Be comfortable talking in any setting

Below is a self-assessment to bring to light what kinds of speaking situations you find stressful. Rate the following situations, based upon how stressful they are to you.

A)  Very Stressful

B)  Sometimes Stressful

C)  Not Stressful For Me

If you don’t ever do some of these, rate how much stress you think you would feel if you did:

1.     Speaking in front of a camera____

2.     Talking with 2 or 3 friends____

3.     Talking with your family____

4.     Talking off the cuff about an important matter____

5.     Talking one to one with a person in authority____

6.     Speaking in front of a large audience____

7.     Talking to people you’ve just met, or encountered in public without introductions____

8.     Talking one to one with someone you know___

Now, looking at your responses, review these questions:

a.     Is this stress preventing me from doing or having something I truly want?

b.     If so, am I willing to feel the stress, and do it anyway?

c.     Is the stress related to being in a place I really don’t want to be, or with people I don’t want or need to be with?

Although some professional development consultants advise you should become proficient at speaking to audiences, there is no law that says you must. Think about getting your message across on a one to one basis, whether social or work related. If you don’t thrive at large social events, consider meeting up with a small group, creating your own social events.

If you ranked high stress in one to one or small groups, practice relaxation before going out. You can find tips and instructions online or at the library for mediation, biofeedback, self-hypnosis and other ways to relax and get ready before you place yourself in one of the speaking situations listed above.

Not only do you want to enjoy spending time at the most beautiful golf destinations in the world, you also want to play the game well.  There is nothing quite like being in a spot like Oahu, Hawaii and playing at the top of your game. So here are 7 ways to improve your game, and have the time of your life whether you’re playing at your local municipal course or at St. Andrews in Scotland.

1.    Golf Hypnosis - Before brushing this off as a load of new age hoopla, none other than Tiger Woods and many top pros use self-hypnosis or see a hypnotist.  It is simply about getting your conscious mind out of the way in order to let your subconscious play the game with ease.

2.   Warm Up - Stretch, hit a few balls, loosen up your joints and get the blood flowing.

3.   Lean forward - Your spine should be tilting forward all the way through impact.  Your arms and hands will have more lag space, increasing your power.

4.   Learn from waiters - For the back swing, picture yourself carrying a tray of dishes like a waiter, and make sure not to spill anything: right elbow should be relaxed and pointing down.  Now picture yourself carrying that tray - keep your elbow in at the top of the backswing, by keeping your right forearm in a more vertical position. This helps to eliminate slices.

5.   Putt within 8 seconds or less after your last practice swing - This keeps the flow going.  Waiting too long interferes with the desired feel.

6.    The sweet spot - On many of the new drivers, the sweet spot is a bit above the center of the face, so you should tee the ball fairly high, and contact the ball somewhat on the upswing

7.    Watch the head  - do not raise or tip your head when you swing, keep it level.

Remember to have fun out there and if you blow it, avoid cursing or getting mad, which will make your next shot even worse.

Staying active and busy is important for seniors to keep their mind and body going. It will help you because it will prevent you from becoming lonely, depressed, bored or dissatisfied with your life. If you become more active, you might notice that you have more energy and would like to do more things. Don’t let yourself get down, do something to keep yourself occupied and take care of yourself as good as you possibly can.

Activities

We have added several activity ideas and do it yourself projects to this site. From Crafting your own personalized recipe cards and greeting cards. Advice for painting your first master piece as well as what supplies you’ll need. Instructions and advice for making a beautiful scrapbook of your life memories, or making one as a gift. A new easy way to create a faux stained glass project. Also suggestions for great vacation spots to relax and rejuvenate.

New Project Ideas

If you have any new project ideas or questions about an existing project post, please write in and let us know your thoughts. Also if you have a great project idea that we have not included, let us know if you’d like us to look into it further. We will get back to you promptly and possibly dedicate a post to your new idea.

Number 7: Dominican Republic

There’s no better feeling than dancing to the melodies of merengue and bachata on the beaches of the Dominican Republic. Sipping on a Presidente or downing a little Brugal surrounded by beautiful beaches and people will have you drunk with youthful exuberance.

Number 6: Miami Beach, FL

Clothing optional, Miami Beach is an ideal spot if you’re seeking to shed some insecurities and a couple of years. The rays of sunshine, hedonistic night life, and nonchalant attitude of the people immediately makes issues like mortgages, car payments, and paying your kids’ college tuition, seem like worries of the past.

Number 5: Hot Springs of South America (Try Papallacta, Ecuador)

Take some time to soak in these natural springs and you’ll feel like you’ve found the fountain of youth. In the naturally relaxing ambiance of many of these South American locations, you’ll feel the years soak away.

Number 4: Greek Isles

Have you ever pictured yourself dancing on a table? How about a bar? Well, in many of the Greek isles this is an everyday occurrence. Put on your dancing shoes and feel the years melt away as you dance in Santorini’s magnificent sunset.

Number 3: Las Vegas, Nevada

You’ll feel like a kid on Christmas day attempting to figure out which present to open first. With the constant flurry of activity and the endless array of events,casinos, and shopping options, Las Vegas is great city to vacation in where nothing seems to matter but having a good time.

Number 2: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (during Carnival)

Another “clothing optional” choice, where maybe body paint may be more appropriate, Rio de Janeiro is one of the top vacation choices to just let down your barriers and enjoy yourself. All your issues associated with body image and propriety will dissolve into thin air as the beats of samba seizes you, making you feel like a naughty teen again.

Number 1: Disney World in Orlando, FL

This is the number one choice, because frankly, at the kingdom of Mickey, one can’t help but feel like a kid. Surrounded by Cinderella, TeaCups, and overall Disney magic means you can’t help but be part of the giddiness associated with being young and worry free.

So have fun and feel the years just ease away with these great vacation ideas!

Here Is An Easy Way To Make Faux Stained Glass

Supply List:
Hot Glue Gun
Black Hot Glue
Glass Paints
Paper
Thick Marker
Tape
Plexiglass (you can use glass, but it is heavy!)

Faux Stained Glass

step 1- Black Hot Glue

I found it online at  HotStick.com for about 4.55 per pound.

step 2- Make your design

Draw your design on a sheet of paper with a fat marker. You want to use a fat marker because if you can’t make the detail with a fat marker then you won’t be able to make it with a thick stream of hot glue either.

step 3 -Tape design and begin drawing with hot glue

step 4 - Remove design

Once the design is complete roll some tape and put it on the front of your design.

step 5 -Add color

Get out the paints and begin coloring!

step 6 - Let paint dry

First Get Your Supplies

painting is fun and creative

Painting is a medium through which many people find that their emotions and thoughts can shine through. No previous experience is necessary, and if you’ve ever taken an art class, even if it was finger painting in elementary school, then you’ve had an introduction to painting. There are a few minor steps involved to get you started.

1. Choose your paint
2. Get a canvas panel
3. Select brushes
4. Get familiar with the color wheel
5. Paint
6. Practice different techniques

Acrylics are probably your best bet as a beginning medium for painting. Acrylics are fast drying, water soluble, and provide for easy clean-up and quick corrections. For painters used to working with oil, the fast drying properties of acrylics can tend to be a bit bothersome. But with experience, acrylics can be worked to create the appearance of an oil or watercolor, so in essence, you could try at least two styles (i.e. watercolor & acrylic) with the same product.

Another advantage with acrylics is the price. Although top end acrylics can be more expensive, excellent quality acrylics, such as Maimeri Brera Acrylics or Daler-Rowney Cryla Acrylics, can still be purchased for a very reasonable price.

Canvas. The term canvas serves as a generic term for any fabric that’s used as a support for painting. The fabric can be cotton duck (the most common), linen (a more expensive choice regarded as superior), or a synthetic fiber (uncommon). Find out more about what your choices are when it comes to canvas for painting.

Paint Brushes - The size of a brush is indicated by a number printed on the handle. Brushes start from 000, then 00, 0, 1, 2, and up. The higher the number, the bigger or wider the brush.

Unfortunately, there is little consistency between brush manufacturers as to what these sizes actually are, so a number 10 in one brand can be a different size to a number 10 in another brand.

Not only do different brands of art paint brush vary in size even when they’re supposedly the same (as indicated by the number), but also in thickness. If you’re buying brushes from a catalog or online, remember to consider this if you’re not familiar with a particular brand of brush.

If you’re painting with watercolor or very fluid paint, a thick brush will hold considerably more paint. This enables you to paint for longer without stopping. But if you want a brush for dry-brush techniques, you may well want a brush that holds less paint.

The most important thing is to not give up, if your not happy with your are just keep working, and have fun! For a more detailed example of these tips and other links and advice, click here.

• Videos On Painting Tecniques

dry brush tecnique

One of A Kind

.com

Dreamwork Designs offers linkware graphic websets for personal websites. Also adoptions, printable recipe cards, lists and labels. All artwork used is with written permission from the artists. It is very important to link back to these artists if you

choose to use a webset with their work.

Dreamwork Designs has several recipe card designs that you can print out for free.

Such as this Apple Butter Card, isn’t it cute?

Free Card Print Out Site

Apple Butter Cards

Free Printable Recipe Cards.net

vegan recipe card

More than 100 recipe cards designs that you can download and print for free. Or, download customizable versions for just $7.

These blank recipe cards templates, available in PDF and Microsoft Word (.DOC) formats, are easy to download and print.

Also available: Free Printable Business Cards, Free Printable Stationery, Free Fax Cover Sheets, Free Printable Certificates, Free Printable Gift Tags, and Free Printable Coloring Pages.

NEW! Free printbale grocery lists and place cards.

Personalized Stationary, Cards, and More

I Can Craft Now.com

free printout- card

At I Can Craft Now.com they offer you a free download.  Simple but elegant a card  in shades of pink, which includes “Happy Birthday” and Happy Mother’s Day” word options and a simple disk or a layered flower embellishment (both embellishments are in this FREE download).

This Freebie Card kit is a 4 page PDF file which includes the instructions (all of 3 steps!!) to print, cut and stick the hybrid card together! But I have made a video tutorial for you here…

How to use your Free Downloadable Hybrid Card Kit

click on image to watch the video

Free Hybrid Card Kit

Pose Prints.com

Also Pose Prints.com wants your stationery to be truly unique to you — and look like you too! There you will find the most personalized, dressed-to-impress, classy-cute stationery on the web! Their designs come to life as you create a look-alike ‘pose’ to fit your invitations, announcements, and note cards. Just click the “design” tab to begin our simple, step-by-step process. Custom-design and instantly preview your cards right now! Click on an image to go to their site.

Card images for every occasion

vibrant recipe cards

• Chele’s Treasures
• personalrecipecards.com
• reciperenaissance.com
• zazzle.com
• smilebox.com

Weddings are a great theme

Making The Most Of Your Artistic Talents

Creating an elegant handmade scrapbook page for a newly wedded couple or a couple who is celebrating several years of marital bliss makes a truly sentimental presentation. The best thing is that you can choose your supplies to coordinate with the wedding party’s colors. And don’t forget to check out the wedding aisle in your local craft store. From sheer ribbon to floral sprays and pearls you can find a wide array of wedding appropriate embellishments!

Where To Begin

1. Organize the family photos that you want to use. These photos should reflect the event or the overall emotion that you want to convey.
2. Gather your supplies. Choose the color and fabric of your photo album. Fabrics such as corduroy, velvet or denim add a nice touch to your scrapbook. Make sure your photos, album, construction paper, scissors and other embellishments, such as ribbons, are acid-free and will not deteriorate over time.
3. Select the theme of your scrapbook. Your scrapbook can capture a family gathering at Christmas, celebrate the birth of a child or honor a deceased relative’s memory.
4. Find layout ideas from scrapbooking and hobby magazines, which can be found at arts and crafts stores. Draft a sketch of your layout on a spare piece of construction paper so that you know how much space is available on the page. This will give you an idea of where to place photos and where to write.
5. Make backdrops for your scapbook pages by attaching large shapes cut from construction paper or another colored or patterned paper to the page with foam scrabook adhesive squares.
6. Arrange your photos and embellishments first before adhering them to the scrapbook page. You can move the photos around like a puzzle until you create a layout that you like. Crop your photos if necessary to remove unnecessary space. Once you decide on a layout, glue your photos and embellishments onto the page. Make sure to leave room for journaling.
7. Begin your journal entries. Write about the details of the pictures on the page, including the who, what, when and where.

For More information and links on how to start your scrapbook - click here

Scrap Booking Video

click on images for videos

Using Glitter

Using Tags

Beginners

indoor flower boxes are beautiful

Flowers on the Inside

Build a window box or purchase a ready-made planter to display blooms  and other plants indoors.

Paint decorative wood brackets to match the box and window frame. Mount the brackets to the wall, screwing the mounting plates into wall studs if possible, then screw the bottom of the box into the tops of the brackets. Line the box with a plastic tray, and arrange plants in individual plastic pots so they’re easy to tend.

Fresh Herb Window Box

Having fresh herbs on hand is possible at any time of year. You can fill your window box with popular culinary herbs that can be overwintered on a bright south-facing kitchen windowsill. Whatever size box fits your space is fine. Feel free to choose a wood, metal or plastic box. Make sure there are several drainage holes in the bottom; to avoid losing soil through the holes, cover them with a piece of hardware cloth screening or even a coffee filter.

Purchase herb plants in two- to three-inch pots (the rosemary will probably be in a larger pot) from your local nursery or garden center. An all-purpose potting soil mix is suitable; premoisten it before planting the herbs. To maintain active growth, water thoroughly only when the soil surface dries out; feed with half-strength liquid fertilizer once a month.

Prevent Pests

Mist underneath the leaves daily to discourage pests such as white fly and red spider mites. Harvest the leaves as needed; be sure to keep the plants clipped regularly, to maintain a compact habit. Turn the window box around every couple of weeks to ensure even light and growth. The plants may be transplanted into the garden in the spring after the last frost.

Window Box Gardening and Other Helpful Sites

For those who find being surrounded by vibrant plants all year round, indoor gardening may be the answer to a very satisfying hobby. Here are some more helpful sites for indoor gardening, with window boxes and other containers.

• helpful gardener
• gardeners network
• TCS-Hydroponics
• garden time online
• bringing the outside in
• Inside Sun

How To Create A Beautiful Window Box

click below to watch video

how to make a window box garden