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Saturday, July 17, 2010

Changing The Use Of Office Furniture

By H M Kingsford

It is a funny thing, the dining room became the kitchen and the office is becoming the new living room. Families tend to congregate around the center of fun and activity. For a long time people would sit in the living room and talk or at the dining table. Then the family moved their eating area to the living room in front of the television. So now the most visited room in the house is where you keep your office furniture.

With the internet many people are spending more time in front of a computer. There are many companies that have noticed this and are trying to make some of those favorite applications available on the television. While they are working that out; people are in the office in front of the computer. Many people have even switched to larger sized monitors so that they family can enjoy the activities taking place on the screen without having to squint.

If there is a desk for the desktop computer or laptop then consider another desk. That way if other family members have laptops or net books they can come and sit down at the other desk. This is a fun way for siblings to play games against one another. Let the family know that it is OK to spend time in the office together. By adding some family photos it lets them know that they are welcomed into the room.

Changing the room from a drab place of all business isn't as hard as you might think. To make this room more inviting, entertain the idea of adding more chairs. There are very comfortable office chairs that will provide a cozy spot for others to hang out. If you can fit a sofa or a love seat then consider using those instead of the chairs.

Many people are also putting televisions into their office. The family can come in and watch movies with you while you are putting in a good day of work. Keeping the volume to a reasonable level will keep this from being a distraction. If it will provide too much of a distraction then it might be a good idea not to have a television in the room. A music player could be another option. Music can also bring a family together in listening and in conversation.

Using rugs can really add warmth to a room. It can give a really good family vibe to the normally dull office. Drapes are also a nice way to spice up the area, especially if they match the rug. It keeps the room professional and inviting at the same time.

Lamp light can really turn an office into a cozy little den with the flip of a switch. Overhead lighting can be used for the business hours, but when it comes to family time, switch over to the lamps. Also consider matching the lamp shades to the rug and curtains. It can even be a complimentary color to add some exciting hues.

As families move into the office to spend time they should consider making it a comfortable place to hang out. Picking out comfortable office furniture can be easily personalized to the style of your family. Also think about adding an extra trash can to keep the room tidy.

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Friday, July 16, 2010

The Many Pen Cases Available Today

By Jayda Port

If you really love having fountain pens on your desk, then it is high time that you got yourself nice pen cases to go with them. Exquisite fountain pens deserve a good casing.

For you to be able to protect the pens from loosing their glitter, you should be able to hold the pens in a case. Anyway, the cases are also attractive to look at when on your table.

A well-done pen case at the end of the day will give the impression that you are someone with class as much as you aim to store your pens.

Nice pen housings are available in the shape of boxes, easels, cylindrical and upright standing frames among other shapes. Out of these, the closed type cases will generally serve the purpose of safely storing your pen away from potential fading, scratches or loss. The other open type cases will serve to highlight the exquisiteness of the pens on display.

Lately, you can get pen pillows, made from wood and Wajima urushi lacquer as pen cases. Their aesthetical qualities are a lot. The shapes may be triangular or alternatively, try out one of the well-done Japanese crafts works, with a coolly done smoked plastic cover.

Aesthetics should be what you are looking to bring out when you go looking for a designer pen case. This will ensure that the right amount of elegance is brought out also depending on the kind of material used in making the case.

Some people use empty cans or football club mugs to place their pens inside. However, for the one who loves fountain pens, you need a more suitable case before you can fully bring out the swagger. You should use a different type of case to hold your collection of ink pens.

Those playing at the highest league will have a well-designed case, graced with a diamond somewhere along the design.

There is more to penholders than just the display on the table or the fact that they safe keep the pens being held. They could also serve as gifts. You can give a fountain pain set to somebody on a special day.

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Thursday, July 15, 2010

Patterns In Lawn Mowing

By Phil Caxton

The grass in your lawn that is newly made from seed must not be cut until the stems are nearly 2 inch high. Therefore during the first couple weeks of mowing the mower should be set at maximum height and the blades should be very sharp. This is important as it can pose a risk to the young plants which can be pulled right out from the ground. The setting of the mowing machine can be progressively lowered as the grass settles down and is fully established which are some lawn mowing techniques you should know.

Just a day before mowing a newly seeded lawn and especially for the first time, make sure you take the mower over the grass with the blades disengaged. This is done to consolidate the soil around the roots of the grass and also pres in any stones in the path. How often you should cut would depend on the time of the year when you grew the grass and surely by the growth rate of the grass.

The lawn made from turfs would generally have several months to settle down before the arrival of mowing season. However even the lawns laid out at the end of turf season should be sufficiently established to let mowing activity within 2 or 3 weeks.

So, when the grass settles down and is fully established, the best caution is when you have doubt about the grass strength. Therefore right mowing techniques are very important in mowing such lawn. As the season changes and summer arrives it is essential to change the frequency of mowing the grass over new lawn. The grass is prone to grow more rapidly during spring season and so it becomes more obligatory to mow the grass quite frequently.

It is always recommended that you never remove more than one third of leaf blade, because when more of the leaf is cut, the grass would turn brown on the tips. Moreover make sure you mow the lawn in different patterns so that tire marks get invisible. When you move over the same tire marks restrains the growth and also compresses the soil. Moreover also make sure a sharp blade is used to mow the grass or it would result in fuzzy mowing giving your lawn a dull or rugged look. You should also know that mowing on a wet lawn is quite difficult than on a dry lawn. There are just some lawn mowing techniques which you can use the next time you mown the lawn.

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Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Office Interiors: Building A Motivational Environment

By Mal Maninga

For many, offices are just boring places to work. They're designed to be functional, in most cases, nothing more, so they are done in plain colors and the main focus is on work. However, what many businesses are discovering is that the office environment really does have an impact on the productivity of people. Make sure your office is an area that will motivate people to work hard. Office interiors should be designed to help employees stay on track and keep them happy.

One of the first things to consider is the furniture. It should be functional, but comfortable. Employees who are not comfortable will be constantly getting up to go to the bathroom or get water just to stretch and get out the kinks. While comfy furniture costs a bit more, it will actually go right into productivity.

The equipment that is used also has an effect on how people work. If your computers are years out of date, no one is going to be terribly motivated to use them. Keep equipment up to date and running so that your employees can do their jobs properly. This has a major impact on how motivated people are to do their jobs, as well. When things don't work properly, the frustration levels rise and people will feel unsatisfied with their jobs.

Aside from the more technical areas of the office, there are many other factors that impact the way people work. Color is one. Look at changing up the wall colors. Skip the tan, it's so last decade, and look for something a bit more interesting. Green or blue are both great choices and can really liven up an office. Furniture can also be purchased in colors, so set a color theme and enjoy.

Letting people turn their spaces into a personal space is something that many offices do allow. It's a good way to increase productivity since people are more motivated when they look at photos of their family and think of why they're working so hard. This can be a big motivation and is worth allowing in the workplace.

For many companies, it's useful to create a positive environment. Hang motivational photos on the wall, make someone employee of the month and feature them. Create positivity and it will come back to you.

Lighting is another huge factor in productivity. Buzzing fluorescent lights will give people a headache and make them frustrated. The flickering doesn't help, either. Instead, look for more modern options. There are eco-bulbs that give a tungsten style light but still save money and light large areas. These are a better option. After all, if people can't see properly, they aren't going to be too happy. Lamps can also be provided for closer work.

There are many factors in office productivity. You might not be able to change everything all at once, but you can improve things bit by bit and watch the improvements make a difference.

When it comes down to it, office interiors are rarely what they could be. Just a few changes can make a big difference. Adding some color, allowing employees to hang their own pictures and ensuring that they have a comfortable place to work are all methods of making your office a better place to work.

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Tuesday, July 13, 2010

A Different Look At Bridal Photography

By Roger Wong

Wedding photography includes pictures of the couple before the wedding, as well as coverage of the actual wedding ceremony and reception. The two approaches in wedding photography are traditional and photojournalism. Traditional bridal photography consists of classically posed images. In this approach, there is much interaction with the photographer on the day of the wedding. In the photojournalistic approach, the images recorded are much more subtle with less photographer interaction. These two approaches are the two extremes of photographic styles. Most of the modern day photographers' fall somewhere between these two styles.

There are certain things to keep in mind while hiring a photographer to cover your wedding. Every photographer possesses an individual style. There is some research you should do before you decide who you want photographing your wedding. It is recommended to start looking for the right photographer well ahead of time. Look into your photographers creative side more then the business side when hiring a wedding photographer. One shouldn't be concerned about comparing various package details or the number of prints he is going to get. Take care of all the last minute details so your photographer isn't preoccupied with thoughts about payment on your wedding day.

Always remember NOT to give constant direction to the professional you have hired. Nobody wants to be pushed around, not even your photographer so ask your guests to be polite as well. No photographer likes to be directed as to what to shoot and how to do it. The photographer will become less creative if there is lots of third party interaction. Sometimes the relatives and friends are so preoccupied in instructing the photographer that they almost miss the entire wedding.

As always, trust is a major factor that affects your relationship with the photographer. Not everything can be controlled on your wedding day, so you will need to come to terms with that. That's another reason why you hired a professional to capture all the beautiful moments of the wedding day.

Most importantly, do not starve your photographer. No matter how professional the photographer is, he needs to eat. This should be the last person you want to starve at your wedding. And try not to give your photographer a very long list of things to do. This would distract him from what you actually hired him to do.

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Monday, July 12, 2010

Gators Tough Out Win Over Bulldogs

By Ross Everett

Despite a subpar game from quarterback Tim Tebow and a determined effort from the host Mississippi State Bulldogs, the Florida Gators remained undefeated by scrapping out a 29-19 victory. Florida led by only 3 points at halftime before pulling away in the fourth quarter. The usually efficient and accurate Tebow had two touchdowns returned for interceptions and passed for only 127 yards with no touchdowns. Florida improved to 7-0 while Mississippi State dropped to 3-5.

College football betting enthusiasts who took the +22' with Mississippi State as a home underdog enjoyed an easy pointspread cover. The Bulldogs improved their ATS record to 4-3 with the cover, while Florida evened their college football pointspread record to 3-3.

While Tebow wasn't talking, head coach Urban Meyer accepted much of the blame for his team's substandard performance:

"I did not coach well tonight. I put Tim in some tough situations. As an offense, we're not well right now. Tim's not trying to be a hero. But we might be asking him to do too much."

The Gators' are 76th in the nation in red zone efficiency, and Meyer took the blame for that fact as well:

"The problem is they've got a coach that wants to score so damn bad that he's pressing them and some of those guys aren't ready for that."

Defensive end Pernell McPhee gave Tebow fits all night and talked about his team's effort after the game:

"We knew they liked to get the ball to Tebow there. I felt like we frustrated them and made them do some new things they did not usually do tonight. They got in the I formation tonight and that is the first time I have ever seen them do that."

Florida led by only 3 points heading into the final quarter but used a Chris Raney 8 yard rush and a Dustin Doe interception return for a touchdown to open up some breathing room. Jonathan Banks cut into the lead for Mississippi State late in the game with an interception return for touchdown of his own.

The Gators face a tough challenge next weekend as they enter into their matchup against University of Georgia-what used to be known as 'The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party' until officials of both schools thought that portrayed a negative (though largely accurate) image of the colleges. They'll face Vanderbilt the next week before heading to Columbia, SC for a game against the University of South Carolina and their longtime coach Steve Spurrier. Mississippi State will play at Kentucky next weekend before a bye week. They'll return to action on November--th at home against the University of Alabama.

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Sunday, July 11, 2010

Tips On How To Choose Office Furniture

By Neil Rogers

Whether you are starting a business or replacing your office furniture, there are some things to think about. There are so many styles and colors out there to choose from, your sure to find something to fit your budget. These are just a few ideas and tips on shopping for the furniture.

The first thing to do is make up a budget. Only businesses with a large cash flow can afford to pay cash, so develop a strict budget. Listing the items you need in a spreadsheet and the maximum price you are willing to pay will give you the total you can expect to spend. Take it will you shopping to ensure you do not overspend.

Shop at the reputable furniture supply stores in your area or ask other business owners to recommend a company for you. Referrals are always given by happy customers. Online stores should have a secure site and shopping cart. Look for a badge on the site that indicates they have some sort of certification for good business practice.

Depending on the nature of your business, you may have different office furniture needs but every office will need desks and chairs. Styles like traditional, classic and contemporary are available as well as multiple finished and wood grains. Price and personal style will come into play.

Chairs are needed to go with the desks. Comfortable but basic ones with cloth upholstery will cost you around one hundred dollars. Other products like ergonomic, leather and adjustable ones will range from one hundred to five hundred. Spend the extra money on durable products that will last for years and can handle the daily wear and tear.

Perhaps specialized desks will be needed for your business, for instance drafting or computer related desks. Employees that do data entry or other computer tasks will need a computer desk that holds all the necessary equipment. It will also need to be comfortable for them to sit at for hours on end. Otherwise the risk of work related injuries and back pain will escalate.

All businesses will need some sort of storage like bookshelves and filing cabinets. The documents you put in them will decide the style or size of cabinets you need. Letter and legal sized documents will need a standard size cabinet. Larger ones like blueprints will need a special unit. Open shelving is adequate for things you need to reference often, such as binders and books.

Determining how you will pay for your purchase is the last step. Large or costly items will most likely need to be financed. Work out a monthly payment that will fit comfortably into your company budget and ask about warranties on the product.

If you buy locally, shipping is usually free. Online stores will have a thorough shipping policy that indicates cost, how long it takes to get to you and what to do about returns. Make sure they also have a solid return policy and good shipping insurance. You never what will happen to the office furniture while being shipped.

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