The Flavor of Tabasco Original Red

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TABASCO® Original Red. All opinions are 100% mine.

TABASCO® Original Red Do you love great tasting food with a little kick to it?  I sure do.  Have you tried TABASCO® Original Red on foods such as eggs, pizza, mac and cheese or even chicken nuggets?  Well, if you haven't, you definitely should.

 I love to make scrambled eggs with a dash of TABASCO Original Red added in to really bring out the flavor as well as give the eggs a little bite.  And for pizza... there's nothing like it.  If you make pizza at home, you can add a dash right into the sauce.  And for pizza delivered to your door, a couple of splashes on the top will make it perfect.  In fact, visit the Pizza Perfected page for 10 ways you can doctor up delivery pizza and create delicious, money saving ideas.

Is the Superbowl party at your house this year?  Visit the Game-Day Party Menu page for great recipes for chicken wings, pizza, chili, dips and finger foods.  These great recipes using TABASCO Original Red are sure to having your guests ready up for the big game.

Actually, TABASCO Original Red is not all about heat.  It's about what heat does to the flavor of food.  TABASCO has a simple combination of salt, red pepper and vinegar and through a 3 year aging process creates a hot sauce with the ability to bring the most out your food.

Visit the TABASCO site for tips on creating Pizza Perfected and your Game-Day Party Menu.

 

Ways to Spend Valentine’s Day

Not everyone is creative when it comes to love, but there are all kinds of different and unique things you can do to show someone you care. If you’re lost as to how to spend Valentine’s Day, here are ten suggestions for you:

1. Take the entire day off. Devote it to one another.

2. Have another honeymoon. Even if it’s only in your local area and for a night, you can make it memorable.

3. Break the rules and celebrate all week long. Do something romantic and different each day.

4. Be kids again. Get some boxes of kid’s valentine cards and write romantic notes to each other.

5. Have a romantic movie marathon with your favorite foods to snack on.

6. Head off for some private time with a romantic game. There are many of them available.

7. Serve your significant other breakfast in bed.

8. Shower your bedroom in rose petals.

9. Plan a cozy lunch at a romantic restaurant, but make sure that you book your table in advance to avoid standing in line.

10. Have dinner at home by the fireplace, or light candles and have romantic music.

Today is 1/11/11

Today is January 11, 2011 or 1/11/11.I cannot believe that it’s only been ten days…TEN DAYS…since New Years Day— 1-1-11.

So what's so special about today?

The date seems to hold no real significance, yet seems to have people enthralled. The binary date has virtually taken the internet by storm, trending on many major search sites, such as Google and Yahoo.

The mystical date does hold some significance for those who believe in the date's supernatural abilities. 11:11 holds a certain mystique, and kissing a clock at that time is said to bring good luck, especially on 1/11/11, according to the Washington Post.

The date also holds the honor of being one of just 12 binary (composed of only 1s or 0s) dates in 2011, one of the few years capable of producing such dates.

While today may not hold a historical or mystical significance, other consecutive dates have. Many believed 9/9/99 was the real Y2K, while 8/8/88 apparently inspired protests calling for democracy in Burma., according to AOL News. On 1/23/45 Hungary withdrew from WWII, signing a treaty with the allies.

Perhaps Verizon's 11 a.m. iPhone announcement will go down in history.

Freedom Debt Relief

If you are citizen of America and are suffering for the huge debts, then you can avail Freedom Debt Relief program. This program is offered to the consumers by the government to solve all their problems of debts. With the help of Freedom Debt Relief program, consumers will be provided with consumer credit counseling and debt negotiations so that they can decrease the monthly payments and debt level.

The main aim or goal of the above program is helping its consumers to get rid of debt as fast as possible without spending and wasting lot of money on fees, time and other expenses. Some of the other organizations conduct some ‘secret dealings’ with the creditors. Thus, you must avoid these situations.

If you are looking for the third party that will help you in providing solutions to all the debt problems that you have, then you should be very sure in finding that it must be an independent institution and is non profitable. It is highly recommended to conduct and verify the background in order to determine the past history of the institution. You can also check whether the clients are satisfied with the services or not.

Social Media Marketing vs. Traditional Marketing

In this day and age it is a must to market your business through some sort of social media such as Twitter, Facebook, My Space, blogs, online newsletters, etc. It is a new day and age in which technology has taken hold of how we conduct business. The fact is that the new generation of buyers want convenience, ease and fast results. Social media is that mechanism. It is an interactive way of getting to know a business and their products and services. It is more "social" in nature in which a consumer can comment, provide feedback and input on a businesses products and services. It also allows a business to get faster results and information about what works and what doesn't versus the traditional way of marketing that takes longer to determine overall results about a product or service.

With traditional marketing it is more of a forced marketing in which TV advertisements and radio ads force the marketing on a consumer. This type of advertisment is no longer as effective since you do not see immediate feedback about a product or information from other consumers on the effectiveness of a product or service and whether it is money well spent.

Traditional marketing is also more expensive versus social media marketing. TV, radio and newspaper ads can be pricey whereas a Facebook, Twitter, Blog and My Space account is free and you can reach a broader range of consumers. This is not to say that you should completely abandon the traditional marketing strategies it just means you need to adjust your marketing strategies to include social media.

In order to reach today's consumers businesses need to have a competitive advantage on their competition. The way to do it is to have an effective marketing plan and current marketing strategies that incorporate both social media and traditional marketing tactics to ensure you reach the broadest range of consumers. It is key to know your market and to understand how they obtain information about your product or service. Adjust your marketing strategies based on consumers needs and wants and you will be a business to reckon with.

Easy Ways to Eating Natural Food

The key to a better state of health lies in finding the difference between healthy and unhealthy nutrients. Making a few small changes in food choice, you will be able to bring a huge improvement in health status, energy level and you will prolong your life. So we found the next best thing great stuff that makes eating healthy affordable and, honestly, almost effortless.

Here are Easy Ways to Eating Natural Food:

1.The end of the brown rice rut
Because nobody has an hour to devote to a midweek side dish, quick-cooking quinoa and whole-wheat couscous are truly revolutionary. With the same satisfying texture and nutty flavor as brown rice (plus more fiber), these 10-minute grains give new meaning to fast food.

2.Almonds by the pound
If you’re sick of schlepping to crunchy co-ops to buy nuts, dried fruit, and grains in bulk, you’ll be happy to hear that mass grocery stores are rediscovering these money-saving bins. That means we can buy less-processed, less-pricey raw almonds, unsalted sunflower seeds, organic trail mix, and more where we stock up on milk and other basics.

3.Generation 2.0 market bag
Buying fresh means buying often. And if you’re biking or walking to the market to stock up, you need a tote that’s up to the task. The new reusable, planet-friendly bags do it all—they’re big enough to carry loads of goodies, truly leakproof, and way cuter than granny carts. On the fence about bringing your own? A single reusable bag could eliminate more than 1,000 plastic grocery bags in its lifetime.

4.Our own herb stash—and mincer!
Fresh herbs add flavor and depth to a dish but practically zero calories and no fat. They also bruise easily, spoil quickly, and aren’t cheap. So we’re all for the grow-your-own-herbs window boxes that are everywhere now. Get an herb mincer to prevent bruising those delicate leaves. If you have a black thumb, herbs in a tube are a good alternative to the fresh stuff. With a fridge shelf life of three months, your cilantro won’t go bad before you can use it up.

5.The mini movement
One downsizing trend we’re on board with—guilty-pleasure foods (think: burgers, cupcakes) getting shrinky-dinked. Twee portions are de rigueur on restaurant menus and at bakery counters. And with all the mini baking pans out there, we can whip up sane-size muffins, cupcakes, quiches, and more without feeling the least bit guilty.

6.Souped-up sea salts
Leave it to gourmands to take a humble essential element and turn it into something spectacular. With a gazillion types of flavored and specialty sea salt—from hickory-smoked to Hawaiian Red Alaea—on shelves now, it’s never been easier to add tons of flavor and complexity to a dish. Coarse-grain sea salt has slightly less sodium than table salt and contains trace minerals that may have added health benefits. They’re definitely pricier, though, so sprinkle a hint on a finished dish instead of using it to salt your cooking water.

7.Frozen edamame
These protein-packed pods were once a rare treat found only in Japanese joints. But now they’re staples in the frozen-foods aisle, serving as a healthy snack or emergency side. It’s hard to beat the nutritional wallop of whole soybeans: They’re 60% richer in calcium than peas, a source of cancer-fighting isoflavones and vitamin E, and a great vegetable source of complete protein. For a snack, sprinkle steamed edamame pods with olive oil and sea salt; pop the beans out and discard the pods.

8.A free-range chicken in every store
It’s never been easier to find real chicken—the kind raised on a veggie diet sans growth hormones or antibiotics. For years, these pampered birds were exclusive to expensive gourmet markets or out-of-the-way farmers’ markets, but they’ve finally gone mainstream. We’re thrilled about the health perks (fewer chemicals in our bodies), but what do we really love? It’s chicken that tastes like, well … chicken.

Philosophy of Lifestyle and Fitness

Philosophy drives attitude. Attitude drives actions, Actions drive results and results drive lifestyles!

It links your philosophy to who are, what you’re thinking, saying and doing and where you are right now! It makes you accountable for your own lifestyle, results, actions, attitude and philosophy!!! So let’s use this wisdom to reflect on our health and fitness and our life.

1.LIFESTYLES It would be somewhat obvious to say that our health and fitness has a big impact on our lifestyle! Anyone who ignores that fact is most likely encumbered by too much weight, lack of energy or esteem, low motivation, poor and/or failing health or even disability. The sedentary (inactive) lifestyle is restrained and limited – compared to the health and fitness lifestyle – which not only prevents illness and disease but empowers you with more capability and freedom in all areas of your life! Not happy with your lifestyle? Look at your results!

2.RESULTS The state of your health and fitness really is the state of you as a person! Barring injury, illness or impairment (over which you have no control) – any other lack of health and fitness comes down to YOU! You might say you’re too busy, too tired, too poor or too whatever but the fact is they are all EXCUSES! If you make your health and fitness a priority - you will make time to do the right things and you will get the results you desire. The results you get are the results you deserve based on your actions!

3.ACTIONS Want to get fitter? Watch more TV! Want to get leaner? Eat another cake! Doesn’t make sense does it?! It is almost despicable to say you truly want something and then do nothing to attain it! Or worse do something to push yourself further away! You actions are the cross roads where you can turn thoughts, dreams and desires into realities – results and lifestyles! Your actions are also the cross roads where thoughts, dreams and desires remain just that. Thoughts ARE nothing without action and it is our actions that are the only real expression of our attitude.

4.ATTITUDE We are delving into the depths of the psyche now so let’s simply say attitude is what we think (our beliefs, feelings and values)! What we believe, feel and value affects what we do and have? YES!!!! So it is possible that what we think can help us or hinder us? Yes!!!! So it is possible that my excellent results or lack of results can be largely attributed to what I think, believe, feel and value? YES!!! And Guess what!!! You can change your thoughts, beliefs, feelings and values any moment you desire!! You control these things – you control your thoughts and your body and it is not the other way around!

5.PHILOSOPHY Speaking of depths it doesn’t get much deeper than principles and truths of being, knowledge and conduct. Our philosophy (what we accept to be guiding truths and principles) definitely affect what we think, what we do, what we have and how we live. If you doubt this try comparing two different religions and you will see examples of different philosophy yielding different attitudes, actions, results and lifestyles. Some of your guiding principles and truths may need confirmation (if they are leading you towards what you want in life) or reflection and re-setting (if they are leading you away from what you want in your life). You have the power to choose your philosophy – your purpose and your inspiration.

“Health is a necessity for the duties and the pleasures”. You only get one life – I will ensure my health and fitness helps me to perform my duties to the best of my ability and helps me to enjoy the pleasures in all of their richness.

Easy Ways to Promote your Business

Marketing is the most important investment that you will experience on the road to prosperity for your home based business. You will be devoting your time, your effort and your capital to creating a successful advertising campaign. There will be expenses because your potential customers will not find you unless you advertise. If your marketing budget is small you need to discover inexpensive methods for attracting people to your home business. Is there any way that you can promote your business without getting a second mortgage on your home?

Yes! There are a variety of methods for introducing your home business to potential customers without having to spend a large amount of money. These ideas can be implemented at a small cost if you tackle them one at a time. Depending on your time and budget, pick the best one that will work for you and go with it. Be creative and see if you can come up with other ideas.

1.Business CardsGo down to your local office supply store and invest a few dollars in some blank business cards. Return home, fire up your computer, open Microsoft Paint and create your first advertising tool. Include your home business name, your website address and your contact information. Design a catchy logo for your card. Give them out to everyone you know. Encourage your friends and relatives to pass them out as well. Attach one to all of your correspondence. Be creative and consider other possibilities for circulating your business cards.

2.Bumper StickersGo down to your local print store and get an estimate for designing and printing bumper stickers. They are relatively inexpensive. If the cost is too high, create your own through Microsoft Paint or, if you can afford it, invest in a good software program for developing graphics and text. Include your work from home business name and website address. After you’re done, find a printer who will produce your stickers at a cost you can afford (any friends or family who know someone?). When you have your bumper stickers in hand pass them out to everyone. Put the first one on your own car.

3.T-ShirtsCreate a T-shirt that has your home business name and your website address. If you cannot afford to have it done, develop your own design, print it out on your computer, buy a T-shirt and iron it on. If you have the extra money, create a few for family and friends. Wear your T-shirt everywhere, particularly where you might find your target audience.

4.Free Newspaper AdsThink about the free publications (Nickel Ads, IGA Shopper etc.) that you find at your local supermarkets, convenience stores or fast food restaurants. Get about three of these newspapers and take them home. Sit down and create an advertisement that describes your home business, gives your website address and mentions your contact information. Thumb through these periodicals and look for a section or heading about placing an ad and follow their directions.

5.FlyersTurn on your computer and go into Microsoft Works (or your graphics and text software). Using their templates, create a flyer that has all the essential information about your work from home business. Print out as many as you need and start distributing them. Disperse them in your neighborhood, retail establishments, grocery stores, restaurants, local colleges or anywhere else that you can (legally) advertise your home based business.

6.Word Of MouthThe most powerful (and least expensive) form of advertising is word of mouth. This idea can be better developed after you get the ball rolling for your home business but, it will be the best and cheapest way to market your work from home venture. Once your reputation is established for providing excellent customer service your buyers will spread the good news to friends and family. Provide first rate service to your clients and your free publicity will develop.

Making money online requires a commitment of time, effort and capital for your work from home venture to be successful. You will need to invest your money on advertising for your home business. If your budget is small, these ideas will help elevate your presence for a modest amount. Focus on one or two concepts that will fit into your time, expenses and comfort zone or develop other ideas. The success of your online home enterprise is directly related to the effort that you deliver and the patience that you exhibit. On a small budget, the results may take longer but they will come.

5 steps to start your t-shirt business

Starting a t-shirt business might seem easy and fun, but behind the scene there is a huge arsenal of strategies that one should know if prepared to launch in the business. These 5 quick steps will help you understand some of the basic aspects of starting a company selling custom t-shirt designs.

When deciding to start a business selling t-shirts, you must have some basic information about the clothing industry. You must also have a solid business plan, to ensure profit to your business. Check out successful business brands for tips on how they succeeded, they might be very helpful. You must establish your budget before deciding going too deep into the business. You might have huge plans, but a small budget, so make sure that you have enough resources to fulfill your expectations.

Establishing your brand is definitely one of the most important foundations of your business, so you have to pay a lot of attention at this chapter. Your brand represents your whole image and the way that you are perceived by the customers.

Your brand must have your distinctive personality, must be unique, like you, and a brand that has a strong personality always stands out! Think of a strong name and a tagline to encapsulate your brand in one sentence, to make the crowd know what your business is about.

You have to figure out your goals and your target market to decide what kind of t-shirt designs you will get printed.

You have to do some researches on the internet to see the latest apparel trends, what the t-shirt community asks for. Now, after you have decided what to get printed, you should find a graphic artist. In case you are not a graphic designer yourself, you can find lots of talented designers on freelance sites like www.guru.com, www.elance.com, www.odesk.com or on t-shirt competition sites like DesignByHumans, Teetonic or TeeFury. You can find the style that suits you, by checking the artists past works and hire them.

If you have a lower budget, you can chose the cheapest possibility for your business: purchase royalty free vectors and create your own designs. You can find plenty to chose from here: www.tshirt-factory.com The disadvantage is that the designs will not be unique, but you have to admit that is much cheaper.

You should always keep an eye on the other t-shirt design companies you’ll be competing with. You should check their designs, their pricing and promotions. You should learn from them, not copy them. If they are successful, so can you, but you have to come with fresh ideas in the same old market. Keep track of the successful ones and make sure to price your t-shirts appropriately. Consider the costs incurred in making T-shirts, such as material, printing and marketing.
The blank t-shirts for printing must be achieved from the company that you find most appropriate. This will be your physical product, and your choice will reflect very strongly upon your brand. There are some websites that accept t-shirt designs, and they will print these for you on demand. www.Jakprint.com and www.Storenvy.com are two great printing companies.

There are plenty of different types of t-shirts, but you have to make a decision based on your kind of t-shirt designs and target market. For instance you can go for Tultex, American Apparel, Anvil, Next Level, Alstyle, Bella, BayIsland and many others. The t-shirt thickness should also be important when you chose your blank t-shirt type. The thickness ranges from 120gr to 200gr, and the ideal is 180gr.

Good luck!

Tips that Will Help Your Sign Business

Is your sign shop overwhelmed by information? Try these 6 tips for help.

Your sign making business is unique, and nobody knows it the way you do.

So you need a system in place that you can work with, day by day. And in today’s sign business management, finance means more than just dollars and cents.

Managing your finances properly will do more for your sign making business than just increase your gross profit.

Here are are 6 tips that will enable you to let your finances work even harder for your business:

1.Attract investors. When your finances are in order your business is more appealing to investors, which is particularly important if you are trying to grow or expand your business.
2.Steady cash flow. To better predict what your cash flow will be, offer your customers incentives to get them to pay on time. Having a clearer idea of what is coming in when will help you keep your finances more organized as a whole, and enable you to make smarter choices with the money you have coming in.
3.Buddy up with your accountant. No one has a closer eye on your finances than your accountant, but your eyes should be a close second. Accountants will be the first to spot potential problems and offer effective solutions, but only if you communicate regularly and openly regarding your small business’s finances.
4.Reduce risks. Insuring expensive and important items is a key step to financial security. Don’t underestimate the importance of having insurance for your small business.
5.Get educated. Learn basic accounting. This will help you to spot potential problems, work hand-in-hand with your accountant, and keep your finances more organized.
6.Take a look at Signtracker, an online, cloud based system to help you track your estimates, profits, costs and expenses.

Organize your Small Sign Business

Increased productivity is contingent on keeping your sign business organized. An organized business means less stress for you, more outcome, and more importantly more income. Put these 5 steps into practice to get your small business better organized.

1.Sort your physical mail first thing. This is particularly helpful if you receive large amounts of mail. Make four piles: one of mail to read, one of mail to be filed, one of mail that requires a reply, and one of mail that can be pitched.
2.Clean out your file cabinets and drawers. Rather than cramming in every last scrap of paper, decide what you really need to keep and throw away the rest. Cluttered, overcrowded drawers and cabinets make it easy to lose important information.
3.Clear off your desk. Take away items you don’t need (minus that picture of your family – you do need that) and put them into drawers. Keeping your workspace tidy frees you of unnecessary distractions and promotes productivity.
4.Go digital. Turn any old paper records you can into digital archives. Not only is storing information digitally more space effective, when your information is backed up properly digital storage can be much safer for keeping track of valuable information.
5.Use online calendars that send alerts to your email or phone and can be updated, modified and accessed through any internet access. When you are on the go it is invaluable to have instant access to your calendar. The Google calendar is a free option; there are other pay options you can use to keep your agenda organized.

5 New Year’s Resolutions for Career Success in 2011

Now that the holiday festivities, and holiday hangovers for that matter, have passed, it’s time to gear up for the New Year.

New Year’s resolutions should always be a personal thing, but when it comes to career and business success, here are five general tips that can benefit anyone.

“Those who look outward dream, those who look inward awaken.”

Success always comes from within and it’s up to you to take that hard look in the mirror and really challenge yourself--don’t expect anyone to do it for you. Take some personal time this weekend to sit down at your local coffee shop and really lay out what worked for you in 2010 and what didn’t. Acknowledge the three biggest mistakes you made in 2010, learn from them, and put them behind you. Also, think about the three best moves you made in 2010, embrace them and try to figure out how to replicate them in 2011.

Upgrade Your Top Three Strengths: According to a recent Manpower survey, 84% of employees will be looking to make a change in 2011. This means competition is going to become even more fierce, so it’s up to you to find a way to stand out. The best route to success is taking what you are good at and building on it.

Take time to consider what you really do well and focus your attention there. Identify three core skills that define you and work to enhance these in a way that will catapult you into the top tier of your occupation. Whether it’s more personal practice, formal training, or going back to school, find a way to make the upgrade.

Make Three New Friends: One of my personal rules of thumb has always been to find out who has what you want and get to know them.

Success, particularly in a tough economy, is about relationships. It really is all about who you know, and it’s up to you to get to know them. Ask yourself three questions: Who is doing what you want to do? Who has the knowledge that you need? Who is willing and able to help you get where you want to go? Once you have answered these questions, get out there and start making new friends.

Contribute to Your Field: If you want to stand out in your field, you must first be a player in the game. Employers and clients like working with people who are more than just clock punchers.

One way to gain stature in your field is to contribute to the body of knowledge. Simple ways to gain traction in your industry include doing a presentation at one of your local professional association meetings, writing a white paper, or guest blogging for one of your industry/trade publications. Take some time to think about what you have to offer and find a way to get it out there.

Make a YOU Plan: If there is one New Year’s resolution everyone should make it is to create a YOU plan. The New Year is a great time to step back and reset. Whether you are looking for a job, seeking to make a career change, interested in starting a business, or just want to do a better job of meeting your personal goals, you have to start with a plan. Remember, you can’t get to a destination without a roadmap.

Set three major goals for yourself and work backward; think about what you are going to need to do to reach them. Set a schedule for yourself and check in on a monthly basis to determine if you are in fact moving the ball forward towards your goals. Make sure to hold yourself accountable and don’t be afraid to reach out to someone and make them your accountability partner.

Happy New Year! Make this one count!!!