Are family meals really important?

Posted: 14th October 2012 by Street Goddess in Parenthood, Research
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I just read this article in Baby Center sharing that there’s a new study that says no hard evidence is found to support the widely held belief that meals shared with family has impact on children’s school performance and/or behavior in general. The findings were recently published online in the journal Child Development. Co-author Daniel Miller, an assistant professor at the Boston University School of Social Work, said that they found “no relationship between family breakfasts or family dinners and any child outcomes — reading, math and science scores, or behavior problems,” after they looked at more than 21,000 children, aged 5 to 15. While this may be true based on the study, the researchers does not suggest that families should stop eating together, and that the study merely shows that the concept of eating together may be “different than previously understood.” Read the rest of the article here.

My take: I think family meals are important. The frequency may not matter that much but the quality of each family meal, when we actually eat together, counts the most.

Teeny weeny USB Flash Disk

Posted: 4th October 2012 by Street Goddess in Brands, Digitally Speaking, High and New Technology
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The husband told me he got a good deal buying a SanDisk 32gb USB flash disk for only about $20. So it arrived the other day and my first thought was: “How in the world are they able to make a storage for 32gb with this size?!?”

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You could tell I was amazed by how far technology has gone with this one. But then it dawned on me that the more pressing problem about this design is the fact that the size is nearly negligible one can easily misplace it! Imagine saving files worth at least 20gb and you lose this thing just when you need your precious files! LOL! That explains the hand strap which the husband attached to it when he had the same realization. Knowing him, he’d probably lose it even before he is able to save files :p

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Delayed Shipment

Posted: 28th September 2012 by Street Goddess in Brands, Geek Related, High and New Technology
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I was one of the many Kindle users who got really excited about the launch of Kindle Paperwhite. I love my current Kindle Touch but the feature that sold me to Paperwhite is the backlight. It means I need not use a book light when I read at night, which is almost always the only time I get to read.

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Photo from Amazon.com

The announcement easily made me consider it especially that my brother is currently in the US. But since deliveries would only start on October 1, I lost hope. My brother is flying out on September 30. Such timing. And even if there is someone else coming home from the States in the next few weeks, I think I will just wait until next year to buy my Paperwhite, that is when the demand has already dwindled.

There was a statement from Amazon yesterday that they are facing shipment delays of up to three weeks. They said, “Due to popular demand, orders placed today are expected to ship the week of October 22nd. Limit five per customer.” Those who ordered earlier though should still expect the October 1 shipment day. Lucky them!

Best Tips For Winning the Lottery

Posted: 12th July 2012 by Street Goddess in Uncategorized
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Image via Flickr

Of course you want to win the lottery. Everyone probably dreams of winning the really huge jackpots, but there are lots of smaller jackpots that can be game-changing as well. Whatever type of lottery game you’re playing, from the RewardIt Lotto to the big multi-state, multi-million jackpots, you should master certain tips to make winning the lottery easier (and more possible!).

Lottery-Winning Tips
There are lots of die-hard lottery players out there, and if you stop at any convenience store you’re bound to run into some of them from time to time. They always seem to have a strategy, but not a lot of lottery winnings. If you want to find the best tips to win, you’ve got to find out what’s worked for past winners.

  • Numbers. Don’t get too caught up in the numbers. Everyone’s got their favorite numbers, certain digits that hold strong meaning to them, but truthfully all numbers have an equal chance of appearing in any lottery. Don’t ever pick numbers based on birthdays or anniversaries, because you’re automatically limiting the amount of choices you have. Remember that lottery numbers go above 31, but days in the month do not. Statistics show that almost 75% of lottery winners use the quick pick option, so this may be the best winning strategy when this is something you can choose. 
  • Grouping. Getting in a big lottery pool with friends, family and co-workers will greatly increase your chances of winning. You’ll be boosting your own odds, and that’s what it’s all about. Everyone in the lottery group should be encouraged to pick different numbers and at random, in order to increase the group’s odds.
  • Buy more tickets. Instead of buying a bunch of different tickets in many different lotteries, buy more tickets for a single lottery. You’ll be increasing your chances because you have a bigger spread of numbers in that lottery.

Winning the Lottery
No matter how big or small the jackpot,  winning the lottery is a lot of fun. Don’t get too caught up in playing different lotteries, however. Always, always double-check all your numbers to see whether you’re a winner in all the lotteries you play. If necessary, keep a list of the lotto games you’re playing and when the winning numbers will be revealed. Believe it or not, some lottery winnings go unclaimed! No lottery is so small that you don’t want to win. If you miss the lottery drawing, you can always find the numbers online. The RewardIt Lotto, for example, shows a full history so you can check your numbers any time.

How To Blow Off A Breathalyzer

Posted: 4th May 2012 by Street Goddess in Health and Fitness, Tips
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A Personal Breathalyzer (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

After a night out with friends, you may feel fine, but you might be above the legal drunk driving limit. The easiest way to tell is to take a simple breathalyzer test.

What’s a Breathalyzer?

A breathalyzer is a device that measures how to test you alcohol content by analyzing breath from that person’s lungs.  These devices don’t give a precise blood alcohol content (BAC) amount, but an estimate based on the way alcohol breaks down within the human body. Breathalyzers can be bought online for a reasonable price, so you don’t have to be in law enforcement to buy one. This will provide protection for your personal property and your driving record, and this will keep you from legal trouble.

Taking the Test

Testing yourself is easy, but there are tips to remember:

  • Wait for 30 minutes after any alcoholic drink
  • Avoid coffee, mints, or other food
  • Blow firmly for at least five seconds

All states have adopted the legal BAC driving limit of .08. If your test results indicate that your BAC is at or near this level, don’t drive. Since breathalyzers only give an estimate, results can be off a bit. If you blow a .07 BAC, your true BAC could be as little as .04 or as high as .10.

Sober Up

If your BAC level isn’t at an acceptable level, there are things you can do to sober up, and things you may know that supposedly will help but won’t.

Truth

Alcohol levels will go down the longer you just stay in one place. BAC typically reduces at .01 every 40 minutes. If you’re over the limit by .03, you’ll need to let two hours pass. Eat something high in fructose or sucrose. Foods like sweet cereals, toaster tarts, and honey are high in fructose and sucrose. Sugary drinks like Coke and Pepsi have fructose.

Myths

There are many myths about how to sober up quickly. Drinking coffee is a common myth. Lots of coffee won’t do anything but send you to the bathroom. Exercising won’t lower your BAC, but will make you dehydrate quickly. Alcohol dehydrates the body and when you add exercise into the mix, you’re likely to become very dehydrated. The more dehydrated you are, the higher your BAC will be. Cold showers and rolling car windows down won’t help lower BAC either. While freezing temperatures are good at increasing alertness and focus, it does nothing to lower alcohol levels.

To help you stay safe, use a personal breathalyzer and take proper precautions if you’re too drunk to drive.

The Best Way(s) to Organize Mobile Music

Posted: 30th April 2012 by Street Goddess in High and New Technology, Music
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In this age of digital media, keeping your music information in order can be a little bit tricky. This is frustrating when you want to find a specific song quickly but cannot search it because of your disorderly music library. However, with a little bit of planning and organizing, finding that elusive song in your audio files is simple.

Take a Deep Breath

Before you begin sorting your music, you might feel as if the task is too daunting to take on. Set this thought aside, and let yourself enjoy the process. Most likely, you will re-discover some tunes and the memories those songs have. You might have downloaded a song last summer, so you and your friends could sing together. Relive wonderful memories as you sort through your songs.

Gather Your Music

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Image courtesy of Flickr

The next step in organizing digital content is gathering all your music files together. Create a music folder, and gather all your digital music files into that folder. Once the music is in the folder, you can look for duplicate titles and missing favorites. You might find that some of the audio files are in an un-readable format. If this is the case, convert the files or re-download your favorite songs in their correct format.

Sort Your Folders per Genre or Artist

Sort your music files using sub-folders. You can sort your audio files by genre as this allows you to easily find songs as per their type of music. You can also organize your audio files per artists to make it easier for you to put your playlist in order based on your favorite artists. Within the artists’ folders, you can create sub-folders each named for the particular albums of solo artists and bands that you listen to.

Use Devices That Sort Music for You

If sorting mobile music is something you do not want to spend time on, consider wireless providers that have gadgets with music players that sort the songs for you. For instance, Cricket’s Muve Music annivesary, allows its subscribers to download favorite songs and albums at will, and the device with a Muve Music monthly plan, automatically sorts and organizes the songs. When a user wants to find a specific song, a simple search through the mobile playlist brings it up for the individual’s listening pleasure.

Organizing your mobile music reminds you of songs you love. It also puts you in the perfect position to share tunes easily with your friends. Whether you search by song name, album name, or genre, the tunes are easily right at your fingertips if you have an organized music library.

New Advances in Samsung Technology

Posted: 18th April 2012 by Street Goddess in Brands, Gadgets, High and New Technology
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Samsung S5600 mobile phone. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Samsung is a leader in the technology industry. The South Korean company was founded in the late 1930s. It initially dealt in groceries and made and sold its own noodles. Samsung diversified into a number of other industries like insurance and retail. In the 1960s, the company entered the electronics industry, and in the 1980s, it entered the telecommunications hardware industry and has been very successful.

Among many other things, Samsung has manufactured and sold personal computers, cameras, hard drives, aircraft, aircraft parts, gas turbines, liquid-crystal displays and an estimated 800 million cell phones. Samsung is an innovator and continues to produce highly anticipated products. Among their more anticipated new products are the Samsung Galaxy, RDZ 3D LCD technology, waterproof cell phones and the Samsung Transparent Smart Window.

Samsung Galaxy Skin – the flexible mobile phone

Slated for a 2012 release, the Samsung Galaxy Skin is to feature a bendable display that will enable users to twist it and even roll it up like a wrist-watch. The AMOLED display is reportedly nearly unbreakable and able to be rolled into a 1-inch diameter cylinder. The display will be made out of a plastic substance instead of glass and will incorporate a material called graphene which contributes to its durability.

RDZ technology – the 3D TV and computer

Partnering with RealD, Samsung is making screen displays that feature a new 3D technology called RDZ. RDZ is expected to be an improvement over existing 3D technologies, and the first products to feature this new tech will be computer monitors. TVs incorporating the RDZ technology will follow.

Waterproof cell phones

Many a cell phone has been ruined by water. Now Samsung is working on a waterproof (or water-resistant) cell phone. Reportedly, the interior of the phone, the exterior, the chips and battery will be coated with a water-resistant material that should protect it from water.

Samsung Transparent Smart Window

At the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, Samsung demonstrated their new transparent touch screen monitor technology called the Samsung Transparent Smart Window. The seemingly science-fiction-like product is like a sheet of glass that could replace the large monitors in homes and offices or windows in some buildings. It could be incorporated into the windshields of cars to display pertinent information on the glass without obstructing the view.

Imagine a device that combines all these new technologies. Imagine a flexible, waterproof, transparent Smartphone with a super durable high-resolution 3D LCD screen. Still seems like science fiction, but with Samsung’s recent innovations, such a device isn’t too hard to envision.

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What Custom Labels Can do For your Business

Posted: 17th April 2012 by Street Goddess in Business, Management
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The different benefits and uses of Custom Labels

If you are a business owner who is looking for a cost-effective way to market products, then Custom Labels might me the answer to your needs.

What are custom labels?

Custom labels are stickers whose designs have been personalized and customized to suit different commercial and industrial needs. Here are some of the benefits of Custom Stickers:

  1. Custom Labels are great for image and brand building. By using a custom labels with the company logo and name for all your products, you are establishing a branding and image for your company. These labels are attractive and can easily catch the attention of potential customers which can make you ahead of your competitors as it can help increase sales and revenue for your company.
  2. Gives distinctive personality to a product. Since you have total control of what to put in the custom label like the color of the labels, the text, the logo, the pictures, etc, it can give a distinctive personality to your product which can help set the image for the product and the company.
  3. Personalized Labels can also be use as a great marketing tool. You can order customized chocolate, wine, bottle labels for events that you may have and distribute these items which can serve as promotional material for your products and services.

Custom labels come in a variety of options with different choices for the quality of paper to use, the adhesive, the details of the label and more. When it comes to one of the best manufacturers of custom labels, Frontier Label is a name that you can trust.

Frontier Label offers custom printed label and stickers for different uses like:

  • Wine labels
  • Health and beauty labels
  • Food labels
  • Supplements and nutraceutical labels
  • Industrial and electrical labels
  • Custom beverage labels
  • Coffee and tea labels
  • Recreational labels

The site offers an easy to use live pricing where you just need to fill up an online form indicating the printing mode (high quality or economy quality), the size and shape, quantity, colors, material, form factor, length of processing and proof, and you will get instant quote for your requirements.

Once you are ready to order, everything can be done online and they even have a facility where you can upload your own artwork to be included in the design of the label. They offer an optional overnight delivery as well as a facility to re-order online.

Clients can choose from the 1158 sizes they have in stock which gives the clients more flexibility when selecting the labels that they need that will meet their different requirements.

Custom labels are more than just a sticker. It can help a company promote their products and services and to improve the sales and revenue of the company. And a reliable company like Frontier Label, can help any business to achieve that.

How to Find an Apartment in Dayton Within One Week

Posted: 26th March 2012 by Street Goddess in Uncategorized
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Image Courtesy of Flickr

If you’ve ever been in a situation where you had to move quickly, you know how stressful it can be. You certainly don’t want to be homeless, but that may look like your immediate future when the wool — or your old apartment — is pulled out from under you. Fortunately, you don’t have to spend a huge amount of time hunting for an apartment. You can do a lot in just a week or less. The following is how to do so.

Tap Your Network

The first place you’d be wise to visit is your own social network. You might be amazed at how many of the best Dayton apartments aren’t even being advertised anywhere. However, a lot of people who live in a building with a recent vacancy will be able to tell you about it. You may even find someone in your own network who’s looking for a roommate and would be happy to have you around. Give it a go and see what you can find.

Use a Search Site

If your network can’t help you, using a search site is a great way to find an apartment that’ll suit your needs. The first thing you’ll want to do is knock out the neighborhoods you really don’t want to live in. If you’ve got a short list of areas you really appreciate, now is the time to keep it in mind and see what you can find there. Naturally, you may have to compromise on amenities or price to get into the area you want the most. This is especially true when you’ve got a time crunch hanging over your head.

Narrow Down the Possibilities

What precisely do you want in your apartment? The more detailed you are about what you want, the faster you can knock out the places that won’t suit you at all. Usually, it’s things like central air or included appliances that you can focus on, but a certain range of square footage may also be something you can search for. There is a balance you’ll have to strike between knowing what you want and being flexible enough to take a little bit of difference.

Naturally, searching for a 1,200 square foot place with a dishwasher, included appliances, free wifi and all the other utilities included is going to take a fairly long time. Be ready to pick your battles when it comes to what you want.

When you don’t have a lot of time to look for an apartment, you have to cut out all the fluff. First, tap your network and see if anybody you know knows anybody with a place. Second, use a search site and be fairly specific. There’s a big difference between being flexible and settling for something second rate. Know what you want, what you’re willing to compromise on and how much you can afford, and you will find a great place soon.

5 Tips When Using Twitter to Drive Business Success

Posted: 28th February 2012 by Street Goddess in High and New Technology, Management, Tips
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Twitter is one of the most popular social media platforms available today, with its millions of members tweeting almost 65 millions tweets per day. Almost everybody has a Twitter account and that includes celebrities, NBA players, newscasters, TV show hosts and more. That is why a lot of businesses have seen the potential of Twitter as it can be a rich source of future clients for their company.

When used in the right way, Twitter can provide a good platform for the promotion and exposure of a company. But it is not enough that company will just create a Twitter account and wait for miracles for a successful Internet marketing to happen. Different businesses must know how to utilize the power of Twitter in order to catch the attention of potential clients and will ultimately bring revenue to the company.

Here are a few pointers that every business must observe when using Twitter to make their business known online:

1. Setup profile. One way of being recognized in Twitter is with the use of attractive and catchy profile so the first thing that any business must do is to customize their profile by adding profile pictures, description, contact numbers and the like.

2. Establish your followers. Once you are done setting up your profile, it is time to connect to your audience. It is more important that you have followers that interact with you and that notices your products instead of having 10,000 followers who just ignore every tweet that you send.

You can start by connecting with your family, friends, employees, other businesses in the same industry, etc who can help you retweet your post and will follow you in return. This is a good starting point for your list of followers and this gives you a chance for their contacts to follow you as well.

3. Share valuable information and tweet regularly. To make your presence felt in the Twitter world, it is important that you tweet regularly. You can tweet once or twice per day or several times per week. There are a lot of free software that can be easily downloaded to help you manage your Twitter account which allows the scheduling of tweets for easy management.

It is also not just important that you tweet often but posting valuable information every time you tweet is also a must. Your tweets should not all be about your company but should also offer helpful information to your readers like news related to your industry, tips and tricks, and many more.

4. Participate in the community. It is not enough that you post tweets regularly. It is important that you interact and communicate with your readers. Reply to their tweets, comment on their posts, answer their tweets to you and the like so you can establish a relationship. And in any business, relationship is important as clients will only avail of the services and products of businesses that they trust and have build relationships with.

5. Use tools to help you manage your twitter account. When sending in URL, use third-party URL shortening services like TinyURL to maximize the 140-character limit of twitter. This way you will still have extra space to squeeze in your personal insights, additional data, etc in your tweet.

You can also make your tweets more interesting to your audience by using Yfrog or TwitPic to post videos and pictures.

Following the tips mentioned above will help boost your popularity in the online world and will drive your business to success.

Author’s Bio: Abie is working for

tshirtprinting.org as a content writer. Tshirtprinting.org is a brand new website which offers tshirt printing and personalized clothing.

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