Digital Glossy

The ads for life coaches make it all seem so appealing. Hire someone to talk you out of a rut and to lead you in the right direction and in no time you could be making a decent salary at a job you love. But is it too good to be true?

The answer isn’t black and white or yes and no, but lies in the middle. Like anything that involves you paying money to someone on the Internet, online life coaching is possibly a scam, but accredited coaches also help people through online life coaching. A side note: a famous online scam involves training for life coaches, so if you’ve landed here looking for more information about becoming a life coach proceed with your search with caution.

Stay Spam Free

Avoid spammy life coaching services that take your money and run by doing a little research before signing up with any service. Do a Google search for the company or individual you’re thinking about hiring. Also check the Better Business Bureau’s website to see if the company has any negative reports. If anything questionable pops up, run away, far away.

Check out the accreditations that the coach or company claims to hold. If the person is vague about any accreditation, take that as a huge red flag. Make sure to look into the companies refund policy and also to think twice about paying large amounts of money upfront.

Remember that life coaches are not psychologists, do not expect them to act as counselors or therapists. The role of a life coach is to affect the performance and future of clients. Life coaching is more like mentoring or executive coaching that therapy. If a life coach promises to cure mental illness or work on anxiety issues, fire the coach immediately.

How It Works

Most of the time when you hire an online coach, the work will be done over the phone in 30 to 60 minute sessions where the coach takes notes and makes suggestions about how to reach your goals. The coaching isn’t really done online. Although, you might be able to find a life coach to exchange emails with you. Phone calls are better because they allow you to get instant feedback from your coach. If your life coach tries to charge for several phone calls at once at an exorbitant rate, insist that you only pay for one call at a time.

The prices charged by life coaches varies widely. Typically, a 60 minute phone call might cost between $50 and $100. A coach just starting out might charge much less, while an in demand professional might charge much more for less time.

When to Look For a Coach

The best time to hire a life coach isn’t when you’re just starting out or completely clueless. Hire a life coach when you’re pretty sure about what you want to do and have set goals, but just seem to have trouble reaching those goals. Give the life coach a shot and follow the advice the coach gives but if after a few months or sessions the coach doesn’t seem to be a fit, move on and find someone else.

When hiring life coaches online the key is to watch for signs of a scam and be clear with what you want to get out of the coaching.

Essential oils and aromatherapy are becoming part of daily use is most households. If you aren’t using them, you should start. Especially Lavender essential oil, it is one of the most popular.

You might be using it already and not even realize. Many shampoos, lotion, and oil makers advertise essential oils as part of their product. And, alternative health proportioners have used them for centuries to both calm the soul and heal wounds.

I sprinkle lavender essential oil on my pillow and sheets before bed sometimes. I also love to use soaps that have lavender in them before bed time. Lavender is really relaxing and calms the nerves. It’s also used as a natural, but mild sleep aid.

When I suffered from insomnia, I didn’t like to take medications, and liked the natural properties of lavender. It’s not a strong sleep aid though so doesn’t work for people with severe insomnia. But, it’s great in combination with medications and other methods to battle insomnia.

The smell of lavender promotes rest. Lavender essential oil is used often in soaps, lotions, shampoos and beauty products because of it’s clean smelling aroma and nerve calming properties.

Lavender essential oil comes from the lavender plant and is extracted through steam distillation.

Besides being a sleep aid and nerve calmer, lavender is useful for pain relief. Lavender essential oil is used massage oil to help ease muscle aches and muscle sprains.

Lavender also encourages urine flow, so it’s given to people with urinary disorders. And, because it’s a pain reliever, it also reduces an accompanying cramps.

Children and babies benefit from lavender essential oil as well. It’s one of the essential oils considered safe for them. Not all essentials are, so use caution in exposing children to essential oils. It’s recommended to dilute the lavender.

Diluted lavender is good for diaper rashes in babies and for fevers when massaged onto a child.

Essential oils are part of an overall wellness plan and philosophy. Of course, a healthy diet for children and adults should be part of that plan.

It’s also wise to visit a local health store to speak one on one with someone that uses these oils. Even better is a licensed aromatherapist.

Lavender essential oil is a wonderful, calming, healing oil that can be used in many different ways to treat many different ailments.

Reading about all of the uses can be a little overwhelming. Integrate lavender oil into your daily life by starting with one use and then find others. I suggest to start by sprinkling lavender on your pillows when making the bed at night. Now, that’s bliss!

Animals drag mud and dirt across it (and unfortunately do much grosser things on it). Our kids and spouses seem to not even know how to wipe feet before walking all over it. And it’s a magnet for food stains. Carpet.

At some point in even the most meticulous homes, a stain will be a problem in at least one room. Not to mention, even in rooms never used, dust and build up mean at least an occasional carpet shampoo is a must. We’ve gathered some of the best carpet cleaning tips in one place to help you get your carpet cleaner and make sure it stays that way.

Regular Maintenance

The best offense is a good defense, right? Well, apply that line of thinking to your carpets and rugs. Keep them maintained and cleaned by vacuuming at least once a week and more in high traffic areas. When the carpets are new or freshly cleaned, apply a stain guard, available at almost any store.

To keep carpets smelling good and to get out funky odors, try putting a bit of baking soda in the vacuum bag, and make sure to fully remove any stains.

To avoid dealing with dirt and mud tracked in put a welcome mat both on the outside of any entry doors and on the inside. Clean the rugs by throwing them in the washer or by shaking them off every few days.

Oh no! A Spill

Spaghetti sauce on the floor? Red wine under the table? No problem if you know how to treat a stain. First and foremost, blot or soak up any of the liquid you can. And, don’t hesitate. Clean the spill right away. Do not rub the stain. Be careful to not spread the stain. Just let towels or paper towels do the work and repeat the towels when the become saturated.

After the stain is blotted up as much as possible, apply a cleaner. Try the natural cleaner below before using store bought carpet cleaners that are both expensive and full of harmful chemicals. Make sure the entire stain is removed or risk it coming back from deeper within the carpet.

Natural Cleaners

The grocery and big box retail stores are full of expensive cleaners promising to be the best when it comes to cleaning your carpet. But, the truth is, most of them are junk. Or, even worst, most of them are unneeded and contain harsh chemicals that cause dangerous side effects. Opt instead to use natural carpet cleaning methods.

For spot remover, try mixing white vinegar, baking soda and water into a paste. Work the paste into the stain and then let it sit. Vacuum up the paste. Repeat as needed.

In high traffic areas, try using a general cleaner every few weeks. Just brush on a mixture of one half water and one half vinegar. Don’t soak the carpet, but get it moist. Let the mixture dry. As it dries, the vinegar smell will leave.

Tackle Pet Stains

Nothing ruins a carpet faster than pet stains. Not only do pets track in mud and dirt, but they sometimes use carpets as restrooms. Urine stains smell disgusting and leave stains on the carpet.

As soon as you start to notice a problem, find all areas. Blot up any urine with paper towels. Put water on the area an soak up with paper towels. Repeat until the stain is gone. Using other methods might actually encourage the dog to use the restroom again on the same spot, so try using just the water.

It’s arguably the most boring room in many houses. Either it’s a mess, acting as a home office/play room/junk room or contains the normal table, chairs and boring centerpiece. Most people don’t get excited to decorate a dining room.

It’s your dining room though, and you can do whatever you want with it. Turn the forgotten room into something you love about and have fun with it. It’s not just about throwing in a table and chairs and blase wall painting anymore. Whether you decide to go with an out there theme or just decide to throw in some color, there are plenty of reasons to get excited about the dining room again.

I spent some time on Flickr gathering some of my favorite dining room decorating ideas for inspiration.

Love, love, love that ceiling mural! This dining room could totally double as a meditation room and is anything but boring. I also like the idea of creating a space people are drawn to just hang out in. I could see myself lingering in here over coffee or simply plopping down in one of the chairs just to enjoy some peace and quiet and let me mind wander. I’m dubbing this one Eat, Love, Pray because it’s a room that works for all three.

Bookshelves aren’t just for a living room or office. Put them into the dining room for a real conversation starter over dinner. I can just imagine inviting close friends over and our eyes darting over the books, with conversations flowing as we go. This also turns this into a reading room, a place to curl up and rest elbows on the table and pour over a book. It also could help the room double as work space or study table. As a book nerd, this dining room would be my favorite room in the house.

This room just looks so inviting. It screams long weekend at home with family. It’s the type of room you can’t just imagine memories being made and laughs being shared. Everything that a dining room is supposed to be. So the decor is a little country kitchen for my taste, it’s all about the feeling this room gives. The window bench is the obvious draw that makes this room so comfy and inviting, but the little touches like the shelves and the fact the room is decorated for Christmas make me want to walk in, sit down and enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with my favorite people.

Eating is such a social activity. I love the idea of creating a room full of soul and love, or going a different direction and creating a room that’s multi functioning and a true part of the home, usable all day, not just at meal times. I think the important part is to make a room the whole family will want to hang out and linger in, around dinner time and after. Especially since many families eat at different times or in front of the television, a room like those above will make everyone want to eat together and take their time.

Eating healthy is a not always easy to do, even as an adult. Managing to come with a healthy diet for children can be nearly impossible.

Most children love junk food and sugar and salty treats in all forms. Through in the soda pop addiction many kids have these days and getting them to eat healthy is nearly impossible. Especially when you’re efforts are ruined when your child spends the weekend eating sugar at Grandma’s or it’s time for one of the unhealthy holidays like Halloween that promote bad eating habits.

It’s so important to make the effort to get your children to eat healthier. Eating habits now transfer into the rest of life. And, obese children often become obese adults. Besides that, brain function and general health improves with a better diet.

We’ve come up with a few ideas and tips to make sure your child gets what they need.

Start early and practice what you preach. If you’re chugging soda and eating bon bons, it’s hard to tell your child no. And, your child has more access. From pregnancy, eat healthy and only feed your child healthier foods so they are used to it.

You aren’t a restaurant. Cook one family meal and only bend it occasionally for extreme dislikes. Resist the temptation to cave and cook a salad for most of the family and greasy food for a picky eater.

Pick your battles. If your child insists they hate asparagus, but loves green beans, don’t force the asparagus issue. Offer a wide variety and introduce lots of choices from an early age to get your child used to trying new things. If occasionally they don’t like something, let it go and don’t make them eat it.

Know what’s healthy. How are you supposed to plan a healthy diet for children if you don’t know what they need? Research, research, research. Follow recommended guidelines to see what they should be getting. Also examine issues like high fructose corn syrup to promote not only a diet rich in vegetables, but one free of additives which are unhealthy in their own right.

Get the children involved. Use meal planning and nutrition education as a family activity. Make it one of your roles as a parent to teach your children about what’s healthy and what to avoid.

Cave once in awhile. Let your child have the occasional trip to McDonald’s or candy bar. Use it as a rare treat and not a part of every day life.

The most important part of planning a healthy diet for children is making the commitment. Make it part of your daily and weekly life and you’ll be successful.

How do you plan a healthy diet for your children?

During a woman’s pregnancy, she gets a lot of stuff. Friends and family shower her with presents. And, even companies send her samples and coupons and free gifts. But, they’re rarely for her, and almost always for her baby. Getting gifts for baby might make her happy, but she deserves a little gift, just for her. Gifts for pregnant women are best when they make her feel happy and secure.

So on her birthday or Christmas, pick a gift just for her, and maybe throw in a cute onesie or tiny baby shoes on the side.

1. Feed Her Cravings.

During her pregnancy, and especially after her first trimester, a pregnant woman will rarely turn down food. Bring her a basket of chocolates or a homemade dish. Give her a gift certificate to her favorite restaurant, and another gift certificate to an ice cream place to give her (or her helpful hubby) a night out of the kitchen.

Even Better: Listen to her when she talks about her craving and show up with a jar of pickles, box of fruit loops, or whatever she’s been craving. Pregnancy cravings are legendary, and many women get them at some point during pregnancy.

2. Organic Pregnancy Pampering

Products from Earth Mama, Angel Baby make almost any mama happy. They’re organic, meaning she doesn’t have to toss and turn at night wondering if they’re harmful to her unborn child, and really made to be helpful to a pregnant woman. The retailer sells products in some limited stores, but also sells online in their online shop.(Disclosure, I’m an affiliate because I buy so many of their products myself).

The ultimate spoiling: Buy her the Pregnancy Pampering Kit, available on Earth Mama, Angel Baby’s website. The kit includes Mama-to-be Tea Sampler, Happy Feet, Natural Stretch Oil, Earth Mama Bottom Balm, and Earth Mama Body Butter.

3. A makeover!

Sometimes during pregnancy, or most of the time, a woman feels less than her best. Make her feel like a million bucks with makeover. Buy her a gift certificate for a prenatal massage, hair cut or mani/pedi. Make sure she knows that during the pedicure she should tell the nail tech she’s pregnant. Some places should not be massaged on the feet and legs during pregnancy.

Top it off: Go with her and help her plan the nursery or baby shower while she gets her hair cut or waits for the manicure.

4. Inexpensive Options

Spoiling the pregnant woman in your doesn’t have to be expensive. Offer to watch her other children for a night or weekend to give her time to sleep, plan the nursery, or go out. Make her a meal she can throw in the freezer and cook when the baby comes, or on a night she’s just not feeling like cooking.

Make it a combo: Give her the ultimate gift by setting up a day of taking care of her. Come over and clean her house, make her dinner, and watch cheesy movies with her.

5. I’m Up Here!

People are busy staring at her belly, asking her about the baby and in general forgetting she exists. Give her the night of a non baby talk night out. Take her out to a movie that’s far from PG rated or go out on the town (just stay away from bars that allow smoking or loud environments) for dinner. Anything works as long as no baby talk is allowed.

6. A Gift for Baby is a Gift for Momma

Alternatively, you can pick something up for the baby. She’ll enjoy the gift more or just as much as she’d enjoy something for herself. If you know the baby’s sex, clothing is a fun gift. Ask her about where she’s registered and get something off her list. If she’s having a girl, she’ll die for these pettiskirts from Layla Grayce. While both boys and girls look cute in the original Babylegs, plus they’re helpful for mom, making diaper changes easier.

Sometimes, life just doesn’t go as planned. The big hopes and dreams we had as children, young adults, or even last week get derailed. The time for change comes. And, everyone is capable of change. It’s not easy to change your life though.

Break old habits

Changing your life is about breaking your old habits. If you got fired for missing too much work, it’s time to find the cause of your absences and change them. If you constantly missed because you were genuinely sick, the time has come to make changes to your health habits. This might mean exercising regularly or eating healthier foods that support immune health.

If the absences were due to generally just not wanting to work, it’s time to find a job you like or to create your own business. That also means changing your habits. To create your own business, you’d have to put in real effort each and every day and make habits for long term goals. For a new job search, you’re going to have to develop a new skill set or develop a better work ethic, either way, a change is in order.

The example of getting fired is just one example. In general, changing your life is going to mean changing, or breaking your habits, rather good or bad. Sometimes good habits aren’t aligned with our new goals. For example, maybe you donated $40 to charity every week, in order to reach a goal, you might have temporarily change that amount. Just keep an open mind about what habits need to be changed.

To start, think about how you’d like your new life to be. And then, think about how your life now is unlike that life. Trace this back like with the job example and break it down to smaller habits.

Change your life in your head

Your thoughts control everything. If you think you’re going to have a bad day, than most likely without some extremely great event stopping you, you will have a bad day. To change your life, you must know that you can do it.

Whenever a self doubt creeps in or thoughts of returning to previous ways, promptly recognize the thought for what it is, a negative thought getting in your way, and push it to the side. Repeat a positive affirmation about how you envision your new life to be like, “I will be successful in my career,” or “I am an intelligent, confident person.”

…

So what are you wanting for. It’s your life, now go change it!

Children are expensive, and trying to provide for them alone can be a struggle even when making a decent salary. Balancing a job, kids, and a household isn’t easy. Finding help for single mothers isn’t a choice, but a necessity for most.

Churches/Nonprofits

Local groups provide some of the most help for their own communities. Some nonprofits cater directly to helping single mothers learn a new job skill that makes them hireable for better jobs, and others provide financial support. Obviously, the way these programs work and where to apply varies much by city. A good place to start is to visit a local library and ask the reference desk librarian, who will have access to databases both online and in books. Searching online from home is another option.
Many churches will give emergency help to people that ask. Just call or visit the church and tell them your story. This is a short term solution, but might be necessary in an emergency.

Government Help

State governments and in some cases the federal government give help to single mothers directly. You can apply at an office in your city, or in some cases online. You might be eligible for food stamps or TANF, a monetary benefit. Another program that might help is Medicaid. Having the burden of medical bills taken away can really help financially.

Help with Bills

Many programs won’t put money directly in your hands, but will help with your bills. Energy assistance programs are run in all states that help with gas and electric bills. Some people getting federal benefits are even eligible for monthly help with their phone bill.

More Information

Visit Benefits.gov http://www.benefits.gov/about-us/overview to look for local benefits.

Many of the options for help for single mothers are available to everyone. Finding help means doing research and making phone calls, but help is certainly available.

When looking for a job, you never know what’s going to get your resume thrown in the trash. Something often overlooked that causes resumes to only see the bottom of the trash bin is a non-professional email address. Most likely, you applied via email and your address was visible to the potential employer and you probably (at least you should be) list your email on your resume.

You might love your personalized email address winelover@wineloving.com and it’s a great email when you apply for a job at a winery, but if you apply for a job in a professional environment, you might come off as a wino and future employers might worry you’ll miss work hung over on the sofa or over indulge and embarrass the company at the holiday party.

Don’t think your email address will be overlooked either. Most companies look at every aspect of a candidate’s background and resume to make hiring decisions. We’ve all heard to erase embarrassing photos off of Facebook, but creating a professional sounding email address is just as important to creating a good impression.

What’s a professional address?

So what is a professional email address? An email address like those used at companies. Spend a few minutes going to the websites of companies in your profession. Look for emails for people at the company. In your field do they all follow a certain format? For example, many universities use the format first initial with last name. That’s a good start as a basic and professional email address.

Are you applying as a web developer or social media consultant? You should own your own domain and have an email address from that domain, like this, yourname@yoursite.com. While professionalism is always a must when job hunting, some jobs like to see another side. If you notice that everyone uses only a first name for an email address in your field, make an email that’s just your first name if possible. With the amount of names as email addresses, sometimes finding your first choice in an address can be difficult.

When it comes to the free email providers, some are better than others. Gmail is the best choice of all the free ones. Some companies even use gmail as their sole email provider. Other providers like Hotmail and Yahoo are viewed a bit more unprofessionally, and in general chosen by people not as web savvy.

While first and last name are one of the most common professional email address choices, they pose a problem to unmarried women just starting a career. If a woman changes her name when she gets married, she has an email address that doesn’t match. In that case, she can either forward the old mail to a new address, or make the choice not to use her last name when she signs up.

Other Email Tips

Keeping a separate email is a good idea. Create a professional sounding email address just for the job hunt and for emailing for advice from old professors or contacting head hunters and keep personal email on another account. This separation helps weed out important mail from not so important mail (forwards and spam). Only give out the professional email address while on the job hunt and not when signing up for things online or to friends.

When you set up the email, make sure to follow proper capitalization in the name field. Include both your first and last name and capitalize them both.

Don’t overlook your email address when applying for jobs. Make sure you have a professional sounding email address so your resume doesn’t wind up in a trash bin.