Home Remedies that Work

Each family has a memory or still practices home-remedies by mom or grandma with around-the-home products and no trip to the doctor.

In Christine's family, after a day at the beach, redness of the skin meant someone was overexposed and sunburn was evident. Hence her mom cut a piece of cactus from the yard and used the inner cactus gel as a treatment. It worked. Of course  it contains a familiar ingredient, aloe vera.

Here are some more home-remedies that doctors have heard or seen that works on patients:

Vapor Rub to Cure Nail Fungus
While there are no studies to prove coating infected toenails with vapor rub once or twice a day is an effective treatment for nail fungus, a basic Internet search results in a number of personal testaments to the medicinal ointment's fungus-killing powers. "I've heard many patients say that vapor rub does help, but I'm not exactly sure why," Dr. Blum admits. Some argue it's the menthol in the balm that kills the fungus and if used consistently, vapor rub has been shown to get rid of not just the fungus, but the infected toenail, too, which will turn black and eventually fall off. When the new nail grows in, it should be fungus-free.

Oatmeal to Sooth Ezcema
 "This is absolutely true, as oats have anti-inflammatory properties," Dr. Blum says. Whether it's used as a paste or poured into a bath, most experts recommend choosing colloidal (finely ground) oatmeal and soaking the affected area for at least 15 minutes. In addition to reducing inflammation, oats are thought to have an antihistamine effect, Dr. Blum says. By lowering levels of histamine, which triggers inflammation as part of the immune system's recovery response, she explains, oats prevent or reduce the redness.

Yogurt to Cure Bad Breath

 Bad breath comes from a number of places, the two most common being the mouth and the stomach. The neutralizing powers of yogurt and other probiotics treat the latter cause. "Yogurt shouldn't have any effect at all on the bacteria that live on the tongue because it's not there long enough," says Robert Meltzer, MD, a New York City-based gastroenterologist and attending physician at Lenox Hill Hospital. However, it likely has a neutralizing effect on the acid that resides anywhere between the mouth and the stomach, including the back of the throat and the esophagus, he explains. "I think almost any milk product or food that contains live cultures would have the same effect." While yogurt can get rid of bad breath that results from gastrological conditions, like acid reflux, it won't have any real effect on bad breath that is the product of gum, liver or lung disease, says Ohio-based dentist Matthew Messina, DDS.

Olives for Motion Sickness
 According to the National Library of Medicine, there are a number of symptoms that present themselves as a result of motion sickness, including increased salivation, which is the body's way of protecting the teeth from the high doses of acid accompanied by vomit. Enter olives, which contain tannins that, when released in the mouth, work to dry saliva-first eliminating the symptom and then the body's instinct to follow suit. However, the treatment is only effective during the early stages of nausea, when the salivation changes first appear.

Do you have some proven home remedies? Share them by clicking on comment below.

Do Not Track Me on Internet

The average person has heard of "cookies" and know that vendors and online sites track online visitors. But do you know to what extent? Did you know that Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, Adobe and many other companies also exhaustively track your every move online?

Now as marketers, we understand the importance of this business practice to know what are an online surfers interests and preferences and hence, submit content and ads that appeal to them.  As consumers, for some, it's an invasion. If privacy reigns supreme in your list of Resolutions, fear not.  There are programs and FREE programs you can download to prevent sites from following your online

Believe it or not there are built-in anti-tracking features in Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Mozilla's Firefox, Google's Chrome and Apple's Safari web browsers. However, they have earned a reputation for being complicated and confusion.

Good news: a program called Ghostery is simple to download and use. Ghostery automatically blocks all tracking mechanisms issued by several hundred companies on an extensive list that includes two of the most expansive tracking networks: Google's DoubleClick and Microsoft's Media Network.  It also stops Facebook from amassing data about every web page you visit that has a Facebook "Like" button.

Other well known programs include TrackerBlock or Adblock Plus. The latter is best known for its ability to block online advertisements from being visually displayed on Web pages. But it can also be configured to block tracking mechanism, and more users are setting it up that way.

In a recent survey of 668 TrackerBlock users, 87% of the respondents said the reason they use an anti-tracking took is because they do not want anyone collecting data about what they do online. It's all about privacy.

We, the BlogSisters, actually decided to download an anti-tracker for a different reason. As some of you know, we both have marketing backgrounds.  The basis of marketing is to know everything about your customers. Online tracking is cost efficient and therefore it helps companies spend marketing dollars more wisely in creating and targeting ads. Online marketing is a burgeoning industry--it creates jobs. Something important to remember in this recession.  But we respect a consumer's right to privacy. So why did we download an antitracker? Well Christine was experiencing regular computer failure or what appeared to be virus attacks from "adware". She was suspicious that it was tied to ads.  In conducting research, she learned about programs to block ads and tracking.

She downloaded Ghostery. Then in the process, a page listed the level of blockage for each browser. It turns that the Internet Explorer had the least protection and others like Mozilla Firefox blocked most tracking. So Christine then downloaded Mozilla Firefox as another Internet browser. After using both Firefox and Ghostery, she has experienced zero virus alerts or the famous blue or black screen.

The downside. If you are a marketer, or blogger like us, then the Google ads we place on our blogs will not be seen. By clicking on those ads, we earn 5 cents each click. So in essence we are losing money by sharing this posting.  Well  5 cents for a small blog is not a loss. We believe in helping people making their lives a little easier. We hope this helps!

How to Remove Ear Wax

For a simple ear wax removal, what's the one word solution? It's not a Q or C. Not Q-tip or cotton swab. These actually push the ear wax further into the canal and cause damage to the ear drum. Cotton swabs more commonly known as Q-tip brand are for cleaning the outer fold of the ear.

The answer? WATER.

The best thing is just to let the water go in your ear (make sure the water is warm, as cold and hot water can cause you to have vertigo), and [then tilt your head to the side] and dump it out," says Brett Levine, MD, an otolaryngologist (an ear, nose and throat specialist aka an ENT). If earwax build-up is an issue for you, Dr. Levine recommends using an over-the-counter earwax remover that, when applied as directed, will help soften the wax so it washes out easier.

If all else fails, visit an ENT specialist.  "Sometimes the wax is just very hard and the drops don’t help make it soft. An ENT doctor can [better] see what he or she is doing [in order to] suction, scoop or grab something that isn't washing out on its own," Dr. Levine says.

American Airlines offers Mobile Phone Boarding Passes

Don't you just love technology that saves you time, hassles and paper!

Well American Airlines keeps adding airports to their list of mobile phone boarding passes.

Visit this link to learn how you can simply send the boarding pass from your computer to your phone.
http://www.aa.com/i18n/urls/mobile.jsp?#mobile-boarding-pass

Life was just  made a little easier!

10 Tips for Getting Hired

It's a jungle out there with high unemployment and now recent college graduates applying for the same positions!  Getting hired takes some skills and strategy. Here are Blog Sisters' 10 Tips for Getting Hired:

1- SHOWCASE YOUR EXPERTISE
While job searching, take some time (if possible) to donate your expertise to a local charity or organization related to your industry. For example, while Christine was working for a developer, she donated her time and expertise to revive the defunct American Marketing Association Miami Chapter. The initial meeting including guest speaker was a sensational hit. Her rainbow of organizational skills, marketing expertise, presentation and public speaking abilities and genuine passion for the field, caught the eye of the Director of Marketing for another organization. He soon contacted Christine for a job interview. 

2- USE LINKEDIN to TARGET COMPANIES
Before sending your resume, check out LinkedIn’s Companies feature. Look at New Hires to see who just landed a job, and ask those employees how to target your approach.  Now here's a golden nugget: You may also learn about job opportunities that aren’t yet advertised by talking with former employees listed in Departures. LinkedIn is a valuable resource. If you're not familiar with it, visit the site and explore and start connecting/networking with other professionals.

3- DO YOUR HOMEWORK
To attract the attention of a hiring manager, you’ll want to tailor your resume for each specific company. To do this well, you have to know the company well. So do your homework: review their website, read company reviews on Glassdoor.com, and follow the company on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.


4- CREATE A DIGITAL FRIENDLY RESUME
With technology employed by more hiring managers, this means hundreds if not thousands of applicants are emailing and uploading their resume. Here's an important tip: have an extra version that is digital friendly. In other words, leave out the bullets, indentations and special fonts and characters.  Many times a WORD format resume will be scanned and jumbled into one massive paragraph. When uploading to a website, use your digital version.

5- USE KEY WORDS IN THE RESUME
This is one of those tips that seems obvious yet only the regularly unemployed have learned this valuable lesson the hard way.  Tweak your resume and use the same key words from the job posting.  Again, hiring managers use technology to scan resumes. If your key words add up, you're one step closer to landing that interview.

6- NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK
This goes to the saying "It's not always what you know, but who you know".  Check online and your local paper for various free networking events.  In this social type atmosphere, it's easy to approach other professionals since you're all there for the same reason. Be prepared and have business cards with your name and contact phone and email! You can easily make them at home with templates from Office Depot (must have printer at home) or use a resource such as http://www.vista.com/.

7- PUT ON HAT OF HIRING MANAGER
Instead of focusing entirely on advice for job seekers, check out books and blogs for managers about how to hire. You’ll get a much deeper understanding of what hiring managers are looking for, which will help you improve your interviewing skills and market yourself better as a potential employee.

8- TAKE STEP BACK TO MOVE FORWARD
 I actually took a job temping as a coordinator while my resume clearly showed I have management experience to a director's level. But when the well starts to run dry, you do what you have to do.  The company that you are temping for will usually regard that as a plus. You have the experience and knowledge and need minimal training.  This job soon led to a permanent one of a higher position matching my skills.

9 - BECOME A MENTOR
Similar to tip number one, this not only demonstrates your skills but follows a philosophy we learned from "Rich Dad Poor Dad"  and that is--give what you need. If you need a job, give your talents to someone who will benefit and appreciate it. Mentoring a young student or professional has potential rewards. You may find new opportunities, new contacts, and if anything else, the act of mentoring is fulfilling. An absolute reward.

10 - ALWAYS FOLLOW UP
Another golden rule we live by, and not just after interviews, is to follow up. A phone call is acceptable but a better approach we recommend is a handwritten note on a professional notecard! It's a direct message, without coming across as aggressive, shows professionalism and your gratitude.

If you have followed any of these tips and if any have worked for you--share your story below by clicking on "comment".

Now go get hired!
BLOG SISTERS

10 Worst Things to Put on Your Resume

With so many people unemployed and looking for jobs, the resume is still your first impression and most powerful weapon.  However some applicants, in attempting to stand out from the masses, are turning to techniques that could hurt more than help. Also, some former techniques are now considered archaic. Example: "References Available Upon Request".  Show the employer you are current with

Below is a summary of things you need to LEAVE OUT of the resume. For a detailed explanation, click here for a complete explanation by industry experts.

1. Unnecessary Details About Your Life
When applying for a job in the U.S. only include your name, address, email and contact information. Do not offer information such as your age, religion, political party.

2. Leave Out Jobs You Held as a Teenager
Unless you're in the business of saving lives, leave out the summer job as a lifeguard.

3. Headshot
Unless the application requires it for a specialty job where looks and appearances are part of the hiring protocol, do not add a photo.

4. Salary Expectations
This follows the age-old golden rule. Avoid mentioning salary expectations until the interview and even then, offer a range.

5. Don't Lie about Jobs, Responsibilities, Timelines
With today's technology, and your social security now tied to every job, this is also linked to government agencies for purposes of taxes and unemployment.  It's easier now for employers to verify your employement through a number of private systems.

6. Things That Were Labeled "Confidential" in past Jobs
What happened in past jobs labeled "Confidential" should stay in your past. Never burn bridges by breaking that confidence.

7. List a Job even if you were Fired.
We know this is tough, but list it and be honest.

8. Overly Verbose Statements
Avoid the dramatic flair to make up for inexperience or a gap in unemployment. In today's society, it's more common to find new graduates taking longer to find jobs, or professionals who take a sabbatical for motherhood or other reasons. 

9. "References Available Upon Request"
Get with the 21st century.  Be proactive and have it ready! Employers will ask for it in application or interview.

10. TMI ("too much information")
It goes with out saying anywhere, never give too much information. Recruiters nowadays wade through hundreds if not thousands of resumes.  A clean, succinct not overly jammed resume will get more noticed. Also, this aids with the increasing use of a scanner when key words are picked up electronically. Use the same key words from the ad in your resume.

Good luck Job Hunting!

Red Velvet Cup Cakes

With hearts and Cupid fluttering around in anticipation of Valentine's Day, and tempting bright red and pink icing cupcakes that greet me at the supermarket, suddenly I felt inspired to dust off my bakeware and prepare the ultimate Valentine dessert--a Red Velvet Cake.

Mind you it has been over a year, except for the pumpkin pie every Thanksgiving, that I baked a cake.  So my search for true love of cake and the rediscovery of baking and indulgence begins.

Upon my journey, I learned about the 7 Essential Ingredients for Velvet Red Cake.

The first misconception. Velvet cake is chocolate cake. Incorrecto. Velvet cake is a blend of cocoa and white distilled vinegar and buttermilk.  The other essential ingredients are

1. The cake must have some cocoa, but not too much because it is not a chocolate cake.


2. The cake must have red food coloring; beet juice does not add the right kind of red.

3. The cake must have cream cheese frosting.

4. You must use high-quality ingredients, including White Lily flour.

5. Precise measurements and meticulous attention to detail are key for this cake; therefore, it must be made in small, easy-to handle, family-sized batches. (Mass-produced batter just doesn't cut it. Sorry, large-scale bakeries.)

6. You must use a hand-held electric mixer, not a stand mixer: Larger machines can over-mix the batter, which sometimes prevents the cake from rising properly
7. Red velvet cake batter needs vegetable oil, not butter or shortening. Oil yields a very moist cake.


Here is a recipe I found by Paula Deen from the Food Network for cupcakes--perfect for portion control:

•2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour


•1 1/2 cups sugar

•1 teaspoon baking soda

•1 teaspoon salt

•1 teaspoon cocoa powder

•1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

•1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

•2 large eggs, room temperature

•2 tablespoons red food coloring

•1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

•1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.
Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.


For the Cream Cheese Frosting

•1 pound cream cheese, softened

•2 sticks butter, softened

•1 teaspoon vanilla extract

•4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

•Chopped pecans and fresh raspberries or strawberries, for garnish; (personally I prefer no garnish)

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.

Garnish with chopped pecans, fresh raspberry or strawberry, or sprinkles.