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January 2019
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Bedside table lamps are an implicit must-have feature, the reason for that being the fact that they simply change the whole ambiance and dynamic of the room. They're practical not just as reading lights but also as ambient lighting modules which create a cozy, warm and welcoming atmosphere in the bedroom. In other words, a bedroom without bedside reading lighting is incomplete and lacks character. That being said, it's natural to want your bedroom lamps to look nice and to have quirky features so we've put together a list of products that might be to your taste. Table lamps with glass bases are pretty well-suited for bedside tables seeing how delicate their designs can be. If you're looking something with a modern, sculptural appearance check out some of the designs that Porta Romana offers, such as the Perfume Bottle Lamp or the Coffee Bean Lamp. The table version of the Rivalto lamp has a tall lampshade with a plissé crown which gives it a delicate appearance perfectly-suited for the bedroom. The white interior helps the lamp shine bright while also contributing to its timeless and elegant appearance. Since bedside table lamps are used mostly as reading or mood lighting, they don't need to be very bright but rather diffuse. That makes the IC Lights lamp a really great fit for bedrooms. Its design is very sleek, sculptural and modern. It has a slender frame in either brass or chrome and a blown glass opal diffuser with a dimmer conveniently placed on the power cord. If you want something simple and elegant but also a bit cute, check out the Oxford table lamp. It's slender, tall and has a double shade with a lovely texture. The lamp also has a satin brass stem and a matching circular base. The combination is chic and glamorous but also cozy. It's easy to see where the inspiration came from for the Bake Me a Cake lamp designed by Morten & Jonas. This table is fun and edgy and an obvious fit for restaurants and cafes. Of course, it can look just as awesome in modern homes, especially if you like quirky, innovative design. The name of this lamp alone is enough to make the design stand out. Uovo is a lovely table lamp shaped like an egg. It has an oval shade made of white satin blown glass which offers a soft, warm and diffuse light. You can find in three different sizes and use it in a variety of environments. Using it as a bedside table lamp seems like a great idea. The Eclipse table lamp is another really great choice for bedrooms. It gives out this very gentle, warm and not at all disturbing light, perfect for late night reading or just for setting up a cozy ambiance in the room. You can get the lamp in four beautiful colors, all made of ceramic. Speaking of bedside reading lighting and delicate designs, check out Kurage, a unique lamp handmade by Japanese craftsmen. It has four slender ash wood legs and a curved washi paper shade. It's super soft and delicate, both literally and figuratively. Meet Giraffa, a table lamp with lots of character. As the name suggests, it has this elongated stem which looks like the neck of a giraffe, with another tubular piece on top which contains the actual light source. The matching angled post completes the look. The shade can rotate 360 degrees which is very practical and useful, making this lamp perfect for desks, reading nooks as well as bedside tables. Even though the Bulb Limited is, well, a very limited series of only 12 pieces we'd still like to mention this quirky table lamp because of its interesting and playful design. The inspiration came from the Bulb lamp designed by Ingo Maurer. This is actually the anniversary series. Speaking of playful and interesting designs, another cool piece is the Ringelpiez table lamp. It pairs beautifully with the Frivoloso lampshade featured here, especially if you plan on using it as a nightstand lamp in which case you probably want soft, diffuse lighting. For those of you who enjoy minimalist design with just a hint of quirkiness, we have something quite special to show you: My New Flame, a table lamp with an LED rendering of a flickering candle flame which looks surprisingly realistic. It's not a bright light nor does it try to be and that's what makes it stand out. Minimalist is also a defining characteristic for the Cylinda table lamp designed by Angeletti & Ruzza. This is a lamp made out of two cylinders. One is slimmer and taller and serves as a base and the other is a flat disc and serves as a lampshade, featuring an LED light source concealed just beneath it. There are no unnecessary embellishments and yet the lamp looks glamorous. What could be cozier than a bedside table lamp with a knitted shade? Right now we're actually talking about Granny, a very cute lamp with a circular wood base and stem and a chunky yarn shade. It's the perfect winter lamp for any space and it's a great bedroom lamp no matter the season. The Cocotte lamp was designed by Serge Mouille in 1957 and has a classic and timeless look. It has a slender, angled base and a sleek stem which supports a curved shade which is black on the outside and white on the inside. The design is edgy enough to still look chic and the choice of colors and finishes is indeed timeless. Finally, a table lamp with a design so outside the box you can't possibly ignore it. Its design is not for everyone but the Cheese and Pepper lamp is fun and quirky enough to actually be quite versatile. Use it to add a funky look to your bedroom or your workspace and pick a color that goes well with your decor. There are plenty of nuances to choose from and they range from plain and neutral to bright and playful. The post Bedside Reading Lamps With Edgy and Quirky Designs appeared first on Home Decorating Trends - Homedit.
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The Best Big Island, Hawaii Travel Guide1/15/2019 You guys really seem to like these Hawai'i travel posts. More people read and pinned my Maui Musts post and my Kauai Travel post than if I combined every pin from every other post I've written in my four years at How Does She. I get it, longing over tropical island and white sandy beaches is slightly more enjoyable than reading tips on how to pottery train your three year old. Well, since you seem to like reading about Hawai'i it only makes sense that I cover the biggest and arguably the best Hawaiian island, Big Island. Really though, I never understand how anyone can pick a favorite island. It's like choosing your favorite child. There may be days that one seems better than the others but in the end they all have their own unique strengths that make them equally lovable. About the Big IslandBig Island is formally named the island of Hawai'i. And, like it's nickname suggests, it is big; so big that all the other Hawaiian islands could fit inside of Big Island and still have room to spare. The first time I came to Big Island was after I had lived on Maui for 18 months. I live in central Maui so even if I drive to the furthest point on the island it's only a 40 mile trip. I couldn't believe that a single island could be so big. We spent more time in the car over our few days there than in the six months prior on Maui. Thankfully, the island is saturated in natural beauty so you don't mind long drives gazing out the window. And with big size comes big selection. There really is something for everyone on Big Island. Why the Big Island?Big Island is similar to Kauai and Maui in its abundance of adventure, romance, and natural beauty. The two things that really set Big Island apart are the active volcano and the abundance of history. Big Island has done an excellent job of preserving Hawaiian history and it is definitely worth devoting some vacation time to. As for the volcano, Kilauea, it can throw a wrench in to your travel plans. Be sure to stay up to date with the volcanoes activity when making your travel arrangements. Like the Hawai'i travel guides I've written in the past, this list is includes the best the island has to offer. Regardless of your travel style you are sure to find just what you are looking for on this best of Big Island list. And like the other posts, there are more destinations included than any visitor can hope to visit in a single trip. I guess that just means you will have to come back! Big Island Travel GuideThe Sites
The BeachesWhen visiting Hawai'i beaches remember to use proper ocean safety. The ocean is not to be trifled with. Read the warning signs, talk to the lifeguards, check the conditions, & remember, “if in doubt, don't go out.”
I know I say this every time, but I feel obligated to remind all visitors to pack their aloha spirit on any Hawaiian vacation. The aloha spirit is strong in Hawai'i, and the biggest island may have the biggest Aloha. Come to Big Island ready to put on your cruise control, talk story with every one you pass, and leave your worries behind. We love to share our piece of paradise with those that want to visit. I hope to see you in Hawai'i soon! Aloha! We love to travel, and tropical destinations are always a favorite. Here are a few more of our top tropical places to visit! 8 Reasons Why Jamaica May Be Your Ideal Island GetawayThings to Do in Thailand with Kids | Our Family Trip to ThailandReunion Resort Orlando: The Perfect Relaxing Family Vacation DestinationThe post The Best Big Island, Hawaii Travel Guide appeared first on How Does She.
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Friday Flash: Dude…1/14/2019 “We are proud of the work we have done with Upstream to help them gain their footing and reach this next phase of their launch, and we are pleased that a new plan is being implemented that will propel them forward and help them become the tool we've always envisioned they would be for our members,” said NAR CEO Bob Goldberg. “This project has been an amazing opportunity to drive innovation and conversation among our brokerage community and gain their input into building the tools they use every day in their business. As I've said since the beginning of my tenure as CEO, we are not in the business of inventing at NAR; we've supported Upstream to the extent that makes sense for both our strategic missions and now it is time for them to step out on their own.” What's always made me mad about RPR isn't that it never should have existed in the first place. It's the arrogance that gets me. The quotes above, from this week's announcement that RPR is no longer Upstream's development partner, mark a multi-year, $13 million-dollar failure that's just the spoiled garnish on a plate of disaster. RPR loses millions in member dues money and falls down on a commitment to brokers and NAR's CEO is “proud”? This was an “amazing opportunity to drive innovation and conversation”? Dude… This is an affront to every hump-busting Realtor out there; every broker who bought into the vision of Upstream; everyone who believes, as I do, that there's more at stake here than face-saving. More broadly, it's this type of stuff that makes one think that NAR is wholly unprepared to reckon with not just the future, but its own present. And that's a problem you can't smooth over with a press release. … Of course, the question on everyone's mind is who is Upstream's new mystery partner? I don't know, but my guess is Moxiworks. They're broker-owned, free from significant MLS industry conflicts and know the space well. … If you want to see Apple-quality stagecraft in real estate, watch this video of a recent Compass event. Whether you love or loathe this company, it's a master class in knowing your audience. The pacing, sequence and modulation of emotion is tuned perfectly. … Homebot won the Realogy FWD startup pitch event a few weeks ago. I like this company a lot. They produce very detailed, very smart property analyses that real estate agents and loan officers send to homeowners. This includes what you might expect (a value estimate, estimated equity, etc.) but also much more (refi scenarios, a mortgage prepayment analysis – even estimated Airbnb rental earnings). It's all done very smoothly. Lots of data is tied together under the surface. And it's well designed. Products like this have existed for a long time (CoreLogic's ePropertyWatch is the most widely used) but Homebot has surpassed them. I have always said that whoever masters loyalty in real estate wins. This is a good tool to use if you agree with me. … I am starting to think that ibuyers are a hack to the real estate industry's peculiar structure, not a replacement. Because the incumbent business model is so durable, so diffuse and embedded, these new companies have needed to create a structure that doesn't eliminate it, but sits slightly above it like an elevated freeway spans a chaotic, congested cityscape. People on the streets below flow on and off this new structure (agents help sell ibuyer listings, or refer out sellers to ibuyers) and user experience is generally improved (people get to where they want to go faster with less wear and tear). Opendoor's recent adjustment to include agents in their listing process illustrates this. This isn't without consequence for agents and brokers, of course. They stand, in some cases, like main street merchants, to make less money because of the freeway's existence. But I am not seeing this as a zero-sum sort of story. This picture should get much clearer in the coming year. Enjoy the weekend. The post Friday Flash: Dude… appeared first on 1000watt.
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Inside: These are the most magical Christmas books for kids. For the best holiday tradition, share these heartfelt children's Christmas books with your family every year. The end of every year brings together three of my family's most important core values:
Because this is our absolute favorite time of year, we try to soak up as much winter holiday spirit (and dessert) as humanly possible. One year, we channeled Clark Griswold with our outdoor lights and put them up before Halloween. Sorry, neighbors! (But hey, science says decorating early makes you happier, so there's that.) Another year, we planned an elaborate Polar Express night for the kids, complete with hot cocoa and marshmallows, golden tickets like this, and my husband dressing up as the train conductor. And then this year, we decided to build up our home library of Christmas books for kids, so we embarked on a quest to find the absolute best children's Christmas books. Sounds fairly tame, except that we started our quest in August, and we've spent three solid months reading every Christmas or winter holiday book we could get our hands on. ![]() The Problem With Some Christmas Books for KidsSince becoming parents, we've amassed a small but treasured collection of favorite Christmas picture books. These are books we love as much as our kids do, so we don't mind reading them again and again every December. But early on in our quest to find the best Christmas books for kids, we realized something unfortunate about some of the holiday stories out there: they were long and preachy. I certainly don't mind reading a longer picture book if my kids are into it. But my 5-year-old bookworm started doing something that made me realize some of the children's Christmas books may be too long for their target audience. This is a child who would happily listen to me read a stack of 50 picture books in one sitting. But for some of these holiday books, she would turn to me after we were a few pages into the story and say, “Mommy, can we stop reading this now?” As it turns out, kids don't really want to listen to a lecture disguised as a children's book. So we focused on finding the best Christmas books that we can share with our children to celebrate the spirit of the holiday season. Related: The Most Meaningful Gifts for Kids Who Have Everything ![]() The Best Children's Books That Will Make Your Child's Holiday MagicalThe goal of my family's months-long research project to find Christmas books for kids was simple: find the best books that both kids and parents will enjoy. (Because if our kids are going to ask us to read a Christmas story again and again, it may as well be something we appreciate, too!) Every week, I put a huge stack of books on hold at the library, plus at every visit I browsed the shelves for even more children's Christmas books – not to mention every Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and other winter holiday book I could find. While we celebrate Christmas in our family, I want my kids to understand, appreciate, and respect the holidays celebrated by other families. All told, my kids and I read hundreds of picture books on the topic of Christmas and other winter holidays. The list below is the cream of the crop from those hundreds of books: the books I loved reading, and the books my kids couldn't get enough of. Read these Christmas books for kids to get your whole family excited about the holiday season. Related: 42 Experience Gifts That Will Make You Everyone's Favorite Person Bonus: How to Turn This List Into a Festive Book Advent CalendarFor an extra special way to share these Christmas books with your children, many families enjoy sharing holiday stories through book Advent calendars. Here's how you start a Christmas book Advent tradition:
Kids love this Advent calendar book-a-day tradition, but if 25 books of Christmas feels like a bit much, you might try another tradition from Iceland called Jolabokaflod, or the “Christmas Book Flood.” For this, you give each other books on Christmas Eve and spend the night reading and drinking hot cocoa. Sounds magical to me! Related: 30 Fun Holiday Activities for Your Advent Calendar {Printable} ![]() 32 Most Heartfelt and Meaningful Christmas Books for KidsAnd now for your list of the most magical Christmas books for kids that you'll want to share with your family every December! But first, a quick warning: I was surprised to find that many of our favorite children's Christmas books are now out of print. If you see a book on this list you'd like to pick up for your family, you may want to do it this year rather than waiting until next year. I learned the hard way – some books I'd planned on picking up copies of this year are now out of print, and now they're not available anywhere online. Ack! Also, to keep things simple, you should know that we skipped over any holiday sequels to other children's books. If a holiday version of one of your kid's favorite children's books is out there, go for it! Note: indicates my family's absolute top favorites on the list. These are the books my kids can't get enough of! Classic Children's Christmas BooksWhen it comes to the best Christmas books for kids, you can't beat the classics. Every family seems to have their own favorite, but after reading aaaaaaaallllllllllllll the classic holiday tales in a short period of time, these are the ones our whole family loved most of all.
Related: The Ultimate List of the Best Picture Books, Endorsed by Kids And Parents Heartwarming Christmas Books for KidsOut of the hundreds of children's Christmas books we read, these are the most heartfelt and meaningful stories we came across. You'll want to share these with your child every year!
Related: The Ultimate List of the Best Children's Books About Kindness Silly And Funny Children's Christmas BooksFor a fun break from the heartwarming Christmas picture books, mix in one of these silly, funny tales.
Related: 10 Small But Meaningful Stocking Stuffers That Will Delight Your Kids {Printable} Winter Holiday Books About Traditions Around the WorldThese winter holiday books are a lovely way to introduce your children to how people around the world celebrate their own winter traditions.
Bonus book: Our library didn't have a copy of Lucia Morning in Sweden, but it's on our list to pick up a copy next year because we've heard great things about it!
Bonus! 4 Awesome Christmas Chapter BooksMy oldest reads chapter books constantly, so she set herself a personal goal to read as many Christmas chapter books as she could this year. Every time she found one she loved, she added it to a list for me. Then I read her favorites and whittled it down to the ones we both loved. If you're looking for a Christmas chapter book that will make a great read-aloud with older kids, this is the list for you!
Download now: More Joy, Less Stress: 2018 Holiday PlannerYour TurnWhat are your favorite Christmas books for kids? Share in a comment below! ![]() Author informationI'm a mom of four, a recovering perfectionist, and the author of Happy You, Happy Family. Parenting is hard enough without all the guilt we heap on top of ourselves. So let's stop trying to be perfect parents and just be real ones. Sound good? Join my mailing list and as a bonus, you'll get 25+ incredibly helpful cheat sheets that will ease your parenting struggles. The post The Ultimate List of the Best Christmas Books for Kids appeared first on Happy You, Happy Family.
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Upcoming Makery Workshops1/12/2019 As the holidays slowly melts into late winter, I am really excited about the new Makery workshops we are offering! We started off in early January with some creative, new year experiences! We had a a vision board workshop, and a paint your word workshop (my word of the year this year is INTENTION.) so you could start the year off inspired. Now that we are moving further along, we are really concentrate on exploring creativity, and learning new skills! Here are some of the workshops we are going to be offering in January: I am excited to be teaching this GIANT yarn wall hanging workshop! It was so much fun to make. It's a very satisfyingly fun and messy time. We are going to explore not only yarn knotting, and tassel-making, but also dip-dying yarn. I love a good dip-dyed project! I won't be wearing that cute denim jumpsuit from Target in the above picture for the Macrame-ish workshop. We are going to get MESSY, so you'll see me in my messy paint clothes. This is a longer class, so we will have some snacks provided too. You know me, if I can get some paint on myself, I will! Here's a fun video about the Makery Macrame-ish Workshop! I have the registration page link below if you want to check out the times and availability. We also are going to be offering a furniture painting workshop. If you can carry it in, you can paint it, and all materials are included! We also have a super-cute ruler painting workshop. And, remember that pine forest, winter painting I just did? I am going to be teaching a class on painting it! It will be a smaller 11 x 14 version on canvas board. We'll also go over shading, shadows, highlighting, and how to create a washed-moody backdrop with blues and grays. We'll use a flat canvas board so you can frame your artwork when it's done. You can check out the rest of our January Makery workshops here. Our February schedule will be going up soon, and we have some fun workshop weekends coming up this year too! The retail portion of our store is also starting to get all kinds of fun new products in too. It's nice for everything to have a nice refresh in the new year!
The post Upcoming Makery Workshops appeared first on Jennifer Rizzo.
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Landscape drainage is a critical factor in the success of any landscape design project. And most Northern Virginia properties have pre-existing drainage problems that must be addressed within the scope of a landscape design project. The first step for your landscape architect is to conduct a thorough site analysis and evaluation taking note of the existing slopes and elevation changes on the property, surface and groundwater (wet and dry areas), and soil composition. We want to be sure that rainwater is not puddling on hard surfaces but is directed to run off and sink into the ground. We want soil around plants and trees to drain efficiently so plants will stay healthy. The Necessity of a Landscape Drainage PlanThe effectiveness of the drainage system on a property overall and techniques that support well-drained planting beds have a direct bearing on the health and longevity of your garden plants. A sound landscape drainage plan is comprised of two principal parts: one relates to hardscaping and the other to planting beds. ![]() Drainage and Hardscaping We often use slot drains along the perimeters of patios and walkways to take rainwater straight into the ground. We also adjust grading on the property to control the direction and flow speed of surface water. We may direct rainwater toward a natural slope or to an area where we've installed a small culvert or drain box. Drainage and Plants A raised bed will usually have low retaining wall bordering it. Mounding doesn't require hardscaping. In both, we use a balanced blend of sand, soil, and compost to build up the mound so it is stable, provides nutrients, and drains properly. Drainage Solution 1: A Damp Yard Reclaimed![]() The owners of this McLean residence rarely used their backyard patio because it always felt damp and uncomfortable. During heavy rainstorms, water would sometimes flood the lower level of the house. A landscaping project not only beautified the backyard but permanently fixed their serious drainage issues. We dug an infiltration trench in the front right corner of the side yard. All the downspouts from the house tie into it. An infiltration trench sinks about six feet into the ground. It is lined with fabric, filled with layers of sand, clean washed gravel and topped off with about a foot of well-draining topsoil. Excess water filters into the ground. Although you can't see it, this part of the drainage plan was vitally important the success of this landscape design project. If the property didn't drain properly, plants and people would suffer from too much moisture. Making an outdoor environment beautiful is important, making it comfortable and fully functional is essential. Drainage Solution 2: A Low Spot Becomes a Highlight![]() ![]() This Herndon residence had drainage problems that made it impossible to plant anything to make the front entry attractive. The ground sloped left along the front of the house toward a lot spot where water collected and pooled against the foundation. A front entry landscaping project beautified the curb appeal of the home while solving the drainage problem. We ran drainage pipes under the driveway to draw excess water away from the house, then built up the garden beds above the previous ground level and held them in place with a low retaining wall. Drainage Solution 3: Beautiful & Practical
The Design You Don't See
All of the example projects began with a desire on the part of a homeowner to correct a drainage problem that was preventing them from using their yard or was interfering with the ability of landscaping plants to establish and thrive. If you feel that landscape drainage issues are preventing you from fully enjoying your outdoor living areas, contact one of our landscape architects to schedule a consultation.
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Don't Let Your Goals Fizzle Out! – 5 Reasons Goals Fail, and What You Can Do To Make Yours Succeed1/12/2019 It's become a yearly ritual for many: Set ambitious goals for the New Year, tackle them enthusiastically for a few weeks, and then give up on them completely by March. This is a vicious cycle that encourages you to feel bad about yourself, and feel as though you'll never get out of your rut. Whether you are setting goals for your finances, or whether you are attempting to substantially improve your life, the yearly attempt (and subsequent failure) associated with resolutions can be frustrating. If you're ready to break the cycle, it helps to understand why you fail, and what you can do to create success in your life. Here are 5 Reasons Goals Fail - and What You Can Do to Overcome the Pitfalls of Resolution-Setting and Succeed This Year:1. Your Goal Ignores RealityToo often, we have high-flown ideas of what we can become with just the right goal. Unfortunately, this often leads to setting unrealistic goals. While it would be great to pay off $35,000 in debt this year, the reality is that you aren't likely to accomplish that goal if you make $40,000 a year. You're going to need to make major sacrifices in terms of what you spend on, and you're going to have to come up with ways to make more money. The same is true of losing weight, going back to school, or any number of goals that you might set. Your goals need to be grounded in the reality of where you are right now and what you can reasonably hope to accomplish by the end of the year. Honestly evaluate the situation, and figure out what you can actually do. You can still set stretch goals that require you to push yourself a little bit, but you still need to be realistic. Your resolutions need to be achievable. Without achievable goals, you eventually give up when you realize the futility of your efforts. You don't want that to happen, so create realistic goals, and set realistic benchmarks that you can use to measure progress throughout the year. You'll be more likely to stay motivated to reach your goal. 2. Your Goal Focuses on a Process, Rather than a ResultIn the past, my fitness goals have included things like, “swim for 30 minutes three times a week” or “kickbox for 20 minutes a day.” While those are specific goals that are, in fact, achievable, they focus on a process instead of a result. What if I don't feel like kickboxing today? What if my son is sick and I have to stay home instead of driving to the pool? It's easy to be defeated by the process, whether I stop swimming after 15 minutes, I only go twice a week, or I don't go at all. The same is true of money goals or any other goals. If you focus too much on some sort of process that you have to complete to be successful, you are less likely to follow through with your resolution for a sustained period of time. Instead of focusing on the process, focus on the end result. What result are you trying to achieve? Maybe I want to reduce my waist size by three inches or lose 10 pounds. That result doesn't rely on a specific process. Maybe I change my eating habits so that I have less junk food in my diet. Or, instead of getting hung up on whether or not I made it to the pool, I ride the stationary bike if I can't get out of the house. When you focus on a result, and what it takes to achieved that desired objective, you are more likely to stick with your resolutions. You can substitute different actions and behaviors that can offer the same result over time. This works with money, as well. Instead of saying that you want to put $458.33 each month into your retirement account, you can say that you want to be in a position to max out your IRA by the end of the year. This doesn't require that you put $458.33 each month without fail from the beginning; it means that you build up to that over the course of the year. At the end of the year, you'll have a result: You'll be set up to max out your IRA. However, you do this by making gradual changes, either spending less or earning more (or doing both) and gradually increasing what you set aside. Focus on the end result, and break it down so that you are looking at the big picture, rather fretting about the process. 3. Your Goals are Too VagueOne of the main pieces of advice that goal-setting gurus offer is that you should be specific. If your goal is to “get healthy” or “save money,” chances are that you are going to fail at some point. What, specifically, would make you healthier? Do you want to bring your cholesterol down to a certain (realistic) level? Would you like to increase your lean muscle mass by a specific amount? What are you saving money for? Do you want to save up $5,000 for a family vacation? Are you planning to save up $15,000 for a down payment on a house? Really think about what you want to accomplish with your goals. Be specific. Without some sort of specific goal, you have no way of knowing how much progress you have made, or how to tell when you've accomplished your objective. Don't forget, though, that you do want to keep the overall result in mind. If you haven't quite reached the exact and specific goal you have set, but you are still in line with the general result you want by the end of the year, that's still a win. You can keep working on it moving forward. Set realistically specific goals, and make sure to break your goals down into smaller, bite-sized chunks that can be digested by you as you move forward. That way, you can measure your progress along the way and stay excited about what you've achieved. Being able to see your progress can create good feelings that encourage you to do even more to reach your goals in the future. 4. You Get Hung Up on Time Limits for Your GoalsOne of the big reasons that your New Year's resolutions are likely to fail is that you get too hung up on time limits. While a brand new year is a great time for reflection, and a good time to set goals, the reality is that you don't have to limit yourself to a year to reach your goals. The idea behind setting goals is to make a true improvement in your life, not create some mad dash to a finish line. If you get hung up on time limits for the accomplishment of your goals, you are more likely to make sweeping changes that last for only a short time before you revert. In order for goals to truly improve your life, you have to be able to assimilate them into your lifestyle. Even if your goal is to run a half-marathon in a certain period of time, the reality is that, as you work toward achieving that goal, you make changes in your life that are likely to “stick,” as long as you approach it as a long-term journey, rather than something you have to accomplish by a certain date. Once you achieve a goal like that, you can tweak it for the next goal. Your goal-setting should be more about improving your life so that you create long-term habits, rather than encouraging you to do something and then stop once the goal is reached. Don't get hung up on having something done by the end of the year. Instead, focus on the result, and work toward it consistently. It might take you two years to save up your desired down payment for a home, but that's ok. And, once you do reach your specific goal, make sure you have another goal to replace it with and take advantage of the good habits you have been building up. Once you have enough for a down payment, you can set a new goal to build up your emergency fund, contribute to a retirement account, or set up a college fund for your children. The idea is to keep improving, so you want to build on your successes for the next big goal. 5. You Set Too Many GoalsOne of the biggest reasons that you fail at your goals is that you set too many. Just as you aren't likely to see solid results from multi-tasking, you are unlikely to see the results you want if you set too many goals at once. This ties into number four. Instead of setting a whole bunch of goals, pick one or two major goals to be working toward at a time. Once you have achieved one of your goals, have something else to be working toward. You should be focusing on bigger goals that can be broken down into manageable and measurable steps. That way, you are actually improving your life and creating habits that result in long-term life success and satisfaction. Don't overwhelm yourself with all of the things you should be doing. Instead, think of the most important one or two things you want to accomplish first, and then create plans to tackle those items. Then, move on to a new goal. Don't limit yourself by time, either. If you finish a goal in August, start working on a new goal - even though it isn't a new year. View it as a journey, and you'll be more likely to make steady progress. Here's what Leo Babauta, author of the popular blog zenhabits.net says about forming one habit at a time:
Other Tips for Succeeding with Your GoalsAs you work on overcoming the stumbling blocks often associated with goal setting, there are a few other tips to keep in mind. Staying motivated can be difficult, even if you can see the positive changes and progress that you are making in your life. Here are some other strategies you can employ to help you succeed at your goals:
Glen's note on Goals: One thing I find critical in setting successful goals is to make doing the goal as easy as possible. Back in 2007 I set a goal to run the NYC Marathon. As part of my training I had to do one long run every week. This meant waking up early on the weekends to get my run in. There was no way I was going to wake up early and start bumbling around getting ready to run. I had to have a plan before-hand or I'd be lazy and not go. So by Friday afternoon every week I made sure to map out my miles for my long run. I'd chart a course to make sure I'd get the required distance in. This gave me a specific direction for my runs and it eliminated the decision of where to run when I woke up. To further help me in my groggy morning state I also made sure to have my running clothes set aside as well as my water bottle(s) for the run. This way I could wake up, get ready, and get out of the house. If I left myself with too much thinking and preparation in the morning I KNOW I would have gotten too lazy to head out. We can make financial goals easier too. Tools like Quicken can help you plan out goals and track them. Setting up automatic savings and investing takes the thought out of putting money away for your goals. Know your tendencies and build plans into your goals to make sure you stay on top of your intentions. Final Word On Making Your Goals SucceedThere's no reason to let goal-setting get you down. Change the way you approach your resolutions, and there is a good chance that you will see more success this year - and in the years to come. Where have you failed at goals? Where have you succeeded? Share your stories in the comments!Bonus to help you with your goals and habits: Here's Google's Matt Cutts talking about trying new things for 30 days. And here's Jerry Seinfeld's “Don't break the chain” motivation and productivity technique (via Lifehacker): Jerry Seinfeld's Productivity Secret Copyright © Free From Broke - A Personal Finance Blog Please visit for more great content! Don't Let Your Goals Fizzle Out! – 5 Reasons Goals Fail, and What You Can Do To Make Yours Succeed
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Is a recession on the way in 2019? If you ask a CFO, there is nearly a coin-flip chance that the answer is yes. Ask a CFO if a recession will start by the end of 2020 and that number skyrockets to 82%, according to the latest Duke University/CFO Global Business Outlook survey. ![]()
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Top DIY Posts of 20181/10/2019 ![]() Looking back at top DIY posts of 2018. I'm sometimes a little surprised at most visited posts – they're blasts from the past! I'll share a 2018 recap later this week but let's take a look at DIYShowOff reader favorites from the past year: Lighted PVC Candy Cane Decor made the top of the list of faves. Wouldn't several lining a walkway look so festive and inviting? Looks like a tire swing but upcycle an old tire into a planter: DIY Tire Planter. This always gets compliments at our home. Who knew an old tire turned planter would be a great conversation starter? Pallet Herb Garden – time to give some thought to this year's herb list. I love that we still utilize this on our patio which is located right off the kitchen. Mint for mojitos, rosemary for roasted cashews. This one reminds, me. I really need to organize and refresh these shelves in real life. Adding it to the to-do list! This former under-utilized space in our home (there are 6 door ways in this small space!) now functions as an open pantry and we love it! Ah. Another oldie but goodie and favorite project. Next time you're at the thrift store, check out the electronics/lighting department (i.e. maybe 1 shelf of things with wiring). lol DIY baseboards – I'm guessing inquiring minds want to know. haha! I'll actually be recreating this post in real life with some baseboard trim at the #helloredreno studio. Everyone loves outdoor entertaining and so this tutorial for Giant LCR Dice Yard Game was a hit in 2018! When you've accidentally dropped your phone one too many times, it's time to get creative with ways to keep it safe! DIY Tray Cat Perch – kitties love to be in the sun AND watch for birds and squirrels and what's going on with the world outside, so no surprise this made top views. Cats rule! Love a good Cinderella story? Then you'll want to check out this Before & After Bathroom Makeover! Any of your DIYShowOff favorites up there? Remember a few of those? What's one of your favorite projects from last year?
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High-yield savings accounts
Short-term guaranteed rates (1 year and under)
Money market mutual funds + Ultra-short bond ETFs
Treasury Bills and Ultra-short Treasury ETFs
US Savings Bonds
Prepaid Cards with Attached Savings Accounts
Rewards checking accounts
Certificates of deposit (greater than 1 year)
Longer-term Instruments
All rates were checked as of 1/9/19.
“The editorial content here is not provided by any of the companies mentioned, and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone.” Best Interest Rates on Cash – January 2019 from My Money Blog. Copyright © 2018 MyMoneyBlog.com. All Rights Reserved. Do not re-syndicate without permission. |