Venue Ideas When Planning a Surprise Birthday Party

Although some may disagree, husbands are not exactly good party planners. It's women who we usually see organizing a bash. But that of course is the stereotype. There are also those from the male species that can be good when it comes to putting together a party.

If your wife's birthday is coming up real soon and you want to give her a surprise birthday party but you're not sure which venue would be ideal for the events, here are a few suggestions:

Home sweet home - Having your own home as the venue for the bash is your most practical option. Aside from the savings you get from not having to pay for rent a place, it's easier to put everything together if the event will be held right in your own abode. The only big challenge you may encounter is timing; that is, making sure your wife's not home during the time you're getting the house all prepped for the party.

Outdoors - If you know that your wife's schedule does not see her leaving the house on her birthday (especially if it falls on a weekend), then you can plan an outdoor get-together with your friends and family. Of course, since you're going to hold it an open area, you have to make sure the weather forecast for that day does not bode rain or snow. Also, have a plan B in case Mr. Weatherman's forecast of nice, sunny weather does not come to pass.

Her favorite restaurant - Or her favorite bar or hotel, for that matter. You may have heard her muttering as you pass by an Italian restaurant about dining there someday. That should give you more than a hint on where to hold that surprise bash you're planning. Be sure to have the place reserved on her special day.

At work - If your wife is so busy you can not even drag her to a certain location for her own birthday celebration, why do not have it right at her workplace? You've got to enlist the help of her co-workers (and, of course, her boss) to pull this off.

Continuing surprise - Why have it in just one place if you can hold the party in multiple places? If you have the time and energy (and the budget) for it, you can make it extra special by having short celebrations at various locations with only you and her in attendance. You can cap the day by taking a quiet stroll home and just enjoying the evening breeze.

Pulling off a surprise party for your wife does not have to be such a fussy affair. As long as you prep early and organize things properly, you can accomplish this task without having to lose sleep over it.

The True Definition of Conditioning in Sports and Fitness

Conditioning is a word that is used a lot in the fitness industry but what does it really mean to have conditioning? There are those that are ripped from strength conditioning, marathon runners have to go through a type of stamina conditioning and then there is the condition that is necessary for fighters and martial artists.

Conditioning can come off as this hard core concept of hard work and training to build your body up so it can perform or end what the sport demands of it.

And it's true.

However, that is not the whole picture of what it means to be a conditioned athlete. Building your body and it's performance potentials is only the income associated to having "great conditioning".

The other half of the definition of conditioning is more about the discipline, the standard and the values ​​that you adopt.

"Great condition" is the result of adopting and integrating habits, standards and values ​​that slowly, over time changes and transforms the conditions of the body.

Conditioning is not so much about building yourself up but rather more about adopting a specific way of being that will serve you in the long run which is beneficial for the performance and execution of the skills in a given sport or physical activity.

So, how do you integrate a great conditioning ritual? One that will meet your athletic needs based on the sport or physical activity of your choice?

A good place to start is by looking at where your values ​​are placed in your sport. By looking at the components that you already have a natural inclining to merit and value, then you have a platform where you can design for yourself a discipline that you are more than likely to commit to.

If for example you typically benefit cardio, then use that as a base to develop a discipline to condition, not only great cardio but also as a way to condition better form, more strength and greater endurance doing the activity that is the source of cardio. It's also a great way to develop secondary attributes. If, for instance you typically rely on jogging for cardio but you would like to develop another physical skill or work on some upper body, than you might consider cardio boxing. Or you might want to develop better foot co-ordination and do some skip rope.
By focusing on what you already prefer, you are much more likely to build on it and develop a discipline and from a place of discipline is where condition can flow from the best.

Also, using discipline is a powerful way to predispose yourself to growth and improvement in a specific skill or attribute. Once you have established a discipline on a particular practice, then it's only a matter of pushing yourself and upping the ante in order to improve and refine that conditioning.

Let me leave with one final thought, and that is, when thinking in terms of the type of conditioning you feel you may need for whatever fitness goal that you have, think about what habits you need to adopt and how you need to be in the process of the training rather than what you need to do to reach and achieve a goal to finally arrive at. Chances are that when you arrive at that goal, in order to maintain it, you will need to sustain the condition by maintaining the practice that got you there in the first place.

Conditioning is a process.

List of Ways to Save Money on Phone Bills

During these challenging economic times, the less money we spend unnecessarily, the more we are able to save for our priorities and future needs. One of the factors which sometimes contribute to our monthly expenses are the phone bills. Here we discuss a list of ways to save money on phone bills.

1) Specifically for International phone calls, try to go in for per second plans of the operators, where you get billed per second / per 10 seconds. This is way much cheaper than the per minute billing plan. Sometimes, it happens that your conversation is very brief and it is over in less than 30 seconds. If you have a per-second billing plan, then you pay only for 30 seconds and not the whole one minute. Moreover, sometimes, you call and the other person is not able to hear you properly. In that case, people generally disconnect within 10-12 seconds. So, why to pay unnecessarily for one whole minute when you have not been able to even initiate the conversation.

2) Always check your talk time. Are you spending too much time talking on phone ?. If yes, then, probably, your phone bills must be going way up.

During your conversation, if you keep an eye on how many minutes you have been talking, then you would want to talk only about the most important things and discuss the rest later, or maybe through Email. This will help you a lot to save money on phone bills

3) Also, try to use calling cards when you want to make international phone calls. Calling through cell phones can be pretty expensive. You can consult with your network operator for the applicable rates on calling cards when you call overseas.

If you regularly make international phone calls., Then the option of using calling cards should definitely be included in your list of ways to save money on phone bills

4) If you want ringtones / wallpapers, then try to download them from the internet, rather than sending a sms to your operator and then getting charged for it. After all, money saved is money earned.

5) Check out for the unlimited sms plans offered by your operator. This is particularly useful if you like to send a lot of text messages to your friends / business associates. Getting unlimited plans at discounted prices and so can certainly be counted among the list ways to save money on phone bills.

6) Regularly consult the customer care section of your operator to know about the current offers. You may be able to get some discounted airtime / message pack, if you ask for. After all, it is your money, and you are entitled to save it.

7) Furthermore, check wherever your operator is offering any special package for international phone calls., Specifically packages relating to specific countries. This will again help you a lot to save money on phone bills, when you are calling particular countries.

8) Be honest with yourself and do and examination of your phone services. Do you really need both landline and mobile phone ?. If having a cell phone serves all your purposes, then maybe you can go in for less rental plans of landline or maybe have it disconnected.

Here we have tried to make a list of ways to save money on phone bills, while making both domestic and international phone calls. Hope you are able to benefit from it.

Happy Calling ...

Garage Door Repair And Replacement Advice From The Experts

Most modern homes feature electric or automated garage doors. These models are clearly superior to their manual predecessors: for one thing, you don't have to worry about locking them every time you leave your home. They are also the only option for physically disabled individuals who cannot open a large, heavy garage door.

As with most things, however, there is a trade-off. While manual versions are incredibly durable and require little maintenance, electric models can and sometimes do break down. Why? Although their construction and operation seems simple, there are actually several things that can go wrong with automated models - especially when they're connected to an electric opener.

Simple Troubleshooting Tip

The first thing any concerned homeowner should do is pull the release cord or lever that hangs from the electric motor. This will allow you to open the door manually. If you can pull it up and down on its tracks, then you know the problem is the motor, not the structure. If, however, you cannot open it manually, the problem may be the springs. Either way, you will have to contact a reputable garage door repair company ASAP.

Do You Really Need Help?

Yes, you really do! We cannot emphasize enough how important it is to find a professional service provider. Why? Because even if you consider yourself a handyman or an accomplished do-it-yourselfer, dealing with electric models can be difficult and even dangerous. They have hundreds of moving parts, including springs and cables, and it is simply not a job for the average homeowner. In addition, if you find that you have to replace the structure or the motor, there's no way you can do either job on your own.

How To Find A Service Provider

Start by speaking to your friends and neighbors to see which service they use. Since most people these days have an automated model that occasionally needs service, locating a reputable garage door repair contractor shouldn't be that difficult.

Because installation or replacement of electric versions can be a big job, you should conduct a short interview with any prospective contractor. During the interview, you will want to ask about their experience in the field, how long the job will take, and when they are available. You can also ask them for a rough estimate. In order to come up with an accurate price quote, they may have to visit your home and take a look at your setup.

If Replacement Is Required

No matter your setup, the contractor should be able to offer you a full range of options if you want a new brand, model, or style of door. Because it can be dangerous work, you should always make certain the contractor has his own insurance - just in case he is injured while working at your home.

When it comes to the actual estimate, most contractors will provide you with a free one. If you accept the estimate, you will be asked to sign a contract before any work is undertaken. Make sure you read all the terms and conditions of the contract before you sign your name and hire a provider.

If your garage door is on the fritz, do not try to fix it on your own. Contact a reputable garage door repair professional to do the work for you.

The Five Components of a Business Strategy

Can you define exactly what makes up a business strategy? Some people say no, but we think you can.

In fact, we believe a valid business strategy has five components:

1. Your company's current or desired core competencies
2. A description of how you will differentiate vs. competitors
3. The industry or industries in which you intend to compete
4. The initiatives you plan to implement in the areas of marketing, operations, information technology, finance and organizational development
5. A financial forecast that shows how your plans will meet stakeholder requirements over the next 3 to 5 years

Let's look at each of these components .

The first component of a valid business strategy is a clear description of your company's current or desired core competencies.

You may be thinking, "Great, but what's a 'core competency?"' While there are many definitions, here's a good one from Wikipedia:

" ACore competency is something that a firm can do well and that meets the following three conditions:

• It provides consumer benefits
• It is not easy for competitors to imitate
• It can be leveraged widely to many products and markets.

A core competency can take various forms, including technical / subject matter know how, a reliable process, and / or close relationships with customers and suppliers. It may also include product development or culture, such as employee dedication. "

For example, we could say that Southwest Airlines is a reliable airline that offers low fares. But in order to provide those benefits, it has to have certain "core competencies," important capabilities that enable it to have low fares and to be reliable. We believe that Southwest Airlines has four core competencies that it executes so well that it regularly beats all other US airlines in terms of profitability.

These core competencies are:

• The lowest operating costs per plane
• An economic point-to-point airport network
• A fanatical culture focused on customer service and cost savings
• An ability to keep planes in the air more of the time than its competitors.

Southwest airlines could not offer the benefits of low prices and reliable service if it did not master these core competencies. What key benefits do you want to offer your customers? What core competencies do you need to master to provide them?

The second component of a valid business strategy is a description of how you differentiate vs. competitors.

In our experience, differentiation is about being the best at something. This should be encapsulated in your mission statement - what are your company's aspirations and how are you going to beat the competition? We just talked about how Southwest Airlines differentiates - what are you going to offer customers that will make them choose your products or services so that you can grow your business?

It takes a lot of hard work to come up with a great answer to this question and even more work to make that difference real. It's easy for us to say that Southwest is the best low-cost airline in the US, but it's extraordinarily difficult for them to pull it off.

The third component of a valid business strategy is a description of the industry or industries in which you intend to compete.

You need to be able to define just what kind of company you are - are you a furniture manufacturer? A gift card retailer? A consulting firm, a bearings distributor, a toy importer, etc.? This step sounds easy but we find that companies are often so concerned about getting too narrow in their focus that they fail to become really clear about what they want to do. A company with a good business strategy will have thought through these issues and made the hard decisions necessary to clarify its identity. If it has, it can easily pass the litmus test of identifying the industry or industries in which it operates.

The fourth component of a business strategy is the set of initiatives you plan to implement in the areas of marketing, operations, information technology, finance and organizational development.

These are the plans that guide your company's focus and resource allocation over the next several years. If your business strategy is specific enough to be relevant, you will have detailed plans in all of these areas.

The fifth component of a business strategy is a financial plan that forecasts the results you expect to get from your plans and illustrates how they will meet stakeholder requirements over the next 3 to 5 years.

Your strategic planning process can not be separated from your annual budget process. In the vast majority of companies, if it's not in the budget, it does not exist. That's why you have to have a very senior financial person on your strategic planning team, preferably the CFO. During the planning process, your team must agree a financial plan that estimates the results of implementing your strategy. This plan needs to earn the approval of your company's management and board and should be reviewed on a regular basis to track results and make refinements.

So - those are the five components of a valid business strategy. Good luck planning your success. And succeeding because you plan.