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By subscription only! Welcome to another issue of:
"THE BALANCED WOMAN".
Thanks to all of you who have encouraged your friends to subscribe!
You are important to us. So rest assured we will NEVER sell or give
away your email addresses to anyone!!
We realize that not all of the email programs available can accomodate our size. So you can also find this issue of The Balanced Woman at: http://angelfire.com/sd/BalancedWoman/issue8.html
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IN THIS ISSUE
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=> Welcome
=> Feature Article: Y2K
=> Household Tip
=> Guest Column: "Creative
Solutions to Organize Your Home or Office"
=> Parenting Tip
=> Keeping Romance Alive
=> Pampering Yourself
=> How to be a Guest Columnist
=> Guest Column: Don't
Keep Your Dream in a Box-Part II
=> Classified Ads
=> Coming Up Next Month
=> Subscribe/Un subscribe
information
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WELCOME
I can't believe it's December already! Seems like only yesterday the first issue of The Balanced Woman was distributed. And that was eight months ago! Time sure does fly by. Once again the busy holiday season is upon us and spare time is at a premium. So I'll keep this part short and let you get right into the good stuff.
But before you go, be sure to take a look at "100 Ways to Pamper Yourself" at http://www.betweenfriends.org/articles.htm You can probably use it right about now!
And if you're a small business owner this is the perfect time to consider "108 Things You Need to Know About Record Keeping for Your Business" otherwise known as "Don't Mess with the IRS" at http://www.betweenfriends.org/taxtips.htm.
Finally, don't forget to check out our website: http://www.betweenfriends.org. We update regularly, so check back often!
Having said all of that, it is my sincerest wish that you and your family
enjoy a Happy and Safe Holiday Season! See you in the new millenium!
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FEATURE ARTICLE, Y2K
by Jacqueline McLaughlin Hale
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Recently a reader wrote to me and asked me to address Y2K in an upcoming newsletter. With the New Year and the new millenium just around the corner it seemed appropriate to tackle this topic in the December issue.
First, let’s start with what Y2K stands for. It’s an abbreviation that’s come to be used when talking about the year(Y) 2000 (2K) and its corresponding computer challenges. What are those challenges?
When hardware (the computer itself) and software (computer applications such as Microsoft word, and excel among others) were created, they were often programmed to accept dates with a two digit field for the year (i.e. 96 rather than 1996). It is the concern of many today that when the year 2000 rolls around hardware and software applications will interpret “00” as 1900 rather than 2000. This may not SEEM like a big deal, but if you’ve got any investments or savings accounts at all you can begin to understand how your interest calculations could be adversely affected if the computer thought the year was 1900! And this is just ONE example.
What computer professionals must do is make changes to the hardware/software logic so that computers and their programs can accept a four digit date field (i.e. 2000 rather than “00”) instead.
Many believe that when the clock strikes midnight on December 31st our goods and services dependent upon computers, will cease or even worse, be completely disrupted causing mayhem in our world. Those individuals are preparing themselves, their families and their homes for disaster. And so with all the hoopla of the new millenium and Y2K we are, once again, making a very big deal out of New Years.
Regardless of the reasons, I have never understood the “magic” of new years or the parties, the preparations, the celebrations, and the elaborate efforts that go along with it. I have always wondered why we make this day more special than any other day of the year.
New Year’s, and New Year’s Eve for that matter, are days just like all
the rest. They contain the same number of hours, they begin with
the sun rising and they end with the sun setting. What makes them
different? What makes us want to celebrate them, in particular?
Is it because they represent renewal? Is it because New Years day symbolizes a day for starting over?
After all, we make New Year’s resolutions; we vow to be different; we promise ourselves that we’ll change our lives for the better. We make commitments, again. If only we could treat every day like New Years day. If only we woke up each day to start over. If only we made daily resolutions. If only we vowed to be different and promised to change our lives for the better every day. If only we did…but we don’t.
So I had to keep asking myself “Why?” What is it about New Year’s day that makes it somehow different from all the rest? And then it came to me…
Hope makes New Years different. Hope that the holiday season brings combined with the renewal of the calendar, all at once. It’s hope and renewal blended together that create the magic of New Years day.
It’s that hope that we desperately need so much. No matter what is going on in the world, no matter what our situation may be, we all carry that hope, most of the time, that circumstances will change. Hope keeps us going when nothing else can. What is that hope?
Ultimately it is a hope for and in people. It’s a hope that people will make a difference and thankfully it’s perpetuated every year by the holiday season. It's inspired by Christmas, and Hanukkah, and all of the other celebrations throughout the world at this time of year.
In the past decade we have experienced our fair share of disasters.
We’ve endured devastating earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, war
and genocide. We've all been victimized by horrific plane crashes
and unfathomable violence in the schools. But after
the horror, after the damage, after the death, PEOPLE have given their
very best to rebuild again. People, from all over the world, have
donated their time, their energy, their money and their prayers, to
life---to continuing on in the face of these horrible tragedies.
This IS courage at its very best.
I have been asked if I'm worried about Y2K. My answer? Not
at all! Oh sure there will be glitches and inconveniences and temporary
disruption in some services. But I am NOT preparing myself, my family
and my home for disaster! Because I have faith and hope in people
and in humanity...
Jacqueline McLaughlin Hale is a CPA and the editor of “The Balanced Woman” a monthly ezine. She is also the author of The Woman’s Guide to Resumes and Interviewing, Lessons From a Toddler and 77 Ways to Pamper Yourself. All of these publications are available through AJAY Publishing at: http://angelfire.com/sd/jobsearchforwomen.
Webmasters and publishers may use this article in their ezine or website,
as long as the *entire* article is used, and the *copyright notice* and
*resource box* are left in tact, including this notice.
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HOUSEHOLD
TIP OF THE MONTH:
This month's household hint is too big to put here. It's called "25 Tips for a Lifetime" and can be found at: http://angelfire.com/sd/BalancedWoman/tips.html
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Guest Column: Creative Solutions to Organize Your
Home or Office
by: Debbie Williams
Copyright 1999
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As a professional organizer, it's my job to help clients find the balance
between organizing career and home. However, most of us don't want
to invest much time or money to accomplish this goal. Some of the best
organizational tools are very inexpensive and can be found at most discount
stores. Often developing a personal system involves just a bit of
creativity rather than a substantial investment in a professional product
or service.
When establishing a general storage system, you have four storage choices.
You can hang it, put it in a drawer, store it on the floor, or shelve it.
If you haven't used it in a year, chances are you never will. Get
rid of anything that you haven't used for the past year or two, except
tax and business documents. Sorting will reduce your storage needs, and
save you valuable time and money in the process.
Managing paper is a challenge we all face. Consolidate important notes
into a daily planner, spiral notebook, large calendar, or wipe off board.
Use a multicolored pen or marker to flag special events, with one color
per event or person. Create a follow up system using a file box and
index cards, or notebook with pocketed dividers. For bills and other correspondence,
buy a notebook with twelve pocketed dividers, one for each month
of the year. Label each with birthdays, anniversaries, and billing
due dates, then fill with correspondence. The binder can be
used as a portable desk, or can be stored at your work area.
Set a specific day of the month to do your paperwork.
Minimize organizing product costs by clipping articles and recipes, then discarding the remainder of the magazine. Store in magnetic photo albums or a notebook with dividers. Closet organizing ideas can be implemented for storing clothing, crafts, sporting goods, and just about anything else you can shove into a closet. Use dowel rods hung at multi-levels for clothing on hangers. Plastic bins and shelf dividers keep folded items stacked. Hang ties and belts on a plastic coat hanger, buy cardboard cubbies for shoes and purses (or make your own by decorating divided grocery store boxes).
For quick retrieval, hooks for caps, bags, umbrellas, and purses keep things in sight. A hanging storage closet system purchased at a home store or discount store is a portable alternative to built-in organizers. (These hang by hooks over your closet rod and have multiple milk crate cubes suspended below.)
If you live in small quarters or move frequently, this is a cost-effective
solution to custom shelving. Hanging organizers with divided pouches store
and display at the same time. These come with small pockets for jewelry,
or larger pockets for shoes, pantyhose, or scarves. I've used them in lieu
of junk drawers for office supplies. The large sizes can be found
at dollar stores, and the smaller sizes are featured in mail order catalogs
or home furnishing stores.
Use over the door organizers such as laundry bags, book racks, ironing
boards, utility racks (good for storing tapes, CDs, or cleaning supplies).
Store small items under the bed in boxes with lids, tackle boxes or fishing
lure boxes. Save an empty thermometer case to store needles, and
film canisters or empty pill bottles with lids for small buttons.
Stash your chest of drawers in the closet to save wall space and to hold
additional craft items. Stacking kitchen racks expand cabinet space
(dishes, corner racks, lid racks, plastic wrap racks, stackable trays for
junk drawer and cutlery), and over the door racks hold additional pantry
items.
For the garage, there's no need to purchase expensive shelving or cabinets.
Hang wood strips with nails or spring latches for long handled tools. Use
hooks for hanging bikes, pegboards for tools, freestanding drawer units,
lidded plastic tubs of all sizes, shelving for large items and those in
containers, an old inverted barstool or trash can> for holding tall items
such as bats and fishing poles, and dish tubs on shelves with labels. A
wraparound cloth apron with pockets for a five gallon bucket makes a wonderful
tool tote, and can be found at a home improvement center, or make your
own from scrap material. Make your items do double duty. Invest in
a cardpunch for your business cards, then file them on your Rolodex. A
basket runner system creates a file cabinet or kitchen storage unit. Use
a bedroom closet to create a niche for hobby work; the doors close to hide
work in progress.
Folding screens are decorative and disguise a work area. A folding card
table or banquet table can be stored under the bed when not in use, which
is convenient if your hobby room doubles as a guest bedroom. Find
a large piece of plywood to place over the spare bedroom mattress as a
workspace, which can then easily be stored when guests visit. Use
wicker baskets to hold important papers or fresh fruit, and a kitchen crock
for utensils. Hanging wire baskets hold produce and utilize vertical space
as well. Top a large garbage can with a simple wooden circle and skirted
cover to make a bedside or end table to
conceal stored items.
Keep your eyes open for creative ways to contain the clutter in your life. Be only as organized as you NEED to be. This means establishing a workable system for yourself that you know you can follow for a long time. Remember that being organized is an ongoing process, not an end result. Tackle those paper piles ten minutes a day until you finally see your desk under all those stacks. It will get done, and just think of the sense of accomplishment you'll feel every day as you do just a little bit more to organize the clutter in your life.
Debbie Williams, founder of OrganizedU and owner of Let's Get
It Together, is a professional organizer, author, and speaker. Debbie
has over 15 years of administrative and training experience, holds a bachelors
degree in education, and works as a freelance writer for various entrepreneurial
and parenting publications. She is the editor and publisher of the electronic
newsletters, Organized Exchange and Organized Times, and host and founder
of the annual Online Organizing Expo Visit Debbie's site Let's Get
it Together www.organizedtimes.com
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PARENTING TIP OF THE MONTH
Thought this tip might be useful for those of you who can't get your toddler to eat veggies: Veggie Pancakes: Make some pancake batter and then put a jar of baby food vegetables in it. Make little dollar size pancakes. Freeze them and use them as needed.
submitted by a subscriber. Thank you!
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Take a stroll down Main Street Mom at http://www.mainstreetmom.com where
you can relax and do some refreshing reading, just for you Mom! We offer
support for the stay-at-home mom, humor, inspirational stories, money-saving
tips, and a nationwide playgroup directory, which continues to grow everyday!
We also offer a weekly newsletter that you can receive by clicking on msmw-subscribe@listbot.com
See you on the streets where you live!
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ON KEEPING ROMANCE ALIVE
Hide It For a Rainy Day
by Michael Webb
There was a big thunderstorm in North Carolina the other morning and my wife decided to wear her raincoat to work - finally!
About six months ago I put a card in the pocket of the coat for her
to find on one of those cold, miserable, rainy days. By the time
she discovered the card, it was in the heat of summer, but the result was
just as rewarding. Because of the huge thunderstorm she was extremely
busy and stressed that day running her errands and such. She could
not have discovered
the card at a better time.
The bottle of aspirin is another perfect place to hide some kind words especially if they are getting the pills for your crabby headache. Try to slip a little note in their packet of tissue. Does your sweetheart turn to literature when feeling a bit blue? Maybe they read the Psalms or Proverbs from the Bible. A small note tucked between the pages of a favorite book is bound to be an even better pick-me-up than the book itself.
Any love note is good, but the impact is even stronger when hidden so it will be found when it is needed most.
Michael Webb is editor of The RoMANtic Newsletter: Hundreds of Fun & Creative Tips to Enrich Your Relationship. For more of Michael's FREE tips, visit www.TheRomantic.com
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ON PAMPERING YOURSELF
Get a babysitter for your children or swap babysitting services with a friend or neighbor. Leave your spouse at home and go holiday shopping, all alone. Take your time. Enjoy the decorations, the smells, the lights, the colors, the music and the whole holiday feeling. Savor it. Drink it in and remind yourself of what the holidays are really about!
excerpted from: 100 Ways to Pamper Yourself, by JA
Hale, copyright 1999
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How to be a guest columnist instructions
We LOVE receiving articles from our readers, or anyone else.
Please submit your articles to
jahale95@yahoo.com by the 15th of the month for inclusion in the next
month's newsletter.
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Don't Keep Your Dream in a Box-Part II
By: Staci Backauskas
fifthgoddess@sprynet.com
© Copyright 1999
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Read about how one woman left her 6 figure income to pursue her dreams! Staci Backauskas did just that!
The second part of Staci's article begun last month can be found at http://angelfire.com/sd/BalancedWoman/staci.html
Staci Backauskas is a writer, speaker, teacher and author of The FifthGoddess.
The Fifth Goddess ~ a spiritual fiction novel for every woman ~ noprophecy
from Machu Pichu; no mutant message; no one surfing the Himalayas.
Just four goddesses overseeing an ordinary woman's path of self-discovery.
To order an advance copy, contact Staci at fifthgoddess@sprynet.com
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COMING NEXT MONTH: New Years Resolutions: Weight Loss
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Disclaimer
The appearance of advertising in The Balanced Woman should not
be interpreted as an endorsement by the editors of the service, product,
business, or program being advertised. We take no responsibility
for claims or representations made in any ads. The Balanced Woman
is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The ideas and
information expressed in it have not been approved or authorized by anyone
either explicitly or impliedly. In no event shall Jacqueline McLaughlin
Halebe liable for any damages whatsoever resulting from any action arising
in connection with the use of this information or its publication, including
any action for infringement of copyright or defamation. The opinions
expressed by our columnists are not necessarily the position of The Balanced
Woman.
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Copyright 1999, JA Hale
Editors Comments:If any of you have any ideas,
comments and suggestions on how we can improve this
e-zine please let me know. Just send an email to:jahale95@yahoo.com
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