Weight Loss Secrets

Losing weight is something that seems to be on the minds of many people these days. We have found some weight loss secrets that may get you thinking about how you approach your day. You may have heard about diet pills that help you lose weight while you sleep, or short term diets that will make the fat melt right off. The truth is that you cannot get something for nothing and that old saying “when it seems like it’s too good to be true‚Ķ” never rang as true as it does for losing weight.

So what kind of weight loss secrets is there? Some of the weight loss secrets will change the way you approach your day in small ways that individually do not seem to matter all that much. However, when you put all of them together over the course of a day, a month, or even a year, you will see some very significant results.

An example of a great weight loss secret that may seem so obvious that you will wonder why we even call it a secret is: Walk While You Talk. It is a simple strategy. When your phone rings, stand up as you answer it and pace around the room, the house or the office. We spend a lot of time on our cell phones or on calls to friends and family; if you think about it, most of the time we are seated while talking. If we walked around each time we were on the phone and made it a habit, imagine the extra calories we would burn just by doing something we would have done anyway. Since we move while we get other things done, this sort of sneaky exercise does not even take away from our day.

Another weight loss secret is to Add Spice to Your Life! Put a little zip into your breakfast, a bit of zing into your lunch and watch as the spices help heat up your taste buds and your body’s metabolism. What is the real secret here? You will eat spicy foods slower than non-spicy foods. It takes a little bit of time for your stomach to tell your brain when it is eating and when it is full. The speed in which we typically eat does not give our body the time it needs to send the right messages around, so we tend to overeat. The addition of spice to our foods slows us down, gets our body back in sync with itself, and gives a little kick to our metabolism as well.

A third weight loss secret you could try is: Water, Water Everywhere. Get yourself a good recyclable water bottle and take it with you everywhere you go. Make sure you keep it filled and drink constantly. Most people these days are walking around in a constant state of dehydration which does not allow the body to metabolize the way it needs to, thus making it harder for us to burn calories and lose weight. Water also helps to fill the belly which makes us less likely to snack on that cheesecake.

Lastly, it is also important that you take dietary supplements so you’ll have a support system in losing weight. There are several brands that you can find in the market. One of those is leptoconnect. This is one of the trusted brands that can help you achieve your body goals. 

See? This sort of weight loss secret is the kind that works and they are free. Combine these with a regular healthy diet with plenty of water and exercise, and these small changes in our day-to-day lives can assist us in getting the weight off and helping it stay off.

Weight Loss Success Eating Fat

Through my adult life, I have struggled with weight problems, and with finding ways to regain control of my weight. My gradual weight gain started when I left school and settled into a 9 to 5 work schedule, and I could never quite understand why I was gaining so much weight. I did not change my eating habits, and I stayed very active, more physically active than most people, yet I could not stop my weight from steadily going up. Frustrated, I have tried many different weight loss approaches, from low fat diets, to calorie counting and even going vegan for a period. None of them worked, the more I exercise, the more food I seem to crave, calorie restriction leaves me feeling like I have no energy and I constantly have to battle my own strong urges to eat more food.

While all these different diets failed, I grew more and more frustrated with my own lack of self discipline and willpower, something that puzzled me a great deal since in most other aspects of my life, my self discipline and willpower are very strong. I was wondering why my body and mind felt so terrible if I was trying to eat healthy, and could not understand why my body was craving more, when I supposedly was giving it the best possible foods already.

The turning point in my long history of diet failures came from a newspaper article about an extraordinary man that had lost 100 pounds while eating nothing but meat and oils. As I read his story, I recognized many of the same patterns that I had experienced in my own weight battle and I was inspired to read more about his theories and method. The man was Sven Sture Skaldman, a Swedish writer who had just released his personal journey of defying all conventional nutritional wisdom, and in the process regained his health.

The basic theory behind his weight loss was a low carb diet, but having never heard of that philosophy, I was stunned and shocked when I read what kind of meals he recommended. Eggs, bacon, steak, as much as you want, covered in as much butter as you can handle. All the foods that I secretly loved, and always felt that I should not eat. Not only were they allowed on Skaldmans diet plan, they were encouraged!

According to the theory, people of Scandinavian decent like myself, are particularly well suited to convert fat in the food to body heat, compelling stories about the typical Inuit diet of nothing but seal meat, and firm rebuttals of most of the things you hear about the dangers of eating fat had me convinced. I would give the diet a shot.

As I started the diet, midway through the first day, I got a terrible headache. The kind of headaches I had gotten before when I hadn’t eaten in too long and my blood sugar level fell too low. A couple of days later, I felt like I had gotten a pretty harsh flu, and my stomach started acting up something awful. Had I not discovered a very helpful website with low carb information, I would certainly have ditched the diet after such a disastrous start. Reading that the symptoms I had were normal reactions when switching the body from running on sugar to burning fat for energy made it easier to stick with the plan. That the food I was eating was very satisfying and I never had to go hungry was also a big help, but most of all, seeing that I had lost 8 pounds in the first week made me start to wonder if the absurd notion that eating as much fat as you can will make you lose weight was true.

As I get better at understanding my own body and how it reacts to different foods, I find it easier and easier to lose weight and stay happy on my diet. When I first started out, I ended up eating bacon and eggs or an omelet for virtually every meal. Of course, I grew tiered of eggs and bacon under such overexposure. At a point, I started skipping meals because I did not want to eat eggs. The way out of the food rut, was once again through the experiences of other low carb dieters on the internet. As I read more about what nutrients are in foods, I started to gain a better understanding of how I could expand what I ate, and still keep to the effective diet I was on. I started adding some vegetables carefully, eventually starting to eat home made salads for many meals, salads that are more than a little heavy on cheese cubes, salami, bacon bits, hard boiled eggs, olives, avocados and more, and always with plenty of oil based dressing. Adding different foods made the diet a lot easier as I was getting fed up of all my meals being fried, and always seeming to include fried eggs in some form.

As I expanded my awareness of food, I started adding more fish and certain vegetables to my diet, using low carb principles I’ve been able to eat more varied than ever before, the few foods I miss are well worth the extraordinary benefits I’ve experienced, including losing over 30 pounds as well as many other positive affects on my health. The best part is I am doing it all without having to ever go hungry or feel guilty about wanting to eat. By replacing sugar as my main source of energy by fat, I am well on my way to regain a normal weight.

To support your diet, it is advisable to take weight loss supplement. Products like leptoconnect will help you to sustain your diet. This is also made from natural ingredients so you don’t have to worry about is effects on your body.

As it turns out, the low carb principles are not without controversy, and some suggest that not eating carbs is unhealthy. I have no medical credentials, but I go by my own personal experiences when I say that a low carb diet is the right diet for me. I believe that the positive health benefits I am experiencing, the effortless weight loss and my overall feeling of great wellbeing, is a lot healthier than the desperate hunger strikes I have attempted earlier. For me, low carb is the way I want to live.

Possible ways to vent a Portable Air Conditioner without a window

Portable air conditioners are the systems that are helpful in cooling down any room in your house or business. These ACs are similar to window air conditioning units as both are self-contained systems created to cool a room. Both systems require ventilation to work efficiently. The biggest advantage of portable air conditioners is that they can be used in a room with or without windows. There is no doubt that windows are important to deal with the exhaust air released from the systems, but there can be ways to ventilate the portable ACs without windows. To know more about air conditioning units, you can check out the blaux portable ac reviews.

Venting a portable air conditioner in your home can be done through various ways which are as follows:

  • Through a door

The portable air conditioners are designed in a way that warm air needs to go somewhere, which is ideally outdoors. It totally depends on where the unit is installed as if it is a living room, which is in the middle of the home, and then door ventilation isn’t an option. The best way to vent a portable air conditioner is through a door with sliding doors. Some ACs has kits built for a sliding door especially that allows venting the hot air outdoors.  

  • Through the ceiling

Another option for venting a portable air conditioner is through the ceiling. If you have drop ceilings in your room or house, then a portable AC unit can be used. You can arrange an exhaust vent to go with the drop ceiling tile, but it causes trouble sometimes. Getting a ceiling vent kit is the best suitable option. Running a portable air conditioner vent through the ceiling is a good option and is easy to install. All you need to do is make a hole in the ceiling and ensure that the hole is of accurate size and is neat. Move the tube through the hole, which is created in the ceiling and add a sealant to keep the pipe firmly.

  • Through a wall

The last option for sending the hot exhaust air from your air conditioning unit is most drastic. This option is installing a vent in the way of your home or business, which is also a permanent solution for the portable air conditioning systems. Venting through a wall can be done by the home itself, or you can hire a professional. But before this, you need to think if you are okay with putting a hole in the wall of your room. Cutting a whole can be easy, and all you need is plumbing, wiring, and studs. You also need to consider the things that are outside the wall.

Conclusion

No doubt, portable conditioning systems are great and a perfect solution for cooling your home or business. If you don’t have any window for ventilating the hot exhaust air out, then there are some amazing options mentioned above. You can know them thoroughly and can vent your portable air conditioners through any of them.

Eating Well for Optimum Health and Weight Loss

Weight loss has proven to be the hardest battle women will ever have to undertake in there lives. We live each day counting the calories in the small, tasteless portions of food we consume. While endlessly counting the minutes in between breakfast and lunch. Our grumbling tummies telling us we want to eat, we need to eat. We live out our days focused on having our small portion of cereal and juice in the mornings and forcing down the Lean Cuisine meal at lunchtime. While craving a cheeseburger and fries every moment, but knowing we shouldn’t have it. Sometimes we get lucky and stick to this starvation diet plan for a few days and lose a couple of pounds. But then we revert right back to our old way of eating, which now is even worse since we’ve denied ourselves for a few days. And not surprisingly, we gain it all right back, plus more. Since we stuff our stomachs with all those cheeseburgers, fries, chocolate cake and sodas we’ve been denied. It’s an endless, vicious cycle that never ends. But dieting really doesn’t have to be this circle we’ve been traveling around forever. Not if we use our heads and make some wise and informed choices when choosing what to eat everyday.

We first need to realize that starvation diets don’t work. Especially if your body has gotten use to being stuffed full of food every single day. You’re body will realize when it’s being deprived and it will go into starvation mode. Meaning it hordes every single calorie you consume, making it extremely difficult, if not impossible to lose weight. The sensible way to lose weight is by making wise and informed food choices. Skipping breakfast is also never the answer to losing weight. This can slow your metabolism and cause your body to store excess fat and lead you to eat more throughout the day. You should always make the most of everyday by starting it out with a healthy, substantial breakfast consisting of whole grains and lean proteins.

Some quick and healthy options would be whole grain waffles with a small amount of maple syrup and orange juice. Or, 3 egg whites scrambled with a small amount of reduced fat cheese and sliced scallions. A slice of whole grain toast and 1 cup of orange juice. Or make your own low fat and calorie sausage mcmuffin by adding a Morningstar sausage patty and a slice of low fat cheese to a Light Fiber One English Muffin. Cereals are also excellent breakfast foods when trying to lose weight. Just make sure that it’s low fat and high fiber like Fiber One with 1 cup of no fat milk and 2 cups of fruit slices. Always strive for at least 1 serving of fruit in the mornings and you might also want to consider adding a multivitamin to your daily routine for optimal health benefits. You may also consider adding lose weight and dietary supplements for your general diet. One of the best products that you can buy is leptoconnect. To help you get to know more about this brand, check these leptoconnect real reviews.

Adding water rich foods to your diet can also help you lose that extra weight. Almost all veggies will fit this bill, just make sure and include them in your daily lunch menu everyday. Some healthy examples of these foods would be 3 ounces of canned tuna packed in water, 2 tablespoons light mayo and 1 teaspoon of pickle relish on whole grain bread with lettuce and tomato. Or; 2 cups baby spinach, 2/3 cups of chick peas, 3 ounces of light tuna in water, 6 cherry tomatoes and 2 teaspoons of a light vinaigrette dressing. For the optimum health benefits drizzle your daily veggies or pasta with 2 teaspoons of healthy oils everyday for an added dose of vitamin E and essential fatty acids. Sushi is also a delicious, water rich food to add to your diet. Of course the best part of your new way of eating, besides the health benefits; are the deserts and snacks you can eat without feeling guilty.

With this new eating plan you can indulge in the treat and leave the guilt behind choosing foods that are low in fat and calories. Satisfy your sweet tooth with low calorie, portion controlled selections like low fat muffins, dried fruits, delicious or ice cold fruit bars. For those with a chronic sweet tooth there’s Hostess 100 calorie snack packs in a variety of different flavors. Raisins and sorbets are also very good snack choices. You could also consider good for you foods like fat free yogurts, fresh fruits or fruit salads, baked tortilla chips with salsa or air popped popcorn. These are all excellent, healthy options for snacking. On your new healthy eating plan its ok to snack through out the day if you make sure the foods you choose are low in fat and calories. Eating well and healthy doesn’t have to break the bank or make you feel deprived. As long as you choose delicious, vitamin rich, healthy foods which will satisfy your hunger while helping you to take off the extra weight.

July 4th on Lake Minnetonka

Since living in the US, July 4th has become one of my favorite holidays. I love the atmosphere, the camaraderie (which, as a Brit, both amuses and delights me to be a part of), and the firecracker celebrations that you can fp3 online kaufen. I first experienced the Independence Day celebrations over the Charles River in Boston in 1993. Now I am treated with the parties of Lake Minnetonka each year. Below are my 3 highlights from 2010 which I am excited to revisit this year.

  1. The Firecracker Run (10K), Excelsior, MN.

My first 10K since returning to running a few months earlier. In fact, it was my first race ever in the US. Although I tried to treat it as a simple training run in preparation for my August half-marathon, the nerves still got the better of me and kept me awake the night before! It was the perfect race to re-start my running craze though – a small, local affair; a beautiful course and enough of a crowd to keep up the motivation. Although being July 4th, the weather conditions were not ideal for running – we began in rain and finished in high heat and humidity. My target was to finish the race in under 1 hour – a chip time of 57:11 left me comfortably inside that. I was all pumped up ready to begin the July 4th celebrations on a high!

Click here to register

  1. The kids’ red, white, and blue bike parade.

Many children, my own included, like to parade their bikes, spruced up with red, white, and blue to honor this special day. I met my family as I traveled back from the race. Proudly wearing my newly earned race shirt, still pink-faced, with achy legs, high on endorphins. Their enthusiasm and excitement paralleled my own as they set off (at speed) with their friends and neighbors to parade their creations past local residents who obligingly cheered as they cycled by. The cheers were as enthusiastic on the fifth lap as they had been on the first! Now we were all pumped up ready to bring on the fireworks!

  1. Excelsior Firecracker display.

Following a traditional Minnesota grill gathering with friends, we loaded two families onto the boat. Each one of us as excited as the next for our first experience of the firework display from the water. Sharing drinks and appetizers, we gently made our way over to a suitable spot to anchor up in anticipation of the show. We watched and waited as other boats gradually made their way over, filling the bay with families, party-goers, couples; anyone who wanted to share this moment from the lake. Occasional mini-displays nearby whet the appetite prior to the main event. Around 10 pm, The Excelsior Commons fireworks began and the sky really began to sparkle. The calm waters lit up with each explosion treating revelers to a 360-degree display culminating in a mass of color and bangs. The lake sprang back into life as the hundreds of boats left the bay, their occupants enjoying the balmy evening and a night-cap as they journeyed back to the empty docks. The children cuddled up under hoodies and blankets, snuggled into the warmth of their parents as their eyelids grew heavier, drawing a close to the drama of July 4th, 2010.

Hotel Review: Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel and Convention Center in Los Angeles

My husband has always wanted to go to Universal Studios with me so for President’s Day weekend he bought the Universal Studios Package from Palma transfers. The package came with one-night deluxe accommodations at the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel and Convention Center in Burbank, CA with a choice of one king-sized bed or two double beds, two tickets to Universal Studios, and a breakfast for two at the Daily Grill which is conveniently located at the first floor of the hotel. The package was around $270.

We called Marriott and asked for more information about the package and we were told from the beginning that the hotel was under renovation so if we decided to cancel that would be fine. Of course, we didn’t. They were only doing renovations at the lobby and the pool area so that didn’t make any difference at all. Plus it was too cold to get in the pool anyway. So we headed up to Burbank.

The hotel was conveniently located right next to the Bob Hope Airport in Burbank. There are also fast foods and restaurants around the place close-by. There’s even a Fry’s a couple of blocks away from the hotel. Universal Studios is actually five to six miles away from the hotel. Hollywood is only seven to eight miles away and Beverly Hills is about eight to nine miles away from the hotel. So like I said, the location is perfect.

When we arrived at the hotel we were welcomed by the receptionist and was checked in immediately into our room. They confirmed the reservations and told us that they will have the tickets to Univeral Studios delivered to our room. We headed to our room and it was very nice. Well, I was expecting it to be nice since we were paying almost $300 for the package.

Hotel Amenities(from www.Marriott.com)

  • Flat-panel television
  • Spacious deck
  • High-speed internet (for a fee)
  • Dual-line telephone with voicemail and speaker
  • Iron and Ironing board
  • Spacious bathtub
  • Hairdryer
  • Air conditioning
  • Coffee maker
  • Luxury Bedding – Custom comforter and custom pillow of your choice (down/feather or foam)

Like I mentioned above the hotel has a pool and spa on the first floor and a restaurant called the Daily Grill. The hotel also has a coffee shop that brews Starbucks Coffee, for the coffee lovers, and a gift shop right next to it.

Our experience with the hotel is great. Even with the renovations going on, the hotel was still perfect. We didn’t hear any noise whatsoever and the bed was very comfortable. We had breakfast at the Daily Grill the next day which was taken care of. The hospitality was great. The manager even checked up on us while we were waiting for our breakfast.

Yes, it was a bit pricey but it was a nice weekend getaway. The hotel is located at 2500 Hollywood Way Burbank, CA 91505. You can reach them at (818) 843-6000 or you can find out more information about the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel and Convention Center or other Marriott hotels at www.Marriott.com.

How to Cool Your House Without Air Conditioning

Air conditioning is a monthly expense and even more so if you don’t have a home with an air conditioning system already installed. Many folks enjoy working around air conditioning and cooling the house without it. Basically the idea of cooling your house without air conditioning is accomplished by minimizing heat sources and removing built up heat. Heat can be stifling and drain energy, leaving family members listless and grouchy. Excessive heat can cause heat exhaustion and affect blood pressure. Not only does a cooler house promote family health and happiness, but cooling without air conditioning is a great way to save money.

Here are a few helpful tips to accomplish this:

1) Insulate your attic. This will cut down on the transfer of heat through the walls and roof. This will give you the greatest change in comfort for the least expense. Even if you don’t think the attic affects the rest of the house, it does by collecting heat from inside and out and holding it in the house.

2) Another attic tip is to install a foil radiant barrier in the attic under the roof rafters.

3) Install heat reflecting film on all the windows that face the sun. This will reduce glare, and furniture damage caused by the sun, as well as helping keep out the heat. Mid afternoon sun can heat a house up several degrees that can take hours to dissipate.

4) Pull drapes and shades. Add overheads, latticework, awnings, and shelters to prevent sunlight from streaming through the windows, this reduces the heat gain within the house.

5) Plant trees, large bushes, and vines which will provide shade and cooling evaporation in the future. This will also help direct cooling breezes if you plant correctly.

6) Be sure to keep an eye on the temperature, inside and out, open windows and doors to let in cooler air when the temperature is lower outside, make sure to close them when it gets warmer outside as well as the drapes or blinds.

7) Use portable and ceiling fans to circulate air throughout the home. Moving air feels cooler than still air.

8) Reduce indoor humidity, avoid mid day laundry chores, showering and cooking. All of these cause moist warm air which can make the house feel warmer than it is. If you have to do any of these things make sure to have a fan running in that area, or even a dehumidifier.

9) Keep all heat generating appliances and lights turned off unless you absolutely need them. This includes the stove and oven, high wattage bulbs, and electrical appliance, the television and stereo.

Everyone wants their home to be comfortable, warm enough when it is cold outside and refreshingly cool when it is hot outside. Your climate is important in deciding how to handle the temperature of your home.

Keeping your home cool is definitely important if you live in a place with high humidity or extremely hot summers, if you live in a more moderate climate keeping cool without air conditioning can be accomplished much more easily. If you have tried all the tips above and the house is still too hot, then it is time to start shopping for air conditioning products.

There’s nothing like cool air conditioned air during peak summers to keep your insides cool and calm where the merciless heat outside can drain the very life out of you through dehydration but thankfully there are blaux portable ac reviews online to look forward to and get an AC at the earliest.

My Amazing Weight Loss Experiment

We’ve all heard the claims, and many of us have tried the different weight loss products that are available. Turn on your TV at any given time and you are bound to see the commercials. “Lose 5 pounds in 5 days, Lose 10 inches in 10 weeks,” and so on and so forth.

There is one thing that all these weight loss products have in common. They all state that the claimed results can only be accomplished along with diet and exercise. This got me thinking. You can lose weight taking or doing anything if it’s combined with diet and exercise.

I decided to perform an experiment. For six months I would try various “products” of my own invention along with diet and exercise to see if I could achieve my goal of losing weight. The results were nothing short of astonishing. You can in fact lose weight doing or taking almost anything imaginable along with diet and exercise.

Month One Product: Slapping myself in the face

For the first month of my experiment, I slapped myself once in the morning and once at night along with diet and exercise. The first few weeks of slapping myself was a bit difficult, but by week three I was slapping myself with no problem. For my diet, I ate nothing but vegetables and turkey. For my exercise, I walked an hour a a day. Amazingly, after one month of slapping myself in the face along with diet and exercise, I lost three pounds. Not too shabby.

Month Two Product: Licking DVD’s

For month two of my experiment, I picked out two DVD’s from my collection to lick. One would be licked in the morning and one at night. For my morning DVD I chose Fight Club since I thought it would might add a little extra kick to my day. For my night DVD I chose Citizen Kane for no apparent reason. I would make sure that the DVD’s were clean and then I would swipe my tongue across the shiny part of the DVD one time for each session. I chose the Atkins diet and ate nothing but steak and eggs along with walking one hour a day. The DVD licking method along with diet and exercise helped me lose two pounds. Not that great.

Month Three Product: Watching Grey’s Anatomy

For month three, I would watch a recorded rerun of Grey’s Anatomy in the morning and the week’s new episode at night along with diet and exercise. As part of the Grey’s Anatomy plan, I ate nothing but salads and fish and walked one hour a day. I’m not sure if it was the calorie burning quality of watching doctors do it or the excitement of all the hot babes, but I lost an amazing five pounds in one month by watching Grey’s Anatomy along with diet and exercise. On top of that, I also considered taking leptoconnect to support my diet and system. This product is really helpful and effective. Apart from that, it is also healthy as it is made from natural ingredients.

Month Four Product: Carrying a Rock in my Pocket

Month four was a little difficult. Not all of my clothes have pockets so I had to actually buy new clothes for this part of the experiment. Once I was prepared, I placed a rock which was chosen at random and placed it my pocket. I switched pockets in the morning and at night. Along with carrying the rock, I ate a low fat, low sugar diet and again walked one hour a day. Maybe it was the extra weight of the rock causing me to burn more calories, but I lost four pounds by carrying a rock in my pocket along with diet and exercise.

Month Five Product: Pouring Water on my Head

Month five was the most excruciating part of this experiment. Every morning and night I asked my wife to pour exactly 20 ounces of water over my head. For my diet I ate leafy greens and tofu and walked one hour a day. Amazingly, I lost seven pounds by pouring water over my head along with diet and exercise. I must say that by month five I was feeling much better health wise and had much more energy.

Month Six Product: Staring at a Vacuum Cleaner

For the sixth and final month of the experiment, I stared at my vacuum cleaner for ten minutes every morning and night. I would stare really hard to help burn calories. Along with staring at my vacuum, I ate nothing but wheat bread chicken sandwiches and walked one hour a day. Staring at my vacuum cleaner helped me lose three and a half pounds. Who would have thought that such a mundane activity would have such a profound impact on my body.

What I Learned:

At the end of my experiment, it became truly obvious that a human being could lose weight using any of the weight loss and diet products that are on the market today as long as they followed all of the directions. But then again, that same person could save some money and just slap themselves too.

Choosing a Sewing Machine

My first sewing machine was from a door to door salesman. Actually, I don’t remember how we connected, but this was what the experience felt like. I didn’t know much about sewing machines, and he was there with one. It was heavy and awkward. I did use it for quite a long time, but not very enthusiastically.

When I was ready to look for a new machine, there was a quilt shop going out of business. The brand I bought is a well-known, reputable company. It had a lot of features I was looking for, and the price, even on sale, reflected that. One feature it did not have, was being able to embroider designs in a frame. Fortunately, I was happy with the machine (no way could I take it back to a shop going out of business.). I didn’t have any problems or need any repairs. For the selection of the right sewing machine, a registration should be done at http://sewingmachinebuffs.com/best-sewing-machine-for-quilting/ site. The purchasing through the person will be effective without any additional repairing cost. The life of the product will be long in comparison to the others. 

After I was retired, and had saved some money, I decided to investigate embroidery machines. I did not want to spend another small fortune. I found what I wanted online by a reputable company for a reasonable cost. Yes, I had to read and understand the manual, but I learned how the machine worked, and wasn’t afraid of it.

There are several things to consider when you’re thinking about buying a machine. Brand, cost, features, repairs by a reputable/brand dealer or repair person, what you want to accomplish with the machine, and where you’ll use it.

Brand:

Talk to sewing friends who have different brands and kinds of sewing machines. Ask about different features, things they like about their machine, and things they don’t. How long have they had the machine, and how often have they had to have it repaired? Just because a TV personality uses a certain brand or kind of a machine, does not mean it’s the ultimate machine to have.

Cost:

Go online to compare brands, features, and cost. Do you have a trade-in? If you go to a store, whether it’s an independent dealer or a chain, ask if they will give you something for your “old” machine. You might consider keeping it anyway as a back-up. Tell the clerk you’re shopping, and not in a rush to buy, even if there’s a ” limited time offer”. This is an investment. Ask if there are classes included with the purchase. Price will determine what features are available on the machine. YOU need to determine what features you’ll use and will benefit you.

Optional equipment:

Unless you’re an avid seamstress/sewer, you don’t need some of the available tools you can get to go with your machine. Try it out with what comes with it. You can purchase options later.

Features:

Think what you want the machine to do for you. An automatic threader is wonderful, as is a thread cutter. They’re not necessary, but great features. How hard/simple is the machine to thread and wind the bobbin? Can you lower the feed-dogs? If you’re interested in embroidery as well as sewing, can the machine do both, and what size is the frame? How heavy is the machine? Do you need special bobbins? Ask to review the manual and see if it’s relatively easy to understand.

Repairs:

Is there someone you trust to work on your machine, and who will explain problems and solutions to you? What and how do they charge?

Use:

Some people use their machines on a daily basis. Others use them maybe once a month. However often you use one, you should be comfortable and confident when you do. Take time to read instructions, the manual, and warranties. You’ll enjoy your machine much more if you do.

Facebook, Twitter Lend Hand to Japanese Survivors

With the tech-savvy country of Japan facing the threat of nuclear meltdown amid the recent earthquake and tsunami that hit the country, many are turning to different routes to learn of news of their loved ones. Take college student Akiko Kosaka of Minamisanriku, who frantically searched online for news of her family.

First she received word her youngest sister was likely safe at school. Then, via a link sent to her from a Japanese social network, Kosaka saw a YouTube video featuring her sister holding a sign declaring “we are all safe” from a balcony at the family’s home.

Kosaka, a Japanese student currently studying English at the University of California at Riverside, is relieved at the news, as are the countless others who have gotten word from relatives. At a time of great crisis, with death tolls mounting and threats of a nuclear meltdown never ending, the world has turned to social networking sites such as Twitter, YouTube and Facebook for the latest news. Google has also stepped in, launching a “People Finder” service, allowing people to both search for loved ones as well as upload information. The site, accessible in multiple languages, already had the information of 45,600 people by Saturday morning.

On Twitter, concerned citizens posted information on shelters taking in survivors, train schedules and tsunami alerts. Facebook users posted information on where to donate funds to relief efforts and organizations, while many survivors able to access the Internet have used the site’s messaging system to send word. This isn’t the first time social networking has helped aid those in natural disasters- last year’s events in Haiti and Chile also saw the same kind of actions to provide word and relief.

This is the way we should use social networking sites. Instead of negative activities, why not use these platforms for a good cause. Social media is a powerful tool, it is in our hands on how we will use it. We can getfans and support a particular cause.

Talk about convenient- being able to send messages knowing they’ll get them, and knowing someone will know you’re safe. At a time of great technological advancement that one might first see as purely entertainment, it’s definitely inspirational to see what these outlets can be used for. No longer is Twitter merely a source for status updates and hash tags; Facebook is more than a source for vacation photos and baby pictures. For those in Japan fortunate enough to have Internet access, they can send word of their safety, as well as find out where to go for safety, food and shelter. At a time when people definitely need it most, help is not only available — it is plentiful.