The days are getting longer. The sun is shining brightly. The world feels good to itself. So, how come you should be giving thought to buying that new fireplace?

Well, in reality the spring or summer is actually the best time to buy a new fireplace or fireplace surround. The reason being that fireplaces can actually be a little trickier then they first appear. Let me explain.

In the old days it used to be the case that you had very little choice in fireplaces. Before the big DIY superstores if you wanted an original design that wasn’t simply brickwork, or a glorified chimney, you would often have to travel large distances to find very niche (and expensive) specialist shops that could hand design a great fireplace for you.

The good news is that those days are long gone, and that whilst the expensive ‘design it yourself’ route will always be open to anyone that fancies themselves as a budding fireplace designer. There really is no need. Instead you can go to a plethora of locations and you will be able to find a bewildering array of options.

Here in lies the first of our ‘problems’, and a good starting point as to why the summer is actually a great time to go shopping for a new fireplace.

All that choice is confusing and time consuming!

You could literally spend months camped out in your local DIY store (ok. maybe not months. But you get my point;)) and still not exhaust the array of choice they have.

So you really need to allocate a lot more time to your purchase from that standpoint then it may at first appear. You need to start by honing in on the style of fireplace that you are ideally looking for, as well as deciding on whether you want an electric, gas or natural fire. As deciding on each of these can make a fundamental difference in the options that you have available to you when it comes to choosing your fireplace.

The second reason why it is better to start earlier to shop for that fireplace is because getting it fitted may well take longer than you expect. You see, the job really is only half done when you choose exactly what type of fireplace you want. Then comes the technical part of actually getting it assembled and installed at your home.

Now, if you are really ‘handy’ you could do this yourself. But fires are dangerous, and things like gas leaks can kill you very quickly if you get it wrong. So you really need to get a trained professional to do it. Ok. Good so far. The only problem is that these guys (apologies to the ladies – but most of these folk are men!) are in high demand. So getting one to fit the fire may take several weeks or a month.

Now, that’s no problem in the summer. Because it’s warm. But try being without a fire in the winter for a month. And THEN see how good you feel by the time your fire fitter gets there.

Not very I would hasten to guess!

So, in conclusion, get it handled now. Take a leisurely pace. Sort out the style and type of fire you want, and take it from there whilst its still warm enough to make it a pleasant undertaking.

People advertise extreme sport events and courses like it’s something safe and cool you want to do. Ha! But it’s not! It’s not like learning to play chess or watching a cool movie, not at all.

Here is why:

1. You can get injured or die.

It may sound very convincing that the rate of people who die in car accidents is higher than the rate of those who die from parachute jump. But no matter what stats they show you, the truth is one – you can die or at least get seriously injured when practicing extreme sports. It happens all the time.

And you know of course, those who don’t do such stupid things live forever.

2. It will cost you money.

Every extreme sport requires some equipment. For some sports like skateboarding it’s cheaper, for some like scuba diving it’s more expensive – but without exception, practicing extreme sports will cost some of your hard earned money.

Isn’t it much better idea to spend your money on fashion branded t-shirts or cool tech gadgets?

3. It takes time.

More often than not practicing an extreme sport requires you to go to a special place somewhere (water, mountain, hill). It takes time to get there, it takes time to practice, it takes time to get back home, it takes time to take rest. Sometimes the extreme sport can occupy all your free time.

Isn’t this sad? You could use this time for such great activities like playing video games instead.

4. Your career may suffer.

The extreme sport will not only occupy your time – it will occupy your brain too. You will think about it, about the good time, about the next good time you’ll do it. This often kills motivation at work and makes you only wait till the end of the work day.

It’s so much better to be a good employee, grow in career and get good stable salary!

5. You may fall in love.

There are two ways you may fall in love – first, you may, and most probably will, fall in love with the extreme sport you are doing. This is so bad because of the reason already mentioned. Second, you may fall in love with some of your partners, a trainer or instructor.

What an uncomfortable situation, it’s much better to stay in your comfort zone and avoid falling in love with crazy things.

6. You will feel bad at the times when you can’t practice.

You’ll miss your extreme sport when you are at work, when you are far away from appropriate place, when you have no time or money, when the weather is not good… You’ll miss it all the time. And missing something hurts, believe me.

Life is a lot more painless when you have nothing to miss and nothing to lose, isn’t it?

7. Your old friends will think you are crazy.

I bet they will. Imagine how they’ll look at you when you tell them you won’t join the Friday party because you have to raise up early and go to skydive. They’ll think you’re fool. Many of them will be bored when you excited tell them about your latest achievement in mountain biking. Some will even feel bad when you become more fit as a result of the extreme sport.

And just think a minute about the moment when you get some injury. “I told you so, I told you so!”.

8. You will lose interest in some regular activities

Practicing an extreme sport will brainwash you so much that you may stop being interested in some regular activities you enjoy now. It’s not just work. You will stop being interested in cool things like watching TV shows, playing video games, and even doing funny tests in Facebook.

Can you imagine this? Horrible!

Some people believe that when the weather starts getting colder and the leaves start to fall, it is time to put away the gardening tools and wait until next spring to work on their garden again. Wrong.

Winter is an important time to maintain your garden’s health and assure yourself a good crop for next year. You may think that might take too long to prepare your garden, but the truth is that it takes less than one day to prepare your garden for the upcoming winter. When the nighttime temperatures drop to less than forty-five degrees Fahrenheit for more than four days in a row, or frost is forecast for your area (usually around late October or November) you know its time to begin preparing your garden. You should begin by evaluating your garden design, check which plants grew well in the past season, and which plants did not do well.

Fall is a good time to decide which plants will remain in you garden next year, and which ones should go. It is also a good time to decide which new plants you want to grow. To make your garden more colorful and healthy, be sure only to plant the more hardy plants during the fall so that they can withstand the winter.

Some plants that will do fine being planted in fall are: rudbeckia, Aster Novi-belgii, Anemone Japonica, panicle hyandea, endive, escarole, and Brussels sprouts. You can find all of these and more in gardening magazines or your local nursery. After you have finished this you should begin cleaning up your garden. Begin by pulling out weeds that may have cropped up, and raking fallen leaves. Weeds and rotten leaves can carry insects and diseases that might be harmful to your garden. You should also rid your garden of spent annual plants, and harvest your vegetables and other plants that cannot withstand the winter weather.

After fall has come and gone, the leaves will be off your trees and you can see the rotten branches. Trimming off the unwanted branches from your trees isn’t necessary to your gardens health, but may help later on by not dropping branches on your plants and not blocking too much of the sun. If you have younger trees you should consider wrapping them and supporting them with stakes to help them survive the winter wind and cold.

Putting mulch over your garden for the winter can be a helpful way to protect plants from sudden temperature changes and heavy snow. For mulch you can use about five inches of shredded bark, pine needles, or a variety of other materials. You have to be careful not to mulch too early, because some insects may still be alive and able to take shelter in it for the winter.

Once you are finished with your gardening tools you should clean them and make sure they are in a safe place where they won’t rust and you know where they’ll be for next year. Before winter comes you should always set out slug repellent, as slugs are one of the worst bugs to have in your garden. If you have a pool or fountain in your garden, be sure to take out any fish that you have in them and bring them inside. There’s nothing sadder than a fish frozen in a block of ice.

One cannot ask why bad things happen to good people without also feeling the same tinge of injustice when we contemplate why good things happen to bad people. This is the question that anguished the Psalmist. He found himself in terrible distress and agony of soul. He says, “My feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold.”

The Psalmist was experiencing a very old problem; one that is still with us today. He had begun to observe the prosperity of the wicked. He began to notice that the ungodly, the unregenerate, the un-repented people; those who had no need for God, who did not acknowledge God or believe in God; who did their own thing, lived for themselves, behaved as they pleased, seemed to be having a good time in this world. The unbelievers who made and lived by their own rules, played their own songs, and danced to their own music was enjoying all the wealth and pleasures of the world, whereas he himself, a godly man, was having a very difficult and hard time. He laments, “They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills.” Nothing seemed to go wrong with the ungodly. It seemed as if by some special privilege they were exempt from the strains and struggles of daily living. They are always enjoying prosperity. But as for himself, he says, “Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning.”

The Psalmist wondered why he was having so many problems and so much trouble in his life, while the ungodly were having none. So he began to think about it and ponder it until it became an obsession. He was on the verge of saying what many of us find ourselves asking, is there anything in religion? Is there any point in trying to live the Christian life? Is it worthwhile trying to live right and do right and walk right? Is there any purpose in trying to live the godly life?

The Psalmist, like all of us, was tempted by the Evil One. Satan wants us to reject Christ and all that He stands for. Envy is his deceptive tool which he uses to draw us away from the godly life. To envy is to desire what you do not have. It may be wealth, talent, good looks, intelligence, youthfulness and a thousand other things. Envy makes us mean and evil toward the ones we envy.

Matthew tells us that it was out of envy that the people handed Jesus over to Pilate and demanded that He be crucified. Jesus said envy comes from within and makes a person unclean. Paul said, love does not envy and those who envy will not inherit the kingdom of God. Paul told Titus (and us) “we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.” But when we found salvation; when we experienced the love of God our Savior, when we experienced His mercy and forgiveness, rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, all those old things passed away and all things became new. Envy passed away and was replaced by the love of God in Jesus Christ. James tells us, “If you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.”

If you find yourself experiencing feelings of envy, stop and do some serious self-talk. This is what the Psalmist did. He found himself on the slippery slopes of envy, but he began to talk to himself. He did not say a word to anybody but to himself he said, “Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.” The psalmist was saved from an awkward position. He was slipping to Satan’s strategy but he talked to himself. He told himself, “Now if I say this – if I tell how I feel, I will offend the children of God.” So he took a stand. He could not understand, so he took a stand on what he knew to be right. This held him firm and kept him from falling away from the faith.

There are many times when we do not understand what is happening to us; when we do not understand our experiences; when we do not understand how providence works. But, if we will just take a stand on what we know to be right, it will keep us from falling.

The Psalmist continues and states that when “entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. He began to understand that there was no need for him to be envious of the prosperity of the wicked because their prosperity is in reality but an illusion. He began to understand that the ancient deceiver had played tricks with his vision and used slight of hand to distract him from the reality of God.

But after entering the sanctuary, the Psalmist realized that prosperity is but an image, a fashion show of what is to pass away; like a pleasant dream that pleases us only for a little while – while we are asleep – but when we awaken, we discover it was not real. The psalmist then admonishes himself for his own stupidity. He said, “I was senseless and ignorant” to envy the wicked; to be jealous of the perishing. His thoughts then returned to his own happiness in God when he realized how much more he had in the Creator.

We need not concern ourselves when good things happen to bad people. We keep our focus on God, our Creator.

Scriptural Reference: Psalms 73.

Sidebar Quote: Hatred is active, and ENVY passive dislike; there is but one step from ENVY to hate. Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

It being at year’s end, this is a good time to examine your own circumstances, be they business or personal. On the business front, examine your business’ performance thus far. How is the business performing? is it on task? is it on track? what’s working? what’s not working?

Take a good look at what aspects of your business are performing to expectations (or better, or worse), and which aspects are not. Where could your business benefit from improvement? Have all milestones been met? If not, which have not, and why not? Be sure to highlight not only all the positive developments, but also assess candidly your less positive developments, and how you have dealt with or overcome them.

As a whole, you and your business should be in a position to roll with the punches, and ride the roller-coaster of business ownership and management. Be proactive, and be brave. Be ready to continually assess the needs of your business and make the necessary changes and adjustments. Sometimes changes may be necessary which may not be pleasant or seem right at first. Sometimes unpopular decisions may become necessary.

Do NOT wait until 2-3 months before any renewal or extension papers need to be filed to look at your business. A suffering, struggling business is a difficult foundation on which to base a new visa or a prolonged authorized stay in the U.S.

Keep your accountant, your lawyer(s), and other professionals you frequently rely on informed year-round of the status of your business (and as far as relevant, your personal life). Use your own circle of professionals to your advantage and seek their advice and counsel, when you feel your business needs some form of correction or change.

As I always tell my clients, I would be happy to meet with them and examine their business and possibly help them identify and address areas of concern or areas needing improvement.

I always counsel my clients NOT to wait for a government official to make an adverse call against a sought-after immigration benefit, or one could find oneself in trouble and possibly packing…

You should evaluate where your business is headed and how it’s doing at least quarterly, if not monthly. On the personal side of things, if you have any changes in personal circumstances, employment changes, family changes, relationship changes, etc. these could have immigration [and possibly other legal] consequences (good or bad) and should be addressed and dealt with sooner rather than later.

Great 80th Birthday Party Ideas can be any type of theme, although many people like to do something along the lines of “walking down memory lane.” Use this time to remember special people and events, enjoy some good humor, and celebrate upcoming plans. Keep the atmosphere jovial.

If you are renting a hall or lounge, decorate it with a Hawaiian theme or an Irish pub theme, and hire some entertainment for the evening. It could be a small band or a piano player that knows all the old favorites.

Dance schools are always happy to provide experience for their students and entertainment for you if you want Irish dancers, or even Hawaiian dancers. Older people do not need to have a huge amount of activities to do when it comes to a party; lights, a bit of good food, entertainment and the chance to talk with friends is always appreciated.

These parties are not usually as long as parties for younger people as seniors are often early risers and early to bed. A party that begins around three or four in the afternoon and runs no later than nine or ten is usually a good time that can be enjoyed by all.

Regardless of whether or not you will be having a formal sit-down or a casual affair, at some point someone will want to present gifts to the honoree and/or make a presentation or speech. Be sure to host the party in a room where there is plenty of room for everyone, and where the everyone can sit comfortably. If the party is very large, consider using a microphone so all can hear. Give your guest of honor a great send-off to their next year’s birthday party!

As with any economic recessionary period there comes a wave of financial “hard-times” for many home owners. These hard-times bring about an increase in foreclosure rates that are the result of many home owners no longer able to keep-up with the mortgage payments.

Lending institutions in tough economic times are forced to foreclose on delinquent borrowers and will take back thousands of properties that they really DO NOT want keep as bank-owned inventory. The banks will often unload these properties to real estate investors at dramatically reduced payoff amounts. These properties are then purchased and then immediately resold at a profit by real estate wholesalers. This Investing style is called a “Short Sales”.

Aside from the banks swelling with bank-owned or REO (Real Estate Owned) inventories, wholesalers also will see a big spike in “Private Sellers” drastically reducing the prices of their home in an attempt to avoid any foreclosure woes that may be headed their way!

A recession will generally cause a wave of both “Private” and “Bank Owned” real estate that floods the marketplace all at once. This sudden influx of available inventory of real estate will kick-off a serious “Buyers Market” situation. Sellers who are in any type of crisis and who need to sell very FAST are forced to sell their homes at deep discounts just to avoid losing their homes to the bank in a foreclosure situation. Its a vicious cycle that just ‘snowballs” as the recession worsens. Welcome to “2009”!

Experienced Wholesalers find it very easy to find incredible bargains in these HOT “Buyers” markets. A lot of people believe that wholesalers are just “capitalizing on others misfortunes”, and some folks will conclude that the wholesalers are somehow evil! I see it completely different, whereas, I believe that the wholesalers are doing a justice for both the Banks and the Private Sellers. The wholesalers are buying up all of the banks dead weight and helping the banks “cut their losses” and are keeping thousands of private home owners from going into foreclosure and possibly even into bankruptcy.

Long story short, great priced real estate inventory is plentiful in recessionary times, making it the perfect time for savvy wholesalers to make a boatload of quick cash. Booya!

Learn more about wholesaling houses, Visit: www.WholesalerSmarts.com

Whether you are booking a limousine for the first time, or you have already had the honour of using such service, you must know that choosing the right company can be a bit bothersome. Yet, there is one thing sure: knowing when your limo hire company is no good is rather easy to determine. There are obvious problems, which are indicative of a bad company. If you are not satisfied with the service you get, it is probably because of one (or more) of these reasons:

Price issues – one of the most common problems people run into regarding limo companies is hidden fees. What you consider to be the perfect deal, most affordable and easy to book, may well end up to be the most expensive service you have ever hired. A lot of companies use such strategies to draw new clients, only to present them with a ton of hidden costs after the service has been booked. That is usually the case with very low pricing, which you should be aware of. If your current limo company has done this, you must immediately look for another one. Companies should be upfront with you about the cost. Only then can you budget adequately and know that the company is not a suspicious one.

You have problems with the vehicle – all decent limo companies invest in keeping their fleet in top shape at all times. After all, the last thing you want to discover on your limo ride is messy interior, damage to upholstery and other signs of wear and tear. All of this is an indication that the company lacks dedication to customer experience. Every reputable limo hire company should be giving their vehicles thorough cleans after every use to ensure they are ready for the next customer. Of course, cleaning is just part of the picture. Limousine also needs to fare great on the mechanical chart. There must be no trace of mechanical malfunction. Any such issues will significantly impact your experience and indicate that you should change companies the next time. You need a limo service provider that keeps vehicles up to standard.

Chauffeur attitude – even if the limousine is in excellent condition, it is the attitude of the driver that will affect your final opinion on the matter. If they don’t make you feel welcome, then you will hardly have a good time, unfortunately. You need well-trained professionals, who will interact with you respectfully and contribute to your wellbeing with such service.

Punctuality – another great aspect of limo hire service is the punctuality of the driver. What use is such service if you are late for an important event? Delays contribute to a lot of stress, which can quickly ruin your fun. A limo hire company whose vehicle runs late is hardly good option for you.

If you ever see any of these signs in your limo hire company, you need to start looking for a new one.

The benefits of exercise in reducing stress and supporting the overall health of your body are well known. If you sit in an office at a desk all day, then you may feel you are forced to exercise only outside of work hours by walking, running or engaging in a fitness program at a gym. While this is certainly helpful, you remain fixed at your desk for hours on end each day. Essentially, you have a sedentary lifestyle interrupted by intense periods of exercise.

If you can add small bits of exercise to your day, throughout the day, the health benefits multiply. Keeping your muscles and heart working harder at various intervals during the day helps to reduce stress and builds endurance. Some people have developed a set of specific exercise routines that you can perform while sitting at your desk. That may work, but performing an exercise routine that distracts you from working where you count repetitions, breathe heavily and build up a sweat may create unwanted attention from your boss and co-workers.

You can make a few small adjustments to your work routine that will keep your body moving and add many minutes of exercise to your daily life. Begin with the place you park your car at work. Don’t pick the closest spot you can find next to the building. Park your car in the far corner so you have to walk a hundred yards each way. If your office is on a lower level of a skyscraper, take the stairs on the way up. At first, climbing three flights of stairs may leave you feeling breathless, but soon your muscles will strengthen and you will find the going much easier.

If your office is on the twelfth floor, walk up the first few floors and take the elevator from there. Of course, walking back down a few more flights of stairs is much easier. While we’re talking about the staircase, each time you get up to use the restroom, choose a restroom two floors up or down from your own. Take the stairs to the bathroom and you’ll be more relaxed when you get there. You will also feel stronger when you return.

If you spend hours on the phone each day, try standing up while talking. You’ll use more muscles and energy when you stand up compared to sitting and your voice will project better into the phone as your diaphragm relaxes. If you can make it work, replace your chair for as many hours as possible with a large inflatable exercise ball. Sitting on this ball as you work keeps the muscles in your legs, ankles and abdomen working to maintain your balance and forces you to maintain a good posture.

If you take breaks for lunch or coffee, add a ten-minute walk as part of the break. Better yet, use ten-minute walks as a quick stress-relieving tool and as a way to talk about an important or urgent topic with someone else. There is no need to sit at your desk and feel the stress level rise as the topic is introduced when you can keep the stress low while getting some exercise by walking and talking at the same time. Keep calm, be creative and keep moving for better health and optimal performance, all day long.

Do any of these email responses from prospects or customers sound familiar?

“Everything is on hold right now.”

“Due to the circumstances, we just don’t have the budget right now.”

“We’re not making any decisions right now.”

“This just isn’t a good time for us-I’m sure you can understand.”

What all these responses have in common is that they are just common stalls. Oh sure, the circumstances might be new (the Covid-19 pandemic is certainly new!), but in essence, these objections are the same kinds of stalls you usually get.

“Not a good time,” “Don’t have the budget,” “Not making decisions right now,” are responses you get during your normal sales process, aren’t they?

So, how should you handle these stalls now? Using the same best practice approach you should always be using: You should isolate these objections.

What do you really want to know given these stalls or objections? You want to know:

“If you did have the budget, is our product or service the one you would choose?” and,

“When the time is right to make these kinds of decisions again, would you seriously consider our solution?” and,

“When circumstances change, are you interested enough in our solution to choose us?”

That’s how you should respond when you get these kinds of email stalls during this pandemic.

Of course, you’ll want to soften your response by showing empathy for what your prospect or client is going through.

Here are a couple of good, all purpose, email responses you can customize to each of the situations above:

Dear Prospect:

Thanks for your response and no worries about budget at this time.

We work with many companies like yours, and the timing must make sense-both budget wise as well as what your current needs are.

Quick question: Putting budget aside for a moment, I’m wondering if it makes sense to pursue our conversation in the future based on what you know about how we work?

In other words, if and when budget does become available, is our (product or solution) something you find enough value in to speak about another time?

Another example:

Dear Prospect,

Good to hear you’re keeping well.

I understand that things may be on hold for now but was wondering: How do you feel about what we covered in our demo last week?

Do you feel this had value for you?

Let me know so I can follow up appropriately.

Thanks…

As you can see by these sample responses, what we’re doing is side-stepping their objection or stall so you can determine whether or not they have a genuine interest in your product or service.

Until you know that, you’ll just be chasing your tail.

And that doesn’t feel good in any sales climate…