Random musings: June 2018

Saturday, June 30, 2018

Your weekend guide to interesting days - June 30. 2018

Friday, June 29, 2018

The week in review - June 29, 2018

Monday - "Communicate to Influence" A book review. "Whether you need to make a small or large business presentation, or even just a conversation with friends or family, this book will help you learn how to engage your audience and to get their buy-in for whatever you're presenting."

Tuesday - "Relationship Marketing and What it Means to YOU!" A presentation I did. "He actually had a full time staff that did nothing but send out his 14,000 greeting cards every month. That's right...14,000!"

Wednesday - "No blog post today" I wasn't feeling well

Thursday - "Ego Is the Enemy #TBT" A podcast from The Art of Manliness. "In the quest to become the men we want to be, we’re often our own worst enemies, especially when it comes to our egos."

Interesting days

Today - Waffle Iron Day, Camera Day, Almond Buttercrunch Day and International Mud Day

Tomorrow - Social Media Day, Meteor Watch Day and Armed Forces Day in the UK

Next Friday - Fried Chicken Day, International Kissing Day, Take Your Webmaster To Lunch Day, Umbrella Cover Day and Virtually Hug a Virtual Assistant Day

July 29 - Rain Day, Lasagna Day, International Tiger Day, International Chicken Wing Day and Lipstick Day

Thursday, June 28, 2018

Ego Is the Enemy #TBT

I was originally going to do a throwback to last year for Tau Day, but I couldn't get the fancy equations to copy over, so instead I'm going back two years:

This is an interesting look at ego and how too much of it can be a bad thing. This is a podcast from The Art of Manliness.

Listen to the podcast here.

In the quest to become the men we want to be, we’re often our own worst enemies, especially when it comes to our egos. Ego is what prevents us from being humble and teachable when we’re first starting out in an endeavor. It blinds us to our own weaknesses during success, and it can cause us to wallow in self-pity when we fail. My guest today on the podcast has recently published a book filled with insights from history on how ego can get in the way of our success and what we can do to mitigate its downsides.

His name is Ryan Holiday and his book is Ego Is the Enemy. Today on the show, we look at examples from history of eminent men whose hubris caused their downfall, and others who were able to successfully harness their ego to attain greatness. We also discuss steps that you can take to prevent ego from causing you to stumble.

Show Highlights

What is ego [02:00]
How ego is related to hubris and what the Ancient Greeks did to help them keep their hubris in check [04:00]
How our modern culture of self-esteem and self-promotion is actually hurting our individual and societal progress [05:00]
Why most people think outside forces are thwarting their progress when it’s actually their own ego [07:00]
The three phases in any endeavor where you need to check your ego [11:30]
Why people who’ve been successful are often the most susceptible to failure [15:00]
What General Sherman can teach you about staying humble when you’re first starting your career and once you’ve gained success [17:00]
How General Grant’s success as a Civil War commander caused him to bite off more than he could chew by running for president [21:30]
What John Boyd can teach us about not letting our ego get in the way when we begin an endeavor [26:30]
Why passion is overrated and you should focus on purpose [31:30]
Why success can lead to your downfall [36:30]
What you can learn from Genghis Khan about staying humble in victory [37:00]
Why routine, planning, and discipline become more important after you’ve gained success [38:30]
How not being able to delegate is a sign of ego [44:30]
How ego is your enemy when you fail [47:00]
Can ego be your friend? [52:00]

Resources/Studies/People Mentioned in Podcast

Ego is the Enemy is filled with great insights and lessons from history on how to stay humble and hungry. No matter what line of work you find yourself in, you’ll find some useful, thought-provoking nuggets in this book.

Connect With Ryan

Tell Ryan “Thanks” for being on the podcast via Twitter
Ryan’s website
Ryan on Twitter

Interesting days

Today - Bomb Pop Day, Happy Heart Hugs Day, Insurance Awareness Day, International Body Piercing Day, Ceviche Day, Tapioca Day and Paul Bunyan Day

Tomorrow- International Mud Day, Almond Buttercrunch Day, Camera Day and Waffle Iron Day Definitely a good day for waffles

Next Thursday- Apple Turnover Day and Bikini Day Happy 72nd birthday to the bikini!

July 28 - World Hepatitis Day and Milk Chocolate Day

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

No blog post today

I'm not feeling well, so I'm taking the day off. I'll see you tomorrow.

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Relationship Marketing and What it Means to YOU!

That's the name of the presentation we had yesterday at our A Leg Up Meetup group. The speaker was amazing and if you read yesterday's post, you'll know who it was...if not you can go here.

The speaker started out by talking about "The Hello Challenge" which is a weekly challenge to the group to talk to at least one new person every week, and he urged them to expand on that by following up with them to build a relationship...not to sell them anything.

Next he talked about what relationship marketing meant to Joe Girard, who is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for having sold the most cars in one year, 1,425...which comes out to a little more than 5 per business day! Joe was so busy that he had a receptionist so that people could make an appointment to buy a car from him! How did Joe do it? He sent a card to everyone he met while selling cars...customers, prospects, friends...EVERY month. He actually had a full time staff that did nothing but send out his 14,000 greeting cards every month. That's right...14,000!

The speaker then went on to say that even though you're not in the auto sales business, you can learn how to use relationship marketing in your business by signing up for his Relationship Marketing Weekly newsletter that interviews people in various industries and how they use relationship marketing to grow their businesses by 200 - 300% or more and how they get 100% of their business by referral.

He then talked about how business owners are busy trying to get new customers for their business but if they built relationships with their existing customers, they won't have to get as many new customers since new customers take more time. You have to convince them to buy your product or service, they need more hand holding because they don't know what to expect, etc. But most business owners move on to the next new customer once somebody purchases from them and that new customer begins to feel neglected. For each month that you're not in contact with your customers, you lose 10% of your influence with them. And after a few months they may be willing to do business with that other salesperson who has been trying to sign them up. Plus, existing customers tend to buy more than new customers through repeat sales and upselling.

He then wrapped up by asking everyone to make an appointment to talk to him about how they can use relationship marketing in their businesses.

And he offered a challenge to follow up with one new person that they meet during the coming week, either by email, phone, text, social media or greeting card and to do the same with somebody that they already know but haven't communicated with in a while.

Interesting days

Today - Beautician’s Day, Canoe Day and Chocolate Pudding Day

Tomorrow - Pineapple Day, Sunglasses Day, Industrial Workers Of The World Day and Orange Blossom Day

Next Tuesday - Stay Out Of The Sun Day, Compliment Your Mirror Day, Chocolate Wafer Day, International Plastic Bag Free Day, Eat Beans Day and Disobedience Day

July 26 - Aunt and Uncle Day, One Voice Day, Chili Dog Day, All or Nothing Day and Coffee Milk Shake Day

Monday, June 25, 2018

Communicate to Influence

That's the title of the book written by Kelly and Ben Decker from Decker Communications.

I first heard of Decker Communications when Kelly Decker did a presentation for AT&T. I found her presentation fun, entertaining and informative, so I decided to read the book.

The first chapter of the book is called "Business Communication Sucks", which it does. But so does a lot of personal communication.

I'm still reading the book. I'm on the last few chapters but I used The Decker Method to prepare for my presentation at our A Leg Up Meetup group a little later today. One of the key tools that is used in the book is called the Decker Grid. It helps focus your presentation on your audience and to organize your presentation.

Whether you need to make a small or large business presentation, or even just a conversation with friends or family, this book will help you learn how to engage your audience and to get their buy-in for whatever you're presenting.

This will be my first attempt at using the Decker Method but I'll let you know how it goes. I'm sure this first attempt will be a little shaky but I'm already sure that it'll be better than if I hadn't used their method.

Check out the Decker Communications website and be sure to read the book to upgrade your business and personal communications!

Interesting days

Today - Global Beatles Day, Please Take My Children To Work Day, Catfish Day, Color TV Day, Goats Cheese Day and Strawberry Parfait Day

Tomorrow - Beautician’s Day, Canoe Day and Chocolate Pudding Day

Next Monday - Don't Forgot Day, World UFO Day and Anisette Day

July 25 - Thread The Needle Day, Hot Fudge Sundae Day and Carousel Day

Saturday, June 23, 2018

Your weekend guide to interesting days - June 23, 2018

This week

Sunday - Turkey Lovers’ Day Apple Strudel Day, Eat Your Vegetables Day and Tessellation Day

Monday - Go Fishing Day, International Sushi Day, International Panic Day, Splurge Day, International Picnic Day and Clean Your Aquarium Day

Tuesday - Juneteenth, Sauntering Day, Garfield The Cat Day, Cherry Tart Day, World Sickle Cell Awareness Day and Martini Day

Wednesday - Ice Cream Soda Day, American Eagle Day, World Productivity Day, World Refugee Day, Vanilla Milkshake Day and Kouign Amann Day

Thursday - World Music Day, Go Skateboarding Day, Dump The Pump Day, Daylight Appreciation Day, World Humanist Day, Selfie Day, Make Music Day, International Yoga Day, World Giraffe Day and Peaches ‘N’ Cream Day

Yesterday - Positive Media Day, Take Your Dog To Work Day, Onion Rings Day and Chocolate Éclair Day

Today - Let It Go Day, Public Service Day, Typewriter Day, International Widows Day and International Women in Engineering Day

Next week

Tomorrow - Log Cabin Day, Fairy Day, Swim a Lap Day and Pralines Day

Monday - Global Beatles Day, Please Take My Children To Work Day, Catfish Day, Color TV Day, Goats Cheese Day and Strawberry Parfait Day

Tuesday - Beautician’s Day, Canoe Day and Chocolate Pudding Day

Wednesday - Pineapple Day, Sunglasses Day, Industrial Workers Of The World Day and Orange Blossom Day

Thursday - Bomb Pop Day, Happy Heart Hugs Day, Insurance Awareness Day, International Body Piercing Day, Ceviche Day, Tapioca Day and Paul Bunyan Day

Friday - Waffle Iron Day, Camera Day, Almond Buttercrunch Day and International Mud Day

Saturday - Social Media Day, Meteor Watch Day and Armed Forces Day in the UK

Next month

July 17 - Peach Ice Cream Day, Yellow Pig Day, World Emoji Day and Tattoo Day

July 18 - Hot Dog Day, Caviar Day and Mandela Day

July 19 - Daiquiri Day and Ice Cream Day

July 20 - Moon Day, Lollipop Day, Space Exploration Day, World Jump Day and International Chess Day

July 21 - Junk Food Day and Lamington Day

July 22 - Hammock Day, Parents’ Day, Penuche Fudge Day, Mango Day and Creme Brulee Day

July 23 - Drive-Thru Day, Tequila Day, Tell An Old Joke Day and Cousins Day

Friday, June 22, 2018

The week in review - June 22, 2018

Monday - "The 3% solution" A post about saying thank you to your customers or clients. "Joe Girard, the World's Greatest Salesman, per the Guinness Record Book, simply sent out a card every month to every customer who ever bought a car from him (13,001) or prospect. That came out to 14,000 cards a month. No sales pitch. Just "I like you" and "Happy New Year" or whatever holiday occurred that month."

Tuesday - "Introversion as an Excuse " From The Art of Manliness. "America has long been described as an extroverted country, a society that celebrates and rewards the enthusiastic, the outgoing, the sociable — those with a charming personality and a knack for glad-handing."

Wednesday - "Poor Customer Service Costs US Businesses $75 billion. "How's your customer service? "Sadly, customers say that emotional connection happens just 30 percent of the time."

Thursday - "Summer means fun #TBT" A first day of summer post. "But you can bet that I'll be wearing my official first day of summer shirt today and listening to The Surfaris on my CD player."

Interesting days

Today - Positive Media Day, Take Your Dog To Work Day, Onion Rings Day and Chocolate Éclair Day

Tomorrow - Let It Go Day, Public Service Day, Typewriter Day, International Widows Day and International Women in Engineering Day

Next Friday - Waffle Iron Day, Camera Day, Almond Buttercrunch Day and International Mud Day

July 22 - Hammock Day, Parents’ Day, Penuche Fudge Day, Mango Day and Creme Brulee Day

Thursday, June 21, 2018

Summer means fun #TBT

Today's post was originally published last year:

I'm a summer person. I like the heat and the beach and the cold beverages and the women's clothing. I like surf music. I like the relaxed attitude.

This is one of my favorite songs from the 60's surf era:

"Drive in movies every night, staying out 'til half past one"

Are you a fan of summer? Or do you prefer one of the other seasons? Perhaps the flowers blooming in spring? (my 2nd favorite season). Or the leaves turning in fall and the brisk weather? Or maybe winter with the snow, hot cocoa and the holiday season?

When I was a kid we'd go camping every summer...usually in the Trinity Lake region of Northern California. Although when I was in junior high school my parents bought a membership at R-Ranch and we camped there through my high school years. I have a lot of great memories at both Trinity and R-Ranch. In fact, Stephanie and I bought a membership at another R-Ranch location called R-Wild Horse Ranch when she was pregnant with Danny. We went there usually at least a couple of times a year when the boys were young. We usually didn't camp but stayed in the cabins. One of our favorite times was Thanksgiving. The Ranch would host a potluck and they'd supply the turkey and stuffing and members would bring up side dishes. And the next day they'd have some excellent turkey soup!

I still love summer although I don't really camp anymore. But you can bet that I'll be wearing my official first day of summer shirt today and listening to The Surfaris on my CD player.

Although summer officially started yesterday at 9:24 PM Pacific Daylight Time, today is the first full day of summer, so I'm celebrating today!

This year summer officially starts today at 3:07 AM Pacific Daylight Time! And I have a 6 disc CD changer in my new car...I may have to expand my collection! And here are some first day of summer freebies you can get

Interesting days

Today - World Music Day, Go Skateboarding Day, Dump The Pump Day, World Humanist Day, Selfie Day, Make Music Day, International Yoga Day, World Giraffe Day, Peaches ‘N’ Cream Day and Daylight Appreciation Day In honor of the longest day of the year, the summer solstice

Tomorrow - Positive Media Day, Take Your Dog To Work Day, Onion Rings Day and Chocolate Éclair Day

Next Thursday - Bomb Pop Day, Happy Heart Hugs Day, Insurance Awareness Day, International Body Piercing Day, Ceviche Day, Tapioca Day and Paul Bunyan Day

July 21 - Junk Food Day and Lamington Day

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Poor Customer Service Costs US Businesses $75 billion

Today's blog post is based on a Facebook post by my friend Kimmer Sue, which in turn was based on an article in Toister Performance Solutions, Inc.:

Broken promises. Defective products. Surly employees. The list of poor experiences we face as customers goes on.

A report from NewVoiceMedia estimates those service failures are costing companies in the United States $75 billion per year.

The company worked with research firm Opinion Matters to survey 2,002 consumers. Its objective was to learn what people do when they experience poor service and why. The results should be a wake-up call for businesses:

67 percent have left a company due to poor service

10 percent have switched 5 or more times in the past year

$430 is the average a business loses per lost customer

Losing a customer isn't the only consequence of poor service. A separate study revealed many other ways angry customers can hurt a company.

What can you do to improve your customer service? First - focus on emotions:

Customer service is about emotions. Yes, customers have rational needs like getting the candy bar they purchased or solving a billing issue. However, it's the emotions behind these experiences that will cause a customer to be loyal or jump ship.

NewVoiceMedia's report discovered that 86 percent of customers are likely to do business with a company again if they make a positive emotional connection with the person serving them. It could be a moment of friendly banter or an empathetic gesture to solve an issue.

Sadly, customers say that emotional connection happens just 30 percent of the time.

Also, you can make service easy:

The phone is still king when it comes to customers' preferred channel for solving issues quickly, with 48 percent indicating it is their top choice.

That doesn't mean everything is perfect. Customers often find calling companies to be exceptionally frustrating. Here are the biggest challenges cited in the NewVoiceMedia report:

Talking to multiple agents.

Not being able to talk to a real person right away.

Being kept on hold.

My own study of customer complaints on Twitter shows that 80 percent of complaints are an escalation. This means that customers tried to call, email, or contact the company via a different channel and were unable to get their issue resolved.

Companies make service too difficult.

Remember, please and thank you still go a long way in any kind of interaction, whether personal or business. And as I talked about earlier this week, only 3% of businesses say thank you to their customers!

Interesting days

Today - Ice Cream Soda Day, American Eagle Day, World Productivity Day, World Refugee Day, Vanilla Milkshake Day and Kouign Amann Day Normally, I'd have a root beer float on this day but since I'm not drinking soda this month I guess I'll have a vanilla shake instead!

Tomorrow - World Music Day, Go Skateboarding Day, Dump The Pump Day, Daylight Appreciation Day, World Humanist Day, Selfie Day, Make Music Day, International Yoga Day, World Giraffe Day and Peaches ‘N’ Cream Day

Next Wednesday - Pineapple Day, Sunglasses Day, Industrial Workers Of The World Day and Orange Blossom Day

July 20 - Moon Day, Lollipop Day, Space Exploration Day, World Jump Day and International Chess Day

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Introversion as an Excuse

Today's post is from The Art of Manliness:

America has long been described as an extroverted country, a society that celebrates and rewards the enthusiastic, the outgoing, the sociable — those with a charming personality and a knack for glad-handing. We’re a people who judge our politicians by their penchant for public speaking, and keep Dale Carnegie’s classic How to Win Friends and Influence People perennially in print. The big man on campus, the life of the party, is the individual with status. In contrast, introverts have often been viewed a bit suspiciously — as nerdy, weird, aloof, and perhaps even inferior.

But in the last several years, these once common currents of thought have been undergoing a silent sea change. While the extrovert remains the ideal culturally, on the individual level, seemingly more and more people are identifying themselves — quite proudly — as introverts.

But what does it really mean to be in introvert or extrovert?

Extroverts tend to find gratification outside of themselves. They are more gregarious, sociable, assertive, outgoing, and talkative. They enjoy company, working on teams, and interacting in large groups. They’re more impulsive and more comfortable with risk, conflict, and making quick decisions. Extroverts are more sensitive to rewards, crave greater stimulation, and enjoy multi-tasking.

Introverts tend to find gratification within themselves. They are more serious, quieter, less sociable, and enjoy spending time by themselves. They dislike conflict and are more reflective, reserved, and cautious — they like to make decisions with deliberation and think before they speak. Introverts are less sensitive to rewards, have less of an appetite for stimulation, and prefer to focus on one thing at a time.

If you've been reading this blog for awhile, you're probably aware that I like writing about personality types. One of the most popular tests for determining personalty types is the MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator). You can take a long, multi-faceted test to get very accurate results. Or you can take this four question test and get fairly reasonable results. You can find out more about your type here...I'm an Analytical Thinker. There's even a compatibility chart to see if you're compatible with another personality type.

The AoM article then goes on to list some myths about introverts and extroverts:

Myth #1: Introverts don’t enjoy social events.
Myth #2: Introverts are always shy and awkward (and extroverts are always socially comfortable).
Myth #3: Introverts need intimacy and relationships less than extroverts do
Myth #4: Introverts can skip small talk because they hate it.
Myth #5: Socializing doesn’t feel like effort to extroverts.

The article concludes by saying - Don't let introversion be an excuse:

Understanding the true nature of introversion is a valuable way for introverts to know and accept themselves (and for extroverts to understand their peers), and to figure out how to honor their special qualities and utilize their potential to create a fulfilling life for themselves.

Unfortunately, because of the prevalence of the above myths, introversion is sometimes co-opted by both misguided extroverts and actual introverts to excuse passivity, anxiety, and simple laziness in regards to their social life.

Introverts who feel shy or socially awkward may not work to address these issues, deciding it’s “just the way I am.” Or they may decide that any socializing, even in small, infrequent doses, simply isn’t for them.

Extroverts who feel shy or socially awkward may conclude that this means that they’re actually introverts (and that introverts can’t change these traits). Or they may decide that they’re introverts because socializing doesn’t feel completely effortless.

Both groups can be missing out on relationships that would lead to a happier and more fulfilling life.

This is obviously true of extroverts who don’t recognize themselves as such; by resigning themselves to a life of introversion and deciding the only social interaction they need is with their significant other, they miss out on the energy-charging stimulation that would come from participating in big social events and large social networks, and lead them to feeling fully alive.

But it’s also true for introverts who similarly feel that only hanging out with their significant other (or no one at all) serves as sufficient fulfillment of their social needs. While they don’t require a wide network of pals, adding just 1-2 close friends to their small circle of intimacy could greatly enrich their lives.

Given that we’re all a mixture of introverted and extroverted traits (not to mention that we all tend to act more or less introverted/extroverted depending on the particular situation), that at least half of our disposition is not innate but rather shaped by our environment, and that we all feel happier interacting with our fellow humans, and all yet get tired by the effort which that takes, we should perhaps accept that the two types of personalities are not as wildly different as today it’s often thought. Whether introvert or extrovert, we all need others to find a meaningful and flourishing life, and we find those others by setting aside excuses, putting ourselves out there a bit more, and refusing to mistake universal inertia for personal disposition.

So, take a minute to take the quiz and share your personality type in the comments!

Interesting days

Today - Juneteenth, Sauntering Day, Garfield The Cat Day, Cherry Tart Day, World Sickle Cell Awareness Day and Martini Day

Tomorrow - Ice Cream Soda Day, American Eagle Day, World Productivity Day, World Refugee Day, Vanilla Milkshake Day and Kouign Amann Day

Next Tuesday - Beautician’s Day, Canoe Day and Chocolate Pudding Day

July 19 - Daiquiri Day and Ice Cream Day

Monday, June 18, 2018

The 3% solution

This post is on the power of thank you cards to your customers.

Only 3% of businesses send a thank you to their customers...whether email or otherwise but the thank you is very powerful. How powerful? Check out the examples here.

You can send a thank you via social media or email, and while better than nothing, they're gone in a moment and very few people will print them out and put them on their fridge or their desk.

The most effective type of thank you is the thank you card. You can go to the store, buy a box of thank you cards and a book of stamps, but for most people the cards sit in the box, unsent. Why is that? I mean, the intention is there, but the execution is often a bit lax. I think a big reason is that it seems to be too much work to fill out the card, address the envelope and get it in the mail for such a small gesture. Two things...it's a HUGE gesture and it is too much work to send a card that way. But SendOutCards makes it very easy. You don't have to fill out the card (unless you want to), you don't have to address the envelope and you don't have to get it in the mail. SendOutCards does all of that for you.

Joe Girard, the World's Greatest Salesman, per the Guinness Record Book, simply sent out a card every month to every customer who ever bought a car from him (13,001) or prospect. That came out to 14,000 cards a month. No sales pitch. Just "I like you" and "Happy New Year" or whatever holiday occurred that month.

Joe needed a full time staff to send out his cards every month. With SendOutCards, you just need your mailing list. We do the rest!

So, click on the link, check out the 2 minute video and I'll be glad to work with you to set up the right plan for you.

Interesting days

Today - Go Fishing Day, International Sushi Day, International Panic Day, Splurge Day, International Picnic Day and Clean Your Aquarium Day

Tomorrow - Juneteenth, Sauntering Day, Garfield The Cat Day, Cherry Tart Day, World Sickle Cell Awareness Day and Martini Day

Next Monday - Global Beatles Day, Please Take My Children To Work Day, Catfish Day, Color TV Day, Goats Cheese Day and Strawberry Parfait Day

July 18 - Hot Dog Day, Caviar Day and Mandela Day

Saturday, June 16, 2018

Your weekend guide to interesting days - June 16, 2018

This week

Sunday - Ball Point Pen Day and Iced Tea Day

Monday - German Chocolate Cake Day, Corn On The Cob Day, Yarn Bombing Day and World Meat Free Day

Tuesday - Red Rose Day, Call Your Doctor Day, Superman Day, Loving Day, Peanut Butter Cookie Day and International Falafel Day

Wednesday - Sewing Machine Day and International Axe Throwing Day

Thursday - Flag Day, Jerky Day, World Blood Donor Day, Bourbon Day, International Bath Day and Farm Workers Day

Yesterday - Nature Photography Day, Flip-Flop Day, Smile Power Day, Magna Carta Day, World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, Lobster Day and Beer Day Britain

Today - Fudge Day, World Juggling Day, Fresh Veggies Day and World Tapas Day

Next week

Tomorrow - Turkey Lovers’ Day Apple Strudel Day, Eat Your Vegetables Day and Tessellation Day

Monday - Fudge Day, World Juggling Day, Fresh Veggies Day and World Tapas Day

Tuesday - Juneteenth, Sauntering Day, Garfield The Cat Day, Cherry Tart Day, World Sickle Cell Awareness Day and Martini Day

Wednesday - Ice Cream Soda Day, American Eagle Day, World Productivity Day, World Refugee Day, Vanilla Milkshake Day and Kouign Amann Day

Friday - Take Your Dog To Work Day, Onion Rings Day and Chocolate Éclair Day

Saturday - Let It Go Day, Public Service Day, Typewriter Day, International Widows Day and International Women in Engineering Day

Next month

July 10 - Cow Appreciation Day, Don’t Step On A Bee Day, Teddy Bear Picnic Day and Piña Colada Day

July 11 - World Population Day and Blueberry Muffin Day

July 12 - Different Colored Eyes Day, Etch A Sketch Day, Simplicity Day, Pecan Pie Day and New Conversations Day

July 13 - French Fries Day, Embrace Your Geekness Day, International Rock Day and Kebab Day

July 14 - Grand Marnier Day, Mac & Cheese Day, Pandemonium Day and Shark Awareness Day

July 15 - Gummi Worm Day, Tapioca Pudding Day, Pet Fire Safety Day and Orange Chicken Day

July 16 - Corn Fritters Day, Get Out of the Doghouse Day, Guinea Pig Appreciation Day, World Snake Day and Fresh Spinach Day

Friday, June 15, 2018

The week in review - June 15, 2018

Monday - "Baseball and Business Have A Lot In Common" From Harvey Mackay. "A baseball manager made an announcement to his team at the hotel on the morning of the game that there would be two buses leaving for the ballpark. “The 2 p.m. bus will be for those players who need extra work, and the empty bus will be leaving at 5 p.m.”"

Tuesday - "Transfer spending" Based on a Facebook Live by Casey Eberhart. "Most of these are things that you're already buying, so why not transfer some of your spending to your friends?"

Wednesday - "How Much Can I Sleep In On The Weekend?" I know I like to do this but does it really help? "So, if you'd like to sleep better, try some moon milk; and if you'd like to feel better on the weekend try sleeping in a little less."

Thursday - "What about dear old Dad? #TBT" A Father's Day post. "And don't think that it's too late to send a card or a gift. The only card that's too late is the one that's never sent!"

Interesting days

Today - Nature Photography Day, Flip-Flop Day, Smile Power Day, Magna Carta Day, World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, Lobster Day and Beer Day Britain

Tomorrow - Fudge Day, World Juggling Day, Fresh Veggies Day and World Tapas Day

Next Friday - Take Your Dog To Work Day, Onion Rings Day and Chocolate Éclair Day

July 15 - Gummi Worm Day, Tapioca Pudding Day, Pet Fire Safety Day and Orange Chicken Day

Thursday, June 14, 2018

What about dear old Dad? #TBT

Today's blog post was originally published last year:

Not all of us still have our fathers with us and I know that makes many of you sad...but this is a time for celebrating your father's memory. Remember the things he used to do when you were a kid. Or the day he gave you away at the altar. But if he's still around, be sure to let him know how much he's appreciated!

This is from my SendOutCards blog. Please sign up for my monthly email list and get these blogs delivered right to your inbox.

June 12, 2017 by r_tompkins

What did you get your mother for Mother’s Day? Did you call? Send flowers or candy? Take her out to dinner?

What are you planning to do for dear old Dad? You may have heard that consumers spend lots less on Father’s Day than they do on Mother’s Day. While it is true, spending in 2016 reached its highest point since the National Retail Federation started tracking Father’s Day spending in 2006. And it appears that spending for 2017 will be comparable.

But you should ask yourself one important question before you shop this year: What does Dad really want? Chances are, Dad will be happiest with something that is priceless: taking the time to show your love.

You might show it with the perfect gift. You might show it with a heartfelt card. You might show it on a fishing trip or when you take him to a ball game. You might even show it with a simple “I love you.” If it is from the heart, it will be perfect.

Letting Dad know that you appreciate him shouldn’t be reserved only for one day of the year, but Father’s Day does provide the perfect opportunity to express your love and gratitude to the fathers in your life. Whether you show it or say it, “I love you” is the perfect gift for dear old Dad this Father’s Day!

And don't think that it's too late to send a card or a gift. The only card that's too late is the one that's never sent!

Interesting days

Today - Flag Day, Jerky Day, World Blood Donor Day, Bourbon Day, International Bath Day and Farm Workers Day

Tomorrow - Nature Photography Day, Flip-Flop Day, Smile Power Day, Magna Carta Day, World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, Lobster Day and Beer Day Britain

Next Thursday - World Music Day, Go Skateboarding Day, Dump The Pump Day, Daylight Appreciation Day, World Humanist Day, Selfie Day, Make Music Day, International Yoga Day, World Giraffe Day and Peaches ‘N’ Cream Day

July 14 - Grand Marnier Day, Mac & Cheese Day, Pandemonium Day and Shark Awareness Day

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

How Much Can I Sleep In On The Weekend?

Today's post is based on a blog post by Dr. Michael Breus:

This only further proves my point that consistent total sleep time (and clock time, remember you want your circadian rhythms to be working well) is the best for your overall health. I was also interested in what happened to sleep in people over age 65, but unfortunately there was no data on that.

The results are clear: If you stay in bed on the weekends for two hours longer than usual, you’re far more likely to be grouchy, fat and sick. If you stay in bed for less than an hour on the weekends, though, you’re statistically safe from suffering the ill effects. With that in mind, here are each chronotype’s recommended workday wake times, from my book The Power of When, plus an extra forty-five minutes.

You may remember my blog post on the different chronotypes...if not you can check it out here. Dr. Breus then specified what time each chronotype should wake up on the weekends:

Dolphins: Non-work mornings until 7:15 am.
Lions: Non-work mornings until 6:45 am.
Bears: Non-work mornings until 8:00 am.
Wolves: Non-working mornings until 8:15 am.

If you don't know your chronotype, you can take the quiz here.

Also in the same blog post from Dr. Breus:

A new Recipe called Moon Milk! Of all places BonAppetite did a really nice spread on sleep and one of the things I liked most was this new recipe called moon milk:

INGREDIENTS

1 cup whole milk or unsweetened nut milk (such as hemp, almond, or cashew)

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

¼ teaspoon ground ashwagandha (or another adaptogen, like shatavari or astralagus)

2 pinches of ground cardamom

Pinch of ground ginger (optional)

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon virgin coconut oil or ghee

1 teaspoon honey, preferably raw

RECIPE PREPARATION

Bring milk to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in cinnamon, turmeric, ashwagandha, cardamom, ginger, if using, and nutmeg; season with pepper. Whisk vigorously to incorporate any clumps. Add coconut oil, reduce heat to low, and continue to cook until warmed through, 5–10 minutes (the longer you go, the stronger the medicine). Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Stir in honey (you want to avoid cooking honey or you’ll destroy its healing goodness). Pour into a mug, drink warm, and climb right into bed.
There are several reasons why this may be helpful:

Nut based milk- is easier to digest, stops hunger issues, and is generally just better for you

Ashwaganda- this is a known relaxer, and something that often helps people to calm down.

Ghee, Coconut Oil or XTC Oil- this is GOOD FAT for your body and brain

Raw Honey– helps keep blood sugar stable throughout the night (but if you have diabetes this is not a good idea to add).

So, if you'd like to sleep better, try some moon milk; and if you'd like to feel better on the weekend try sleeping in a little less.

Interesting days

Today - Sewing Machine Day and International Axe Throwing Day

Tomorrow - Flag Day, Jerky Day, World Blood Donor Day, Bourbon Day, International Bath Day and Farm Workers Day

Next Wednesday - Ice Cream Soda Day, American Eagle Day, World Productivity Day, World Refugee Day, Vanilla Milkshake Day and Kouign Amann Day

July 13 - French Fries Day, Embrace Your Geekness Day, International Rock Day and Kebab Day

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