Law operates everywhere. Be it in your house as family law, at your workplace as business law or within your assets as real estate law, law is everywhere. Without a doubt, a lawyer is one of the highly paid individuals of the city. If not fighting for a courtroom trial, you will at least need lawyers to give you legal advice for your situation. Despite the most demanded Cincinnati foreclosure defense lawyers and Cincinnati OVI attorney, there are other specialties in law that make the best of your career and promise you handsome salaries once you have passed the bar exam. Below are the top five law specializations that are the most popular among law students.

Criminal law

This is the most common type of law specialization. This branch also includes DUI laws, which are again one of the most cases lawyers deal with each day. According to a survey, nearly forty four percent of all traffic accidents that prove to be fatal are caused by driving under influence. Criminal law is about governmental prosecution of someone who has committed a crime, as said by the public law. If an act is not labeled as a crime by governmental statue or common law, then there are more chances that the case is considered as civil, not criminal. In short, the act that is done should be approved as a crime.

Tax law

This law revolves around corporate people and organizations who want to pay taxes according to their profits and requirements. The rules of tax laws are concerned with Internal Revenue Code, constitution and other statutes. All tax disputes are addressed in US Court Tax Court which may rise to the Supreme Court if the matter is serious.

Corporate law

This branch is another famous specialization. The advantage of corporate law is this that it covers subcategories like maritime law, acquisition and most of the business law. For business law, proper documentation is an integral part that is emphasized upon. This branch deals with industry and commerce as well as tenders and trade marking. As for maritime law, this branch usually deals with disputes of ownership of goods and shipping.

Divorce law

The divorce rate in USA is fifty percent for example almost half of all the couples end up getting a divorce. Such high ratio makes the divorce law a specialization that is very popular. Divorce lawyers deal with two parties who wish to part. This branch of law usually tries to reach on a solution for the best settlement of its clients. Especially where there are children in the case, the court takes the decision that is in best interests of children.

Constitutional law

This branch of law is thought to be as the most diverse branch of law. Constitutional law usually deals with proper understanding and application of the US Constitution. This understanding of law is therefore helpful for both federal and state governments and helps to resolves disputes among them. Therefore, this branch is not limited to only Federal government but also covers aspects of state governments. Mostly these cases are dealt with in the Supreme Court.

The top five time management practices are often considered the best techniques by those using them and most recommended by the experts. Check out the five actions suggested below to create a time management system to best fits personal need.

1. Create a daily “To Do” list. This is always the number one suggestion of time management experts, business leaders, and others who are good at managing their time. Having a list of necessary and nice-to-do tasks focuses thoughts on the work so that nothing important gets neglected. It allows the list-maker the opportunity to plan their day. Keeping the list always handy makes it easy to add new items as they come up and check-off completed items. Reviewing the checked-off tasks can help motivate the user to continue completing tasks and feel a great sense of accomplishment at the end of the day.

2. Write down appointments. Write-it-down is another axiom of time management experts, not only for the “to do” list but for the appointment calendar as well. Writing appointments on a calendar when they are made frees the mind for other creative things. It also helps to prevent forgetting the meeting or appointment in the future. It should become a regular practice to review the calendar the beginning of each day to make sure nothing is missed. In checking the appointments, a decision can be made to attend, send a substitute, or try to reschedule if necessary.

3. Determine work priorities. Determining what work is important to do each day and what can be put off until another time is another key to improved time management. A high priority task or appointment would relate to an important project, something that may lead to advancement, or a promise due to another. Low priority to do list items are those that are nice-to-do but are not necessary right away or it might be requested attendance at a meeting where personal input is not required. Medium priority would be regular work tasks or standard team meetings.

4. Set alarms. Those who find they are often late to meetings or forget other types of appointments, find that setting alarm on a watch, computer, or phone works very well as a reminder. Set the alarm at least ten minutes in advance of the appointment start time so necessary data can be gathered and to allow for walking to the meeting room. If the appointment is not in the same building, then set the alarm out further to allow for travel time. Some people even reset their alarm when they are at a meeting for 10 minutes before the meeting should end to insure appropriate time for meeting wrap-up and to still get out on time.

5. Break-up large projects. Many people find they procrastinate starting large projects because it seems like too much to do or too hard to accomplish. To make it easier to start on a large project, break it into several sub-tasks. Then plan to add different sub-tasks onto the daily “to do” lists working backwards from the due date in the order tasks should be accomplished. This way each sub-task becomes part of the scheduled work and the project gets completed on-time. Some experts refer to this simple project management process as “the Swiss-cheese method” since it is poking holes in the bigger cheese (project) until all is gone (tasks done).

From the five suggestions above, create a personal time management system that fits individual needs. Be sure to consider these top five time management practices in the future to improve techniques being used and recommend those found effective to others.

In this article I would like to share with you some tips and advice on buying your first horse. A good friend of mine helps to run a livery yard and he is regularly involved with selling horses. I spoke to him just two days ago about the subject of buying and selling horses and today I will be sharing with you some of the things that I have learned.

First of all, it is important to make sure that you make your buying decision based not on the way the horse looks. Horse’s coat might be blooming, he might look great, but he could suffer from lameness. On the other hand there are a lot of horses that don’t look really good, that aren’t in top condition and such horses cost considerably less. The fact is that with good nutrition and supplements you can bring almost every horse into top condition. The point that I want to make here is that when buying horses you don’t want to “judge a book by its cover”.

When inspecting a horse it is really important for you to remain calm and try to avoid being emotional. You want to make sure that you are making rational buying decision and not an emotionally based one, because such decisions can end up being costly. Before inspecting a horse you want to have a list of questions that you want to ask and get all of the answers that you need while you are inspecting the horse.

It is also really important for you to be very clear about why you are getting a horse in the first place. Are you planning to ride horses simply for recreational reasons or are you planning to be involved in more competitive horse riding disciplines. Once you will tell the seller what your needs are he will help you to find a horse that is suitable for your needs.

Once you will find a horse that you feel is right for you, then you will have to hire a vet to have the horse vetted. Vetting process is performed by highly experienced veterinarians who will be able to perform thorough assessment of the potential new purchase and tell you whether there is something wrong with the horse.

Finally it is also really important for you to be very clear about other costs that are involved in owning a horse. Owning a horse is a huge financial commitment and the initial purchase outlay is comparatively minimal to that of upkeep. You are going to have to spend hundreds on boarding, supplements, riding gear, vet bills and etc. You’ve got to be very clear about what you are getting yourself into to avoid making decisions that you are going to regret.

United States of America is the country which attracts all of us. The students are attracted to better education facilities, travel geeks are attracted towards the exotic locations and in short people love the better standard of living in US.

USA is one of the most popular vacation destination of the world. There are many places which are like paradise for travelers. In this article I will discuss about the various places in the United States which have seen a major increase in terms of tourists.The most sought after popular vacation cities are as follows:-

1- Hawaii – This place is known for its beaches and awesome natural beauty. Nature lovers would not get a place better than this. It is famous being a honeymoon spot. You do not need to worry about staying there as the place is full of hotels which would make your stay a desirable one.

2- Las Vegas – This is the fun loving city in the US. Las Vegas is famous for its night clubs and Ghostbar, Haze, Moon and Playboy, Surrender, Krave are to name a few among the best night clubs. Needless to say, Las Vegas is known for its adult fun, having strip clubs and topless shows as the major attractions.

3- Georgia – Atlanta Georgia is the perfect place for having family fun. You can explore Georgia’s scenic beauty like waterfalls,mountains and canyons. The most popular family attraction is in Six Flags Over Georgia which is the largest theme park in the South East. Other attractions include- Lake Lanier Islands, Callaway gardens, Blue Ridge Scenic Gateway, Atlanta Museum etc

4- Texas- It has special attractions being the second largest state in the USA. The major attractions in the Texas include- Stonehenge Odessa, Riverwalk Burnet, XIT Museum, Old Stone Fort Museum, HOUSTON Raceway Park, Glass Cactus etc

5- New York – It is one of the loveliest state in the USA. New York city is known for its history and architecture. If you love camping then you can try out some camping by staying in the Ranch Camping resort. Besides camping you can enjoy horseback riding,island fishing etc. There are many famous museums in New York like the Center of the Arts, Historical Aircraft Group, Stamford Art Center, AAron Davis Hall etc.

6- Virginia – The most popular saying for this place is “Virginia is for Lovers”. To start with, you can enjoy Virginia’s Atlantic beaches at Assateague Island which are warm and gentle enough for all ages to enjoy fully. Other destinations to enjoy are the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Shenandoah National Park.

Well you must have learned that USA is a country which can be said as a travelers paradise because it has so much to offer.

In the early 1950’s, four Detroit high school students played at a local birthday party. After that, these four students stayed together as one of R&B’s biggest groups for over four decades.

Levi Stubbs (brother of The Falcon’s Joe Stubbs and cousin of Jackie Wilson), Abdul “Duke” Fakir, Renaldo “Obie” Benson and Lawrence Payton called themselves The Four Aims.

The Four Aims signed with Chess Records in 1956 and changed their name to The Four Tops, so they wouldn’t be confused with the pop family group, The Ames Brothers.

Recording with four different record labels and no hits, The Four Tops came to the attention of Motown Records executive, Berry Gordy Jr. In 1963, they signed with Motown and initially did backup work for other Motown artists. They can be heard on The Supremes’ “Run, Run, Run.”

In 1964, songwriting team, Holland-Dozier-Holland came up with a tune perfectly fitted for the quartet. “Baby I Need Your Loving” became their first of many Billboard top 20 hits.

On the charts, The Four Tops had twenty-five Top 40 hits, two went to number one. Here’s a look at The Four Tops twenty biggest hits, according to Billboard’s Top 40 charts:

1. I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) – 1965 – Their biggest single went to number one for two weeks and has been covered by The Supremes, Donnie Elbert (who took it to #22) and Dolly Parton. It was also used in Kellogg’s Honey Smacks and Duncan Hines brownie mix commercials.

2. Reach Out, I’ll Be There – 1966 – Their only other number one song was also the #3 song for the year of 1966.

3. Ain’t No Woman (Like the One I’ve Got) – 1973 – In 1972, The Four Tops left Motown, when the label moved to L.A., and signed with the ABC/Dunhill label. This song, originally recorded by Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds, would be the Four Tops biggest single after leaving Motown. It was included in their “Keeper of the Castle” album.

4. Bernadette – 1967 – From the album “Reach Out” this song was included in the soundtrack of “Zodiac.” On the CBS-TV sitcom, “The Big Bang Theory,” character Howard Wolowitz uses the song as his ringtone for his girlfriend.

5. It’s The Same Old Song – 1965 – The follow up to “I Can’t Help Myself” features the same chords. It has been covered by Jonathan King, KC and the Sunshine Band and the Tops appeared in a Velveeta commercial singing “It’s The Same Old Side.”

6. Standing In The Shadows Of Love – 1967 – Also from the “Reach Out” album. In 1990, Aerosmith used a riff in their single “The Other Side” that sounded similar to this song. Aerosmith’s lawyers, in an attempt to avoid a lawsuit, gave Holland-Dozier-Holland credit for the Aerosmith single.

7. Keeper of the Castle – 1972 – Their first single after leaving Motown went to #10 on the weekly charts. It’s from the album of the same name.

8. When She Was My Girl – 1981 – It had been eight years since the group had a top 40 hit and after signing with Casablanca Records they did just that. It would also be their last top 40 hit for seven more years.

9. Baby I Need Your Loving – 1964 – Their very first hit went to #11 on the weekly charts. Cover versions have been many, including those by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, Gene Pitney and Johnny Rivers, who took his version to #3 on the weekly charts.

10. Still Water (Love) – 1970 – Written by Smokey Robinson and Frank Wilson, this silky tune is a departure from the hard rocking songs the Tops had been doing. From the “Still Waters Run Deep” album, this single featured Marv Tarplin, of the Miracles, on guitar.

11. River Deep – Mountain High – 1971 – Written by Phil Spector for Ike & Tina Turner in 1966, it was later covered by Eric Burdon and the Animals in 1968. The most successful cover version was by The Four Tops, when they teamed up with The Supremes, sans Diana Ross, and took it Top 20.

12. 7 Rooms Of Gloom – 1967 – Also covered by Blondie and Pat Benetar, the Four Tops did not like this song and never performed it in concert. The B-side, “I’ll Turn to Stone” was also released, but only made it to #76 on the charts.

13. Walk Away Renee – 1968 – Originally recorded by The Left Banke in 1966 going to #5, The Four Tops have the most successful cover version of this song. Renee was an infatuation of Left Banke keyboardist, Michael Brown, who wrote the song about bassist Tom Finn’s girlfriend.

14. Are You Man Enough? – 1973 – This song was featured on the album soundtrack and in the film, “Shaft In Africa” starring Richard Roundtree.

15. Shake Me, Wake Me (When It’s Over) – 1966 – Poor Levi Stubbs can’t believe his woman is leaving him for another man. But she does, in this top 20 hit that has also been covered by Barbra Streisand, The Supremes and Shaun Cassidy.

16. Something About You – 1965 – Their follow up to “It’s The Same Old Song” this song barely cracked the top 20. It is not to be confused with the Level 42 song of the same name.

17. You Keep Running Away – 1967 – From their “Greatest Hits” album, this song, like most of their singles, had backup vocals by The Adantes, who did backup work for many Motown artists.

18. If I Were A Carpenter – 1968 – Written by Tim Hardin and originally recorded by Bobby Darin in 1966, The Four Tops covered it in 1968 and went top 20 with it.

19. It’s All In The Game – 1970 – Another cover version of a great standard, originally recorded by Tommy Edwards in 1958, the Four Tops soulful sound stands out in this top 30 hit for them.

20. Ask The Lonely – 1965 – Their third single for Motown was written by longtime staffer, Mickey Stevenson and Ivy Joe Hunter.

The Four Tops last Top 40 hit was “Indestructible” in 1988.

The quartet also did some movie work singing a song in the 1982 film, “Grease 2.” Levi Stubbs provided the voice of the voracious vegetation, Audrey II, in the 1986 film musical, “Little Shop of Horrors.”

Running late from a recording session in December 1988, the group missed their flight home from their European tour. It turned out to be Pan Am flight 103, which crashed in Lockerbie, Scotland, when a terrorist bomb was detonated onboard.

In 1997, after 44 years without ever changing personnel, Lawrence Payton died of lung cancer. “Obie” Benson also died of lung cancer eight years later. Lead singer, Levi Stubbs, died in his home in Detroit in 2008. “Duke” Fakir is the only surviving original member, who still performs with three other members as The Four Tops.

The Four Tops were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.

In 2009, they received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Their song, “Reach Out, I’ll Be There” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998.

Are you wondering about the best possible way to improve your credit score? Then it will certainly be wise for you to hire a credit repair company because the professionals of this company are highly experienced in improving the credit scores of their clients in the best possible way. Below, we discuss some of the major advantages that you will be able to experience when hiring a professional company to get credit repair services.

1. They are highly experienced

This is certainly one of the main reasons due to which most people, in the United States and abroad, consider hiring the a company in order to improve their credit score. The professionals are well aware of the latest tricks, shortcuts and super-effective disputes to get the ultimate job done in an efficient way. The top companies have been fixing client’s credit scores for quite a long time and thereby are experts in facing various challenges in the best possible way.

2. Will be able to save lots of your valuable time

This is also one of the major reasons due to which the services of a credit repair company are in great demand among the people who have a poor credit rating. The process to improve the score is certainly lengthy and thereby you will not be able to devote your valuable time in handling it. The professionals of a credit repair company are up to date on all policies, procedures and technology to ensure their clients success in achieving the ultimate goal, an improved credit score and accurate credit reports across the three major credit bureaus.

3. Will be able to save lots of your valuable money

If you choose to handle the process of fixing your credit all by yourself then you may need to hire a lawyer, which can certainly be expensive. A lower credit score means higher interest rates on a bank loan, mortgage, automotive loan and a credit card. Higher interest rates mean higher payments, higher insurance premiums, which can cost you hundreds or thousands, even hundreds of thousand over the course of a loan. The faster you get help from a reputable credit repair company, the faster your credit score will improve and help to lower your interest rates. By getting the services of a professional company, it will be easier for you to fulfill your goal at an affordable cost.

4. The company has lots of resources

This is also a major benefit of hiring the best credit repair company in order to eliminate a poor credit score. These companies have lots of resources and they are able to handle the process of credit repair in the best possible way. Without proper resources, it can be difficult for an individual person to improve his credit score. It is not impossible for any individual to repair their own credit, however, top companies can use their skills, knowledge and technology to go above and beyond the simple dispute process.

Trying to come up with the ten greatest country singers of all time can be as difficult as saying who your favorite child is. The country music industry is abundant with exceptional talents that it is really not that easy to determine which ones are the best of the best. The fact that music is subjective makes choosing even trickier. In this article, we attempt to come up with the list of the top country singers of all time.

1. Hank Williams – Popular for his charismatic appeal, Williams amazed music fans all over with his equally famous “Love Sick Blues.” Apart from his charisma, Williams is also widely known for his songwriting genius.

2. George Jones – Following the footsteps of his idol Hank Williams, Jones has also become an icon in this type of music in his own right. It was his powerful balladeer’s voice that earned him immense popularity. Some even dub him as the greatest country singer of all time.

3. Roy Acuff – While Jones is hailed by many as the greatest country singer, Acuff on the other hand had earned the nickname of the King of Country Music. He was the also the first living person inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

4. Jimmie Rodgers – The Singing Brakeman and the Father of Country Music are just few of the many titles that have been given to Rodgers whose popular tunes involve a combination of African-American blues, yodeling, and jazz.

5. Johnny Cash – The singer-songwriter’s songs also incorporated various other styles such as rock and roll, blues, folk and gospel. He is also known for his unique deep bass-baritone voice and his “Hello, I’m Johnny Cash” trademark. “I Walk the Line” and “Man in Black” are few of his many hits.

6. Carter Family – If you would mention the words, country music group, the Carter Family would be the first thing that would come into people’s minds. This group is known for their impact also on bluegrass, pop, and rock music. Some of their well-known songs include “Wabash Cannonball,” “Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” and “Wildwood Flower.”

7. Kitty Wells – Wells’ 1952 song “It Wasn’t God who Made Honky Tonk Angels” was a powerful song that proved to people that female country singers can make it big.

8. Loretta Lynn – Lynn’s 1960 hit “Honky Tonk Girl” paved the way for her to become one of the icons in the world of country music.

9. Eddy Arnold – Also known as the Tennessee Plowboy, Arnold’s most memorable achievement was the fact that he charted the most hits of all time.

10. Merle Haggard – Many say that Haggard is the most influential singer-songwriter of the modern era. He is known for his tender ballads, drinking songs and political anthems.

You may agree or disagree with this list. You might even decide to make your own list. But the important thing is that all fans share one thing and that is the intense love and passion for this much-loved music genre.

In this article, we will share top five boxing fights of 2015 with you.

Leo Santa Cruz vs Abner Mares – on August 29:

This boxing fight between Leo Santa Cruz and Abner Mares is the event that seemed destined to happen. Both the players are very talented and favorite of many from Mexico. This event fulfilled the expectations of many boxing lovers. Both the fighters fought at a hard pace and had cuts above their eyes. The fight ended with the announcement of Santa Cruz as the winner. In recent years, Santa received criticism from his fans but the fight on august 29 went very well for him.

Jorge Linares vs Kevin Mitchell – on May 30:

This boxing fight between Jorge Linares and Kevin Mitchell held on May 30 came up as the third attempt to capture world title for Kevin Mitchell. He started with a fury and seemed to be the winner of the match. But his opponent showed him a tough time and left him with horrible cuts and swollen eye. The fight went very well between both the boxers but was unfortunate for Kevin Mitchell and ended with Jorge Linares as the winner.

Roman Martinez vs Orlando Salido – on September 12:

Orlando Salido and Roman Martinez are very good boxers and have become each other’s opponents many times before this fight – held on September 12 – as well. The fight between these two boxers held in April was a memorable event in which Salido was knocked down by Roman Martinez who captured super featherweight title. The man threw powerful punches and hard knocks during the fight. However, this fight was also not fortunate for him and Roman Martinez won the battle this time as well.

Lucas Matthysse vs Ruslan Provodnikov – on April 18:

Boxing fight between Lucas Matthysse and Ruslan Provodnikov held on April 18 is considered one of the great matches, though many of the boxing fights lovers rated this as a boring match. This fight is among the top five matches of 2015. Both the opponents played very well in every round putting their solid work. The match went as a back and forth fight. Provodnikov did his best to win the match but Matthysse refused to be discouraged and put heavy blows on his opponent’s body and ultimately won the fight.

Andrzej Fonfara vs Nathan Cleverly – October 16:

Boxing match between Andrei and Nathan Cleverly that was scheduled on October 16 is one of the best stories in the boxing world. It was an exciting event for fans of boxers. Nathan Cleverly – the former WBO champion – started with great spirit building an early lead but the middle rounds didn’t go well for him. Fonfara came up with heavy blows and busted Cleverly’s nose and ear. Despite hard blows, Cleverly continued to fight but unfortunately, Andrei was the winner of the fight.

Bottom line:

All the boxing fans do not have same favorite celebrities and there are many boxing fights which are listed in the list of most fantastic and interesting fights but mentioned above were some matches that are ranked as the top five boxing fights of 2015.

Keep in touch to know more about boxing and your favorite boxers.

Whether you want to want to get rid of that gray hair or you just want to have a new look, dying is a good way to achieve it. Unfortunately, hair dying entails consequences that may damage and dry your hair when used inappropriately. The selected color of your dye should blend with the original color of your hair and eyebrows and to enhance your features. Experimenting is good, but dyes can be rough on your hair when used frequently. Although it is best to dye at a professional salon or stylist, it is much cheaper at home with the same creative effect. Before you see the top 10 hair dying mistakes, it is important to have an understanding of the different types of hair dye that are available so you can put them in context.

Types of Hair Dye

1. Permanent hair dye

While dying your hair permanantly is, by some, considered in and of itself a mistake, the obvious benefit is that it lasts for a considerable time. As the hair grows, it is applied to the roots. It contains ammonia and peroxides, which can possibly cause dryness and damage. Exposure to the sun and salt water will cause the color to fade. That’s why in order to maintain the color, it is best to cover your hair by using a hat or bandanna when going outside.

2. Long-lasting Semi-permanent

As the name implies, has the longest life remaining even after more than 20 washes, depending on the brand.

3. Semi-permanent

These have the shortest lifespan for dyes. After 6-12 washes, the color will start to fade. This is recommended for first-time users and those who want to experiment with colors.

How to dye your hair safely and professionally:

– Separate hair into two quadrants. Then clip each part.

– Wear plastic gloves while mixing dye solution. Follow the directions written on the box.

– Squeeze a small amount of coloring into one quadrant. Streak thin stripes of color over the whole area of the quadrant. Put a clip on the colored part.

– Repeat the process after you have completed coloring the four quadrants.

– Consult instructions on how long you should leave it. Add a couple of minutes of wait to that of the suggested treatment time.

– Put on left over color mix to the entire head after a few minutes.

– Rinse with cold water.

Top 10 hair dying mistakes!

– Number 10: Applying dye to dirty, tangled hair

Deep condition your hair a month before dying to maintain color. Be sure your hair is relatively clean before applying. Trim hair especially dry and split ends to even out color. Hair should be slightly damp when dye is applied.

– Number 9: Using hair conditioner before you dye

Do not condition your hair a few hours before applying hair dye, shampooing will do the trick. Your hair needs to be free of free radicals such as dirt and oil as much as possible.

– Number 8: Choosing hair dye based on what the model on the box looks like

Consult the local salon or stylist on what colors would look best on you. The hair dye you choose should have the same tone as your skin color.

– Number 7: Forgetting to check for allergic contents

After choosing a brand, apply a tiny amount of hair dye near your neck or behind your ear to see if irritation, redness, inflammation, allergy, hair loss or any bad reactions occur. Wash the affected area right away if this happens. Remember the instructions carefully. Do the patch test 1-2 days before hair dye application.

– Number 6: Doing your entire head without testing a small amount of your hair first

Do a strand test by applying a bit of dye to a few stands of your hair to see if you got the right color.

– Number 5: Staining your skin or clothes

Protect your skin by wrapping a towel around your neck as the dye can irritate your skin or affect your clothes. Gloves should be used and must be included in a hair dye kit. Applying petroleum jelly or cream around your ears and neck part will keep off stains. Wipe off oil after shampooing. If you do happen to stain your skin, don’t worry, rubbing alcohol will remove dye stains from your skin

– Number 4: Picking a color that does not fit with your natural hair color

Pick a color one shade lighter when dying your roots. This will make the transition from your colored hair back to your natural hair color graceful without roots that are a completely different color sticking out. Obviously, this rule does not apply if you are dying your hair a completely different color than your natural hair color.

– Number 3: Losing hair

After dying, always rinse with cold or tepid water to avoid your own hair from falling out.

– Number 2: Over-dying hair

If you did not achieve the desired effect, using Liquid Tide can correct this. A couple of days of use will lighten the color until your hair returns to the original color. Instead of over-dying, do touch-ups every four to five weeks to keep your hair color picture perfect.

– Number 1: Dying eyebrows and eyelashes

Never use hair dye on eyebrows and eyelashes! Ask for medical help when dye gets into your eye.

Getting people comfortable in a group setting before a team meeting can be the best investment of ten to 15 minutes of time that you can make. Ice breakers get creative juices flowing, can increase the exchange of ideas, establish team identity, and create a sense of community. All of these items are important in forging top productive teams. But how do you get people to participate and not feel uncomfortable with an ice breaker?

For meetings in a business setting in which participants are professionals, ice breakers that require actions not normally associated with day-to-day behaviors in the office generally make people uncomfortable. Successful ice breakers for these type of groups generally consist of having attendees share memorable information with each other, create innovative ways to get people to introduce themselves to each other, or have group members collectively work on a problem where everyone has to contribute.

We’ve selected our top ten team meeting ice breakers that are sure to get your meeting participants relaxed and ready to focus on your agenda as well as to connect with others in the group.

1. Brainstorm!:Break the meeting into teams of four or five. Give each team a topic. Pick topics that are fun and simple like, “What would you take on a trip to the desert?” or “List things that are purple”. Give your teams two minutes, no more, and tell them “This is a contest and the team with the most items on their list wins.” Encourage the teams to write down as many things as they can and not to discuss anything, just list things as quickly as possible. At the end of two minutes, the team with the most items on their list wins! This helps people to share ideas without fearing what other people will think.

2. Same or Different:

Divide the meeting into teams of three or four and give each team a large sheet of paper and then give each person a different colored marker. Have each person draw a large oval such that each oval overlaps with the other ovals in the center of the piece of paper. Give the group or groups, a theme that pertains to your meeting objectives. Ask the participants to write down at least five or more entries in the non-overlapping and mutually overlapping areas of their ovals. Give them five minutes, no more than that, to talk about their similarities and differences and write them in their own ovals on the paper. If there is more than one group, compare results and identify common themes in both parts of the diagrams and what light these similarities and differences shed on the purpose of the meeting. This helps team members develop an understanding of shared objectives and in a non-confrontational way learn how their views differ from others in the group.

3. Fact or Fiction:

Have everyone write down three surprising things about themselves, two of which are true, and one of which is made up. Each person, in turn, reads their list and then the rest of the group votes on which “fact” they feel is the “false” one. If the group does not correctly pick a person’s made up “fact”, then that person wins. A group can have more than one winner. At the end, the whole group votes on which of the “winners” of the final round, had the most deceiving “fact”. This helps people get to know and remember their colleagues.

4. Free Association:

The object of this ice breaker is to have small groups generate as many words or phrases as they can that are related to a particular topic that focuses on the objective of your meeting. Give the group or groups a key word you want them to associate with and then give them two minutes to list, as quickly as possible, as many words or thoughts that pop into their heads. For example, if your company is trying to decide on whether to reduce travel and increase the use of teleconferencing, you might use the word “teleconferencing” and have people list as many words or phrases they can that they associate with the key word. For example they might say: “saves money”, “saves time”, “impersonal”, “need to see other people”, “get distracted”, “sound quality”…. This reveals what people are thinking, similarities in viewpoints, and possibly even problem areas or topics that need addressing or further discussion.

5. Nametags:

Prepare nametags for each person and put them in a box. As people walk into the room, each person picks a nametag (not their own). When everyone is present, participants are told to find the person whose nametag they drew and introduce and say a few interesting things about themselves. When everyone has their own nametag, each person in the group will introduce the person whose nametag they were initially given and mention something of interest about that person. This helps participants get to know and remember each other.

6. Desert Island:

Group people in teams of five or six and tell them they will be marooned on a desert island. Give them 30 seconds to list all the things they think they should take and each person has to contribute at least three items. At the end of 30 seconds, tell the teams they can only take three things. Have the person who suggested each item on the list tell why they suggested it and defend why their item should be one of the chosen three. This helps the team learn about how each of them thinks, get to know each other’s values, and how they solve problems.

7. Commonality Plus:

Group your meeting participants at tables. At each table ask the group to list ten ways that everyone in that group is similar. Let them know that they cannot list body parts or clothing and that what they select cannot have anything to do with work. One person at the table should be tasked to make their list. At the end of your time limit have the group share their list with all meeting members. This is a great opportunity for your meeting attendees to learn about each other’s hobbies, families, and common interests.

8. Line Up:

As people enter your meeting hand each one a piece of paper with a different number written on it. Ask the group to arrange themselves in numeric order without using their voices, hands, or showing their number. This helps the team to think of other ways to communicate with each other and to work together to achieve a common goal.

9. Meet and Greet Shoe Pile:

This works great in large groups and is a variation of the name tag ice breaker. Have everyone take off one of their shoes and throw it into a pile. Have each group member pick up a shoe and walk around the meeting room greeting other people as they try to match their selected shoe to the one another team member is wearing. This is a great way for new people to meet several members in a group.

10. First or Worst:

Have each member tell the group their first or worst job in turn. This easy to use ice breaker works great with teleconferences too and allows team members to spark conversation with each other and to have some fun commenting on the jobs that they have each done. Many of our top ten ice breakers can be used for on-site meetings and teleconferences alike. The nature of ice breakers is to get the group to talk, to share, and to get to know each other in a casual exchange. The best and most successful teams start with a little bit of fun; learning how to value what each member brings into the group. Ice breakers can help facilitate this exchange of information and comfort in doing so at the very start of the team forging process.