Month: August 2025

DIY Beauty: Do it Yourself Sugar Recipes for Your Face and Body!

Consuming sugar is probably one of my favorite past times. I appreciate the substance in all its myriad forms and almost always have a bountiful supply in my cupboards. I’m guessing that you do, too. If not, it’s super inexpensive and easy to come by. Oh, and you can make the following (fabulous) recipes with the wonderful stuff! Here are 3 of my favorite DIY Beauty: Sugar recipes.

Orange Sugar Body Exfoliator

This is one of my very own recipes and I love it because it smells great and leaves your skin feeling clean, revitalized and glowing! Here’s what you need to gather before you begin:

2 tablespoons Sugar

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 medium sized lemon

½ teaspoon honey

This is mega-easy to make. Simply combine all of your ingredients into a medium sized bowl. As for the orange, cut it in half and squeeze out the juice of one half. Remove any seeds should they escape into your bowl!

Next, mix well. Apply a generous amount to your washcloth or cleaning puff and massage into your skin in a circular motion. Rinse off in the shower with warm water and gently pat dry. Ta-da!

Sweet Cinnamon Milk and Sugar Face Mask

Another recipe conjured up in the kitchen of yours truly. This one is easy to prepare, too. Here’s what you need:

2 tablespoons non-fat powdered milk

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

¼ tsp. Cinnamon

1 tablespoon honey

1 tsp. milk

In a small to medium sized bowl, combine your cinnamon, powdered milk and powdered sugar. In a separate bowl, combine your honey and milk and stir until thoroughly blended.

Now add your liquid mixture to your dry mixture and stir until you have a nice, consistent paste. Wet your face and apply the mixture, gently rubbing in a circular motion. Let it set on your face for 5 minutes and then rinse off with tepid water. Splash with cold water to tighten pores and gently pat dry.

Vanilla Brown Sugar Foot and Body Scrub

This recipe is good enough to eat. Literally! But don’t be tempted once you’ve whipped up this easy as pie beauty recipe – it’s for your body! Gather these items:

½ cup Brown Sugar

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon vanilla

Combine all of your ingredients into a medium sized bowl and mix thoroughly. You don’t want any clumping! Next, hop in the shower with your mixture and wet your skin. Apply the brown sugar scrub to your body paying careful attention to extra dry spots like your feet, elbows and knees!

Massage with a loofah or washcloth in a circular motion for 1-2 minutes. Rinse off in the shower and gently pat dry.

If you liked these recipes, check out my other DIY Beauty secret’s by clicking on “Wendy Rose Gould” at the top of this article. Enjoy!

We’ll be having a workshop about this happening in  Kinderdagverblijf Leiden. See you there!

Questions to Ask the Right Realtor

vancouver realtor

Questions to Ask the Right Realtor

In order to do the most accurate job of finding a Vancouver realtor, you need to ask some specific questions. Those questions can help you understand what to expect from the realtor and what it is going to take to get an initial meeting with them. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the most important questions you should ask when you are looking for a realtor in Vancouver.

The first question you should ask the realtor is how they plan to use the listing. If you are trying to sell your home, you want to find a realtor who specializes in that type of property. If you are trying to buy a home, you want to find a realtor who can show you homes in your price range. It’s important to understand that not all agents have experience in every type of property. You will find that the difference between a good agent and a great agent is their knowledge about a particular area.

Second, you want to ask the realtor how they plan to market your home. Many Vancouver realtors want to take care of all the marketing yourself. This is fine if you are new to the area or only have a small list to market to. But if you have a larger number of properties, you may find that it’s difficult to market each one individually. That’s why it’s important to choose a realtor who has experience working with properties of all sizes.

Third, you want to ask the realtor about how they plan to handle the listing process in Vancouver. Most listings in Vancouver have a closing date. You need to know how long it will take for you to be notified, and how long it will take for the closing date to be finalized.

A final note on the closing process. Many people, including realtors, will set a final closing date before they close on a property. This isn’t really recommended, because by doing so, you put all your money into the purchase and don’t have enough money to move once the property is closed.

Fourth, when interviewing the realtor, ask what their closing fee is. They should clearly indicate this upfront.

Closing information should also include how much the lender expects to pay to the realtor, as well as the fees the realtor is responsible for paying to the lender. Usually, a realtor will charge an account receivable and a cash advance. Again, you want to know what these fees are and what you will be responsible for paying before the realtor actually closes on your property. Many realtors will be willing to show you an example of their closing documents to help you better understand the process.

Fifth, ask the realtor if they have any minimum credit requirements. For example, a realtor who is only accepting transactions from current home owners may require a higher credit score. Others require buyers to own at least a five-year mortgage or an interest-only mortgage. There are plenty of different criteria for how much money you need to have in your bank account before the realtor will work with you.

Finally, you want to ask the realtor how they will charge you for closing costs. The agent may require you to come in and look at your house first, or the agent may provide a separate closing fee to cover the time you spend there. Ask the realtor if you will be billed separately for the costs of the realtor. These fees can be expensive, so be sure to ask.

Sixth, you want to ask the realtor how they plan to price your home. In most cases, a realtor will try to market your home at an affordable price. This can make the process easier, but if you have to move quickly to sell your property, it may be a deal breaker.

Seventh, you want to find out how often the realtor will be in touch with you. The longer the realtor has you wait, the more likely you are to feel like you are being ignored. This is not a great way to market your home, so be sure to take this into consideration. when choosing a realtor.

Get Agent – Vancouver Real Estate Agent
Phone: (778) 402-8348
URL:
1011 W Cordova St
Vancouver, BC V6C 0B2

How Google Docs Has Vastly Increased My Writing Productivity

Google, you just keep on doing it. You keep on bringing the world innovations which change the way we work, play and communicate.

We all fell in love with Google’s search engine, and though it seems we’ve lived with it forever, there was a time when the world didn’t “google” stuff, but merely searched or researched it. Now you’ve gone and done it once again. Although still fairly new in terms of wide use, Google Docs is coming into its own as a place to create, organize and share documents more efficiently than most anything else.

You may love your Microsoft Word or word processor of choice and that’s fine, but it’s a safe bet that once you start using Google Docs, you might find going back to traditional word processing much harder. It may not be like going from a typewriter to a PC, but it will change the way you write. Google Doc’s ease of use, it’s convenience and the way it will organize your work is really hard to beat.

Google Docs Meets Email

The best way to describe Google Docs is to say it’s word processing combined with email. The way your documents are organized and accessed are much like emails in an inbox. At a quick glance, you can see exactly how many documents you have, what folders they’re in, the date they were created and so on. Email is now hard or impossible to live without and the way in which we communicate and save and share ideas is now mainly through emails. With Google Docs, it’s a logical extension built around that sturdy email foundation. You no longer have to keep your academic diary always with you because Gmail can do it better.

Google Docs Organizes Me

Look, I’ll admit it. I’m not the best organized person in the world. I usually keep my best organization skills for my writing, but even that can get away from me. With Google Docs, organizing is painless – it just happens. It’s nearly impossible to lose track of a document – unless you actually purposely put it in the trash. Aside from that, everything you write is always there. Say goodbye to trying to remember a file name or even utilizing tags. Document titles are clearly displayed in your Google Docs menu. With a mouse click, you can go to just one folder or the special ones you’ve designated with stars. Anyone who uses Google’s Gmail will be familiar with this process, for everyone else it’s an easy learning curve.

More than just organizing, the basic word processing approach and tools is really all most of us need. Multiple fonts, bold, italics, underline and spell check are all tools included. Sure, anything really advanced may be out of Google Doc’s reach for now, but the basics are there and well supported.

Google Docs Shares

One of the most powerful features of Google Docs is the sharing feature. By designating a file as collaborative or as viewable, you can enable friends, family or co-workers to have access to the file. This allows say a co-writer on a project to access something you’re both working on. By just using the one document at Google Docs, say goodbye to the annoying multiple drafts problem. Change the document in Google Docs, save it and when your collaborator logs in, they see the changes and can now do more work on the same document. This sharing ability alone makes Google Docs pretty revolutionary.

Google’s Ambition

Google Doc’s many features are still growing, and honestly, I haven’t tested all of them. The speed at which Google puts out applications, and how quickly we adopt them, may intimidate some, but the price is certainly right – FREE. I say bravo to Google’s ambition of wanting to organize and coordinate the world’s information. If they can organize someone like me, the world can’t be all that tough to whip into shape.

Food and Dining on the Camino De Santiago

 

In May 2010, I followed the Camino de Santiago, a centuries-old pilgrimage route, across Northern Spain. In thirty days, I covered over 500 miles on foot, carrying all my belongings on my back and sleeping each night in pilgrim hostels, called albergues , along the route.
It was a journey of discovery in many ways, but undoubtedly one of the best things about walking across an entire country is the opportunity it offered to really immerse myself in the local cuisine – and you can bet I was hungry after all that walking! In fact, the pilgrim appetite is legendary, prompting many restaurants to offer a special menu, the menu de peregrino, made up of inexpensive but delicious dishes designed to nourish and satisfy even the healthiest of appetites.

Like many pilgrims, my journey began in the quaint medieval town of St. Jean Pied de Port, located at the foot of the French Pyrenees, where I barely had time to wolf down a fresh baguette (how stereotypical!) before heading over the mountains and into Spain. The Spanish Basque Country is known for its use of peppers and cured meats so it was little surprise that my first meal consisted of large, fresh piquillo peppers stuffed with meat and, of course, more peppers. The next day I encountered chorizo , a coarsely marbled, smoky, paprika-infused sausage that was to be a staple, with some regional variation, of dishes throughout my journey.

From the Basque Country, I crossed into La Rioja, a region famous for its wines and spicy kidney bean dishes, spiked with chorizo, called capparones . I enjoyed some of each on my way across the region, partly thanks to the monastery at Irache which provides a self-service fountain of red wine (and one of water for those less alcoholically inclined) to slake the thirst of passing pilgrims.

In Castile and Leon, the next region through which the Camino passes, I found myself walking through ‘the granary of Spain.’ Fields of waving wheat provided a sibilant accompaniment to my daily walks and, in the evenings, I fortified myself with hearty beef stews, grilled pork chops served with potatoes, and creamy bowls of brown lentils, spiced with the ever-present chorizo.

Santiago de Compostella is the ultimate goal of the pilgrimage and also the capital city of Galicia, the final region in my slow and steady progress across Spain. Spreading from the coast inland, this is the perfect place to enjoy Spanish seafood at its best. For a dedicated seafood lover like myself, the days I spent here were a feast of flavors both new and familiar. A meal often started with caldo Gallego , a brothy soup filled with potatoes, a local green called grelo (similar to turnip greens) and, of course, chorizo. To follow, one might order chipirones , fresh young squid quickly seared in olive oil and sea salt, or a pan-fried fillet of hake.

Perhaps the most Galician of all dishes, however, is the aptly named pulpo a la Gallega or ‘Galician-style octopus.’ I love touring here using my The PNW backpack.

Locals call the dish pulpo a feira and tips for locating a good pulperia are commonly exchanged amongst pilgrims. On the strength of these recommendations, I sought out the highly touted Pulperia Ezequiel in the town of Melide, just 56km outside of Santiago. The place was modest, simple, and host to more locals than pilgrims, which on the Camino is always a good sign. Patrons seated themselves anywhere along one of several long wooden tables, fostering a communal and lively atmosphere. If you tired of the conversation, however, you could watch your dinner boiling away in one of the vast copper pots near the door. For less adventurous eaters, the sight of a tentacle or two curling over the edge might be enough to spoil the meal, but I relished the opportunity to watch the cooks at work. Each octopus was dipped into the pot before boiling to allow the tentacles, the most palatable part, to curl. After boiling, the octopus was cut with scissors, sprinkled with rock salt and pimenton and drizzled liberally with olive oil before being served, family style, on a large wooden trencher. Chunks of crusty bread rounded out the meal and made the perfect tool for sopping up any spicy oil left on the plate. The paprika flavor, overpowering for some, provided an interesting contrast to the smooth oil and the young red wine with which the octopus was eaten. I loved the interplay of texture in the final dish, since the center of each piece remained firm while the outer skin was soft – delicious!

As someone who once thought that Spanish food was a lot of paella and tapas , my culinary sojourn provided plenty of surprises. I’ve never eaten so much spiced sausage, nor thought that I would actually learn to love and crave lentils, but these are just some of the things I discovered as I ate my way across Spain. Whether warming myself with a hearty stew or sipping a Rioja wine, I have a host of savory snapshots from the trip – and I still dream about devouring wooden platefuls of octopus. It’s a good dream and someday, I know, I’ll go back.

Vessi Footwear Review – Cityscape Women Midnight Black

Recently a little birdy told me about Vessi. What is Vessi, you ask? It’s an international footwear site that specialises in waterproof endurance shoes. Imagine a vamped-up version of sneakers – that’s kind of the idea. Vessi’s selling point is the waterproof element of the footwear. I have to admit, coming from the UK, the idea of waterproof shoes was pretty appealing. God, what I wouldn’t give for a nice, dry climate. I’d settle for arid to be honest. It’s a shame I like England so much.

So, I took the plunge and decided to give Vessi a go. Normally I can be a little apprehensive about ordering things online. Can you blame me? You could be getting a chocolate teapot for all you know!

I ordered the Women’s CityScape shoes in Midnight Black, retailing at $129 USD. One downside is that the smallest size is a 4. Sorry, all weeny-footed people. I did some digging though and discovered that you can get smaller sizes in other shoes. As long as you don’t have your heart set on that particular set of shoes, you’ll be alright. I’m a size 4 (UK) so I ordered the US 6. Admittedly, I was a little nervous when making the order in case the shoe wasn’t true to size.

The shoes arrived a lot earlier than anticipated. This was a nice bonus, especially since they’re across the pond. The shoes were true to size and fit snug around my feet. On Vessi’s site, they claim the shoes to be ‘freakishly lightweight.’ I chuckled a little when I first read it, but I’d say it’s a fairly apt description. The shoes are super light! They’re the kind of shoes you could toss in a gym-bag or squish into a suitcase. The site portrayed the shoes in a realistic manner, looking as high-quality as they do on Vessi Footwear.

To test them out, I took them for a jog on a rainy day. I have an issue with sweaty feet when I exercise, and if the shoes aren’t breathable, they’re going to pong. My feet were well-ventilated and didn’t smell (well, not that much.) They’re comfortable to run in and provide support for the heels. At my age, support is crucial when I work out, so this made Vessi a winner for me.

Comfy, trendy, breathable and lightweight – the price definitely reflects the quality! I give Vessi Footwear a big thumbs up.

Web Designer Hurdles to Overcome

 

As a professional web designer from top digital marketing strategies company for over ten years, I have had to overcome some hurdles, both in terms of actually designing web sites and training clients on the importance of owning and properly maintaining a web site.
Hurdle 1: Train Yourself

Imagine sitting to take a test for a subject you know nothing about. This is how a client might feel if you approach them and do not at least know some basics of web design. Whether you are working with software to design the web site or hand coding as I do, knowing how to use your tools is the first step.

One such tool every web designer needs, regardless of how you design the web site itself is communication. How well you know a subject can be seen in how well you are able to explain it to someone else. Imagine going to purchase a car and all the salesperson is able to tell you is that you put gas in it and turn the key. They are unable to tell you anything else. Would you buy a car from that salesperson? Probably not.

Remember, your client will most likely not be a web designer.

Hurdle 2: Training the Client

The first question I ask all clients is, “Why do you want a web site?” Silly question to ask a client, right? Yet the typical answers I get are mind blowing. I get answers like “everyone else has one” and “shouldn’t I have one?” Sure a web site is a helpful marketing tool to either share information about a company or product to generate customers and revenue. Remember, most of your clients are not going to be web designers and many might not fully understand what a web site can do for their business.

As a Web designer, your first job behind educating yourself on designing web sites is to train the client. This can include everything from explaining the difference between a web site and a web page. Try to avoid technical terms if you can. Do not dummy things down for clients, but do make sure to explain items in a way they will be able to understand.

For example, you might try equating a web page to a page in a book and a web site as being the whole book. Just as a book is broken into chapter, a web site can be broken down into sections, and then further broken down into pages.

A web site is not a magic bullet. It will not grow revenue all on its own.

Hurdle 3: Marketing

If no one knows about the web site, no one will visit. Simply adding the web site to a search engine might have seemed enough back when the web was young, but unfortunately today this will not work. Decide if you will be offering this service yourself or outsourcing to another company.

Business cards and other marketing material the client is using might need to be updating to including the web site address, especially if the web site is new to the client.

Hurdle 4: Don’t bite off more than you can chew

Do not be afraid to evaluate your abilities and scope out the pricing of other web designers locally. Most clients will want to work with local web designers if possible or at least my experience has been such.

Know your strength and weaknesses. This is where knowing the competition as well as those in related areas come in. Say you are really good at writing the code and laying out the page, but not so hot graphically. You might need to outsource this part of a project. Having contacts who are graphic designers might be of some value to you when you approach a client who desires a graphic heavy web site.

If you don’t know something, make sure this is communicated. Do not be afraid to let the client know you are unable to assist them or that you might have to do some research before committing to a project. The worst thing for you to do is to commit to something you know you cannot do and then not deliver.

This is where networking skills are very important. If your weakness is in writing proper code or graphics, network with something who can. Even networking with those in other areas such as the printing business might be beneficial, for possible mutual client sharing.

Hurdle 5: Sell Yourself

When you approach a client regarding designing or redesigning their web site, remember you are selling more than just a service. You are selling yourself: your experience, your reliability, your talent. This is where knowing your tools comes in. Remember, your tools are more than just your ability to design a web site.

First impressions are so vital as you never get a second chance to sell yourself the first time again. Make sure your attire is appropriate and you have a business card to present the client. Also, if you are familiar with the business or products, this could also be a plus to bring up in an appropriate manner.

Essentials for Your Medicine Cabinet

 

Being prepared for injuries and illnesses is important for a child and adult’s well-being. Many items should be in your medicine cabinet. Yet, the odds are high that most homes are missing these essential products.
For first-aid purposes, you should always have a variety of band-aids. Keep a stock of different sizes, as no cut is alike. There may be large scrapes requiring large bandages or small paper cuts requiring small ones. Surgical tape and gauze pads are necessary for deeper cuts that do not need stitches, but require more padding. Also, keep some antibiotic ointment, such as Neosporin, to prevent infection and hydrogen peroxide for washing out scrapes and cuts. Splinters require the use of tweezers. Be sure you spend the money and get a pair that really grabs. Other items that should be on hand are butterfly closures for jagged cuts, nail scissors, fingernail clippers, toenail clippers, muscle rubs (Bengay), and cortisone cream for itchy rashes and bug bites. Finally, keep an ace bandage handy in case of emergency.

Medications that should be kept on hand include pain relievers, aspirin, nausea remedies for indigestion, cold medicines including decongestant, cough syrup for persistent coughs, and throat lozenges or sprays for sore throats. Keeping a bottle of Pepto-Bismol on hand is an excellent idea during the winter when stomach viruses are common.

There is plenty of debate over pain relievers. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is not recommended for those who have a few drinks because it can damage the liver. Ibuprofen (Advil) reacts to a number of medications. Many people are allergic to aspirin.

Despite this, aspirin is beneficial in thinning the blood. Keep aspirin on hand, even baby aspirin will work, in case of a heart attack. The pills can save a life.

Many new parents are told to keep Ipecac syrup on hand in case of poisoning. There is debate on this issue now, as many doctors say the medicine does not help remove poison from the stomach at all. In some cases, proper treatment must be delayed until all of the ipecac is vomited by the child. Only in rare occasions is ipecac helpful. I still suggest keeping a bottle on hand, but only use it if your pediatrician has given you the okay.

Every medicine cabinet needs a thermometer. The new digital kinds work quickly and easily. They take up little room, so there is no reason to bypass this important tool. If you have older thermometers, they may contain lead. Dispose of them at your local pharmacy.

Other items that are helpful to keep on hand include cotton swabs, cotton balls, Vaseline for chapped lips or cracked skin, Epsom salts for sprains, and witch hazel for bruises.

It is important that you check and update your medicine cabinet on a regular basis. For the face, it is advisable to stack up on best vitamin c serum for face that you can find in the market too.

At the beginning of every season, you should go through your medicine cabinet, dispose of any outdated medicines, and inventory your supplies. Medications that are past their expiration date can be toxic and you want to restock the items that you have run low on.

Website Hosting Canada – Top Web Hosting Reviews

Website hosting Canada is a flexible and convenient way to get your online business off the ground. It is important to get a business started quickly so that your customers can have instant access to your products or services. With your own website, you will be able to put up photos, write articles, or even create a web video and capture the attention of your target audience immediately.

Websites come in many shapes and sizes. Each web hosting company will work with you to provide what you need to get your business going. Some companies are only in a specific category, such as personal websites or small business sites. While other companies offer a full range of services that include domain names, email addresses, business name, address, and payment options.

You can find a variety of hosting packages, including free hosting. Free hosting will give you a basic web presence, but it does not provide any features that may make your business more successful. Free hosting providers will also limit the number of sites you can have on their servers, limiting the amount of space you will need.

You may want a higher level of flexibility. A dedicated server is a dedicated server, meaning you will have your own private space, network, and networking equipment for your site. This type of hosting is ideal for businesses that are trying to build their presence in the market before getting into another large plan, such as shared hosting.

Even if you don’t have a lot of space, you can still have your own online store. It’s simple to use online payment methods, and this service comes at no extra cost. Using this type of service gives you the ability to take care of all your web development needs, without having to manage thousands of domains. This will also help your company keep the servers up and running, so that customers can access your site.

Small business owners can take advantage of new technology to increase efficiency and increase productivity. One type of technology that has caught on is the Cloud. This allows you to keep your computers and data connected to a central server where everything is stored. It helps your business stay focused on what it does best, while reducing maintenance costs.

Most website hosting companies offer some type of unlimited bandwidth or low cost, basic hosting services. If you are looking for a cheap option, these types of services are available. You will also find that most websites allow for customization of the website pages and content. This will help keep your web page unique and enticing to your audience.

You will find that customer satisfaction is one of the most important factors when hosting your site. You want to make sure that you get the customer satisfaction that is best for your business. A service that offers monthly contract terms is a great way to offer exceptional service while still keeping your expenses to a minimum.

Your website will need to be able to take care of a lot of traffic and not break the bank when using affordable monthly plans. When considering different web hosting providers, review their customer service options and guarantees. The longer the guarantees and customer service support the better.

An online business can achieve maximum customer service through a dedicated customer support staff, but some companies do not have enough resources to provide support on a daily basis. There are online ticketing systems that will allow you to contact the company easily and know when your ticket has been resolved. This is the fastest way to get a hold of them when problems occur.

All these aspects play a role in ensuring quality customer service. The best hosting companies offer 24 hour customer service, multiple choice customer support, instant results, free trials, and guaranteed connection speeds. Not only do they provide adequate space, but they will also provide high speed access that will meet or exceed the needs of their clients.

If you are a small business or individual who is trying to get the word out about your services or products, then you need a powerful website with a high level of customer service. Your website hosting Canada company should provide top quality hosting services, flexibility, and affordability for a small business.

The Samsung HF1000 Vehicle Hansdsfree Bluetooth Speakerphone: Reviewed

 

Holding a cell phone while driving has become a non-no in many places. While hands free devices to not eliminate the distractibility of speaking on the phone while operating a motor vehicle, they are known to reduce the risk measurably. When you tire of earpieces, a smart and affordable next move would be to the Samsung HF1000.
Small earpieces and large hands free devices have flooded the Bluetooth market for years. Especially since many states have enacted legislation prohibiting the use of a cell phone while operating a vehicle without one. After a plethora of earpieces that fall out at inconvenient moments and visor mounted sets that are heavy and cumbersome, Samsung has entered the market with this HF100. Compact, user friendly and accurate voice recognition in a small and reliable unit that holds a charge for an extended period of time.

To top it off, it costs about one half that of its best known competition, the BlueAnt hands free devices. This Samsung replaced my second BlueAnt SP-3, a nice machine costing nearly three times as much and one I found to be far less reliable and capable of receiving and sending good, clear voice both to and from the device itself.

So far as hands free, visor mounted units go, this Samsung HF100 is relatively petite 2 1/4″ X 4″ X 1/2″, it is simple to program (and can be program to operate with two different phones that are Bluetooth 2.1 compliant) and has a rather remarkable fully charged standby time for 3000 hours (turned on but not being used for about 25 days, and a measured talk time of up to about 30 hours.) You are not apt to find a headset that comes even close!)

The voice recognition capacity includes the ability to voice dial calls that are numbers listed in the phone’s memory, answering and responding to incoming calls as well as training the unit to respond to various other voice commands for operations like putting one call on hold while you answer another (Call Waiting.) When two devices are paired with the HF1000, it announces which one has an incoming call, and audibly confirms connections, call terminations and warns of the battery running low and needing recharging.

It allows for incoming calls to be accepted or rejected and I am told by those I use it to speak with while I am driving on the high way, that the noise management technology works better than any other device I have ever used ‘” and I have used many!

It clips easily to any overhead car visor and I bring more in once a week to recharge it. This is, perhaps, the one oversight in the design and packaging of the device. While it comes equipped with a car charger, it does not include an AC charging device. The good news is that AC chargers designed for other brands of handsfree units work perfectly well with this Samsung HF12000 so long as the electronic requirements are identical.

This means any charging device you use with it must be compliant with its rating of 3.7v and 700mA. Gladfully, these values are nearly ubiquitously standard on hands free vehicle devices.

There are realistically too many hands free devices on the market to try them all. I am delighted to report that this little Samsung HF1000 outperforms units I have used and tried costing considerably more that are two and three times the size and weight of this unit. It is a fine piece of increasingly necessary technology at a reasonable price.

Like all Bluetooth devices you can find in Holoplot, it has a range of up to 33 feet and like all of the better ones, when left on, automatically reconnects with a powered-on, paired phone once it is in that range.

Winter Candle Holders

Winter candle holders are a nice way to decorate for the season. You can use them to hold regular candles or your winter scented candles. Candle holders for the winter can come in different styles and designs. The styles can include moose, pine cones, and snowmen. Some candle holders are made out of metal while others have a gold finish.
You can find the candle holders in candle stores, stores that sell seasonal decorations, and online shopping websites. Remember that the selection of candle holders and prices may vary per store. Since there are quite a few to choose from, you are sure to find a candle holder you like.

If you enjoy shopping online for your decorations, then here are a few winter candle holders found on the trusted shopping website of Amazon. You may find similar candle holders in stores or use the list to come up with other ideas.

Biedermann amp; Sons Winter Lodge Metal Candleholder, Moose.
This candle holder is decorated with three moose on a platform base. The moose come in three different sizes. The larger moose in on the bottom, the medium sized moose is in the middle, and the smaller moose is on top. The very top of the candle holder is designed to hold one pillar candle. It is made out of sturdy metal and measures at 7-5/8 inches tall.

Lenox Winter Greetings Pierced Votives, S/3.
The Lenox Winter Greetings Pierced Votives candle holders. Each candle holder is white and decorated with a pretty design of colored berries, leaves, and ribbons. This set holds and includes tea light candles. They are safe to wash in the dishwasher and each measure at 3 inches tall.

Biedermann amp; Sons Winter Lodge Metal Branch-Style Pillar-Candle Centerpiece.
This metal candle holder is decorated with realistic branches, pine cones, and needles. It will hold three 3 inches pillar candles, each candle holder sitting at a different height. The decorations and candle holders all sit on mounted platforms. It measures at 15-3/4 inches by 6 inches by 7 inches. This candle holder from Biedermann amp; Sons can also be used as a centerpiece.

Tag Winter Bouquet Wire Berry Pillar Candle Holder Antique Gold Finish, 8.5″ Tall.
This winter candle holder is decorated with a nice berry design. The almost looks like snowflakes with berries on them, which will go nice with your winter decor. It is made of antique gold colored iron, topped with a clear powder coated finish. This candle holder can hold one pillar candle that measures up to 4 inches. The Tag Winter Bouquet Wire Berry Pillar Candle Holder measures at 8.5 inches tall by 5.5 inches in diameter.

Snowman Candle Holder.
This snowman candle holder will look adorable holding your favorite candle! It is made out of bronzed resin with white in the center. This candle holder measures at 10 inches tall and does not come with a candle.

It can be fun to decorate with winter candle holders. Decorating with your candle holders is a good way to show the fun of this cold season. You can buy just one to decorate with or a few. Decorate in a theme, such as all snowmen, or mix it up a bit. Candle holders for the winter can be used both during the holidays and the entire winter season.

Have fun decorating your home with the winter candle holders you choose. Up next, I shall be writing about a review about my latest wooden dinnerware purchase.