Social Butterflies - Finding the Right Sites Pt 1

Are you confused about which social site to choose?

Social Sites are popping up all over the web and you may be wondering what they are and if you should belong to any. Perhaps you want to know where you might invest your time and your affiliations?
In researching this vast offering of online communities, I have found that it can become a bit overwhelming with the plethora of information and aspects to them. There are so many to choose from and they all seem to offer different aspects of communication, community, and environments. With this in mind, I thought we would start with two of the most visible and hot sites going right now.
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Facebook tends to be more like an online diary, journal, scrapbook or memoir depending on how you wan to use it. It offers many groups to belong to including causes that may be of interest to you. Most people will post rather than real-time or IM, however that option is available if you want to see who is online when you are. With time you can build your community by inviting people you know, and new people you want to know via a group or cause. Post comments, photos, links, music, videos, whatever it is you want to share that is important to you. Then, take your time to read your connections' posts when it's convenient for you, add comments to their posts, and send them an email directly if you choose.
It also offers groups you can join and meet others with same interest and causes as you have, or you can create a group and invite others to join yours.
You can also use FB as simply a place to post updates on your life with photos and keep it to your immediate circle of family and friends. FaceBook has a tendancy to be more intimate and more casual in its socializing.

The complete opposite of this is Twitter which is real-time, like live texting, except you are interacting with a community of thousands. And, with limit of 140 characters - you learn to tighten your thoughts and respond immediately to a current topic or start a new one yourself. This is where the fun is, because the topics jump around so much, and with the time zones, people from all over the world start to engage themselves in these open forum conversations know as Tweets. Twitter offers the opportunity to find out what other people are thinking and saying in real-time, where you can find people who have opposing or similar interests, political, religious and/or social similarities . It is not a forum for promoting your MLM or selling - people will block you and actually consider it spamming. It is building relationships and exploring subjects of interest to discuss, and yes, sometimes, you may even connect on a business level and make contacts.
If you are really wanting to spread your wings and be a social butterfly -you can join a number of different communities, keeping in mind that they all have "unwritten" rules and etiquette that you need to follow to be able to become part of it.
In my next post, we will look at several more communities and the rules of engagement.

Winning Hearts - Winning Lives - This is American Heart Month

The euphoria of Valentine's Day has worn off, you've had a few too many desserts, and realize that you have hit that moment when you look in the mirror, the numbers on the scale and think that it's time to get serious about your health.

You feel uncomfortable in your clothes, everything is harder to do, you are out of breath, and you have no energy. Take a serious look at your lifestyle - are there things you can change? Does the idea of living encourage you to rethink some of your habits that are causing problems in your life? Do you feel out of control and don't know where to begin to make changes?
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Well good news! This is American Heart Month and there are many resources available to help you take that first step to a winning life. Our heart is the center of our lives, it keeps us alive, and what condition is it in? Are you taking care of your heart?

Did you know that heart disease is the #1 killer of women? Look at these numbers from the American heart Association Heart Disease & Stroke Statistics, updated 2008;

• 80,700,000 American adults have one or more types of cardiovascular disease.
  
• Cardiovascular disease includes stroke, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, birth heart defects, hardening of the blood vessels, and other diseases of the circulatory system.
  
• One in 3 female adults have some form of cardiovascular disease.
  
• In 2004, cardiovascular disease caused about a death a minute among females.
  
• In 2004, 460,000 female lives were lost due to cardiovascular disease.
  
• More female lives were lost due to cardiovascular disease than by cancer, chronic lower respiratory disease, Alzheimer’s disease, accidents, and diabetes combined.
  
• 49% of Black/African-American women have cardiovascular disease.
  
• 35% of non-Hispanic white women have cardiovascular disease.
  
• 34.4% of Mexican-American women have cardiovascular disease.

Overweight, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, eating the wrong foods, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and even a family history of heart disease contribute to heart disease deaths in women.

As a Winning Woman you have the ability utilizing the right information and tools to reduce the risk of heart disease and have a healthy and longer life.

If you do just 4 simple things; not smoking, balanced eating with the right foods, do some physical activity and lowering your weight to a healthy number, doing these four thing can help lower your risk of heart disease by as much as 82% according to the NHLBI.

We must spread the word to other Winning Women and encourage each other to take this seriously. To remind ourselves - wear RED! Joining a local group or starting one in your area to create accountability partners if you think you can't tackle this on your own.
Sometimes we just need another person who is willing to get us out of the house, walk with us, talk with us, and encourage us.
Living healthy is really Winning.

Be a healthy Winning Woman!

Winning Thought for the Day

It is easier to suppress the first desire than to satisfy all that follows - Benjamin Franklin

Winning the Money Battle - Pt 2 Stop Shopping

Hi Again,

Here's the next part of Winning the Money Battle - Stop Shopping!

1. If you are a die-hard shopaholic who cannot seem to stay away from the stores, let's start with groceries - you can order your groceries on-line through PeaPod, or use Schwans and they will deliver to your door. This can keep your grocery bills from getting out of hand.
Let's face it, most of us are really bad girls when we go to the market.We get this and ooh, got to have that, till we realize at the checkout that we have totally blown our budget. Embarrassed by our lack of discipline, we buy it all, then later figure out where to borrow from so we can make ends meet till next paycheck.
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2. Cut up the cards, yes, those credit cards, and the numbers for online shopping networks that you hide in drawers way in the back, or in your wallet under photos of your kids that you swear you will use ONLY in an emergency - forget it! It won't happen, you know you're going to whip out that plastic the minute your radar smells a sale. You just can't help yourself, it's what you need and save so much money right now because it's on sale, keep telling yourself that and you will NEVER get out of the hole. I hope you are laughing about now. :)

Let's face it, you lived without till now, you can live without it - period.
BTW, the savings you think you are getting are being eaten up by the % interest% you are paying on that card!!!

3. Open an Roth IRA and deposit any money you have laying around, get in the habit of doing that even if it is $5.00 - why? Because the more often you start depositing into the IRA, and see it grow, the more you will find ways to keep adding to it. It becomes a mission, a purpose, a goal.
First it could be to have $100, then $500, then $1000 and so on.

4.. Talk to your banker about re-financing your house or car or any loans at lower rates, without penalties or paying a penny out of your pocket to do this. Negotiate, negotiate, negotiate. You won't know what you can get, if you don't ask.

5.. Sell Stuff - let's face it - if you haven't worn it, used it, or given it away within 6 months, it is taking up space and losing money for you the longer it sits there. Craig's List, Ebay, Half.com, or have a girl-friends garage sale where several of you get your stuff together and have a big sale. If you need deductions, find the local shelter, or Woman's Shelter and donate everything to them.

By now, you have probably come up with a few ideas of your own, hopefully the above mentioned ideas will give you the start you need to get going.

I know you will win the money battle - because you are worth it, it feels good to be in control of your money and you are a Winning Woman!

Let me know how you are doing!

Winning the Money Battle - Evaluate Pt 1

Is this a good Investment?

When you sit down and look at your income and at your bills, does it look like you are working to just to put money into others' pockets?

Considering that over 50% of the women in the US do work at some point during their lives, and many times while single, or building a family, the question should be asked; 'Is going to work a good investment?'
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I decided to break down this question and evaluate this investment we make toward the great economic account we pour our time and money and lives into. Let's take a look at what going to work and the (ROI) Return on investment might look like.

First, let's look at what we need just to get started - Business Wardrobe, additional groceries for brown bagging it, hitting the gas pumps every other day, not to mention wear and tear on the car parts, and the tires, the time it takes to drive to work, and home again at the end of the day, and throw in daycare and we wonder; is all this worth it? What do we gain? What does it really cost?
With this economy many think break even is as good as it can get. Or, perhaps, you are doing a little better and able to put a little extra aside for your rainy day, that's excellent and gives you a sense of control. But what if you are in the position of falling behind every month and never seeing a cent in your pocket? What do you then? How do you change this pattern? Sure there are oodles of books and matrix program, budget programs available, but are you really going to take the time to sit down in front of your computer and put together an Excel sheet or something similar?

What is the easiest way for YOU to get a handle on your monthly budget?

Let's look at the most simple and basic method that will not overwhelm the most math-challenged person.

Take a lined piece of paper and do the following -

1. Get all your bills that are paid on a monthly basis and write down who they are, next to each one the due date, then the amount due.

2. Check these companies to find out if they offer a budget plan - that is the same amount paid every month - you might find you can save some money. Also, check if you can save by paying online and not have paper bills sent to you, again, you may be able to save money here too.

3. Look at your bank online to see if they offer an special savings on auto, home, or other insurance - I save an extra $20.00 on my car insurance just by signing up through my bank.

4. If you have tuition or school loans, these are also negotiable - sometimes scholarships are awarded, or you can adjust the monthly payment if you are able to volunteer once a month for the school.

5. Next, take those monthly expenses for things like; tithing or giving, groceries, dry-cleaning, medicines, diapers, coffee runs, going out to eat, alcohol, cigarettes, and other miscellaneous that you have occur on a monthly basis. Are there any bubbling up to the surface that you see where you can cut back or cut out? Usually the hardest ones to give up are the ones we are addicted to; coffee, lattes, cigarettes, alcohol, sodas, going out to eat, and these are the ones that if you stopped buying for even one month you would see a savings depending on your habit of course, but a savings that can go straight into the bank.

Determine to discipline yourself and just do it. After one month, if you like what you see, then try it again next month, and little by little you will begin to see those dollars adding up in your savings account.
Finally, look at your income vs. expenses after you have made these changes. Do you start to see improvement in your finances? Is your investment starting to look like it can yield a return?
It's all up to you and what you want - so go after it and win your battle over money!
You can do it - You are a Winning Woman!

Happy Valentines Day!

This is a great day to wish everyone you see a "Happy Valentine's Day" greeting. It is known all over our country, evidenced by the flowers and gifts given. However, with the gloom hanging over us like a cloud ready to break open and pour out it's bounty - we can still take this day and and enjoy it.

No matter the age, a smile, a hug, and I Love You go a long way. You will fill their hearts with warmth and feel lighter if just for the day.

Here's to a winning Valentines Day to you - Winning Woman!

Enjoy the day.

Winning Love

How do I love you, let me show you the ways; cards, flowers, chocolates, dinners, lingerie, perhaps an engagement ring, or hearing "I Love You" for the first time from someone you have seeing.
Yes, there is love. And it comes in many ways, like your baby's giggle or falling asleep in your arms or your child climbing up on your lap to snuggle. Your teen, who hangs around a little longer so they can hear you say something nice to them.

Perhaps it's a good friend who you have known for a long time that you can share a warm thought or sentiment with. You can smile at the person behind the counter, say thanks to the person who pumps your gas in the pouring rain, or the guys who pick up your trash.

Sadly, many people go a whole day without hearing a kind word from anyone, they feel invisible, as the world rushes around them, or maybe, we are the ones who feel invisible. We all need love from someone who cares, wants to be there with us, for us, unconditionally loving us no matter what.

I believe that the most awesome and wonderful love comes from God, our Father, our Creator, who made us in His own Image. Yes, He loves us so much that He sent His only Son to give His life for us so that we can live in eternal love with Him.

God and Love are the same - you can't "see" it, "touch"it, "feel"it - but you can see it, feel it and touch it by giving your love to someone else unconditionally, and receiving it. It fills your heart with warmth, joy, and gladness. Knowing you are loved, gives us peace that we are not alone, or invisible. He sees our every moment and is with us all the time - He promised He will never leave us alone.

Do you need love today? Do you need to feel loved? Then take a moment and quiet your heart and mind and just ask for God's Love to fill you and let you feel His Presence.

Winning Doves

Have you noticed?

It's amazing! A new breed of models popping up in magazines and on television and getting the attention of men and women of all ages. Grandmothers, Mothers, Women of many generations covered in bubbles are showing off their beauty in a medium that was held exclusively for the young and thin.

Winning Doves, as I will fondly call them and each one - sharing a little of their lives through their smiles and bodies wrapped up in a blanket of bubbles that covers them like a cashmere robe. Their poses boldly declare that each one of them is a Winning Woman.
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I think it's about time for real women to show off who they are. And they help us see ourselves beautiful, strong, feminine, and yes, a Winning Woman!

Before their campaign, would you have thought of Dove as anything but soap?

It's all in the perception, the packaging, the marketing that makes the difference on how it is received.
The same is true about each one of us, we are like the Doves, we are Winning Women too!

Here's to enjoying a bubble bath and light jazz!