posts appear and etc.

User profile

WordPress is a bit different from a stand alone website as it is also a community of sorts. Since this is the case, you have a user profile and I highly suggest you take advantage of it. Of someone is reading you blog and wants to learn more about you they will check it out. If they find it empty or unfilled it will look unprofessional.

Also Read : Avoiding the Common Mistakes Bloggers Make in the Beginning

Theme

WordPress allows you to change/customize the entire look of your site trough the use of a theme. The theme is essentially a skin or layout that controls the entire look and feel of your site. You can find the theme selection area under Appearance in the WordPress menu. Choose a theme that you like. Try to avoid the default theme because it is always overused.

Widgets

Widgets can also be found under Appearance in your menu. Widgets control what appears in the sidebar along with your body or content in theme. Most themes have a sidebar area either on the left hand or right hand of your site (maybe both, maybe footer too!).

Content

The next and mos major part of your website is the content. Using Pages and Posts you can add content to your website. Pages are used for static information (doesn't change too often). You could add pages like "about us" and "contact us". Pages will automatically appear in the navigation of your site.
Posts will make up the majority of your content (and this is what your visitors looking for). Here you can add helpful tips related to your business, announce sales, and share company news or what ever you like.
To get the most out of your blog or website, add content regularly and often. Set a frequency, post; daily, weekly or monthly.

Share

Now all that left is to share your site. Put a brand, poster, banner or logo up at your business, ad your website to all promotional material and use Facebook, Google page, Twitter or any popular social networking site that you like and mention your new blog on there as well.

Read more posts on beginner guides to blogging

Source : Caroline-baxter.com/how-to-build-a-business-blog-in-just-40-minutes-infographic

22 Ways To Living Calmer And Anxiety-Free Life

You are likely fighting work deadlines, picnic or shopping plans and holiday family gatherings - All the while struggling the temptation of office or colleague treats, family feasts and cocktail hours. There are chances to gain weight or get little tensed and overwhelmed. So I am sharing 22 tips to help you living calmer, happier and slimmer.

Stand tall - According to Amy Cuddy, social psychologist at Harvard Business School. everyone should spend 2 minutes in a 'power pose'. It makes you feel more confident and levels of the stress hormones cortisol decrease.

Curl up with a book - Reading regularly helps improve the mind and memory. It can also be a great way to relax; just six minutes of reading can reduce stress levels by more than a third.

Say cheese! - When a situation has feeling stressed or flustered. even a forced smile can actually decrease your stress and make you happier,according to the Journal of Psychological Science.

Watch re-runs - Research scientists at the University of Buffalo's Research Institute on Addictions, found that watching a rerun of a favorite TV show/program may help restore the drive to get things done in people who have used up their reserves of will power or self-control.

Make lists - Keeping a list - and yes, checking it twice - ensure that you know what your tasks are and that you're keeping on track.

Also visit : Best Guide To Body Hacks: How To Live A Longer Life

Break traditions - Who says you have turkey for thanksgiving? You can cook anything you like and can make anything you want, including reservations at the local Australian restaurant. They did it in "A Christmas Story" and look how happy they were.

Take naps - Sara Mednick, a researcher at the University of California, San Diego says, "You can get incredible benefits from 15 - 20 minutes of napping. You reset the system and get a burst of alertness and increased motor performance.

Schedule - Limit your worrying to a specific time period as much as possible. That may help reduce the impact it has on your mental and emotional well-being.

Delegate - If you want something done right, do it yourself is so last year. Recruit your guests-perhaps have everyone bring a dish to dinner instead of doing it all yourself. Get your entire family involved and foster an attitude that things don't have to be perfect. This will help you focus more on doing what you enjoy.

Get outdoors - Studies show that outdoor walking during the winter may have a 50 % greater positive effect on physical and mental health than going to the gym.
 
Be friend an animal in need - According to the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at Purdue University, people who interact with dogs, "actually get a drop in blood pressure - a true relaxation response".

Drink your H2O - A recent study from the journal of Nutrition found that dehydration can cause fatigue and difficulty in memory and alertness, which can make everything seem more overwhelming.

Hide your phone - It does help to stay connected, but according to a British study, compulsive checking of emails and texts can also be anxiety-producing. Give yourself a break every once in a while.

Get crafty - Setting aside some time for hobbies you enjoy, whether it's knitting, painting, or collecting decoration ideas on Pinterest or Google Can reduce stress hormones and increase the release of feel-good endorphins.

Dance party - Remember how much fun you used to have jumping on the bed as a kid? Well, relive those days. Even just hopping up and down will release tension and help you mentally prepare for the next problem thrown in your direction. It's also fun to celebrate your successes with a little dance.

Brew some tea - Drinking warm tea forces you to slow down for a moment.

Take a bath - The hot water and relaxing sensation of a shower or bath can help to reduce your anxiety and help you feel fresher.

Listen to music - Listening to a rock or soft song can have a real positive effect on brain, with studies showing that areas responsible for aspects such as memory and vision, can 'light up' in response to music.

Call mom - Research from University of Wisconsin Madison shows that just hearing your mother's lovely voice can lower levels of cortisol and trigger the release of oxytocin, a hormone associated with positive feelings.

Hug someone - A recent study shows that hugs increased levels of oxytocin, the bonding hormone, and reduced blood pressure, which cuts the risk of heart disease.

Say yes to chocolate - A Study concluded that eating 1.4 oz. of dark chocolate each day for 2 weeks reduces levels of stress hormones in healthy adults.

Eat slowly - It takes about 20 minutes from the time you start eating for your brain to send out signals of fullness. The North American Association for the Study of Obesity found that people took in fewer calories when they slowed their eating pace.
See Also : Impact Of Sports On Mind And Life
Source : Healthcentral.com/diet-exercise/c/219810/157323/holidays

How To Deal With Your Children's Internet Safety: 6 Tips For Parents

Including kids we are spending more time surfing the web than ever before. There are thousands of useful websites and things we can do online, but along with information and learning plenty of threats are growing on the internet as well. According to the Crimes Against Children Research Center program 10% of U.S teenagers who regularly use the internet say they have received an unwanted sexual solicitation via email or from other sources. Solicitation is an offer to engage in porn activities/talk, or to provide personal sexual information.
Although more parents are using filtering, blocking and monitoring software, youth exposed to unwanted porn material has increased substantially from their survey five years ago. As majority of youngsters hide their online behavior, so here are 6 essential tips for parents on how to deal with their children's internet safety.

Set A Cut Off Time - Set a time of night that kids need to get off the computer/internet and (especially) Smartphone/mobile for the day.

Social Media - Kids really don't need to be on social media until a certain age or maturity. Decide when that is and talk to them about connecting with people they don't know on social networking sites.

Email - Talk to your kids about email and spam messages before they start using it. Make sure they know to come to you if they are ever asked for personal information from an unknown address or site.

Also read : What Should We Know Before Using Internet

Online Chat - Teach and talk to kids about only chatting with friends they know on instant messenger and online chats.

Join In! - Even if you're no good, join in with your kids in online games sometimes. Take this time to talk to them about interacting with people online if a good opportunity comes up.

Bookmarks - For young children, you may want to give them a set lists of sites that they can visit.

Stay Safe And Have Fun - Keep these things in mind to help your kids have the best internet experience possible. You can't prevent everything, and you don't want to scare them, but you can minimize the dangers online to keep your kids safe. Install surveillance filters www1.k9webprotection.com this is free software or you can buy paid applications like : safetyweb.com.

Also visit :
Character Of People Who Live On Internet
Talking to Kids About Online Porn: How One Dad Handled it
Source : Lexero.com/blog/internet-safety-for-kids

Tips To Save Your Time And Money On Black Friday And Cyber Monday

As soon as this Thursday’s (Nov 22) clock strikes midnight (New York time), US retailers will be slashing their prices significantly, signaling the start of the busiest shopping season of the year or what is known as Black Friday Shopping Madness.
Smart shoppers are however hunting online for the best bargains from the comfort of their home or office, from all around the world. We thought you might need a little help with your shopping this holiday season, so we put together a few tips to save your time and money.

Top 5 Shopping Tips

1. Use Cashback sites to get money back on your purchases.
2. Look for Coupons on the web and combine them if possible.
3. Follow retailers on Facebook and Twitter to get exclusive coupons.
4. Look for Free Shipping coupons or simply ask a chat Representative nicely.
5. Shop early before items go out of stock, some sales are limited to few hours.

Important : Security Tips For Online Shoppers

Top 5 Cashback Sites

1. SwagBucks.com
2. FatWallet.com
3. Ebates.com
4. MyPoints.com
5. MrRebates.com

Top 5 Coupon Sites

1. RetailMeNot.com
2. Slickdeals.net
3. Shopathome.com
4. Coupons.com
5. DX.com

Top 5 Daily Deal Sites

1. Woot.com
2. 1Saleaday.com
3. Tanga.com
4. Yugster.com
5. Justdeals.com

Top 5 Private Sale Sites

1. Fab.com
2. RueLala.com
3. Ideeli.com
4. Totsy.com
5. Opensky.com

Top 5 Retailers/online Stores

1. Amazon.com
2. Ebay.com
3. Walmart.com
4. Apple.com
5. Target.com

Top 5 Holiday 2012 Most Wanted

1. iPads and other tablets
2. Electronics and Gadgets
3. Clothes and Shoes
4. Laptops and PCs
5. TVs

How to Shop on Black Friday and Cyber Monday see below Infographic by Valpak.

Interview With Bill De Giulio (bdegiulio)

A Hubber's insights on Italy, birds, sports, and writing.
Short Bio: Bdegiulio lives in Western Massachusetts, He loves to travel and explore the new places, photography. Let know more about him how his writing and a mini site made him happy.

Bill, you have been on HubPages for nine months now. How did you find out about Hubpages? What made you interested in writing here?

Well, I was reading an article earlier this year on Yahoo Finance about a woman who was a former school teacher. Due to health reasons she could no longer teach. To supplement her income she was writing for HubPages and it proved to be a lifesaver for her. The article gave a few details about HubPages and it sounded really interesting to me. I thought about this for a moment and said to myself, “I could do this”. So I jotted down the name HubPages, which I had never heard of before, and eventually got around to checking it out a few weeks later. This was the start of a great journey for me and it’s been just a fabulous experience so far.

What are some interesting facts about Bill De Giulio that are not in your Profile?

I’m not sure that I’m all that interesting, but I’ll give you some facts about myself. I grew up in a wonderful family in Rhode Island and had a great upbringing. I have one brother and three sisters and my parents still reside in the home that we grew up in.

After graduating from college I moved to Connecticut for my first “real job”. Eventually I moved to California where I worked for 18 months before returning to New England. Shortly after returning I met my wonderful wife, Terry. We have a very unique family with two sons and two adopted girls (sisters). It all made for a crazy, yet wonderful time in our lives. Today, they are all grown and on their own.

Being empty nesters has allowed us to pursue some of our passions, namely traveling and spending time with our grandsons.

You mention travel as being a passion of yours, which comes across in your wonderful collection of Hubs. What inspires you to travel?

This is a great question, Suzie. Ever since I was a child, I’ve had this interest in seeing other cultures and places. To this day, I just love traveling to places I’ve never been before and meeting people from all over the world. I really enjoy the whole planning phase of taking trips and I derive a lot of satisfaction from finding those hidden gems out there.

My father gave us some great advice a few years ago; he told us that if we wanted to travel and see the world, we shouldn't wait until we were older. He encouraged us to find a way to do it now while we have our health and mobility. It's great advice that we think about often.

I look at things like this; we’re only here on this planet for a short period of time and there are no guarantees on how long that will be, so I want to see as much of it as possible. When I visit someplace new I always go with the attitude that I may never get back there, so I try to see and do everything.

Suzie's Interview : Who Transforms Adversity Into Character-Building Challenges

What great advice from your dad, Bill. Your love of Italy shines through in your collection of work. What is it about Italy that brings you back each year? Where has been the highlight for you?

My family’s roots go back to Italy, so I have that connection. My paternal grandparents were born in Teano, which is located about an hour north of Naples. They immigrated to the United States and came through Ellis Island in the early 1900s. My parents have made many trips to Italy over the years and I was just chopping at the bit for years to get over there myself. My mother told me that once you make that first trip to Italy it will become addicting - and it has. We were planning our second trip to Italy while on the plane ride home from our first trip. We’ve made three trips to Italy in the last four years and who knows when it will end.

The thing with Italy is that it has so much to offer. Everywhere we’ve been in Italy has proven to be amazing, and before you know it you want to see and experience everything. As far as picking a highlight, that’s a tough question, as there have been so many.

Let me name a few if I can. The moment we first stepped out of the train station In Venice onto the plaza was definitely a “wow” moment. Seeing the medieval hilltop towns of Tuscany was certainly a highlight. Taking a private boat tour around the Isle of Capri and swimming through the Green Grotto was amazing. The Amalfi Coast was, well, the Amalfi Coast- enough said. Seeing the pope in Rome. Standing in the Colosseum. Hiking the trails of Cinque Terre. Discovering Quartarella in Sicily. Seeing the Greek Theatre in Siracusa. Looking at Mt. Etna from the Greek Theater in Taormina. Seeing the Dolomites. Climbing around on Mt. Etna. I could go on and on, but I think the message is clear: it’s all amazing.

I’ll add one last thing if I may. We have met some of the most amazing people on our trips to Italy and this is the thing that I look forward to the most. It’s the one part of a trip that you can’t plan for and you don’t know when or where it will happen, but it always does.

I can certainly relate to Italy being addictive Bill. What fantastic highlights you have mentioned and meeting people abroad is one of the ultimate experiences for sure! Your skill with the camera is highly evident throughout your Hubs. Is there any advice you can give to other hubbers on taking great photos?

Thank you. I really don’t possess any special skills and in this day of digital cameras anyone can take great photos. It has been more or less trial and error over the years. I will say that the one thing that anyone can do is to take the camera off of its auto setting and don’t be afraid to play with manual settings. Have fun and experiment with your camera. The more you get to know your equipment the, better you will become. Also, take plenty of pictures.

Your Birds of Prey series is exceptionally popular. Where has your interest in these beautiful birds come from?

I’ve always had a love of nature and growing up we had a variety of pets including dogs, cats, turtles, rabbits, fish and birds. Where we live now, we have many of the birds of prey that I have written about, including hawks, bald eagles, and the peregrine falcon. We also see a lot of osprey when we are in Florida.

My passion for birds of prey started with the red tail hawks that live nearby. For years I chased them everywhere trying to get some good pictures.  Finally, in the span of a few weeks, I had two or three great opportunities where they were literally sitting in the tree in front of our house and they just sat there while I snapped dozens of pictures.

I plan to continue with the series so watch for the next entry.

Also Read : Interview Of Rolly A Chabot By Prairieprincess

I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the next installment Bill. Apart from Italy, where else in the world do you want to visit? What makes them so appealing?

You’ve opened up a can of worms with this question. I have a long list of places that I would like to visit and I have this thing about getting to all 50 states and to every continent. I’m not sure it will happen but we’re going to give it a good shot.

Over the next few years I would like to go on a Safari in Africa and I definitely want to see the pyramids in Egypt. I want to visit Iceland and many of the other countries throughout Europe also. Terry has some Irish blood so we would love to visit Ireland someday. I saw a piece on the Jungfrau in Switzerland so I’ve been thinking about that also. My sister went to Machu Picchu a few years ago and I would love to combine a visit there with the Galapagos Islands. We almost went to the Greek Islands this year but opted instead for Sicily so Greece is still out there. And of course there is so much more to see in Italy so I could be talked into returning there in a heartbeat.

And then there is the granddaddy of them all: to get to every continent means getting to Antarctica. Terry thinks I’m crazy with this one but what an adventure that would be.

What a wonderful list of spectacular places. You know you will always get a warm welcome in this neck of the woods in Ireland. Your passion for sport is evident in your “Athlete of the month” series which covers a wide selection of sporting greats. What do you attribute your love of sports to?

When we were kids my parents made us go outside and play and they signed us up for as many organized sports as possible. So, from a very young age, I’ve always had this competitive edge and an interest in sports. In high school I played a lot of tennis and eventually I turned to running and triathlons. Running has been a big part of my life for the last 30 years and I certainly hope to be able to continue with it for as long as possible.

What advice, based on your experiences would you give to new writers?

Definitely don’t feel that you are in this alone and ask questions. HubPages has a wealth of information available in the Learning Center to help us, but one thing I’ve learned here is that there many, many members who are ready, willing, and able to help.

If you are new here and just don’t think you have the ability to write, well, you are wrong. Math and science were always my thing in school and I dreaded ever having to write an essay. I struggle with grammar, spelling, and writing in general, but these are things that you can get better at with practice. This may sound like a cliché, but if I can write here, anyone can.

Also, you need to come into this with realistic goals and expectations and understand that it takes patience, persistence, and of course a lot of work to become successful here. Do not try to rush this process; it takes time.  I should add that everyone’s definition of success will differ, so decide what your goals are and pursue them. Some folks just want a venue to express themselves and to write while others want a secondary income source. Whatever your reason is for being here, have fun with it and participate in community activities.

Sound advice, Bill. I can relate to and agree with 100%. What are your future ambitions on HubPages?

Well, I’d like to keep this going as long as possible, and that is my plan at the moment. Hopefully down the road a few years, as I get closer to retirement, my writing can become a source of a little extra income to help me get to all those places I want to visit. I think writing would make for a great hobby or part-time job in retirement, so I look forward to that in the years to come.

Thanks so much Suzie. Really appreciate the opportunity to participate in an interview.

6 Effective Way To Avoid Getting Sick: Kill Your Flu

Did you have the flu this year? What about just a common cold or a cough? Miserable, isn't it? What if we told you that you could significantly cut your chances of getting sick just by following 6 simple steps - Things you could easily incorporate into your daily life? OK, put your hands down. It's possible and easier than you think.

Wash your hands 8 Times a day

Why 8 times? Well, you should wash your hands before you eat: 3 Times. After you use the bathroom: We're going with 4 times but maybe you eat lots of kale! And once after some miscellaneous thing/work that gets your hands dirty like gardening, petting a dog, mud wrestling, etc: 1 Time.
This sentence is in bold and capitalized because, WASHING YOUR HANDS IS ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND EASIEST WAYS TO PREVENT INFECTION.

Clean or not, watch what your with you hands

The average person touches his or her face 3 to 5 times every waking minute. You can't wash your face 250 times a day, can you? Best to keep whatever's on your hands off your face after you've touched your keyboard or toilet seat.

Stay away from sick people

This is kind of a no-brainer. Do we really need to explain why you should do this? Nope, we don't. You are smarter than that.

Must Visit : Best Guide To Body Hacks: How To Live A Longer Life

Sneeze and cough properly

That's right. There's a proper way to sneeze. And it's simple. When you fell a sneeze coming on, turn away from any people you are within 6 feet of, bring your sleeved arm up to your face (the back of your elbow should be pointing away from you), and sneeze or cough into it.

If you have children, make sure they're vaccinated

Keep in mind that there is no evidence that inoculations cause autism, and other serious allergic reactions related to vaccines are extremely rare. Vaccines have largely neutralized diseases that used to plague Americans, including polio and whooping cough. When was the last time you met someone who had smallpox?

Finally, If you do get sick, stay at home

Yes, we know you're busy. But, do yourself and everyone else a big favor and keep those nasty viruses at home(limited to yourself). It's the 21st century, after all. You can just Skype into that meeting!

That's it! Do those 6 things and make sure everyone else you know does them as well. You'll significantly increase your chances of staying healthy throughout the year and everyone you know will appreciate it.

Also Read : Is Pet At Home Good For Your Health

Via: takepart.com/no-flu-you-infographic

10 Steps To Raise Your Self-Confidence Instantly

Maybe you've seen somebody who is oozing self esteem, and puzzled what they have that you don't, and for this you keep putting your work off. Well you are not the only one! In fact, even many successful people often feel that they could be more better and more confident in themselves - but actually they don't.
So what to do! Here are 10 easy tips to build and boost your self-esteem and confidence.

Smile... Laugh!

Sounds simple right? That's because it is! Listen, a smile won't change your life and chase away your confidence issues, but it really does help! Not only does smiling and laughing help you feel more confident, it makes you appear more confident to those around you.

Always be ready to face the world

Just because you don't feel your best, doesn't mean you should just give up. It is hard to feel confident if you aren't properly groomed and dressed. This might seem shallow, but it's not. It really helps. Looking your best will make you feel better as well as project confidence.

Set goals

It is amazing more people don't properly set goals. It is vital that you have your goals written down, just like your do-to list. Working towards a goal will help you build confidence. If you break your larger goals into smaller more attainable goals, reaching each of them will also build great confidence.

Build momentum with small positive changes

This goes hand in hand with the last tip. Small goals will help you build momentum, but so will positive habit changes. You don't have to make drastic changes, any small positive change or growth you make will help you feel more confident.

Focus on solutions

One of the worst things for your self-confidence is focusing on your problems. Obviously it is impossible to ignore all of your problems, but a more effective use of your time is to focus on the solutions. This will not only help your confidence levels, it will help you address some of your major problems.

Exercise

This is one of the most effective ways to build confidence. It works on a number of levels. Exercising will help you feel better, look better and relax. it will give you a sense of accomplishment each time you complete a tough exercise. It is the perfect activity for building self-confidence.

Keep a success log

Keeping a success log may seem a bit "corny" to some people, but if you struggle with self confidence this can really help. Anytime you reach a goal, or accomplish something of importance keep track of it. That way when you don't feel confident you can check out your success log (reasons and factors behind them) to boost yourself up.

Be grateful

A positive mindset is one of the best ways to ensure confidence. It is very hard to be confident if all you do is beat yourself up. Take some time each day to think about all the things you are grateful for. Trust me, this list will be longer than you think. Remembering the positives in your life will help you stay full of confidence.

Listing to uplifting music

The right music can be a confidence boost. If you are feeling nervous or unconfident, try listening to some music that "pumps you up". Listen to whatever type of music works for you. If blasting gangster rap, hard rock or death metal on the way to your job interview gets you ready, then do it!

Get better

Not feeling confident? Quite literally - get better. if you don't feel confident in your job, business, situation or any aspect of your life - improve it. If you don't feel confident about your work - take a course that will help you get better at it. Just taking the course and working towards improvement will dramatically boost your self confidence.
Also read : 12 Tips To Improve Your Performance Instantly

Inmotionlife.com/how-to-boost-your-confidence

Advanced Methods To Help Your Child In Education

As education becomes more attainable and ubiquitous, parents are looking for opportunities to give their children an edge. Here are 10 best ways to give your child an advance academic.

Use that smartphone
There is no shortage of Smartphone apps to help with everything from letters and numbers to calculus and engineering. If you want to learn something, there is probably an app for that.

Khan academy
This is an amazing resource for straightforward, intuitive videos that teach complex topics, and it is a godsend for many parents. It covers everything from arithmetic to macroeconomics.

Explore the world around you
There are likely many museums, historical sites, aquariums, zoos and other interesting locations near you that bring learning to life. These are typically low in cost and high in hands-on learning.

Make reading routine
By making a bedtime story routine, you are encouraging good reading habits for the future. Good reading habits are essential for success in the education system.

Must Read : How To Make Children's Maths Healthy From Early Age

Turn of the TV
Turning off the TV opens up more opportunities for exploring, discussing, and learning. TV isn't evil, but it shouldn't be the primary place a child spends their free time.

Bring in a professional tutor
Sometimes you need to bring in an expert. When a child needs more on-on-one time, tutoring is an excellent option. There are many national tutoring companies, Academic Advantage is also one of them!

Make some crafts
Working with different cloths, building materials, tools and art supplies is a great way to stimulate your child's creative side. Google or search on Pinterest "topic + crafts" to find great do-it-yourself craft ideas for any subject.

Take advantage of the library
The books are great, of course, but there are also storytellers, guest speakers and special events. Next time you are there, pick up a copy of their calendar to keep up-to-date.

Volunteer
A better understanding of world issues, people's needs, and those less fortunate will help your child be a more compassionate, well-rounded human being. VolunteerMatch.org is a great resource for locating organizations that are in need of volunteers.

Group your lessons
Group activities into overall themes to create dynamic lessons. For instance, do an Animal week, and as part of that do animal crafts, visit the local zoo, volunteer at an animal shelter, read animal stories, and play with an animal app.
Also Visit :
Help! The Kids Are Home: Kids' Activities On Affordable Budget

Source : infocarnivore.com/academic-advantage

10 Proven Ways of Increasing Blog Traffic

Making a blog is quite simple but what is difficult at this moment is to attract traffic toward blog since there is a tough competition among the blogs. However, I’m going to ease the process of blog marketing with the explanation of 10 simple yet effective methods. Before I start explaining these methods, I would like to tell you that I have tried all these methods for the promotion for my own locksmith blog and trust me I find positive change in the visitors after trying all these tricks.

1. One article a day, Enjoy customer’s Long stay

If you want to attract the attention of customer toward your blog then you
must update it on daily basis. I often observe that people don’t keep
their blog alive and therefore, they are unable to enjoy constant traffic.
One important thing to note at this point, you should update blog with
useful and quality posts. Don’t spam your blog with useless or technical
details; come with something interesting and entertaining.

2. Turn Facebook into Attractive Display

Many people create Facebook page but what they don’t do is to add x-factor
into it. This will be created with the help of attractive videos and images.
Get help from multimedia and create some interesting and eye-catching
images. Today, you are blessed with Smartphone that allows you to capture
and to share images instantly. Don’t need to use available images of web.
Be creative and bring some new images. This trick is quite useful since
whenever locksmiths of my company create a new key or lock, I update their
photos on the web just to gain the attention of prospective visitors.

3. Expand Circle on Google Plus

Google Plus is indeed one of those social platforms with the mean of which
you can grab the attention of thousands of visitors. You first need to
create your personal account on Google+ and then to create a business page.
In this manner, you will be able to invite all your friends and other people
at your blog page. I know that this platform has some bugs but it doesn’t
mean that you don’t need to use it. It’s time to design an astonishing
page and then to invite like-minded people for review.

4. Join LinkedIn Group

Thanks to LinkedIn Group feature, you are in a position to introduce your
blog to thousands of customers in a matter of seconds. Select a technology,
health, locksmithing or your niche blog and start sharing posts there.
Comment on other posts so that they can attract toward your posts, either.

5. Forum Posting and Commenting

No doubt, you can enhance blog traffic to a great extent with the mean of
forum posting and commenting. Nevertheless, you need to use this method in a
rational manner. There is no need to spam any forum otherwise moderators
will take no time to kick you out. Comment only when you have clear idea
about the main topic. Otherwise you can start some general topics. There is
no need to become a member of all forums. You need to select only best
forums and then to update them on weekly basis (daily forum updating is not
advisable from my side).

6. Throw a Twitter Party

I’m sure that you have made twitter account but what you may not try is
Twitter Party. It’s a remarkable feature that is available for every
Twitter user. You can arrange an online event of your business via Twitter.
Arranging this event is quite simple but you need to concentrate more on its
content. Whether you are going to announce new service or new product,
it’s essential that visitors get excited from this party. In case you
don’t have any idea of this party, you can check more information on the
web.

7. Go for Social Bookmarking

There are a number of social bookmarking sites on the web, try to find a few
high PR sites and then to start bookmarking. It’s advisable to bookmark
one post per day, don’t try to spam any website. The most famous sites are
Digg, Delicious, StumbleUpon, Reddit, etc. When you become a member of these sites,
you should not only to share your posts but also to follow other people’s
posts. I have also tried this trick and believe me many members start
following my locksmith blog after this.

Also Visit : Free Twitter YouTube Facebook Followers

8. Be a Guest Blogger

Select high quality blogs related to your niche and start submitting
informative posts for quality backlinks. This method demands your time and
effort but once you do it well, you will be able to see exciting results.
Though there are a number of blogs which are accepting guest posts but you should
focus only on best one. Check Google page rank checker tool for checking pr of site.
You should also search posts of blog through search engines just to get an idea
whether search engine index them or not.

9. Blog Commenting

Choose some do-follow blogs and leave interesting comments. Again you should
try to pick the best blogs for commenting. This will help to boost your Alexa ranking and SEO.

Read Also : Best Ways To Promote Your Blog

10. Email Marketing

You should share informative posts with all email contacts. There is no need
to send emails to unknown people as you email might be marked spam by them.
In addition, provide little description and link of your website in the
status of Google talk. Your friends will definitely like to check your
website while talking to you.

Read our 18 more articles on Blogging.

I have explained top 10 blog promotional tips which I have tried. Now
it’s your turn to try any of these methods and to see the results. Feel free to comment, I wouldn't charge.

Author Bio:
Marry Jojo is an experienced author and blogger. She manages different blogs and therefore, she has enough idea about blog promotion tricks. She is also a contributing author of locksmith in Kirkland WA blog.

10 Tips And Tricks For Your Smartphone's Battery Life And Data Usage

The amount of data used by the average Smartphone user growing rapidly, especially consumers with Android and Apple Smartphones use significantly more data than consumers using other operating systems. Below we break down the amount of users who say they perform the following battery-draining tasks. And some useful tips.

Searching for a signal

Leaving your wi-fi signal on will lower your data charges, but will also drain your battery. Use Wi-Fi when you are performing larger online tasks. Turning on airplane mode is a good solution even when you aren't flying.

Dim brightness 

Manually lower your Smartphone's screen brightness. This will save an enormous amount of juice. Another option is to have it automatically dim or set your screen to only sit idle for a short period of time before going to sleep.

Bluetooth

If the Bluetooth function on your device is not being used for a wireless headset, turn it off to conserve battery life.

Syncing applications

Apps that use push technology, such as email, drain the battery if they are constantly syncing every 15 minutes. Set it up to synchronize manually or less frequently.

Location, location, location

Location based apps will constantly be looking to pinpoint where you are. Shut down the app or turn off location tracking in the application's settings.

Screen timeout

Try to learn completely your Smartphone's settings, find out "Screen Timeout" in your phone/display settings. This option controls how long your mobile's screen stays alight after receiving input, such as a tap or after any key, keep timeout setting to the shortest available time.

Turn off nonessential notifications

Many apps can light up your screen and display a message or make your LED blink. Turning off nonessential modifications will help your battery last a little longer.

Data-hogging apps

Your GPS is one of the biggest data hogs out there and many apps, such as Twitter, use location services. Turn this function off on all apps you don't frequently use.

Charging

Charge your phone frequently. When you wait until it's almost dead, it makes the battery do more work. Keep a pocket emergency charger but don't over charge your mobile.

Vibrates vs. ringtone

Whenever you can, set your phone to ring instead of vibrate. Vibrating uses more battery power.

Also visit : Tips For Capturing Beautiful Moments With Mobile Camera

So these are the best ways to enhance your battery life and timing. See below infographic on how data-hungry Smartphone users drain their batteries.


Source : Blog.lookout.com/blog/2012/03/02/battery-life-infographic

How To Enhance Your Facebook-Page Following

Recently I shared how your Facebook page should look like and in the same reference my today's post is about Facebook marketing tips that every Facebook fan page-owner should know to enhance their popularity.

Go on liking spree!

Like all the other pages offer content similar to yours. Not only this helps you reach your relevant audience but you also get to learn from what your contemporaries are doing right.

Spam intelligently!

Spam but be really genuine about it. How? Post as your page on relevant posts strike up conversations, leave links and oh, having a really intriguing name helps!

Use the tag feature!

Tagging is a great way to reach a greater mainly friends of your friends! But be cautious, don't abuse it. Tag intermittently and only those who you fell will like your post! Focus on spreading good and quality content, don't spam.

Learn from insights!

You page insights are great source of information as to how you're doing. use them. See what actions of you, are doing well, and then do more and more of them. Similarly, discard what is not working for you.

Watch the news!

No seriously. People are lazy. But at the same time they want to be part of what's in the news. And more often than not, they rely on others for the content. Here's where you come in - by providing them interesting content they can share.

Interact with your audience!

People, especially your fans like to be felt special. Always reply to comments, ask questions, give your opinion, encourage interaction. It really makes a difference.

Also Read : Free Twitter YouTube Facebook Followers

Work on the aesthetics and visualization!

Pictures are worth a 1000 words, especially when it comes to Facebook pages. having a cover pic that explains your page in a nutshell really helps in converting the first timers. Also, a great platform for - like gating and announcing stuff like contests.

Connect with other pages owners!

Social networking is nothing of you don't build your network. Collaborate with other page owners to promote your content and vice versa. Of course if the page has a huge fan following, you'll be in for a pleasant surprise.

Work hard on your content!

Lastly, all said and done - your content is the king! Be original, it adds to your value proposition. Don't put stuff for the sake of it. Self filter your posts, don't post too much. And yet don't post too little. And finally, be patient.
Check Also : Safety Belt For Facebook's User Privacy

Sources : Facebook.com/thecuriousartist
Lighthouseinsights.in/9-facebook-marketing-tips-you-should-know-infographic