Family Home and Life: Time Management & a Giveaway!

Guest Post

Hi there! I'm Michelle Muckala with www.michellemuckala.com and am SO excited to be part of Connie's anniversary month by guest blogging for all of her awesome readers! As a full-time working momma who is raising two young children,married to a husband who works opposite shifts as me, owns a health & wellness business, and writes articles about finding balance between a career and family, I hear a lot of women say they just wish they had more time. It's true that you can only do so much. I hear ya! After all, there is no way to make a day longer than 24 hours, a week longer than 168 hours, or a year longer than 8736 hours (and sometimes let's admit, we are glad for that). However, there is a way to make time work in your favor. I'm excited to share with you how I manage to make my?crazy schedule work in my favor

My daughter and I recently read a story about Helen Keller's life. I am absolutely amazed by what this woman has accomplished in her life, blind and deaf since the age of 18 months. Did you know she went on to graduate with honors? Did you know that throughout her lifetime she met presidents and celebrities? Did you know she received many, many more honors? Did you know she also received honorary doctoral degrees from Temple University and Harvard University, as well as from many other international universities?

That's right...every single person on this planet gets the same 168 hours a week. Me, you, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, and your neighbor down the street that you love to hate because she can balance two kids on her hips while carrying out a tray of perfectly baked muffins for the PTA Bake Sale...that she never.ever.misses. I hate her too. The only difference between you and all those other women is simply in what you chose to do with your time. Yes, you have a family, you have a career, you have volunteer obligations...but what you chose to do with your time is all choice. ?

Do you ever hear someone complain about how busy they are and how they never have enough time to get even simple tasks done??

Let's take a look at priorities from a time-based standpoint. This may shock you like it did the first time Dani Johnson broke it down for me at an Advanced Leadership Conference training.
If television or sitting on Facebook is something you enjoy, then don't feel guilty about it! But if you feel you never have time to get stuff done that you wish you could get done, or you constantly feel like days fly by and you get nothing done, then your priorities may be out of line. So here's a small to do list for you this week to help you get going. This helped me SO much! In a notebook, journal, etc, come up with a list of your top five priorities in your life. Then in this same notebook/journal, keep track of where you are spending your time, and be as detailed as you can be. Then next week, take a look at this journal. How much time did you put into the five priorities in your life? Did you spend the majority of your time on these priorities? If not, then you need to adjust one of two things; your priorities, or where you are spending your time. Perhaps you don't even realize what you are spending your time on, or what your top priorities should be. Once you have completed figuring out where your time is going, and what your top priorities are, check out my calendar article here.?



Just for the readers of Family Home and Life blog, I have a super special deal just for YOU! Since we are talking about making the most out of time, I want to share with you my favorite cleaner in the entire world because I can clean a TON of stuff with the same cleaner...saving me time, saving me money, and saving me clutter! What is this sweet deal? Well, first you need to visit the article about this super awesome cleaner here. Then, if you would like to try out two bottles of this cleaner for FREE, you can enter to win simply by commenting below what your biggest time management issue is. Family Home and Life blog will pick out five random winners for these free samples! Thanks for reading :) Have a fantabulous week! ?
Hello all, Connie here. You will love this cleaner! It is safe, cheap, saves time; doesn't that sound like my kind of cleaner? I hope you took the time to check out that link. The giveaway will run until March 31. I will?announce?the winner on Monday, April 1st. Gosh, I am so glad Michelle took the time to write this for us and sponsor this giveaway! Thank you Michelle! Ok, leave those time?management?issue comments!

If you are reading this post anywhere else but at Family Home and Life then it was used without permission! Please report it! Copyright ? Family Home and Life 2010-2013 All Rights Reserved

Source: http://www.familyhomeandlife.com/2013/03/time-management-giveaway.html

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Army improves training equipment sustainability with iPad app

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. -- The U.S Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center's Advanced Design and Manufacturing Division embarked on a small training project that has since expanded and amounted to dollars saved for the Army. The training program offers the possibility of a new certification for Warfighters using the Husky Mounted Detection System, a kit that can detect explosive hazards when attached to the Husky vehicle.

It started when ADM was tasked by the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization's training arm, Joint Center of Excellence in January 2010 to provide a solution to a recurring issue: what is a cost-effective way to train Warfighters on the HMDS and eliminate the risk of damaging the equipment during training while still maintaining optimal education effectiveness?

The HMDS is a kit that attaches to the Husky vehicle, and has four Ground Penetrating Radar panels, each costing a substantial amount of money. The panels detect metallic and nonmetallic buried explosive hazards. These panels were routinely damaged during training rotations due to inexperienced operators.

"Warfighters would train with these systems and since they were new to them, a lot of damage would occur to the panels in the training process," said Peter Bryant, a project specialist working in ADM's Technology and Systems Integration Branch. "Student drivers were doing several million dollars worth of damage per month learning to operate the HMDS. It just was not a reasonable option, so we were tasked to create a training system that would improve the sustainability."

ADM accelerated the development of the Husky Mounted Detection System Surrogate, a trainer that mimicked the fully-functional HMDS; however, "consumable" panels and a radio-frequency identification system replaced the GPR panels. The RFID system offered the Warfighter the tools to simulate the detection of a buried threat using a 'tag' indicating a pre-determined threat type. The surrogate system cost is one quarter that of the original. The panels only cost $1,000 for a complete replacement, but generally, only the nose cones suffer damage, which total $100 to replace.

"We were asked to create and test a potential training product. We did and that turned out to be a huge success," said Kevin Wallace, Technology and Systems Integration Branch Chief. "From there we ended up building 26 systems for JIEDDO. Currently we are building 29 additional systems and we've been tasked to build more, so it's certainly taken off."

After the initial 26 HMDSS kits were shipped to JIEDDO in January 2011, the ECBC engineers have continued to work on enhancements to the systems, to include ground tracking and software interface improvements. According to Wallace, as the project started to grow, the initial group needed to enlist the help of all the branches within ADM as well as some from outside the Division. Additional partners for the HMDSS include Letterkenny and Tobyhanna Army Depots. So far, the HMDSS is already fielded at 17 different locations, including three locations outside of the Continental United States, with the current project to go to 11 other CONUS locations.

"This was certainly a collaborative effort not only to create the initial product, but also to improve and sustain it in the future," Wallace said. "I would call this a Division-wide effort, but we have also had help from others within ECBC, several PMs, ATC, and industry partners."

In addition to creating the physical training detector for the vehicle, the project was taken a step further with the development of an iPad application. The application brings all the same features of driving with the HMDSS to the iPad screen. The user simulates driving a vehicle and receiving alerts of potential threats. From there, the driver must determine a course of action to ensure safety. Additionally, the HMDSS application includes a narrated system overview, and a full user manual for the vehicle.

The iPad application also includes an installation manual as well as simulations that are based on events that could actually happen. The manual allows Warfighters to have something light and easy to carry and refer to for questions while training, as well as having the ability to do refresher training on their own time on an iPad.

Wallace said although the original intent was to create a training possibility, having the capabilities within ECBC allowed the group to explore additional options on the project, ultimately expanding the purpose.

Source: http://www.army.mil/article/97327/Army_improves_training_equipment_sustainability_with_iPad_app/

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GE Makes World's Most Ethical Companies List For Seven Straight ...

March 6, 2013

The Ethisphere Institute named GE to its annual list of the world?s most ethical companies for the seventh straight year. Only 23 companies made list every year since it launched seven years ago.

Etisphere selected GE for showing leadership in promoting ethical business standards. ?We?re honored to be named one of Ethisphere?s World?s Most Ethical Companies, as it?s truly a confirmation that our efforts on compliance and ethics are not only recognized by our employees, customers and business partners, but also by our peers and the industry,? said Al Rosa, GE?s chief compliance director and senior executive counsel.

The 2013 list, which was released today, includes 145 companies. The vast majority were U.S. companies, followed by corporations from the European Union.

?Our integrity culture and compliance program define us,? Rosa said. ?We live in times where great volatility and change are the norm. But one thing that will never change is GE?s culture of integrity. No matter the country, industry or culture, our employees and leaders are responsible to execute to the highest level of ethical standards and to ensure that every interaction with our customers, suppliers and regulators is conducted in the same way.?

The Ethisphere Institute is a leading international think tank focused on developing and sharing best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability. The Ethisphere ranking ?provides companies a chance to be recognized for their efforts in ethics and compliance,? the think tank says. ?The winners of our World?s Most Ethical Companies are the standouts?.They are the companies who force other companies to follow their leadership or fall behind. These are the companies who use ethical leadership as a profit driver. And each of these companies embody the true spirit of Ethisphere?s credo: ?Good. Smart. Business. Profit.??

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Source: http://www.gereports.com/ge-makes-worlds-most-ethical-companies-list-for-seven-straight-years/

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Dow Jones industrial average surges to record

In this Monday, Feb. 25, 2013 photo, Trader Craig Spector, right, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. World stock markets rose Tuesday March 5, 2013 as investors registered approval for China's spending priorities announced at its annual congress. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

In this Monday, Feb. 25, 2013 photo, Trader Craig Spector, right, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. World stock markets rose Tuesday March 5, 2013 as investors registered approval for China's spending priorities announced at its annual congress. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

NEW YORK (AP) ? The Dow has never been higher.

The Dow Jones industrial average surged passed its all-time high and kept going on Tuesday. It jumped up from the opening bell, climbed as much as 158 points early and reached 14,286, breaking through its previous record high set in October 2007.

The index fell back slightly and was trading up 136 points, or less than 1 percent, at 14,264 as of 12:35 p.m. EST.

The gains represent a remarkable comeback for the stock market. The Dow has more than doubled since falling to a low of 6,547 in March 2009 following the financial crisis and the Great Recession. Stocks have rebounded sharply since then with the help of a large dose of stimulus from the Federal Reserve, even as the economic recovery has been slow and steady rather than spectacular.

"Whether they want to admit it or not, everyone is very impressed with the resilience of the market," said Alec Young, a global equity strategist at S&P Capital IQ.

The last time the Dow was this high, Apple had just sold its first iPhone and George W. Bush had another year as president. The U.S. housing market had yet to implode, and the financial crisis that brought down Lehman Brothers was still a year away.

The recovery in stocks may even have been quicker, had memories of the financial system's near collapse not been on investors minds, says Robert Pavlik, chief market strategist at Banyan Partners.

"It's still pretty close to the front of people's brains," says Pavlik. "That's one of the reasons that people are hesitant to invest in the stock market."

Despite the gains in the stock market since then, the U.S. economy has not fared nearly as well. Unemployment was just 4.7 percent when the Dow last reached a record five and half years ago, versus 7.9 percent today.

But the economy is strengthening in many areas. Housing is recovering, companies are hiring more and Corporate America's earnings are strong. That's fueled a 9 percent rise in stocks this year, impressing even the most ardent skeptics. For all of last year, the index rose 7 percent.

Stocks are also benefiting from the economic stimulus from the Federal Reserve and other global central banks. The U.S. central bank is buying $85 billion each month in Treasury bonds and mortgage-backed securities to keep long-term interest rates very low.

If the Dow continues Tuesday at its torrid pace, it will finish above its record close of 14,164 from Oct. 9, 2007.

Tuesday's gains were driven by industrial and technology stocks. United Technologies rose $2.10 to $91.22, IBM advanced $1.84 to $207 and 3M rose $1.46 to $104.70, pushing the Dow higher.

That's a signal that investors are optimistic about the economy, since those companies stand to gain the most when the economy recovers. More stable, conservative stocks like utilities and consumer staples logged smaller gains.

From its March 2009 low to today, gains for the 30-member Dow have been led by American Express, up almost 500 percent. Home Depot has jumped almost 300 percent, according to data from S&P Dow Jones Indices. Hewlett Packard is the only stock in the index that is lower than it was four years ago, falling 22 percent.

On Tuesday, investors received another piece of positive news on the U.S. economy, a report that U.S. service companies grew in February at the fastest pace in a year, thanks to higher sales and more new orders. The gain suggests higher taxes have yet to slow consumer spending on services.

Home builder PulteGroup rose 42 cents to $20.12 following news that home prices rose at the fastest pace in almost six years in January, a sign that the housing market is gaining momentum as it nears the spring selling season. Home prices rose 9.7 percent in January from a year ago and had the biggest gain since April 2006, according to data released by CoreLogic

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 16 points, or 1 percent, to 1,541, within striking distance of its own record close of 1,565. The Nasdaq composite gained 41 points, or 1.3 percent, to 3,223.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which moves inversely to its price, rose two basis point to 1.90 percent.

Among other stocks making big moves:

? Ascena Retail Group gained $2.30 to $18.84 after the clothing store reported stronger-than-expected sales in its most recent quarter.

? J.C. Penney fell $1.52 to $15.21 following media reports that one of its largest shareholders is selling a major stake in the retailer. CNBC and The Wall Street Journal reported that Deutsche Bank is shopping around the sale of 10 million shares of the company's stock held by Vornado Realty Trust, a real estate investment trust.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-05-US-Wall-Street/id-8884e85fee2142e7b9b72f9bb0b7090a

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Fotos da passagem de som dos Jonas Brothers em Curitiba

5/03 Fotos da passagem de som dos Jonas Brothers em Curitiba
Postado por: Camila Campos 5 Mar 2013

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Source: http://jonasbrasil.com/fotos-da-passagem-de-som-dos-jonas-brothers-em-curitiba/

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Moderate GOP Va. senator urges Bolling not to run

Richmond, Va. -

A prominent pro-business Republican legislator is urging Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling not to make an independent bid for governor this year.

State Sen. Walter Stosch of Henrico, a retired accountant with strong business backing, released a letter dated Tuesday in which he asks Bolling to forgo the race so Republicans can unite behind presumed GOP nominee Ken Cuccinelli.

Bolling, a Republican, abandoned his gubernatorial quest in November after concluding he could not beat Cuccinelli in a closed GOP convention dominated by Cuccinelli's conservative backers.

Bolling said he believes Cuccinelli, a tea party darling, is taking the GOP in the wrong direction. Bolling set a March 14 deadline for announcing his plans.

A Bolling candidacy would create a three-way race with Cuccinelli and Democrat Terry McAuliffe, who has no primary challenger.

?

Source: http://www.wcyb.com/news/Fellow-Republican-urging-Bolling-not-to-run-for-Governor/-/14590844/19195992/-/d9xrexz/-/index.html

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Sequester at Home: New Hampshire Businesses Look to Exports to Make Up for Budget Cuts

Granite Staters are as hard to break as the rock beneath their forests; when the automatic budget cuts included in sequestration strike at the foundation of New Hampshire businesses, their owners look to new markets to help pay the bills.

The uncertainty that comes as a byproduct of the sequester alone is enough to hurt business in New Hampshire, according to Tech Resources Inc. President Paul Vermette.

In terms of purchase orders and willingness to bring on new workers, Vermette said he already sees hesitation among the people in New Hampshire's technology manufacturing sector.

"These people are middle of the road, blue-collar types of people, and they don't know if they're going to have a job tomorrow," Vermette told ABC News. He shared the story of a man who he worked with between Christmas and New Year's - as the so-called fiscal cliff loomed - and was out of a job on Jan. 2.

"That's just not fair to people. They didn't ask for that kind of risk in their jobs," Vermette said.

President Obama and his administration deny they were exaggerating when they warned the sequester could have dire consequences for the military and national security.

READ MORE: Sequester at Home: Florida Could Lose Blue Angels Shows, Medicare Payments

The Nashua Telegraph reported the state expects to lose 6,000 federal workers in addition to jobs supported by government projects.

Defense and Homeland Security contracts contribute significantly to the New England economy. New Hampshire received $1.3 billion in defense awards in 2011, according to a report by the UMass Donahue Institute.

One way the state hopes to make up for the revenue shortfalls that come from lost defense contracts is by turning to foreign markets.

On Friday the New Hampshire International Trade Resource Center launched a consortium for aerospace and defense businesses in the Granite State looking to sell their wares around the globe.

"I think the one thing that we hear from our clients is that they need to explore new markets both at home and abroad," said Chris Way, interim director of the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development. There are about 300 New Hampshire businesses in the aerospace field and 70 percent already export some products, Way estimated.

Looming sequester cuts knocked some companies off balance, according to Way.

"They don't even know how it's going to affect them and as such they're hunkering down. They're not hiring; they're not expanding," Way told ABC News. "In part the consortium adds a degree of consistency."

READ MORE: Sequester Timeline: When Will the Cuts Be Felt?

Exports account for almost a quarter of the state's manufacturing jobs, according to the ITRC. In 2011, exports totaled $4.3 billion, with Mexico, Canada and China as the top three markets.

Vermette said his business - a company with only 20-22 employees at present - got a majority of its sales from foreign countries in 2009 and 2010.

He said a consortium would be good for well-established businesses like his to share their expertise with those just starting out.

Ironically, the new group is funded by a federal grant for small businesses - meaning it comes from discretionary spending, the same pot threatened by sequestration.

READ MORE: 6 Questions (And Answers) About Sequestration

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sequester-home-hampshire-businesses-look-exports-budget-cuts-120605852--abc-news-politics.html

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