JVOTS-(Virtual Office Technology Services)

The beauty industry is an $11 billion a year business. If you want it, you can get it. Anything from hair care, to makeup to skin care, to nails….the list keeps going and going. And let’s talk marketing messages that are being lobbied your way on a daily basis. Are those $125 moisturizers enticing you to believe your wrinkles will be gone forever? Do you feel you absolutely HAVE to spend more money to look more fabulous? Or are drugstore items really as good as the high-end stuff? Guess what? The truth is, YES there are beauty products you should splurge on…and there are also quite a few you should save your money on.

Here is the ultimate guide on when to splurge and when to save.

Splurge:

• Moisturizer – I think this should be in both categories. Especially since your skin can be transformed with amazing skincare. Moisturizer can change your life….and your skin. it’s worth the splurge.
• Foundation – Foundation evens out your skin-tone and the perfect shade makes your skin look flawless. Some of the less expensive lines tend to have the wrong undertones for most skin tones.
• Powders – as in eye-shadow or blush in a powder form. The more expensive brands tend to be easier to apply. And a little bit of color goes a longer way – so you don’t need as much….which means you don’t have to buy it as often….which saves you money in the long run. You’re welcome.
• Shampoos – even if you don’t put chemicals on your hair to color or straighten it, you really, really, really want to use a higher quality shampoo. Not all high priced shampoos are right for you though. Be sure to talk to your hair professional about your specific type of hair so you can get the best results. Remember, when you are having a “good hair day” you look and feel fantastic all over. You hair is a an investment and your shampoo should be too.
• Lotion – Most lotions contain mineral oil. Use a brand that doesn’t so your skin stays hydrated and soft. My personal favorite are the body butters by Body Shop. I even like to give these as gifts to friends….because friends don’t let friends use drying lotion.

Save:

• Cleanser – Cetaphil is a great cleanser and you can get it at your local drugstore.
• Moisturizer – Again, Cetaphil is a great moisturizer for your face and your skin. After getting peels, this is the moisturizer my physician suggests using as a temporary measure until I can get back on my active ingredient skin care protocol.
• Mascara – Almost every makeup artist I’ve ever worked with uses Maybeline Great Lash mascara. Use three coats on your top lashes to give your lashes extra volume and thickness. Only use one coat on your bottom lashes. And be sure to buy a new tube every 2-3 months. They day it starts to clump, is the day you need a fresh tube. And since you are buying the cheap stuff, you can afford 4-6 tube a year.
• Lipgloss – Save! Some of the most expensive glosses last just as long as some of the least expensive glosses. And they are a fun and easy way to freshen up your look.
• Pencils – brow, lip, and eye pencils can still work well even if they are a less expensive brand. Some use more wax which makes them harder to apply evenly and the color less saturated. But overall, less expensive pencils are just fine.

There you go! An easy referral guide for you to save money…or spend it when you really need to. Happy shopping!

Today as I walked through the backyard I couldn’t’ help but notice all the brilliant colors and beauty there was to observe and appreciate. Natural vibrant magentas, soft pinks, warm yellows and lush greens… flowers and plants of all sizes and shapes completely carpeting the entire area and the constant aroma of lilacs lying atop of every breeze. An instant smile suddenly appeared on my face and in my body that sat with me for quite awhile… I was reminded, as organically as one can be, just how integral our sensory environment is to our moods, attitudes, thought processes and personal productivity, albeit on a subconscious level.

Having said that – some of the colors we love and enjoy looking at don’t always translate as positively on a grand scale – so you might want to consider the following questions before you make any specific decisions about the color combinations you choose for your home and how they surround you.

How do you want to feel in the room you’re in? What is the result you’re looking to accomplish? (the intended function of the space) these are the first questions to ask of yourself and/or your spouse./partner. Then, take a few minutes to jot down the specific mental / emotional aspects of the space and how you want it to effect you and that of your partner / spouse.

Before you do anything regarding color and design – evaluate your space. Be completely clear about the function or function(s) of the space, how you want to feel and /or others to feel when occupying the space and what is is intended to occur there.

Check in with yourself. If you find yourself gravitating to a certain color or conversely, repelled by one – notice those patterns and ask yourself why – (while this may seem corny) it isn’t. It’s rather a simple and very revealing process regarding our own psyche and what affects us.

Once you’ve discovered what motivates you and how you’re affected, you can make better choices to support your personality. Ultimately you will create an optimal and fundamentally supportive space that also reflects who YOU are, and therefore, you will be at your best in all aspects of your life!

Inspirational Quote:

“any person is educated who knows where to get knowledge when needed, and how to organize knowledge into definite plans of action.”

- Napoleon Hill, “Think and Grow Rich”

With Love & Light…Your Favorite Sensory Design & Color Expert!

Guest Writer – Lauren S. Henry

I’m a Sensory Designer / Color Expert and am the President / Founder of With a Brush of Love. www.brushoflove.com. We’ve been featured on HGTV’s “kidspace”, ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” as well as “CNN-HLN” We’ve been invited by the U.S. Military & The Exceptional Family Member Program to Camp Foster in Okinawa to work w/their families as well as the volunteer organization, Hands On Tokyo to oversee the renovation of a Nursery/Orphanage. My first book, “Unique Kids. Unique Surroundings.” was published in September 2009 & can be found on www.amazon.com & www.brushoflove.com. We were covered in The Huffington Post in Sept 2010

The one thing working moms have in common is that they’re busy ladies with a lot on their plate. The second thing they have in common is that they feel guilty a lot of the time. One of the main sources of that guilt comes from the feeling that they don’t have time to spend quality moments with their children; “life is just a race” moms tell me.

A very important thing for working mothers to understand is that it doesn’t take much to satisfy their child’s need for attention, and if just a few things are put into place, they can be guaranteed they are giving their child all they need to.

What are those things?

Well, we all know that children need focused attention in order to feel loved. And, if they feel this focused attention on a regular basis, they are better behaved and happier kids to be around. The point then is to create moments of focused attention.

Here are seven ways working moms can give their child focused attention when they have little time to give:

1. Create a ritual. The definition of a ritual is: a series of actions regularly and invariably followed by someone. With this in mind try to think of what small ritual you can create with your children that can happen everyday, without fail. Perhaps each morning you and your children light a candle (or turn on battery operated ones) at the breakfast table and you share your intention for the day. Perhaps you do and say certain things each night at bedtime. Whatever it is, keep it simple; the more simple, the more impact it has.
2. Schedule one-on-one time. Working moms need to be organized. Carry this organization through to spending one-on-one time with each of your children once a month. Brainstorm activities you and your child would like to do together then once a month pull one of those ideas and schedule it on your calendar. It doesn’t have to be long; 30-60 minutes is all it will take. (Children who I surveyed told me this!)
3. Plan a theme night. This is one of my favourite things to do. Choose a country and plan a family evening around the theme of this country. For example, if you choose Japan, your family can brainstorm costumes, music, dishes to cook, movies to watch, etc. Plan these theme nights every 4-6 months and just watch the bonding that occurs!
4. Make reading together YOUR thing. What could you do to make reading a special event between you and your children? Could you read a chapter book out loud each night for 15-20 mins after dinner? Could you cuddle in bed each night and read them a story? Could you make up a story each night or save this for Sunday night?
5. Bake on the weekend. Get a great cookbook (choose it together) and bake one thing each weekend from the book. Think, “Julie and Julia”, the movie with Meryl Streep. How exciting would it be to bake through a cookbook (baking book) and experiment together?
6. Make grocery shopping YOUR thing. Create a tradition that after the weekly grocery shop you all go for a hot chocolate or special drink.
7. Go to the Library. Create a special tradition around the Library. How about Friday after the school pick being your time to go hang out at the library and collect books? Or, does your library have weekend reading, rhyme or story times? Be sure that your kids choose their books first so that they have something to look at as they respectfully give you time to browse.

As you can see, all of my ideas are based around keeping things slow, simple and meaningful. You don’t have to have all the time in the world to spend with your kids, it’s just about making the time you DO have, count.

The one thing working moms have in common is that they’re busy ladies with a lot on their plate. The second thing they have in common is that they feel guilty a lot of the time. One of the main sources of that guilt comes from the feeling that they don’t have time to spend quality moments with their children; “life is just a race” moms tell me.

A very important thing for working mothers to understand is that it doesn’t take much to satisfy their child’s need for attention, and if just a few things are put into place, they can be guaranteed they are giving their child all they need to.

What are those things?

Well, we all know that children need focused attention in order to feel loved. And, if they feel this focused attention on a regular basis, they are better behaved and happier kids to be around. The point then is to create moments of focused attention.

Here are seven ways working moms can give their child focused attention when they have little time to give:

1. Create a ritual. The definition of a ritual is: a series of actions regularly and invariably followed by someone. With this in mind try to think of what small ritual you can create with your children that can happen everyday, without fail. Perhaps each morning you and your children light a candle (or turn on battery operated ones) at the breakfast table and you share your intention for the day. Perhaps you do and say certain things each night at bedtime. Whatever it is, keep it simple; the more simple, the more impact it has.
2. Schedule one-on-one time. Working moms need to be organized. Carry this organization through to spending one-on-one time with each of your children once a month. Brainstorm activities you and your child would like to do together then once a month pull one of those ideas and schedule it on your calendar. It doesn’t have to be long; 30-60 minutes is all it will take. (Children who I surveyed told me this!)
3. Plan a theme night. This is one of my favourite things to do. Choose a country and plan a family evening around the theme of this country. For example, if you choose Japan, your family can brainstorm costumes, music, dishes to cook, movies to watch, etc. Plan these theme nights every 4-6 months and just watch the bonding that occurs!
4. Make reading together YOUR thing. What could you do to make reading a special event between you and your children? Could you read a chapter book out loud each night for 15-20 mins after dinner? Could you cuddle in bed each night and read them a story? Could you make up a story each night or save this for Sunday night?
5. Bake on the weekend. Get a great cookbook (choose it together) and bake one thing each weekend from the book. Think, “Julie and Julia”, the movie with Meryl Streep. How exciting would it be to bake through a cookbook (baking book) and experiment together?
6. Make grocery shopping YOUR thing. Create a tradition that after the weekly grocery shop you all go for a hot chocolate or special drink.
7. Go to the Library. Create a special tradition around the Library. How about Friday after the school pick being your time to go hang out at the library and collect books? Or, does your library have weekend reading, rhyme or story times? Be sure that your kids choose their books first so that they have something to look at as they respectfully give you time to browse.

As you can see, all of my ideas are based around keeping things slow, simple and meaningful. You don’t have to have all the time in the world to spend with your kids, it’s just about making the time you DO have, count.

  Are You Missing the Boat Entirely? There are a multitude of sins for which an entrepreneur can be forgiven: Misjudging the marketplace, the competition or the demand for his product Misunderstanding shifts in customer preferences, marketing requirements, or sales methods Misuse of available funds, customer loyalty or marketing momentum, among many others But the [...]

A friend of mine keeps as many promises as she breaks. Why are we still friends? The main reason is that the promises she makes to me aren’t important.

When she promises to meet me for coffee, I enter the time in my iPhone and then before I leave my house, I send her a text to confirm. Sometimes she remembers and sometimes she doesn’t.

While those broken promises aren’t earth-shattering and haven’t affected our friendship, if she did the same thing to her clients, her client list were dry up. To a client, any broken promise is important, so you need to do what you can to keep every promise you make.

Start with these tips.

Don’t promise what you can’t deliver

A huge corporate client with a large budget may tempt you to make promises you can’t keep, and add more to your plate than you can handle. Before you say yes to a request from a big client, take a close look at your current schedule and decide whether or not you have time to complete the job. Don’t forget to consider if you’re even the right person to handle the project. If not, recommend someone else who can help your client.

Prioritize your projects and clients

The minute you sit down at your desk each morning, make sure you have a clear idea of the tasks and projects that need your attention that day. Start by reviewing your list of ongoing projects. Bringing in new clients is important, but don’t forget about your existing clients. If a prospect calls you and you accept the project, how will the new client affect the attention and service your current clients expect? Will you be able to do a good job if you face a time crunch? You have one chance to make a first impression and if your work isn’t up to par, you’ll lose any chance of building a long-term relationship with any client.

Build in a cushion

When you promise something to a client, do your best to gauge how long it will take you to finish the project and then, if possible, add a week. That gives you extra days to make sure you deliver what you promise, when you promise it. Even if you’re the most qualified person to handle a job, yet you can’t meet your client’s deadline, you could damage your relationship with that client. And rebuilding a damaged relationship can take longer than you think.

As the old saying goes, “Promises are made to be broken,” but that doesn’t mean they should be.

This is an interesting year.  We are facing an election year, the economy is trying to recover, and jobs are not where everyone would like them to be. Corporations are watching what they spend, from gas to office supplies to corporate events.  Not only is everything under scrutiny, employees and contractors alike are being asked to pitch in a little more even if they have a little less.  And oh by the way, they are being guided to be more creative in their solutions.

This will is a 3-part series exploring various workplace trends that will shape the future of Corporate America and local, state, and Federal governments.  These trends can support your growth if you know how to best use them to your benefit.

The first 5 trends are explained below and will be followed by 5 more trends and the cost of implementing trends that companies are using to managing their employees differently.  The growth from these trends can be attained for the individual professional as well as for the overall culture.

Workforce Reductions:  With various reductions in workforce happening across every industry, whether it is a furlough day, company realignment, reassignment, or layoffs, there is a shift in staff in just about every large industry.  Managers have to think about how to build the next generation of leaders.  Every challenge brings opportunity and now more than ever innovation is paramount in working with less and retaining as well as increasing profits.

Telepresence and Telework Options:  Telepresence and telework has gained some really serious momentum and visibility for its cross-collaboration and cost-savings as well.  The challenge for those that have not built and incorporated that option into their environment can be looking at a lofty price, simply because corporations are looking to decrease their costs. Telepresence supports so many development skills like presentation, communication, video presence, and effective written skills.

Revitalize your leadership development training:  Whether your company is bringing someone in or you are identifying the resource, coaching or training to enhance your skills and gain better understanding of the best ways to support the profit goals are a primary focus to careers today. There are a few hot areas including developing leadership skills, creating sustainability, motivating and promoting a collaborative work environment have become important.

Recognize the value of emotional intelligence: Emotional intelligence has become more important than being intelligent.  Reading people and using authentic, humanistic management intuition strengthens employee relations and reading others actions to make better decisions on future moves that affect the organization.  Interacting, sharing, and including staff’s perspectives is invaluable.

Have a transitional exit plan:  You don’t have to be a senior manager or executive to have a transitional exit plan (or succession plan) to prepare the next person for your position, as well as, have a smooth exit and progress to our next opportunity.  Whether you are retiring or your company is going through some changes, you need to identify key team members that can be trained as leaders and be cross-trained. The exit plan is just as important as the growth plan.

Guest Writer – L. Denise Jackson

L Denise Jackson is a published author, speaker to global women and management trainer to audiences such as Women for Hire, daughter of a Negro   League baseball player, and successful serial entrepreneur through her consulting firm LDJ Solutions, LLC, where published and produced over $20 billion dollars of winning proposals and has set an unprecedented level of quality for winning in the Federal sector. She is an ideation and intrapreneur consultant, creating million dollar strategy plans and helps mid-level managers manage like they own their organizations. As a Certified Green Consultant, Sustainability Officer, and LEED Green Associate, she works to leave a legacy and give back to her community through sustainability. L. Denise has been educated through University of Maryland UC and American University and is a member of several professional and civic associations. For additional information go to: http://ldenisejackson.com

 

This is an interesting year.  We are facing an election year, the economy is trying to recover, and jobs are not where everyone would like them to be. Corporations are watching what they spend, from gas to office supplies to corporate events.  Not only is everything under scrutiny, employees and contractors alike are being asked to pitch in a little more even if they have a little less.  And oh by the way, they are being guided to be more creative in their solutions.

This will is a 3-part series exploring various workplace trends that will shape the future of Corporate America and local, state, and Federal governments.  These trends can support your growth if you know how to best use them to your benefit.

The first 5 trends are explained below and will be followed by 5 more trends and the cost of implementing trends that companies are using to managing their employees differently.  The growth from these trends can be attained for the individual professional as well as for the overall culture.

Workforce Reductions:  With various reductions in workforce happening across every industry, whether it is a furlough day, company realignment, reassignment, or layoffs, there is a shift in staff in just about every large industry.  Managers have to think about how to build the next generation of leaders.  Every challenge brings opportunity and now more than ever innovation is paramount in working with less and retaining as well as increasing profits.

Telepresence and Telework Options:  Telepresence and telework has gained some really serious momentum and visibility for its cross-collaboration and cost-savings as well.  The challenge for those that have not built and incorporated that option into their environment can be looking at a lofty price, simply because corporations are looking to decrease their costs. Telepresence supports so many development skills like presentation, communication, video presence, and effective written skills.

Revitalize your leadership development training:  Whether your company is bringing someone in or you are identifying the resource, coaching or training to enhance your skills and gain better understanding of the best ways to support the profit goals are a primary focus to careers today. There are a few hot areas including developing leadership skills, creating sustainability, motivating and promoting a collaborative work environment have become important.

Recognize the value of emotional intelligence: Emotional intelligence has become more important than being intelligent.  Reading people and using authentic, humanistic management intuition strengthens employee relations and reading others actions to make better decisions on future moves that affect the organization.  Interacting, sharing, and including staff’s perspectives is invaluable.

Have a transitional exit plan:  You don’t have to be a senior manager or executive to have a transitional exit plan (or succession plan) to prepare the next person for your position, as well as, have a smooth exit and progress to our next opportunity.  Whether you are retiring or your company is going through some changes, you need to identify key team members that can be trained as leaders and be cross-trained. The exit plan is just as important as the growth plan.

Guest Writer – L. Denise Jackson

L Denise Jackson is a published author, speaker to global women and management trainer to audiences such as Women for Hire, daughter of a Negro   League baseball player, and successful serial entrepreneur through her consulting firm LDJ Solutions, LLC, where published and produced over $20 billion dollars of winning proposals and has set an unprecedented level of quality for winning in the Federal sector. She is an ideation and intrapreneur consultant, creating million dollar strategy plans and helps mid-level managers manage like they own their organizations. As a Certified Green Consultant, Sustainability Officer, and LEED Green Associate, she works to leave a legacy and give back to her community through sustainability. L. Denise has been educated through University of Maryland UC and American University and is a member of several professional and civic associations. For additional information go to: http://ldenisejackson.com

 

  Making the Competition Irrelevant Cirque du Soleil’s web presence is near perfection and their Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr pages are wonderfully compelling. They have 384,703 Twitter followers and use Promoted Tweets as a major component of their marketing efforts. But their greatest achievement is the most elusive and challenging:  They have made their competition irrelevant. How to [...]

  Making the Competition Irrelevant Cirque du Soleil’s web presence is near perfection and their Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr pages are wonderfully compelling. They have 384,703 Twitter followers and use Promoted Tweets as a major component of their marketing efforts. But their greatest achievement is the most elusive and challenging:  They have made their competition irrelevant. How to [...]