4 Fun Ways to Display Photos

From baby pictures to vacation pictures, images of family and friends are treasures that are kept for a lifetime. They make great gifts and add cheer and warmth to the interiors of our homes. Below are four fun ways to display your favorite photos.

1. Display photos on a 1"-2" wide ribbon using self-adhesive Velcro circles or squares:

o Select desired photos and trim if necessary.

o Select ribbon and cut to desired length.

o Place self-adhesive Velcro on the back of the photos.

o Arrange photos on ribbon and be sure to press Velcro firmly in place.

o If desired, decorate open spaces of ribbon with beads, buttons, glitter, etc.

o Tie a bow at the top of the ribbon.

2. Refrigerator Photo Magnets:

o Select photo and cut out to desired size. You might want to make a copy of the photo to use in place of the original photo.

o Using photo-safe glue, attach the photo to a piece of medium to heavy weight cardboard.

o Cut the cardboard to the same size as photo. You can use regular or decorative edged craft scissors. This is the step where you can get really creative! Instead of cutting the cardboard the same size as the photo, leave a border around the photo and decorate with beads, miniature flowers, etc.

o Using craft glue, attach a magnet to the back of the cardboard and press firmly in place. Allow glue to dry completely.

3. Photo Collage:

o Purchase a frame and a mat or poster board that will fit inside the frame.

o Select photos to be used and arrange (overlapping) on the mat or poster board.

o Using decorative edged craft scissors, trim around photos in fun designs and shapes, such as hearts or circles.

o Using photo-safe glue, attach photos to mat or poster board in the desired arrangement.

o Allow glue to dry and place finished collage inside the frame.

4. Photo Standups:

o Select photo and enlarge on a color copier until the person or image is at least 5 inches tall.

o Using craft glue or a glue stick, attached the copied image to a piece of heavy card stock or foamboard.

o Carefully cut out around image.

o To display the photo standup - use fun picture clips, attach a magnet to the back, or purchase (from a craft store) a precut, slotted strip of wood or plastic to hold photos upright. You can also make a stand from the heavy card stock or foamboard.

o These photo standups are also great for decorating packages or using as centerpieces for party decorations.

As you can see, these four inexpensive ways to display your favorite photos can be a lot of fun to create. Get your children involved and make some unique gifts to give to your family and friends.

Warren Buffett Books

"I always knew I was going to be rich. I don't think I ever doubted it for a minute."-Warren Buffett

Warren Buffett is the world's top business investor and philanthropist. He is the CEO, primary shareholder and Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, and is ranked amongst the world's wealthiest people. Known as the wizard of Omaha, he is well known for his value investing philosophy. If you want to invest like Warren Buffett, there are several books, which have inspired and therefore, have been recommended by this influential man -setting you on the right path of investing enlightenment. So here is a brief overview of the most influential books which will set you on the right path to buying stock like Warren Buffett.

The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham This book was written by the second most influential man in Warren Buffett's life right after his father. Benjamin Graham, also known as the father of value investing was the mentor of Buffett grounding him with the basic intellectual framework. The book was published in 1949 and since then it has sold millions of copies worldwide. This book, which has been praised by Warren Buffett as the best book ever to be written, focuses not on profit maximization but on loss minimization. The Intelligent Investor is not a book for the day traders or speculators but for true investors. The best part about this book is that it is suitable for laymen giving guidance in adoption and execution of an investment policy.

The Little Book of Common Sense: The Only Way to Guarantee Your Fair Share of Stock Market Returns by John C Bogle This book gives the most practical advice complete with the expert evaluations, showing you that investing is all about common sense. This book will not only change your investment attitude, but will also be your bible that guides you towards the successful path, regarding how to add to your portfolio, using the strategies of certified investment.

Take on the Street: What Wall Street and Corporate America Don't Want You to Know by Arthur Levitt. Arthur Levitt was the longest serving chairman of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, supervising the dotcom boom days of the 90's stock market. In this book, Arthur Levitt reveals the tactics of corporate America for hoarding the billions poured into mutual funds as well as stocks by working Americans. Levitt also reveals how to invest into the stock market, and also in the mutual funds intelligently. He focuses his advice towards the individual small investors and guiding them about the exploitation detection tips, evaluating the press releases and the annual reports, and also discussing about the tactics worth adopting, so as to benefit more from the trustworthy sources.

The Theory of Investment Value by John Burr Williams It was 1938, when the first edition of this book came into the market. Today it is still considered to be one of the most trustworthy books, which discusses the financial asset evaluation. Burr Williams has combined concepts with actual experiences that took place in the investment world, giving verifiable insights. The breakthrough discovery made by Williams was to give an educated guess that provides a fundamental value called the Dividend Discount Model; this value is still subject to question in the market's institutional sectors by the professional investors.

Paths to Wealth through common stocks By Philip Fisher Designed to help those investors who have management queries and issues, this book contains one innovative concept after the other -aiming to lend a hand to every business that needs honest advice regarding investments. In this book, Philip Fisher reveals why worthwhile profits that generate from ownership of common stocks reduce the risk while increasing profits. Many of his ideas in this book are based on orthodox strategies of investment, which are still able to acquire remarkable returns - as a result they are of the utmost relevance in today's market.

Security Analysis: Principle and Technique by Ben Graham and Dave Dodd For nearly 70 years, Benjamin Graham's theories recognized as the groundbreaking ones, have inspired and influenced investors. The Security Analysis, publication of 1934, is no less than a bible for both professional and potential investors. The second edition, from 1940, has been Graham's protégé Warren Buffett's most inspirational book.

Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits by Philip A Fisher Contemporary finance professionals such as Warren Buffett use Philip A Fisher's investment principles as he is regarded as the pioneer of modern investment theory. This book identifies the value of the maximum length growth stocks as compared to the small duration stocks, and their impacts on the initial foundation of any business/investment. Published in 1958, this investment classic is considered as the foundation for many of today's investment philosophy and beliefs.

Where Are the Customers' Yachts? Or A Good Hard Look at Wall Street by Fred Schwed, Jr This book is known to be amusing and engaging, as it reveals the Wall Street's hypocrisy and foolishness. The subject of discussion represents a story of a guest in New York who naively asks after admiring the yachts of brokers and bankers, where the yachts of the customers were? This shows that the customers were unable to afford yachts, although they were in constant interaction with their investment advisors, i.e, the brokers and the bankers. This book gives all the wise advice and promises along with a realistic outlook of the investment world; here the customers lose everything but their brokers acquire their targets, hence it helps investors get an insight into the tough world of Wall Street.

The Interpretation of Financial statements, by Benjamin Graham co-written with Spencer Meredith Many investors are laymen and are not accountants or financial analysts. If they want to have a look at the balance sheet, they need to understand the financial terms and the roles they play in company analysis. Instead of doing a short course on company accounting, the best way is to start reading this classic book on The Interpretation of Financial statements.

In this book, Graham perfectly guides you through the terms used in a company's balance sheet and discusses what importance they hold in determining the financial position of a company. He demystifies the complexity of concepts such as maintenance and depreciation, 'liquidating value', and net tangible assets.

LED Headlamps - A Hunters Best Tool

If you are still using a hand held torch for your lighting needs after dark, then you are missing out on a wonderful tool that could help you immensely in any after-dark task. No matter what great quality hand held flashlight you have, it cannot compare to the comfort and convenience of an LED headlamp. Even LED flashlights, while they are comparable in power and quality, are less convenient than the hands-free and hassle-free headlamps.

There is no task too big or too small for an LED headlamp to tackle, from working underneath your car or underneath your house to exploring caves, camping, and even performing rescue work at night when you certainly want both hands to be as free as possible. These lights leave your hands free for other important tasks, and the fact that you are not carrying them makes them almost drop-proof.

LED headlamps are superior to most other kinds of headlamp because of the high quality bulbs that they utilize. These bulbs burn brighter than traditional incandescent bulbs, putting out a brighter, whiter light. They also use less power, which means that the LED bulb will go through fewer batteries and work better and longer to give you the light that you need for many, many hours at a time.

Another great feature of LEDs is that they last much longer than incandescent bulbs, so once you get your headlamp going and fresh batteries installed, you can count on hundreds of hours of use time from your bulb. This is far better than worrying about whether your incandescent bulb might survive the next trip since it is almost impossible to carry a spare when you are going to be out in the wild.

A good LED headlamp will have fully adjustable straps to help you get the comfortable fit that you need to feel confident in your light. Your headlamp should fit you well and be able to remain in place no matter what activities you are taking part in, and should be able to utilize the hinged adjuster to put the light in just the right place for you. You will never have to worry about sparing a hand to aim a bulky flashlight again!

You shouldn't forget that the quality of light that comes from an LED headlamp is far superior as well. The light that comes out of a good headlamp will be bright white, and can be seen in some cases for up to 3,000 yards. Don't worry too much about blinding your entire party, though. An LED head lamp should also come with a dimmer switch to get your light at just the right level for whatever location and activity you find yourself participating in.

LED headlamps are perfect for camping because they leave your hands free for campsite chores. They are great for working in small spaces, great for emergencies, and full of uses for you to discover if you put your mind to it.

~Ben Anton, 2007

What Is a Phoenix Company?

For those who are unaware of 'Phoenix' companies, let us explain. When a Receiver or Liquidator sells the assets of a failing company back to the people who ran the show when it failed, the resultant new company is referred to as a Phoenix - because it 'rises from the ashes' of the old one.

It must be emphasised that not ALL Phoenix companies are bad news. Rapid transfer of the assets and goodwill of a company can ensure continuity of business - and employment for the majority, if not all, of the staff. Also, it is claimed that it maximises the realisation of the assets, to the creditors' advantage (sic). However, it is fundamental to the 'rising' that all the creditors are left with are the liquidated assets and, for the moment anyway, most of those tend to go to Government agencies, such as the Inland Revenue and Customs & Excise.

In this respect, readers may already know that the government is well on the way to surrendering its preferential creditor status in liquidations. Hurrah for common sense!

What sticks in the throats of many creditors are those cases when a receiver is appointed after a company fails and then before the creditors are aware that they have a problem, the company has changed its name (to, for example FDG Realisations Ltd) and a new, shelf company has changed its name to 'Original Company Ltd' and, to all intents and purposes, continues to trade.

We'll use an old case study as an example, the failure of Convert A Ltd & M & TJ Ltd who used a firm of business advisers who are NOT insolvency practitioners to handle the companies insolvency..

This firm had called a meeting of creditors for 8th November. At almost no notice they switched the date to 29th October, obviously hoping that the majority of creditors would not be able to make the revised date.

In doing this they violated one of the principal rules of Insolvency, the requirement to give 14 days' notice of the meeting but, since they are not Insolvency Practitioners, they could not be disbarred, so who can blame them!

But they didn't see this coming, one creditor got together a group of creditors and appeared at the meeting with a representative of one of the most reputable firms of accountants and licensed insolvency practitioners in the country.

Two other major creditors had also seen the light and appeared with their own IP's in tow, so that Moore Stephens and Deloitte Touche representative witnessed the discomforting of the ungodly.

The upshot of all this activity, hopefully, will be that it is impossible for anything underhand or disadvantageous to the creditors to take place. The reason this tale has been told at length, is because a concerted effort by a number of creditors can snooker attempts to fudge the results of incompetence, or even outright dishonesty to the disadvantage of creditors who, rightly, feel that they have been well and truly had!

Further to that, if the identify of the firm or firms who are encouraging a less than open dissolution of a failing company is brought to light, we can 'shop' them to the DTI and the Insolvency Agency and thus curtail their activities.

Tax Pitfalls For An Internet Newbie

After emerging wounded and bleeding from a recent IRS Field Audit, I picked up some clues as to how budding Internet Entrepreneurs can survive the ordeal with some semblance of financial health.

1. Make your paper trails complete.

You may think that a simple receipt will suffice. Hah! Be prepared to show not only a receipt but a logical trail showing what you purchased, what it does, how it was absolutely necessary in your business, and where the purchase shows up on your bank statements or credit card itemizations. Then provide an explanation of why it didn't generate the income you thought it would (the reason you bought it in the first place). In addition to the self-reproach and frustration you encountered when the system you bought didn't perform as promised, you now have to endure the humiliation of a Revenue Agent shaking their head over your gullibility in ever believing the sales hype Why DID I buy that thing anyway?)

2. Perfect your memory.

If you put $100 cash in your bank account, document exactly where it came from and why, because 3 years from now you will be asked for details as to why this unimportant sum should not be considered unreported income. A few garage sales a year and you have business income my friend, and that means self-employment taxes. Apply this advice to every deposit made outside your regular paycheck or retirement income. If you can't remember what on earth it was, come up with a reasonable explanation and stick with it, through the doubtful head shakings and accusatory stares. Saying "I don't remember" opens up a whole new can of worms.

3. Annotate your check register receipts.

Bought some books to build your business, for classes, for help with income tax? Having the clerk write out what you bought as simply "books" is too generic for an eagle-eyed Revenue Agent. And a ClickBank or PayPal receipt is meaningless unless you can document what was bought and why it was a business necessity. When you stock up on paper and printer ink at the local office supply store, make sure you pick a register that's been recently filled so you don't end up with an unreadable tape (and ink fades over 3 years) that will not pass muster, no matter how detailed your explanation. And just why do you buy so much ink? IRS agents don't have home businesses and have no concept of how fast an inkjet printer gobbles up its supplies when you print out an e-book or two or five.

4. Web finances.

We have all experienced the nightmare of the first year on the Internet - the truckloads of money we cough up to buy e-books, software, and gadgets, plus put up websites that are going to make us a fortune. Did you make a huge profit your first year? Like most of us, you probably spent a lot more than you earned! Think that you can deduct those expenses? Forget it. These are start-up costs and even if some of them pass the scrutiny they receive (What exactly is an Auto-Responder? SEO costs money?), they'll have to be amortized over 5 years. Who knows if we'll even be on the net 5 years from now? Who knows if the people and sites we bought from will still exist in 3 years when "more detailed documentation" is demanded?

5. Giving is a two way street.

Next time you slip a $5.00 bill to the homeless guy at the end of the off ramp, make new friends by holding up traffic for 15 minutes while you have him complete a dated receipt including what he is planning on doing with the money. Don't just put $20 into the Church offering plate, write a check and make sure you get a copy of it after cancellation. Never use those untended drop-off Goodwill boxes -- a list of your donations is meaningless without a signed and dated receipt. And just how much do you think those used clothes and household furnishings are worth anyway? A lot less than they will eventually sell for, that's for sure. Don't just sponsor your grandkids in their walkathons or hand over cash for cookies - get an explanation of when you gave, how much, and what the money is being used for. Remember that it's your word against theirs in a situation where your word is absolutely worthless.

6. Make Map Quest your friend.

If you do a lot of driving for business, charity, self-employment, or to a second job, be prepared to justify every mile through independent verification. Your odometer may differ from an internet estimate but you can't be trusted so use an outside source, however inaccurate. To be in really good shape, take screen shots of online research (there go the printing costs again) to prove the figures you claim.

Let's face it. The IRS flips a two-headed coin and we always choose tails. The bottom line is simple: if you show income and pay taxes on it, they will never, ever, question it. If you overpaid because some of that income was excludable, they'll ignore it. But find yourself in the unhappy position of losing money over the year, as 90% of all would-be home entrepreneurs do, then your life becomes an open book before the eyes of an eager auditor with redlining foremost in mind, trained to ferret out every weakness in your armor.

We can all only hope to eventually make "guru" status and move to the Caribbean to hang on to our new Internet fortune!

Considering Taking a Photography Course?

There is a big portion of people who take photos on a regular basis. Whether it's at a family doo, birthday party, evening out or a trip to the park. More and more people are taking pictures and sharing them on the many social platforms that are available today like Facebook and Flickr.

After a while they may want to improve their skills so they can take better photos or enjoy photography so much decide they want to try and make a living from it. Now the only way to really improve is to take a course of some sort. May be a classroom at the local college or a home study course. There are many different photography courses out there now so picking the right one can be quite difficult.

You have to decide how far you want to go and how much you're willing to spend on a training course and also how much personal time you can commit. These are very important factors to consider before enrolling on a course. After deciding on these factors it's time to find a suitable course for you.

Classroom training

If this is your preferred method then you will need to phone up or go and visit your local colleges and training centres. Because classroom training requires you to attend at certain times make sure you are able to commit to this as the classes can be pricey and you really wouldn't want to miss any. If you are taking photography to use the skill as a way to make a living then I would look for a course that offers some sort of qualification or certification at the end. This will help attract potential clients and shows you are trained in photography. It will add creditability to you and your business.

Home Study Training

This has become the preferred method for a lot of people now. The main benefits are the flexible study times and course costs. The costs are considerably lower than classroom training because you don't need to cover costs for the classroom etc and along with the scheduled class time commitments makes home study courses the preferred option. There are many home courses that lead to recognised qualifications and certification now and even though you generally would be studying alone you will find forums and discussion groups taking the same course so you can still exchange ideas and notes with other students.

The Benefits Of Eating Protein For Weight Loss

If your have made the decision to embark on a weigh loss journey and would like to know more about the benefits of protein then you've come to the right article. Earlier this year I followed a high protein eating plan and lost a significant amount of weight. Consuming foods high in protein is one of the most overlooked parts of a healthy diet. High protein foods offer many nutritional benefits, significant muscle benefits for the body and can be found in a variety of nutritious and delicious foods. Following are just a few of the benefits of a high protein diet:

1. Protein helps keep your blood sugar consistent so you don't get sudden drops in your energy levels, as you would by eating refined sugar and processed foods.

2. Protein boosts your metabolism, so you burn fat faster! Protein takes longer for your body to break down that other foods. The result of this is that you will feel full for a lot longer, therefore it will decrease your desire to continue to eat. The end result is the lower number of calories you consume the more weight you lose!

3. Protein kick starts your bodies fat burning mechanisms (the production of glucagon) which assists in moving fat to the bloodstream to be used as energy instead of been stored as fat.

4. Protein is a macronutrient, which means the body needs significant amounts of it to ensure your body functions properly. Protein allows the body to make hormones, enzymes, and other chemicals needed by the body. It gives the groundwork for healthy blood, cartilage, blood and skin. We often underestimate the benefit of protein, and usually because we simply are misinformed or do not know enough about it.

5. One of the most important components of protein rich foods is the fact that proteins build lean body muscle. High protein foods that are consumed as a part of a balanced diet helps muscles recuperate so that they can maintain their purpose and function with the body properly. Other than water, protein is the most plentiful substance found within the human muscle tissue.

When choosing a high protein food, be aware of the nutrients and substances that accompany that form of protein. Foods that are high in saturated fats are often in the form of protein, such as red meat, so be aware of your choice of cut and select lean red meat. Choose foods that are complete proteins and do not contain high saturated fats. Fish and poultry are usually the best choices of high protein foods, followed by diary products and foods in the legume family including: beans and lentils. A well balanced diet is going to contain a variety of foods. Protein offers the human body a plethora of nutrients maintains muscle and breaks down fats. Eating a diet with the appropriate levels of protein will help ensure the body functions as it was designed. It will also provide you with all of the above benefits, and if consumed with a healthy balanced diet it will contribute to weight loss.

Do People Pass Their AAPC CPC Exam on the First Try, and How Do They Do It?

If you are taking the AAPC CPC exam, then you will at some point ask yourself this question; do people pass their medical coding certification exam on their first try? And how do they do it? Although official figures are hard to come by, rough estimates suggests that only 40% to 50% of exam-takers pass on their first attempt.

The medical coding certification exam is no pushover

Make no mistake, the CPC or Certified Professional Coder certification exam is a grueling marathon of an exam that takes nearly 6 hours long. Medical coding careers and its industry are growing fast because of the federal push for the implementation of electronic health records such as ICD-10. This translates to better salaries and career options, but also mean it is getting more competitive as more people like yourself try to get certified.

But people do pass the CPC certification on the first try or attempt

The good news is that 40% to 50% of people do pass on their first try, and there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to do the same. If you do a simple survey of those who passed on their first try, most will say the exam is tough. You will also find that the common things they all share is that they are well-prepared and have a good amount of previous coding experience. Some do pass without experience but these cases are rare. Almost all of their advice points to the same pattern, which is to:

1. Review the official study guides 2. Get yourself some coaching or online blitz review videos 3. Do plenty of AAPC practice or mock exams 4. Plan and practice your strategies for answering questions and time management

If you fail the exam, you can retake it until you pass

The other thing you might notice from the advice of those who passed is to keep calm and not give up. Those who failed the exam the first time just continued to retake the exam until they passed. Sometimes it takes a few attempts so as long as your scores improve with each attempts then you're on the right track. If you fail you have one free retake within 12 months, so use the time well to get fully prepared.

Recover fast and learn from your mistakes

Before you retake the exam, it is worth examining what you felt was the problem. The most common complaint is the lack of time to finish answering all the question. Those who passed on their first attempt finished answering all their questions even if they thought it was tough. Based on the many advice out there, it is safe to conclude that perfecting your time management, question answering, and CPT lookup strategies is often the best way to improve your chances other than knowing your topics.

Saving For Retirement

Trying to figure out how much money you need to save for your retirement can be difficult. It might even tax your budget to save much right now. Are you worried you are not saving enough or that you are saving too much and it is hurting your lifestyle in the present?

One way to see how well your retirement budget stacks up is to give it a try. Make up a budget based on your retirement savings and simulate being retired and stick to the budget for a week or a month. Be sure to include all your expenses and make sure you are able to pay your utility bills, eat well, and still have plenty of money left over to spend on entertainment and incidentals.

You can find budget and inflation calculators online to help you adjust your expenses. By sticking to this budget you will be able so get a feel for what life will be like living at that level. Stop and consider how your future budget would handle an emergency expense. Suppose you had to replace a water heater or buy new tires. Could your budget handle it?

While living your pretend retirement, it is also a good time to think about the type of activities you will be undertaking. Will you travel? Will you do volunteer work? How will you keep yourself busy and occupied? Will your choice of activities cause you additional expense?

It may sound silly to do a simulated retirement, but you just might be surprised at what you learn. And when it comes to your financial future, you can't do too much to make sure that you and your spouse will be well taken care of.

You can never start planning your retirement too early no matter what your age. Even if you just save a little, your savings will grow over time. If you stop and consider what your goals will be during retirement, it will give you an idea of the amount of money you need to set as a goal to save. Don't make the mistake of thinking you will sit in a rocking chair and not have very high expenses. Since you won't be working, you will have more time to travel and do the things you never had time for. Today's seniors are living longer and are healthier and more active than ever. You should plan your budget expecting to live a long and active retirement.